How do you make fear audible? At Sonic Days 2026, the team behind The White Vault will break down a scene from the horror fiction podcast, following its journey from script to finished audio.
Kaitlin Statz, Finnur Nielsen and Travis Vengroff from Fool & Scholar Productions will explore the creative and technical decisions behind telling a story in a medium where the audience cannot see the action. Their practical showcase is part of the Podcast & Narrative Audio track.
What is The White Vault?
The White Vault is a horror fiction podcast from Fool & Scholar Productions. Its opening story follows a repair team sent to Outpost Fristed on Svalbard, where an assignment in the Arctic becomes a mystery about what lies beneath the ice. Told through collected recordings and documents, the series uses a found-footage format, an international cast and multiple languages to draw listeners into its isolated world.
For listeners who enjoy the series, much of its appeal lies in the feeling of being there. Listener reviews highlight the atmosphere, sound effects and voices, alongside the pull of the unfolding story. That makes it a particularly fitting subject for Sonic Days: the sound is central to how the audience imagines the setting, follows the action and experiences the tension.
From script to soundscape
The session begins with the script: identifying sound cues, shaping acting direction and understanding the emotion of a scene. From there, the team will look at recording and editing voice actors, including the choices that establish pacing and the sequence of events.
Next comes the world around the voices. Ambiences, sound effects, music and Foley all contribute to how a listener understands a place and what is happening within it. The team will discuss the thinking behind those choices and how they help convey the story.
The final stage brings the elements together through mixing and mastering. The showcase covers volume balancing, dialogue mixing, processing, scene placement and the Audio Fiction Network Loudness Specification, alongside practical lessons the team has learned along the way.
Meet the team
Creator and writer
Senior sound designer
Producer and sound designer
The session brings together perspectives from writing, production and sound design. For podcast makers, sound designers and anyone interested in narrative audio, it offers a chance to follow one scene across those disciplines and see how the decisions connect.
Join the showcase
Practical showcase for The White Vault horror fiction podcast
Wednesday 18 November 2026, 11:30–12:30 CET
Room 3.39 – Conference Room
Sonic College, Kolding
Track: Podcast & Narrative Audio
Explore the session and add it to your Sched programme.
Sonic Days takes place on 18–19 November 2026, with a warm-up programme on 17 November. Explore the full programme and plan your visit.
Session information and speaker portraits supplied through the Sonic Days programme on Sched. The White Vault artwork sourced from Fool & Scholar Productions.