My interview with Casual Friday
Casual Friday is a narrated collection of self-contained silliness and controlled tomfoolery from writer Thaddeus Ellenburg.
Some time back, I was able to have an interview with him.
What are the 3 best things about working on Casual Friday?
1) Unlike working on The Swan Hotel, Casual Friday is just me with a setup in my apartment that I can record whenever I want. Most of the time in the middle of the night. The city (that's San Francisco) is so enchanting and surprisingly quiet at night. Which is perfect. The Swan is recorded with Will Scovill, who also produces SubDoc, and actors. So, it's nice to have the freedom to record in your underwear if you feel so inclined.
2) I love the the New Yorker's humorists and the years of contributors; especially Woody Allen and Steve Martin. I've always loved their stories and so I love that I'm following that. Which is what you do. People inspire you and so you try to do that thing but express and say what you want to say; which is something that develops.
3) Lastly, I just like being funny and silly. It makes me happy.
What is your favorite thing about being a podcaster according to you?
The idea of reaching people anywhere on the planet is pretty amazing. As a writer, I can get my work heard by an audience that might not typically listen to this kind of show. I like that.
How did you stumble into the world of podcasting?
I came to it through film and my long time collaborator Will Scovill, who used to edit my films in college. Will, on his own, got into comedy and recording shows and that led him into the idea of making a podcast. He called me one day and said, "Hey, you know that piece you wrote about the hotel with the tribute rooms?
Well, let's do a radio drama." There weren't nearly as many shows around three years ago, compared to the number of shows currently producing content today.
Well, not around here, at least. Still there are many more, which I think is amazing! So, yeah, it was Will's phone call.
What was the first podcast you listened to?
The first podcast I ever listened to was The Thrilling Adventure Hour. Such an amazing show! I actually listened to my first episode in the bath.
What is your writing process?
I'm always taking notes and writing. There really isn't a process, though. I'm kind of always jotting something down on a piece of paper or in my phone. I'll write on Casual pieces while I'm walking through the city. Life inspires me so I like to be surrounded by it. I'll stop on the sidewalk and stand there for five minutes writing something in my phone.
What was the inspiration for Casual Friday?
Well, I've been writing little comedic or insightful, sometimes exploratory pieces since high school. And they've just been piling up. As I mentioned before, the inspiration for the pieces themselves were anything with irony and wit.
From Groucho Marx and Woody Allen to Christopher Guest and Steve Martin.
Will suggested, after the first season of the Swan, that I do something with those little casual pieces that he says were just sitting on my computer, so he suggested I do a solo show.
And it was actually Will's wife that came up with the name Casual Friday.
What do you like about storytelling as a medium?
Everybody loves a story and everyone wants to be entertained, frightened, or moved. In my world, in my head, this is only storytelling.
How does getting the script made into an actual podcast work?
Haha, well as I've already stated, Casual Friday is a heck of a lot easier to produce than Tales from the Swan Hotel. Still, I labor over every script. It doesn't matter the show. I'm actually working on a comic right now and a blog with two amazing artists and I give those pieces the same amount of attention. I edit all the episodes for both Casual Friday and the Swan. The Swan episodes take roughly 20 to 30 hours to edit where Casual Friday only takes 2 to 3. So, yeah, they're produced very differently.
What inspired you to make Casual Friday?
With Will's encouragement, I really just wanted people to hear these stories and whatever else is rolling around in my head. I want to write for a living, so badly, and so the casuals were another outlet, another opportunity to get my work in front of people.
Could you tell us a bit about the process to turn a script into a finished audio drama. Which part do you enjoy the most?
When it's finished. Haha. I guess I would have to say the editing and mixing.
Because that's when it takes shape and you start to see what you have.
If it's good, if it's bad. If it needs more work. The tea is also nice.
Thank you very much, PodTeen! That was fun!
And thank you for taking some time out to answer these questions!
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