Ask Him Yourself!

[Lilydragon]

Ultimate chimichunga, extra sour cream.

Ok, if that's your favorite food you NEED to try New Mexican food. Hatch red and green chili roasted perfectly, stuffed soppapilla's, enchiladas, tostadas, pesole, just the chili alone is worth the trip. If you need an excuse http://www.nmtricon.com/ is coming up week after next...

[Kc]

BTW... for anyone wondering what might be a pet peeve. Don't send me messages or PM's asking for the show to be longer. It's annoying, and I'm running out of my nice responses.

[yarri]

BTW... for anyone wondering what might be a pet peeve. Don't send me messages or PM's asking for the show to be longer. It's annoying, and I'm running out of my nice responses.

*GRINS* you could send them my way I'll answer that question for you I have lots of unnice things to say and I've got a brown belt in the art of snark. I have been studying under the Grand Snark Master Osiris

[kineticnrg]

Here's an interesting question. When writing, which do you prefer: to write it out on paper or type it out? For some reason when I write I find it much more relaxing to write it out on paper.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Well, hello again, Mr Wayland. As we are approaching the end of the month - what are your plans for Halloween 2012 on October 31st? I hope you do threaten to nuke anyone dressed as a zombie who dares to ring at your doorbell. :)

[Kc]

Here's an interesting question. When writing, which do you prefer: to write it out on paper or type it out? For some reason when I write I find it much more relaxing to write it out on paper.

Computer typing. It's reproducible, I can read my writing, and it's also digitally dated for legal purposes (intellectual property etc..). I'm also really fast typing, much faster than writing with pen and paper. Sometimes when I'm doing brain-storm sessions I sometimes write on paper, but that can get lost easily too.


Well, hello again, Mr Wayland. As we are approaching the end of the month - what are your plans for Halloween 2012 on October 31st? I hope you do threaten to nuke anyone dressed as a zombie who dares to ring at your doorbell. :)

Hee hee.. It'll be a very calm night for me. I plan on staying in with a bunch of friends, carving pumpkins and then watching classic old horror movies.

[RamblinMike]

Does it hurt you the way it hurts us when a favorite character dies? Also, do you feel the tension when there's a long delay (in story-time, not real-time) for something that the story will eventually demand? E.g. Scratch's eventual demise or some of the big zombie reveals.

[Kc]

Does it hurt you the way it hurts us when a favorite character dies? Also, do you feel the tension when there's a long delay (in story-time, not real-time) for something that the story will eventually demand? E.g. Scratch's eventual demise or some of the big zombie reveals.

For me there's no shock because it's something that's planned way in advance. There's people I miss working with, but it's all part of it. Tension for story elements? That'd only be if there wasn't an outline in place or we write myself into a corner, which hasn't happened yet. There was one or two, "How do I make this work logically and not forced?" moments, but those just need time and attention.

[RamblinMike]

For me there's no shock because it's something that's planned way in advance. There's people I miss working with, but it's all part of it. Tension for story elements? That'd only be if there wasn't an outline in place or we write myself into a corner, which hasn't happened yet. There was one or two, "How do I make this work logically and not forced?" moments, but those just need time and attention.

No shock, but does it make you sad? When I re-listen to chapter 24 I know ahead of time that Kalani will die, but it still makes me want to shed man-tears. I guess I mean, do you feel empathy for the characters?

[Kc]

No shock, but does it make you sad? When I re-listen to chapter 24 I know ahead of time that Kalani will die, but it still makes me want to shed man-tears. I guess I mean, do you feel empathy for the characters?

Depends on the character, but at the same time I'm the one ultimately choosing death for them, so I remain somewhat detached. Ask me this question again at the end of the series and I might have a different answer-

[Blood & Ice Cream]

is this KC? :)
http://www.zombiepodcast.com/wp-content/gallery/burt-scratch-and-lizzy-promo-set/p8260903.jpg

[RamblinMike]

I'm the one ultimately choosing death for them, so I remain somewhat detached.-

mwa hah. I bet that makes it more fun to watch us squirm over it. I swore more during 35-1 than I have sworn anywhere in months.

[Deacon_Tyler]

Here's a few (as I sit and wait for Lightroom to export a zillion photos into Photoshop)

1) Did you ever regret any story decisions?
2) Have you ever done an 11th hour rewrite to save a character based on popularity and her incredible voice?
3) The character of Datu is interesting in that he speaks with lots of unnatural sounding pauses, in contrast to the other characters whose voices and dialogue all flow very smoothly. I in no way mean to insult the actor (and I'll admit that it really grows on you after a while and I'm starting to like it), but is this intended?

[Deacon_Tyler]

is this KC? :)
http://www.zombiepodcast.com/wp-content/gallery/burt-scratch-and-lizzy-promo-set/p8260903.jpg

What it is, is an amazing photograph!

[werewolf]

What it is, is an amazing photograph!

its KC and its part of the photo promo set. http://www.zombiepodcast.com/gallery/promo-photos/?nggpage=4
KC is pretending to be a runner.

[Kc]

Here's a few (as I sit and wait for Lightroom to export a zillion photos into Photoshop)

1) Did you ever regret any story decisions?
2) Have you ever done an 11th hour rewrite to save a character based on popularity and her incredible voice?
3) The character of Datu is interesting in that he speaks with lots of unnatural sounding pauses, in contrast to the other characters whose voices and dialogue all flow very smoothly. I in no way mean to insult the actor (and I'll admit that it really grows on you after a while and I'm starting to like it), but is this intended?

1) There have been a few here or there, but it's part of the learning process. None of them have been big enough to make much of a difference, just small things.
2) Nope. Deaths are planned way in advance to prevent that sorta thing from happening.
3) Some of that's intentional because he's not a native speaker. he struggles a bit through it.

[Deacon_Tyler]

1) There have been a few here or there, but it's part of the learning process. None of them have been big enough to make much of a difference, just small things.
2) Nope. Deaths are planned way in advance to prevent that sorta thing from happening.
3) Some of that's intentional because he's not a native speaker. he struggles a bit through it.

Thanks Kc! Datu is pretty endearing, actually. I was tempted to ask "WHEN We're Alive gets turned into a movie, would you cast the actors differently?" but then it hit me: Even with the age difference of Michael vs Jim gleason, the characters are all perfect just the way they are. But it does beg the question: "when you casted for the voice actors, did you do so with the intent of later casting them for television or movies?"

The reason I ask is that you have a pretty good looking cast that really look like their characters are described - Burt, Saul, Scratch, Pegs, etc

[Kc]

Thanks Kc! Datu is pretty endearing, actually. I was tempted to ask "WHEN We're Alive gets turned into a movie, would you cast the actors differently?" but then it hit me: Even with the age difference of Michael vs Jim gleason, the characters are all perfect just the way they are. But it does beg the question: "when you casted for the voice actors, did you do so with the intent of later casting them for television or movies?"

The reason I ask is that you have a pretty good looking cast that really look like their characters are described - Burt, Saul, Scratch, Pegs, etc


I'd love to cast them again for both roles, as long as they fit. Some of the characters merge with the actors portraying them as I use them to draw inspiration sometimes, so I can imagine they are alike :)

[SmokeyZombified]

Dear KC,

What was the saddest moment for you so far in We're Alive?

Honestly I'm not one to get choked up over really any movie/podcast/audiobook but your style is just fantastic and really brings out the emotion of the scene. The music, the writing, and the voice actors combined do an excellent job of really conveying the emotion of the scene. To me three moments stand out.

1.) The Datu and Samantha ordeal. When Riley is reading the notes Samantha left for Datu was just a really heart wrenching moment.

2.) When Kalani crashed his Chopper into the tanker. The music in the background and the voice actors really bring that moment out. "That was my Hanna". Excellently written, not to mention the Kalani backstory.

3.) It's kind of weird but when Michael rescues up Datu and Hope. It was one of those scenes that you could really see clearly in your head and also the feeling of knowing the end is truly near.

Thanks!

-Smokey

[Witch_Doctor]

KC, on the forum, we can be pretty brutal to your characters. Does it ever get to you?

[Kc]

Dear KC,

What was the saddest moment for you so far in We're Alive?

1.) The Datu and Samantha ordeal. When Riley is reading the notes Samantha left for Datu was just a really heart wrenching moment.

2.) When Kalani crashed his Chopper into the tanker. The music in the background and the voice actors really bring that moment out. "That was my Hanna". Excellently written, not to mention the Kalani backstory.

3.) It's kind of weird but when Michael rescues up Datu and Hope. It was one of those scenes that you could really see clearly in your head and also the feeling of knowing the end is truly near.

Thanks!

-Smokey

I would have to say the only scene that really upset me emotionally was the scene where Saul finds the aftermath of Lizzy's potential rape. His reaction was my gut reaction of what I felt, and so that was my most attached portion. The deaths of characters are much lighter on me because I plan for them meticulously. It doesn't have the same power.

[Kc]

KC, on the forum, we can be pretty brutal to your characters. Does it ever get to you?

Nope. Most of the time if I want you to hate a character, get mad at them for doing something, etc... it's usually intentional. I say usually because there are some responses that are down right..."uh...."

[nikvoodoo]

On the episode of WND we recorded last night, we touched on the idea of choreographing your fights.

Did you choreograph the fight heard in 35-1 and have them act it out? Or did they simply record the grunts and screams? If the former, please tell me you got it on video!

[Deacon_Tyler]

Also, was pudding used at any point in the fight?

But here's a good question - were the swords real and if so, do you ever use stock sound footage to save cost/time?

[Hoff4D]

On the episode of WND we recorded last night, we touched on the idea of choreographing your fights.

Did you choreograph the fight heard in 35-1 and have them act it out? Or did they simply record the grunts and screams? If the former, please tell me you got it on video!

Can we have the video either way? Not trying to be a creeper, I just think it'd be funny to see them pretending to be a fight whilst just being in front of a mic yelling/grunting.

[Deacon_Tyler]

Can we have the video either way? Not trying to be a creeper, I just think it'd be funny to see them pretending to be a fight whilst just being in front of a mic yelling/grunting.

Oh it's only creepy when you include pudding.

[Litmaster]

Can we have the video either way? Not trying to be a creeper, I just think it'd be funny to see them pretending to be a fight whilst just being in front of a mic yelling/grunting.

Well, I AM a creeper, and I WANT SOME VIDEO, BABY!


WA GIRLS GONE WILD!!! WHOOOOOOOO!!!!!




p.s.
Uh.... only if we are talking about a video of Constance and Jenna. I highly doubt that a video of Kc and Grayson rolling around on the floor doing foley work will have nearly the same effect... :o

[SmokeyZombified]

I would have to say the only scene that really upset me emotionally was the scene where Saul finds the aftermath of Lizzy's potential rape. His reaction was my gut reaction of what I felt, and so that was my most attached portion. The deaths of characters are much lighter on me because I plan for them meticulously. It doesn't have the same power.

Thanks for the input! I do have to agree the voice actor for Saul does an amazing job really making the listener feel his pain and Burt's reaction just completes the scene. You not only get Saul's reaction, but a deeper understanding of how truly horrible Burt felt about the whole situation. Thanks again for answering my question!

[Raven]

Uh.... only if we are talking about a video of Constance and Jenna. I highly doubt that a video of Kc and Grayson rolling around on the floor doing foley work will have nearly the same effect... :o

Bwhahahah Just got a mental image of Jenna and Constance sharing popcorn watching that giggling like school girls ^.^

[Witch_Doctor]

Not a question, but...


Please have a Peaceful Veteran's Day KC, and all others who've served.

[Deacon_Tyler]

Bwhahahah Just got a mental image of Jenna and Constance sharing popcorn watching that giggling like school girls ^.^

no, you mean SCRATCH AND CJ. I know nothing of this Jenna and this Constance.

[Kc]

Not a question, but...


Please have a Peaceful Veteran's Day KC, and all others who've served.

Cheers! Thanks :) Oh, and I don't think we took video, but it wasn't as action packed as you might think. It was more toned down because if they moved away from the mics we lost them. It was very difficult to do. There's a chance for video, but I'm checking with the crew member who might have shot it.

[SmokeyZombified]

Hey Kc,

Was there ever a point in time (or even currently, you don't have to name names) where you found yourself struggling to kill off a character you really enjoy?

Thanks!

-Smokey

[Kc]

Hey Kc,

Was there ever a point in time (or even currently, you don't have to name names) where you found yourself struggling to kill off a character you really enjoy?

Thanks!

-Smokey

I talked about it a little before, but there is always attachment to certain actors and characters, but the story already has a lot of that set already which makes it easier.

[SmokeyZombified]

Thanks! Sorry I'm fairly new to the forum! I appreciate all you've done for us the fans and Im glad you take the time out of your busy schedule to come on here and answer fan questions!

Thanks again,
Smokey

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Hello Mr Wayland,

I indirectly posted my question on the forum, here: http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/showthread.php?3862-Annoying-character-accents.

What are your thoughts on this? :)

[Kc]

Hello Mr Wayland,

I indirectly posted my question on the forum, here: http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/showthread.php?3862-Annoying-character-accents.

