First Recording Completed

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Lee

Last night we officially began Series 2 as we recorded the first episode.

The actors all gathered together in a basement room and we set the hard disc recorder going. While you wait for the results, pop on over to the 4amcab Company page and see who the actors all are. Also, you have just enough time to listen to all of the first series again. All our previous episodes are available to listen to on the website or you can head over to iTunes and grab them all from there. While you’re on iTunes, feel free to subscribe and you’ll get every episode as they are published.

So, now begins the big job of the edit. See you all on the other side.

The next 4amcab arrives on the 1st of May, make sure you’re along for the ride.

New Logo!

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Lee

Our resident graphic designer, Jake Lloyd has done it again. He’s spent hours in a dark room with his camera and a torch and come up with another great logo. Each photo takes ten minutes to shoot on a long exposure and jake dances around his room with a high powered flashlight literally writing the words “4am cab 2” in the air.

We think he’s brilliant and we love his photos.

Do go over to twitter and follow Jake. Tell him we sent you and that he should make more beautiful images.

Thanks Jake!

New Series Taking Shape

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Lee

I should really be redrafting the script for S2:E1 right now but I’m getting so excited to be returning to the studio that I just had to share it with you.

After what can only be described from the outside as a MASSIVE BREAK (honestly, we have been working hard in the background) we are almost ready for our second coming. Rachel and I have read through all the submissions and we’ve made a nice sized pile of ones that are suitable (or will be with a rewrite). So far we’ve contacted three writers for the first episode and we’ll be in touch with more as we pull together the rest of the series.

Ready for a big announcement? Of course you are. Our plan is to release each episode in series 2 on the following dates:

Episode 1 – 1st May 2013
Episode 2 – 1st June 2013
Episode 3 – 1st July 2013
Episode 4 – 1st August 2013
Episode 5 – 1st September 2013
Episode 6 – 1st October 2013
(Secret and previously unannounced) Christmas Special – Just before Christmas ;-)

Imaginitve, eh? So put the dates in your diary (they’re probably already there, you just need to add the event).

We hope you’re as excited as we are and we’ll be asking for your help to spread the word just as soon as we’re ready to release the next installment.

Happy Birthday to Us!

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Lee

On this day, one year ago, 4amcab was born.

Kicking and screaming we registered the website and began work on what has turned out to be a really fun project, working with lots of very talented and hilarious people. We are now offically one year old, so in terms of our development we’re on solids and getting ready to walk and dribbling all over the place.

When we started 4amcab, we didn’t know what it was going to sound like, whether it would survive more than one episode or if we’d even be able to find the time to develop it into something that people would want to listen to. One year later, we’ve had press coverage, topped the New and Noteworthy section of iTunes, have our very own company of lovely actors and a network of fantastic writers that are keen to get their work heard. We were even voted 13th best podcast in the UK! Next year we’re aiming for the top ten.

Thanks so much for your support and encouragment, this is just the beginning so stick with us as we have some exciting plans afoot.

We announced on twitter yesterday that we will be recording the first episode of Series 2 on Monday 22nd April and in the next few days we should be able to tell you more about series two, as always follow us on twitter to get updates.

We’re off to get some cake.

The Window is Shut

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Lee

A big thank you to all the writers that have sent us their work over the last month for the forthcoming series of 4amcab, our inbox has been filling up nicely. We’re going to now read everything that was sent and can begin the process of planning out all six episodes of the second series.

Follow us on twitter to keep informed about how the project is progressing and if we need any more material we’ll put a call out on there (and on here too but there’ll be links from twitter).

So once again, thank you for taking the time to contribute and we hope to be able to use as much as possible.

Call for Submissions

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Lee

The window to write for Series 2 of 4amcab is now open.

This time we are having a month long window where we are asking for your sketches so we can more thoroughly plan all 6 episodes of the second series.

Here are the details you need.

– The current window is open until Midnight Wednesday 20th March 2013
– Send your Word .doc scripts to us at this email address: ideas@4amcab.com
– Put “Series 2 submission” in the subject box – this will ensure you get a receipt to say we’ve received your work.
– On each sketch, put a header with your name and email address on, so we can keep track of who sent what.
– Send us as many sketches as you like, there is no limit.

