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Director's Notes: Ep 243 - "Lost and Found"

Added 2024-03-01 17:00:10 +0000 UTC

Sometimes an idea for a Night Vale episode comes from a planning session months before. We need the series plot to be in one place for the June finale, so this episode therefore has to be about setting that up.

Other times, a Night Vale episode comes out of a single image or phrase that sticks in my head until I write about it. “A blinking red light up on the mountain.” “Through the narrow place.” These bits of language repeat in my brain until I do something with them and then I can finally rest.

But other times still, a Night Vale episode comes off of the spur of the moment decision to build on something one of the other writers was doing. In her first episode as full Night Vale co-writer, Brie Williams introduced a segment called Lost and Found. In the next episode, Jeffrey built on that segment, doing his own riff on it. I really liked the Lost and Founds from the previous two episodes, so decided it would be interesting to do an entire episode around it. This format was also modeled on Brie’s very first episode for us “Guidelines for Disposal”, which took a simple concept and spun it out into a full episode of poetic storytelling

I don’t think I’ve done an episode like this in a while, one without the burden of plot, that is mostly about finding interesting words and images, and it’s very enjoyable to write. I hope it was also enjoyable to listen to.

Stray notes:

Sharp eared listeners might recognize the Alondra Ortiz who is trying to “restore Grove Park to its natural beauty” as the daughter of the late Old Woman Josie.
There’s a lot about gaining and watching people grow up in this. I have a two and a half year old daughter. These might be related.

-Joseph Fink