The finished episode of a podcast is the culmination of many months of ideating, pre-interviewing, and polishing– in short, this represents pre-production, production, and post-production or editing. Our process begins with the broadest conversations among creative partners regarding the story selection and sentiment. Next, there is expansive casting, outreach, research and pre-interviews to help shape a skeleton structure for each episode. From there, we finalize guests, tone and episodic order. In each show, there is a cohesive theme that must be a present throughline across seemingly-disparate stories. In our production phase, individual microphones and detailed recording instructions are sent to every single guest (three per episode); and we record in-depth interviews with each. Lastly, an extensive script is written using the transcripts and audio of each recording, while the stories are narrated by our host, and scored by our engineer and composer. Each is coupled with several social assets.

N/A - Audio is in English

In Season 2 of American Metamorphosis, we examine the fractures–public and private; social and political– that were made obvious by the Covid-19 pandemic and ask the hard question: When we have the opportunity to go back to normal, should we? This season is particularly focused on the fractures of an American system, including but not limited to: The Great Resignation, or a voluntary economic exit from the workplace en masse; the historical intricacies of racial discrimination in our physical infrastructure and how those disparities still manifest today; and finally the complex failings of our American education system, in particular when faced with technology gaps and remote learning. It’s these deeply interconnected vignettes, which are highly specific to the US, that an urgency may not be obvious to an international audience.

To launch any creative project in the throes of uncertainty– in this case, the Covid-19 pandemic– requires consistent innovation and flexibility. American Metamorphosis is built on this idea, and reflects as much in its published pieces as well as the work done behind the scenes. First, both partners were keen to tell overt, urgent, and inspiring stories, while relying on subtlety in its sponsored format. Knowing our host, guests, and audience were inherently separate, we built systems for the highest quality audio, remote recording sessions, and original compositions that provoke the intimacies of togetherness with the safety of isolation. Lastly, our blend of longform storytelling, unexpected anecdotes, and voices that reflect but do not compete with each other is unlike any current political, governmental or longform podcast. It’s with this innovation and intention we tell a more comprehensive and compelling narrative; one that’s both familiar and forward-thinking.