Tag: crime

‘França e o Labirinto’ Launches as the First Brazilian-Produced Spotify Original Scripted Audio Series

August 29, 2023

Spotify fans in Brazil love a good scripted audio story, as evidenced by the popularity of series like Sofia, Batman Despertar, and Paciente 63—Portuguese-language adaptations of the AI-themed drama Sandra, the superhero smash hit Batman Unburied, and the Chilean sci-fi thriller Caso 63, respectively. Paciente 63 even spent three weeks as the country’s most popular podcast on Spotify. 

And starting today, listeners will be able to dig into a new Spotify Original audio series: França e o Labirinto. The Portuguese-language thriller is our biggest fiction-based audio production in Brazil to date, and the first Spotify audio series to be fully produced in the country. 

França e o Labirinto follows private detective Nelson França on a thrill ride as he attempts to solve a murder that feels all too familiar. For years, Nelson helped the police on investigations, including the one that led to the arrest of a famous serial killer. Now, decades later, a new victim is found and França knows it’s the same criminal. This chase will send him down a trail filled with ghosts from his past. And that trail is even harder to navigate when you’re legally blind.  

Over the course of the show’s 13 episodes, Nelson’s sense of hearing is vital to helping him solve this mystery. And to immerse listeners deeper into França’s perspective, França e o Labirinto is the first Spotify Original audio series to deliver lifelike 3D audio through binaural recording techniques, which use two microphones separated by the width of a head to replicate the way our hearing works in real life.

Created in partnership with Jovem Nerd, the Brazilian media platform known for its popular podcast NerdCast, França e o Labirinto features Jovem Nerd founders Alexandre Ottoni and Deive Pazos as showrunners, and actor Selton Mello as the voice of Nelson.

To learn more about the show’s creation, as well as the rising popularity of scripted audio series across Brazil, For the Record spoke with Camila Justo, Spotify Production Operations Lead for Latin America.

França e o Labirinto is the first Spotify Original audio series to be fully produced in Brazil. It’s an exciting achievement!

Being able to produce 100% Brazilian content is an incredible opportunity to explore our identity and culture in an authentic way. Brazilians love fiction content, and França e o Labirinto is a very high-quality thriller. 

The production was a long process that involved more than 100 people between the technical team and the voice actors. We understood that what we were doing was something innovative, and we went through the different stages always focusing on quality.

What sort of success have you seen with fiction podcasts in Brazil to date?

Brazil is a country that consumes a lot of soap operas and series, so fictional content is already part of Brazilian culture. This gave us some indication that adapting fictional podcasts could be a big success. But listener engagement in Brazil went even further. Sofia, Batman Despertar, and Paciente 63 were all among the top podcasts on Spotify following their respective releases, and are still in the top 10 of Brazil’s most popular scripted audio series on Spotify to date. In addition, Paciente 63 won the APCA Award for Best Podcast of 2021.

Why is it important for countries to have innovative stories tailored to their audiences?

Innovating stories and initiatives for audiences in your country and language helps create a deeper connection, a greater identification between the story and the listener. This increases relatability, understanding, and engagement, leading to more meaningful experiences and stronger connections between creators and their audiences.

This new podcast uses binaural audio technology to allow the listener to be immersed in the main character’s perspective. How will this sound different for listeners?

3D audio technology has the capacity to deliver a seamless illusion of alternative reality and change the way we relate to and behave in sound. This resource helps in the construction of immersive narratives, enhancing the experience for the listener. 

Since we wanted the listener to be totally immersed in the main character, this was the best way to provide that experience. The listener will hear and feel everything that the main character feels—if someone whispers in his ear, they will whisper in your ear.

What was the scripting process like?

The script was developed by Leonel Caldela and Fábio Yabu, and also included consultation and revision by Lucas Radaelli, a visually impaired person who gave valuable input, since the main character is blind. 

Work on the script started in 2018, when Jovem Nerd first had the idea for the show. We then started working with them in 2019, and we suggested some ideas that would offer total immersion into the main character. We wanted the main character, França, to be present in every scene, so we opted against using flashbacks or narration.

Can you share some of the collaborators and talent Spotify worked with to bring this story to life. 

For França e o Labirinto, we’ve partnered with some of the best talent in Brazil. The creators and showrunners are Jovem Nerd’s founders, who have been in this audio universe for 20 years, and their show NerdCast is one of the most popular podcasts on Spotify, with more than 1.5 million monthly streams. 

