40310 Blog Feed: trebbia 2008-06-17 07:06:08 trebbia Your e-mail address 94919 2008-05-09 07:48:45 Weeks later...

Well well well... my blog has been missing posts due to hectic work with rehearsing and performing at least 5 radio dramas in my case.

I set up a meeting in the Baxter Theatre TV-unit with Allan to see the premises and that gave me a very good idea of what space we had available for our radio dramas. I later found out that space as in normal terms is not the most essential thing in audio drama, it is more important to have the right equipment like microphones and so on.

Monday the 5th of may I did my individual script and I was the first off, and it went good. I am very happy that my crew did such a good job everything flowed nicely. It was great to see my piece unfold and see the how everything worked together. My script was very simple but I think this was not a bad thing, because it was delivered smooth and quickly. I got really good response on my audio drama as well, especially people liked my foley and the flow og lines.

Collective script

As technical director I want to produce a special script for all the technical stuff. I have been in conversation with Brother Sloan about how these things are done in audio drama. He advised me to look up "The book" under the aspect of theatre or "prompt book". This book contains absolutely all the important notes on when to "trigger" all the technical stuff.

As stated on the website: http://www.hstech.org/prodteam/stage.htm (09/05/08)

"The main job of a stage manager is to create a "prompt book". A prompt book is a copy of the script with notes on blocking, as well as light, sound, follow spot (spotlight), and deck cue's. A prompt book should be legible so that if the stage manager is unable to call the show, due to illness or other causes, his/her notes can be followed by anyone. Also as the prompt book is subject to frequent change during the process of creating blocking, only pencil should be used in writing notes."

On another website I found the following:

"Definition: The Prompt Book holds all the information about the performance. It contains the script with all the blocking and cues. The Stage Manager keeps "The Book" and uses it to call the show. The Prompt Book also contains contact information, lists of props, rehearsal notes, everything. A production can be recreated from the information in the Prompt Book."

http://theater.about.com/cs/glossary/g/bldef_prompt.htm (09/05/08)

So the prompt book is really the holy bible og the theatre play, it not only contains the lines of the characters but also cues, lighting notes, sound information and even contact information and list of props!!! This is like the blue-prints of a building under construction, it has all the piping, all the window frames, all the measures and the materials included. Better hold on to that one...

Well, if it is the stage managers job to create such wonderful "book" I should get in touch with our stagemanager Lunel to find out what we should do. If she already have produced a prompt book for "A16" I can base my "technical director script" upon that.

My mind is empty now, but I will return later with more radio drama thoughts...

Jonas

]]> 83665 2008-04-06 14:43:17 Week 6: In the Community!

This Saturday I went to the Radio Drama Conclave at the Community house in Salt River. Many young people were gathered there and the spirit of good mood and kindness was all over the place.

Brother Sloan the almighty welcomed everybody and the rehersals began.

Nelson, later to become a really good friend that I hope to see more in the future was up first and did a selfwritten piece about a newscast around the world. He was one man standing there and perfomed all the voices. I think he did a really good job. He has a nice form of humour that I find very cool.

Next up the Survivors of .... did their piece with so much energy and super timing that I got so impressed. It was clear to me that they had been rehersing a lot before this. Doza (is that spelled right, otherwise sorry...) was in this group and I would really have loved to have him in our collective piece as well.

I liked that almost everyone had comments and critique to the performers, cause that is the only way you can improve your work of art. Listen to what the audience thinks, I think you will benefit in the end if you take the critique seriouse.

After the rehersals the "UCT group of people" joined forces with Nelson. We worked together on his script and came up with a version for more people to act in. I am very glad I attended this conclave, I feel MUCH more calm about my own individual piece and our collective script now!

All in all, a very positive expirience and lots of good spirit and fun!

Sound design
One thing that I have found very interesting is how live sound effects are made.

Sound effects are often reffered to as "Foley", it turns out that this strange name is actually the real name of the man Jack Foley. He was one of the first pioneers in sound effects for movies. He started to work with film in the silent era, but it was first when sound came into movies that he did what he is known for today. He was the developer of the techniques and methods used by many others. A full biography can be found at: http://www.filmsound.org/foley/jackfoley.htm

I think that the art of making live sound effects is actually a very creative process where you have to forget how things look and start imagining how different sounds can be immitated.

