On the day we did the recording, I stayed back with Zac afterwards as he "bounced out" the audio. I didn't actually ask what that means, but I'm guessing it's a basic, rough edit that basically gives you the basic feel for the timing and pacing of the scenes. Even without all the Ambience, Foley and Music, it still sounds pretty sweet. Again, I really made the right choice in selecting Marcus and Tammy. We all really worked well together and the dialogue meshes together nicely.
Unfortunately, this is where we ran into a few hitches.
Zac, the engineer, was only able to fully complete the first episode (pilot?) before work and moving and slaying Nihilghasts took up so much of is time, he couldn't do the remaining three episodes.
After having little luck contacting Ashley and Nick, I was FINALLY able to go in today, sit down with another young engineer by the name of Jack and plough through the editing of the those other episodes. I say we, but Jack did most of the button pressing while I played foreman and told him what I wanted things to sound. We weren't able to find the same music and sound beds Zac used, so we had to make do with what was at hand, but overall I'm quite pleased with the results. The music is suitably heroic, the dialogue flows naturally, the ambience is suitably understated and the sound effects are...er...effective.
Going back to the BBC Article, the author (authors?) suggests the following for the use of Foley:
"These should be used sparingly and effectively. They can be used functionally, e.g. door opening, or to create a mood, e.g. dogs barking in the distance on waste-land. If used to excess they become tedious and pointless."
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/arts/features/howtowrite/radio_think.shtml)
Basically, what they're saying is that while the use of music and sound effects enhance the production, they shouldn't take the place of good dialogue and story telling. They're the frosting but not the cake, the auditory equivalent of CGI.
It was for this reason I wanted to keep the music to the intro and outro themes, rather than cluttering the episodes with incidental stings or interludes. The important climaxes are indicated by the end themes, kinda like that sting on Doctor Who.
We included a some ambience for the outside scenes and the scene down in the computer lab, though neither are so loud as to draw attention to themselves, and just add to the atmosphere of the world we've created. Sound effects are few and functional. A splash when a character falls into the pool, the cocking of a gun when Drake is threatened and electronic sounds for when the Computer processes information. (The Computer, is a character exclusive to the audio adventures, another role for Tammy, since I dragged her all the way out to Springfield. Plus, she does a really good computer voice.)
Nick will be posting the episodes on the Official Phoenix Radio Facebook page and will likely air them on the station at some point too! That's TREMENDOUSLY exciting, as it means that people will be listening to my work, whether they want to or not. (muahhahaha) I'll probably consider setting up a PodBean account and posting those episodes there too for the general public.
Depending on how the existing episodes are received and availability of myself, the actors and the Springfield Studios, there's a good possibility that more episodes can be made in the future. I know I'm keen and it's certainly something to add to the ol' Resume.
Stay Tuned, Ladies and Gents ;)
Nate.
P.S. I was joking about the Nihilghasts. There's no actual way to kill those things. If you see one, avert your eyes right away and just LEG IT!
Friday, February 28, 2014
And ACTION
Finally, the moment this incarnation of my BCA project has been building up to.
On the 13th of February, I finally recorded the first four episodes of Drake Mandible out at the Springfield Uni Campus.
EXCITE!
I was SUPER fortunate enough to be able to get Marcus Oborn and Tammy Linde to lend their voices for the Adventures of Drake Mandible and my GOODNESS were they the right choices.
All during the recording, they were attentive, professional, fun (without going overboard) and were quick to grasp my vision for the series and perform accordingly. (Would Recommend!) Even Zac, the sound engineering student Nick and Ashley assigned to us was agreeable, helpful and -above all- actually knew what he was doing. Even with me still recovering from the dreaded lurgy, we were still able to pull of a top-notch performance, if I do say so myself.
Recording went pretty smoothly, knocked over in a few hours. Now while we didn't have time for a "live recording" in front of an audience, having all three actors in the booth at the same time really helped everything flow and feel more natural. The ability to bounce off each other really adds to the dynamic between each of the characters, and it's something that I'm excited to explore further.
***
Adapting my stories into script format was an interesting exercise for me. I ramble on a lot when I write and use a lot of what Dr Rebecca Scollen would refer to as "purple language", unnecessarily flowery words. But I think it works in the context of this series, it adds to the over the top flavour giving it a comedic twist. But since I'm limited to two to three pages per script, I learned how to keep each chapter concise, and therefore the attention of the audience. I'm also learning how to compress several chapters of the written story into a single audio episode. Short and snappy, keeps them happy. (Totes just made that up)
Structurally, I try to adhere to the same basic formula: Recap of the climactic event from the previous episode, resolving the situation then setting up the new situation, ending on a new climax then teasing the next episode. It seems to be working so far, so I don't see any reason to change it for now.
A few posts back, I mentioned Steve's observation of me starting to find my own voice and style of writing, and this became more apparent when upon reading my scripts aloud, Marcus and Tammy declared that they were "Nate on a Page." I guess the off-kilter, faux-cheesy the writing reflects my personality well.
