The Void

Congrats on a really well done indie production. I think a couple of the reviews received were a bit on the harsher side and I encourage the audience to be mindful of the obvious amount of work that was required to create this really interesting and creative pod. While I’ll wholeheartedly agree that no one of the cast will be winning an Oscar any time soon, I must also admit that I’ve heard much worse on productions with heftier budgets. While it does feel “read” rather than acted, I prefer this to other indie pods where the roles tend to be obnoxiously OVER-acted. Admittedly, I am not Christian, nor do I believe that’s a requirement necessary to enjoy, “The Void”. While the creator did an excellent job in shaping the allegory, the story is also strong enough on its own. The listener can enjoy this work without focusing on any correlations to Christianity because the writing is that good. The concept is compelling and I love the fantasy/fairytale feeling as well. The sound and ambience is also a total vibe. I also appreciate the carefully crafted world building and character development. I’m very easily, able to envision this group navigating a town and forest that have been painted quite effectively. “The Void” has all the markers of what I seek when looking for a supernatural fiction pod. 5 stars, well done! And pls keep writing and creating. You’ve definitely got something to say, don’t let the haters rain on your parade.

Good story, holds interest. This show’s creator deserves extra praise for their sound production- show has a vibe. Great synth and backing tracks for sure, but the overall audio recording even just as the actors talk — maintains atmosphere. Makes it great for night listening. I love when podcast creators make the most of the media format and use sound well to draw listeners into their world.

This has to be one of my favorite podcasts ever, it’s in my top 3 with my other favorite fictional podcasts. It’s full of vivid descriptions and amazing sounds effects. I started listening and. Now I’ve gone through 10 episodes in one day😁

The Void is sooo close! The storyline is interesting enough to keep me coming back, despite weak spots in the storytelling; for example, the terrifying “monsters” in the void are familiar to anyone even mildly versed in the paranormal: our old friends Hat Man and Mothman! This is a horror podcast. You can make up any kind of creature you want! Hat Man and Mothman don’t hang out in the woods. It makes no sense that they would be there. (Also, Mothman should be pronounced as though it’s two words, not “Mothmin.”) We’re also told about these terrific battles between the monsters and our heroes, as well as the new powers our leader, Sam, develops, but with precious few details. I hate to be petty, but the real problem is the voice acting. It’s unprofessional (or untalented). With few exceptions, such as the Curator, it sounds like the show‘s creator had his buddies over for pizza, said “hey, wanna voice my podcast?,”and they just read their parts off with no preparation. The participants all read (not act) too quickly and too flatly, with little variation or intonation. The worst is Voice of Beth. She speeds through the text, running sentences together and rarely varying her tone. It’s like listening to bright but nervous 9th-grade students reading aloud in front of the whole class, and that’s not really what one wants to hear in their limited free time. I only point this stuff out because The Void has a lot going for it, and with some casting changes (or improvement on the parts of the participants) and being more careful and creative with the story, it could be very good indeed. I will keep listening and hope it reaches its potential!

This is nothing personal to the voice actors. They’re clearly not professionals, so they don’t have the skills or practice for this. I’m sure the creators made this choice because there wasn’t a budget for professionals, which is understandable. However, in their desire to release this story, they lost sight of the fact that this an *audio* medium. This means that how the content is presented is paramount. It seems to me that the creators settled for what they had rather than working to get believable voice acting. Surely when they listened to this they could hear the flat, uninflected reading of a script/story? I hope y’all stick with it and learn as you go. If you’re going to do a drama as you say in your description, then write the *script* from the story you have. Those are different. If you do want to have the story delivered as you wrote it, that’s more like an audiobook. That also requires good voices, but not necessarily as the other. I encourage you to find someone that narrates well. Your reach will be much further if you center the *listener* (your audience) and delivery mode in your production. :) Keep writing because you have good stories to tell. 😉

I was excited for this after reading the show description. Unfortunately, as with many podcasts, the narration and editing drag the whole thing down. The narrator drifts in and out of ads with the same tone, and in story, their character voice is different even though it’s supposed to be a first person narrative. The other voice actors frankly aren’t very good either. I’m sure everyone did their best, but this show just falls short.