In the land of scripted audio dramas, there are two general tiers of production: "We Have Spotify Money" and "Passion Project Made by Some Friends". (And to be clear, there are absolutely amazing shows at both levels!)
When I set out to make Cloudbreaker, I knew I wanted to aim for what I felt was an under-served niche right in the middle: a mid-budget show with indie creative freedom, a stupidly ambitious premise, immersive cinematic audio production, and a full cast of professional voice actors from the realm of games and animation.
I also knew I wanted to do the whole thing union. Full union cast, proper union contract, and pay at scale rates. Which is something not a lot of independent productions do, mostly for budgetary reasons that are all too relatable.
But it's also unfortunate, for a whole host of reasons -- not least of which being that it affects actors' lives in a tangible way, with regards to things like eligibility for union healthcare. So, "be the change you want to see in the world", right?
As a proud Teamster spouse, and an on-again / off-again union man myself, I think organized labor is a vital part of any industry, but especially creative work. The more power workers wield, the better off the art. (And if anybody tells you otherwise, ask how many houses they own.)
All of which is a prelude to me saying this:
Cloudbreaker is a proud union production, and will remain so for as long as there's enough interest and money to keep making it. That might be one episode, or it might be ten seasons. Only one way to find out!
— Brandon