P5: Record the different sound elements.
Below I have attached all the recordings that I did in the studio with my actors for all 7 scenes of my radio play.
Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3 Scene 4 Scene 5 Scene 6 Scene 7
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Scene 1: I like the performance I achieved from both of my actors in this particular scene. Unfortunately one of my actors was too loud and the audio levels had peaked which means that in post production I will need to reduce the volume. However I am happy with the effect the shouting has on the narrative as it signals to the audience that the two characters are at a loud party and they might need to shout in order to hear each other.
Scene 2: I think that the audio levels in this scene are more equalised and don't peak too loudly which means that I wont be needing to reduce them in post production. I am also pleased with the general sound quality as there is no background noise or static. I am, however, displeased with the fact that one of the actors had significantly changed his tone from the scene before which may slightly distract from the narrative. I plan to fix this in post production by tweaking the tone sliders.
Scene 3: Like the previous scene, I think this one has perfect audio levels and quality as there is no peaking where the audio gets too loud. I also think that the acting here is good as it is consistent with the previous scene. However I think that the scene would be more effective if the actors were walking on a spot as in the scene they are meant to be walking and when they record the scene standing up without moving, their voices seem too static for people that are meant to be on the move.
Scene 4: I really enjoyed the performance from my actors in this scene. However the audio quality is not as good and crisp as in the two previous scenes. This scene faces the same problem as the first one where the audio levels peak and get too high which causes distortion in the audio. I plan to fix this in post production by reducing the volume of the individual clip. I also think that the actors should have been sitting down rather than standing up as in this scene they are meant to be sitting in the car.
Scene 5: This scene was also well performed by the actor who was recording it. I think that the audio quality is on the most part good but at the end the last word is spoken a bit too loudly and close to the microphone which causes it to get too loud and for the audio levels to peak causing distortion. Like the other scenes that suffered this problem, I plan to fix this in post production by simply lowering the over all volume for this clip.
Scene 6: In this scene I was on the most part satisfied with the acting and the audio. However the actor who is calling out for "Craig" says it a bit too loud and the audio levels peak so I will have to lower the volume in post production to avoid distortion. As for the acting, one of the EMT's sounds a bit too calm and gives off the impression that he doesn't care about the patient which works against the purpose of the scene which is to be stressful and scary.
Scene 7: This scene was particularly effective after being recorded. The audio in the scene here is near perfect as it is very crisp and clear and there is no background noise or distortion or any variance in the volume or tone of voice. I think that the actor was also effective in reading his lines and had the tone that I asked of him. However I noticed that he struggled to read out some of the punctuation with made some of the phrases less enjoyable to listen to as they didn't flow like the sentence should have done.
Scene 2: I think that the audio levels in this scene are more equalised and don't peak too loudly which means that I wont be needing to reduce them in post production. I am also pleased with the general sound quality as there is no background noise or static. I am, however, displeased with the fact that one of the actors had significantly changed his tone from the scene before which may slightly distract from the narrative. I plan to fix this in post production by tweaking the tone sliders.
Scene 3: Like the previous scene, I think this one has perfect audio levels and quality as there is no peaking where the audio gets too loud. I also think that the acting here is good as it is consistent with the previous scene. However I think that the scene would be more effective if the actors were walking on a spot as in the scene they are meant to be walking and when they record the scene standing up without moving, their voices seem too static for people that are meant to be on the move.
Scene 4: I really enjoyed the performance from my actors in this scene. However the audio quality is not as good and crisp as in the two previous scenes. This scene faces the same problem as the first one where the audio levels peak and get too high which causes distortion in the audio. I plan to fix this in post production by reducing the volume of the individual clip. I also think that the actors should have been sitting down rather than standing up as in this scene they are meant to be sitting in the car.
Scene 5: This scene was also well performed by the actor who was recording it. I think that the audio quality is on the most part good but at the end the last word is spoken a bit too loudly and close to the microphone which causes it to get too loud and for the audio levels to peak causing distortion. Like the other scenes that suffered this problem, I plan to fix this in post production by simply lowering the over all volume for this clip.
Scene 6: In this scene I was on the most part satisfied with the acting and the audio. However the actor who is calling out for "Craig" says it a bit too loud and the audio levels peak so I will have to lower the volume in post production to avoid distortion. As for the acting, one of the EMT's sounds a bit too calm and gives off the impression that he doesn't care about the patient which works against the purpose of the scene which is to be stressful and scary.