In terms of voice talent, we have Selton Mello, a well-known and recognized actor in Brazil for major roles in TV, cinema, and dubbing. We also have a dream team of Brazilian voice actors including Luiz Carlos Persy, Maíra Góes, and Jorge Lucas, among others. And we have special appearances by Igão and Mítico, hosts of the Spotify Original podcast Carona Podpah, as well as screenwriter and comedian Antônio Tabet. The voice talents were also directed by the talented Fernanda Barone.

What do you see as the future of the fiction podcast genre in Brazil? 

I look forward to seeing the fiction podcast genre continue to grow and diversify in Brazil. We hope that França e o Labirinto will inspire many independent creators to venture into the podcast universe and explore different types of formats and styles. 

Ready to follow along with França as he tracks down a mysterious serial killer for a second time? Stream all 13 episodes of França e o Labirinto by pressing play below. 

‘França e o Labirinto’ estreia como a primeira audiossérie com roteiro original do Spotify produzida no Brasil

August 29, 2023

Os fãs do Spotify no Brasil adoram uma boa história em áudio com roteiro, como evidenciado pela popularidade das audiosséries Sofia, Batman Despertar e Paciente 63 – adaptações em português do drama com tema de IA Sandra, do sucesso de super-heróis Batman Unburied e do thriller de ficção científica chileno Caso 63, respectivamente. O Paciente 63 chegou a passar três semanas como o podcast mais popular do país no Spotify. 

E a partir de hoje, os ouvintes poderão se aprofundar em uma nova audiossérie Original Spotify: França e o Labirinto. O thriller em português é a nossa maior produção de áudio de ficção no Brasil até o momento, e a primeira áudiossérie do Spotify a ser totalmente produzida no país. 

França e o Labirinto acompanha o detetive particular Nelson França em uma saga emocionante enquanto ele tenta solucionar um assassinato que parece familiar demais. Durante anos, Nelson ajudou a polícia em investigações, incluindo a que levou à prisão de um famoso serial killer. Agora, décadas depois, uma nova vítima é encontrada e França sabe que se trata do mesmo criminoso. Essa perseguição o levará a uma trilha repleta de fantasmas de seu passado. E essa trilha é ainda mais difícil de navegar quando se é totalmente cego.  

Ao longo dos 13 episódios da série, o senso de audição de Nelson é vital para ajudá-lo a resolver esse mistério. E para mergulhar os ouvintes ainda mais na perspectiva do detetive, França e o Labirinto é a primeira audiossérie Original Spotify a oferecer áudio 3D, por meio de técnicas de gravação binaural, que usam dois microfones separados pela largura de uma cabeça para reproduzir a forma como nossa audição funciona na vida real.

Criada em parceria com a Jovem Nerd, a plataforma de mídia brasileira conhecida por seu popular podcast NerdCast, França e o Labirinto conta com os fundadores do Jovem Nerd, Alexandre Ottoni e Deive Pazos, como showrunners, e o ator Selton Mello como a voz de Nelson.

Para saber mais sobre a criação do programa, bem como sobre a crescente popularidade das audiosséries no Brasil, o For the Record conversou com Camila Justo,  líder de produção de podcasts do Spotify para a América Latina.

França e o Labirinto é a primeira audiossérie original do Spotify a ser totalmente produzida no Brasil. É uma conquista enorme!

Poder produzir conteúdo 100% brasileiro é uma oportunidade incrível para explorar nossa identidade e cultura de forma autêntica. Os brasileiros adoram conteúdo de ficção, e França e o Labirinto é um thriller de altíssima qualidade. 

A produção foi um longo processo que envolveu mais de 100 pessoas entre a equipe técnica e os dubladores. Entendemos que o que estávamos fazendo era algo inovador e, por isso, passamos por diferentes etapas, sempre com foco na qualidade.

Qual tipo de sucesso você obteve com os podcasts de ficção no Brasil até o momento?

