I just finished a live reading at Maryland Insitute College of Art's Falvey Hall in Baltimore this past weekend where I performed live versions of "One Reason When Visiting Sacred Sites" as well as "How to Be a Man (sort of...)" alongside playing some clips from "Beneath the Surface."  After the performance, one of the students showed me a painting/drawing she had done inspired by the first segment in "Beneath the Surface." It was quite a nice surprise gift so I figured I'd share it with all of you as well. I've attached the picture here, entitled "Fading Time" by Sophie Monosmith.

In other news, I've spent the last year trying out a variety of different animation styles to figure out the best way to approach the rest of "Immune." Well, after a year, I think I've finally got something figured out and a decisive style through which to approach the film. My hope it to release the first episode before the end of the year.

 

Everyone's got different ways they like to explore new things. Some people hate trails and maps, and just prefer to wander out into the woods (like me) and see what they find, but some people like a little bit of guidance on where to start. So... if this is your first time here and you'd like a little direction, here are my recommendations: My piece "The Rabbi" is definitely my favorite, with "How to Be a Man... (sort of)" and "Stories of Lost & Found #4" coming in second and third. I know other people have others that they like more for this or that reason, but personally I think that those are the best work I've done. So if you're just coming across Phonography, and want to start with the very best, start with those. Otherwise, feel free to venture off into the woods and see what you find out there.

Yeah. So this is me. Ryan Scammell. This is my podcast.

I used to be a filmmaker. I used to be the lighting designer for a jam band. I used to pick fruit, and make coffee, and pop popcorn, and hustle stereo speakers out of the back of an unmarked white van. I’ve written and produced audio pieces for Weekend America on NPR, Storyscape Literary Journal, Storylifepodcast.org and I used to intern over at WNYC’s Radio Lab. My films have played in Ninth Letter, and have received various grands and awards. I’ve written fiction for Flashquake Magazine and, back in the day, articles for NUComment.

Brooklyn. Why? Are you coming over?

Phonography literally means “writing in sound” and most of what I’m putting up here are non-fiction audio stories, mostly essays and memoirs, that try to use music and sound effects to bring them to life. But the stuff that appears on this site, can be just about anything, and I kind of think that each piece requires it’s own medium so it’s not surprising to find short films, or written pieces, or photo-journals, or whatever other weird stuff I can come up with to put up here. You can also hear my stuff on www.myspace.com/ryanscammell.

You’re always welcome to email your praise or death threats to: ryan_scammell@hotmail.com.