Scene 7: This scene was particularly effective after being recorded. The audio in the scene here is near perfect as it is very crisp and clear and there is no background noise or distortion or any variance in the volume or tone of voice. I think that the actor was also effective in reading his lines and had the tone that I asked of him. However I noticed that he struggled to read out some of the punctuation with made some of the phrases less enjoyable to listen to as they didn't flow like the sentence should have done.
I have also documented the recording process with myself and the actors with the pictures attached below.
Above is a picture of the mixing board which I had set up with two microphones that were connected to a computer that was recording the audio onto audacity.
In the image above we see myself instructing my actors as to when to do their lines and what scene we're on. I was also timing their lines with a stop watch to make sure I don't make my radio play to long for the brief.
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Above is a picture of me setting up the mixing board in preparation to begin the recording of the radio play. The image also shows me turning the volume for the micrphones.
In the picture attached above we see my two actors who are reading their lines from their scripts which I provided them with. They are standing up as that way they can achieve the best quality of voice.
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P6: Carry out post-production edits to the sound elements
Below I have attached my finished radio play.
Below I have attached images and descriptions of the editing process that I went through to create this radio play.
To edit this radio play I used Adobe Audition because it is up to a professional standard and this is the kind of software that they would use in the industry. The first thing I did was import all the recorded sound files into the project library. I did this by clicking the file tab and then the import button. After importing all my files into the library I categorised them into four rows that were all for different types of audio. For example the top row is for dialogue, the one under that is for music and the one under that is for ambience. Lastly I used the fourth row for sound effects but you can not see anything in it in the screen shot above as there were no sound effects in my first scene. I proceeded to place all the audio files I needed for the first scene into the Multitrack editing suite and I was ready to begin editing my radio play.
The first thing I needed to do was to make sure that all the audio levels were lowered or increased so that you they would blend into the other audio tracks seamlessly. I also wanted to reduce the volume because a lot of the dialogue in the first scene was very loud and it peaked which distorted the audio as seen on the top left picture. In order to fix this I clicked and rotated the blue circle thats shown in on the sound waveform. After rotating this circle to the left I was able to decrease the volume until it the wave stopped going over the -6 dB line as I found it results in the highest quality audio. I proceeded to this for all of my audio tracks and after listening back to them I would adjust them further until the music would blend into the dialogue together with the ambience sound which was the chatter.
After adjusting the volume until it was effectively blending together nicely, I was then able to add the audio tracks for the next scene. After adding the tracks for the following scenes I was able to then blend the scenes together. I wanted the transition between scene one and scene two seem like that of passing time. I there for decided to fade the audio tracks out and then fade them back into a new scene, giving the effect of time passing. I did this by pressing the light/dark grey box in the top right hand corner of the audio track as seen in the screenshot on the right. I was then able to adjust when the scene would fade in or out. I went ahead and did this for all the tracks as you can see in the screenshot on the right side. I think this is effective because it signifies to the audience that the scene has changed and that time has passed which helps carry along my narrative that scene 2 takes place a few hours later. I then decided to change the audio levels for the music in scene two and make it quieter so that the background and ambient audio wouldn't seem the same which could seem unprofessional or unpolished.
After putting all my tracks into the right place and equalising all the audio till it blended in well and sounded like it was made to a high industry standard, I was finally ready to add effects and presets to my audio clips in order to help with my narrative and audio story telling. I did this by selecting a an audio clip and then clicking on the preset button on the right side of the screen. The first audio clip I added a preset to was the music audio in scene three. In scene three the two characters are walking outside and they still hear music but its more muffled. I decided to use the preset "From outside a building" for the music clip as it gave it a muffled affect and helped convey to the audience that the two characters are now outside the house where the music is being played. After this I decided to add effects to the dialogue audio clips. I followed the same procedure by selecting the audio clip and going over to the preset tab on the right side of the screen. This time I was adding the preset for scene one where the two characters are talking to each other. I decided to go with the preset "Medium shot" as it slightly amplified the audio without distorting it. This made the characters seem much closer to the audience. I think this was effective as it helps me convey that the characters are trying to talk to each other over the party music and it helps the audience focus on the conversation rather than the ambience.
M2: Present the sound elements to an audience to gain feedback
Below I have attached a video of me receiving feedback after presenting my radio play.