What are your thoughts on this? :)

I don't mind accents as long as they fit into the story, however too many can become overwhelming. I think the amount we have is a nice balance of reality. Too many, and it starts to become, well, like every other bad audio drama out there. To introduce someone with a German accent this far in... I wouldn't expect it, but something to consider if I do another show.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

I don't mind accents as long as they fit into the story, however too many can become overwhelming. I think the amount we have is a nice balance of reality. Too many, and it starts to become, well, like every other bad audio drama out there. To introduce someone with a German accent this far in... I wouldn't expect it, but something to consider if I do another show.

Well, ok, it was a bit of a tongue-in-cheek question, so yeah, I see your point, thanks. Are there any North American accents that you dislike?

[Kc]

Well, ok, it was a bit of a tongue-in-cheek question, so yeah, I see your point, thanks. Are there any North American accents that you dislike?

I wonder how many North American accents there are... The ones I can think of, Spanish dialects (although I can't differentiate them since I'm not a native speaker), Canadian, American Southern, East Coastern... and none of those bother me.

[scbubba]

I wonder how many North American accents there are... The ones I can think of, Spanish dialects (although I can't differentiate them since I'm not a native speaker), Canadian, American Southern, East Coastern... and none of those bother me.

How about accents in Boston? Brooklyn accents? From New Jersey? And don't forget the deep, deep (and I mean deep) South? (examples in recent posts in this thread: http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/showthread.php?3862-Annoying-character-accents)

:-)

[Kc]

How about accents in Boston? Brooklyn accents? From New Jersey? And don't forget the deep, deep (and I mean deep) South? (examples in recent posts in this thread: http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/showthread.php?3862-Annoying-character-accents)

:-)

Yeah, I lumped the east coasters together :) The problem with any accent is being able to understand what they are saying. If you can't, then it fails by default. A few, "what was that?" is alright, but in general the clearer the better.

[scbubba]

Yeah, I lumped the east coasters together :) The problem with any accent is being able to understand what they are saying. If you can't, then it fails by default. A few, "what was that?" is alright, but in general the clearer the better.

Very true. In radio/audio drama, you rely on the voices of the actors so much to convey more than just dialog and emotion that, aside from some comic relief maybe, I would assume that things like this would just get in the way.

On a related note, is your process one of creating the story first and then figuring out how to convey it in the audio medium or are you always aware of the medium as you create the story?

Thanks again for making WA so great!

[Kc]

is your process one of creating the story first and then figuring out how to convey it in the audio medium or are you always aware of the medium as you create the story?

A little of both. I have the story in mind, but I'm always looking at ways to convey it through the auditory medium. If I use voice over, that means that there was no way of making it clear through sound alone. It gets complicated at times and other times it just falls in place. There's a moment when Saul listen's to Lizzy's tape recording, that was one of those moments where the idea of the audio lent a great deal to how that part was structured and the audio conveyed the story more than anything else.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Hi again,

do you have any plans to do another H.P. Lovecraft (short) movie in the future, "when the stars are right"? Are you a fan of his works?

[Turras]

I'm a writer and I was wondering if I could offer a charrie that I made. I currently only have a two page entry of Trick, of her time out in the "wilds", coming from Florida, up until she came to encounter the group. Her story is still growing, but I'm not giving any details- other than what I've said. I'll give the story to you only, if you're intrested. I haven't heard of any east coasters, so I think that she'd be cool.

I write for fun, and I just wanted for someone to at least hear/read something I made, even if I don't ever get any money. :)

[Kc]

Hi again,

do you have any plans to do another H.P. Lovecraft (short) movie in the future, "when the stars are right"? Are you a fan of his works?

Hello. Not too familiar with that, but I plan on doing original content in the future. The one I worked on before I did some of the modeling, and that was about it.


I'm a writer and I was wondering if I could offer a charrie that I made. I currently only have a two page entry of Trick, of her time out in the "wilds", coming from Florida, up until she came to encounter the group. Her story is still growing, but I'm not giving any details- other than what I've said. I'll give the story to you only, if you're intrested. I haven't heard of any east coasters, so I think that she'd be cool.

I write for fun, and I just wanted for someone to at least hear/read something I made, even if I don't ever get any money. :)

Charrie? I'm not really sure what you're asking. I think you want me to read something?

[sos63]

Do you take suggestions?

Maybe not suggestions but ideas? For your next project?If there are any? I know you're a greater writer than me but I dabble in writing a bit and hope to spark an idea with one of my own?

[Turras]

Character. I think that I might know where you are going with the story, and I just wanted to offer Trick to the story. If you're interested, I'll give you Trick's bio, but her beginnings -of how she came to where ever the group is from Florida- isn't a solid thing yet.

[Kc]

Do you take suggestions?

Maybe not suggestions but ideas? For your next project?If there are any? I know you're a greater writer than me but I dabble in writing a bit and hope to spark an idea with one of my own?


Character. I think that I might know where you are going with the story, and I just wanted to offer Trick to the story. If you're interested, I'll give you Trick's bio, but her beginnings -of how she came to where ever the group is from Florida- isn't a solid thing yet.

I can respond to these in two fold. The reason why I can't take solicited characters or idea is because there are always inherent problems with intellectual property. Since my ultimate personal goal is to be a full time writer, it wouldn't behoove me to take on others' ideas.

[Turras]

I can respond to these in two fold. The reason why I can't take solicited characters or idea is because there are always inherent problems with intellectual property. Since my ultimate personal goal is to be a full time writer, it wouldn't behoove me to take on others' ideas.

You won't have to worry about me, once I give Trick to you, she becomes not mine. I just wanted to help.. So I'll send the bio, and what I got written and let you work the kinks out.

[sos63]

I can respond to these in two fold. The reason why I can't take solicited characters or idea is because there are always inherent problems with intellectual property. Since my ultimate personal goal is to be a full time writer, it wouldn't behoove me to take on others' ideas.

I completely understand :) Thank you for replying!

[werewolf]

fantastic.
so Kc what are the numbers for the 3rd season final?
how many servers did you think you needed? how many where need?
what was to total number of listeners to the podcast?
did you think that it was going to be that high?
how are you going to top this?
last question. When will I will be able to buy season 3 ?

[Kc]

fantastic.
so Kc what are the numbers for the 3rd season final?
how many servers did you think you needed? how many where need?
what was to total number of listeners to the podcast?
did you think that it was going to be that high?
how are you going to top this?
last question. When will I will be able to buy season 3 ?

Somewhere between 8k and 15k streaming, but we had like 45k download later that day.

Well, we had one virtual dedicated server. How many needed? More. A stronger more reliable server that can handle that amount of traffic. BUT, we only have that kind of traffic for one day so it wouldn't make sense to upgrade just for that.
Listeners? Bout 100k at least, possibly more.
Yes, I thought it'd be that high, but I also thought our server would handle it. I'll have a mirror server next time, but there may not be a next time. We won't be livestreaming the series finale.
How to top this? Do it live, in a location.

Buy? Marchish? We remaster in January.

[Ordinary12]

Hey, KC!!!

I'm not going to read all the other pages before this one so I'll just take my chances that no one has asked such an obvious question yet. LOL!!! I want to be a character on your show. Have you contemplated creating walk-on roles for the fans?

[Kc]

Hey, KC!!!

I'm not going to read all the other pages before this one so I'll just take my chances that no one has asked such an obvious question yet. LOL!!! I want to be a character on your show. Have you contemplated creating walk-on roles for the fans?

No. It's happened in the past but most of those people were local. It's problematic because we need to control the audio fidelity in our studio, and most of our fans are not near us and it leaves several problems:
1. Mic Quality/Room quality doesn't match what we have.
2. Directing people remotely isn't much of an option.
3. If I ever need someone it's usually just a fill in line, which I tend to have a lot of people to draw from locally.
4. (This is not meant to be offensive) A lot of people who think they can act/perform, can't.
5. It's an extensive amount of paperwork that has to be arranged, NDA's, releases, etc...

It's more of a headache than what it's worth, but we have done some competitions in the past where we draw in talent. The zombie voices we used from fans were modified heavily, so I didn't have to worry about the fidelity that much, but it still was an issue on some where the audio tore.

I can't tell you how many e-mails I get from people asking to be in the show, and it just takes more time than usually what we have available with our very rushed production schedule.

[Ordinary12]

I completely understand...the headache just isn't worth it. Maybe you could do a fan a "Solid" in a different way then? How about letting Otto Sturcke know that he's my favorite character on the show? The man knows his lines and makes you believe in the character. He'd be the guy I'd want watching my back if the SHTF. Oh....and can you put in a good word with Constance for me? LOL!!!

[Kc]

I completely understand...the headache just isn't worth it. Maybe you could do a fan a "Solid" in a different way then? How about letting Otto Sturcke know that he's my favorite character on the show? The man knows his lines and makes you believe in the character. He'd be the guy I'd want watching my back if the SHTF. Oh....and can you put in a good word with Constance for me? LOL!!!

I'm sure Otto will read this soon enough and say hello.

[Litmaster]

(This is not meant to be offensive) A lot of people who think they can act/perform, can't.

Totally. Sometimes you just gotta give a little 'tough love' to people; let 'em know where things stand, right? :rolleyes:


Speaking of performances, I totally got this sick zombie-throat thing going on, y'know? I'ts kinda like a hoarse zombie-warbling kind of yodel, right? It would totally fit in as Randy's zombie-cry, right? It's kind of hard to reproduce it with text here but it kind of sounds like this: "HAROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM-EEEEEEEEEM-MMMYOELLLI-YODELLEYIII-YODELLEI-YEDELLEI-YOOOOOOOOOU!"

Er... well, ya. Something like that. I can totally lay down that track on my dad's old boom box and then mail it to you, ok? Just, ah, let me know your address, and ah...


Hello? Kc? Hello??

[Kc]

Hello? Kc? Hello??

*CLick.... ;) But seriously, I might set up something where people can submit zombie growls to possibly be used. It's the only thing that might be considered.

That being said, next season I'm expanding our sound team. I'll post more info on it later, but I'll need more people, editors and such who have access to pro tools. I have a few liceneses I can loan out, but I think Southern California based will be a requirement.

[Mograppler]

Hey Kc (that's my brothers name too),
I don't know if anyone else has asked this yet, but I was curious when the last time you made a major edit to the story. I'll let you determine what "major" means. I love the show btw, it's amazing.
Thanks,
Vince

[Witch_Doctor]

KC, were the photo shoots done as an entry for Ron Howard's Project Imagination?

[Witch_Doctor]

Totally.

Er... well, ya. Something like that. I can totally lay down that track on my dad's old boom box and then mail it to you, ok? Just, ah, let me know your address, and ah... Hello??

Mail the whole boom box?

[scbubba]

Mail the whole boom box?

Wonder if it might not be cheaper to just mail himself to Southern California.... (Didn't you want to get to sunny California, Lit?)
:-)

[Duffusmonkey]

KC I have created PG-13 edits of most of the first season (Up to the War) so I can enjoy listening to We're Alive with my sons. I plan on doing this for every episode. The edits are far from perfect but I am proud of the results.

I think other people would like them too. Do you mind if I post links to them so other people can listen to my humble edits of your work?

[Litmaster]

Wonder if it might not be cheaper to just mail himself to Southern California.... (Didn't you want to get to sunny California, Lit?)
:-)

Ooooh, yeah. Just have to drop a few Red Bulls and a Slim Jim into the box, and I'll be fine. :)

[Flatlander]

I know the rules of this thread included not asking about financials, but I've been wondering about how to fund an audio-book/radio drama/podcast such as this one. I've seen the youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj3OswgPeBo) in-studio session and there has to be some serious costs to putting this together. This is not run on a shoe-string and volunteerism.

I'm not asking about the specifics but I am curious about how you got started finding the funding. The advertizing angle does not seem to be dominant. There is a DONATE button on the website and maybe that works to some degree but in my mind the left and the right side of the ledger doesn't add up.

Basically the question is how did you guys do it?
Thanks

PS maybe this has been addressed in another thread that I haven't found yet.

[Cabbage Patch]

Ooooh, yeah. Just have to drop a few Red Bulls and a Slim Jim into the box, and I'll be fine. :)

You might want to bring an empty two-liter bottle or two as well.

[Kc]

I know the rules of this thread included not asking about financials, but I've been wondering about how to fund an audio-book/radio drama/podcast such as this one. I've seen the youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj3OswgPeBo) in-studio session and there has to be some serious costs to putting this together. This is not run on a shoe-string and volunteerism.

I'm not asking about the specifics but I am curious about how you got started finding the funding. The advertizing angle does not seem to be dominant. There is a DONATE button on the website and maybe that works to some degree but in my mind the left and the right side of the ledger doesn't add up.

Basically the question is how did you guys do it?
Thanks

PS maybe this has been addressed in another thread that I haven't found yet.

