JOHN WAKEFIELD: AUDIO PRODUCER
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Amsterdam, Hallowe'en, Heaven and Honey.

11/29/2021

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Autumn Listening


As the winter nights draw in, a selection of work from the Autumn here for your enjoyment.
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Scary Specials, childhood adventures, immersion in Amsterdam, crucial drama on the BBC and the delicate taste of Honey all have shaped the last few weeks.
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Rudyard Ruins Hallowe'en

The restless dead walk the streets of Piffling Vale, and only one man can possibly ignore them...

From three of our finest Wooden Overcoats writers James Huntrods, James Hamilton and head writer David K Barnes come three terrifying tales of terror!

This episode was a delight to work on, and the cast and production team are at the hieght of their powers. Recreating 1930s Frankenstein for the show was a joy, and some further superb sound design come from Andy Goddard.

Why not treat yourself to a post Hallowe'en present. 'Rudyard Ruins Hallowe'en' is available to buy as part of our The Specials package on the Wooden Overcoats shop.

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Twice Upon A Time

Do you have that childhood book that still lingers in your mind, that inspired you to read, or whose characters stay with you wherever you go?

In a new podcast 'Twice Upon a Time' from Hat Trick that I have been working this year, Janet Ellis takes an array of authors, actors, musicians, comedians and tv personalities on a journey back through their chosen childhood books.

Guests include Micheal Morpurgo, Lauren Child, Masie Peters, Juno Dawson, and the first episode author and comedian Ben Miller.

The first episode will be live tomorrow (Tuesday 30th November). Listen here!

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Testing Times at IDFA

This year I've had the great joy of working once again with BAFTA Award Winning Director Victoria Mapplebeck on her latest project 'Testing Times'.

This immersive sound piece was an R & D commision and  was in competition at this year's International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.

Attendees were invited to sit at a sofa, looking out the window and experience the fraught but beautiful relationship between Victoria and her son Jim as they faced  a year together in lockdown.

I edited and sound designed the piece and am very proud of the result. You can find out more about it on the IDFA page here.
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Road to Heaven

An incredible piece of work from Lettie Precious, this reaction piece to AnneGarreta's 'Sphinx' this is a crucial drama to be broadcast on the BBC.

E***’s adolescent years are a bleak existence of abuse at home and bullying at school. But after they read an extraordinary novella called Sphinx, their eyes are opened to their own identity and to an overpowering new world - gay clubs.

I was lucky enough to be a drama consultant in studio, blocking and advising on what to capture and it was wonderful to be part of such a welcoming production team.

This is essential listening and can be heard on the BBC here for another two weeks.

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The National Honey Show

'Queen Bees' celebrated the end of the summer by heading to the convention of all conventions for Apiarists. 

Full of rows and rows of delicate honey of all shades, beeswax creations, and a cavalcade of beautiful trophies it was a delight to attend.

Esther interviewed a variety of facinating people inclduing many old friends from the podcast, who shed light onto many of the amazing community projects at home and abroad, the incredible history of the wax chandlers, and the long history of the show itself.

A delightful listen to warm you as the nights drawn in you can keep up with 'Queen Bees' with Jane Horrocks and Esther Coles' here.

Wooden Overcoats photo credit: Odinn Orn Hilmarsson. Testing Times photo credit Victoria Mapplebeck.
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Hot water? Make it a double.

10/4/2021

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The End of and Era


'Wooden Overcoats' this week wraps its final dialogue recordings ever.
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Capping off two weeks in studio we recorded the final scenes of Season 4, welcoming back old faces and welcoming new.  With music recordings still to come, and weeks of shaping the world in sound you can listen in 2022.

On top of that this summer has seen new projects for the BBC, Hat Trick and some fun personal projects on the side.


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Building Funn Funerals for one last time...

And so it finally came. We built the Funn Funeral's set, placed in it the old 1930s Bakerlite phone that the family have been using for decades, and acted out 11 episodes that I'm immensely proud of.

What a pleasure it has been to see the entire team grow over the years we have produced the show. And what a journey to make so many wonderful friends.

Squeezing around 6 hours of finished drama recording into just 7 days these were exhausting sessions, but we wouldn't have had it any differently. We have been recording in the same studio since day one and tears were cried by cast and the creative team as finally we wrapped.

But we are hard at work, with the first episode of the new season 'Rudyard Ruins Halloween' avaliable at the end of this month on our website for pay what you can afford. And free for our indigogo backers.

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New York Times Review

It ends an exciting summer in which the series has gained further recognition, this time from 'The New York Times'.

