- Have you ever listened to a true crime podcast like Last Seen, or a serialized documentary like Tunnel 29? If you have, how do these podcasts compare to what you’ve listened to before? If not, what is your honest initial reaction to this style of podcasting?
The only true crime/documentary podcasts I have listened to were Dirty John and S-Town. Last Seen is very similar to Dirty John, in the mixing of narrators and interviewees. I would say S-Town is a lot like Tunnel 29 in that it is a more personal/human-interest piece. It is hard for me not to get bored listening to an “NPR”-sounding narrator which is why the interviews are usually what hooks me in. Also in the interviews are the words of people who have first-hand knowledge of an actual event.
- Consider the story that’s introduced in each episode. What questions do you have that you want each podcast to answer by the end of the series?
Tunnel 29
Sound comes from the narrator, old radio/tv footage, dramatizations, background sounds, and music
It is interesting to have dramatized voices — not something I am familiar with. Mixed with the background tracks it feels like it could have the potential to feel forced. It is too soon to tell.
The transitions between the narrator and Joachim are very well done. The switching keeps me engaged.
From the start, I know that Joachim will survive, which takes some of the suspense away but I think I want to get to know Joachim more from the story about his life before his escape. It feels like it is happening very suddenly, I was not expecting him to actually try and leave this episode. Questions I want answered from Tunnel 29: Does Joachim ultimately find safety in West Berlin? Does his friend survive? What happens to his family? Does he get caught?
Last Seen
Sound comes from narrators, interviews, background, and music
“I can never walk away from this” very eerie, very powerful
Glad they set up that it was not elegant-sets stage for a very grounded viewpoint
I can already tell that I am going to have trouble remembering who is who. It feels like there are a lot of male voices to keep track of.
Questions: Were there two different heists? Was it an inside job? Why haven’t they found the thieves?
Audio Experiments 