In the past 15 years, podcasts have gone from an internet subculture to something your aunt might send you. Chronicling it all is Shaun Michael Colón, whose new documentary, Age of Audio, traces the medium’s history and details the present-day podcast environment. “It took seven years of love and grit to capture the pioneers of podcasting,” said Colón. “And we’re beyond proud to finally share it
with the world.”
The film will have its Rhode Island premiere on Thursday, April 23, at 7pm at the AS220 Black Box performance space in Providence, followed by a live panel discussion on independent podcasting with Audrey Mardavich, executive director of Radiotopia, a podcast network that is part of PRX Productions. “I am so excited to bring this film to Providence, with many people locally who helped work on the film being from the area,” said Colón. “AS220 has long supported independent creators and musicians, and it feels like the perfect fit for this premiere in the Providence area.”
A pair of talented local podcasters from the Hey Rhody Media family also worked on the film: longtime contributor Chuck Staton (known for Funbearable and Chuck and Brad Podcast) and Chris Revill, our account manager for Providence (host of Let’s Chat! and Hey Rhody Podcast). “I have been podcasting since 2013, and Rhode Island has one of the best podcast scenes in the country,” said Revill, “Working on a documentary with a friend I met through the medium is truly a full-circle moment.”
Age of Audio functions as survey of modern podcasting, examining the boom in audio storytelling not seen since the days of radio, with interviews ranging from comedian Marc Maron, whose WTF with Marc Maron Podcast (recently ended after 1,686 episodes and paved the way for other comedians to start podcasting – a societal boon or ill depending on who you ask), to Ira Glass, whose radio show This American Life has found a new audience on podcast feeds.
“Meeting podcast heroes like Ira Glass was incredible,” said Colón, “But following independent creator Ronald Young Jr. was the heart of the film, showing what it truly means to be an independent artist.” Young Jr., an aspiring podcast superstar, serves as the documentary’s protagonist, and the audience surrogate for the world of podcast economics that the film navigates. While podcasting seems bigger than ever, through the eyes of Young Jr., Colón takes audiences on a tour of the realities behind the medium, and what it takes to have your voice heard – literally.
“Sometimes it feels like I’ve shown up at the party a little bit more than fashionably late,” says Young Jr. in the trailer for the film. In a media industry that appears booming from the outside, Colón’s film examines whether podcasting is still a viable career path for newcomers, or if, as Maron would say at the beginning of his podcast, they’ve locked the gates. Learn more at AS220’s website: AS220.org. Follow the film on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube: @aoamovie
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