Definitely not a taboo subject-

To be honest we run on a very low budget and some volunteerism. The studio we use for recording here in California is kinda a perk of where I work full time. Part of my job is to maintain that facility, so it's not difficult to use. We record the actors once every two months in the studio, so our time spent isn't a lot, and the actors aren't paid a large amount. Most of the time spent making the show is spent either writing it, or editing. The first line editors are paid per episode, and a voice cut is made by our zintern, but as supervising sound designer it falls back on me to do a large portion of the editing before it airs. And, I don't get paid, so that's it. The website is mostly run at the cost of the server space and bandwidth and I get help from time to time from developers such as J0be and Jason Stone who help on the forum and website, and we have moderators that watch everything on here as well.

Most of it's done on a very small budget, but with a very high yield. That being said if I were to have to pay for the time and work I put it, it would cost significantly more. The costs of the show are offset by the merchandise and advertising space on the website and show. That keeps us from getting deep into the red, but the show has always been an investment. Sort of the "if you build it, they will come" model. I hope that if enough people notice, a studio will as well.

That's at least my hope. I think it's likely and possible if the story is well rounded and polished.

TLDR; Hard work and sweat, with a little bit of supplemental funds.

[Litmaster]

Well, if after five years and much blood, sweat and fears, a studio STILL doesn't notice.... They are truly blind, deaf, AND dumb.

[Flatlander]

Definitely not a taboo subject-
To be honest we run on a very low budget and some volunteerism. {....SNIP}

Very cool. Thanks for the reply KC.
With the obvious quality of work, the awards, and the fan-base, I would have said that the show is a pretty good 'business card'.
I wish you luck with that.

Maybe if folks knew that you are going to all this effort as a non-paying gig they'd feel better about donating to the cause.
Cheers,
~Flatlander

[Ordinary12]

Why has none of the characters made a "Thriller" reference...especially about Ink? The joke sets itself up for you. LOL!!!

[Drogon Malice]

Kc i has a question for you will you ever do a vote off to get rid of a character, for example DC Comics in the batman series put batman in a position where he couldn't remember the right last few digits of a phone number to DE-activate a suicide vest, and left it down to the audience to go online and vote. i know you said you have the ending planned out and all but i was wondering if that's on the agenda at all

[Drogon Malice]

Why has none of the characters made a "Thriller" reference...especially about Ink? The joke sets itself up for you. LOL!!!


final punch line perhaps?

[Kc]

Kc i has a question for you will you ever do a vote off to get rid of a character, for example DC Comics in the batman series put batman in a position where he couldn't remember the right last few digits of a phone number to DE-activate a suicide vest, and left it down to the audience to go online and vote. i know you said you have the ending planned out and all but i was wondering if that's on the agenda at all

Nope. I'm not going to let a gimmick effect the plan of the story. Or is it 'Affect'... I can never remember.

[Drogon Malice]

alright cool, cheers dude!

[scbubba]

Nope. I'm not going to let a gimmick effect the plan of the story. Or is it 'Affect'... I can never remember.

<pedantic>
Affect is typically a verb and Effect is typically a noun.

The gimmick would affect the plan of the story. The effect could be very disappointing...
</pedantic>

[Kc]

Affect is typically a verb and Effect is typically a noun.

The gimmick would affect the plan of the story. The effect could be very disappointing...
</pedantic>

Oh sweet. I've always been confused on those.

[Drogon Malice]

pie is always good

[RabidWolf]

Just wondering why it wasn't until chapter 17 to say something about "sudden loud noises" and adult content

[Drogon Malice]

i have a question.......

Chicken Or Fish?

[Kc]

Just wondering why it wasn't until chapter 17 to say something about "sudden loud noises" and adult content
Because someone pretty much pulled my leg to have it added. It doesn't really do us any good, so I removed it.


i have a question.......

Chicken Or Fish?

Fish. Salmon, if done correctly.

[clem131]

Fish. Salmon, if done correctly.

AH-HA!
So it's a crazy salmon from the ocean and it's goo is infecting people!

[Kc]

AH-HA!
So it's a crazy salmon from the ocean and it's goo is infecting people!
So it's come to this...

[clem131]

So it's come to this...

You take our podcast away we have to come up with our own entertainment.

[Drogon Malice]

You take our podcast away we have to come up with our own entertainment.
lol yes its true

OK next question, Steak or Pork Chops

[Sammy D]

Hi!, I'm curious about the level of scripting in We're Alive, Are the actors allowed to improvise some in the recording or do you keep things pretty much as written?

[Litmaster]

When is that Burt book coming out? My PayPal account is 'Locked and Loaded'...

[ImPaul]

Was Riely originally intended to be French, or did you make her French after finding the perfect actress?

[Kc]

lol yes its true

OK next question, Steak or Pork Chops

Steak.


Hi!, I'm curious about the level of scripting in We're Alive, Are the actors allowed to improvise some in the recording or do you keep things pretty much as written?

They keep pretty much to what's on the page. The improvisation stuff happens from time to time, but when we cover about 120 pages of dialogue in a day, there's not much room to play. But there are other times where it is specifically written into the script to improv _______.


When is that Burt book coming out? My PayPal account is 'Locked and Loaded'...

I'm working on it still with the writer. It's taking longer than I originally thought. I'm being very picky-


Was Riely originally intended to be French, or did you make her French after finding the perfect actress?

She in fact was not originally intended to be French, but when Claire came in to read, it was perfect, and then I just made some adjustments.

[Nathan.Luiz]

Hey Kc, just a random question that came to me during a re-listen that is entirely trivial. In the arena, we know Samantha, Kalani and Datu eat corn dogs that were presumably left before they got there. If that's what they eat, my question is how did they drink? Stupid and trivial I know, but it got me thinking and I couldn't think of a solution to it.

[Drogon Malice]

Taco Bell OR Pizza Hut??

[Kc]

Hey Kc, just a random question that came to me during a re-listen that is entirely trivial. In the arena, we know Samantha, Kalani and Datu eat corn dogs that were presumably left before they got there. If that's what they eat, my question is how did they drink? Stupid and trivial I know, but it got me thinking and I couldn't think of a solution to it.

Either A: someone left behind water bottles or B: Urine.

You can choose the answer if you're squeamish ;)


JUST as a side note, Martin did have bottled water with him when he was thrown in there.

[Osiris]

Two questions:

Will there be a novel based on Scratch, and if so can you convince Jenna to do the audiobook?

Will there be an audiobook version of Burt's novel, and will it be read by Scott? The though of which is quite egg-citing.

[Kc]

Two questions:

Will there be a novel based on Scratch, and if so can you convince Jenna to do the audiobook?

Will there be an audiobook version of Burt's novel, and will it be read by Scott? The though of which is quite egg-citing.


Novel on Scratch? not in the works ATM, but possibly in the future. And we've talked about an audiobook version of Burt's story done by Marv, but we have to get it done first ;)

[Litmaster]

Novel on Scratch? not in the works ATM, but possibly in the future. And we've talked about an audiobook version of Burt's story done by Marv, but we have to get it done first ;)


Four words:
HELLS TO THE YEAH!

[OldtypeM87]

Kinda of an obvious question but is season 4 (as it is currently set up) going to be the same length as the previous 3 seasons (12 episodes)?

[Kc]

Kinda of an obvious question but is season 4 (as it is currently set up) going to be the same length as the previous 3 seasons (12 episodes)?

Possibly... I may cut or extend the season to the length that fits the rest of the story.

[Litmaster]

Possibly... I may cut or extend the season to the length that fits the rest of the story.

Extend.... EXTEND!!!

[Kc]

Or shorten. Yes. Those are my options.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Or shorten. Yes. Those are my options.

Hi Kc,

whatever you decide to do, please do not make a special edition of season 4 in which TOWTM whinily screams "NOOOOOO!!!!!". And yes, I am looking at you, George Lucas.

[Osiris]

In the special edition Scratch shoots first. Wait. That would have been season one. Nevermind. :hsugh: No, I'll never let go of that point.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

In the special edition Scratch shoots first. Wait. That would have been season one. Nevermind. :hsugh: No, I'll never let go of that point.

I still wonder what her reaction would have been if Michael had given her the sugar at the doorstep back in season 1.

[scbubba]

I still wonder what her reaction would have been if Michael had given her the sugar at the doorstep back in season 1.

Wait, is "given her the sugar" a veiled reference to the fact that Scratches deep seated rage comes from a lack of love from a real manly man like Michael?

Or were you just being literal? :)

[Osiris]

I still wonder what her reaction would have been if Michael had given her the sugar at the doorstep back in season 1.

Damn. That's actually a good question. Kc how would Scratch have reacted to that?

[Kc]

Damn. That's actually a good question. Kc how would Scratch have reacted to that?

First you get the sugar, then you get the power, then you get the women. In that order only.

[Drogon Malice]

KC, do you have a secret world domination plan, to open a waffle house where everything is lined with illegal substances. So people become addicted and drag themselves back for the legendary bacon waffles and ice cream??

[Witch_Doctor]

KC, do you have a secret world domination plan, to open a waffle house where everything is lined with illegal substances. So people become addicted and drag themselves back for the legendary bacon waffles and ice cream??

Go home Drogon Malice, you're drunk.

[scbubba]

Go home Drogon Malice, you're drunk.

Or very hungry.... Or both....

Go to Waffle House Drogon Malice, you're drunk.

[Kc]

KC, do you have a secret world domination plan, to open a waffle house where everything is lined with illegal substances. So people become addicted and drag themselves back for the legendary bacon waffles and ice cream??

Not until I read this I didn't...

[Drogon Malice]

Not until I read this I didn't...

and so it begins......... :)

[BrianSimpson]

Does Joel (Drogon Malice) always ask you random questions with some form of stupidity to it? Hahah

But seriously. I have to ask, are you a table top gamer? If so, have you ever played a Zombie RPG or hell, with your ability ever hosted a Zombie RPG?

I love the way that your mind works, the creative angst you have and the ability to cover emotion, drama, and a feel for suspense is damn commendable.

[Drogon Malice]

Does Joel (Drogon Malice) always ask you random questions with some form of stupidity to it? Hahah

But seriously. I have to ask, are you a table top gamer? If so, have you ever played a Zombie RPG or hell, with your ability ever hosted a Zombie RPG?

I love the way that your mind works, the creative angst you have and the ability to cover emotion, drama, and a feel for suspense is damn commendable.

there's nothing wrong with a waffle house or global domination.
and yeah, i noticed the thread was dead for about a week so some randomness spruced it up nicely mate. at least I'm asking random things and not inappropriate things.

and i new scbubba and Witch_Doctor would like that post, lol.




*epic sense of realisation dawns on himself*

"play outbreak undead with KC Wayland as GM" i think i would legitimately die.

[Witch_Doctor]

On the subject of waffles; KC, have you ever eaten at Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles? I've never thought to eat chicken with waffles or vice versa, and wanted someone's opinion.

[mageftw]

do you like star wars and if so whos your favorite character.

[BrianSimpson]

Alright.... I was wondering this.... in one of the episodes Scratch says that she would feed someone to "The Sisters".... So...... when are we going to meet them, if we're going to meet them? Also, are the regular Zombies? Special Infected? Plus, she had them AFTER the strip mall, so either they came along AFTER the Strip Mall, OR They kept then from the Strip Mall and have them as little pets. So.... What's the deal?

Is there anything you can say or hint to 'Them"???

[Drogon Malice]

Alright.... I was wondering this.... in one of the episodes Scratch says that she would feed someone to "The Sisters".... So...... when are we going to meet them, if we're going to meet them? Also, are the regular Zombies? Special Infected? Plus, she had them AFTER the strip mall, so either they came along AFTER the Strip Mall, OR They kept then from the Strip Mall and have them as little pets. So.... What's the deal?

Is there anything you can say or hint to 'Them"???

i also am interested in hearing the answer to this one. however i have a different question.

Kc given there are websites out there such as kick starter, go fund me. etc have you thought about setting up a campaign to turn WA into a CGI web series or perhaps even a video game of some kind?

[Kc]

i also am interested in hearing the answer to this one. however i have a different question.

Kc given there are websites out there such as kick starter, go fund me. etc have you thought about setting up a campaign to turn WA into a CGI web series or perhaps even a video game of some kind?



To do We're Alive properly with CG would take millions. Something that would fail easily in Kickstarter right now. Once we get to a certain point it'll be more feasible, but one step at a time :)

[Drogon Malice]

that's pretty awesome, glad to hear it


another question dare i ask, but have you and I'm not even kidding when i say this

have you ever thought about taking the tower from WA and turning it into a
"tower defense game"?

just random thought was all wanted to know if it crossed your mind

[Kc]

that's pretty awesome, glad to hear it


another question dare i ask, but have you and I'm not even kidding when i say this

have you ever thought about taking the tower from WA and turning it into a
"tower defense game"?

just random thought was all wanted to know if it crossed your mind

Yes. I have, but no one has shown me a good enough concept or plan to let them develop it with a license.

[Drogon Malice]

huh, cool, wasn't expecting that answer, thanks mate much appreciated for the response!

