EXCLUSIVE: Ballen Studios, founded by former Navy Seal turned breakout podcaster MrBallen, is staffing up.
The company, which was launched last year by MrBallen, otherwise known as John Allen and Nick Witters, who previously worked at WME, has hired Zak Levitt as its new Head of Production.
Levitt joins from podcast company Cadence13, where he was EVP, Production. He started the company’s original production studio C13 Originals and produced series such as The Set and The Sunshine Place, which came from Robert Downey Jr. He also worked on series such as Gangster Capitalism and Root of Evil: The True Story of the Hodel Family and the Black Dahlia.
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Before joining Cadence13, Levitt was a filmmaker and made films for ESPN’s 30 for 30 including Bad Boys and The Doctor.
In his new role, he will now oversee all of Ballen Studios’ existing slate of audio programming across various stages of production and development. In addition to developing and producing new stories for audio, Levitt will be focusing on cultivating new talent from within the creator space for podcasting and managing the studio’s production team of writers, researchers and editors.
“When we were looking for an executive to oversee our audio network, Zak was the clear winner,” said CEO Nick Witters. “In addition to being a seasoned veteran in the business, he has an uncanny ability to not only find unique stories, but tell them in a way that pulls in an audience. Zak is truly one of a kind.”
“What Nick and John have built in such a short span is truly incredible,” added Levitt. “As a storyteller, I’ve been a fan from afar for some time. To now be able to come in and help shape the future stories and sound for Ballen Studios is an opportunity I couldn’t be more excited for.”
The hire comes as Ballen Studios gears up to launch its latest podcasts.
Bedtime Stories, which was originally best known as a YouTube channel with three quarters of a million subscribers, will be adapted as a podcast. It features stories from the paranormal to the supernatural, unsolved mysteries, strange deaths, cryptids and everything in between, all told in a creepy way. UTA will rep the podcast in all areas.
Listen to the trailer here.
The company is also launching MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries this fall as part of its deal with Amazon Studios. The series is co-produced by Ballen Studios and Wondery and features intriguing tales of medical mysteries from around the world.
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