FIRST QUESTIONS - 'HOW DO I'? - Q. (question) and A. (Answer)
| Q: Where do I start? |
| A: SOME OPENING STATEMENTS |
| Then follow through the links at the end of each page. |
| Q: Can I get a job as a Radio Drama Director? Actor? |
| A: Radio Drama is the key to many media and creative jobs. |
| The answer also lies in self-professionalisation and networking. |
| Q: How do I start on a radio drama production? |
| A: You can start on the business side, as a Producer, with AUDITIONS |
| Q: What script do I choose? |
| A: What resources do you have? Start with something which is a limited number of minutes in broadcast length. It is better to do something that is well acted and post-produced as best as you can, rather than lose listeners. |
| What follows is my personal advice and apologies if it does not suit your needs. My advice is NOT to adapt a stage play for radio. The scenes will be too long and your choice of play could expose your actors too harshly. For example, it takes a lot of skill to act Shakespeare or modern classics on radio - best leave that to the professionals. Also, very few radio play scripts are in print, and again, I doubt if any of these are suitable. |
| Have due regard for copyright - and adapt a short story, especially if it is fantasy, sci-fi, non-realist, and you use a narrator. See ADAPTATIONS. |
| A small number of good actors is better than a larger cast with too much of an ability range. |
Crystal set 1920s
| Q. Do I need a radio drama studio? |
| A. Marvellous if you can work in one. But YOU DO NOT NEED A STUDIO. You can work in the 'real' locations - meaning, those locations which 'read' as the sound locations for the scenes.They do not need to look like the scenes on the page of the script at all. |
| Working OUTSIDE THE STUDIO is called ON LOCATION or OB ('outside broadcast'). You need to ensure that your recorded takes are good enough quality audio. So the dangers are: wind (and you cannot 'repair' this damage in post-production), airplanes overhead, traffic, passersby, odd shouting, and it all just takes more time for you and your actors, and the technical team. You are less in control. |
| Working OB: The benefits are: Actors can be more energised. You can get much more movement and perspective. Actors can run up to the microphone, and move distances away from the microphone. You get a lively sound. |
| You need to do more perhaps in post-production with OB audio. But you can cover problems with atmos, underscoring music. |
| I use a SONY MZ-NH700 - Sony Portable Minidisc (COST ABOUT £140). Beware - most minidisk machines on sale now have NO microphone input. Be very careful about this and make sure you buy a minidisc machine WITH a microphone input. |
Go back to WELCOME PAGE or on to SOME OPENING STATEMENTS - sound pictures and directing
