At Lander University, students are regularly invited to hear from the industry experts who are already in leadership positions in their career fields. Recently, Lander’s College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences hosted famous podcaster John Scott Ballentine to share his experience with audio drama production and sound design. Ballentine is the producer of Campfire Radio Theater, a podcast that focuses on the horror genre. He brings original stories to life with masterful voice talent and cinematic sound design.
Monique Sacay-Bagwell, professor of speech and performance at Lander, emphasized the benefits of attending the presentation. “It is a special opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at the process that goes into creating these worlds,” she said.
Ballentine is especially interested in rejuvenating the “bygone era of radio” with contemporary technology and a modern film soundtrack. His work has won numerous awards, most notably the 2017 Parsec Award for Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama and the 2023 Fiction Podcast of the Year award from the American Writing Awards. His podcast has also been featured in The Guardian, The Atlantic and Wired.
Sacay-Bagwell encourages communication competency for students in all majors. “Sharing stories is part of the human experience,” she said. “The ability to craft a story that appeals to a wide audience is a special skill.”
This skill is one Ballentine is imparting to the new generation of students entering public speaking, media and communication fields.
This event was the finale of Lander’s inaugural HASS week, which featured events and activities throughout the week of Feb. 23, including a study abroad mural in the campus Starbucks, and career and internship panels. For information on future events, please visit, www.lander.edu/events. For questions, please contact the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at 864-388-8323 or hass@lander.edu.
Learn more about the programs offered by the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences by visiting www.lander.edu/cohass.