Ep. 81 American Afterlife

EPISODE SUMMARY: Chachi interviews the team behind Apple’s #1 fiction podcast "American Afterlife," actress Scarlett Estevez, author Pedro Hoffmeister, and producer/director Bill Stuart, about adapting a novel into an audio drama. Hear concrete takeaways on casting, script adaptation, sound and production choices, and tips for writers, actors, and producers turning prose into immersive audio storytelling.

On this episode of Chachi Loves Everybody, Chachi talks to the American Afterlife team about:

1. Pedro Hoffmeister’s inspirations for writing the novel American Afterlife and how he based the survival story on his own experiences
2. How Chachi and Bill Stuart developed the novel into a podcast
3. How Scarlett began acting and what she brings to the lead character of Cielo
4. Pedro’s journey from homelessness, expulsion, and incarceration to becoming an award-winning novelist
5. Bill’s perspective on developing and producing films like The Rock, and the similarities and differences with creating a podcast
6. How Scarlett balances school, being an influencer, and her acting career
7. The collaborative nature of creativity and how the team came together to create the audio drama
8. The art of audio storytelling and how the world was created through the soundscape of American Afterlife
9. The impact of AI on creative industries

And More!

ABOUT THIS EPISODE'S GUESTS: Scarlett Estevez was born in Los Angeles, California, and from a young age she displayed a knack for the performing arts. Scarlett booked her first national commercial at age 3 and has appeared in more than 25 national commercials. Her first film role was in a short film for the "Make-A-Film Foundation" called The Magic Bracelet. The cast included James Van Der Beek, Hailee Steinfeld, Jackson Rathbone, J.K Simmons, and Bailee Madison. She went on to shoot her first feature film And Then There Was You, staring Garcelle Beauvais. Scarlett co-starred in the pilot Redeeming Dave, which was written by Dominic Russo (Workaholics). She co-starred on the Nickelodeon Web series Junior Eye. She was a supporting lead in the films Daddy's Home (2015) and Daddy's Home 2 (2017), playing the daughter of Mark Wahlberg and Linda Cardellini's character and stepdaughter of Will Ferrell's character. She went on to play Trixie on the television series Lucifer from 2016 to 2021, and Gwen on the fourth season of the Disney Channel television series Bunk'd in 2019. She starred as Violet Rodriguez / Ultra Violet in the Disney Channel series Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion in 2022. 

Bill Stuart is a legendary film producer with decades at the highest levels of the industry with credits across Fox, MGM, and Columbia. He was the executive producer of The Rock with Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery. 

Pedro Hoffmeister is an American author, poet, and rock climber. His books include American Afterlife Too Shattered For Mending, This Is The Part Where You Laugh, The End of Boys, Let Them Be Eaten By Bears – A Fearless Guide To Taking Our Kids into The Great Outdoors, Graphic the Valley, and Confessions of the Last Man On Earth Without A Cell Phone. He has also written for Climbing Magazine, Rock and Ice, Vice, Climbing.com, Gripped Magazine, Ampheta'Zine, and the Huffington Post. He was a 2006 recipient of the Oregon Literary Arts Fellowship for Fiction. He has worked as a rock climbing and whitewater rafting guide, and currently teaches literature, outdoor pursuits, and survival in Eugene, Oregon.

LINKS: 

Listen to American Afterlife

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/american-afterlife/id1833063666

https://open.spotify.com/show/2bKU2wfj4DXnHJ5z1GzERd

ABOUT THE PODCAST: Chachi Loves Everybody is brought to you by Benztown and hosted by the President of Benztown, Dave “Chachi” Denes. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the myths and legends of the radio and broadcast industry and beyond as they share their unique career paths. Hear how a variety of innovative leaders grow businesses, develop iconic brands, and entertain audiences in this in-depth interview podcast.

ABOUT BENZTOWN: Benztown is a leading international audio imaging, production library, voiceover, programming, podcasting, and jingle production company with over 3,000 affiliations on six different continents. Benztown provides audio brands and radio stat