Jake Purfield arrived at Film Fest LA as one of the most promising new voices in independent entertainment, and his work quickly proved why. Actor, writer and co-creator, Purfield delivered one of the festival’s most talked-about projects: the audio fiction series This Is My Story, created with Jax Malcolm.
The podcast follows a group of teenagers who uncover a family secret that leads them into a modern treasure hunt. The series won three major awards — Best Comedy Podcast, Best Supernatural Podcast and Best Ensemble — cementing Purfield’s talent for crafting emotionally engaging and immersive narratives.
Purfield not only co-wrote the project but also stars in it, performing alongside Malcolm, Kash Hovey, Dai Time, Paris Bravo and Kira Reed Lorsch. His performance added depth and authenticity to a production praised for its dynamic cast chemistry.
The festival also featured The Making of This Is My Story, a behind-the-scenes documentary written by Malcolm and Purfield and directed by Gary Robinson, which won Best Short Documentary.
With his growing body of work, Jake Purfield stands firmly among the new generation of creators shaping the future of independent audio and film storytelling.
When you and Jax began developing This Is My Story, what came first: the plot, the characters, or the desire to talk about family secrets and identity?
I’d say both the plot and characters. With This Is My Story, we came up with a simple idea of what direction we wanted to go and developed the characters and story at the same time.
The series mixes comedy, adventure and mystery in pure audio form. How did you use sound to build worlds, scenes and emotions with no images at all?
Even though this was planned as an audio series, Jax and I still visualized how each scene played out in our minds. We pulled the sounds from the imagined scenes and found ones that fit the tone of the story. Then we went to Bodhi Corbett and Jackson Watters who put together an amazing soundtrack which really helped elevate the world building.
Some listeners say the project feels like a movie playing inside their minds. What do you think made this experience so immersive?
I’m glad to hear that. That was our goal. Besides some narration lines, we wrote the script like a movie or show would be written and had our scenes play out like movie scenes. The sound mix is one of the most important things in any visual or audio project and we’re very thankful for Mark Lanza mixing this and making it sound amazing.
The podcast won three awards, including Best Ensemble. What was the most unexpected discovery you made during vocal direction or cast recordings?
This project really opened my eyes to how well solo recordings can come together. This was our first time doing this and each cast member came in at a different time to record which made me a little nervous because I was worried that maybe something Jax and I were going for may not work in the scene once we start editing. But that was just my nerves in the end because once we got to editing, everything went together better than I could ever imagine.
The festival also screened The Making of This Is My Story, winner of Best Short Documentary. What does the making-of reveal that audiences don’t see in the final series?
The making-of gives an inside look at the many talented people involved in the series and the production process. You get to meet who’s behind each character and hear their thoughts on the series. It’s a really fun watch and Gary Robinson did a great job on it!
The cast includes Kash Hovey, Dai Time, Paris Bravo, Kira Reed Lorsch and others. What did this diversity of voices add to the world of the story?
Everyone killed it as their characters. It was great working with everyone to bring these characters to life. Because of this talented cast, each character stood out as their own and I can’t wait for everyone to hear their performances!
Mystery storytelling often depends on reveals and clues. Without spoilers, how does it feel to know where the story goes and watch the audience slowly connect the dots?
It’s exciting but makes me a little antsy. Friends and family have listened to some of the series and asked me questions about it and all I can tell them to let me know when they’re finished. I’m eager to hear what everyone thinks after they finish listening!