I think the humour of the series comes from the mock-serious tone, trying but not quite succeeding in being witty, but still somehow charmingly unusual. Sort of like a man trying to hobnob with the top-nobs at a garden party, but his dinner jacket is three sizes too big and one of his trouser legs is missing. And the man acknowledges his curious appearance with sly winks to the onlookers, even as he carries on behaving as straight-laced as everyone else. And in any case, he enjoys the breeze around his left knee.
Then, of course the tone shifts in "The Interlude" and it's like the skewiff gentlemen flips out and stabs the nearest waiter to death with a toothpick, then sits in the punchbowl and sobs...
Er...yes...I believe this simile has run amok on me.
Stay Tuned, Ladies and Gents ;)
On the 13th of February, I finally recorded the first four episodes of Drake Mandible out at the Springfield Uni Campus.
EXCITE!
I was SUPER fortunate enough to be able to get Marcus Oborn and Tammy Linde to lend their voices for the Adventures of Drake Mandible and my GOODNESS were they the right choices.
All during the recording, they were attentive, professional, fun (without going overboard) and were quick to grasp my vision for the series and perform accordingly. (Would Recommend!) Even Zac, the sound engineering student Nick and Ashley assigned to us was agreeable, helpful and -above all- actually knew what he was doing. Even with me still recovering from the dreaded lurgy, we were still able to pull of a top-notch performance, if I do say so myself.
Recording went pretty smoothly, knocked over in a few hours. Now while we didn't have time for a "live recording" in front of an audience, having all three actors in the booth at the same time really helped everything flow and feel more natural. The ability to bounce off each other really adds to the dynamic between each of the characters, and it's something that I'm excited to explore further.
***
Adapting my stories into script format was an interesting exercise for me. I ramble on a lot when I write and use a lot of what Dr Rebecca Scollen would refer to as "purple language", unnecessarily flowery words. But I think it works in the context of this series, it adds to the over the top flavour giving it a comedic twist. But since I'm limited to two to three pages per script, I learned how to keep each chapter concise, and therefore the attention of the audience. I'm also learning how to compress several chapters of the written story into a single audio episode. Short and snappy, keeps them happy. (Totes just made that up)
Structurally, I try to adhere to the same basic formula: Recap of the climactic event from the previous episode, resolving the situation then setting up the new situation, ending on a new climax then teasing the next episode. It seems to be working so far, so I don't see any reason to change it for now.
A few posts back, I mentioned Steve's observation of me starting to find my own voice and style of writing, and this became more apparent when upon reading my scripts aloud, Marcus and Tammy declared that they were "Nate on a Page." I guess the off-kilter, faux-cheesy the writing reflects my personality well.
I think the humour of the series comes from the mock-serious tone, trying but not quite succeeding in being witty, but still somehow charmingly unusual. Sort of like a man trying to hobnob with the top-nobs at a garden party, but his dinner jacket is three sizes too big and one of his trouser legs is missing. And the man acknowledges his curious appearance with sly winks to the onlookers, even as he carries on behaving as straight-laced as everyone else. And in any case, he enjoys the breeze around his left knee.
Then, of course the tone shifts in "The Interlude" and it's like the skewiff gentlemen flips out and stabs the nearest waiter to death with a toothpick, then sits in the punchbowl and sobs...
Er...yes...I believe this simile has run amok on me.
Stay Tuned, Ladies and Gents ;)
"When we last left our hero..."
...he was a very different character than when we first met him two years ago.
When I created the Character of Drake Mandible, there wasn't a whole lot to him in terms of depth. I adopted a very "what you see is what you get" mentality while writing. Drake is a living embodiment of the action hero archetype: Capable of extraordinary physical feats, gifted with improbable aiming skills and protected with layer upon layer of plot-amour.
Like I said, the purpose behind DM is to put a character in a series of predicaments that they can they easily resolve (or convenient providence) and ALWAYS save the day.
The only character flaws, to speak of are slightly crooked teeth and a slightly worse cook than his younger brother. He only fails when it's comedically appropriate, but never enough to have any serious impact on his life, merely an inconvenience to be sidestepped.
The "Interlude Saga" changes all that. For the first time, we see Drake Mandible in a situation where he is in over his head.
Zagori was Drake's personal trial by fire. Before, he had been fairly easy going and assured of his own competence. The younger Drake was also not above killing, though only anyone he considered a big enough threat to those around them.
This particular scenario pushes all his skills to the limits as he not only fights for his life, but for the life of another man.
And fails.
For the first time, we see that even Drake Mandible doesn't in fact win every time. But while this was the darkest moment in his life, it also heralds a change. A shift of values and beliefs that have shaped him into the man we know today.
Zagori taught Drake both to value human life and to embrace his own.
With the man's considerable, talent, determination and wealth, he could turn his hand to anything and excel at it.
However, the events in his past have influenced him more than he realises, to the point where violence has become second nature to Drake. Unlike Aryal, he is unable to find the peace that allows him to lead a normal life. Instead, he harnesses his knowledge, riches and fighting prowess to use for good, to protect others and punish wrongdoers. He pushes his mind and body to further extremes than ever before until he can exert total control over both. He learns restraint, how to incapacitate without killing. He completely overhauls his armoury so every weapon is non-lethal. He will still fight, but now he has something to fight for.
