The Specter of Ægir is a flash fiction ghost story that I penned about a diver who helps his wife, the newest director of Ægir’s Aquarium, in the wake of their boss’s sudden demise. As her first day unfolds, an uncanny guest lurks, seeking vengeance.

After I finished writing, my training in film kept pulling me in the direction of adapting this material into some form of production. Writing alone couldn’t be the end of the journey…I needed to hear the narrator’s voice and the sounds of the environments I’d dreamt up, but I wasn’t sure what to do.

Eventually, it dawned on me to make something new.

With a team of highly skilled artists that I’ve assembled, we’ve created an audio dramatization for Ægir, a sort of radio drama for you to listen to! We’ve found such freedom in this medium, not needing to worry about budgets in the way filmmaking demands, which has allowed our creativity to blossom in new ways.

I was thrilled to be able to work with many of my long time friends and collaborators. Keith Gallucci, a powerhouse Los Angeles based actor and musician, lended his voice to the narrator with passion and care through the process of workshopping different character voices, tones and pacing. After hearing Gallucci’s voice, composer Eddie Irvin took to the piano to create a score with a spectrum that understood both tranquility and terror. His songs, delicately performed, reflect the wondrous, whimsical energy of an aquarium, yet also hone in our sense of dread when the time was needed. Alain Pierre-Lys lended his talents of translating written words into visuals by crafting the manifestation of a spectral presence in Ægir’s Aquarium through a digital collage that blends surrealism with raw authenticity. The goal was to create an image that could live entirely outside of the story while simultaneously complimenting it when set side by side. And of course, this story would not exist without the refinements and suggestions by my editor, writer Amanda Bintz, particularly on how to trim my ideas and sentences to keep the telling precise and impactful.

Listen to the audio dramatization and read the story: www.jordanbianchi.com/the-specter-of-aegir

Starring Keith Gallucci (@andkeithgallucci) as the Narrator

Produced, written and mixed by Jordan Bianchi (@jordanbianchifilms)

Music by Eddie Irvin (@goodshivers)

Graphic Design created by Alain Pierre-Lys (@captainreality)

Story edited by Amanda Bintz (@amandabintz)