Thread by @apollopods

Up next, we start the #AudioDrama panels! Live tweet of All Together Now: Audio Drama with Ensemble Casts with @chemicallywrit AR Olivieri @inkphemeral @MissAliHylton and @starplanes

First up, introductions... but we all know them all, right? If you don't, go follow them and check out their work! These folks are all cornerstones of the industry #PM22

First question: how do you differentiate all the characters?

Hylton answers first: think about how the characters interact. How do they react differently?

Next piece of advice: casting is key! Cast different sounding voices and think (authentic) accents! #PM22

Minear seconds this, stressing to cast your ensemble at the same time to make sure they sound different

Cobb recommends making sure each character has clear, defining characteristics. If one character is brash and tanky, make another tech-focused and sunny #PM22

Olivieri works in micro fiction, so each episode is focused on a single character or a main character and complement character. Think in archetypes, foils, characteristics that cause conflict and difference #PM22

Is formula a strength or weakness? Minear says it depends on the show. For a comfort show, formula os a strength! The sitcom structure works for a reason #PM22

How do you balance a show with many main characters, making sure they all get enough "screen time"?

Hylton uses A plots, B plots, C plots and go back and forth between them. Helps with their 38 ACTORS. 38. 30+8. 38. #PM22

Cobb focuses on conflict: conflict "helps different characters shine through at different times"

Conflict brings things out for different characters and helps make sure they come through clearly #PM22

Minear meanwhile has a direct approach: give your main characters monologues! #PM22

And how do you balance acting in your own shows with ensembles? Cobb comes from an acting background and plays lots of characters.

"It can be one thing to put a character on the page in trauma [...] Do remember to be kind to your actors!" #PM22

Cobb says you learn new things about yourself when you "lift these words off the page"

She cites a scene that focuses on grief, which made her reckon with how SHE manages grief. It's different writing for yourself vs writing for other people #PM22

Olivieri says they wrote for themself because they didn't know how to cast actors! But also, their work is so personal--they didn't know how to direct other people to feel such personal, specific feelings #PM22

Minear is the entirety of the crew for @SidequestingPod which means they can rerecord their own lines to make things work better, which is convenient--but they get sick of listening to their own voice 😂 #PM22

Characters as worldbuilding! Hylton emphasizes having your characters talk about the world around them. In @HumanErrorPod characters have hearing loss, which is a STRENGTH against sound-based monsters #PM22

Cobb uses characters to describe the undescribable, eg more monsters! The audience can't see what the characters can, but those characters can remark on what they see and what they FEEL. expand your imagination and your audience's! #PM22

Olivieri doesn't have time in microfiction for worldbuilding, but uses characters for LOCATION building. Where do these two characters usually see each other? Where do they hang out? #PM22

Hylton talks about the importance of sound design: sound design is huge for worldbuilding!

Cobb: "Silence is your friend. Sometimes NOT hearing the monster is a lot worse 😈" #PM22

Do you work on your protagonists first or your supporting cast first? Olivieri always starts with a main character and a plot, and then "who does this character need to drive forward the plot?"

Minear did the opposite! #PM22

For Minear, the protag of @SidequestingPod is a stand-in for the audience. The side characters are who drive the plot forward.

Cobb also starts with the ensemble and then builds a protag that fits that ensemble and the CONCEPT of the show #PM22

Cobb says her protags are the "camera lens" for the story and world. She figures out who these characters really are through how they interact with the ensemble, the world, and the concept of the show #PM22

"You're always going to learn more about every single character when you drop them into a scenario" --Jordan Cobb #PM22

What did Olivieri wish they knew before going from a single narrator to a full cast?

You are not everyone. Your experiences, comforts, etc with recording are NOT going to be the same for your cast. You have to accommodate, learn, and adapt #PM22

Lean into other ideas when you work with other people who do things differently. Don't be too afraid to leave what you know and what you're comfortable with #PM22

the second season of @SDITEpod has. 65 people. working on it. 65 people. 60+5. 65

65 people. 65. #PM22

And more people means more logistics! It's fun and exciting, but don't forget how much work it's gonna be even just to collect all that PayPal info to get people paid 😭 #PM22

So where do you find all these actors? Twitter! VA Twitter is wide and huge and everyone knows each other and can share. Cobb also recommends playbill.com and @Backstage

Twitter is great for newcomers. Don't be afraid of newcomers! #PM22

And @AudioAuditions is run by @starplanes and @SarahofGolding and will RT your casting call! #PM22

Olivieri recommends asking your VA friends. Who's great and needs or wants more work? Who's underrated in the space? And listen to more podcasts to find actors you love, especially actors who haven't gotten main character opportunities yet! #PM22

Minear stresses the importance of putting CREDITS ON YOUR SHOW WEBSITE and linking to each actor's website! This makes things so much easier for casting directors: they like the show, like the actor, and then bing bang boom they've got contact info #PM22

📢YOUR PODCAST NEEDS A WEBSITE 📢 #PM22

Cobb reminds us we are NOT in competition with each other. We are colleagues. "Use your resources. We are ALL here to help you."

Hylton keeps lists of actors they love and then reaches out when they're casting! #PM22

Audience Q&A time!

Q: How do you budget for all these actors? 😬💸

A: Minear says crowdfunding is awful but necessary. It's so much work, but you have to pay your actors fairly. Look at your budget and make sure your allocation is fair--to SOUND DESIGNERS TOO.
#PM22

Getting the money is the hardest part. And make sure you pay yourselves, says Hylton! Not just for you, but to set the precedent for others. You deserve compensation!

Minear shouts out the @WGAAudio! Anyone can join! You should join! #PM22

Cobb says scaling pay does help. Look at who has more lines, more scenes and scale accordingly. Don't assume to pay everyone the same when theyre not doing the same amount of work. Don't be afraid to have your ensemble cast play more characters, too! Pay them for both roles #PM22

Cobb helped Olivieri figure out what fair wages are for a short show in microfiction. The key here? Talk to others! We are COLLEAGUES, not competition! #PM22

Is it okay to work with volunteer-only casts? Yes! We all have to start somewhere. Think about non-financial compensation, says Hylton. How can you compensate your cast in time and energy? How can you compensate them with favors, kindness, etc.? #PM22

And Cobb emphasizes: be UP FRONT. If it's a volunteer role, you have to say that up front! #PM22

Q: With remote actors, how do you manage different sound quality?

A: Hylton recommends listening to this when CASTING. listen to mic quality! you can fix some of this in post, but listen while casting. #PM22

"I am auditioning a person's setup as much as I'm casting a person's acting"

"A @BlueMicrophones Yeti IS a decent mic!!!"

--Tal Minear #PM22

Put mic quality constraints in your casting call, too. Say what level of mic you're expecting before people even audition.

Minear throws out 25-40% of auditions based on sound quality. But if you can send someone a mic, think about that too! #PM22

Last Q: Oh it's someone from Audible saying let's talk 😎

Actual last Q: @WGAAudio go follow go join! There's a discord! There's a mailing list! It's wonderful and amazing and important! Join join join!!! 🎉 #PM22

And that wraps this talk! Next, we'll be talking even more #AudioDrama 😍 #PM22