FinalRune Academy

Learn Audio Fiction with Fred

  • My Stories
  • Learn Audio Fiction
  • Behind the Scenes
    • Behind the Scene: Of Fae & Fiends
    • Behind the Scenes: Recording Locke & Key
    • Behind the Scenes: The Troll of Stony Brook
  • Gear
    • Podtales 2019 Microphone Workshop Redux
    • Field Recording Adventures in Belize, OR Adventure Leisure with young children
    • Our South African Love: The Sony PCM-M10
  • Business of Podcasting
    • Fiction podcasters finally have their own category in Apple Podcasts
    • An SEO’s Perspective on Google Rankings for Podcasts
    • Audio Drama Needs a 21st Century Business Model
  • Resources
    • Sample Scripts
    • eBook Teaches Filmmaking without the Camera
  • Newsletter Signup
  • About Fred
  • Contact Fred
  • In Memoriam

About Fred Greenhalgh and his learning/production tool, FinalRune Academy, and Dagaz Media, an original audio fiction/radio theater company.

Email Newsletter

The best way to keep up with the latest happenings with FinalRune is to sign up for our newsletter – it’s where you’ll get updates about new productions, exclusive photos and video, and the links to downloads themselves (we usually post stories in our newsletter before they go up on the website)!

Here Are Some Emails from the Archives





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About Fred

“[Fred] harvests lightning by walking out into a storm with a recorder and a microphone.” – Wall Street Journal

fred capturing lightning sound effectsUS-based audio pioneer FRED GREENHALGH is best known for bringing location-recording techniques from his indie film background to the production of immersive audio movies. He’s Head of Audio Production at Realm, overseeing their original scripted fiction programming (20+ shows a year).

Fred’s career started with his original series, THE CLEANSED, which led to him catching the attention of Audible, and ultimately the opportunity to team up with audio legend William Dufris to develop LOCKE & KEY as a faithful 13.5 hour location recorded audio movie (feat. Tatiana Maslany, Haley Joel Osment, and Stephen King).

This was followed by THE X-FILES: COLD CASES and STOLEN LIVES (feat. David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, and many of the original cast members), THE MAYAN CRYSTAL (with Gen-Z Media), and EXPEDITIONARY FORCE: HOMEFRONT with Podium (feat. Zachary Quinto, Kate Mulgrew, and RC Bray). His original work includes critically-acclaimed THE DARK TOME and OF FAE AND FIENDS, released as Stitcher Premium exclusives.

Fred Greenhalgh headshotFred’s also the founder and original host of RADIO DRAMA REVIVAL, which continues in its 15th year with host Elena Fernández Collins at the helm. A tireless advocate for audio fiction, Fred’s efforts to promote the medium include offering a free online course teaching audio fiction, speaking at conferences around the world, and features in many of the world’s most influential media publications.

He and his family live in an off-grid home in rural Maine that he and his wife built. They have many goats.

Career highlights:

  • Getting Stephen King to drop the “F” bomb for a cameo appearance in LOCKE & KEY.
  • Jamming to David Duchovny’s original music while waiting for lunch post-recording for X-FILES: COLD CASES.
  • Getting someone at Audible to drop their appetizer plate in astonishment when Fred appeared in a tux (he is more readily recognized barefoot).
  • Lunch at City Diner with Kate Mulgrew.
10/22/11 - Recording the storyline of "The Believers" at the expansive complex at North Dam Mill in Biddeford, Maine. Songs of enchantment echo in the halls!
Fred Greenhalgh recording OF FAE & FIENDS
recording the x-files in london
Fred Greenhalgh with David Duchovny
Fred Greenhalgh with David Duchovny
Fred Greenhalgh with Gillian Anderson
Fred Greenhalgh with Gillian Anderson, William Dufris, and Dirk Maggs. Wow what a fun time!

 

Featured Press

The Guardian, The New York Times, BBC Radio 4, MTV, NPR, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Oprah Magazine Top 14 Fiction Podcasts (2 selections), News Center Maine, Newsarama, Gizmodo, Nerdist, SyFy, Bleeding Cool, Vanity Fair

Select Clients

Audible, Pinna, Podium Publishing, Dell/EMC, Spotify/Gimlet, BBC Radio 4, Wondery, Stitcher /XMSirius.

