Audio Documentaries & Reported Stories
Track Change
(Show Runner, Sound Designer)
Track Change is an audio documentary series that follows four men behind the walls of a Virginia jail, as they record an album and chronicle their efforts to break free from a cycle of addiction and incarceration.
As Development Producer, Show Runner, and Sound Designer for this first season of the podcast, I crafted the format and potential budgets, built and led a remote production team of 6, supported Senior Producer Liz Mak while she crafted the narrative and wrote each script, provided additional reporting, completed the DAW work for each episode (including scoring and the first pass on audio mix), supervised final sound mix, and led day-to-day work with our host and producing partners at VPM over the course of 3 years.
Track Change has won these awards:
Public Media Award for Best Podcast, 2024
And has been nominated for these awards:
Ambie Award for Best Script Writing, Nonfiction (Liz Mak & James Boo)
What was it like to work with me on Track Change?
“James was my managing producer, and I’ve learned so much from working with him. He’s one of the best organizational minds I’ve worked with when it comes to project management, and as an astute story editor, skilled producer and audio engineer, he really can do it all. As a coworker, he’s a joy to collaborate with. I hope to work with him again soon. ”
“Track Change was made possible thanks to the creativity and dedication of James. Not only is he an incredibly skilled and organized producer, he is also a remarkable person. I’m lucky to have learned from James, and it would be an honor to work with him again.”
“I know that any project he oversees will be handled with the utmost professionalism, integrity and care, and that the entire process, from development to production and distribution, will be smooth, any inevitable fires will be quickly and strategical snuffed out, and the resulting work will deliver on its promise in a highly creative, meaningful and memorable way.”
Before Me: A Refugee’s Story, Told From Mother to Daughter
(Executive Producer, Sound Designer)
Before Me is a 5-part audio documentary series that follows one woman’s life, from Cambodia to America, over the course of decades. It’s also a long overdue conversation between mother and daughter, about their family’s history — through war and violence, separation and loss, endings and beginnings.
As Executive Producer, I worked with creator Lisa Phu and led a team of 9 over the course of 6 months to restructure, edit, re-track, score, and mix the series she had spent several years reporting and producing. Then I spearheaded and implemented a release strategy that reached millions of listeners via public radio and podcast programming.
Before Me won these awards in 2023:
Public Media Journalism Award for Best Independent Narrative Podcast
Signal Silver Award for Best Indie Podcast (Limited Series & Specials)
AAJA Audio Awards Runner-up for Best Long-form Audio Story
What was it like to work with me on Before Me?
“In all his roles on the project, James was deeply talented, motivating, and professional. The tight timeline moved along seamlessly under his leadership.
More than care, he brought an inherent belief that the story I wanted to tell was important. And his faith translated into a finished product more beautiful than I ever imagined. Because of his partnership building and outreach planning, Before Me reached a large audience and continues to make an impact. ”
“James is an excellent manager, producer and editor. He’s extremely organized and direct in communication, and always makes sure to include everyone in gathering feedback and questions. He truly values the well-being of each team member, guest, and source involved. I’ve learned so much from working with him and really value his expertise and perspective as a storyteller.”
“Say Goodbye to Yesterday”
(Producer, Head Ska Guy)
After two years of COVID isolation and reporting on anti-Asian violence, I produced this story to celebrate my personal source of restoration: ska music.
Asking, “Why do I know so many Asian American ska fans?” I started recording conversations that peeled away the layers of nostalgia and history surrounding this subculture. And the deeper I dug, the more I realized that ska still has something real to offer in a world that can feel like it’s crumbling beneath our feet.
I produced, wrote, sound designed, and guest hosted this story for the podcast Self Evident: Asian America’s Stories (which I co-founded and ran for 3 seasons).
What was it like to work with me on Self Evident?
“James produces amazing audio projects and his passion for storytelling is infectious, but what he’s also really great at is listening to people. Working in a team with James, you know that everyone will be heard and that his communication will be thoughtful and considerate, making him an excellent leader.”
“James and I worked together as co-editors on a podcast episode about domestic violence. He was extremely thoughtful, supportive of the reporter and the reporting process, and thorough in his edits. I appreciated the consideration he brought to a sensitive topic, and how easy it was to collaborate with him.”
“James is the best kind of editor: someone who patiently guides you, mentors you, and helps you discover the story you want to tell (rather than imposing his own vision onto the story). I feel lucky to have worked with him.”
Torched, Season 2
(Story Editor)
Torched is an episodic sports history podcast, where host Molly Boom takes listeners into the heat of competition and explores the cost of greatness.
I was the Story Editor for season 2 of the podcast, providing script edits for 14 episodes. I also mentored less experienced audio producers on how to build narrative scenes from raw tape and pace episodes from scene to scene.
What was it like to work with me on Torched?
“James elucidates and solves issues in the time it takes most people just to notice them. He’s a brilliant story editor and a pleasure to collaborate with.”
“James is a gifted producer and collaborator. He’s supremely good at managing fast-moving, complex productions; he’s a talented writer and audio editor; and he’s thoughtful and creative in all things. Plus, he sends good memes.”
The Story Seeds Podcast
(Field Recordist)
The Story Seeds Podcast is a family learning podcast where young readers meet their favorite authors, talk about the creative process behind writing, and collaborate with them to create an entirely new story.
As field recordist, I accompanied the Producer and Executive Producer to a wide range of public and private locations in New York City, and recorded a series of conversations between children and adult authors. This required me to plan our “shot list” with the Producer, manage the sound setting on the fly, and run a three-track recording with two lav mics and one shotgun mic.
“Hate Goes Viral”
(Producer)
This was the first of a 3-part series I produced in 2020, to clarify the impact of anti-Asian sentiment on Asian Americans and document community-based responses to the rapid rise of anti-Asian violence.
I produced and guest hosted this story for the podcast Self Evident: Asian America’s Stories. The episode was part of a National Geographic Society campaign for independent reporting projects during the pandemic, and was aired and shared by other programs to spread awareness of the spike in anti-Asian violence and discrimination that had arrived with the pandemic.
Brand Podcasts
Next Bite // Chobani
(Lead Producer)
Next Bite is a branded series by Chobani, which presents first-person audio stories from a leader in South Carolina's Black urban farming community, an indigenous chef and food systems organizer, and a startup founder on a mission to eliminate hunger and food waste.
As Lead Producer I received a creative and format brief, a list of potential guests, and access to a composer. Then I produced and sound designed the series, as well as an audio promo, in collaboration with the creative team at Chobani.
Travel by Design // Marriott Bonvoy
(Managing Producer)
Travel by Design is a branded podcast from Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, where travel influencer Hamish Kilburn chats with hospitality designers to reveal how their designs tap into once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences.
As Managing Producer for three seasons of the podcast, I received creative direction and a list of potential guests from the client, collaborated with the client and host on format and show tone, and then built a team of 5 and led them through the completion of all episodes.
Travel by Design won the 2022 Signal Silver Award for Best Lifestyle Podcast (Branded Shows & Advertising).
Networked: The 5G Future // Verizon
(Lead Producer)
Networked is branded podcast by Verizon, where host Christina Warren explores how rapidly evolving wireless technology is reshaping health care, live music, sports, and other cornerstones of daily life.
As Lead Producer I received a creative and format brief; a list of guests; and access to the host, an original score, and a mix engineer. Then I produced 18 two-way remote (COVID-safe) interviews, scripted those interviews into 6 episodes, and delivered every draft until final mix.
