Ode to stability

A couple of weeks ago I had to go through the Casefile backcatalogue to do some work on the feed.

When I got to the older episodes, which we did years ago (the show started in January 2016), I had two thoughts.

The first one was - what was I thinking?

I must have worked on these with my ears plugged because the production and some ‘mixing solutions’ I tried were absolutely tragic. But we were learning as we went along and I didn’t have all the fancy equipment I have now.

That’s my excuse.

The second one was - aside from production value, the show stayed pretty much the same since that first episode. 

If you go and listen to Episode 50 and then Episode 300 - the listening experience is the same. What is on the menu is the same.

A single narrator that meticulously presents a true crime case, without a bias, opinion or unnecessary bells and whistles. The presentation is minimalistic with a constant, low background music to add tension.

That’s it.

It dawned on me that the consistency was probably one of the biggest reasons for the success of the show. 

I agree the the presentation style is not for everyone, but once you buy into it - you can expect a high quality episode each time, no ifs or buts.

In an unpredictable world we find ourselves today, with new shiny things popping on our feeds and screens all the time - people gravitate towards stability.

There is no need to surprise or shock each time we do something.

Sometimes, a good old fashioned certainty is all we need.

WHAT AM I WORKING ON

The latest Casefile Presents show - The Unthinkable is out now!

The first two episodes were released on Sunday and we will have weekly episodes (20 in total) as the first season.

The show is hosted by true crime podcasters and authors Vikki Petraitis (with whom we worked for the past few years) and Emily Webb.

The premise is simple - Vikki and Emily interview people who went through unthinkable events like a terrorist attack, bombing, stalking - and how they got over it.

But it’s not a simple interview-style show. It’s part that, but told in a scripted way, in a crafted story with music, drama and the whole mix.

It’s a great addition for any fans of true crime, anyone who enjoyed Vikki’s and Emily’s work before - and anyone who is looking for a new listen!

We did the production and the music.

WHAT AM I READING

How to Get Rich by Felix Dennis. I remember reading this book a few years ago and because it was on sale on Kindle I decided to read it again. Why? I wanted something light and this part-guide, part-biography filled with funny quotes and poetry did the trick. I enjoyed it then and I enjoy it now. 

WHAT AM I WATCHING

Mary Poppins. I know the music but wasn’t that familiar with the story (never read the books or watched the movies). So when we went to see the live musical, I didn’t have any expectations.

Well, as we were walking out of the theatre I told Paulina that it must be now in my TOP 5 (if not TOP 3) shows we’ve ever seen. The acting, the sets, the costumes and overall production value was extraordinary. There were many times in this nearly 3 hour production where I turned to her asking ‘how did they do that?’ Absolutely incredible performance and the work by the creative team. If you have a chance, go and see it.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3. I haven’t watched the movie when it came out (even though the first one was one of my favourites I worked on) but finally got to it. It was a good finale to the trilogy. I don’t think it was a stand out but it was a much better movie that the other recent Marvel entries. I wonder if we ever see the Guardians again, they remind me of times where the MCU was still taking risks.

A Haunting in Venice. I low-key became a fan of Kenneth Branagh take on Hercule Poirot. This entry was slightly different to the previous two as the film ventured into a thriller/horror genre with a touch of supernatural. But I liked it. It was shot in an unusual way and I enjoyed the score by Hildur Guðnadóttir who replaced the usual Branagh’s composer Patrick Doyle.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you (hopefully!) next week!

Mike

https://mikemigas.com/

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