Take A Leap - One Night In A Thousand Years Audiobook Narrated By James Van Der Beek Launches 1.9.24

Another set of providential steps with One Night In A Thousand Years leads to working with an amazing actor and artist

Jan 09, 2024

I recommend reading Part 1 of this story if you are new here. This post relies on that foundation.

It’s also similar to that one because it is LONG. I imagine this will be my longest post due to the nature of this story and what it means to me.

The news is this: The audiobook for One Night In A Thousand Years launches tomorrow, 01/09/2024. I wanted to give readers of Story Script an early reveal of James as our narrator and a behind-the-scenes look at how it came to be.

If that sounds interesting to you, read the rest. If not, skip to listening to the book wherever you enjoy audiobooks now! And tell your friends! Again, the official launch will be tomorrow.

Last warning from a friend before you dive into this post:

I wasn’t sure what to do next. I’m not sure what will happen next.

The Ferris Wheel has endless possibilities at the top, but the drop can be disorienting. The wheel of life doesn’t move in steady time like the wheel of wonder.

The disorientation for me came from the loneliness of running a company of one and the massive financial challenges that come with year two of a small, service-based business. Although I am thankful for these guys hanging with me in the office while I work…

In that in-between space, an idea for the next step in turning One Night into a film hit me: What if you produce an audiobook with an established actor who will get this type of story and has the ideal voice for it?

Yes! This is a great idea!

Wait. Is it?

As usual with me, this great idea has high stakes and low odds of working. I find myself meeting these types of ideas often. The good news is that asking the actor’s agent only requires time and effort. Might as well go for it.

I made a list of five actors that would be ideal for the story. All of them were brilliant performers with unique styles that fit the ethos of One Night. Each was a massive long shot for an unknown indie book and a brand-new studio. The one asterisk to this was the SAG/AFTRA strike. It did provide a window for actors to try something they might not take in normal times.

My next move was to pray about which one to approach first. It’s important to give an exclusive option to each one, so I wanted to go with the best person for the role first. Thank you to John Eldredge for being such a guide for this type of prayer. I have a good Father who delights in giving good gifts to his children. Why not ask him and then actually stop to listen?

I walked around the house in circles with my headphones in, listening to movie scores and praying. I stopped asking and took the time to listen in silence. I heard…absolutely nothing.

I took out my headphones. That’s when it happened.

I opened up Instagram, and the first thing I saw was this post from one of the five actors on my list:

Pic from James Van Der Beek on Instagram

I’m stunned. Once again, it seems providential.

Take the leap.

He was one of the five actors on the list. The post was about taking a leap into the unknown. The cliff-jumping into the water scene is a key moment for the characters in the book.

I knew who to approach first.

James Van Der Beek.

I shared the story with Craig and Jonathan. If you don’t recall, Craig is the author of the book. Jonathan is the inspiration for the sage-like figure, Lucas, in the story. He was the Mr. Keating for the original Warrior Poets.

Jonathan shared this with Craig and I:

For what it’s worth…
DAWSON’S CREEK debuted the very same week I discovered the Bridge and signed my name in the first rafter in January 1998. It was also the very same week I read Emerson’s “Nature” for the first time in class. I vividly remember the pilot episode airing on January 20, 1998 and it greatly impacting me, even inspiring me to start collecting movie posters (the opening scene of Dawson’s Creek was him and Joey watching the end of E.T., and he had the poster on his bedroom wall). That episode, along with reading “Nature” for the first time and seeing TITANIC a month before were the three events I think back on that changed my life right before I turned 17. Those three events are what I’ve always thought back on when reflecting on first discovering the Bridge as a teenager.

Craig and Jonathan in the Bridge rafters years after the original Warrior Poets formed. 18 years of Sacred Circle groups followed the original one, each with their own spot in the rafters.

I called my friend and producing colleague Matt Brown for some advice. It had been several years since I approached talent, so I wanted some fresh perspective. Matt had just produced a unique serialized audio podcast called The Timekeeper. I knew his recent experiences would help me do this the right way.

With his advice, I wrote the initial email to James’ agent, then headed to Galveston with my family for our annual trip to one of my favorite places on earth. It’s a place that feels like a window into another realm for me. It’s an intersection of memories and dreams, friendship and family.

I know many of you are completely stunned by this, especially if you’ve been to Galveston without the eyes of someone who knows its hidden beauty and charm. I may write a post one day telling more of that story, but for now, it’s only important to know it’s a deeply meaningful space for me.

I received a reply from James’ agent while I was in Galveston.

“Thanks for the proposal. Talked to James and he is interested. Send over the manuscript.”