Select Talent Worked With:

Joe Hill, Stephen King, Tatiana Maslany, Haley Joel Osment, David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Zachary Quinto, Kate Mulgrew, Robert Picardo, RC Bary, William B. Davis, Mitch Pileggi, Dean Haglund, Tom Braidwood, Bruce Harwood, Ray Porter.

Public Speaking

SXSW (2015), Association of Writers/Writers Programs, Podcast Movement, Podfest, Podtales, PortCon Maine, Bangor Comicon, CONvergence.

Awards and Accolades

  • Hit the NYT Bestselling Audiobooks list 4 times (Expeditionary Force: Homefront, The X-Files: Cold Cases and The X-Files: Stolen Lives, and Locke and Key)
  • The Dark Tome – Winner, Ogle Award for Best Horror Audio Drama. Top 25 in iTunes overall (Fall 2016). Homepage featured show on iTunes (Fall 2016). Over 8MM downloads to date.
  • X-Files Audio Movies – Audie Award Nominee, Excellence in Production, Best Science Fiction Audiobook, Best Multi-Voiced Recording.
  • Locke and Key – Audie Award winner, Excellence in Marketing, Audie Award Nominee for Excellence in Production, Excellence in Design, and Best Original Work.
  • The Cleansed – Finalist in Radio Romania’s Grand Prix Nova, Winner, Silver Mark Time Award for Best Sci-Fi Audio Drama. Recipient of Maine Arts Commission “Good Idea Grant” and Individual Artist Project Award. Recipient of Coffee by Design “Rebel Blend” Arts Grant Recipient. Recognized by RØDE Microphones as an influencer and offered in-kind sponsorship. Homepage featured show on iTunes twice (2015). Top 25 in iTunes Overall (Fall 2015). Over 6MM downloads to date.
  • Intensive Care – Winner, Gold Ogle for Best Horror Audio Drama.
  • Waiting for a Window – Winner, Gold Ogle Award for Best Fantasy Audio Drama.

Key Credits

  • 2022 – Director/Producer – Marigold Breach (starring Manny Jacinto and Jameela Jamil), Overleaper (starring Thora Birch)
  • 2021 – Director/Producer – ElfQuest: The Audio Movie, Director/Producer – The Collective, Director/Producer (for Realm) – Black Friday, Sound Designer (for Realm) If I Go Missing the Witches Did It, Roanoke Falls
  • 2020 – Writer/Director/Producer – The Dark Tome: Undertow
    Director/Producer – Dream Breachers (for Pinna)
  • 2019
    Writer/Director/Producer – Of Fae & Fiends
    Producer/Director – Expeditionary Force: Homefront
    Sound engineer – PANDEMIC (for Science Vs/Gimlet)
  • 2018
    Producer/Creator – The Mayan Crystal
  • 2015-2017
    Writer/Producer – The Dark Tome Seasons 1 and 2
    Writer/Director/Producer – The Cleansed: Season 3
    Assistant Producer – X-Files: Cold Cases and X-Files: Stolen Lives
    Guest / Writer – Red Flannel Radio “The Curiosities” with Tim Sample – pilot live radio/theater experience
  • 2010-2014
    Writer/Director/Producer – The Cleansed Seasons 1 and 2
    Field Sound/Producer – Locke and Key with Audible and AudioComics
    Sound Designer – Severed Threads for BBC Radio 4
    Various volunteer/community engagements including partnership with USM Theatre / sound design class
  • 2006 – 2009
    Writer/Director/Producer on over 9 original short works
    Produced 2-hour live Halloween show feat. foley effects, live music, live audience, and simulcast FM radio / webstream

News and Press

Here’s the latest from FinalRune Productions – our news on upcoming and ongoing projects, and what other people are saying about us!

National Press:

  • February 15, 2010 – “Return With Us to the Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear – Via the Internet.” – A4, Wall Street Journal – View online or Adobe PDF Download Article PDF)
  • April 24, 2007 – “The podcast’s the thing to revive radio drama,” The Guardian, – View online, or Adobe PDF Download Article (PDF)

Local/Regional Press:

