The Sheridan Tapes is a serialized horror/mystery podcast written and produced by Trevor Van Winkle, the creator of Homestead on the Corner and Tales of the Echowood. Now in its fourth and final season, the show uses a found-audio structure to tell the story of former detective Sam Bailey's search for missing horror writer and paranormal investigator Anna Sheridan.

In Season One, Sam went from skeptical outsider to outcast believer. In Season Two, Sam began to discover the depths and dangers of his own abilities as he confronted the sinister forces arrayed against him. In Season Three, he faced the revelation of an impending apocalypse and the true nature of the supernatural world and his place within it. And in Season Four, Sam faces his greatest challenge yet – the rescue of Anna Sheridan from beyond the veil. 

Taking inspiration from gothic fiction, cosmic horror, and classic detective stories, The Sheridan Tapes uses aural storytelling, found-audio, and in-character narration to create an expanding mystery that emphasizes existential dread, uncertain reality, and confrontations with forces beyond our understanding, all seen through the eyes of simple people hoping against hope to find redemption and set old wrongs to right.

Equal parts Twilight Zone, Doctor Who, and Twin Peaks, The Final Season will consist of 25 half-hour episodes along with 4 mini-episodes released in the lead-up to the premiere.Trevor and Virginia are currently preparing the 25 episodes of the season, with the story fully outlined and a clear idea of where the story will end. Recording is set to begin in March of 2023, with the first episode scheduled for late April 2023.

From the beginning, every member of the Homestead on the Corner team has either generously donated their time and talent or heavily discounted their rates. Income from Patreon, ad revenue, and merchandise sales helps to cover the costs of doing business (web hosting, software licenses and fees, etc), but it has not reached a level where we can pay our cast anything close to what they're worth or create a stable income for our full-time crew members.

Podcasts, and especially audio dramas, are still incredibly difficult to monetize, and it makes sustaining this kind of long-form project incredibly difficult. At Homestead on the Corner, we believe that crowdfunding is the best way to make sure everyone involved gets their fair share, while still maintaining our independence and creative freedom to tell stories that emphasize diverse representation, justice, equity, and inclusivity.

Seed&Spark was our crowdfunding platform of choice for Season Three, and we’re pleased to partner with them again to fund our Final Season.

First off, you get to help us conclude the story of The Sheridan Tapes, solve the mysteries at the heart of the show, and maintain a higher level of quality than we could manage on our own dime. Beyond that, you also get exclusive backer rewards for contributing at every level, along with several bigger stretch goals that will help improve and expand the Final Season!

$5 - The Source of All That Was

Access to a Supporter-only Sheridan Tapes Discord

Digital calendar of episode releases (including bonus content)

$15 - Searcher

24-hour early episode access to ad-free versions of all episodes

Access to a Backer Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Q&A (as well as ability to submit questions)

Rewards from all previous tiers

$30 - Music of the Spheres

Digital WAV/MP3 download of the Season Four soundtrack

Shoutout on social media with your Twitter/Instagram handle

Official recognition as a member of the Anna Sheridan Fan Club, along with a commemorative digital membership card

Rewards from all previous tiers

$50 - Fire in the Void

Thanked permanently on The Sheridan Tapes website

Verbally thanked at the start of a TST episode

The Sheridan Tapes sticker pack and postcard (Physical Reward)

Rewards from all previous tiers

$100 - Stone Tapes

Campaign-exclusive T-Shirt (Physical Reward) 

Custom-made physical cassette tape version of a Sheridan Tapes episode (Physical Reward)

Rewards from all previous tiers

$150 - Dreamer of Apocalypse

A handwritten thank-you note (Physical Reward)

A sneak peek of the fourth season’s first episode script (Episode 76), to be delivered in the spring

Rewards from all previous tiers

$250 - Whispers from Beyond

Named as an Associate Producer at the end of the season

A personalized audio message from any member of the cast or crew (of your choice), thanking you for your support

Rewards from all previous tiers

$500 - Seeker of the Lost

Exclusive "Save Agate Shore" campaign T-Shirt (Physical Reward)

