For this radio drama we didn't have to use a wide range of sound effects. As the story is depicted in an ordinary representation of ‘real life’, the use of extra ordinary sound effects wasn’t included. Amongst our utilization of Foley sounds included footsteps, a mobile phone ringing and (typical blood curdling) screams, whereas atmospheric or ambiance sounds were only utilized twice. Scene four is my favourite example of this – set in a typical busy coffee shop, sounds of distant conversations, the odd cellphone ringing, and light music can be heard under the dialogue of the two characters in the scene. Apart from the mentioned pre-recorded SFX already available to my group as part of the software we used, we did manually create a mobile conversation recording. This type of spot effect hasn't got a particular term for ti's creation but it basically involved using the recording application on a mobile phone to record the desired dialogue and then this was played back in the recording studio as we recorded it using the proper recording apparatus. this was to get a more authentic telephone conversation sound and it worked very well. Other new sound effects were created after we received our audience feedback. The same process we used for the recording of the script was used to individually create each new sound. Then we saved and added them to our desktop and kept them there until we were read to add them at a later date.
file:///Volumes/KERI/ringing%20sound.mp3
We also altered the sound of the prologue which was read by the main character still in role but speaking as if looking back on the occurrences which are later revealed in the rest of the story.
file:///Volumes/KERI/altered%20voice.mp3
KAITLAIN#: (CLOSE) (Sombre) That’s when it happened (.) Where my whole life changed before my very eyes (.) It’s hard to believe that it only started less than forty eight hours ago (.) I had just started my morning radio show without a care in the world.
We felt that installing an echoey tone to the sombre speech of this character added to conveying the past happenings.
Voice
As we only used a small handful of characters, we didn’t need to resort to too much differentiation between voices. With a bigger group of characters interacting in one scene, accents from example would be a good tool to help isolate a new line being said in a conversation. With our radio drama though, emotion was the chosen tool to translate the character personalities or essence of the mood in which a particular scene was planned to capture. Of course the details of each character’s background also influenced the emotions in which were illustrated by the actors as demnonstrated in the segment of scnene four below.file:///Volumes/KERI/KATEDARIUS.mp3
KAITLAIN#: (V.O) (Breathless) Oh (.) it’s you (.) I didn’t think I would ever see you again.
(ANOTHER CRASH OF THUNDER EXCEPT THIS TIME IT’S LOUDER)
DARIUS#: (V.O) (APPROACHING) (Menacing) You should have known better Kaitlain.
KAITLAIN#: (V.O) (Trying to sound confident but her voice wavers) It’s Kate now.
DARIUS#: (V.O) (Mocking) Oh Really (.) That’s not what your show is called (.) Is it (.) Kaitlain Ross.
KAITLAIN#: (V.O) (Scared) Stay away from me (.) Please just leave me alone.
(SOUND OF HER HIGH HEELS RUNNING AWAY)
DARIUS#: (V.O) (Mutters to himself in a threatening tone) That’s right Kaitlain (.) Run home to see your boyfriend (Almost a whisper) while you still can.
This above extract was taken from the ends of scene three – here we catch a conversation between stalker and innocent victim. Based on the background of Darius’ characterization, all through the drama his speech generally conveys both unstable aggression, but also uncomforting low husky tones associated with mysteriousness and menacing unnaturalness.
Kaitlain on the other hand is generally illustrated very ordinarily, so when it comes to hearing the emotion in her voice, the script allows her part to speak freely on the thoughts and questions in her mind. There are unsure or confused and threatened tones in her words, and when her part acts a s a general narration (or reflecting thoughts on the past events), the actor who played Kaitlain adapted a slightly melancholy, regretful tone –basically this part’s nature didn’t experience any happy of joyous moments, so didn’t express any while applying the voice.
Lucy Is Darius’ wife and understandable her characteristics involve timid withdrawn behavior. In the same way, the voice that accompanies her character’s speech is also timid, gentle and nervous sounding.
DARIUS#: (Quickly) This is my wife Lucy.
CARLOS#: (TO LUCY) (Bored) Hello Lucy.
LUCY#: (LOW) (Nervous) Hello
CARLOS#: (Concerned) (TO DARIUS) Is she okay?
(LUCY BURSTS INTO TEARS ON THE WORD YESTURDAY)
DARIUS#: She’s okay (.) she got some bad news yesterday (Threateningly to Lucy) didn’t you (Sweetly) Lucy?
LUCY#: (SWALLOWS) Yes I did.
(SHE SNIFFLES AS SHE WIPES HER TEARS AWAY)
Where Darius’ voice appears eerily low at times and then wildly loud in volume compared to Kaitlain's mid-volume, Lucy’s voice is always heard at a quiet, soft level.
Apart from Lucy, the other two sub-characters which are included to give more detail to the life of the central female are both coincidentally the more up-beat voices. A deliberate point however, with both Kaitlain’s best friend and boyfriend is that their parts are less informed to the full stresses of Kaitlain’s stalker so of course they will be displayed much less affected by the situation. Thus their tones are more cheery or inviting. Both characters’ first lines are said with pleasant exclamation even though the content of the script determines the following speech to include negative occurrences or topics. For example the final scene of the drama includes the violent unexpected death of the boyfriend and yet begins with an inviting social introduction between himself, Darius and Lucy.
Music
My radio drama doesn't actually use much music as we didn't want to distract from the storyline and acting of the characters within it. We injected music in the first 20 seconds after our prologue and used eerie music that encouraged a tense atmosphere to the scary actions of that part. But we also used this same tune to complete the cycle of the drama by placing it at the very end of the story after all the horrifics had happened. I feel that opening and closing with the same tune creates a sense of theme and communicates to the listeners that the story is now finished, but overall makes for a more professional finish. Although my group's intention was not to take away from what is happening in the story, only when it was relevant did we include music.
file:///Volumes/KERI/theme%20music.mp3
file:///Volumes/KERI/tense%20music.mp3
'The Unseen' uses silence as a tool to engage the listener onto a moment of differentiation between scenes and to create or build tension in certain scenes. In the first part of the drama, the opening line reads...
file:///Volumes/KERI/telephone%20cut%20off.mp3
LUCY#:(D) (Petrified) Please help me (.) Please I need some help (.) He’s just killed h-
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