Now, this in and of itself is no small thing. I was honored and thankful he was willing to take the next step. Many times, the process doesn’t even get this far. I was also slightly scared because if, for some reason, this moves forward, the numbers in the proposal I sent become real.

Forty-eight hours later, I saw a new email from his agent.

I’ve been seriously writing and producing since I was 19. I’ve been rejected by over 1,000 companies, producers, and actors over the last 25 years. These emails and (letters in the mail back in the day) usually read something like this:

“Thanks for sending over your script, project, manuscript, etc. We’re not interested at this time, but we wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.”

I clicked the email, expecting to see something similar, not because of the quality of the project but the reality of the business.

The email read:

“James responded to the book. Let’s start working on a deal.”

I sat back in my chair and reread the email.

I got up and walked around a bit, then sat down with tears in my eyes. A chance to tell this beautiful story with such a gifted, powerful actor and one that is pitch-perfect for the work. Unreal. And also the investment. Oh boy. This might happen.

Kristen came in about that time and was worried something bad had gone down. I told her the news. This post can’t do justice to her support through starting a small business with three young kids. It’s even harder to comprehend her support of something like this. She is with me and for me no matter what.

Now, we needed to get the deal done.

The next few weeks were spent negotiating. I am so thankful for the way James’ agent conducted it. It was respectful, straightforward, and reasonable for all involved.

Craig also needed to feel good about everything, so getting everyone on the same page took time. There were a few times I thought it might break down, but eventually, we all agreed, and everyone signed. The numbers were fair, but my final investment would be massive. The bottom line climbed fast by adding studio time, editing, engineering, etc.

Here we go. Take a leap, indeed.

The next hurdle was finding a studio in or near Austin to record the audiobook. We needed to record in September if it was going to happen for a few reasons. The main challenge there was the initial studios and engineers I looked at were all booked until October. Classic producing situation. Nothing is ever easy, which makes it fun and infuriating at the same time.

I thought of an acquaintance and fellow creative, Aaron Ivey. Aaron and I met several years back when I worked at The Village Church. I enjoyed talking creativity and leadership with him when we got the chance. I remembered he recorded albums in a studio in Austin, so I decided to send him a text to see if a studio could be a possibility.

Aaron responded within minutes with: “I’ve got you.” Incredible. He proceeded to kick into gear on the potential fit with the studio, now called The Audio Village, and introduced me to Kyle Lent, the owner and lead engineer. Unfortunately, Kyle was already booked for the week we needed to record, but Aaron and Kyle both recommended connecting with another engineer, editor, and musician named Logan Garza (more on him later).

Logan responded. He could engineer that week and do the editing on the project. Huge sigh of relief. I locked the dates with James. Another step closer…

—

Driving down I-35 on the way to Austin that week was surreal. As long as I’ve been making and sharing creative work, I’ve wanted to tell stories of wonder, depth, meaning, beauty, and courage with excellence.

I’ve been fortunate to create work with astounding designers, writers, videographers, musicians, and more. Every time, my goal is to do work that can be recognized as worthy of being at the highest levels of our industry. Sometimes, things come together in a way that meets that standard. More often than not, it doesn’t. It’s rare for all the reasons you would imagine. It’s arguably even unhelpful to think this way when making something, and the results are subjective.

Still, I’m all about putting everything I have into making the best work possible and inspiring others to do the same. We have more in us than we know. This was an opportunity to create something excellent with an artist I respected and admired.

My approach to the recording as a producer was based on a mixture of personal leadership style and a video with the actor Colin Firth that I saw while preparing for the recording.

The leadership style philosophy sets hard-working, talented people up for success, supports them where they need it, and lets them fly. If you see something that needs feedback, give it to them, but don’t get in the weeds. There is more power in seeing who God made them to be than dictating exactly who you think they should be. Of course, you want to give clarity, direction, and vision without making those so narrow that there is no room for the person’s interpretation of the work.

Here is the video with Colin talking about his approach to narrating an audiobook (:49-1:20)

I knew this would be my approach to the recording as soon as I saw it.

Here are a few high-level thoughts about the story from Craig and me, but once we start recording, I want the performance to be your interpretation of the story.

I got to the studio and knew it would be ideal. It is a relaxed, creative space hidden in the hill country.

James gave me a call on his way to the studio. I shared some high-level thoughts on the story from Craig and me, and I then told him I would be here if he needed anything. I’ll keep what I shared with him private because I want any book listeners to form their own opinions and interpretations, but thankfully, he agreed with the high-level direction for the story.

