J S Mayank on the Making of America 2.0
Behind the scenes of the star-studded fiction podcast
Hey Besties!
There’s a lot going on in Courtneyland. I have been batching my booty off over the past two weeks. I really want to finish some big writing projects this summer, and I realized there was no way I was going to be able to do that while producing three podcasts, so I have been working on batching ALL the summer content for Private Parts Unknown and The Bleeders, and as much as possible for Podcast Bestie. Plus, I’m gearing up to have active YouTube channels for all three shows this summer, which is exciting, but considerably more work. So far, I’m loving this new hardcore batching system; I’m going to try to do this quarterly to free up more time for writing. I’ll probably reflect on the whole process and how I can improve it for a future newsletter.
Anyway, I’m in my home stretch, trying to get it all wrapped up by Friday, but I wanted to take a break from the editing frenzy to check in with my Besties. First, an invitation:
🎉 LA lady podcasters, you are invited to a party TONIGHT in Highland Park! I’m co-hosting a meetup with Keegan Winfield of the My Worst Date podcast.
Here are the details, no RSVP required:
When: Monday, June 26th from 7-9pm
Where: Good Housekeeping HLP, 5635 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
I also want to share a recent article I wrote for the Descript Creator HQ blog, Podcasting by the numbers: 15 podcast stats for 2023.
And now for the main event: Today, I have a Q&A with my friend, J S Mayank, a screenwriter who made a foray into the podcasting space as the director and co-writer of the hit fiction podcast America 2.0.
Give Besties a little preview of America 2.0 and its plot.
JS: Seth McGuire (Patrick J Adams) is a first-term Congressman. He’s also an unflinching idealist and a profound optimist, so it should come as no surprise that he sucks at his job. When embroiled in his first-ever controversy, Seth is completely ill-equipped to navigate D.C.’s political treachery. His only hope comes in a EUREKA moment, putting him at a crossroads: can his bold and revolutionary plan really save this country, or is he going to talk himself right out of office when people hear his (crazy) idea — to give every American citizen 1 million dollars?
That’s AMERICA 2.0, a six-part scripted series starring Patrick J Adams, Kate Walsh, Shanola Hampton, Ming-Na Wen, Autumn Reeser, Jack Coleman, Spencer Garrett, Steven Weber, Dana Bash (CNN), and Laurence Fishburne.
What was your inspiration? Were there any specific real-world events or societal issues that influenced the plot development or characters in America 2.0?
JS: As writers, we often talk about big concepts, and constantly run “thought experiments.” One day, my writing partner, David Carlyle, called me with a truly INSANE idea: about giving every American citizen a million dollars. I told him that was absolutely nuts, but that it may also make for a great series! We initially wrote it as a TV pilot, but after hearing a table-read performance of it with some fantastic actors, I had the idea of trying to do it as a scripted audio series.
You're primarily a screenwriter. Was this the first podcast you were involved with?
JS: Yes. I grew up listening to old BBC radio programs, so I’ve always loved the audio format. But this was my first time doing something in the podcast space. I am now a firm devotee. I LOVE podcasts and narrative audio dramas.
Do you have any favorite fiction podcasts (or podcasts, period) that have been influential on you?
JS: I was a huge fan of HOMECOMING. I also really enjoyed AMERICAN HOSTAGE.
How did you know that this project, in particular, would be good as a podcast? How did you lean into the advantages of the medium?
JS: Hearing a table read of the TV pilot script, I was struck by how dynamic the dialogue and patter were. The banter flew off the page, really coming alive. And as a director, I’ve always used sound very cognizantly. So I decided to embark on trying my hand at doing a scripted audio series. David and I broke our pilot into six short episodes, created a framing device (as we’re not fans of omniscient narrators — simply a style preference), and really leaned into the aural component of transitions. After recording, when I worked with my sound designer (the incredible Rusty Dunn), I truly painted a picture for him, telling him about everything from set-dec to props to layouts… allowing him to fill in the soundscape as fully as possible. The end result, I feel, speaks for itself. We truly managed to transport people to D.C., albeit through sound alone.
You had some amazing actors in America 2.0 and it was produced by Realm. How did it land at Realm, and how did the casting and production come together?
JS: So, I had a terrific relationship with casting director Jeremy Gordon, who put together the table read. There, I met Shanola Hampton (who read Anna and eventually voiced her in the podcast) as well as Spencer Garratt (Porter Purvis). Spencer loved the piece so much, he and Jeremy actually came onboard to produce with us. From there, they asked me to make a wish list of actors. And believe it or not, we got a yes from EVERY SINGLE ACTOR we approached… including Academy Award Nominee Laurence Fishburne! We honestly couldn’t believe it. Everyone who read the script said yes. We self-funded and produced the series on our own using my contacts in the production world (huge shout out to THE FORMOSA GROUP).
