There is no denying the popularity and growth of podcasts within the entertainment industry. In spite of all the technical prowess of CGI, VFX, and other wizardry utilized in modern film and television, the power of the human mind to create visuals based on sound alone is unparalleled. Enter the podcast; the modern iteration of radio’s “Theater of the Mind.” One indicator of just how important podcasts are becoming in the entertainment industry is the increasing appearance of notable actors in scripted podcasts. Rami Malek, Demi Moore, Matthew McConaughey, and others are embracing this old-meets-new format. Lisa Kudrow (Primetime Emmy Award–winning actress) and Leigh Joel Scott star in a new six-episode podcast about those at the heart of the notorious St Valentine’s Day Massacre of 1929. Joshua Powell wrote the screenplay for this production titled Jack and Lou: A Gangster Love Story which is now being developed into a feature film starring iconic actress Linda Hamilton of the Terminator films and Sebastiano Pigazzi of Paramount+’s The Offer. Situations like this prove that Hollywood can indeed support new platforms while retaining its own identity. Whether you prefer watching at your local theatre, streaming at home, or listening on your morning commute, captivating writing is at the heart of the stories you love.
The wonderful thing about any podcast is how the listener feels they come to know those featured in a personal way. Any story that holds our attention does so because we feel a connection which allows investment, even one about murderers like Jack McGurn. Jack and Lou: A Gangster Love Story is based on Al Capone’s right-hand man (McGurn) who allegedly planned and executed the St Valentine’s Day Massacre. The humanity of this killer is witnessed through his passionate love affair with his mistress, Louise Rolfe. Set in Chicago right before America prepared to enter the Great Depression, this couple exhibited a lust for life and personal gratification that could be either inspiring or deplorable, depending on your perspective. This is a story of young people who either don’t see how their actions result in tragedy, or they don’t care. In the midst of this, they are endlessly devoted to each other.
His enthusiasm is palpable when Joshua Powell speaks about the benefits of creating for the podcast format. He relates, “I absolutely see the potential in Podcasts, especially in creative fiction! It is simultaneously a familiar and utterly alien experience; as a Director, you are presented with an entirely new avenue to express your creativity, and the skills you develop through the process are then added to your arsenal, to be used on your next project. After working on an audio-series of this magnitude, I can safely say it’s completely changed my perspective on the post-production side of things, and how I experience film and tv sound. With the debut of ‘The Sandman’ on Audible (written by Neil Gaiman and Dirk Maggs) everyone has the opportunity to experience the potential of what big-budget, star-powered audio productions can be, and I think that series’ massive popularity speaks for itself.” While he has spent the majority of his career working in more visual based media like film and television, Joshua stipulates, “The actual nuance of writing for an audio-series is not too dissimilar from writing a traditional screenplay. The re-writes mainly involved removing a lot of the ‘action’ pieces, and focusing mainly on a character’s dialogue in any given scene.”
Dialogue may be the most prominent part of a podcast series like this but Mr. Powell gives praise to sound designers Audrey Gu and Cabba Cai of Jack and Lou: A Gangster Love Story who gave authenticity to the environments created in each scene. After discussing each scene and directing the performances of Kudrow and Leigh, Powell discussed Foley and other elements with the sound design team. Remarkably, all of this occurred via remote online sessions due to the pandemic; a pivot idea which Joshua presented after the initial plan to film was prohibited by Covid. He explains, “We were aware of Covid-19, but hadn’t fully appreciated what a threat it would become to our chances of production. We were incredibly disappointed by the lack of physical production options and it was then that the idea of moving Jack and Lou to an audio-based production came up. I argued strongly in favour, citing the success and popularity of audio-books like ‘Harry Potter’ and audio-productions like ‘The Sandman.’ The work of 3-4 months was completed in about 1 month, and we were ready for audio-production to begin in early 2021.” Jack and Lou: A Gangster Love Story is available on Apple, Spotify, Rephonic, PodParadise, and numerous other outlets.
Writer: Coleman Haan