Sci-Ops: Nova is a Sci-Fi Thriller created and written by Jedi Reach (Jedaiah Ramnarine) and narrated by Seweryn Lavecchia
"Keep striving for your goals. Be professional and strive for the best you can do."
Today Antoni Lavecchia, the creator of Sci-Ops Nova - Audio Movie shares his story of science fiction podcast.
► Tell us about you and your podcast
I'm Seweryn Lavecchia (Antoni Lavecchia) and I have a background in sound design, Voice acting, Audio editing, and A.I. technology. I've always loved listening to sound, podcasts, and audio of all sorts. The podcast was created and written by my best friend Jedi Reach. Sci-Ops Nova initially started as a book and an audiobook, after some time we decided to release an immersive audio podcast.
After a portal to another dimension is opened with the help of CIA scientists and the Scion, Lea, a psionic operative, a creature from the other side emerges, kills everyone and kidnaps her. Jace, the former leader of a secret task force code-named Nova is called into action by Stone, head of the Scion CIA research program, to reassemble his old team; Xenia, a Herald with telekinetic powers from another world, Aiden, a hulking brute with unmatched strength and Scott, a genius scientist inspired by Einstein.
Together, they must work to put their pasts aside and find inner strength that will unite them and overcome the mystery of an infectious plague with sentient capabilities that razed ancient civilizations, controlled by a monster who defies death itself.
The bulk of our listeners are from the USA and tend to be in the age range of 18-40.
► Why & how did you start this podcast?
I think at the heart of a podcast is really storytelling. I also loved stories, books, and films. I think with podcasts you can tell a unique and engaging story with the use of sound. I also wanted to evolve podcasting by telling a story with engaging characters, great narration, immersive sound design, and music for an emotional impact.
Our initial goal was to simply get it out there somehow. Which of course we did. We were really surprised by all the great reviews and downloads. At the time of writing this, we have 5,100 downloads and 237, 5-star reviews on Apple Podcast. Which we are incredibly grateful for. The feedback and the ability to create are what really motivates me and I'm very thankful I'm able to do so.
Our First podcast was Sci-Ops Nova, and we released that in July of 2023. As of September, we have added 2 more Podcasts. One being a Podcast I host with my best friend Jedi Reach which is a podcast about self-discovery and personal growth. The most recent one is a Podcast by another lovely friend Michelle Carithers and will be about consciousness evolution, love and growth, and human understanding.
Here is a link to both podcasts for those interested.
Two Brother Podcast -
https://two-brothers.podbean.com/
Evolution of the Consciousness Podcast -
https://evolutionofconciousnes.podbean.com/
It took a lot of trial and error to figure out how to host the podcast, make a logo, and then edit and record audio professionally. But once that was done the process was smooth, you just had to fit all the right pieces together to form a complete picture.
► How'd you find the time and funding to do this podcast?
I love what I do and I also find joy in it, and I think that is what keeps me going. Along with that, I had a lot of support from friends and family which I'm so thankful for.
We release an episode a week. It takes about 4-5 days to produce an episode.
I enjoy podcasting and creating so for me it's something I always make time for.
I spend around 30-40 Hours a week podcasting.
Yes, we do fund this podcast myself.
► What do you gain from podcasting?
I gained a great sense and feeling of accomplishment. It's amazing to see words on a page and then to breathe life, and a soul into it.
Yes, we are open to sponsorship. We are currently not running ads on our podcast as we wanted to build an audience first and also deliver fine-quality podcasts for our listeners.
When we reached 1,000 downloads, we were available for sponsorship.
► How does your podcasting process look like?
Before recording anything, I read the dialogue and narration first to really envision the world, character, sound, smell, and even environment of the story I am telling. I then record all the narration & characters in my sound booth and record other characters' voices using an A.I. Voicemod. I then edit out any mistakes. I then mastered the raw audio. After that is done, I add a Soundscape to make the environment come alive, then add sound effects, and finally, music to give the story an emotional impact.
Tools:
Audio editing - Audacity, Izotope RX-8, and any emerging AI tech such as Eleven Labs, and Voicemod.
I meditate and go for a walk to keep myself in a cool tranquil state before getting to my work.
► How do you market your show?
We market on Instagram, Reddit, YouTube, and Fiverr We optimize SEO, set backlinks, and we also have a Discord channel where we advertise to our audience.
Anywhere you can find podcasts you can find Sci-Ops Nova.
Listener acquisition sources:
iTunes, 3693, 71.68%
Google Chrome, 960, 18.63%
Spotify, 171, 3.32%
Firefox, 107, 2.08%
Marketing channels: Google, Instagram, Discord, and also word of mouth.
► What advice would you share with aspiring (new) podcasters?
I would say simply that if this is something you truly want, then I would say never give up. Keep striving for your goals. Be professional and strive for the best you can do. Because only when you do YOUR best can you be truly satisfied and fulfilled.
For distribution and ease of use, I use Podbean. You are able to link social, YouTube, and can host your podcast on a wide variety of platforms. It also offers plenty of statistics for market research.
► Where can we learn more about you & your podcasts?
You can learn more about it here on our website
Link = https://www.psiraise.com/sci-ops-nova
And listen to it here on Apple
Sci-Ops Nova Podcast = link here
Linkedin = www.linkedin.com/in/antoni-la-vecchia-3104a5207
Website = https://www.psiraise.com/
Email = antonimediaproductions@gmail.com
Patreon = https://www.patreon.com/AntoniImmersiveAudiobooks?fan_landing=true&view_as=public
Paypal donation = https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/sewerynlavecchia1?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US
Thank you to everyone who has supported and continues to support us.