[CitizenSoldier]

This is probly late but is it same to assume "ink" is the man in the pinstrip suit, also great start to season 4 but why was there no like music or atoeast some sound between sections, at times when it went dead silent at times i believed that my ipod died or stopped working, so why? Just wondering

[Kc]

This is probly late but is it same to assume "ink" is the man in the pinstrip suit, also great start to season 4 but why was there no like music or atoeast some sound between sections, at times when it went dead silent at times i believed that my ipod died or stopped working, so why? Just wondering

Safe to assume? I wouldn't say yay or nay on that. The answer will be in the story.

And why some parts with no music? Because music isn't always required as bridges between scenes. Music can either add to or detract from a scene, and in those scenes I didn't use them, I felt the silence or room tones were a better bridge. Sometimes the subtleties are lost with ipod headsets too, so you may not have heard the ambiance in the background bridging the gaps as well. Not to say that you can't enjoy the series on headsets, but I treat the audio edits as a painting and you don't get to see the whole picture without decent speakers.

[Grognaurd]

How many channels? I can reassemble my preAmp, Amp, stereo speakers and subwoofer pretty quickly. It was a really nice >$1,500 system in the late 80s. Setting up full 7 channel surround would be a lot more work that I would rather avoid if the extras are passive.

[Nathan.Luiz]

Just to check, can you confirm Season 4 will be 12 chapters, as usual?

[oyapak]

Have you ever tried or played around the 3D binaural sound such as the Virtual Barbershop or Stephen King's The Mist audio drama? btw WA us superb! Best thing I have found in a long, long time since I discovered this stuff on the radio when I was a kid. Thanks a lot for the great entertainment you and your crew have created.

[Storm]

I know you've said most of the music is not releasable... (Is that even a word? Anyways...) Does that include the intros from S3 and 4? If not, would it be a possibility that they could be found in some future ringtone packs?
Another question... Can you confirm that the day it's raining and storming at the tower (around C6 or so) is the same date that CJ's tower is attacked? It's raining there as well, and I don't think we've heard it do that elsewhere. ... Extremely dry summer, methinks. :D

[Lanightmare]

Do you have plans for anymore audio dramas after it's alive is over?

[Kc]

WOW! It's been a while since I've answered these. Sorry for the delay. I thought I was caught up. Ok, here we go...


How many channels? I can reassemble my preAmp, Amp, stereo speakers and subwoofer pretty quickly. It was a really nice >$1,500 system in the late 80s. Setting up full 7 channel surround would be a lot more work that I would rather avoid if the extras are passive.

We only do 2, left and right. I'm in a weird philosophical position that believes that anything over 2 channels is mostly a waste of time. I deal a lot with students who break their backs trying to do surround sound mixes, when they really should be spending more time on the audio content instead. If we were premiering in theaters I might say that 5.1 is worth it. I think that's what you were asking? Or if it's how many individual tracks we have in our sessions, it's about 60 more or less.


Just to check, can you confirm Season 4 will be 12 chapters, as usual?

Right now, it's on target for 12.


Have you ever tried or played around the 3D binaural sound such as the Virtual Barbershop or Stephen King's The Mist audio drama? btw WA us superb! Best thing I have found in a long, long time since I discovered this stuff on the radio when I was a kid. Thanks a lot for the great entertainment you and your crew have created.

I've seen that stuff, and it would be nice, but I don't think it'd work for what we do. There's a few problems with it. One, it's mostly headset designed, so anyone who listens on speakers is out. I think that includes cars too. Second, you have to record most every sound effect that way. At least that's my understanding. It's a really cool idea, but the production time and costs outweigh the benefits for us.


I know you've said most of the music is not releasable... (Is that even a word? Anyways...) Does that include the intros from S3 and 4? If not, would it be a possibility that they could be found in some future ringtone packs?
Another question... Can you confirm that the day it's raining and storming at the tower (around C6 or so) is the same date that CJ's tower is attacked? It's raining there as well, and I don't think we've heard it do that elsewhere. ... Extremely dry summer, methinks. :D

Yes, we can release the intros as ringtones, but we'd have to do a special contract to make that happen. So, give it some time and shouldn't be a problem.
The rain in season 1 where it was attacked... It's not exactly the same day, but they are close in that time period.



Do you have plans for anymore audio dramas after it's alive is over?

You mean "We're Alive" ? ;) Just giving you a hard time :) - Um, maybe. With the amount of time and $ that goes into this production, it would be quite an undertaking to do another without it being my primary occupation. There's a massive amount of time and effort that goes into the show and I would hate to start a new series without the energy to run another marathon like the one I've been running for the last 5 years. The stories for the next 2 series, or series of books, have rough outlines and some events detailed out, but what medium to tell the stories has yet to be determined. In the immediate time after WA, we will release the Burt book, but other than that, I'm not sure yet.

[Lanightmare]

You mean "We're Alive" ? ;) Just giving you a hard time :) - Um, maybe. With the amount of time and $ that goes into this production, it would be quite an undertaking to do another without it being my primary occupation. There's a massive amount of time and effort that goes into the show and I would hate to start a new series without the energy to run another marathon like the one I've been running for the last 5 years. The stories for the next 2 series, or series of books, have rough outlines and some events detailed out, but what medium to tell the stories has yet to be determined. In the immediate time after WA, we will release the Burt book, but other than that, I'm not sure yet.[/QUOTE]

Well I really hope you do, we're alive is one of the greatest stories I've ever listened too. The production value is amazing the actors are all great and the progression of the characters is awesome. Y'all's hard work defiantly shows in the final product. But the only thing I was wondering and this may sound dumb, but what about Area 51? If I was military and the apocalypse broke out and I was in Southern California I think I would have tried to make that trip. You never know what kind of awesome weaponry you would find there lol

[Gnex]

I would like to know when/if we will ever see anymore rain episodes??? Something about the rain just makes it very serious and creepy!!! :squint:

[Kc]

I would like to know when/if we will ever see anymore rain episodes??? Something about the rain just makes it very serious and creepy!!! :squint:

Um... yes.

[pmchawk]

I have a non-WA based question. Were you or Blair ever part of a message board discussion, similar to (fan theories, speculation and such) but prior to the WA universe?

[Kc]

I have a non-WA based question. Were you or Blair ever part of a message board discussion, similar to (fan theories, speculation and such) but prior to the WA universe?

I think we commented on Lostpedia at one time, but that was about it.

[daveyman23]

I think I read somewhere here that you would be performing the second to last episode live in July next year and then the audience would get to hear the final episode after that. Is there still plans to do this? I live in NJ but I want to use my vacation off work in the summer to come to LA and be there.

If this is still happening, are there any concrete dates/a location? I want to plan this in advance!

[Kc]

I think I read somewhere here that you would be performing the second to last episode live in July next year and then the audience would get to hear the final episode after that. Is there still plans to do this? I live in NJ but I want to use my vacation off work in the summer to come to LA and be there.

If this is still happening, are there any concrete dates/a location? I want to plan this in advance!

Yes, but nothing concrete yet... We're looking at July 12. Once we know, we'll post about it.

EDIT: July 19th

[daveyman23]

Great thanks so much =D Never been to LA before and this is the best excuse I can think of. If I can catch Comedy Bang Bang at the UCB theatre while I am there it would be even cooler

[shadrak]

Why are seasons 3 and 4 awesome while season 2 is good and season 1 is "meh"? Was there a change to process? Is it more experience? Is it staff relationships?

The production and editing is better as well as the acting itself. Michael's character is a lot more natural and seems to be controlling his borderline personality disorder a little better as the series goes on.

How does the financing structure work? Is this a full time position for you? If not, I would love to see some of the work you could do without distraction from operating costs...the show is very high quality if you are doing it on a shoestring budget.

[Kc]

Why are seasons 3 and 4 awesome while season 2 is good and season 1 is "meh"? Was there a change to process? Is it more experience? Is it staff relationships?

The production and editing is better as well as the acting itself. Michael's character is a lot more natural and seems to be controlling his borderline personality disorder a little better as the series goes on.

How does the financing structure work? Is this a full time position for you? If not, I would love to see some of the work you could do without distraction from operating costs...the show is very high quality if you are doing it on a shoestring budget.

There are some that would say the opposite, but it's all a matter of preference. I would definitely agree that we didn't hit our stride until about Chapter 8 or so.

Why is it "better" now? Well, it's a lot of things. The biggest is experience. As the series has progressed, the creative team has just grown. So many things are just "gut reactions" now in terms of editing and writing since we've been doing it for so long. When something feels off, it's off.

However, the entire series has undergone staff changes since the beginning, and many different editors and staff have come and gone that it's sometimes difficult to maintain consistency. There's also that burden of raising the bar continually. When we first started out, what aired would not have been "passable" by today's standards. Now, we meticulously Foley just about every character interaction with their environment: footsteps, paper movements, cloth, chains, fight scenes, etc... Back in the day, we mostly used stuff we already recorded or far more stock sfx.

Speaking of which, our Sound FX and Music FX libraries have grown. Many times we can use sounds we already recorded, or we've licensed more volumes over the years. Our music library was VERY limited when we first started out. Now, we have more to use and customize to what we want for a scene. We're still limited by what's available, since most of our music isn't custom scored, but we do have more choices.

I feel that I have improved as a writer. In the beginning I lacked the confidence in myself and what I was creating. I have learned so much from this entire process and from my mistakes, and really am looking forward to starting fresh and new with another story and new characters. There's still a lot more I can learn, and won't deny I have areas I could improve, but I know learned my strengths. Still, moving onto any new story is scary, as the old characters become so engrained in your head that creating a new voice could be difficult.

The biggest thing that has changed is the amount of time it takes to create the show. EVERYTHING TAKES LONGER NOW, and not just a few hours, but days more. We used to only get one usable take per line, and move on once we got what I thought we needed. Now, we have at least 2 if not more. We do that for better scenes, but also because not all our actors can perform at the same time like they used to. The series has grown almost too big for too long, and actors move away. Fortunately, they are still the amazing dedicated performers that make this show amazing.

And Editing? Yeesh... that takes forever now. It used to be able to be one person, now it's at least 3. Voice cutter: takes all the good takes and stacks them onto one timeline. 1st Line editor: The person who edits the episode and puts all the pieces into place, records foley. And last, Supervising sound editor: Me. I do more foley, add the music, and continue to edit everything to maintain consistency for everything. In all, it's a TON of work just to bring one episode every week. Writing, still all me for the first drafts, but we have 2 people who proof them, and the outlining process is much more thorough and longer since everything's coming to a close.

So, in short, it might be because we work longer and harder on everything now, than we did a few seasons back. And I didn't even mention the technical work on the web, social media, the store, etc... Grayson and I pretty much live this stuff, and greatly look forward to the break that will come in July. It's hard to run a marathon for five years. To think, I actually started this process with hair!

How does the financial structure work? Well, we do receive ad revenue, but that barely covers much for now. I won't go into most of the costs, but a lot is still self-funded along with the store sales and donations. Honestly, the donations and sales have kept us running at times. We do pay people, but it's barely enough to make sure they don't quit... One day I hope to be able to pay people what they are worth. A lot of the investment in this is because, hopefully, this will launch several careers. What we lack in $, we make up in heart.

Is this a full time position? No, sadly. I work a regular 8 to 5 to support myself and the show. My fulltime job involves post-production stuff and animation at a university, so it has lended a lot of opportunities for zinterns and facilities to use, so cheers to my job! Honestly, it wouldn't be possible without it.

And while doing We're Alive full time would be amazing, there's also that part of me that knows that I HAVE to work on the show after I get home from work, otherwise it won't get done in time. The more idle time you have, the less you use it productively. That being said, I have to thank my wife for being as supportive as she has about the show. It does get in the way of us having a "normal" life. Then again, I wouldn't have it any other way. :)

[Unit]

Almost 40 pages long, I haven't gone through it yet so I apologize if this question had already come up.


Have there ever been any theories or ideas that have come up on the forum here that you thought were good ideas and actually integrated it into the storyline?

[Kc]

Almost 40 pages long, I haven't gone through it yet so I apologize if this question had already come up.


Have there ever been any theories or ideas that have come up on the forum here that you thought were good ideas and actually integrated it into the storyline?

No. The only things I've ever altered were things just to clarify, details that may have been missed the first time.

[shadrak]

Awesome! Well, I think your next projects are going to be great! It went from something pretty amateurish early on (but fun) to something that I would rate higher than many Walking Dead episodes--very professional and refined!

I hope you can leverage this program to get a deal to write and produce something similar (preferably audio/podcast over TV).

[TasiaGranata]

Well i sincerely hope the people do..that would be a much better thing to happen. Walking Dead really had a pretty great run.

[clem131]

Question for KC or any of the people that manage the site: do you have a statistic of your listener's geographical distribution?

[Kc]

Question for KC or any of the people that manage the site: do you have a statistic of your listener's geographical distribution?

2919
The darker areas mean the more downloads. As is: 75% US downloads, 12.3% UK, 3.7% Canada. The rest is pretty spread out with Australia being next in line.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

2919
The darker areas mean the more downloads. As is: 75% US downloads, 12.3% UK, 3.7% Canada. The rest is pretty spread out with Australia being next in line.