  • October 21, 2011 – “Maine-based Director Resurrects Audio Drama on New Stage: The Internet” – MPBN – Audio story, listen online
  • October 17, 2011 – “Spooky sounds: North Dam is site of Halloween radio drama recording” – Journal Tribune
  • October 19, 2010 – “WKIT to premier Mainer’s horror radio play” – Bangor Daily News – View online, or Adobe PDF Download Article (PDF)
  • May 7, 2010 – “Alfred man at leading edge of radio drama’s online revival” – Bangor Daily News – View online, or Adobe PDF Download Article (PDF)
  • March 17, 2010 – “Solar Powered Mind Movies” – Machias Valley Observer – Adobe PDF Download Article (PDF)
  • March 10, 2010 – “Making radio waves: Alfred man gets exposure for his audio dramas” – Current Publishing – View online, or Adobe PDF Portland Press Herald – Adobe PDF Download Article (PDF)

Speaking/Interview Appearances:

  • October 27, 2010 – “Severed Threads: From Downtown Manhattan to Suburban Minneapolis” – BBC Radio 4 Blog
  • July 1, 2010 – Upstage, CKUT in Montreal, guest and debut of Troll of Stony Brook
  • March 25, 2010 – MyTechnologyLawyer Radio Show; Scott interviews Radio Drama producer Fred Greenhalgh – Archive Link or MP3 Download
  • October 12, 2009 – Guest on The SFFaudio Podcast #039 – http://www.sffaudio.com/?p=12027
  • September 27, 2008 – “Low Budget Podcast Production,” Guest on Small Business Website Mailbag – http://www.jimdegerstrom.com/podcast/2008/09/low-budget-podcast-production.html
  • October 31, 2007 – “Halloween Special,” Guest on Portland Press Herald’s NXT Generation Podcast – http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/blog/blogs/nxt-next-generation/the-nxt-halloween-special

Our News:

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Why FinalRune?

FinalRune – Mystery and Meaning

Breakthrough – Transformation – Day: DagazDagaz Rune of Dawn

Here is the final Rune belonging to the Cycle of Initiation. Drawing Dagaz often signals a major shift or breakthrough in the process of self-change, a complete transformation in attitude, a 180-degree turn. For some, the transition is so radical that they are no longer able to live the ordinary life in the ordinary way.

The Book of Runes by Ralph H. Blum

I stumbled across this bit of text years after I’d been using the moniker “Final Rune.” It was a completely random set of words to choose, originally, but the phrase seemed to fit, was easily memorable, and no one else on the Internet was using it.

The more I’ve learned about runes and particularly Dagaz, the more the symbol fits with my ambitions as an individual artist and as part in creating an entity that will hopefully transcend me. Long before I thought about using radio drama as the means of my art, I was committed to stories that dashed off the beaten path of literature, flirted with the boundaries of genre and twisted the naive heads off the rules while they weren’t looking. I enjoy fiction that is surreal, even psychedelic, yet rooted in mysticism, mythology, and folklore. “Final Rune” embodies a boundary between the physical realm and the mystical one, between history and future, between something ancient and the thoroughly modern. I attempt to create stories that dance this fine line.

Though I hope my work is not as misunderstood or lost in the annals of time as the true runes, I do reverently respect their mystery and hope that at times I can reach in that next realm to steal a nugget of wisdom. It is a risky dance, with cliche on one precipice and obscurity on the other, but conjuring one sublime moment to one person along the way would be more repayment than I might ever ask. In the meantime, I hope to entertain in the best way I can.

Solar Powered!

Solar Powered Audio Drama!
Producer Fred Greenhalgh’s off-grid home studio is powered by solar. This photo was taken during a power outage… for most people, that is!

In addition to being really fun to both record and listen to, FinalRune’s audio stories are produced using clean energy from the sun.

Producer Fred Greenhalgh lives a pretty unconventional lifestyle at a homestead in rural Maine.

When he’s not writing or producing radio plays, you can often find him in the garden or milking a goat. His small off-grid house uses only about 2KW/hr of power a day, about the same amount as a regular light bulb if you left it in all day!

In addition to just really being psyched about living a sustainable lifestyle while doing what he loves, Fred also works as the online marketer for leading Maine solar power and solar hot water installer, ReVision Energy.

A low-impact, buy local, sustainable living and art philosophy is at the heart and soul of FinalRune.

The energy you’re using to listen to it is clean, too, right?

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Recent Posts

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Fred’s Production Company

Dagaz Media High End Audio Drama

Looking to hire Fred for an audio drama project? See the website for his award-winning production company, Dagaz Media, co-founded with audio drama legend William Dufris.