With regards to REALM, I met with their CEO Molly Barton, who really liked the show and wanted to distribute it, so we were brought into the fold to be distributed on their network.
You worked with amazing actors, but any advice for directing voice actors and coaching talent for the performance that aligns with your vision?
JS: Honestly, working with this cast was a dream come true. I mean, directing Kate Walsh was an experience in itself. And getting to direct Ming-Na Wen… Mulan herself — incredible. I have a funny story about that — when Ming went into the recording booth, I followed her. She was sort of startled and asked what I was doing. I said: I’m right here, with you. We’re in this together. She said in all her years of voice acting, she’d never had a director be that present and hands-on. She LOVED the immediacy of the feedback. My advice for directing any actors is — it’s all about trust. Acting is such a live-wire act. The performers have to be both technical and vulnerable. I like making my actors feel relaxed, getting them to trust me, and then allowing them to really do their thing. They know if they’re being too careful, I’ll give them a helpful nudge. If they’re going too far, I’ll pull them back.
How did you collaborate with the sound designers and composers to create the immersive audio environment in America 2.0?
JS: I’m a big believer in constant communication. My composer, the brilliant Antonio Lepore, and I have worked together for YEARS. He scored my film school thesis in 2010, and we have worked together on every project since. So he kind of reads my mind at this point. We gave him a prompt for the theme song, and he knocked it out of the park! Then I had the idea for each episode to end with a slightly different iteration of the theme: hopeful, sad, choir, full orchestral, etc. And each version he did was more exciting than the next. With regard to the sound designer, I’ve already shared my process of working with Rusty.
What are your top tips for writing for podcasts? Are there any key differences between podcast writing and screenwriting?
JS: Good writing is good writing. What a podcast does is take away the visuals… so the “show, don’t tell” adage doesn’t really work. That said, not having visuals frees up the audience (in this case, the listener) from the burden of what’s put on screen. They are free to imagine very vivid scenarios. So as long as you’ve written something compelling, and do your work on transitions, filling in scenes with audio cues, and have a good score — the sky's the limit.
My practical advice to anyone wanting to do scripted podcasts is — think deeply about the sound and music beforehand. Don’t just record the dialogue/narration and then think you’ll worry about that stuff later. The more baked-in you can be on the front end, the better the final product will turn out.
Also, when casting for audio — be really careful to make sure your actor’s voices sound different enough. It sounds obvious, but sometimes it can get confusing for a listener if you have two people whose voices are too similar.
America 2.0 is a six-part series. Do you have a favorite episode? Why?
JS: I know I should say I don’t, that they’re all like my kids, and I can’t choose… but I do have a favorite. Episode 3 — ICE — is very special. It’s where Patrick J Adams’ Seth has two dates with Kate Walsh’s Vivienne. What’s fun about this episode is, when I played it for the first time for Laurence Fishburne, he said to me, “JS, now THAT is real chemistry! You can’t fake that…” I smiled and replied, “Sure, except they recorded their parts in two separate studios two months apart. Kate and Patrick have never met!” 🙂
What do you hope listeners will take away from America 2.0? Is there a particular message or impact you aimed to achieve? (Pure entertainment is also a valid goal!)
JS: Variety called us “THE WEST WING in podcast form,” which is still the best thing anyone could ever say about the show. Being huge fans of political dramas, especially something aspirational — David and I set out to do a feel-good series. In a world where Politics has become a taboo topic, we hope that people can listen to the story, get some laughs, but also be inspired to take on “big ideas” for the good of our society! We wrote an optimistic story, and ultimately our message is that of hope.
Are there any plans for a second season of America 2.0? Any upcoming podcasts or other projects you'd like to share with Besties?
JS: We do have an amazing idea for a season 2, but we’ll see if the stars align for that. We did have the best cast ever, and we’d love to get them back together for another go-around. That said, David and I are working on another scripted podcast right now — a much more elaborate and sprawling undertaking. Think of it as a metaphysical serial. That’s all I can say right now.
Anything else you’d like to add?
JS: I hope people can check out the six episodes — they’re quick, fun, and we have a really amazing cast. If people like the show, I’d love for them to rate it and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Any help spreading the word is always appreciated!
Thank you, J S Mayank! Welcome to the wild and wonderful world of podcasting!!
➡️ America 2.0 is available wherever you get your podcasts, on Realm’s website, and on the show’s website reinventingtomorrow.com.
➡️ Follow J S Mayank on Twitter and Instagram @jsmayank.
➡️ Follow the show on social media @america20pod on Twitter and @america2.0podcast on Instagram.
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So… ROLL CALL! 🗣
Do YOU have a fiction podcast? If so, drop the link below with a little blurb about your show.
Follow me @courtneykocak on Twitter and Instagram. For more, check out my website courtneykocak.com.