Liam seems to be great at keeping Germany's download rate high. :D Even Angie likes to listen from time to time...

http://polpix.sueddeutsche.com/bild/1.210332.1358039832/640x360/tagebuch-mit-merkel-lateinamerika.jpg

[tonyhind86]

Liam seems to be great at keeping Germany's download rate high. :D Even Angie likes to listen from time to time...

http://polpix.sueddeutsche.com/bild/1.210332.1358039832/640x360/tagebuch-mit-merkel-lateinamerika.jpg

I wonder what episode she's listening to at that present moment. Judging from her cheeky grin, I think its a Burt & Scratch scene...

[qreepii]

When we're all said and done will there be a beautifully artwork'd box set flashdrive/cd/whatever with a remastered single run per chapter edit?

Just so we can have a wonderful physical item to boost up capital for the next project...

[Kc]

When we're all said and done will there be a beautifully artwork'd box set flashdrive/cd/whatever with a remastered single run per chapter edit?

Just so we can have a wonderful physical item to boost up capital for the next project...

We're hoping to. There's still a lot to do before then, but we hope to do a nice set, but it won't be for at least a year after the season 4 finale.

[Litmaster]

We're hoping to. There's still a lot to do before then, but we hope to do a nice set, but it won't be for at least a year after the season 4 finale.

Just as long as the collector's edition includes Burt's severed finger. :)

[tonyhind86]

Just as long as the collector's edition includes Burt's severed finger. :)

That would be a better deal than that time I got a free air guitar with a Classic Rock: Greatest Hits album

[Hellbringer]

2919
The darker areas mean the more downloads. As is: 75% US downloads, 12.3% UK, 3.7% Canada. The rest is pretty spread out with Australia being next in line.

So you haven't cracked Somalia, Turkmenistan, and North Korea. You need to get Dennis Rodman to pitch your show to the dictatorship of that peninsula.

Seriously, though, what program do you use to monitor the downloads?

[Kc]

So you haven't cracked Somalia, Turkmenistan, and North Korea. You need to get Dennis Rodman to pitch your show to the dictatorship of that peninsula.

Seriously, though, what program do you use to monitor the downloads?

That map is from libsyn, but we have stats from feedburner too. Feedburner isn't as accurate any more and may have missed a good % of download statistics. We could be well over 20 million by now and not have known it due to days of it reporting no data or not the full # of downloads due to bandwidth concerns. It missed stats during peak times. Right now when we compare the two, we can see libsyn is generally about 10-20% higher for the exact same server.

[alexcadtek]

KC will you have more items in the website store? I like whats there already but just wondering.

[alexcadtek]

Oh and your next project will be when? will we get info here on the website when your done with the show. Or will we have to follow the news elsewhere.

[tonyhind86]

Oh and your next project will be when? will we get info here on the website when your done with the show. Or will we have to follow the news elsewhere.

I can guarantee that the next project will be announced on here. The forum will continue after WA has ended.

[alexcadtek]

I can guarantee that the next project will be announced on here. The forum will continue after WA has ended.

Ya, but I dont think I can wait that long, the freaking anticipation is killing me. And what the project is going to be about? who knows. Or do you have any hints.

[tonyhind86]

Ya, but I dont think I can wait that long, the freaking anticipation is killing me. And what the project is going to be about? who knows. Or do you have any hints.

At this point in time, the only person who has any idea is KC himself. But truth be told, I like not knowing, as it adds to the surprise element.

That's why every WA episode release is so soecial - because we have nothing but our own theories to guide us (which often tend to be waaay off)

:D

[Kc]

KC will you have more items in the website store? I like whats there already but just wondering.
Yes, but we do that stuff slowly and methodically. Since we opperate on such a shoestring budget, buying a product in bulk or something that won't sell could potentially leave us with not enough $ to operate.


Oh and your next project will be when? will we get info here on the website when your done with the show. Or will we have to follow the news elsewhere.
Not sure of when. I've been working on it for a LONG time, actually two big stories. I have an idea of which one I'm going to do first, but it all depends on what medium I choose. Any and all news will be here as well.


I can guarantee that the next project will be announced on here. The forum will continue after WA has ended.
Yup. With the various other projects I have in store, the forum will live on in those other things. If anything the Burt book is still coming. It's just sitting in my box until I have enough time to devote to it.


Ya, but I dont think I can wait that long, the freaking anticipation is killing me. And what the project is going to be about? who knows. Or do you have any hints.
Patience... I work like crazy on this stuff and I don't think I'll rest for long after WA is done. I'd love to do another audio drama, but the workload for this one is a bit more than I can bare with it not being my full-time job.


At this point in time, the only person who has any idea is KC himself. But truth be told, I like not knowing, as it adds to the surprise element.
That's why every WA episode release is so soecial - because we have nothing but our own theories to guide us (which often tend to be waaay off)

:D
Yup, no previews, nothing. If it's a book, there may not even be a description on the back cover. How much curiosity would there be if you read the back cover and it said "You'll just have to read it to find out".

[Litmaster]

Hi Kc... I had a serious question about your perspective on storytelling through the medium of audio drama:

Context:
I've noticed that several times throughout the WA series, you've made use of this audio drama's 'non-visual' nature to purposefully withhold information for the sake of the story. Examples: the recent attack on Datu, the CJ-Scratch knife fight, the murder of Pippin, etc. Often times the listener doesn't fully understand what they just heard until the next episode or some time later. If this were a movie, I guess this technique would be somewhat analogous to the camera zooming in on the killer's gun yet not revealing the shooter's identity.


Questions:
In what ways do you think that working in a purely audio medium both helps and hurts your ability to tell a story?
Are their advantages audio drama provides storytelling that other art forms perhaps do not?
How do you think that the WA story would be different if told in a different medium? (e.g., film or literature)



These are guiding questions that you can answer in the aggregate, instead of point-by-point, if you'd like. To clarify, I'm mainly wondering about the storytelling aspect here, not practical issues like how a different medium would affect budget, casting, etc.

[Kc]

Questions:
In what ways do you think that working in a purely audio medium both helps and hurts your ability to tell a story?
Are their advantages audio drama provides storytelling that other art forms perhaps do not?
How do you think that the WA story would be different if told in a different medium? (e.g., film or literature)


In what ways do you think that working in a purely audio medium both helps and hurts your ability to tell a story? & Are their advantages audio drama provides storytelling that other art forms perhaps do not?

Well, just the fact that you have to TELL rather than show. That aspect alone causes more problems and technical hurdles than anything else. Action scenes are VERY difficult to pull off without some sort of narration. It can also screw up the pacing because in the middle of an action scene, we butt in with a journal entry. In tactical situations the reality of the scene would have them just shut up and use hand signals, here, we have to "talk it out". Any time a character is in a scene, we have to introduce them with a line rather than them just being quiet and observing. We also have to be careful to also use the character's names in introductions and things. Casting is a pain because if two characters sound similar, then scenes get confusing. Also, we have to be VERY careful with just about every word and inflection used. There's no visual to re-enforce an emotion or thought-process, so we have to use dialogue only to have something come across. "Often times the listener doesn't fully understand what they just heard until the next episode or some time later." --- That's mostly why people complain about slower episodes, but don't realize that the slower episodes raise the stakes and set up the other episodes to have that action. Because it's audio only, we have to spend more time in setups and establish things than visual mediums that can do the same in seconds.

The pluses? Not having to SHOW anything. We can do pretty much anything we want in the story and not have to worry about settings. There's also some scenes that the "devil is in the details". If we were to show you the list that Michael found in Raydon then people would over-analyze everything to the point where anything and everything can be proven wrong. Same with Datu's matagun. The actual mechanics of it doesn't have to be shown, so we don't have to worry about the exact specs. So, we get to fudge some stuff.

If it were film, I would do similar story-telling techniques, but not the same. I would rarely show what the zombies looked like. The focus would be on the characters and reactions, and not the special effects that go into making the monsters. I also would show little to no blood or gore. We do more in the audio drama because it can't be seen, so there's already a filter. As much as I write this stuff, I am not an advocate of visual violence.

[tonyhind86]

In what ways do you think that working in a purely audio medium both helps and hurts your ability to tell a story? & Are their advantages audio drama provides storytelling that other art forms perhaps do not?

Well, just the fact that you have to TELL rather than show. That aspect alone causes more problems and technical hurdles than anything else. Action scenes are VERY difficult to pull off without some sort of narration. It can also screw up the pacing because in the middle of an action scene, we butt in with a journal entry. In tactical situations the reality of the scene would have them just shut up and use hand signals, here, we have to "talk it out". Any time a character is in a scene, we have to introduce them with a line rather than them just being quiet and observing. We also have to be careful to also use the character's names in introductions and things. Casting is a pain because if two characters sound similar, then scenes get confusing. Also, we have to be VERY careful with just about every word and inflection used. There's no visual to re-enforce an emotion or thought-process, so we have to use dialogue only to have something come across. "Often times the listener doesn't fully understand what they just heard until the next episode or some time later." --- That's mostly why people complain about slower episodes, but don't realize that the slower episodes raise the stakes and set up the other episodes to have that action. Because it's audio only, we have to spend more time in setups and establish things than visual mediums that can do the same in seconds.

The pluses? Not having to SHOW anything. We can do pretty much anything we want in the story and not have to worry about settings. There's also some scenes that the "devil is in the details". If we were to show you the list that Michael found in Raydon then people would over-analyze everything to the point where anything and everything can be proven wrong. Same with Datu's matagun. The actual mechanics of it doesn't have to be shown, so we don't have to worry about the exact specs. So, we get to fudge some stuff.

If it were film, I would do similar story-telling techniques, but not the same. I would rarely show what the zombies looked like. The focus would be on the characters and reactions, and not the special effects that go into making the monsters. I also would show little to no blood or gore. We do more in the audio drama because it can't be seen, so there's already a filter. As much as I write this stuff, I am not an advocate of visual violence.

I like the way the imagination takes over. I'm sure we all have different ideas about certain aspects of the story, such as What the Colony looks like, What the Little Ones look like, how fat Kalani is etc.
Even when I listen to the show on the move, I still picture each scene in my mind - that kind of effect can only be achieved through not only giod story writing, but good story telling as well.

Using one's imagination to "see what's happening" is a great way for the listener to pay greater attention and get involved with the story. I believe that's one of the reasons why the show is so popular with the fans.

[Sin Angel]

KC can you tell us all the different places it started? Or was it just the places the news mentioned?

[alexcadtek]

I didnt know there was a Burt book where will I be able to get it when your done?

[Kc]

KC can you tell us all the different places it started? Or was it just the places the news mentioned?
Aside from what Kimmet told you already, you won't get any new info out of me ;)


I didnt know there was a Burt book where will I be able to get it when your done?

Not sure exactly. I hoped to get it done before season 4, but it just took a LOT longer than I hoped. In the end I didn't feel it was ready and so postponed it until I had more time.

[alexcadtek]

ya can do it! come on man! well I would love to read it if yo get done with it, but if you say its not ready, well then its not ready. But it doesnt mean I wont wait for it! LOL!

[Sin Angel]

[QUOTE=Kc;71283]Aside from what Kimmet told you already, you won't get any new info out of me.QUOTE]

Alright, thanks! Are those other types just in LA or other places as well?

[Litmaster]

Listening to "The Accidental Creative" podcast got me thinking about creative projects in general, and specifically audio drama and the aggregation of skills involved in its creation. It's not good enough simply to be a good writer. Or a good producer. Or a good director, or sound engineer. Creating a product of this magnitude involves being all those and more...

Not only that, but often as creative people, we discover that, by investing our focused effort into a creative project, we accumulate new skills and develop ourselves in ways that were perhaps unexpected at the outset of the project. Not only do we create the project, but the project creates us as well.

So Kc, I'm wondering: What skills, knowledge, and abilities have you acquired/developed in the five-odd years of 'We're Alive' that maybe were not so developed prior to the creation of this project?

Here I'm thinking of anything from writing techniques to sound design, software development, rights and legal aspects, casting procedure, session direction, public relations, interpersonal relations with cast & crew, social media, etc.

The short form of my basic question is this: In what ways has creating We're Alive helped you to grow?

[Kc]

Listening to "The Accidental Creative" podcast got me thinking about creative projects in general, and specifically audio drama and the aggregation of skills involved in its creation. It's not good enough simply to be a good writer. Or a good producer. Or a good director, or sound engineer. Creating a product of this magnitude involves being all those and more...

Not only that, but often as creative people, we discover that, by investing our focused effort into a creative project, we accumulate new skills and develop ourselves in ways that were perhaps unexpected at the outset of the project. Not only do we create the project, but the project creates us as well.

So Kc, I'm wondering: What skills, knowledge, and abilities have you acquired/developed in the five-odd years of 'We're Alive' that maybe were not so developed prior to the creation of this project?

Here I'm thinking of anything from writing techniques to sound design, software development, rights and legal aspects, casting procedure, session direction, public relations, interpersonal relations with cast & crew, social media, etc.

The short form of my basic question is this: In what ways has creating We're Alive helped you to grow?