O Brasil é um país que consome muitas novelas e séries, portanto, o conteúdo de ficção já faz parte da cultura brasileira. Isso nos deu algumas indicações de que as adaptações de podcasts de ficção poderiam ser um grande sucesso. Mas o engajamento dos ouvintes no Brasil foi ainda mais longe. Sofia, Batman Despertar e Paciente 63 ficaram entre os melhores podcasts do Spotify após seus respectivos lançamentos e ainda estão entre as 10 séries de áudio mais populares de ficção no Spotify até hoje. Além disso, o Paciente 63 ganhou o prêmio APCA de melhor podcast de 2021.

Por que é importante que os países tenham histórias inovadoras adaptadas a seus públicos?

Inovar histórias e iniciativas para o público de seu país e idioma ajuda a criar uma conexão mais profunda, uma maior identificação entre a história e o ouvinte. Isso aumenta a capacidade de relacionamento, a compreensão e o envolvimento, levando a experiências mais significativas e a conexões mais fortes entre os criadores e seus públicos.

Essa nova produção usa a tecnologia de áudio binaural para permitir que o ouvinte fique imerso na perspectiva do personagem principal. Como isso soará diferente para os ouvintes?

A tecnologia de áudio 3D tem a capacidade de proporcionar uma ilusão perfeita de realidade alternativa e mudar a maneira como nos relacionamos e nos comportamos em relação ao som. Esse recurso ajuda na construção de narrativas imersivas, aprimorando a experiência do ouvinte. 

Como queríamos que o ouvinte ficasse totalmente imerso no personagem principal, essa foi a melhor maneira de proporcionar essa experiência. O ouvinte ouvirá e sentirá tudo o que o personagem principal sente – se alguém sussurrar no ouvido dele, sussurrará no seu ouvido.

Como foi o processo de criação do roteiro?

O roteiro foi desenvolvido por Leonel Caldela e Fábio Yabu, e também contou com a consultoria e revisão de Lucas Radaelli, um deficiente visual que deu uma contribuição valiosa, já que o personagem principal é cego. 

O trabalho no roteiro começou em 2018, quando o Jovem Nerd teve a ideia da audiossérie. Começamos a trabalhar com eles em 2019 e sugerimos algumas ideias para proporcionar uma imersão total no personagem principal. Queríamos que o personagem principal, França, estivesse presente em todas as cenas, por isso optamos por não usar flashbacks ou narração.

Você poderia compartilhar alguns dos parceiros e talentos com os quais o Spotify trabalhou para dar vida a essa história? 

Para França e o Labirinto, fizemos uma parceria com alguns dos melhores talentos do Brasil. Os criadores e showrunners são os fundadores do Jovem Nerd, que estão nesse universo de áudio há 20 anos, e seu programa NerdCast é um dos podcasts mais populares do Spotify, com mais de 1,5 milhão de streams mensais. 

Em termos de atores de voz, temos Selton Mello, um ator conhecido e reconhecido no Brasil por grandes papéis na TV, cinema e dublagem. Também temos um time dos sonhos de dubladores brasileiros, incluindo Luiz Carlos Persy, Maíra Góes e Jorge Lucas, entre outros. E temos as participações especiais de Igão e Mítico, apresentadores do podcast Original Spotify Carona Podpah, além do roteirista e comediante Antônio Tabet. Além disso, todos os talentos de voz foram dirigidos pela talentosa Fernanda Barone.

O que você vê como o futuro do gênero podcast de ficção no Brasil? 

Estou ansiosa para ver o gênero de podcast de ficção continuar crescendo e se diversificando no Brasil. Esperamos que o França e o Labirinto inspire muitos criadores independentes a se aventurar no universo dos podcasts e a explorar diferentes formatos e estilos. 

Pronto para acompanhar  França na busca de um misterioso serial killer pela segunda vez? Escute todos os 13 episódios de França e o Labirinto dando o play abaixo.

Most Wanted: ‘Chapo,’ the First Podcast From Vice News, Debuts on Spotify

October 26, 2018

A cartel leader’s rise and fall. Hit men. Government fallout. Journalists risking their lives. Citizens caught in the middle. It’s the stuff of primetime dramas. But it’s also the very real narrative of the drug war’s impact on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Spotify is partnering with Vice News to distribute the award-winning news channel’s first podcast, “Chapo,” an eight-episode series that uncovers the story of Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. It’s our latest step in building a broad library of exclusive, original audio content on Spotify. And to better reach our global audience, the podcast debuts in both English and Spanish.

