How our South Bend crew ended up producing an episode of Rainn Wilson’s Soul Boom podcast, with a weekend’s notice.
A few weeks back, my phone rang with a California number I didn’t recognize.
I almost let it go to voicemail.
When I picked up, the person on the other end had an unusual request: could Truth Work Media produce a podcast recording that Saturday: video, audio, multi-camera, the works?
Who’s the podcast for? They wouldn’t say.
I don’t usually give up my weekends for mystery clients. But something told me to at least see if we could pull it off. So I made some calls, lined up our crew and our studio, and got every duck in a row. Then I called back and said: we’re in.
That’s when they told me who the client was.
Soul Boom. Rainn Wilson’s podcast.
Why a National Podcast Needed a South Bend Production Team
Rainn’s guest for the episode was David Bentley Hart (the theologian and scholar at the University of Notre Dame), and Rainn was coming through town for a speaking event. Soul Boom is based on the West Coast. They needed a local studio and a local crew they could trust with a nationally known show.
They found us.
We produce podcasts out of the studio at Momentum in downtown South Bend, and our team went to work: multi-camera video, professional audio, full production support. When we realized we needed an extra camera to shoot it the way the show deserved, we tracked one down at the last minute rather than settle for “good enough.”
And because a great recording starts before anyone sits down, we worked with our partners at Momentum to make sure Rainn and David walked into a room that was ready for them: coffee, food, water, snacks, and a crew that had every detail handled.
The Moment I Started Panic-Walking
Here’s the part I’ll be telling for years.
The plan was a one-hour interview. Our memory cards were good for about two, plenty of margin. But mid-recording, Rainn and David were locked in, and the conversation kept going. And going. As we crept toward the two-hour mark, I started doing the producer panic-walk, running the math on when those cameras would cut out.
What I didn’t know: our team in the recording studio, audio producer Seth Creekmore and video producer Karissa Jaeckel, had already talked with Rainn’s team. They knew exactly how much time was on the cards, down to the minute. The recording wrapped clean.
That’s the difference between a crew that presses record and a crew that produces. The problems you never hear about are the ones your production team already solved.
What Rainn Wilson Was Like on Set
Genuinely great. He was warm with our whole team, told them they were doing a great job, and put everyone at ease during the recording. Afterward, he even asked if anyone wanted pictures, and ended up taking one with Seth and Karissa.
The finished episode is live now on Soul Boom: watch the full conversation with David Bentley Hart here.
Thinking About Starting a Podcast for Your Business?
Here’s the honest reason I’m sharing this story.
If a nationally known podcast can call us on a random weekday, give us a weekend deadline, and trust us with A-list talent (sight unseen), imagine what we can do for your show with actual lead time.
Truth Work Media is a podcasting company that does audio and video for businesses and creators. Whether you’re here in Michiana or across the country, if you’ve been thinking about starting a show, or leveling up the one you have, I’d love to talk.
No pitch, no pressure. Just 20 minutes of straight answers about what it actually takes to make a show worth listening to.