Well, for me the biggest one so far is confidence. Good, or bad, I feel that I have the ability to make compelling stories and characters that people enjoy. The second part of that is characters. Before WA, my characters were very thin and not evolved, but now I feel that when you get to spend a lot more time with these people in your heard, you start to learn and develop the mechanics to what makes a character flushed out.

Pacing is something you just have to learn by doing. Letting the action sequences be complimented by setups, and the proper balance of what goes where even in terms of dialogue. Motivation is another. If the scene isn't motivated by a character and rather just a plot element, then it's sloppy. BUT if a character's motivation coincides with the plot direction, it'll be smooth and more accepted.

The worst thing I had to learn is the legal/paperwork production side of things. Contracts first, before anything. And protect IP.

Social media used to work well, but is becoming more of a broken system. Still works, but not as much as it used to. There gets to be a point where too many people are liking or "fanning" pages and there's too many pages, and things get lost.

Software and computer hardware? Computers get slower as the software versions increase, even though they still do just about the same damn thing they did before. We started in Pro Tools 8, and now they're at 11. Same computer that whole time. I use a similar number of tracks, but now the system constantly gets overwhelmed now.

The techniques in sound design have been many. I can't list them all, and who knows some of that stuff might be considered trade secrets now. Either way I am much more picky about the smallest things now because I've honed my craft. The poor stage one sound designers... I keep re-doing their footsteps.

In all, it's given me a direction and goal that is achievable and I think that perhaps this show might be able to let me do this sort of stuff for my day job.

[tonyhind86]

There's been a lot of talk and discussion about the live finale event in LA, and a few of us have been discussing dates and plans etc. What time does the actual recording start, and is there a timetable for the actual day itself? Just to make sure that we arrive on time and get the opportunity to meet everyone involved :)

[Kc]

There's been a lot of talk and discussion about the live finale event in LA, and a few of us have been discussing dates and plans etc. What time does the actual recording start, and is there a timetable for the actual day itself? Just to make sure that we arrive on time and get the opportunity to meet everyone involved :)

The timetable is still up in the air, same with the venue. We're still in the process of planning all that stuff out.

[tonyhind86]

The timetable is still up in the air, same with the venue. We're still in the process of planning all that stuff out.

There's just over 5 months until then - at least we have time on our hands. For now, I'll just keep looking forward to the day :)

[Zombie Yeti]

[QUOTE=Kc;71283]Aside from what Kimmet told you already, you won't get any new info out of me.QUOTE]

Alright, thanks! Are those other types just in LA or other places as well?
At the wayland roducts store the sell a map poster shows where everything went on I will be buying one. Not saying you have to I just think its cool

[Zombie Yeti]

Have you thought about pitching the podcast as a tv show .not saying its a good idea just wondering if you have thought about it.

[Litmaster]

Have you thought about pitching the podcast as a tv show .not saying its a good idea just wondering if you have thought about it.

Oh, he has. That's been one of the end games since the beginning.

[tonyhind86]

Oh, he has. That's been one of the end games since the beginning.

Wasn't that the original idea, before the idea of the audio drama concept was finalised? Truth be told, I'm glad the audio drama format won in the end, as it's a unique experience we all enjoy and appreciate. :)

[Zombie Yeti]

Wasn't that the original idea, before the idea of the audio drama concept was finalised? Truth be told, I'm glad the audio drama format won in the end, as it's a unique experience we all enjoy and appreciate. :)

Oh yea I totally agree. But I would love to see a show

[Kc]

Have you thought about pitching the podcast as a tv show .not saying its a good idea just wondering if you have thought about it.


Oh, he has. That's been one of the end games since the beginning.


Wasn't that the original idea, before the idea of the audio drama concept was finalised? Truth be told, I'm glad the audio drama format won in the end, as it's a unique experience we all enjoy and appreciate. :)

Yeah, that what the original outline was intended for and I adapted it for the audio drama. The idea of the tower made it perfect for a re-usable set. The future seasons went further out, but that would be after it caught on and had a bigger budget to work with. That intention might make it easier to launch the series in a visual medium in the future, but we'll have to wait and see.

[UndeadSweeper]

Hi KC,

Can we get a better description of the Little One? Is it because of their height or frame? Or they are always lower to ground because they crawl or run on all fours?

[Kc]

Hi KC,

Can we get a better description of the Little One? Is it because of their height or frame? Or they are always lower to ground because they crawl or run on all fours?

They were much smaller earlier in the story, so that's where the name came from. Small in height and frame. Now they are still skinny, but taller. They can crawl and scramble, but not as often now that they are taller.

[Gooer]

Yeah, that what the original outline was intended for and I adapted it for the audio drama. The idea of the tower made it perfect for a re-usable set. The future seasons went further out, but that would be after it caught on and had a bigger budget to work with. That intention might make it easier to launch the series in a visual medium in the future, but we'll have to wait and see.

Personally, i would of loved to hear it aired on here, as it is, but then picked up by a producer (or something like that) who liked/loved it and wanted to visualise it, pretty much in the same way, without cutting anything/changing anything.

[tonyhind86]

I'm tall and skinny, and will probably look like the undead tomorrow morning. If I get a number tattooed on my arm, I'll audition for a part of a "Little One", should a TV show ever materialise :nik:

[Litmaster]

They were much smaller earlier in the story, so that's where the name came from. Small in height and frame. Now they are still skinny, but taller. They can crawl and scramble, but not as often now that they are taller.

I'm still imagining LOTR Ents, only white with huge claws and fangs...

[tonyhind86]

I'm still imagining LOTR Ents, only white with huge claws and fangs...

Almost like a hybrid cross of Ents and Orcs...

[Red Shirt]

Personally, i would of loved to hear it aired on here, as it is, but then picked up by a producer (or something like that) who liked/loved it and wanted to visualise it, pretty much in the same way, without cutting anything/changing anything.

That seems to be the best path, some of the best programming has come from that or a similar model, fully planed out from start to finish.
Babylon 5 did it, J. Michael Straczynski had the plot arc fully planned and set before the show even went in front of a camera for the first time. Even Fringe, another JJ Abrams production, had a more cohesive plan in mind and turned out to be a pretty decent show for it. Unlike, *ahem, you know.

[7oddisdead]

*flips table*

[UndeadSweeper]

Thanks KC.

Off the Topic, Does anyone notice if they look at the chat window when they visit the page one or all of the chatters are named gatekeeper? Is this normal or is there a ghost in the system?

[Kc]

Thanks KC.

Off the Topic, Does anyone notice if they look at the chat window when they visit the page one or all of the chatters are named gatekeeper? Is this normal or is there a ghost in the system?

That's a username that the system uses. It's not a ghost ;)

[tonyhind86]

That's a username that the system uses. It's not a ghost ;)

But Gatekeeper is a ghost now though :nik:

[Burgerbros]

Does We're Alive have a tumblr or a Instagram? Just wondering because lots of people look at Tumblr and Instagram. Also it would be fun if you could post pictures of when you record.

[Kc]

Does We're Alive have a tumblr or a Instagram? Just wondering because lots of people look at Tumblr and Instagram. Also it would be fun if you could post pictures of when you record.

We just got on Tumblr. It's taking some time to figure it out and get it all nice and customized, and well, figure out how that social network works. We have lots of pictures to share, so I think that'd be a great place to do it.


This one came into my inbox. I sent Lit some SFX for the convoy drama he's putting together. Some of the SFX were from when we first started out.



I spent like an hour just listening to the files, which was fascinating in it's own right. I didn't realize just how many FX you've actually made specifically for situations in the show. Listening to you and Shane back in the day running various takes of "boots-fast-on carpet", etc, was a really interesting 'behind the scenes' glimpse.

I don't know how many people are interested in this kind of technical detail, but I'd be really interested to find out what kind of system you've devised to keep all this shit straight. You start with the script, but then what is the specific process you use to bring it to life? There's gotta be some kind of process where you run through, mentally, which ambient sounds you'll need, which music to fit the mood, which specific FX, etc.... and does that take place all AFTER the character dialogue comes in? Or before? Then you probably have some written guide to annotate WHERE the sounds should go, just to organize them. How has this process evolved since the beginning? And, what, you first look in your sound library for the right effect, but if it's not there you create it? That's like, dozens of new sounds per episode, probably! And then there's the whole process of putting everything together: importing tracks, aligning tracks, etc. Jesus!

You know, that would be a really interesting thing to do for the studio tour the day after the live event: walk us through a random episode, and tell us some details about the whole procedure for how it went from the writing room to uploaded to the internet. I'm not even sure how you keep consistent deadlines, given all the variables involved, and that different episodes have different amounts of sounds included in them; I imagine something like "The War" was a bitch to edit... which was the most difficult chapter to record so far?

Very Gratefully yours,
Lit
"I don't know how many people are interested in this kind of technical detail, but I'd be really interested to find out what kind of system you've devised to keep all this shit straight. You start with the script, but then what is the specific process you use to bring it to life?"

The script has a very basic outline of what happens in the scenes. Character location is given, as it's appropriate for the performers, but anything non-essential to that is mostly left out. What sort of surfaces they are walking on, atmosphere, most all that stuff is figured out after everything's recorded. When we're editing it after recorded, the script then only acts as a guide to keep everything on track, but what's more important to listen to is what's been recorded. Many times the foreground characters have lines, and there's characters doing things in the background that would be weird without them. One example is from the most recent episode, Chapter 43:

When Lizzy is left in the room with Kelly, and Saul and Tanya go off to talk off screen, I didn't capture any dialogue for that from Lizzy or Kelly on the recording day. I had to record new lines for Kelly and Lizzy to add in, as they would not have remained silent in the scene.

After the dialogue's in place, it's just a process of layering in the sound fx. I, personally prefer to have the ambiance go in first, the room tones. Some rooms have a bit more hum, or buzz, but it helps to put this layer in the bind the scene together with some over-arcing sfx. From there, footsteps are next. They help position the characters, and also pace the scene. I find that the most important foley is footsteps, and my editors can attest that it's what I'm most picky about. They connect the characters to our audio world. From there, the rest gets layered in piece by piece: doors, guns, backpacks, cloth, zombies... etc... Some of that comes from our library, and some created with foley. It's hard to really pick out "how many" we create for every new episode, especially when we listen back and sometimes record entire footstep tracks in one take. 4 minutes of one track of footsteps could get broken up into pieces as we sometimes cut over-exerted movement or cutting back the footsteps as we sometimes create too many on a first take of foley.

Where the sounds go, there's no guidebook, or any sort of "Rules". Many times I'll come out with a standard of doing things, but then also break that standard as well. For narration I say to have a few seconds buffer to help separate it from the scene, but then sometimes given the pace of the scene, that timing is cut down when it's not needed. One thing I've learned about this whole process is to trust my gut when it comes to editing. If something sounds off, it's off. It you think it feels rushed between two lines, it's rushed. Most of the time the changes aren't glaring, but just small internal reactions that I have to pay attention to.

If you were wondering how we organize all these SFX, we use a program called SoundMiner. It allows us to have our SFX libraries available with all the meta-tag information that will sort through everything for us. I just put in the keywords of what I want, and then proceed to sort through the sounds from there. In the past we didn't have this and had to just use the search tool on the computer and hope we have the right tag on the filename. We've gotten a bit better at that stuff now, but still there's the process of finding what you want and that perfect word used to describe a sound. Many times it's not the specific sound you're looking for, but just something that sounds like it. After doing this for a long time, I have come to know what specific sfx I'm looking for, and some of my favorites for certain actions like gun movement, and 50-cal mount movements, etc...



Pro Tools does a pretty good job keeping all the tracks organized, but once again I'm very anal about where everything needs to go and in what order. There's:
A master track on top for everything.
3 Aux Tracks below that all other tracks feed into. Voices, SFX, and Music. SFX is given a limiter, whereas Music and Voices are not. That way the guns don't go too crazy loud, but then I also have special tracks that bypass the auxes in those cases that I don't want audio cut down for whatever reason. Sometimes you want to have a gun shake you in your seat. (I tend to prefer louder guns for more realism). The aux tracks are also given the reverb automation. That way if I have 10 tracks of voices, only one track is responsible for adjusting the reverb (echo) in the environment. Of course the Music tracks don't have reverb applied. (Although I broke that rule once for a special scene).
The voices tracks - Anywhere from 5 to 10 tracks filled with the character's voices and takes, and also muted versions of alternate takes. I used to have several dummy tracks where I put the alternate takes, just to keep it cleaner, but it was harder to then find the other takes if the primary choice didn't work out.
The monoFX tracks - These are where the footsteps and all single track SFX are included. I tend to not try and group these tracks into "footsteps here" or other logical organization. It would make sense to do that, but often the # of footsteps in a session varies from scene to scene and then we'd waste timeline real estate between scenes. The more empty tracks left unused, the more time spent scrolling through trying to find something. We produce this stuff so fast that this is just one of the ways we cut on time.
The stereoFX tracks - The same thing as the mono tracks, but these are reserved for sounds that are distinctly stereo and want to be kept in stereo. Trucks, engines, and things like that are usually reserved for these areas. There are far fewer stereo FX tracks, since we foley in mono. This lends much to my opinion on sound that forces stereo perspective in audiodramas is distracting. Many times I'll take a stereo sfx, and make it mono.
The unclipped tracks - These are those sfx tracks that I don't want clipped down by the limiter. Anything in these spaces bypass that insert.
The ambiance tracks (mono and stereo) - These are ambiance tracks that hold the room tones, wind, and atmospherics
The music tracks - Seft explanatory
And the narrator track.