A few minutes later, he pulled up. I introduced myself in person and we made our way past the sprawling old tree that stood watch over the studio's front doors.

It’s a fitting symbol for One Night In A Thousand Years. I thought about how Jonathan had written those first words underneath the bridge rafters all those years ago, at the same time that James’ professional career was about to change forever with the launch of Dawson’s Creek. This tree grew slowly through brutal Texas heat, frozen winters, hail storms, peaceful spring mornings, and cool fall nights. Now, it was a meaningful welcome and companion to producing a story with shared roots.

You never know how things like this will be when the day comes. You’ve got strangers meeting for the first time in hopes of creating something special together.

I followed James on Instagram, which gives you the faintest of glimpses into another person, but that is a curated glimpse by design. Still, I felt resonance with what he shared. Family, depth, hard work, creativity…an old soul that seemed to care about some similar things as me. I experienced this same person during the recording. He was a delight to work with and blew me away with his performance. More on that in a bit.

Logan Garza was also a new person for me to meet. Logan is laid-back but convictional. I didn’t know his musical work at the time, but be sure to check him out here. He writes songs that cut hard but are honest. He was excited about the opportunity and a fun partner to have in the room as we listened to James narrate the book.

Before we officially started, there was a slight issue. Logan asked for the book for James to read. I assumed he had it on an iPad or something similar. Let this be another story of not assuming anything in life, especially not a project you’ve pushed most of your chips in on. Fail on my part, for sure.

Thankfully, Aaron’s wife Jamie (a delightful author, speaker, and podcaster among other roles) came to the rescue with an Ivey family iPad. We downloaded the book on the iPad and moved to recording.

When James started reading the prologue, I got the best kind of chills. Logan raised his hands in the air and shook his head up and down with an animated, silent YES. We were headed back in time to hear Colt recount how his life changed forever.

We were both blown away by how well his voice fit the story. I was even more thankful for his work in inhabiting each character. Seeing him move between all these different people with such skill was amazing. If you ever want to get a sense for how hard this is, listen to yourself read a fictional book to someone else.

I have no idea how the story and performance will hit audiences. It’s all so subjective, but I’m proud of what we’ve produced.

My parting discussion with James sums it up well:

James: I hope the best for you and the project.

Me: Thank you. You never know how people will react to stories. We’ll see what happens.

James: All you can do is make things that resonate with you, stories that move you. That’s all that matters. The rest is out of your hands.

Amen.

There is more to the story after all this, but I’ll save that for another day. Making the trailer with an old friend in a place I love and yet haunts me too. Original music for the trailer. Unexpected delays in the launch. Another friend saving the day at the last minute to get us on Audible. It’s been such a profound ride.

As you can see with a glance I need to end with gratitude.

Thank you to Jonathan for stirring up wonder, courage, and beauty in others.

Thank you to Craig for capturing this story in an entertaining, fun, accessible, wise, and moving book. Thank you for letting me partner with you in launching such a personal story.

Thank you to the Warrior Poets and all the later generations of the Sacred Circle for inspiring us with your adventures.

Thank you to Kristen for loving me and supporting a dreamer through thick and thin. That’s a tough assignment.

Thank you to James Van Der Beek for believing in this story and taking a chance on us.

Thank you to Logan Garza for jumping into this with passion and for all the hours spent engineering and editing.

Thank you to Matt Brundige for going with me to Waco to capture beautiful images of the setting for the true story.

Thank you to Adrian Disch for creating a score that captures the heart of the story.

Thank you to Chris Sterrett for getting us across the finish line with some final tweaks to the audio.

Thank you to the Ivey family for the intro to The Audio Village and letting us borrow the iPad.

Thank you to Kyle Lent for being such a great host and all your investment in making The Audio Village a sanctuary for creativity.

Thank you to Kevin Page for helping with details on the final agreement.

Thank you to my mom for supporting and encouraging my creative pursuits from the very beginning.

Thank you to my family and friends for all the moments you’ve given me space to process, vent, fear, and hope.

Thank you to my Make It. Share It. partners Lauren Chandler and Steven Cooper for being early listeners, advisors, and encouragers along the way.

On the day before, I’m on the way up the Ferris Wheel’s circle, near another opportunity to see the horizon again.

I’m expectant and anxious. It will be breathtaking up there, but I have no idea how long it will last. Sometimes, it’s gone in a blink. Sometimes, it seems like it gives room to linger long enough to see where you’ve been and where you’re going. Sometimes, the ride down is gentle and sloping. Sometimes, it is fast and painful.

I am grateful to be in it no matter what happens next. I am grateful to share it with you as much as this space allows.

Carpe Diem.

-Kent