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.

Sound Editing

In a film, or any creative media, sound is one of the most important things to have. In the modern day, a film without sound is never seen, due to all the things that can be conveyed with it. Without the sound, you're only getting half of an experience. Sometimes however, sound is used, but not edited correctly. Poor editing on sound can really hinder an experience, and not only will it be unpleasant, but it will come off as being highly unprofessional. For example, if you record in a room with poor acoustics, the audio will be low quality. If no attempt is made to fix up the audio, the final product will be poor. When sound is edited and recorded correctly, it is tremendously effective and can have effects on the audience that the visuals alone would not be able to do.

Activity One

In this scene from Saving Private Ryan (1998), we are seeing the carnage on the beach from the perspective of a Captain. The Captain's hearing has been temporarily impaired by a loud blast, so everything he and the audience hears is faint. Bullets are quieter and yelling is silent. This creates a feeling of emptiness, as Soldier's cries for help aren't even being heard by those nearby. The shell-shock effect creates a sense of dread and hopelessness, as the audience is forced to watch the violence and slaughter from the perspective of a shocked man without the ability to hear. This is achieved by the editor adding all of the usual usual explosion and bullet sound effects, but then turning the volume down by a large amount. They likely added a low-pass filter effect, which makes the audio seem distant and echoey, exactly how it sounds here in the clip. Following an explosion, The Captain's hearing returns, and sound comes into the scene. Immediately following this is a barrage of loud explosions, bullets and blasts. This catches the audience off-guard due to the previous quietness, and is very overwhelming due to the sheer insanity off all the sounds playing at once. If the scene had started loud, the explosions wouldn't have the same shocking effect, and we would be without the dramatic look inside the perspective of a shell-shocked soldier. The sudden loudness is likely achieved b y having all the different sound effects played over one another for the chaotic effect, and they all likely have their gain turned up for extra volume. For the rest of the scene, the enemy are only shown once, and this is a shot of only one soldier from behind. This decision was made so that the audience is forced to follow the sound. They're being placed from the perspective of the soldier's storming the beach who are pinned down under a violent barrage from all angles, regardless of where they go. This makes the sound only indicator as to where danger is, so the sound is edited to be crisp and clear, while still chaotic and tremendously loud.

In the film Angst (1983), the main character, known as The Psychopath, enters a diner. When he arrives, he orders a sausage and starts to eat. In the editing for this scene, the sound of him eating is increased greatly. This is to fit the visuals of the character eating the food rather messily. The sound is rather squishy and wet, making for a displeasing experience. It was supposed to disgust the audience, and it does this very well due to the unnatural and uncomfortable sounds. The soundtrack is deliberately mixed to be quieter in this scene, so that the focus stays on the eating. When the character is narrating, he speaks softly, which has the same effect as the soundtrack. The eating stands out, in a very disgusting way. If the mixing had been any different, the eating would have been drowned out, which would have taken the disgust away from the scene in terms of audio, and it would have to be carried entirely by the visuals. Turning down the music also prevents it from being a distraction, but keeping the music prevents a feeling of emptiness. They mix it at the perfect amount so that it's audible, but not as audible as the eating sound's and the narration.

In this BBC interview, Jonathan Ross is interviewing Japanese Director Takashi Miike. Due to Miike's first language being Japanese, he isn't fully fluent in English, and he can't reply in English. The BBC allowed Miike to reply to questions in Japanese, and then they simply dubbed over him with the English translation. This is very common in interviews with people who don't speak English, as without it, the audience would have no idea what was being said and would be unable to follow the interview. The dubbing is also easier to follow than adding subtitles as it doesn't require any reading and is therefore more accessible to a wider audience of people. The dubbing is also a benefit as interviews rarely use their visuals to any advantage, so it's fine to listen to them while doing something else, which wouldn't be possible if subtitles were used. It could even be adapted to be played on the radio very easily, due to the dub.

Activity Two

In order to record sound effectively, you will need the correct equipment, which is also of a high quality. One of the most important and obvious pieces of equipment is a microphone. A good microphone can make a huge difference in editing, as recording with a bad microphone will result in a lot more fixing needing to be done. The audio will always need to be edited, but bad equipment will need an awful lot more. A mixing console is another handy piece of equipment, as you can edit specific sounds from different inputs as they are being recorded, something not every software allows. In terms of software, some famous ones are Audacity, Adobe Audition and Logic Pro.

