‘Podcast Movies’? Feature-Length Fiction Stretches the Medium

Second, the introduction this year of paid subscription options to the two leading podcast platforms, Apple Podcasts and Spotify, enabled producers to offer new kinds of premium content that aren’t dependent on advertising. Though how many people are willing to pay for podcasts is still an open question — last year, the premium podcast app Luminary reduced its monthly price tag to $4.99 from $7.99 — podcast companies are incentivized to make that pie as big as possible.

Both “Treat” and “Ghostwriter” included ads, and neither was placed behind a paywall. But Corcoran said his company is considering restricting podcast movies to paid subscribers in the future. Even though the features, which were recorded in a matter of days, cost “much less” than producing a multi-episode series, Corcoran said, advertising alone wasn’t enough to cover their expense. The company hopes to make money by eventually selling the movie rights. (Corcoran declined to share specific budget figures or subscription pricing plans.)

“The business plan right now is to create a slate of premium I.P. and then turn that around for adaptations,” Corcoran said. “I think the writers, directors and other actors out there are going to see what’s happening and be glued to this.”

From a creative standpoint, the writers and actors involved in “Treat” and “Ghostwriter” were optimistic about the feature-length format. Alix Sobler, a playwright who wrote the script for “Ghostwriter,” said there were specific challenges to writing for audio — “Will the audience feel connected to this cat just by hearing it?” — but found the listening experience ultimately satisfying.

“I love that you’re getting a full story without having to sit down in a theater or in front of a television,” she said. “It’s a little more prescriptive than a book, because you hear voices and sounds, but you can still use your mind’s eye and get lost in it.”

Nathan Ballingrud, a short fiction writer who wrote “Treat” (which was initially conceived as a film), said he was unsure of the potential in audio until he heard the final product. “It wasn’t until I sat down on my couch and listened through it that I was like, ‘OK, this really works,” he said. “I hope it’s not the last one that I get to make.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/24/arts/podcast-movies-fiction.html