Archive 81: OUT OF UNIVERSE - Season 3 Q&A (October 17, 2018)

Podcast: Archive 81
Hosts: Mark (Writer, Co-producer), Dan (Co-producer, Sound Design, Music)
Episode: OUT OF UNIVERSE - Season 3 Q&A

Episode Overview

This special episode takes listeners behind the scenes of Archive 81, focusing on the creative process behind Season 3. Mark and Dan field fan questions about the show's evolution, favorite characters, inspirations, sound design challenges, and more. The tone is informal, witty, self-deprecating, and filled with in-jokes and anecdotes, giving fans a playful and insightful deep-dive into the Archive 81 universe and its creators' minds.

Main Themes & Announcements

• Season 3 Reflections: Both hosts reflect on Season 3 as perhaps their favorite—a complex, ambitious project involving new characters, magical rituals, and deeper explorations of horror and the subconscious.
• Upcoming Projects: Next up is a miniseries, tentatively titled "Left of the Dial," inspired by the eerie feeling of tuning strange radio stations in remote places (02:00–03:17).
  • “If you’ve ever been in a car… tuned the radio dial and you’ve heard strange things… that’s the direction we’re gonna go with.” — Mark (02:29)
• Music Featurette: Dan is releasing an in-depth behind-the-scenes feature on the music of Season 3, available to Patreon subscribers and likely to all listeners for free (04:54–05:41).

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Seasonal Evolution & Story Structure

• Each season intentionally shifts genres and casts to keep the series fresh and to avoid creative stagnation.

  • "Each season almost feels like a whole new show… because we get bored." — Mark (06:33)
  • Archive 81's central frame is adaptable: the device of someone listening to tapes can apply to any character or scenario (07:40–08:52).

• Inspirations for genre:

  • Season 1: Haunted house fiction
  • Season 2: Body horror, Lovecraft Dreamlands
  • Season 3: Rituals, magic, urban and familial horror (08:52)

• The writing team prefers to develop each season organically, based on what excites them in the moment, rather than following a rigid multi-season outline (25:43).

2. Character Favorites and Creation

• Static Man (Season 3) is a host favorite, seen as a "college bro" with eldritch powers who loves Popeyes chicken (11:08–12:45).
• Mark enjoys writing the sibling dynamic between Christine and Nicholas, both representing split halves of his own personality (12:07–12:45).
• Payphone and Lou are noted for their unique voices and growth.
  • "I enjoy writing very creepy robot voiced characters. That’s a thing that I enjoy doing." — Mark (12:45)

3. Production and Directing Challenges

• Principal recording is mostly done in the studio for logistical reasons (31:05–33:02).
• Directing actors typically involves telling them to reduce emotional energy, as podcasting is an intimate medium where overacting gets "instantly" noticed (19:19).
  • "My notes are always decrease that emotional energy..." — Mark (18:40)
• Logistical, scheduling, and editing work is described as a "giant puzzle" and exhausting but ultimately rewarding (36:28–39:04).

4. Sound Design & Music

• Dan spends 20-30+ hours editing each episode; sound design involves physical foley work, such as simulating a goat sacrifice by rustling fabric in the studio (36:28–39:04).
• Favorite soundscape: The Irons ship in Episode 6, designed to feel three-dimensional (46:31–47:46).
• “I really like the sound of the Irons, the ship in Episode 6.” — Dan (46:31)
• The show’s music is much beloved. Select tracks are available to Patreon supporters (63:44).

5. Writing, Inspiration & Motivation

• Inspirations include authors Jeff VanderMeer, Thomas Ligotti, Kelly Link, and Samuel R. Delaney (39:10).
• Advice to creators: Make what excites you, ignore marketability concerns, and let stories grow organically (27:01).
  • “Make the shit you want to make.” — Dan (27:16)
• Writing is described as a mix of fun and frustration; getting ideas is exciting, but writing often feels like slowly squeezing juice from a dry orange (41:18).

6. Fan Interactions & Community

• Fan art and supportive messages are deeply appreciated (51:26–51:31).
• The creators encourage fans to support via Patreon, spread the word, leave reviews, or simply keep listening; no hard-sell (15:32).
• “Honestly, listening is nice. We’re glad that you’re fans.” — Mark (15:46)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Upcoming Miniseries:
  • “A short little miniseries… tentatively titled Left of the Dial. Although we reserve the right to make changes to the title depending on if we feel like changing the title.” — Mark (01:56)
• On Season Evolutions:
  • “It is much more fun to do a show that is surprising and changes a lot than one that follows a predictable path.” — Mark (06:33)
• On Writing:
  • “Most of the time it is like slowly squeezing an orange and trying to get as much of the juice out of it… and the orange doesn’t have a lot of juice.” — Mark (41:18)
• On Magic Inspiration:
  • Mark drew from Icelandic magical sourcebooks like Sorcerer's Screed for rituals; neither host is a practicing magician (54:18).
• On Sound Design:
  • “I spent a whole night in the studio… rustling different kinds of fabric and… playing with microphone placements, just trying to get the right sound.” — Dan, on the goat sacrifice scene (38:10)
• On Listener Ownership:
  • “Once it’s out in the world, it is yours… The author is dead, all that stuff.” — Mark (49:56)
• On Why Use Sponsorbot For Ads:
  • “Sponsor Bot is a lot more fun to write than Droman and people like him a lot more. Sponsor Bot is great and the tone works so much better for ads.” — Mark (58:01)

Fun Diversions & Anecdotes

• Several playful digressions on Boston fried chicken spots (23:43), antagonisms of Simon & Garfunkel (33:19), and death grips t-shirt fashion (53:08).
• Mark jokes about his OkCupid profile and the overuse of “fluent in sarcasm” (56:23).
• The recurring motif of “choosing a favorite child” when picking favorite characters or episodes (00:25, 12:49).

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro, Season 3 Reflections: 00:05–01:22
• Upcoming Miniseries Announcement: 01:29–03:27
• Music Featurette Announcement: 04:54–05:41
• Seasonal Structure & Why It Changes: 06:33–08:52
• Favorite Characters: 11:08–14:23
• Supporting the Show: 15:32–16:38
• Casting & Directing: 19:19–20:55
• Sound Design Process: 36:28–39:04
• Fan Interactions: 50:51–51:31
• Magic Inspiration: 52:03–54:18
• Sponsor Bot vs. Droman: 58:01–60:07

Conclusion

The OUT OF UNIVERSE Q&A offers an honest, humorous look into how Archive 81 is made, with the creators answering wide-ranging questions from fans. Mark and Dan's banter is filled with inside jokes, creative philosophy, and an endearing sense of gratitude for the show's passionate audience. They tease future projects, highlight the effort required to bring each episode to life, reinforce their love of experimentation, and celebrate the vibrant fan community.

For deeper lore, favorite moments, and more, fans are encouraged to:

• Follow the show for updates on "Left of the Dial"
• Check out the music featurette on Patreon
• Support the cast and crew's various projects, all listed on the Archive 81 website

"This is not goodbye. This is see you soon." — Mark (64:21)