As a devoted fan, I find MrBallen, or John Allen, to be an extraordinary figure in the true-crime media landscape. His authenticity and relatability shine through every video and podcast, making him stand out among the crowd. His humble beginnings as a U.S. Navy SEAL and his transformation into a content creator are truly inspiring.
In the crowded true-crime media space, MrBallen has kept his approach pretty simple. He appears on his YouTube channel wearing a flannel shirt and backwards baseball cap in every video, speaking directly to his audience, as if he’s telling them a story. That style continues on his podcasts, where he notes that he never adopts a “dark and scary voice” to amp up the fear factor, though he does build the suspense nevertheless.
Hey there! It seems that MrBallen, or John Allen as he’s known off-screen, has shared an interesting perspective about his on-screen persona. He describes MrBallen as a slightly amplified reflection of himself, created to feel relatable. This strategy has certainly worked for him, as he now stands at the helm of a multimedia powerhouse. The MrBallen YouTube channel boasts over 9 million subscribers, and his podcast, “MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories,” is widely popular. He also runs a production company and has secured a first-look deal with Amazon Music. Quite an empire, indeed!
As The Hollywood Reporter asked, I couldn’t help but express who I truly am: a gamer, a guy who prefers flannel shirts and sporting my caps backward, and a storyteller at heart.
Around 2020, Allen embarked on a career in content creation, having previously served as a U.S. Navy SEAL. Following some early setbacks, he shared a TikTok about the Dyatlov Pass incident, a group of nine Russian hikers who mysteriously perished in 1959; this post quickly gained popularity, inspiring Allen to establish a YouTube channel, branded under MrBallen, dedicated to tales of the unusual, ominous, and enigmatic. The name MrBallen originated from his Instagram username johnballen, which combined his first, last name, and middle initial, leading young individuals who reached out about his SEAL experiences to refer to him as “MrBallen.”
Having successfully expanded my video channel and forging a partnership with Nick Witters, a talent manager who significantly boosted my brand, I naturally considered podcasting as the next logical step in my journey. Recognizing true crime as an initial investment area, I leveraged my existing audience on YouTube to tackle the discoverability challenges that many podcasters face.
“Allen expressed his enthusiasm for starting a podcast, focusing on storytelling. He found true crime to be an excellent niche due to its widespread popularity. Plus, there’s plenty of material available. Moreover, he feels deeply connected to the people whose stories he shares.”
MrBallen’s stories are developed by a creative team headed by Evan Allen, Allen’s sister, an ex-Pulitzer Prize winner in investigative reporting for The Boston Globe. She assists in validating the narratives using various sources such as court records, case documents, and news articles.
At Ballen Studios, they’re currently establishing an investigation team under the guidance of Evan and Scott Allen, who is both their father and a Pulitzer Prize winner in journalism, having previously led an investigative unit at the Globe. This team will dedicate themselves to uncovering unique stories through reporting, marking Ballen Studios’ inaugural deep dive into investigative documentary series, details of which are set to be revealed soon.
In October 2022, Allen’s highly-ranked true-crime podcast served as a catalyst for a first-look deal with Amazon Music. This event then gave birth to another podcast hosted by Allen, titled “MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries“.
Under the leadership of Witters, Ballen Studios, which is the company’s production wing, hosts not only their main operations but additionally manages three other podcasts. These include the spooky-themed “Bedtime Stories,” the historical “Wartime Stories,” and the modern ghost story podcast, “Run, Fool!”. Furthermore, Ballen Studios has a separate division dedicated to managing storytellers in these genres.
Allan’s appeal lies in several factors, according to Marshall Lewy, the Chief Content Officer at Wondery’s podcast studio. His upbringing among journalists provides him with a unique perspective, his experience as a Navy SEAL gives him an intriguing outlook, and his preference for the enigmatic, eerie, and mysterious rather than the gruesome captivates listeners.
“Lewy stated that he believes the individual is well-aware of his identity, abilities, and audience preferences, and he excels at crafting captivating tales with a unique and engaging storytelling approach. He consistently adheres to this style, according to Lewy.”
Over time, Allen’s expanding empire has become reliant on stories from victims. His compassionate narrative style in sharing these tales is often cited as a factor contributing to his widespread appeal. However, upon debuting his podcast, he established a charitable foundation, which he claims has provided over $1 million in aid to families affected by violent crimes.
Week after week, I find myself immersed in a whirlwind of major projects as Allen churns out one intriguing tale for the “Strange, Dark & Mysterious” podcast, two captivating episodes for “Medical Mysteries”, a handful of videos for YouTube, and sprinkles of engaging content for TikTok in between. My partnership with Amazon spans over three years, and I can’t help but envision a long-lasting collaboration with Allen. The possibilities are vast, from live events and consumer products to more video content and additional podcasts. This fall, I am thrilled to embark on my first live tour!
Primarily, his focus lies on continuously creating content. “It seems like my life’s purpose, and to pursue it as a career brings me immense joy,” Allen expresses. “I have no plans whatsoever of ever halting.”
The following article was published in the August 14th edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To keep up with future publications, consider subscribing by clicking here.
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2024-08-15 18:55