In previous instalments, Jake has demonstrated similar abilities to his brother, alluding to a violent past, but Jake has been able to achieve a sense of normalcy, opening his own restaurant and preparing to settle down and start a family. Perhaps the reason for Drake's irritation at his brother is due to the fact that he can simply turn off his violent nature and ignore the craving for excitement inherent in all Mandibles, whereas Drake cannot. Or perhaps Jake simply did not go down the same path as his younger brother.
Blake Mandible, the middle sibling, also leads a life of action and adventure, carrying out unsavoury tasks for various governmental bodies. Perhaps she cannot find peace either, and empathizes with her brother, but doesn't want him to stray back down that particular path.
This sibling dynamic is worth exploring in future episodes. I'm also curious as to how it might play out in an audio medium.
Stay Tuned, Ladies and Gents ;)
Nate.
When I created the Character of Drake Mandible, there wasn't a whole lot to him in terms of depth. I adopted a very "what you see is what you get" mentality while writing. Drake is a living embodiment of the action hero archetype: Capable of extraordinary physical feats, gifted with improbable aiming skills and protected with layer upon layer of plot-amour.
Like I said, the purpose behind DM is to put a character in a series of predicaments that they can they easily resolve (or convenient providence) and ALWAYS save the day.
The only character flaws, to speak of are slightly crooked teeth and a slightly worse cook than his younger brother. He only fails when it's comedically appropriate, but never enough to have any serious impact on his life, merely an inconvenience to be sidestepped.
The "Interlude Saga" changes all that. For the first time, we see Drake Mandible in a situation where he is in over his head.
Zagori was Drake's personal trial by fire. Before, he had been fairly easy going and assured of his own competence. The younger Drake was also not above killing, though only anyone he considered a big enough threat to those around them.
This particular scenario pushes all his skills to the limits as he not only fights for his life, but for the life of another man.
And fails.
For the first time, we see that even Drake Mandible doesn't in fact win every time. But while this was the darkest moment in his life, it also heralds a change. A shift of values and beliefs that have shaped him into the man we know today.
Zagori taught Drake both to value human life and to embrace his own.
With the man's considerable, talent, determination and wealth, he could turn his hand to anything and excel at it.
However, the events in his past have influenced him more than he realises, to the point where violence has become second nature to Drake. Unlike Aryal, he is unable to find the peace that allows him to lead a normal life. Instead, he harnesses his knowledge, riches and fighting prowess to use for good, to protect others and punish wrongdoers. He pushes his mind and body to further extremes than ever before until he can exert total control over both. He learns restraint, how to incapacitate without killing. He completely overhauls his armoury so every weapon is non-lethal. He will still fight, but now he has something to fight for.
In previous instalments, Jake has demonstrated similar abilities to his brother, alluding to a violent past, but Jake has been able to achieve a sense of normalcy, opening his own restaurant and preparing to settle down and start a family. Perhaps the reason for Drake's irritation at his brother is due to the fact that he can simply turn off his violent nature and ignore the craving for excitement inherent in all Mandibles, whereas Drake cannot. Or perhaps Jake simply did not go down the same path as his younger brother.
Blake Mandible, the middle sibling, also leads a life of action and adventure, carrying out unsavoury tasks for various governmental bodies. Perhaps she cannot find peace either, and empathizes with her brother, but doesn't want him to stray back down that particular path.
This sibling dynamic is worth exploring in future episodes. I'm also curious as to how it might play out in an audio medium.
Stay Tuned, Ladies and Gents ;)
Nate.
Steve...Steve...Steve
One of the struggles I've had with this project is actually being able to get feedback from my readers (apart from "really good" and "I love it")
A while back, I was lucky enough to get some really good advice from Steve Pirie. Got so much good stuff, I had to split it all into two blog posts. Anyway, more recently, I was able to get some more feedback, having implemented some of his suggestions into my writing. This is his response to the "Interlude Saga."
Sweet, nice one dude.
Definitely feels like a shift in tone compared to the last time I read through. I like this new one, it seems to stand a little closer to what you mentioned your inspiration was before.
Yay me! Of course, I don't want this to be permanent. I may bring it back, but it's not the direction I want to stick with.
Blimey, I can't even remember what that inspiration was, though I'm assuming it's Matthew Reilly. Actually, now I think about it, I seem to have unconsciously mirrored Scarecrow, one of his most popular books. In Reilly's novel, the main character Schofield (much like Drake in Part Five) goes into what they call a Heroic Blue Screen of Death. (7.)
Schofield has managed to defy the odds and come out ahead of the pack in every previous occasion, yet this time he does not and the effect on him is unlike anything seen before in the series. For once, he is powerless and we see his human side, his despair and his vulnerability, we see it with Drake too.
A while back, I was lucky enough to get some really good advice from Steve Pirie. Got so much good stuff, I had to split it all into two blog posts. Anyway, more recently, I was able to get some more feedback, having implemented some of his suggestions into my writing. This is his response to the "Interlude Saga."
