In 2014, a young aspiring writer-director decided that he wanted to start a fiction podcast. There was just one problem: he had no idea how audio fiction worked! But over the next ten years, half a dozen original series, countless rehearsal sessions, and endless hours spent in recording studios, Gabriel gave himself an education in all things audio storytelling. Now an award-winning director and the writer for an upcoming Audible original, he wants to pass along what he's learned to help others on their own journeys into the mysteries of fiction podcasting.

In this brand new online webinar in the style of the fast-paced, irreverently entertaining lectures he does as a guest speaker at universities and conventions, Gabriel wants to take you through the express version of all the learnings on how to work with great voice actors, give clear, actionable direction, and collaborate in a studio to create great performances. Topics include:

• What Is the Role of a Director?

• Challenges of Directing in an Audio-Only Environment

• Collaborating With Performers

• Multi-tasking as a Director

• Comparisons to Other Mediums

• Getting Listeners Involved

• The Number One Thing Every Director Should Do (And Almost None of Them Do)

So if you're interested in directing the great audio fiction content of tomorrow, join Gabriel at 2:00 PM Eastern Time on September 8th for for an interactive look at the art and craft of directing stories that demand active listening.

Featuring special guest stars Emma Sherr-Ziarko (Wolf 359, Zero Hours, Marvel Move) and Beth Eyre (Wooden Overcoats, Cry Havoc! Ask Questions Later, Unseen). Beth and Emma will be helping out with some live directing demos and examples of scene work throughout the workshop!

There are a limited number of tickets for this online workshop, so sign up soon before they're all gone!

Gabriel Urbina is a Costa Rican-American writer, director, and podcast creator. He is best known as the creator of the Webby-Award nominated Wolf 359, and, along with long-time collaborators Sarah Shachat and Zach Valenti, the co-creator of indie classics Unseen, Zero Hours, and Time:Bombs. He has also worked as a guest writer on a number of other audio fiction shows, including Wooden Overcoats, The Bright Sessions, and The Phenomenon. Most recently, he handled the scripting for Gasolina, an upcoming Audible Original from Skybound Entertainment, and created The Fabulists, part of the Tribeca Festival's Official Audio Selection for 2023. He has spoken or given presentations at the Austin Film Festival, Podcast Movement, WGA East, Rhode Island Comic Con, Podfest Expo, and PodTales, and has taught workshop and given guest lectures at Wesleyan University and the NYU Production Lab. 

Q: I have already taken Audio Fiction 101, Gabriel's course with Zach Valenti and Sarah Shachat. Will this workshop provide any new content for me?
A: While there will inevitably be some amount of overlap between the two, Directing Stories for Sound has been conceptualized as a new experience that covers new material. Whereas Audio Fiction 101 was focused on the practical realities of creating a work of audio fiction, this webinar will be more focused on the realities of working with voice actors in a studio. The two classes should compliment each other, and they'll work together to make you a more accomplished writer and director.

Q: I am interested in taking this webinar, but am inevitably detained on September 8th. Will a recording of the webinar be made available for viewing after the fact?
A: Yes, a recording of the webinar will be available for viewing (or reviewing) for everyone who buys access to it before it goes live. However, if you are not able to tune in during the livestream itself, you will not be able to submit questions for the Q&A portion of the stream. Note that another, identical version of this workshop is also being taught on September 12th!

Q: Are there scholarships available for this webinar?
A: Yes, a number of full and partial needs-based scholarships are available. If you are unemployed or only employed part-time, a student, or otherwise going through circumstances that make it hard for you pay the full sticker price for this workshop, please let us know what your situation is by emailing contact@gabrielurbina.com with the subject line "Directing Audio Scholarship." We'll do our best to respond quickly to let you know next steps from there.

Q: I work in or am interested in non-fiction podcasts. Will there be anything helpful for me in this webinar?
A: Although the focus and primary lens of this workshop will be fiction podcasts, the underlying topics, trends, and concepts we'll be exploring will all be extremely applicable to non-fiction podcasts, and even to getting great tape for non-fiction shows such as chat shows or explainer podcasts. It may take an intuitive leap or two after the fact to connect the dots, but you should find the content helpful for all your non-fiction podcasting needs!

Q: Do I need to be familiar with Gabriel's work (Wolf 359, Unseen, etc.) to enjoy this webinar?
A: Not in the least! Some examples of Gabriel's work will be used to illustrate some concepts, but no prior knowledge is assumed or necessary. 

If you have additional questions, please email contact@gabrielurbina.com with the subject line, "Directing Stories For Sound"!