What if the truth about UFOs hasn’t been hidden — just carefully scripted?
That’s the provocative question at the center of “Sound, Light & Frequency,” a new investigative podcast exploring whether the U.S. government has been orchestrating a slow-drip UFO disclosure campaign through Hollywood for more than 70 years. Hosted by veteran writer-producers Bryce Zabel and Brent Friedman — two industry insiders with hundreds of credits between them — the series blends shocking firsthand experience, deep research, and behind-the-scenes storytelling to examine the overlap between science fiction and potential reality.
In the premiere episode of the podcast, Zabel and Friedman revisit the night that changed everything: the 1996 premiere party for their NBC alien-invasion series Dark Skies. What should have been a celebratory evening — complete with network executives, cast and crew, and “Majestic 12” badges for guests — took a surreal turn when a mysterious man with no badge appeared and claimed to represent members of the U.S. intelligence community. According to Zabel, the stranger said “they thought we had done a good job,” but hinted there were “a few things that they thought we should know about,” despite the pilot not yet having aired publicly.
Friedman recounts an even stranger private encounter in the backyard, where the man — who identified himself only as “JC” — allegedly told him, “You got a lot right, but there are some things you got wrong, and that’s why I’m here.” He proposed a deal: feed “more truth” into Dark Skies as part of a “slow rollout disclosure program.” Before leaving, JC scribbled a cryptic formula on a piece of paper, describing it as “Sound, Light and Frequency — secrets of the universe,” and instructed Friedman to hold onto it for years as proof the offer was real.
The episode frames the encounter as the “inciting incident” for the entire podcast, raising bigger questions about whether Hollywood has ever been used as a vehicle for UFO disclosure — or disinformation. As Zabel puts it, their show boldly claimed “history is a lie,” and the hosts now wonder whether that subversive premise is exactly what drew attention from powerful forces in the first place.
Listen to “Sound, Light & Frequency,” and don’t for get to watch the skies.