Sweet, nice one dude.
Definitely feels like a shift in tone compared to the last time I read through. I like this new one, it seems to stand a little closer to what you mentioned your inspiration was before.
Yay me! Of course, I don't want this to be permanent. I may bring it back, but it's not the direction I want to stick with.
Blimey, I can't even remember what that inspiration was, though I'm assuming it's Matthew Reilly. Actually, now I think about it, I seem to have unconsciously mirrored Scarecrow, one of his most popular books. In Reilly's novel, the main character Schofield (much like Drake in Part Five) goes into what they call a Heroic Blue Screen of Death. (7.)
Schofield has managed to defy the odds and come out ahead of the pack in every previous occasion, yet this time he does not and the effect on him is unlike anything seen before in the series. For once, he is powerless and we see his human side, his despair and his vulnerability, we see it with Drake too.
Drake's scenario is not quite the same, his despair is never so great he tries to take his own life, but he is noticeably affected, and acts completely out of character as a result, even going so far as to attack his faithful butler. Both heroes are plunged into their darkest moment, but with time and the aid of their most trusted allies, manage to recover.
Yes, they things will never be quite the same, but they persevere and survive.
I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but you had plans to turn this into something more illustrative, didn't you? Like a graphic novel or radio play? I feel like with the story you are trying to tell, one of these mediums would serve the Drake series better than perhaps a straight novel.
Haha, funny you should mention that. Yep, my intention was never to throw an entire story at everyone in one great bit whack, rather incrementally, to keep them more invested. And while it wasn't my idea (thanks again Maddie) to do so, I am indeed adapting the series into a radio play (well a podcast series to be more accurate) I love podcasts, because they give my brain something to do while my hands are busy with some menial task. That's why it's good for the series to become something that people can listen to whenever, take with them on their iDevice as they run or do the dishes or whatever.
Other than that, I think you've become more comfortable with working toward your own voice, I can tell the story is yours and while that might seem simple, it can take a while to get that together. Nice one!
Again, I'm glad that I'm developing my own style (more on that later) and the DM series is probably the best way to do it. Never have I been this invested in the one creative project.
Until next time
Stay Tuned, Ladies and Gents ;)
Nate.
Yes, they things will never be quite the same, but they persevere and survive.
I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but you had plans to turn this into something more illustrative, didn't you? Like a graphic novel or radio play? I feel like with the story you are trying to tell, one of these mediums would serve the Drake series better than perhaps a straight novel.
Haha, funny you should mention that. Yep, my intention was never to throw an entire story at everyone in one great bit whack, rather incrementally, to keep them more invested. And while it wasn't my idea (thanks again Maddie) to do so, I am indeed adapting the series into a radio play (well a podcast series to be more accurate) I love podcasts, because they give my brain something to do while my hands are busy with some menial task. That's why it's good for the series to become something that people can listen to whenever, take with them on their iDevice as they run or do the dishes or whatever.
Other than that, I think you've become more comfortable with working toward your own voice, I can tell the story is yours and while that might seem simple, it can take a while to get that together. Nice one!
Again, I'm glad that I'm developing my own style (more on that later) and the DM series is probably the best way to do it. Never have I been this invested in the one creative project.
Until next time
Stay Tuned, Ladies and Gents ;)
Nate.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Make a Write
When I first read the article featured in the previous blog, a rebellious little part of me thought "You know what? What does that Crook guy know? Well, quite a bit as it turns out.
I turned to the BBC and their site How to Write, which contains all sorts of useful tidbits about writing in various formats, including a radio play. (A bit odd if these never got off the ground in the UK, but I digress.)
The article "How to Write a Radio Play" is found here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/arts/features/howtowrite/radio_struc.shtml
In the article, award-winning writer of radio plays, Mike Walker has a similar view to Crook:
"What you're aiming to do at the beginning of a play is hit the ground running. You don't want to spend time introducing, laying the ground work and saying this and that. You just want to get in there and grab the listener so that the drama is moving from the very second the play begins."
But as I mentioned earlier, since each script runs at about two minutes each, I don't think that starting off slowly is going to hurt the play. It's slow, but it's short enough so that the listeners (hopefully) don't grow bored.
In terms of characters, they suggest no more than six characters in every half hour play. (Does that mean I need less in a shorter play? Probably) Each episode I've written so far consists of an Announcer and a Narrator (both voiced by me, but with different accents and vocal qualities) and no more than three named characters per episode. No more than two characters interact with each other at a time, which should keep it easier for listeners to tell who is who. The other advantage to this is that I require less actors.
"Each [character] will have their own individual speech mannerisms. Don't have them all speaking in your tone of voice."
Each voice I've already established within my scripts, is unique:
The Announcer: Loud and booming like an old-time ham radio personality.
The Narrator: Relatively neutral, very much like my own voice.
Drake Mandible: Smooth, cheerful, classy, reassuring or hard-edged when needs to be.
Nickelby: Archetypal British butler, mature, measured voice.
The Assassin: Low and sultry, with an indeterminable European accent.