Rewards from all previous tiers

$777 - Elder God

Executive Producer Credit in every episode of Season Four (verbal & written credit)

A small, handmade cross-stitch of a cassette tape, made personally by Virginia Spotts (Physical Reward)

Chance to name a minor character in Season 4 (*name must be approved and confirmed by writers)

Rewards from all previous tiersEvery cent we make goes right back into the production and is used to pay our cast, crew, and collaborators a better wage, purchase new equipment (mics, interfaces, etc.), assets (sound effects, stock elements), and software, as well as to cover any unforeseen expenses during production. If we reach our stretch goals, we'll release extra-special rewards that will be available to everyone!

$12,000

Our base goal, and the level at which all members of the cast and crew can be paid for their work. The 25 episode Final Season and 4 B-side minisodes will be produced.

$15,000

Our first stretch goal, and the level at which we can pay our cast a better per-episode rate. In addition, we’ll be able to afford full scoring for our final episodes (and/or key episodes in the final season) from the incredibly talented Jesse Haugen.

$20,000

Our second stretch goal, and the level at which we can produce a full Sheridan Tapes Christmas Special… all the horror, all the holiday. We can also pay our writers, directors, and producers a more professional rate. 

$25,000

Our third stretch goal, where we can produce a full post-canon Sheridan Tapes Thanksgiving Special. Whoever makes it to the end of the show will share this special day, as promised when they all left Meriwether. We can also increase pay for our writers, directors, and producers once again.

$30,000

Our fourth stretch goal, and the nearest and dearest to our heart… at this level, we will be able to assemble our main cast members for live studio recording of our final episodes in LA, and (pandemic-willing), a live show and meet & greet (Seed&Spark backers will get discounted early access to live show ticket sales). 

For our 25 episode run, our base goal breaks down to about $480 per episode, not including credit card fees and taxes. While that might sound like a lot for an independent audio drama, that's to pay our entire crew for multiple weeks of time-consuming, intensive work.

Additionally, most episodes feature an average of 4 main characters, with some episodes having up to 10 or 12 different voice actors who all need to be paid for their time and talent. Plus there's the monthly costs of hosting a podcast – paying Acast to host our show, paying Wordpress to host our website, paying for domain name registration, paying licensing fees for sound effects and music…

It all adds up very very quickly, and we're putting out 4 episodes a month for 6 months straight. As you can see, every little bit counts! For a more detailed breakdown, check out our Wishlist.

If you've read to this point, then I'm guessing you're already a fan of our show, or at least of audio drama in general. If you're anything like me, there are numerous audio dramas whose stories and characters have helped you through rough times, inspired you, or perhaps let you see yourself in a story for the first time. For some of you, that podcast might even be The Sheridan Tapes.

That's why we make this show… to help people deal with difficult days, to raise their spirits, and to help them see themselves in the stories we tell. That's why we've spent hundreds of hours and the better part of three years making this show – because we believe in it, and in the medium, and in the potential for this story to help others. And now, the story is nearly concluded!

If FOMO is a motivator for you, know that this is your last chance to be a part of the unfolding of The Sheridan Tapes. By contributing to this campaign, you directly support dozens of small, independent artists in their work and play a key role as a community member in the sustenance of independent productions. And most of all… you’ll help us finally reveal what happened to Anna Sheridan.The only way we will reach our crowdfunding goal is if we can reach beyond our networks. If you’d like to be a part of supporting queer artists and independent storytelling, YOU can make the difference in our success! Please share our campaign via your social media, email, word-of-mouth, however you want! We can't do this without you!

Here are some examples. Feel free to copy and paste!

I've pledged to help find Anna Sheridan. Make your oath here on @seedandspark: seedandspark.com/fund/sheridantapes4
 
I'm so excited to see the final season of the @SheridanTapes be revealed! If you want to support them as well, join them on @seedandspark: seedandspark.com/fund/sheridantapes4

The story of the @SheridanTapes is almost finished! When you support them, you support queer artists and independent storytelling. Check it out here: seedandspark.com/fund/sheridantapes4