Condensed Holiday Stories: Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Holiday travel is stressful — which makes it the perfect story to condense. In this episode, we retell Planes, Trains and Automobiles in a fast, funny, chaos-packed recap filled with sound effects, snappy pacing, and all the heart this classic deserves.

And since we're releasing this episode on Thanksgiving Day, it's the perfect moment to revisit Neal and Del's hilariously disastrous journey home for the holidays. From missed flights and burned cars to motel mayhem and unexpected friendship, we've packed every memorable moment into one bite-sized adventure.

Whether you're cooking, traveling, or hiding from family between courses, this condensed retelling brings all the laughs and warmth of the original… in a fraction of the time.

Buckle up. It's going to be a very condensed ride. ✈️🚂🚗🦃✨

After slashing our way through spooky season, we're hanging up the knives (well… most of them) and switching gears for something a little cozier.

Welcome to Condensed Holiday Stories — where we take beloved seasonal classics and retell them in the same fast, funny, sound-filled style you loved from our horror episodes.

New vibe, same chaotic energy. Less screaming… more caroling. (Okay, maybe still a little screaming.)

Our first festive episode: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving — served warm and condensed to perfection. 🦃

Condensed Holiday Stories: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

We know the holidays get busy, so we've taken the beloved classic A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and condensed it into one quick, cozy, laugh-filled episode.

Join us as we retell the whole story — from unexpected dinner plans to a questionable toast-and-popcorn feast — complete with fun sound effects, festive vibes, and that signature mix of charm and chaos only the holidays (and the Peanuts gang) can bring.

Whether you're cooking, traveling, or just hiding from your relatives, this is your bite-sized way to revisit a nostalgic Thanksgiving favorite.

Pull up a chair at the world's most chaotic holiday table — dinner is served in minutes. 🦃✨

The spirits have clocked out of Halloween… but they're not done haunting yet! On this Day of the Dead, our wisecracking knife mascot returns to the suburbs, where a haunted TV won't stop buzzing and the afterlife has gone off the rails. Tune in for a short, sharp, and hilariously haunted retelling of Poltergeist — perfect for keeping the spooky season alive one more day.

Condensed Horror Stories — because who has two hours to KILL… even on the Day of the Dead?

🎃 Condensed Horror Stories – I Know What You Did Last Summer 🎃

Halloween's here, and so are the screams! This spooky season, our wisecracking knife mascot takes a coastal detour through one of the most notorious summer slashers ever made. Secrets resurface, the fog rolls in, and someone knows exactly what you did… last summer. It's short, sharp, and just the right mix of tricks and treats for your Halloween listening.

We're back — this time, creeping through the creaky cabin where the real terror (and maybe a hockey mask) lurks outside the window. Condensed Horror Stories – Friday the 13th: Part 3 slices deeper into the comedy of classic slasher chaos — short, spooky, and just dangerous enough to make you laugh nervously in the dark.

🎧 New Episode! Condensed Horror Stories – Friday the 13th Part 2

We know you're busy — so we've taken your favorite scary movies and shrunk them down to bite-sized audio experiences.

This week, we're diving back into the woods for Part 2 of the Friday the 13th saga — complete with new screams, fresh sound effects, and twice the chaotic campfire energy.

It's another fast, funny, and frightfully immersive retelling that proves even horror sequels can be short and sweet (and a little stabby).

👻 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. 🔪 Condensed Horror Stories — because who has 2 hours to KILL...

We know you're busy — so we've done you a favor. Condensed Horror Stories delivers classic horror films retold in bite-sized, blood-soaked episodes, complete with creepy sound effects, eerie atmospheres, and a wink of dark humor.

Each episode takes a full-length horror movie and condenses it into a fast, funny, and frightfully immersive audio experience. From slashers and supernatural thrillers to campy cult favorites, we'll give you all the chills (and laughs) without the two-hour commitment.

So dim the lights, put on your headphones, and get ready for your favorite horror movies — condensed to perfection.

Condensed Horror Stories - Because who has two hours to KILL...

One of Boutwell Studios' favorite musicians, a one-man orchestra who can play nearly every instrument you can imagine. He has composed and performed hundreds of tunes for Ken Burns documentaries. Greg Bass and Mark Harrelson join Kelley Buttrick in this episode along with a variety of instruments that Bobby brought along to the studio for this episode.

Bobby loves history and music and the relationship between the two. Even before people could read and write, they used songs to pass down information from generation to generation. Music has always been used to tell stories and convey emotions in the way that words alone can't do. There's a passion and interest in historical music, specifically in the Civil War, when the American music industry got it's legs. Bobby's work in the history of music in the Civil War is how Bobby connected with Ken Burns. He has since had the opportunity to work with Burns performing and interpreting historical music on 18 projects. He interprets more than just the tempo. Not only the instruments but also the melody and how you express the notes and emotions make a difference in the interpretation of the music.

Bobby contributed more than 40 minutes of music to the Ken Burns Country Music project as well. Bobby's approach to film music is that it should support what is happening in the scene and not overtake it. It can be so powerful and emotional, you have to be careful to support the scene and not detract from it.