The Computer: Electronic (like that lady you hear on your message bank)
Jake Mandible: Can be similar to Drake (they ARE brothers after all) but a bit higher. Rougher around the edges, with a surfer dude/ bogan quality. Perpetually friendly.
This encourages my actors to test their versatility with characters that are noticeably different from each other.
As the series progresses, I will be slowly introducing more characters, which may necessitate finding more actors for these roles.
Walker then explains the need to establish the characters early on, which I hope I've managed to do with the first lines of each character:
The Announcer: THE ADVENTURES OF DRAKE MANDIBLE (Audience instantly knows this is the announcer)
Drake: My goodness, what a magnificent morning! (Suggests intelligence/masculinity and also sets up the precedence for Drake being a little old fashioned.)
The Assassin: Mr Mandible, I presume. (Mysterious, beguiling and possibly a little dangerous)
Jake: Hey, hey, little bro! (Perpetually cheerful, laid back demeanour)
Again, once the story progresses, the characters will change and develop further but for now, these first lines of dialogue establishes the characters as they stand.
That's about it this time. Stay tuned, ladies and Gents ;)
Nate.
I turned to the BBC and their site How to Write, which contains all sorts of useful tidbits about writing in various formats, including a radio play. (A bit odd if these never got off the ground in the UK, but I digress.)
The article "How to Write a Radio Play" is found here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/arts/features/howtowrite/radio_struc.shtml
In the article, award-winning writer of radio plays, Mike Walker has a similar view to Crook:
"What you're aiming to do at the beginning of a play is hit the ground running. You don't want to spend time introducing, laying the ground work and saying this and that. You just want to get in there and grab the listener so that the drama is moving from the very second the play begins."
But as I mentioned earlier, since each script runs at about two minutes each, I don't think that starting off slowly is going to hurt the play. It's slow, but it's short enough so that the listeners (hopefully) don't grow bored.
In terms of characters, they suggest no more than six characters in every half hour play. (Does that mean I need less in a shorter play? Probably) Each episode I've written so far consists of an Announcer and a Narrator (both voiced by me, but with different accents and vocal qualities) and no more than three named characters per episode. No more than two characters interact with each other at a time, which should keep it easier for listeners to tell who is who. The other advantage to this is that I require less actors.
"Each [character] will have their own individual speech mannerisms. Don't have them all speaking in your tone of voice."
Each voice I've already established within my scripts, is unique:
The Announcer: Loud and booming like an old-time ham radio personality.
The Narrator: Relatively neutral, very much like my own voice.
Drake Mandible: Smooth, cheerful, classy, reassuring or hard-edged when needs to be.
Nickelby: Archetypal British butler, mature, measured voice.
The Assassin: Low and sultry, with an indeterminable European accent.
The Computer: Electronic (like that lady you hear on your message bank)
Jake Mandible: Can be similar to Drake (they ARE brothers after all) but a bit higher. Rougher around the edges, with a surfer dude/ bogan quality. Perpetually friendly.
This encourages my actors to test their versatility with characters that are noticeably different from each other.
As the series progresses, I will be slowly introducing more characters, which may necessitate finding more actors for these roles.
Walker then explains the need to establish the characters early on, which I hope I've managed to do with the first lines of each character:
The Announcer: THE ADVENTURES OF DRAKE MANDIBLE (Audience instantly knows this is the announcer)
Drake: My goodness, what a magnificent morning! (Suggests intelligence/masculinity and also sets up the precedence for Drake being a little old fashioned.)
The Assassin: Mr Mandible, I presume. (Mysterious, beguiling and possibly a little dangerous)
Jake: Hey, hey, little bro! (Perpetually cheerful, laid back demeanour)
Again, once the story progresses, the characters will change and develop further but for now, these first lines of dialogue establishes the characters as they stand.
That's about it this time. Stay tuned, ladies and Gents ;)
Nate.
Write Pun Here.
While researching how to write radio plays, stumbled across a fellow by the name of Tim Crook. While I was unable to acquire a copy of his book Radio Play, I was able to find an article of his entitled "Principles of Writing a Radio Drama" in which he had some choice things to say about the matter.
He opens with:
"Most radio drama is very badly written. Radio Drama is an endangered species. It has never taken hold of mainstream programming on commercial radio in the UK. It used to be mainstream in the States and in Australia, but lost out to TV in the mid to late fifties."
Cheery stuff.
However, I can't say I entirely agree with this statement.
Okay, yes, there are VERY few radio stations that still play any kind of serialized adventures, and it certainly has been overshadowed by television. Yet even the colossus that is the idiot box is beginning to lose out to the internet. If these mediums are to survive, they must adapt. Just as many TV series are available to download onto our computers when it suits us, Audio Drama has found a second (if smaller) life online in the form of Podcasts. Groups such as Pendant Productions, RadioLovers and On Air are dedicated to bringing back the serialized adventure to the ears and minds of people everywhere.
And that's what I want to achieve with the audio adaptation of Drake Mandible.
Mr. Crook also provides a set of rules and guidelines for writing and developing a successful radio play. Sadly I've not really adhered very close to some of them.
