As a collaborator with Koji Steven Sakai, a prolific screenwriter, creator and producer, I interviewed Koji on his first fictional and latest podcast series Elucidity which Voyage Media has just dropped on Apple Podcasts among other major podcasting platform.
What is the inspiration of your new podcast series Elucidity and how did you come to make it with Voyage Media?
KSS: I’ve been fascinated by dreams. When I learned about lucid dreaming, I wanted to try it. I’ve tried and tried but have never been able to get it to work. Because of that, I decided to write a fictional story about it instead.
You have a really amazing and diverse cast: Lynn Chen, Dwayne Perkins and Dante Basco. How did they come together?
KSS: My goal in casting is to always have a diverse cast. Lynn is someone that I’ve always admired and have worked with on a few projects. She was the first person we thought of when it came to our protagonist, Jessica Suzuki. Dwayne is a good friend of mine and my co-host on the Unofficial Official Story podcast. He was the guy that we identified very early on in the process that we wanted to play Tom Brady. We got Dante through one of the other writers/producers, Cheryl. They had worked together and were friends. I had, of course, admired his work and was super excited when he came on board.
Is this your first fictional podcast? How does making a podcast feature compare to producing a feature film?
KSS: This is my first fictional podcast. In almost every way it was so much easier to make than a feature. First, it only took 5 days to record. We had three main actors (Dwayne, Lynn, and Dante) come into a studio, but the rest we did online on Zoom! And unlike a feature, the days were always less than 8 hours and were pretty relaxing (at least for me)!
What fascinates you about dreaming and nightmares?
KSS: Because I’m a writer, I love stories. I’ve always felt like my dreams were like YouTube videos where I got glimpses into different storylines in my own life!
As you have been creating podcasts since a decade ago… how do you see the medium of podcast going and what draws you toward the genre of podcasting?
KSS: I love podcasting for two reasons: 1. The barriers to entry are much lower and 2. it’s something that is much more manageable than making a movie or doing television.
Can you talk about one project you’re developing that you’re most passionate about right now?
KSS: Right now, we’re trying to turn Elucidity into a television show. It’s interesting to consider how the podcast fits into that medium and how it affects worldbuilding.
Is there another project of yours that’s coming out we should be looking out for?
KSS: I just wrote and produced a feature film called Boneyard. It has Mel Gibson and 50 Cent. It’s based on the true story of a serial killer in New Mexico. It should be coming out on a streaming platform soon.
In terms of podcasting, what advice do you have for creators wanting to to make their first podcast?
KSS: My advice is to listen to podcasts. The one thing that drives me crazy is all these people who want to make a podcast but never listen to them. It’d be like trying to make a movie but having never watched one!
Hear the complete series on Apple Podcasts now!