The Boutwell team and Bobby talk about his influences and favorite composers through time, from Scottish and Irish composers to Appalachian music and the music of Vietnam. One of Bobby's favorite tunes is a 19th century song he performed for Lewis & Clark, called "Beech Spring".

You won't want to miss this episode and with the treat of live performances by Bobby on guitar.

For more on the world of audio branding and sound design, subscribe to the Sounds Creative podcast at https://soundscreative.libsyn.com/. If you liked this episode, please share it with your friends. Boutwell Studios, Podcast Division. Your words. Our Expertise.

Call it alchemy or magic or voodoo, it's a powerful thing when sound design meets amazing images to create kickass animation. As Senior Director / Animator at Big Communications, it's Ali Clark's job to create and execute killer animation for her clients. Ali came by for a visit with Lane McGiboney, Van Gunter and Kelley Buttrick to share some secrets about how she creates her magic.

Ali has executive produced documentaries, directed music videos and has worked with sound, video and animation for more than 10 years. She shares how she learned to harness the power of audio in the creative process. In a recent project for the Sidewalk Film Festival Ali worked with the Boutwell Studios team to create a Sponsor Trailer starting with audio and building the images around the sound.

Audio in animation projects is important as well because animation is so contingent on timing. Sometimes a piece of music influences the timing of the animation based on the BPM or rhythms and whatever might already currently be embedded to the music. You're animating to what already exists because it feels right. You can also create a soundscape and then animate to that and rather than creating timings and pacing around what's already existent in a piece of music.

Sound and music is incredibly powerful. It has the ability to take over our emotions and lead us in a direction. It paints a picture for you; it fills in the gaps. Sound design makes the visuals feel alive and real. You don't realize how amazing sound is until someone puts the right sound to the thing that you're working on. It tells a story all on its own. It gives you a bigger picture of the world and it fills in the gaps. Whether it's in advertising, creative projects, documentaries and animation, we're telling stories, communicating, emotions and feelings.

Ali and the Boutwell team are huge supporters of Birmingham's Sidewalk Film Festival. It brings diverse people from the community together every year for a weekend celebrating independent film and creativity. People from all over the world to experience the southern charm and creativity that is alive in Birmingham.

Read the full transcript here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/4bn1qk023weotb2/SOUNDS%20CREATIVE%20-%20ALI%20CLARK%20-%20MIX_REV2.mp3.docx?dl=0

You can see the Sidewalk Sponsor trailer that we talked about on the podcast on the Boutwell Studio's website, Boutwellstudios.com. Special thanks to Lane McGiboney and Van Gunter for being a part of this fun conversation. And of course, to Brad Lyons for creating the wonderful music that you hear.

For more on the world of audio branding and sound design, subscribe to the Sounds Creative podcast at https://soundscreative.libsyn.com/. If you liked this episode, please share it with your friends. Boutwell Studios, Podcast Division. Your words. Our Expertise.

Bob Harrison is a Creative Director Luckie Advertising and is an accomplished blues musician. On today's episode of Sounds Creative Bob shares his story of how he went from playing in garage bands in his youth to a career in Advertising.

Early in Bob's career he was a Creative Project Manager always having to bug his creative team to enter their timesheets. This led to him recording silly parody songs on their voicemail. His natural inclination was to solve the problem with audio.

Some of Bob's favorite work in advertising has been when he has an opportunity to record original music for his campaigns. For Little Debbie Bob teamed up with Boutwell Studios on the "Today We Bake" campaign. The team collaborated remotely with a talented composer and musicians to create an authentic, modern track better than any needledrop they could have found.

He also created a hilarious music genre-hopping series of radio spots for Express Oil Change. The spots featured original songs in Country, Blues, Hair Metal and 70s Soft Rock styles. Talented musicians and composers have the ability to pull ideas out and turn them into a creative vision. Bob's theory is that radio ads are a playground for creatives. Anything is possible in the theatre of the mind. That's what makes it fun and scary. You have :30 to :60 to create something that is compelling and fun. You can create images with sound.

Bob's musical journey started when he was a kid playing in garage bands with a tape recorder and a bass, creating silly albums with original music and taking epic band photos. This lead to his discovery of Blues music fell in love with the harmonica.

Boutwell Studios collaborated with Bob and Luckie Advertising again for a project for the Year of Alabama Music. The campaign featured testimonials from prominent Alabama musicians creating original music with Bob on the harmonica. Alabama is full of fantastic musicians who want to stay in Alabama and don't flock to Nashville like so many others.

Bob and Kelley share the importance of quality voice talent. He can usually tell within a few seconds of a voice audition whether a talent has an actorly ability. He appreciates voices that are attached to people who get a concept and can bring new meaning where there was little meaning before. Writers are often voice talent because they get it. They know what the script needs and what the director is looking for. These days people can easily have a decent mic and sound dampening devices at home but not everyone has the talent.

For more on the world of audio branding and sound design, subscribe to the Sounds Creative podcast at https://soundscreative.libsyn.com/. Check out more of our work at www.boutwellstudios.com. Boutwell Studios, Podcast Division. Your words. Our Expertise.