Basically, the beginning of the series is a big deal, it's make or break. Crook explains what he calls the "Moment of Arrival" in which you drop the readers into the story, right in the middle of the action.
"Don't give them a warm bed with comfortable pillows and a hot water bottle. The background and sub-text of previous histories is better explored through revelation in dramatic action. So parachute your listener into a top dramatic moment."
Well. Dropped the ball on that one.
My first episode consists of the hero waking up and going about his daily business. Hardly thrilling stuff.
However, I stand by my decision.
I believe that the plays Crook is expecting to be written are about 15-25 minutes in length. In which case, YES it would be better to deposit the readers along with your character in a dire situation. However, since the length of each episode of Drake Mandible is roughly 2 minutes in total, this isn't strictly necessary. The other reason is that I've gone for a "dynamic" tone in my writing, which will hopefully translate onto tape (well onto digital file)
The idea behind Drake Mandible is that the man is such an archetypal, Alpha Male Action Hero, that even the most boring parts of his life stay interesting. In fact, the first inkling of danger doesn't come until the end of the second episode. But when there's not action, there's humour, derived from the fact that some omnipresent voice is narrating the life of one man, who the entire universe seems to revolve around (Note: Consider playing with self-awareness in future episodes?) The first episode serves to set the tone of the series. Light-hearted, good clean fun. (for now).The other is that builds a sense of intrigue with the introduction of the female stranger, foreshadowing a recurring component of the series.
Since we live in an uber-connected world where we can get so much at the click of a button, it makes sense to cater to this "get it now" mentality we have developed. Attentions spans are shorter, so the individual episodes of Drake Mandible are shorter. And this will hopefully make the readers come back for more. In fact, these short plays are probably the shortest things I've ever written, as an admitted rambler.
Oh sure, I probably still ramble, but it's not as noticeable when you can break it up with wacky sound effects.
Another big sticking point for Mr Crook is how there must be a balance between character and plot. Drake Mandible has always been primarily plot driven, like I've said, the idea is to put a character into increasingly ridiculous situations and have him find a way out, that's either equally ridiculous, ridiculously cool, or even just comically pragmatic.
So yes, I am again flouting Crook's rules, but I justify it again with the fact that these are small, sharp instalments of a greater narrative. Drake Mandible is not meant to be a identifiable character, but he IS a recognizable one. He is a capable hero, who takes everything in his stride, even going so far as to enjoy every situation he's in, regardless of the risk. And yes, I do live vicariously through the guy. Sue me. This doesn't mean that there WON'T be character development. The written series is starting to incorporate this, but for now, the podcast will just be pulpy, over the top, action/adventure fun.
I HAVE however, been careful to include a climactic moment at the end of each chapter, usually to be resolved in the following instalment and ALWAYS pointed out (sometimes unnecessarily so) by the Announcer.
Episode One: A mysterious stranger has come to Mandible Manor.
Episode Two: The stranger pulls a gun on Drake.
Episode Three: Drake incapacitates the assassin, but she escapes.
Four: Drake's investigation is interrupted by familial matters.
Another suggestion I HAVE been able to adhere to in the writing of this series is
"Modulate charm with alarm...humour with tension...tension with humour..."
I don't know how well I've done this, but I've given it a go.
In the First Episode, Drake's attempts to impress a lady go comically awry, unexpected for someone purported to be so competent.
Later, even when faced with the possibility of death, Drake still can't resist a cheeky bit of fun at the expense of the woman pointing a gun at him.
The fourth episode introduces his almost bogan-y brother, who derives comedy from his stark contrast in voice and manner from his brother, yet there are hints of tension as Drake is reluctant to talk Jake.
I guess what I'm saying is that I'm using Crook's rules as guidelines more than gospel. After all this is MY project and its up to me to decide how the writing goes.
SO THERE :p
Stay tuned, Ladies and Gents ;)
Nate.
http://www.irdp.co.uk/scripts.htm)
He opens with:
"Most radio drama is very badly written. Radio Drama is an endangered species. It has never taken hold of mainstream programming on commercial radio in the UK. It used to be mainstream in the States and in Australia, but lost out to TV in the mid to late fifties."
Cheery stuff.
However, I can't say I entirely agree with this statement.
Okay, yes, there are VERY few radio stations that still play any kind of serialized adventures, and it certainly has been overshadowed by television. Yet even the colossus that is the idiot box is beginning to lose out to the internet. If these mediums are to survive, they must adapt. Just as many TV series are available to download onto our computers when it suits us, Audio Drama has found a second (if smaller) life online in the form of Podcasts. Groups such as Pendant Productions, RadioLovers and On Air are dedicated to bringing back the serialized adventure to the ears and minds of people everywhere.
And that's what I want to achieve with the audio adaptation of Drake Mandible.
Mr. Crook also provides a set of rules and guidelines for writing and developing a successful radio play. Sadly I've not really adhered very close to some of them.
Basically, the beginning of the series is a big deal, it's make or break. Crook explains what he calls the "Moment of Arrival" in which you drop the readers into the story, right in the middle of the action.