As we are expecting to receive a lot of sketches, we are not able to offer feedback for individual sketches but if we like something or think that it could be developed we will let you know.

As always, everything that is used will get a credit on the website.

For more infomation on what to write about, have a look at the writers guide but the main thing we are looking for are short sketches with a slightly surreal or silly sensibility. Have a listen to one of the later episode of Series 1 or individual sketches on our audioboo channel.

We look forward to reading your work.

Remember, the deadline is Midnight Wednesday 20th March 2013

Really Exciting Update (really?!)

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Lee

The 4amcab tech elves (erm, that’ll be me then) are working hard in the background of the website this month to make things run a bit smoother for series two. In the past we’ve suffered from the website being a little bit unreliable meaning that sometimes you weren’t able to access the latest episode. We are making improvements that, although might not be visible on the site, should mean we have a better service when the new stuff comes out. What do you mean that’s not a very exciting update?!

So, if over the next month you come here and can’t read anything, rather than it just being one of my mispelt posts (!), it’ll probably just be down to site maintenance.

To keep up with other really exciting updates, ahem, follow us on twitter.

(This message was approved by Rachel Wheeley)

Series 2 announcement

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Rachel

So we had the big swivelly chair meeting and we’re delighted to announce that work has officially begun on 4amcab, series 2. The door will remain open to new writers, but we’re going to approach things a little differently this time.

Rather than having a deadline for each episode, we propose to do a big trawl for scripts at the beginning, and then request additional material as and when we need it as the series progresses. We’ll be releasing some guidelines for potential writers very soon.

We’ll be doing another six episodes this year, bringing back some old favourite characters from series 1, and developing some new ones.

So keep ’em peeled, and we’ll be in touch soon.

Rachel and Lee

European Podcast Award Update

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Lee

The 4amcab Microphone As of 1st February, the deadline for the public vote on the EPA has passed. We’d like to thank all our supporters for voting for us and we have our fignesr crosesd (that was a joke!) that we’ll be through to the next round. For those that are interested in how the judging panel decide who wins, this blog post highlights how the competition works.

If we are lucky enough to have enough votes to get to this stage we feel confident that we can score highly in a lot of the areas that the judges are looking at. Whatever happens, we’re chuffed to bits to have been selected as a nominee.

In other award news, we’ve almost finalised our entry for the highly prestigeous Sony Radio Academy Awards. We will be pitting ourselves against the country’s biggest comedy names in radio, so figners crssoed (stop it now!) for that too.

Once we’ve finished patting ourselves on the back, expect an announcement regarding Series Two next week.

Final Recording of 2012

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Lee

Last night a select crack team of professional mercenaries gathered in a secret location (no, not Brighton actually!) and recorded the Series One Christmas Special of 4amcab. When I say crack team, what I really mean is the usual bunch of scallywags that heard there’d be mince pies and a bottle of Cava, and as such they couldn’t resist.

I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of the team that has worked on the project, from the actors to the writers and all the way up to the tea boy (there is no tea boy, must get one for Series Two). I won’t list them by name here, that’s what the credits tab at the top of this page is for, but without them the show would have been very different and perhaps wouldn’t have even happened at all. They were all brilliant and it’s been great working with them on what has turned out to be a very special project. The one person I will mention by name is the tea girl, otherwise know as Rachel Wheeley. She’s the tea girl in that she’s had a mug of tea grafted to her hand just so she has a drinking vessel available at every moment in the production. Rachel is my co-creator and although I do the recording and mixing of the thing you actually hear, without her I wouldn’t have even got off the ground with the project – she was the one who first uttered the words “4amcab”. Just when I feel like I can’t face another blinking cursor, she’ll send me a text/email which keeps me going. This is a collaborative production and without Rachel’s incredible motivational powers it would have probably stayed in my head and not reached your ears. Cheers Rach!

So, now I have the massive task of trying to get this final show of 2012 in the can before the season of joy has passed, let’s hope it don’t end in tears. I’m expecting a text from Rachel kicking my butt any second…