In all, it's a lot of tracks, and a lot of organization, but really not too difficult. This system was refined from day one, and a lot of changes have come about since the beginning. Someone might think that I might be worried about this stuff being "trade secrets", but really it's not. I would love to take you all through a typical workflow for one episode, but it would take too long. I'll explain the process when you all come out, but we can't go into too much detail and show you all the steps as it really does take a long time. As for what episode was the hardest so far? Each one has it's own varying degree of difficulty. Emotional scenes are hard because they have to balance performance, music, and minimal sfx to have the heart come across, but don't go too far and become cheesy. Action scenes can be hard because they require a lot of precision sound fx to make sure the scene is clear and not muddled with too many sounds that just end up making it a mess. Normal talking scenes are hard because you have to do your best to accompany minimal action with enough sound effects to not make it dry or barren, while at the name time not over-doing it. Scenes with any music is hard because we tend to have to recycle what we have in our libraries, and hope that we can tailor it enough to make it feel new or fresh.

But, if I were to choose an episode, Chapter 36 was pretty damn hard. Whenever you edit an entire hour segment in one go, that's just a nightmare. You just have to take it one scene at a time.

[Witch_Doctor]

Serious question for you (By which, I mean not facetious.)

How are you doing?

[tonyhind86]

What did you have for dinner?

[Kc]

Serious question for you (By which, I mean not facetious.)

How are you doing?

Stressed, but doing ok. If I could use a boat analogy:

I like where everything's going and the ship is on course with no major storm ahead. First mate Grayson takes the helm from time to time, and everything's good there. I spend a lot of time in the engine room, maybe more than I should. All crew on board seems to not be trying to jump ship. I'm trying to focus on the current course without spending too much time what happens when we arrive at port. Once we get closer to coming to a stop I will spend more time on that. The concerns about fuel are managed, I just have to wait for the delivery.

What happens when I hit dry land... who knows. Probably jump on shore and collapse on the sand, and just let the sun bake me, with the ocean waves hitting my feet. I've been out to sea for so long, I can't wait to have some time on shore.

[Kc]

What did you have for dinner?

3:09 PM local time. Nothing yet.

[Litmaster]

Stressed, but doing ok. If I could use a boat analogy:

I like where everything's going and the ship is on course with no major storm ahead. First mate Grayson takes the helm from time to time, and everything's good there. I spend a lot of time in the engine room, maybe more than I should. All crew on board seems to not be trying to jump ship. I'm trying to focus on the current course without spending too much time what happens when we arrive at port. Once we get closer to coming to a stop I will spend more time on that. The concerns about fuel are managed, I just have to wait for the delivery.

What happens when I hit dry land... who knows. Probably jump on shore and collapse on the sand, and just let the sun bake me, with the ocean waves hitting my feet. I've been out to sea for so long, I can't wait to have some time on shore.

And after 10 minutes of blissful rest, he JUMPS RIGHT BACK IN A NEW BOAT AND HEADS OUT TO SEA YET AGAIN!

[tonyhind86]

3:09 PM local time. Nothing yet.

Anything special planned? I keep forgetting the time difference as its 23:11 local time here - I'm almost ready to prepare breakfast :nik:

[Kc]

Anything special planned? I keep forgetting the time difference as its 23:11 local time here - I'm almost ready to prepare breakfast :nik:

B's grandma's b-day. Nothing too fancy.

[tonyhind86]

B's grandma's b-day. Nothing too fancy.

Cake!

[7oddisdead]

And after 10 minutes of blissful rest, he JUMPS RIGHT BACK IN A NEW BOAT AND HEADS OUT TO SEA YET AGAIN!

if we're really applying the sailor analogy, entirely true


trust me, I'm a pirate :nik:

[Litmaster]

if we're really applying the sailor analogy, entirely true

And he takes 7odd and a small horde of loyal WA fans with him! Who follow willingly until they realize they don't like the direction this new ship (i.e., story) is heading! They cannot make the adjustment from zombie action flick to romantic comedy! Mutiny ensues! All hell breaks loose! Captain Kc's body is assaulted, gagged and bound, then cut into pieces for chum! Vicious sharks fill the blood-tinged waters! A break in the hull spouts gouts of crimson death!! The ship veers, rudderless, in aimless circles, founders....sinks....


....uh, sorry. What were we talking about?

[7oddisdead]

Shotgun surly boson part!

[Kc]

And he takes 7odd and a small horde of loyal WA fans with him! Who follow willingly until they realize they don't like the direction this new ship (i.e., story) is heading! They cannot make the adjustment from zombie action flick to romantic comedy! Mutiny ensues! All hell breaks loose! Captain Kc's body is assaulted, gagged and bound, then cut into pieces for chum! Vicious sharks fill the blood-tinged waters! A break in the hull spouts gouts of crimson death!! The ship veers, rudderless, in aimless circles, founders....sinks....


....uh, sorry. What were we talking about?

Um... that went sour fast. I was thinking about heading out to sea... not any more! ;0)

[Grognaurd]

Without listening, do you remember what happened in Chapter 11 at 11 minutes and 11 seconds?

Given the similarity to the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month the guns fell silent and World War One ended.

We now know it as Veterans Day. So, was it just a coincidence or did you plan to have Burt shoot Ink as an homage to veterans?

[Kc]

Without listening, do you remember what happened in Chapter 11 at 11 minutes and 11 seconds?

Given the similarity to the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month the guns fell silent and World War One ended.

We now know it as Veterans Day. So, was it just a coincidence or did you plan to have Burt shoot Ink as an homage to veterans?

I would love to claim that, but purely coincidence.

[Grognaurd]

Well, the forum knows me and this is certainly not the first time I "saw" something that was not there. Lol

[Zombie Yeti]

Hi kc I was wondering about the last episode. I'm going to pay for it but where will I be able to download it I looked through the forums etc i can't find that info. Sorry I know it's not a question about the story.

[Gooer]

Hi kc I was wondering about the last episode. I'm going to pay for it but where will I be able to download it I looked through the forums etc i can't find that info. Sorry I know it's not a question about the story.

He hasn't given us a place where we can purchase it yet, just what time it becomes available. Most likely he'll post about it on the forums/facebook/twitter a few hours/days before hand.

And you don't need to be sorry, this thread is to ask him anything you like, haha.

[Zombie Yeti]

He hasn't given us a place where we can purchase it yet, just what time it becomes available. Most likely he'll post about it on the forums/facebook/twitter a few hours/days before hand.

And you don't need to be sorry, this thread is to ask him anything you like, haha.

Thanks

[Kc]

Hi kc I was wondering about the last episode. I'm going to pay for it but where will I be able to download it I looked through the forums etc i can't find that info. Sorry I know it's not a question about the story.


He hasn't given us a place where we can purchase it yet, just what time it becomes available. Most likely he'll post about it on the forums/facebook/twitter a few hours/days before hand.

And you don't need to be sorry, this thread is to ask him anything you like, haha.

It'll be on our shop once it's available. It's the same store for the merchandise, this is just a digital download. It's not up there yet because you can't have a blank merchandise page in our system without having the file there, and it's not done yet.

[SirDragon]

KC,

So there are normally 3 parts average 20 minutes for a total chapter of about hour and little bit more. Now Chapter 48 is not only the season finale and series finale so will we see a extra long episode to tie up everything since we don't want to rush everything. So can we expect about a hour and half to 2 hour finale? Or is that expecting too much?

[Zombie Yeti]

It'll be on our shop once it's available. It's the same store for the merchandise, this is just a digital download. It's not up there yet because you can't have a blank merchandise page in our system without having the file there, and it's not done yet.

5 by 5 thanks kc

[Kc]

KC,

So there are normally 3 parts average 20 minutes for a total chapter of about hour and little bit more. Now Chapter 48 is not only the season finale and series finale so will we see a extra long episode to tie up everything since we don't want to rush everything. So can we expect about a hour and half to 2 hour finale? Or is that expecting too much?

I think the chapter is 64 pages long, so about 64 minutes roughly.

[404lifenotfound]

So Kc, are you planning on doing other audio drama projects after We're Alive? It seems to be an area you do well in.

[Kc]

So Kc, are you planning on doing other audio drama projects after We're Alive? It seems to be an area you do well in.

Thanks! Um, yes I have considered it. For me, right now, I'm incredibly exhausted with producing and editing audio dramas... but after that wears off in a few months, who knows! :)

[guark]

Thanks! Um, yes I have considered it. For me, right now, I'm incredibly exhausted with producing and editing audio dramas... but after that wears off in a few months, who knows! :)

Can't wait. :-)

[zombeh-kitteh]

Hi, Kc! Just wondering...now that the series has come to an end...is there or will there possibly be a complete series box set of the CD's coming?

[Osiris]

Dear Kc,

Now that we've reached the end--it being your birthday and all--I'd like to know something of unbelievable importance. Something so incredibly, earth-shatteringly, staggeringly enormous in magnitude, that to hear the answer will shake the very foundations of all that we believe to be fact.

Your favourite meal, is it breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Also, what does your ideal meal consist of?

Sincerely,
Angelica Huston
Satan
Osiris
Osiris

[Kc]

Dear Kc,

Now that we've reached the end--it being your birthday and all--I'd like to know something of unbelievable importance. Something so incredibly, earth-shatteringly, staggeringly enormous in magnitude, that to hear the answer will shake the very foundations of all that we believe to be fact.

Your favourite meal, is it breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Also, what does your ideal meal consist of?

Sincerely,
Angelica Huston
Satan
Osiris
Osiris


I rather enjoy dinners since they're the biggest and usually involve some sort of meat. Tomorrow for my bday I'm getting a meal at Bandera's and get my favorite meal. There will be grilled artichoke first, then a filet cooked perfectly, with grilled vegis alongside, and a Banana Cream Pie with homemade caramel and chocolate.

I'm already looking forward to it.

[Gnex]

KC..........

Going back thru listening for the nth time....

How was the decision made as to when the intro music was used and wasn't???

I know there are parts in season 1 that have it, and then other areas (The whole purgatory area, etc) that don't....... Is it just a feeling as to when to use it?? Leave it off to jump straight into the action?? Thanks!!!


*** Also, I have enjoyed the episodes where the beginning minute or two is the last minute or two of the previous episode...... it is almost like a "Last time on We're Alive....." I personally like that format...... For future projects and whatnot... :nik:

[Kc]

KC..........

Going back thru listening for the nth time....

How was the decision made as to when the intro music was used and wasn't???

I know there are parts in season 1 that have it, and then other areas (The whole purgatory area, etc) that don't....... Is it just a feeling as to when to use it?? Leave it off to jump straight into the action?? Thanks!!!


*** Also, I have enjoyed the episodes where the beginning minute or two is the last minute or two of the previous episode...... it is almost like a "Last time on We're Alive....." I personally like that format...... For future projects and whatnot... :nik:

It all depended on the scenes in the story... Sometimes they warranted a cold open, sometimes not. It all depended on what was going on. Cold opens can sometimes help or hurt, depending on the content. Jumping right into Peg's dream felt right because it left the audience unbalanced as to what was going on.

Themes changing from time to time also keeps it fresh, since there are so many episodes throughout the series.

[Kc]

Hi, Kc! Just wondering...now that the series has come to an end...is there or will there possibly be a complete series box set of the CD's coming?

Yes, in time. It won't be right away as we have some larger plans for something like this.

[Gnex]

Yes, in time. It won't be right away as we have some larger plans for something like this.

Signed photo of KC in a Speedo in the Collector's Edition??!?! :omgomg: LOL!!!

[Kc]

Signed photo of KC in a Speedo in the Collector's Edition??!?! :omgomg: LOL!!!

Our goal would be to sell copies... not to have them returned ;)

[laxspartan007]

I have not read all 48 pages so I apologies if it has been asked already, will there be another xbox/halo/generic game night with the staff?

I participated in the very first one (Halo Reach?) and I believe you guys had another or a few, but I never was able to get on again. Are there regular game nights with devs or will there be another soon?

[zombeh-kitteh]

Yes, in time. It won't be right away as we have some larger plans for something like this.

Awesome! I will look foward to that. I've just finished the series finale, and I will say...standing ovation, complete with tears streaming down my face! Bravo!

[Litmaster]

Hi Kc,

Should've asked some of these last night but I forgot and am not sure what 'general interest' these answers might have. As I'm currently slogging through my fan audio drama thing, these are more technical questions that have arisen in my mind:

The Script
So in preparation for each recording session, did you email the cast a copy of that chapter ahead of time so they could acquaint themselves with their lines? Or just hand out the script and ran it cold once they got to the studio?

Panning
Since everything is recorded on separate tracks, to what extent do you use panning to simulate space distribution in the audio field? (e.g., two characters talking face to face, one panned left, the other right, etc.)

