I have been telling you all that the audiobook version of Zomblog was coming. Well...it has landed (just click on the link)! I am blessed to have found not just a person to narrate my work, but a team that went in and made the story come to life. The wonderful and talented folks at Puretalon have brought my story to life. So, meet Erik Bryon, the voice behind Sam...and return tomorrow for Emily Dane who takes on the role of the controversial Meredith Gainey. (And yes...you will all meet Snoe VERY soon...so just keep coming back!)
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| Meet Samuel Todd...he sees dead people. |
The indie community (writing, music, acting) can be its own worst enemy at times. What are some of the issues you see cropping up? Solutions?
EB: I have dove into the world of self-publishing writers over the last year and have seen some really great works, I have also seen some weekend novelists who crank out pages of unedited text and call themselves the next great thing. Similar to indie music, this is the difference of a truly outstanding band producing an album and a guy peddling burned "demo cds" in a grocery store parking lot.
The social media is…
EB: Social Media is like a children's story book. There are trolls who eat spam, robots who attack, and angry, bitter people locked away in towers. However, with a true adventuring spirit, we brave the jungle of text and filth and try to find the most powerful tool to achieve fame and wealth.
Share some information about your production company with us:
EB: Puretalon Productions is a company I founded last December. I hope to expand to a wide range of audio productions services, but initially we are focusing on audiobook recording and editing. We specialize in working with independent authors bridging the gap between text and multimedia.
What is one question you are sick of being asked—not in interviews, but by individuals who know you are in the entertainment industry?
EB: "You work on a radio/tv show? What channel are you on?" Trying to explain that you work "online" to somebody not familiar with that world usually devolves to pointing at a computer and saying, "YES" and then pointing at the TV/Stereo and saying, "NO." Then I will eventually just tell my grandma not to worry about it.
So, let’s talk a little about Zomblog. What are your thoughts on the project, and do you or any of your crew have an interest in the zombie genre?
EB: I put the Puretalon Productions name online and almost exactly three days later I received an email for a title called "Zomblog." I was ecstatic. I am a huge zombie genre fan. I have a top secret "Zombocalypse Escape Plan" which a select few have been briefed on in event of a disaster. I am very glad that the first official series with Puretalon's name is a Zombie tale.
What led you to audio book narration?
EB: I had been involved in podcasting since 2005. It started as a hobby and eventually I had one of those "light-bulb" moments and realized that this weekend hobby could very easily become a full-time career.
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| Zomblog for the commute? Sure just get it here! |
How would you describe Zomblog to friends?
EB: Not just a zombie book, but a first-person description of humanity's descent into the Zombocalypse.
What other projects are you currently working on?
EB: As my time in the Zomblog universe has ended, I am pleased to move right into the DEAD series. I am working on re-launching an entertainment site: "Original Media for Geeks" or OMfG. The website http://omfggeeks.com has a lot of history coming from the original WoW Radio (World of Warcraft) Gaming Podcast network and the various spin-offs from that network. OMfG plans on offering original content as well as news and convention coverage from around the world. Puretalon Productions is also gearing up to create original audio dramatizations which will hopefully debut Q4 2013.
(Blogger's note to Erik: If you are looking for writers...I know a few!)
What is one thing about you that would surprise individuals who do not know you personally?
EB: I am an ordained minister and a registered Jedi Knight. No joke.
What do you look for when choosing to narrate an audio book? Or are they simply acting jobs that you simply take as they come along?
EB: I really enjoy reading sci-fi and fantasy novels. I really enjoy narrating the books that I would most likely read anyway. That's why this job is great, you get paid to read. Who wouldn't love that?
One of the biggest criticisms regarding Zomblog is that it paints humanity in a negative light? Did you get that vibe? How did you see it?
EB: I can see where it would be criticized for this. However, I praise it for that. Humanity is a terrible group of primal beings at our core. There are those "heroes" that rise to the top and save the universe, but the majority of us live our lives in a moral grey area of regretful choices and terrible deeds of necessity. But I guess I am a bit of an optmist, sooo...
How do you see humanity dealing with a scenario such as this? (Removing the idea of how unlikely it is, of course.)
EB: We are going to fail. Mother Nature has a way of compensating for an upset in the food chain. I'm not saying she's going to unleash a wave of zombies at us, but as we scientifically adapt beyond sickness and death, nature will find new ways to kill us off.
Did anything stand out for you?
EB: The passing of the "Zomblog" journal from Sam to Meredith was a very unique idea. I don't feel switching the narrators mid-book is something that happens very often. It gives us a broader outlook of what's happening as Sam and Meredith are very night and day on their personal views on what decisions must be made.
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It sounds great! Very cool. :-)
ReplyDeleteI was so happy with the outcome. And now Erik is working on the entire DEAD series.
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