I have researched the Internet and found some easy ways of making common sound effects.

For example the way to make:

- The sound of a smoldering cigarette is made by pressing a thumb into plain dirt

- The sound of footsteps crunching on snow is actually achieved by Kosher Sea Salt covered in cornstarch?

Source: http://www.c5sound.com/newsroom/secrets.php

More:
- Bird Wings - Feather Duster

- Bones breaking -Snap carrots for a clean break, celery if you want to hear a slow torture.

- Footsteps in leaves Try corn flakes, quarter inch recording tape, a small whisk type broom.

- Gun shots - All ways a difficult sound to produce, OTR shows had a special pistol created that used a special loaded blank. Give the problems of transporting a gun, not to mention a blank is usually way too loud for a live show, consider using a clip board. The quality of the sound can be changed by holding or placing the clip board on a solid surface.

- Fire - Originally created by creaking the cellophane wrapper off of cigarettes, now uses any cellophane that works. For a fireplace fire, snap small twigs also.

Source: http://www.audiotheater.com/sfxhowto.html#list

Check out "My Photos" for pictures from the event.

Jones

]]> 80433 2008-03-28 08:00:00 Monday again... YEAH!
This week we recorded our little third person narrative. As Technical director I had to operate the recording device, a Tascam, in this case, and instruct the others in how to speak and stand in front of a microphone. It was difficult for me to really hear anything in Borther Sloan's little 'iPod' headphones :-) But I think that in the 'real' studio it will be much easier to give instructions. I have been working as sound engineer on different youthschool projects in Denmark so I really enjoy my position as technical director.

The rest of the 'jobs' regarding our collective piece were voted for and it seemed that everybody was quite happy with it.

Progress on my Technical Director role:
I gave the TV-Unit at Baxter Theater a call today an spoke to Allan about prices for hiring the studio and the equipment. He said that these prices of course was a lot different from say for example the SABC studios or any other non UCT funded studios. So my budget for the individual script will be based on this studio.

I also spoke to Allan about the different microphones that were avaiable. That was interesting for me, because I have a basic knowledge about microphones. The studio as Allan said also has wireless microphones, which might come in handy for some of the persons in the collective radio drama piece. Say for example the director needs to play a little part and at the same time he/she needs to be in many areas in one time.

I will have to get together with the head writer and the director to make a plan for the final script. I think I should make my own "Technical director" script with extra notes for timing and mic level information and so on and so forth...

This is it for now. I look forward to Monday at Mendize...
Jones
]]> 75923 2008-03-17 05:33:22 Third week! I´ve made it so far.

The script is realy taking shape now. Brother Sloan sent us a lot of information on other radio projects that he has been doing. Interesting reading for me as I am in this process of learning about and finding out what live radio drama is. After reading some of the responses given from the students of the other projects it really supported me in the idea of how this experience of the whole process would be and that it indeed has a lot to do with the process we are going through and not nececarily so much about the final product.

Well, this week we also assigned the tasks/positions of our live radio drama. As I have been working a lot with technical equipment and sound engineering in my work with musicals in Denmark, I took upon the role as technical director of our piece. I am very excited about doing this, I also think it is quite cool to be able to work in a real TV-studio. Maybe I will not have the big acting role in the piece, but that actually suits me perfect, I do not consider myself a great actor. I think I will contribute better this way.

I feel that the group is really getting closer to work more as a team now. Nobody is dictating and nobody is completely silent as well.

We got a task from Mr. Sloan, that we should listen to "War of the worlds" by Orson Welles and find out how they connect the different scenes. I downloaded the original piece from 1938 and listened to it on my iPod. Who would have believed that such an old radio transmission would end up being played on an iPod. Funny as technology and history evolves.

I was rather impressed by this old piece. The timing, the acting and the technical perfomance is quite impressive, I mean we are talking 1938? I have no hard time imagining how people at that time could be fooled.

I have great respect for Orson Wells and his ability to direct pieces. One of my favorite movies: Citizen Kane (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033467/) is also one of his masterpieces. The construction, the timing, the visual imagery/sound imagery and the way of doing things in a new way is impressive to me.