"Don't give them a warm bed with comfortable pillows and a hot water bottle. The background and sub-text of previous histories is better explored through revelation in dramatic action. So parachute your listener into a top dramatic moment."
Well. Dropped the ball on that one.
My first episode consists of the hero waking up and going about his daily business. Hardly thrilling stuff.
However, I stand by my decision.
I believe that the plays Crook is expecting to be written are about 15-25 minutes in length. In which case, YES it would be better to deposit the readers along with your character in a dire situation. However, since the length of each episode of Drake Mandible is roughly 2 minutes in total, this isn't strictly necessary. The other reason is that I've gone for a "dynamic" tone in my writing, which will hopefully translate onto tape (well onto digital file)
The idea behind Drake Mandible is that the man is such an archetypal, Alpha Male Action Hero, that even the most boring parts of his life stay interesting. In fact, the first inkling of danger doesn't come until the end of the second episode. But when there's not action, there's humour, derived from the fact that some omnipresent voice is narrating the life of one man, who the entire universe seems to revolve around (Note: Consider playing with self-awareness in future episodes?) The first episode serves to set the tone of the series. Light-hearted, good clean fun. (for now).The other is that builds a sense of intrigue with the introduction of the female stranger, foreshadowing a recurring component of the series.
Since we live in an uber-connected world where we can get so much at the click of a button, it makes sense to cater to this "get it now" mentality we have developed. Attentions spans are shorter, so the individual episodes of Drake Mandible are shorter. And this will hopefully make the readers come back for more. In fact, these short plays are probably the shortest things I've ever written, as an admitted rambler.
Oh sure, I probably still ramble, but it's not as noticeable when you can break it up with wacky sound effects.
Another big sticking point for Mr Crook is how there must be a balance between character and plot. Drake Mandible has always been primarily plot driven, like I've said, the idea is to put a character into increasingly ridiculous situations and have him find a way out, that's either equally ridiculous, ridiculously cool, or even just comically pragmatic.
So yes, I am again flouting Crook's rules, but I justify it again with the fact that these are small, sharp instalments of a greater narrative. Drake Mandible is not meant to be a identifiable character, but he IS a recognizable one. He is a capable hero, who takes everything in his stride, even going so far as to enjoy every situation he's in, regardless of the risk. And yes, I do live vicariously through the guy. Sue me. This doesn't mean that there WON'T be character development. The written series is starting to incorporate this, but for now, the podcast will just be pulpy, over the top, action/adventure fun.
I HAVE however, been careful to include a climactic moment at the end of each chapter, usually to be resolved in the following instalment and ALWAYS pointed out (sometimes unnecessarily so) by the Announcer.
Episode One: A mysterious stranger has come to Mandible Manor.
Episode Two: The stranger pulls a gun on Drake.
Episode Three: Drake incapacitates the assassin, but she escapes.
Four: Drake's investigation is interrupted by familial matters.
Another suggestion I HAVE been able to adhere to in the writing of this series is
"Modulate charm with alarm...humour with tension...tension with humour..."
I don't know how well I've done this, but I've given it a go.
In the First Episode, Drake's attempts to impress a lady go comically awry, unexpected for someone purported to be so competent.
Later, even when faced with the possibility of death, Drake still can't resist a cheeky bit of fun at the expense of the woman pointing a gun at him.
The fourth episode introduces his almost bogan-y brother, who derives comedy from his stark contrast in voice and manner from his brother, yet there are hints of tension as Drake is reluctant to talk Jake.
I guess what I'm saying is that I'm using Crook's rules as guidelines more than gospel. After all this is MY project and its up to me to decide how the writing goes.
SO THERE :p
Stay tuned, Ladies and Gents ;)
Nate.
http://www.irdp.co.uk/scripts.htm)
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Timtamy. Hahaha.
This feedback was given to me by Tammy Linde. Cheers Tammy!
I really enjoy the way that they are short, sharp and shiny with a cut off ending. It makes me want to click into the next episode to continue reading.
Excellent. This was exactly what I wanted for the series overall, always leave them wanting more. As a kid, my Dad gave me this collection of school magazines, which contained poems, articles, short plays and (most importantly) serialized stories. Sometimes there would just be a done-in-one, but the ones that really kept me invested were the serials. After I'd read part of a story, I could barely wait to dig through the rest of the mags to find the next part.
I usually keep each instalment of Drake Mandible to about 200-500 words in length: short and manageable, helpful for people who don't have a lot of time to sit down and read a whole novel.(or anyone with a short attention span like me) Yes, each segment connects, chapters in an overall story, but by keeping the instalments short and sharp, I hope to invest readers in the long term series, make them keep coming back for more. The "cut-off endings" were also intentional. The best way to get a reader to come back is with a cliffhanger, because if you do it right, they'll want to know what happens next, how the protagonist gets out of the situation you've put them in. To keep things interesting, I vary the danger level at the end of each instalment. For example, Episode 3 ends with Drake humiliating himself in front of this mysterious stranger, but in Episode 4, the stranger threatens Drake with a revolver. Now arguably each climactic point should have equally high stakes, but I prefer to keep the reader guessing.
