Radio Drama Production

Pre-Production

The first thing I did for my Radio Drama, was read the existing script. I had to familiarise myself with the content and the characters, as without this, I wouldn't be able to direct the voice actors very well and I wouldn't know what sound effects would be needed and when. I then copied the script into a word document and started editing it. This included adding lines, removing lines, and changing lines.  This was done so I could leave my own creative twist on certain interactions, or I believed I could  potentially make certain scenes more intense or emotional. The aspect of the script that needed the most editing where the songs, as my radio drama wasn't going to feature them. Therefore, I had to read through the songs and choose the lines that were necessary to the plot, and convert them into dialogue. This was quite difficult at first, but the crucial lines were easier to spot as the script went on due to me getting the hang of things a bit more. 

When it came to the sound effects, I didn't need too many for my section of the script. All I had to do was find sound effects for punches, footsteps, a gunshot, a body thudding and someone slamming their fists into a desk. For the punches, I found a public domain sound online that sounded very realistic, so I downloaded it and set it aside for when it was time to edit. For the footsteps, I used a more practical approach. I recorded footsteps on concrete, to get a louder sound, as it can be edited quieter for footsteps on softer surfaces. However, I din't use professional equipment to record the sounds, and instead used my phone. While the quality would have vastly improved had I used a proper microphone, the footsteps were still clear and sounded quite good. The gunshot and body thud were also found online, and were also public domain sound effects. To get the sound for fists hitting a desk, I once again took my phone, and recorded myself slamming my fists into a table. I knew that with some volume and pitch editing, I could create a very intense and startling bang. With my script ready and my sound effects collected, it was time for me to record all of the dialogue.

Production

Before recording the dialogue with the voice actors, I decided it would be best to get a feel for the recording studio first, in order to familiarise myself with the equipment so that the recording process is seamless and without too many issues. The microphone used in the studio was a Rode NT1000, a very powerful and high quality microphone. To fully familiarise myself with the equipment, I recorded some of the lines from the script, and then exported the files and email'd them to myself. When I received said files, I then decided it would be best to get myself familiar with the audio editing software I was going to use, that being Logic Pro X. I edited the sounds I had recorded together, added the punches, and had a rough draft for what this scene would sound like when it came to actually recording the lines.

Recording the lines for real went seamlessly for the most part. The actors that I worked with had made themselves very familiar with the material, and everyone was very fitting for the character that they had decided to voice act for. A few lines needed to have multiple takes in order to reach the full effect intended by the script, but everything went well, and we ended up with multiple clearly spoken takes for each line of dialogue. 

Post Production

With the lines all fully recorded and saved, it was time for me to start editing everything together. First, I had to listen to every single take, and decide which one i thought was the best and most effective. All of these takes would be the ones used in the final product, and so they were moved into their own folder. The ones I wouldn't use would be moved into their own folder as well. I kept the files as proof that everything wasn't low-effort and just one take. With all of the best takes selected, I put all of them into Logic Pro, then arranged them to being in order of the script. The next thing was to edit the silence out of the start and end of each take, to keep the dialogue moving and make things seem more natural. I then added the sound effects into the necessary places. When I added the footsteps, I edited the volume of each step to give the illusion of people getting closer and further away from the main point of the scene (When necessary). I also edited the volume of each punch sound effect, to give the illusion that some strikes are harder than others, giving more realism to the scene. The gunshot was increased in volume and bass by a large margin, so that the scene with the gunshot in is more jarring to the audience, as it comes out of nowhere and is a very effective surprise. It took a short while, but eventually, everything was edited together, and it sounded good. My one main criticism is that there was one line near the beginning that sounded a it more echoey than the others, but it was still the best take of that line. If i had had more time, I could simply go back to the studio and re-record, but that wasn't an option. I tried editing the line, and I made it less noticeable, but it was still there. Nonetheless, I think the production of the Fictional Radio Drama went very well, and I was very happy with my final product.