Well, this is it for now. I will report back to the station after next weeks adventures:)
Jones

]]> 73283 2008-03-09 13:30:03 Second week, second Live Audio (Radio) Drama seminar.

To sum of from last week:

I tried to analyse the basics of Live Audio (Radio) Drama (Do not know if that worked out well?)
We "played creative games" to create the settig of our drama - A16 (Working title I guess

Since last week I have been thinking a lot about where this seminar might end up. The seminar this monday though was much more unravveling than the first week. Maybe Brother Sloan tried to give the weak souls a chance to escape his crazy puzzling passion for Live Audio Drama, before we got into the real work, but anyway, this week gave me a fantastic positive feeling about the way we are going to do work in this seminar.

The third person narratives we did last week, we had to perform. I´m glad I did not forget mine at home:-)

For me, being an international student, whos first language by no means is English, I was a bit nervous to perfom the "piece" as I have never acted in other languages than Danish, and that I haven't done much either. Well, I feel that there where other people feeling a bit like me as well. None the less this execise loosened everyone up a bit and thereafter I feel that it was easier to be creative and free-thinking. This would turn out to be good as the next tasks was to start writing the infant stages of the script.

Anthony, the brother, Sloan asked us to come up with 5 scenes or relations between our cast. We divided these scenes into teams. Then a brief and rather confused walkthrough of the principles of script-writing, a book title comes into my fantasy; "Learn professional script writing in less than 5 minutes" - by Anthony Sloan. Anyway we got the basics and I guess that we will catch up on that later.

I found a very nice website in my research of how to write a good script:

http://www.irdp.co.uk/scripts.htm

I still must read more up on it, at first glance it seems as these models are a bit to structured and maybe that would kill some of that divine "creativity" we all strive for?

Well, me and Lunel jumped on the scene where the Manager Sarah and the Ecentscoordinator Glen has a telephone conversation. This is what we came up with so far:

__________________________________________________________

A16
By The Class
Clash of the 80s
Manager Sarah and Events-coordinator Glen
Lunel & Jonas

Telephone ringing

On the Telephone

Glen

Glitter, glam and grooves, you have reached events-coordinator Glen Sparks, how can I help you?

Sarah

Hi Glen, its Sarah here how are you, we have talk about something. Well, to my big surprise Patrick came into my office this morning asking me where he should put the 50 boxes of glitter balls and lighting equipment for some kind of 80s bash, that is supposedly happening on Friday, Friday Glen? This is NOT in my diary and I am trying to manage a business here.

Glen

Ehm… Hi Sarah, I was just about to give you a tinkle. Great so my boxes already arrived, that’s so grand.

Sarah

Grand? Grand is what I would consider the cost as stated on the three invoices Mandy walzed into my office this morning. I mean really Glen…

Glen

But but, Sarah, remember what a big hit my 60s party was last year? I just thought we should do something slightly more modern this year.

Sarah

Modern? The only thing modern in my office right now is my new Prada shoes and by the way Glen, I don’t think a Police drug search at your last 60s party can be seen as a big hit if you ask me it’s was slightly weedy.

Glen

This year it is going to be different, I see glitter, I see glam, brightly coloured lycra I see John Travolta in hot pants while he…

Sarah

STOP Glen, just stop it! You know Friday nights are reserved the regular Friday sessions, since all the equipment is non-refundable, how about we compromise and use it for our monthly bingo night for aged?

Glen

But Sarah, I have already booked the band.

Sarah

Band? You booked a band? And all this without consulting me?

Glen

Well, I had to act quick on it, since everybody is desperate to get “The Bats” after their recent reunion.

Sarah

Well, you have put me in a very compromising situation here any suggestions?

Glen

Maybe I can reschedule the band for Saturday?

Sarah

No, we have a wedding reception that day.

Glen

What about Thursday?

Sarah

No, ESKOM conference, which is well needed.

Glen

Monday?… that way I can do more promotion any way.

Sarah

Done!

_____________________________________________________________

We had so much fun writing it and laughed a lot. Maybe other people think that it is as funny as a lecture in medieval church designs, but that is not the point for me. We really worked the best we could and hearing the other participants laugh of the things that we intended to be funny was a very positive feeling. Also to hear the other scenes was a good expirience. I could really see how everybody had been working well on their scenes.