One of the ideas behind the character of Drake, is that he is so dynamic, that even the most mundane of his activities are interesting: He doesn't just take out his retainer in the mornings, he bounces it off the wall into the glass of water without even using his hands! His breakfast is served every morning by his English Butler, who also appears to be a world class chef and lives in a mansion with it's own subterranean laboratory and armoury! I wanted to derive humour from the fact that his life is so ludicrous but he takes everything in his stride, even embracing the insanity as though everyone else on earth does the exact same thing.
I find the gun thing a little odd, but in a positive quirky way - every comic needs to have its special quirk, yours is the gun specs.
Yeah. I think I mentioned earlier that this was something I borrowed (stole?) from Matthew Reilly, who is not only one of my favourite authors, but also researches the HECK out EVERYTHING that goes into his story. Now admittedly, I don't do nearly as much research, but I DO like to find out about guns. I don't know why the difference between a UMP Submachine Gun and an MP9 machine pistol is so fascinating to me, but whatever the reason, I have Mr. Reilly to thank.
Glad you like the gun-specs Tammy, because they are here to stay : D
I think one way of increasing your readership would be to release the instalments via a blog site, rather than Facebook. Only because I would be a more consistent follower of your blog posts as I have an RSS feed. Unfortunately I can't put a facebook page into my subscription list. You could still have the FB page for promotional things and asking questions as you have been. And you can update the facebook status with a link to the blog post for that week's episode.
Maddie Barlow also suggested this. Admittedly, posting to Facebook gives me a pretty limited audience, but then again, when I started off, I was only writing for myself and my friends. However, sharing my work with a wider audience is kind of an exciting notion! I do actually have another blog, that just has each instalment as a different post, but I don't really know how best to promote it. At least on Facebook, I am guaranteed views, whereas i have very little idea if anyone reads the blog version at all.
Something for me to think about.
Stay tuned, Ladies and Gents ;)
Nate.
I really enjoy the way that they are short, sharp and shiny with a cut off ending. It makes me want to click into the next episode to continue reading.
Excellent. This was exactly what I wanted for the series overall, always leave them wanting more. As a kid, my Dad gave me this collection of school magazines, which contained poems, articles, short plays and (most importantly) serialized stories. Sometimes there would just be a done-in-one, but the ones that really kept me invested were the serials. After I'd read part of a story, I could barely wait to dig through the rest of the mags to find the next part.
I usually keep each instalment of Drake Mandible to about 200-500 words in length: short and manageable, helpful for people who don't have a lot of time to sit down and read a whole novel.(or anyone with a short attention span like me) Yes, each segment connects, chapters in an overall story, but by keeping the instalments short and sharp, I hope to invest readers in the long term series, make them keep coming back for more. The "cut-off endings" were also intentional. The best way to get a reader to come back is with a cliffhanger, because if you do it right, they'll want to know what happens next, how the protagonist gets out of the situation you've put them in. To keep things interesting, I vary the danger level at the end of each instalment. For example, Episode 3 ends with Drake humiliating himself in front of this mysterious stranger, but in Episode 4, the stranger threatens Drake with a revolver. Now arguably each climactic point should have equally high stakes, but I prefer to keep the reader guessing.
One of the ideas behind the character of Drake, is that he is so dynamic, that even the most mundane of his activities are interesting: He doesn't just take out his retainer in the mornings, he bounces it off the wall into the glass of water without even using his hands! His breakfast is served every morning by his English Butler, who also appears to be a world class chef and lives in a mansion with it's own subterranean laboratory and armoury! I wanted to derive humour from the fact that his life is so ludicrous but he takes everything in his stride, even embracing the insanity as though everyone else on earth does the exact same thing.
I find the gun thing a little odd, but in a positive quirky way - every comic needs to have its special quirk, yours is the gun specs.
Yeah. I think I mentioned earlier that this was something I borrowed (stole?) from Matthew Reilly, who is not only one of my favourite authors, but also researches the HECK out EVERYTHING that goes into his story. Now admittedly, I don't do nearly as much research, but I DO like to find out about guns. I don't know why the difference between a UMP Submachine Gun and an MP9 machine pistol is so fascinating to me, but whatever the reason, I have Mr. Reilly to thank.
Glad you like the gun-specs Tammy, because they are here to stay : D
I think one way of increasing your readership would be to release the instalments via a blog site, rather than Facebook. Only because I would be a more consistent follower of your blog posts as I have an RSS feed. Unfortunately I can't put a facebook page into my subscription list. You could still have the FB page for promotional things and asking questions as you have been. And you can update the facebook status with a link to the blog post for that week's episode.
Maddie Barlow also suggested this. Admittedly, posting to Facebook gives me a pretty limited audience, but then again, when I started off, I was only writing for myself and my friends. However, sharing my work with a wider audience is kind of an exciting notion! I do actually have another blog, that just has each instalment as a different post, but I don't really know how best to promote it. At least on Facebook, I am guaranteed views, whereas i have very little idea if anyone reads the blog version at all.
Something for me to think about.
Stay tuned, Ladies and Gents ;)
Nate.
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