The Final Countdown to Season 2

By Scott Murray

I remember how nervous I was when Season One of The Crimson Files launched last year.  Sure, I've been producing podcasts since 2011, and some of those included shows with story elements.  However, I had never taken on anything of this magnitude.  It took almost all summer to do the casting, scriptwriting, recording and editing.  This includes the countless days and hours piecing together dialogue with music and sound effects.  With all of that work, the scariest feeling is wondering if people will find the show, listen to it and like it.

Fast forward a year later, and Season One has another month of new downloads as Season Two gets ready to launch.  I'm still immersed in a lengthy post-production process (as I write this, I'm editing Episode 3 of 6), but the countdown to the new season is still exciting. 

There were some advantages and challenges to writing and producing a new season.  One major advantage was familiarity.  One of my strengths is writing for voice.  When I wrote the first season, I had a general "idea" of how the characters would sound.  Now, I know how they sound.  Also, I didn't have to spend as much of the story introducing the characters to the audience.

The biggest challenge was making sure I gave people a good reason to come back and stay.  I wanted to create a new villain and a new challenge that felt very different or very "next level" from the first season.  I knew I needed to make sure the story gave all of the characters a chance to have meaningful moments like they did in the first season.  After all, I have to assume people have some favorites outside of the main characters - people like Grandma Jeanie, Doc, Jenna, Donovan, Slick Saucy and Mr. Bill.  I feel strongly that this season has achieved all of these important elements.

I envision Season Two taking place a few months after the end of Season One.  In that time, The Crimson Crane is an established hero, and The Crimson Files is more popular than ever.  As a result, people's lives have changed.

​This includes Mr. Bill.  Just to intrigue you, I can tell you he has a scene this season involving the Hillbilly Hellcats song, "Hillbillies on Speed."  

As with last season, there was a really good ebb-and-flow with how this story came together.  Once again, after the writing, casting, recording and editing, it's time for people to return to Fort Henson with us. 

After the trip, I would love to hear what you think.  But first, I want to thank you for being part of the journey.