'As entertaining as it is strangley comforting,... Thanks to carefully drawn and uniquely bizzarre characters, impeccable sound design and writing that's at once sharp as it is wholesome, "Wooden Overcoats" has earned its status as a podcast classic.'

There's just time to jump on in and work your way through the series now! Now Listen here.

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Cassie and Corey Wins Big at BPAs

Chris Hogg's Children's drama 'Cassie and Corey' which I co-directed with Jeremy Mortimer and sound designed won two British Podcast Awards at a star studded event in Brockwell Park London.

The awards for 'Best Fiction' and 'Best Wellbeing' were a testament to the great team and imagination of writer Chris and musical group GTA.

Taking a sideways but deeply compassionate look at eating disorders and acceptance 'Cassie and Corey' is well worth checking out with a stellar cast.

You can listen to the show on podcast platforms of your choice and at the shows website.

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Gone Fishin'

One of my favourite jobs of the summer was going on a Bee Hunt with Esther Coles and Stephen Flemming, for Esther and Jane Horrock's excellent podcast 'Queen Bees'*

This was a fast turnaround documentary about Drone Congregation sites, mystical places when it is said ancient peoples believed they were in touch with the gods as a low drone invisible filled the air.

In fact, this is where male bees (or drones) gather to mate with Queen Bees. Why they do it, how they find their way there and what affects their choice of site remains a mystery, but hunting for them on Watership Down, with a queen bee in a cage atop a fishing rod, was a joy.

You can listen to the episode, and catch up with the entire series here.

*Scrubius Pip's favourite guilty pleasure podcast.

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In development...

And finally looking to the end of this year and into the next I am working on a documentaries tracing adventures North and South.

To the North, a British Icon becomes an unlikely Scandinavian hero in a one off programme for BBC Radio.

To the South, a series, with an adventure that take us across the equator to some of the coldest, most facinating places on earth, recorded in an extraordinary year.

Moreover a couple of drama series I can't even talk about yet are in the works.


I look forward to sharing more about all of these with you all soon and giving the you the chance to hear the results.



Wooden Overcoats Top Photo credit: Meghan Fitzmartin
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International Women's Day

3/10/2021

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​Women Unlocked

​For International Women's Day 2021 Audible released a brand new 6 part podcast series 'Women Unlocked' featuring conversations between some of the UK's finest comic voices. 

I had the pleasure of mastering all 6 episodes for release, produced by Victoria Lloyd and Exec'd by Alex Smith of Listen Entertainment 

Guests included Sandi Toksvig, Sheila Hancock, London Hughes, Estelle, Shappi Khorsandi, Jen Brister, Deborah Frances-White, Susan Wokoma, Susan Calman, Bethany Black, Sarah Pascoe and Loly Adafope.

You can listen now on Audible for free if you have a subscription.
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Timeout Top 26 for 2021

1/16/2021

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​Wooden Overcoats a Must Listen for 2021


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In a delightful way to start the new year, Timeout Worldwide has chosen 'Wooden Overcoats' as one of their 26 Best Podcasts to Listen to in 2021. 
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In Very Good Company

The 26 entry list features some of the finest podcasts from the medium's history including 'This American Life', 'Serial', 'The New Yorker Fiction Podcast', 'Dolly Parton's America', Conan O'Brian Needs a friend, 'The Daily' and '1619'.

They describe the show as 'side-splitting fictional comedy. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be confused but, most importantly, you’ll be thoroughly entertained.'

With Season 4 well into development and just awaiting the opportunity to plan our recording in a Covid friendly way, now is a good time to jump on to the show if you haven't already!

Image credits Top Odinn Orn Hilmarsson, Bottom Lars Thornhill
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2020 in Review

1/14/2021

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Its been a year.


Entering 2020 I had huge plans. Only a few months earlier, after overwhelming support from our listeners during our Indigogo Campaign we were able to start development on the fourth and final season of Wooden Overcoats. I was beginning development of a grand science fiction series with a production company in the vein of Arthur C. Clarke and finishing off sound design on an exciting new podcast project I'd been working on with long-time collaborator Chris Hogg. As well as producing a variety of audiobooks I had ambitions to further experiment and create GPS located dramas and documentaries expanding on previous work I'd created.
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Yet, while 2020 presented many changes to plans, as for many of us,  I've still had the pleasure of working on a number of great projects requiring new remote skills, and meeting and developing programmes with a number of people I would not have had the chance to meet otherwise. I now have the pleasure to work both in London and Oslo on an ever expanding roster of projects. 

Here are some of my highlights from 2020:

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Release of Cassie and Corey

On April 19th Chris Hogg and GTA's kids drama was released to the world tackling teenage eating disorders in a bombastic way supported by Arts Council England.

