Multi-voice Podfic
| Synonyms: | podfic collaboration, group podfic, co-podfic |
| See also: | |
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A multi-voice podfic is any podfic that includes audio of more than one person's voice.
Dividing Parts
How the parts are divided between readers varies according to the needs of the story and the available number of podficcers.
One person might be assigned to record all the narration and other readers be assigned different characters' dialogue (e.g. Wait Wait Don't Eat Me). Epistolary and Chatfic podfics often have different podficcers voice different characters, without a narrator.
Because alternating POV is fairly common in fanfic, two podficcers might trade off reading the sections from each character's point of view.
There exist otherwise solo projects where the main podficcer asks one or more people to lend their voices for a specific purpose (e.g. singing for a podficcer who doesn't want to sing, reading the introduction for a Welcome to Night Vale-style podfic, reading the footnotes)
Alternatively, sometimes a group of podficcers want to record something and take turns reading something that doesn't divide up as easily.
Radio-play style podfics, where there is only dialogue, no narration, and actions may be denoted with soundscaping are very rare.
Types of Multi-voice Projects
In-person
Some multi-voice projects include in-person group recordings at a convention or at a fan's house. Podfic conventions such as Podfication and Europodfriends are particularly popular events at which to organise these recordings.
These will sometimes be live readings which include audience reactions in the finished file.
Online
Often, remotely-organised multi-voices involve readers individually sending their recorded parts to one fan who edits them together. This is a time-consuming process for the editor, who has to knit the podfic together from isolated lines.
However, the advancement of technology has made remote live recordings easier and easier, including across continents.
Live readings can happen over Skype, Zoom or more recently using the Discord-based Craig bot.
The podfichat Discord server has a channel dedicated to the organisation of multivoice projects, with a dedicated @multivoice role which users can opt into if they want to be pinged by organisers. Challenges such as Voiceteam, Out of the Auditary, and Podtogether have also encouraged the creation of multi-voice projects.
Casting
Casting online multivoice podfics is often done on a "first come, first served" basis, via various podfic community hubs (Twitter or Discord). Organisers will frequently provide a sign-up sheet which includes the color-coded text and a table summarizing which roles are available / how long the part is.
Some multivoices are cast via auditions or "casting calls."
Notable & Popular Works
- Written by the Victors (Stargate Atlantis podfic), a 5-hour SGA podfic (2007)
- Cast: RivkaT, Shrewreader, Ponceflower, Cathexys, Lim, Fleur Rochard, The_Oscar_Cat, Yin, Speranza, Anatsuno, Thingswithwings, Trinity_Clare, Thisissirius, Emelerin, Cat_Latin, Druidspell, Sapote3, Sheafrotherdon, Aesc, Kass, Toft_Froggy, Busaikko, Chr0me_kitten, Cayendi, Twocats, Indybaggins, Zabira, Loreleif, Dajaje, Rachael Sabotini, Indy_Go, Tropes, Jinjurly, Celtic_Tigress, Fox, Zoetrope, etc.
- I will destroy Ryan Ross and all that he loves: a cautionary tale, a 40-minute Bandom podfic (2012)
- Cast: templemarker, anna_unfolding, klb, ohnoktcsk, fabu, pennyplainknits, aphelant, bessyboo, girlpearl, arami, andeincascade
- Wait Wait Don't Eat Me, a 6-minute NPR RPF podfic (2010)
- Cast: lunate8, zvi, twtd, templemarker, darkemeralds, aethel
- Crown of Thorns Pod'rama, a 36+ hour Good Omens podfic (2020)
- Cast: AJfanfic, Arcafira, BabelGhoti, CatofApocalypse, CompassRose, Djapchan, FireflysWriting, green_grin, irisbleufic, Izzybutt, kerravon, Lady_Iwa, LenaLawlipop, Literarion, Luninarie, miss_echidna, Nemainofthewater, ORiley42, Podfixx, qwanderer, Tezca, The_Shame_Basement, Tifaria, UnholyCrowley, and others
- Katsuki_fc wrote, a 2.5-hour Yuri!! on Ice podfic (2017)
- (podfic) Gotham's Favorite Son, a 7-minute DCU podfic (2017)
- (Podfic of) Bodega Love, a 1hr The Untamed podfic (2020)
- (podfic) the ballad of pots and pans, a 1hr The Witcher podfic (2020)