Organizing Tracks
Ok, so when you're working with 50+ tracks of voices, background, foley, music, etc... how to you keep all that organized in Pro Tools? Color coding? You keep all the vocal tracks in one area, the music in another, etc? A specific system for labeling tracks (so you're not looking at a bit of audio and wondering what the hell this is...)

Foley
Boy, I can really relate to when you said it's often faster and easier just to record your own Foley than try to find something from a sound library. For example, just now I needed the sound of a character tossing a cloth to another character. Simple, right? Quick little 1 second bit of audio, but I needed it to simulate some movement in the scene. So I spent about 10 minutes rooting around in various libraries: tearing cloth, ripping cloth, flapping curtains, unfurling flag, rustling skirts, blah, blah, shit, shit, shit.... Ugh! I finally gave up and just grabbed a dishcloth and headed out to my car with my Zoom H2. Had the sound in about 2 minutes.

So my question is this: in recording We're Alive, did you try to front-load all the sounds you thought you would need ahead of time, shifting them in the right spot in post-production, or did you tackle each sound individually as it came up in the script? I imagine some of them, like the zip-line, you'd have to record ahead of time, but what about something like a chair creak or clinking glasses? Just did that on the spot?

Also, how much of the time did you have to add audio that you didn't realize you would need when you first wrote the script? (e.g., if you found that a scene was lacking in movement or tension).

[Kc]

I have not read all 48 pages so I apologies if it has been asked already, will there be another xbox/halo/generic game night with the staff?

I participated in the very first one (Halo Reach?) and I believe you guys had another or a few, but I never was able to get on again. Are there regular game nights with devs or will there be another soon?

We might- the problem is we would have to play a very LARGE game that allows a lot of people. So, hopefully, yes in the future.

[Kc]

Hi Kc,

Should've asked some of these last night but I forgot and am not sure what 'general interest' these answers might have. As I'm currently slogging through my fan audio drama thing, these are more technical questions that have arisen in my mind:
The Script
So in preparation for each recording session, did you email the cast a copy of that chapter ahead of time so they could acquaint themselves with their lines? Or just hand out the script and ran it cold once they got to the studio?

Of course! The actors would receive it typically the week before we record. They need to acquaint themselves with the scene and such.



Panning
Since everything is recorded on separate tracks, to what extent do you use panning to simulate space distribution in the audio field? (e.g., two characters talking face to face, one panned left, the other right, etc.)

I used to do it for the first few episodes, but then quickly reversed that decision once the production was underway. A lot of other productions thinks that it helps by making spacial environments, I find it to be distracting. In real life the difference between left and right panning perception can't properly be represented in an audio production without LOADS of time and effort. It's better to just make everything centered and move on. There are a few effects we do for left and right, but it's rare and we make the ones we do count.


Organizing Tracks
Ok, so when you're working with 50+ tracks of voices, background, foley, music, etc... how to you keep all that organized in Pro Tools? Color coding? You keep all the vocal tracks in one area, the music in another, etc? A specific system for labeling tracks (so you're not looking at a bit of audio and wondering what the hell this is...)

Color coding and names are the key. The tacks I set up are typically not just a placeholder for the sound files, but also they're bussed to other tracks with then have reverb effects applied. That way there's more control for what amount of reverb the voices have while keeping the sound fx slightly different. Sometimes it's the same, but the sound fx also get one more level of compression so they don't go too loud to distort. There are also bypass tracks that just go strait to the main out. Atmospheres have separate tracks as well as reverb unusually doesn't apply to them and they bypass the other busses as well. There's a method to the madness. We used to try and put footsteps on one set of tracks, and effects in the others, but that didn't last long. I try to keep the track count down to a minimum, so we just make them mono or stereo fx tracks as labels. More flexibility that way.


Foley
Boy, I can really relate to when you said it's often faster and easier just to record your own Foley than try to find something from a sound library. For example, just now I needed the sound of a character tossing a cloth to another character. Simple, right? Quick little 1 second bit of audio, but I needed it to simulate some movement in the scene. So I spent about 10 minutes rooting around in various libraries: tearing cloth, ripping cloth, flapping curtains, unfurling flag, rustling skirts, blah, blah, shit, shit, shit.... Ugh! I finally gave up and just grabbed a dishcloth and headed out to my car with my Zoom H2. Had the sound in about 2 minutes.

So my question is this: in recording We're Alive, did you try to front-load all the sounds you thought you would need ahead of time, shifting them in the right spot in post-production, or did you tackle each sound individually as it came up in the script? I imagine some of them, like the zip-line, you'd have to record ahead of time, but what about something like a chair creak or clinking glasses? Just did that on the spot?

Also, how much of the time did you have to add audio that you didn't realize you would need when you first wrote the script? (e.g., if you found that a scene was lacking in movement or tension).

In the beginning, yes, I did try to frontload the footsteps and misc track environments we would need. But, as our quality improved it because clear that each and every scene would need to be tackled separately. Footsteps needed to be foleyed for each person, rather than using stock stuff just because it was one of the few ways to really illustrate a scene. It sets the pace, location, and feel for what's going on. For complex sounds like the zip-line, that required something very different and actually had some planning on that. We went to a zip-line and did the real thing.

The general rule of thumb is, "does a character touch it?" Yes? Then foley it.

For any scenes that felt lacking- that's how every scene starts. The sound design is how you illustrate the scene to support the dialogue and characters. There's a few scenes that could stand without much work, but others, like any and all action sequences, that require extensive work. Episodes can be anywhere from 30-60 hours of combined editing... so you can see why.

[Windsor995]

So for the new series are you going to be dealing with back stories of characters that perished over the previous seasons?
What character was the hardest for you to kill off?

[Kc]

So for the new series are you going to be dealing with back stories of characters that perished over the previous seasons?
What character was the hardest for you to kill off?

It could be old or new characters- the first one is mostly new, but there is a chance others could have small cameo's for characters in the past.

And I would say the Soldiers. Yes, I lumped them together, but they were very fun to write.

[Gooer]

So, got any big plans while you are on your big break? Or just a nice long relaxing break?

Everytime i write this, it feels stalkerish....

[Kc]

So, got any big plans while you are on your big break? Or just a nice long relaxing break?

Everytime i write this, it feels stalkerish....

Lots. Tons of work needs to be done around the house- I have some pet projects that I've neglected for a while that need my attention. I'll be refurbishing my writing space and hanging some new white boards and cork boards. I want to have my space all set for when I start to do more writing :)

[werewolf]

not to get off the subject too much. I was wondering when the final disk will be ready? could you also up the volume on what Micheal saying to Tanya over the phone. I couldn't hear all that he was saying about Saul. thanks

[Kc]

not to get off the subject too much. I was wondering when the final disk will be ready? could you also up the volume on what Michael saying to Tanya over the phone. I couldn't hear all that he was saying about Saul. thanks

The disks will be ready sometime in last fall/early winter.

And no. I won't turn up that volume because that was the intention of the scene. If you were supposed to hear it, you'd hear it.

[Gooer]

Plan on re-mastering anymore episodes in the future, or keep them at the quality they are at now?

[Kc]

Plan on re-mastering anymore episodes in the future, or keep them at the quality they are at now?

We plan on doing a lot of remastering... The entire series in fact, making a "clean" version with minimal language.

[tionis]

i have a question well two actually
1 is the person who plays Nicholas related to the person who played tommey in any way because they sound very similar
2 is the new kind talked about during season 4 going to be implemented in any new story's or possible in tales from were alive

[Gooer]

i have a question well two actually
1 is the person who plays Nicholas related to the person who played tommey in any way because they sound very similar
2 is the new kind talked about during season 4 going to be implemented in any new story's or possible in tales from were alive

1) No, if you listened to the credits it was a different actor.

2) Possibly. Kc will most likely say "Maybe, just wait and see" or something like that....

[Kc]

i have a question well two actually
1 is the person who plays Nicholas related to the person who played tommey in any way because they sound very similar
2 is the new kind talked about during season 4 going to be implemented in any new story's or possible in tales from were alive

1. Nope, no relation. In my experience, young child actors who are male tend to sound very similar.
2. That's left open intentionally, but at this moment I can't comment.

[tionis]

i have one more question for Kc if i could at his consent try and make a written version of were alive on a fanfiction website named wattpad. i would of course give kc and wayland productions all credit for story all i want to do is try and make it into a written form for people to read as well as listen to the audio drama

[Kc]

i have one more question for Kc if i could at his consent try and make a written version of were alive on a fanfiction website named wattpad. i would of course give kc and wayland productions all credit for story all i want to do is try and make it into a written form for people to read as well as listen to the audio drama

We allow fan fiction as it's just fan fiction, but nothing can be produced without expressed permission. The one that Litmaster did was granted permission, but if it's just text, then by all means go for it. We also ask if you link it here.

[tionis]

We allow fan fiction as it's just fan fiction, but nothing can be produced without expressed permission. The one that Litmaster did was granted permission, but if it's just text, then by all means go for it. We also ask if you link it here.

i will of course link it here i do have a hunch that more people will read it here then on my page but i wanted to have your permission before i did so thankyou i hop you everyone likes it

[forensicgun]

KC
I have been listening to the podcast from the beginning again and had a question about chapter 3. Pegs drops something that causes an attack from the zombies on the tower. What did she drop and did she drop it off the balcony? I wasn't sure exactly what happened to trigger that attack. Thanks again for a great series

[Gooer]

KC
I have been listening to the podcast from the beginning again and had a question about chapter 3. Pegs drops something that causes an attack from the zombies on the tower. What did she drop and did she drop it off the balcony? I wasn't sure exactly what happened to trigger that attack. Thanks again for a great series

I know i'm not Kc, but it's referred to often in the first/second season, so i'll answer it: A flower pot.

When the new survivors arrived, Pegs was on a balcony, filling pots with soil (or compost, don't think that was talked about haha). When talking to Michael, she knocked one off the ledge, where it attracted one zombie. The rest you know :)

[forensicgun]

I know i'm not Kc, but it's referred to often in the first/second season, so i'll answer it: A flower pot.

When the new survivors arrived, Pegs was on a balcony, filling pots with soil (or compost, don't think that was talked about haha). When talking to Michael, she knocked one off the ledge, where it attracted one zombie. The rest you know :)

Thanks for clearing that up!

[Storm]

I've been wondering about this for some time now...
When Angel and Kalani hides in Skittle's Tower to get away from the behemoth, Kalani starts shouting, but is cut off by Angel, WHO's afraid that the big one might hear them. Skittles then assures him that that won't happen, since the big ones can't hear too well.
In chapter 44 when Saul and Kelly tries to distract the big one at the hospital, they seem to comment on how the rain is loud enough to hide their sounds, to a degree I guess... Or maybe I'm making up that part... Either way, when Lizzy screams Saul is afraid that the behemoth has heard it, which also seems to be the case... So... Am I wrong there, or how does it make sense that they can't hear a guy shouting in a Water Tower 10 meters above them on a clear and sunny day... But they can hear a screaming woman behind at least three walls and a hell of a lot of rain?
I just found it a Little odd when I re-listened to season 4 before the finale...

[Kc]

I've been wondering about this for some time now...
When Angel and Kalani hides in Skittle's Tower to get away from the behemoth, Kalani starts shouting, but is cut off by Angel, WHO's afraid that the big one might hear them. Skittles then assures him that that won't happen, since the big ones can't hear too well.
In chapter 44 when Saul and Kelly tries to distract the big one at the hospital, they seem to comment on how the rain is loud enough to hide their sounds, to a degree I guess... Or maybe I'm making up that part... Either way, when Lizzy screams Saul is afraid that the behemoth has heard it, which also seems to be the case... So... Am I wrong there, or how does it make sense that they can't hear a guy shouting in a Water Tower 10 meters above them on a clear and sunny day... But they can hear a screaming woman behind at least three walls and a hell of a lot of rain?
I just found it a Little odd when I re-listened to season 4 before the finale...

Not all Behemoths are exactly the same... The ones that Skittles dealt with seemed to be able to not hear very well. Would this one "treehemoth", that people call him, be able to hear better? Or did it smell the large amount of blood that was being exposed with the birth?

It's a mix of both.

[Storm]

Not all Behemoths are exactly the same... The ones that Skittles dealt with seemed to be able to not hear very well. Would this one "treehemoth", that people call him, be able to hear better? Or did it smell the large amount of blood that was being exposed with the birth?

It's a mix of both.

Thanks. I figured it would probably be something like that, but nice to get it confirmed... Maybe the ones Skittles met were just a bunch of deaf Guys before they turned :D

[Kc]

Thanks. I figured it would probably be something like that, but nice to get it confirmed... Maybe the ones Skittles met were just a bunch of deaf Guys before they turned :D

It's less genetics and more appearance/changing. Depending on how they "bulk up" so to speak, they could easily have inflammation around their ears and canal.

[Storm]

It's less genetics and more appearance/changing. Depending on how they "bulk up" so to speak, they could easily have inflammation around their ears and canal.

My comment about the bunch of deaf people was meant more than a joke than an actual question, but always nice to get even more details :D