What started out as an idea has now put West Kelowna’s Kimberly Billinton into the international spotlight with her drama podcast, Where the Leaves Fall Purple.
“It’s a mystery thriller about a university student who runs a failing true crime podcast that he can’t get anyone to listen to. So, he asks his best friend if she’ll “go missing”,” said Billinton.
The podcast has aired since mid-July with the final episode aired on March 25. Since releasing the podcast, Billinton has garnered 10,000 listens across the world.
With listeners in Canada, Australia, the United States, the U.A.E. and Europe, Billinton says that audio dramas are an easier way for creators to tell stories in a budget-friendly way.
“So many people have a story to tell and there are so many barriers to things like TV and film. That audio dramas have just become a good option for people,” said Billinton.
To bring the audio drama to life, creators have to paint a picture through sound, she said. To bring more dimension to Where the Leaves Fall Purple, Billinton enlisted the help of sound designer and audio engineer, Tyler Gillis.
“We get creative and use a lot of sounds like one of the main doors, Ben and Ezra’s apartment is actually my front door,” said Gillis.
All twelve episodes of Where the Leaves Fall Purple are available anywhere you get your podcasts.