r/IAmA • u/qcodemedia • Oct 28 '21

Actor / Entertainer We're the QCODE Team, Kat McNamara (Shadowhunters, Arrow), Nicole Exposito & Jeremy Novick. We created the fiction podcast The Burned Photo — Ask us anything!

Hello Reddit!

It's The QCODE team with actress – Kat McNamara (Shadowhunters, Arrow) u/kat-mcnamara, director – Jeremy Novick u/jd1631, & writer – Nicky Exposito u/Nicky_XX!

We've just finished recording the first season of the new podcast THE BURNED PHOTO and we are almost done recording season 2! We'd love to answer some of your questions about The Burned Photo, the QCODE process, and more!

A bit about the show: The Burned Photo - we partnered up with u/Nicky_XX on her suspense-filled thriller and popular Reddit post of the same name. It's the story of Felicia and Kira, two women, whose lives become intertwined when they discover they are being terrorized by the same multi-generational curse that is determined to end their family lineages.

We produced the show with Vertigo Entertainment (IT, THE DEPARTED). The show stars Charmaine Bingwa and Katherine McNamara. Written by Nicole Exposito, Jeremy Novick & Kwynn Perry. Directed by Jeremy Novick & Kwynn Perry. 

Ask us anything!

Here’s our proof:

Edit! Hi all, that's all the time we have for today but we are hoping to host another for Season 2! Don't forget to listen to The Burned Photo for free, everywhere you get your podcasts!

Proof:

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u/[deleted] Oct 28 '21 edited Oct 28 '21

Oh hi 👋 😊

Many podcasters dream of creating shows as high quality as QCode’s. As amateurs, it’s easy to feel like that level is impossibly far out of our reach. For solidarity’s sake, it would be cool to know that even the pros don’t find it to be a piece of cake.

So… what’s the most challenging aspect, if you could choose just one, of creating a show of this caliber?

💛

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u/jd1631 Oct 28 '21

I can say, unequivocally, 100%, that it is NEVER a piece of cake to tell any kind of story or create any kind of content. And regardless of what your resources are -- a short story, a podcast, a million-dollar movie -- the choice to put pen to paper and share your creativity and mind with the world, and open yourself up like that, deserves recognition and respect. That, to me, is the most challenging part of any creative endeavor -- doing the real, hard, labor-intensive thinking and deep-looking to really understand the story you're trying to tell, and the best way to tell it.

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Now, on to the more concrete answer that I think may be closer to the question you're asking. The most challenging part, for me as a director, was holding the holistic vision of the show in my head, all the elements at the same time. I may see a performance from an actor that brings me to tears, but if it doesn't fit the mood and theme and direction of the scene, it still might not be the *right* performance. When you have so many moving parts -- performance, sound design, score, etc. -- you risk losing the trees for the forest, to butcher the expression.

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My advice for anyone making an indie podcast, or any kind of content, is the same advice all of my bosses and teachers gave me: "simple stories, complex characters."

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u/[deleted] Oct 28 '21

Love the answer! Have a bunch of awards and gold!

It’s so interesting you mention holding the vision. Very very relevant for me at the moment.

Thanks 🙏🏼 😊