Podcation returns on May 14, 2020 and promises a bigger team and smarter workflow to optimize production and have even more fun. Last year, the team created a pilot for an anthology series called “Jupiter Saloon” with around 54 hours of work put into it. Applications are open until November 22, 2019.

The previous Podcation met from June 29th-July 2nd, 2018 and worked in two teams: narrative and production. O’Keeffe led the narrative team, while Yurick worked with the production team to make the words on the page come to life. “The Sidewinder Mutiny” was the result of the crash course in scripted audio storytelling

While the first season of “Jupiter Saloon” is in pre-production, Podcation organizers Christopher O’Keeffe and Patrick Yurick are hard at work planning the next Podcation. Unlike last year, the new creative team will situate themselves in Salem, MA. A place O’Keeffe says “shares may of Podcation’s attributes — it’s creative, inclusive, high-energy and a little bit weird.” He went on to say in an interview with Audio Drama Reviews that Podcation 2 and Jupiter Saloon are different enough to where one doesn’t affect the other. “It’s a lot of moving parts.”

Independent filmmaker and former Gimlet Media employee, GG Hawkins attended last year’s Podcation as part of the narrative team to get more scripted podcasting experience. “We really just hit the ground running,” she said. “it allowed me to understand the power of removing the barriers of getting to know somebody before you can make something together, which was empowering.” For somebody on the fence about signing up, one of the positives of doing something like Podcation is the fact you have a finished product at the end of it, Hawkins continued.

In terms of publishing the next installments of Jupiter Saloon and the product of Podcation 2, they weren’t opposed to a traditional approach. For Hawkins, the idea that independent publishing can’t live up to more traditional means of publication is outdated. “You may have more resources if you go the traditional path, but I believe that if you put in the work from a production standpoint, with indie audio storytelling, you really can create something of the caliber that is being put out by the traditional publishing channels.”

The Podcation team is actively looking for sponsors to help fund scholarships for certain individuals. Nothing is confirmed as of yet, but last year podcast platform Radio Public was a partner of Podcation. The pilot of Jupiter Saloon premiered exclusively on the Radio Public app for a little over a week before distributing to a wider marketplace.

Interested parties can visit the Podcation website to find out more about applying and opportunities for potential sponsors to help out. Former applicants are not excluded from registering again.

Audio interviews to air tomorrow during PodTales over on our podcast.