As Chapo goes on trial in New York City this November, the podcast explores this historic, high-stakes case. In-depth interviews with those closest to the story—including the former DEA agents who captured the drug kingpin; former Mexican president Felipe Calderón, known for escalating the drug war; Chapo’s family; and the people living through the drug war’s real-life consequences—give listeners a riveting firsthand account of what it was really like to be part of Chapo’s life. Conversations between the hosts—Vice News reporter Keegan Hamilton and Miguel Angel Vega, one of Mexico’s top narco-journalists, bring never-before-heard perspectives on relations between the United States and Mexico and detail the urgent danger journalists face in Mexico.

“We’re tremendously excited to bring Vice News’ in-depth reporting to the podcast format for the first time,” says Ryan McCarthy, editor-in-chief of Vice News. “This is the story of El Chapo that you won’t hear in the courtroom and that you won’t read in the headlines. We’re thrilled about our partnership with Spotify and that we can tell this story to both English-language and Spanish-language listeners.”

“Chapo” premieres November 1. All episodes will also be available on Spotify in English and Spanish. Episodes 4 through 8 will be available exclusively on Spotify.

Get a sneak peek of the Chapo trailer here:

Mystery, Murder, and Storytelling in the World of German Hip-Hop

June 19, 2018

Set against Berlin’s hip-hop scene is a music journalist’s dark tale. Insane interview subjects, artist breakdowns, festival freak-outs and, ultimately, a murder. Intrigued? All this could easily be the premise of the next great action movie, but instead, it’s the newest fictional podcast hitting headphones across Germany: Visa Vie’s “Das allerletzte Interview.”

The podcast, which translates into English as “The Very Last Interview,” is a fictional crime story that draws from the experiences of one of Germany’s most highly respected hip-hop journalists, Visa Vie, who knows the German hip-hop scene from the inside out. Now, she’s turned to podcasting, combining hip-hop with one of her other passions: crime stories.

The whodunit tells the story of a loner named Clara who wrangles her way into the role of a head editor for Germany’s biggest hip-hop magazine. However, Clara has a sinister intention. Her goal is to kill Germany’s most popular rapper—but only after their very last interview.

Visa Vie had been formulating the story for quite some time. Although it was drawn from her own experiences, writing and producing the podcast wasn’t easy. “For me, the whole project was one of the biggest challenges of my career,” says Visa Vie. “I’m just incredibly proud to publish the first hip-hop crime series in Germany on Spotify.”

Visa Vie herself

 

Though modern German music is most commonly associated with rock or techno, the country’s hip-hop scene has grown since the 1980s, evolving into an equally important part of its musical culture. German hip-hop is home to a diverse range of styles that incorporates voices from the Turkish community, among other ethnic groups, that shape modern Germany. The Spotify playlist “Modus Mio,” a playlist for the German rap generation, has a huge presence on the platform, with over 740k followers.

“Das allerletzte Interview” isn’t the only fictional podcast to garner listener interest and streams. The American podcast “Welcome to Night Vale” has hooked its audience on tense and grisly tales of crime since 2012. It’s perhaps the intimate nature of putting in headphones and immersing ourselves in a story that has made crime and mystery podcasts so popular. Listeners are eagerly tearing through entire series as quickly as they can to uncover the truth and discuss their theories with friends.

Now, more storytellers around the world are writing podcasts. The growing number of people streaming (rather than just downloading stories) has helped to make Spotify the number two podcast-listening destination in the world. It means when people tune in, it’s not just music they’re listening to anymore. “Spotify has evolved from a pure music to an audio platform,” says Michael Krause, Managing Director EMEA of Spotify. “Podcasts and audiobooks are streaming a lot, especially in Germany, and have seen a tremendous upswing over the past year.”

Fictional podcasts and other forms of audio storytelling have surged in popularity in recent years. Spotify has even expanded its original podcast offering to help listeners find their new obsession, be it fictional stories, mindfulness tips, or Stanley Cup debates. The allure, says Michael, is obvious. “The fact that we have the hip-hop crime story from Visa Vie on board for the fourth German Spotify Original Podcast is great. Rarely has a thriller been written with so much passion, background knowledge and references to the German rap scene.”

So whether you’re into fact, fiction, or something in between, look out for more and more audio options to take you to a world even beyond music.

“Das allerletzte Interview,” Visa Vie’s 10-part crime/hip hop series, hits Spotify June 19.