Following the pair and their highjacked mobility scooter over one nights journey in South London I sound designed and directed the production alongside Jeremy Mortimer.

Recorded on a mobility scooter in studio and featuring music from Drum and Base group GTA.

You can hear the series in its entirety now as well as see the resources created for schools as part of the podcast.
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New York Festivals: Radio Awards

Also in April 'The Fall of Gondolin' by J.R.R. Tolkien, narrated by Tim and Sam West was awarded a 'Best Narration' award at the New York International Radio Awards. 

I had the pleasure of creating the original sample for Harper Collins with Sam and Tim to convince Christopher Tolkien that we would do right by his own and his father's deep, intricate  and much loved work which he listened to and approved before his death. 

The final audiobook was brilliantly produced by Rosemary O'Dowd, and edited and mastered by myself and was a real labour of love for the whole team. 
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Stars Locked Down

Rounding out the month I edited and mastered a number of star studded episodes of 'Locked Together', a free podcast made for Audible Originals by Whistledown Productions.

I was lucky enough to work on conversations between French and Saunders, Pegg and Frost, Tez Ilyas and Sindhu Vee and Sarah Millican and Jason Manford. Each part featured two famous friends nattering it was a delightful programme to be part of and was incredibly well received when it was released on Audible.

You can hear the programme on Audible for free right now 
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The Trouble with Rudyard

In May with our cast confined to their homes we sadly had to delay our recording of Season 4 of Wooden Overcoats. 

No access to the studio and our usual radio drama techniques meant rethinking and training ourselves how to script for and record remotely. 

With this in mind we created 'The Trouble with Rudyard' in support of the WHO's Covid-19 Relief Fund. 

It was a great proving round for what was possible with this form of audio drama production. The episode was featured by  Thepodcasthost.com as one of the best standalone audio drama episodes of 2020. 
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The Bedroom Book Club

Rebel Book Club have been described by the Evening Standard as 'Instagram's coolest book club' - an exciting new way of reading non fiction combining live events and a subscription reading list founded by Ben Keene and Ben Saul-Garner.

Working with RBC I helped remotely record and produce their new, exciting interview podcast in cooperation with MGallery Hotels, linking each of their unique hotels with an book and a specially curated cocktail to capture the imagination.

Out now, Guests for the show included Sam Coniff-Allende author of 'Be More Pirate', Laura Whateley author of 'Money, A Users Guide' and Zing Tseng, executive editor of Vice UK and author of 'Forgotten Women.'


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The 5th Birthday Party

Despite no new series being released on the 24th of September we celebrated 5 years of Wooden Overcoats with a roundtable I produced, presented and recorded with the core cast and crew. 

Listeners questions were phoned in and performed by the delightful Ms Scruple (Ellie Dickens). It was heart-warming to hear how the show has affected listeners and even how, in those 5 years, it has inspired some to dive into the audio world themselves. 

A fitting birthday celebration filled with every flavour of Birthday Cake, including Rainbow. A huge thank you to everyone who sent in their memories, art and questions. They were all read and appreciated.
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The Future of Storytelling

Autumn also saw the release of The Storyfutures Academy Podcast, which I had the pleasure of shaping the sound identity for, and editing and mastering for final release. 

Presented and produced by acclaimed VR producer Shehani Fernando (who I've worked with previously on Victoria Mapplebeck's IDFA award winning film 'The Waiting Room') and Chris Hogg, the podcast is a guide to starting out in VR/AR and XR in a variety of roles. 

The Story Futures Academy is the UK's National Centre for Immersive Storytelling run by the National Film and Television School and Royal Holloway, University of London. Episodes 1-5 are available now with more on the way. 
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Holy Sh!t

Later in the year I was lucky enough to work with Hat Trick Productions on a variety of programmes across their podcast slate including 'Queen Bees' with Esther Coles and Jane Horrocks, 'Time Ghost' with Armstrong and Miller. 

The last project of the year was helping to record and then sound designing their ambitious new comedy drama 'Holy Sh!t'. The 10 part series was recorded entirely remotely so relied heavily on post-production to shape its world. 

Described as 'ingenious' by the Guardian, 'Holy Sh!t' stars Olivier winner Patsy Ferran, Olivier nominee Cleve September and acclaimed comic performer Mandeep  Dillon.

It follows two best friends who think a room mate in halls may just, be Jesus.
Throughout the year I have continued to produce audiobooks for Harper Collins, Penguin and the RNIB Talking Book Service among others.
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There are a number of projects that I've started developing in 2020 and hugely excited about that I'm not ready to speak about yet but I look forward to sharing more news in 2021!
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    News and Updates
    ​from John