And suddently, the clock was five minutes past six... and nobody seemed even to bother taking that break they where talking about last week, or think about that we are doing thirty miutes more than other seminars. Time passes quickly when you have fun I guess...

Later, that week, wedensday or so, I was sitting at home reading the other scripts as they where popping in my e-mail inbox that only one of them was actually not a soap/comedy giggly laugh laugh punchline script? Does the term/genre "drama" include all that comedy? Or should we aim more at some more serious content....? hmmm... I like the comedy aspect... so far...

Third week comming up. I have heard rumours (Directly from Mr. Sloan) that we are going to record our third person narrative this time. The process seems to connect things...

Let's see.
Jonas

Bonus info this week: I now know where the Mendi lab is!
]]> 71372 2008-03-05 05:53:05 Introduction
Monday a quarter to four.... University of Cape Town....

I have been allocated to the "Live Audio (Radio) Drama" seminar as my second choice. So why have I choosed to do this seminar? Well I have always been interested in producing media, and producing things are not what my time in the academic world of university has been giving me to much of. So let's say I was interested in doing something a little different., cause that is what Anthony a.k.a. Brother Sloan gave the impression of at the introduction lecture.

I walk impatiantly around in the arts-block cellar pathways with bsolutely no idea of what I am going to be workig with from this day on. Well, that is not entirely true, I have an idea, a weak little glimps of an idea. Let's take it from the basics. I know what a radio is. I also belive to have a good sense of what a drama is, and the term live is quite familar to me as well. But to be sure I looked up these to words on Wikipedia, here is what I found, and my thoughts on them:

Radio:
"Radio is the transmission of signals, by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio

Okay...?, so we are dealing with a transmission of signals. We are dealing with the fact that we are transmitting a message through this medium called the radio. A sender and a reciever. As radio is non-visible, we will have to communicate through sound. That sounds simple to me, but what message shall we transmit? That must be my next question.

Drama:
"Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance.[1] It is derived from a Greek word meaning "action" (Classical Greek δράμα / dráma), derived from "to do" (Classical Greek δράω / dráō)." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drama

Fiction represented in performance... So firstly we are dealing with fiction. Fiction, the non-existing reality that we construct in various forms of media such as books, film, theater etc. Secondly we perform, we have to perform ficton. We have to act out this constructed reality that only exists in our work. That I understand as well, but it does start to not sound that easy.... hmmmm...

Live:

I was not able to find a specific definition of the term "live", so I have chosen to see this course's work as a form of art.

Therefore Live Art:

"Live Art is an art form where an artist makes art in front of an audience." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_art

Artist? Am I an artist? Phew... it really starts to sound difficult, am I going to make it through this seminar? Well, let's take it all down the basics again. We have to make art, and we have to present it to an audience.

Okay so far so good. Let's try to put all this together!

We, the students (the artists), have to produce an audio/radio drama in front of an audience. I now feel that I have the basics checked for continuing this seminar. I will now look into a little background and history of this form of art.

Live Radio Drama History:
As far as I what I have found out, Live radio dramas was born in the 1920s and earned much popularity between the introduction and the introduction of television in the 1950s where the interest for radio dramas fell.

The first radio dramas where often converted from popular musicals and operas and famous actors and actresses performed the plays live in the radio.

In 1938 Orson Wells directed the most famous radio drama of all time, War of the world, a radio drama about an planetary invasion of earth, which at the time was so convincing that many people actually believed in it and panicked.

Today it seems as live radio drama has limited popularity in mainstream radio.

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_drama

This weeks work and outcome:
This week brother Sloan asked us to come up with a venue and some characters for our collective script.

We ended up with a place we called A16. A beach/restaurant/theater resort.

Our characters are as follows:

Manager
Events-coordinator
Bartender
2 x Waiters/Waitresess
2 x Cleaning staff
Life Guard/Security guard

We also had to do a third person narrative of another person, that we are going to record soon. I guess this is an task to practise writing a narrative and reading it loud on a tape/audio medium.

I feel more comfortable now, but I am still a radio drama newbie. Let's see where Brother Sloan takes us this week...

Dam da da daam... [Mystic music]

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