June 27, 2023
Surround sound amps up scare factor
A new podcast – with an age-old theme of supernatural Māori forces and whanau secrets – has debuted on Maori TV’s Māori-plus digital platform.
The River is a 6-part mystery drama, about how three separated cousins reunite to solve the disappearance of a young wahine in their rural hometown.
Te reo advisor, Te Kuru Dewes, says creators Piata Gardiner-Hoskins and Todd Karehana should be proud of their work – especially the effort put into getting the reo right.
He says the use of 360-degree surround-sound audio ramps up the scariness and suspense, and will have listeners on the edge of their seats.
“This immersive podcast, dram, it’s a new thing for us. I haven’t seen anyone in Te Ao Maori do it before – so really, big mihi to Todd and Piata being innovative and breaking ground on this,” he says.
The podcast also benefits from the musical talents of Mara TK – who scored the project and wrote its theme song.