Audacity is a free software and is the easiest to learn out of the three, but this is mainly due to it's minimalistic features and capabilities compared to the other two. Audacity has some good features though, and it has many drag and drop presets that can be easily edited, which are all great for adding different effects to sound. An issue with Audacity is that the interface has a very dated look to it, which doesn't make for pleasant viewing experiences. Also, while Audacity allows the user to export their audio in a decent array of file types, you need to download a third-party app in order to export your audio as an MP3. This is quite bizarre, as an MP3 is one of the most commonly used file types worldwide, and not everybody will want to download a second app just to be able to do something which should be available in the software to begin with.

Logic Pro is a very solid audio editing software as it is relatively easy to get used to but it also has many complex and useful features. It's very well known for it's immensely large library of virtual instruments and musical loops, which sound very realistic when compared to actual instruments. Logic Pro costs 199.99, which may seem like a very hefty sum, but for a one time payment of a software that shares features with applications costing a lot more, it's a very good deal, and isn't as expensive as it may seem. However, Logic Pro has a major negative in the fact that the program is exclusive to apple products like Mac. This means anyone editing sound on a different platform (E.g Windows) won't be able to use the software, and will require an alternative music editing software.

Adobe Audition is the main alternative, and while it's not regarded as being as easy to use as Logic Pro, it share's a lot of the same features. Adobe Audition also has the benefit of being part of the Adobe cloud, making it really easy to transfer audio to a program like Adobe Premiere Pro and keep the audio lossless while doing so. People familiar with Adobe software will likely prefer Adobe Audition due to it having a similar layout to other Adobe programs, perhaps making it easy for them to understand. If people still aren't pleased with the layout, they can actually switch it between numerous presets, which is a very handy feature for people trying to get everything where they like it. Unlike Logic, Adobe Audition is a subscription based service, costing £19.97 a month. While the price seems smaller, it'll add up over time for long term use, coming in at £238.42 for just one year of use, so having the software for a long while will really take a monetary toll. 

Radio Drama's

The Archers

The Archers is a soap opera radio drama created by the BBC in 1951. Due to it being a soap opera, the show follows many realistic yet exaggerated scenarios for it's storylines. The dialogue is also written and performed very realistically. This fits the genre, due to soap-opera's often trying to be more realistic. It will also add a lot to the listening experience, as everything sounds and feels natural. The drama follows many different stories as it revolves around numerous different farming families. The large amount of characters is another typical convention of soap-opera's, making the show even more fitting to it's genre. episode that I selected to listen to started with a rather upbeat introduction song. This is common in many radio dramas, as the song can become familiar with audiences and let them know what is in store for them. This is particularly effective if they hear the show on the radio, as the music could allow the listener to know when the show is starting. When the characters are introduced they have very noticeable York accents. They speak casually, allowing the audience to insert themselves into this world easier, as it won’t be different from their own. This is good as the target audience for this show is likely people who are middle class and middle age. This is the target audience for most soaps, including this one. Also, younger people are less likely to use radio over television, so marketing towards older people is more effective. The episode features relevant sound effect's as-well, which is a common feature in radio drama's. An example of one such sound effect is the sound of plates clashing and rattling while two characters talk to one another in a dining room. This realistic and normal sound effect once again fits with the soap opera genre, and could even add more immersion to the scene by making the setting feel more active and alive. Within the episodes that I studied, The Archers did not employ any fade in's or out's, which is uncommon for a radio drama, so I feel they may have been used in some of the other countless episodes of the show, and just not featured in the episodes that I heard. The show ends with the same theme song it opens with, signifying to the listener that it has finished until the next episode.

The War Of The Worlds

The War Of The Worlds is an infamous radio drama that first aired on Halloween in 1938. The show used a very unique format, as the first half of the show was presented as if it was a real radio broadcast. This is very different to most radio dramas, and was absolutely unheard of at the time that it was done. The show used breaking news updates that interrupted musical intervals to talk about an alien invasion on Earth. The use of the interruption was very effective. It was so effective at seeming real, that it’s believed people thought it was, and ended up in a panic. The use of many Sci-Fi tropes such as laser sound effects are used. However, the show takes a different turn halfway through. It starts following a more traditional radio drama format, and follows a survivor in an attempt to survive. The show uses many sound effects, ranging from cannon fire to crowds screaming. These both play into Sci-Fi and horror also, allowing the drama to capture the feeling that it was after. Besides from the musical intervals used in the first half, the rest of the music used is subtle,featuring low horns that sometimes grow faster. This is to try and create more immersion in the second half, to make things seem more hopeless and scary to the listeners, and to build suspense. The show uses subtle fades between different parts of dialogue, perhaps to signify a pass in time or just a change in perspective.