Washington (AFP)
Cloistered and idle, more and more actors, politicians and reality TV stars are embarking on podcasting in the midst of a pandemic, transforming their bathroom or dressing room into an improvised recording studio.
There is something for every taste.
When Demi Moore sweetly recounts erotic adventures in "Dirty Diana", Jamie Lee Curtis and Matthew McConaughey give vocals in the children's audio dramas "Letters from Camp" and "Hank the Cowdog".
Since the end of July, former First Lady Michelle Obama has been discussing intimate subjects in her podcast simply dubbed "The Michelle Obama Podcast" and comedy actors Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett have tried their hand at interviewing other celebrities in "Smartless".
Even former Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen has been leading a crusade against his ex-boss on his "Mea Culpa" podcast since September.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have decided to confide in their experience of the pandemic in the first episode of "Archewell Audio", unveiled in December.
The stars of reality TV are not left out.
Paris Hilton is expected to launch her first podcast at the end of February at radio giant iHeartMedia and Kim Kardashian signed this summer with Spotify to develop a show devoted to criminal justice.
While celebrity podcasts are not new, their proliferation is a "natural consequence" of the pandemic, says Nicholas Quah, creator of the Hot Pod blog.
"Most of these stars can no longer participate in television or film productions", paused to limit the spread of the virus, he explains.
"It's an opportunity for them to continue to reach their fans and reach the public."
- No decor, no costume -
Many are attracted by the flexibility of this medium precisely because it does not require any decor, costume or camera and guarantees safe working conditions vis-à-vis the Covid-19.
For the fiction "Dirty Diana", co-produced by the company QCode, each actor registered with him, tells AFP its founder Rob Herting.
"They had to find the best room in their house. For Demi (Moore) it was the bathroom. It was very funny. We had other actors recording themselves in closets, or wherever they were. there was the best acoustics, ”he explains.
Another advantage: speed of execution and cost.
"Dirty Diana" was recorded in May and then released in July, when several years can separate the making of a film and its official release.
The average budget for fiction from QCode, some of which includes Oscar-winning actors like Rami Malek, ranges from $ 100,000 to $ 500,000, although a low-budget film costs at least "a million," says Herting.
However, the revenue generated by the podcast industry is much less than that of the film, music or television industry, even if it is growing strongly.
Podcast advertising revenue is expected to increase by 15% in the United States in 2020 despite the pandemic, to approach one billion dollars, according to the IAB / PwC annual report, published in July.
"It's now a space that people in the entertainment industry see as a worthwhile investment," says Nicholas Quah.
But "a large part of the money of these advertisers could have gone to people who work in this sector on the long term instead of going in priority (to the celebrities)", he nuances.
- Stay in the game -
For him, many stars see the podcast only "as an extension of their brand image" and a way to continue to capture media attention.
Podcast studios are, however, all the more inclined to bet on projects with stars as their fans guarantee an audience, and they offer possibilities for adaptations to cinema or television.
Amazon is preparing for example to transpose into the television series "Dirty Diana", with Demi Moore in the main role.
Will this podcast frenzy continue once lockdown is over and the stars are back on sets?
For Rob Herting the answer is yes.
"It takes so little time for an actor," insists the boss of QCode, who plans to launch around fifteen new podcasts with at least one star in 2021.
Colin Anderson of studio Stitcher, which produces actor Rob Lowe's comedy podcast, warns him of the risk of saturation.
"Celebrities are going to have to be more creative with the podcasts they launch and give audiences a more compelling reason than just their notoriety for them to subscribe," he says.
© 2021 AFP