Thoughts.com Blogs - Week 6: In the Community

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