I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this podcast, especially how there is not one narrator and it is actually acted out. I would likely never choose to listen to the audio if I were also presented with the choices of a book or a movie. As a visual learner and someone with interest in visual arts— painting, drawing, photography,etc.— it feels strange listening to a dramatic dialogue that could be acted out in a movie or TV show.
At first, I was confused with by the different background sounds and cutting between scenes, but as the story unfolded it started to make more sense and I realized the cuts between scenes was actually an interesting artistic choice. After considering the audio choices from directors standpoint, it makes more sense. because the story is being acted out without a narrator, the background noises are for a realistic listener experience. Additionally, the absence of visual spectacle allows us to focus on the sound instead. The side conversation and interruption made the audio so realistic that at one point I thought this was an audio taken from a movie. I also feel like the crispness of the sound enhanced the authenticity podcast. I can hear every exasperated breath and voice intonation from the actors.
The music incorporated in the podcast was also an element that helped drive the story. The placement of the solemn music in both the beginning and the end was a subtle element that made the audio more complete. The placement of the music in the beginning of the audio first suggests the mood of the plot to the listener and then hearing it again at the end reminds the listener of this same feeling in relation to what they’d just experienced from to the story.