After presenting my radio play I received both positive and negative feed back. I have identified my findings and I have included them below:
What went well about the radio play
I was able to get feedback about my directing of the actors and the overall outcome of the radio play. One of the members in the focus group complemented the way the actors were conversing with each other loudly rather than just talking which made it seem a lot more realistic that they're at a party as you'd have to shout over the music to be heard. I think that the convincing acting is able to make the radio play more engaging and in turn more fit for it's purpose listed in the brief which is to inform on drunk driving. I also got feedback relating to the way the sound effects were used. Another member from the focus group mentioned that she enjoyed how I showed what was happening with sound rather than telling it. I think by that she was referring to sound effects of things like walking on gravel and opening the car door which effectively signified to the audience about the physical actions of the characters which is far more engaging than the characters saying "We are getting in a car now".
What went wrong with the radio play
One of the biggest issues with my radio play that was identified by both, myself and the focus group, was that a lot of the audio was too loud which ended up distorting the audio to an extent where at some points the radio play doesn't seem professional anymore. I think that this is a large problem that I would need to improve. Another identified issue with my radio play was spotted by one of the members in the focus group. It was said that the last line in the radio play, which is "Cheers for that, Steve. You've ruined our lives!", might be perceived as comedic rather than serious. If this is the case then it would mean that my radio play wouldn't be effective as people wouldn't take it seriously. I had no intention of any comedic effect and I think that the last line might have come off in this way because the person who made this comment was actually the actor who performed that role so there for I think his comment came from a more personal experience and it might not reflect how the rest of the target audience feels about the radio play.
How I would improve?
In order to address the feedback I received regarding the fact that the audio was too loud which distorted the sound I would need to further decrease the volume in the editing process. I did originally decrease the volume of these lines but I did not decrease it enough to where the audio does not distort. In order to fix this I will need to reimport the editing file into Adobe Audition in order to fix this issue. I would also re-write the last line which was interpreted as comedic in order to make sure I don't cause any offence any of my viewers and that I keep to the brief which is a serious radio play. I think that I would change the line from "Cheers for that, Steve. You've ruined our lives." to "Hope you're happy, Steve.". I think think this would be an effective change because the original word used, "Cheers", has too much of a happy feeling associated with it. I think that by saying "Hope you're happy" it will make anyone who ever practiced drink driving feel guilty and therefore the audience should take the radio play far more seriously.
What went well about the radio play
I was able to get feedback about my directing of the actors and the overall outcome of the radio play. One of the members in the focus group complemented the way the actors were conversing with each other loudly rather than just talking which made it seem a lot more realistic that they're at a party as you'd have to shout over the music to be heard. I think that the convincing acting is able to make the radio play more engaging and in turn more fit for it's purpose listed in the brief which is to inform on drunk driving. I also got feedback relating to the way the sound effects were used. Another member from the focus group mentioned that she enjoyed how I showed what was happening with sound rather than telling it. I think by that she was referring to sound effects of things like walking on gravel and opening the car door which effectively signified to the audience about the physical actions of the characters which is far more engaging than the characters saying "We are getting in a car now".
What went wrong with the radio play
One of the biggest issues with my radio play that was identified by both, myself and the focus group, was that a lot of the audio was too loud which ended up distorting the audio to an extent where at some points the radio play doesn't seem professional anymore. I think that this is a large problem that I would need to improve. Another identified issue with my radio play was spotted by one of the members in the focus group. It was said that the last line in the radio play, which is "Cheers for that, Steve. You've ruined our lives!", might be perceived as comedic rather than serious. If this is the case then it would mean that my radio play wouldn't be effective as people wouldn't take it seriously. I had no intention of any comedic effect and I think that the last line might have come off in this way because the person who made this comment was actually the actor who performed that role so there for I think his comment came from a more personal experience and it might not reflect how the rest of the target audience feels about the radio play.
How I would improve?
In order to address the feedback I received regarding the fact that the audio was too loud which distorted the sound I would need to further decrease the volume in the editing process. I did originally decrease the volume of these lines but I did not decrease it enough to where the audio does not distort. In order to fix this I will need to reimport the editing file into Adobe Audition in order to fix this issue. I would also re-write the last line which was interpreted as comedic in order to make sure I don't cause any offence any of my viewers and that I keep to the brief which is a serious radio play. I think that I would change the line from "Cheers for that, Steve. You've ruined our lives." to "Hope you're happy, Steve.". I think think this would be an effective change because the original word used, "Cheers", has too much of a happy feeling associated with it. I think that by saying "Hope you're happy" it will make anyone who ever practiced drink driving feel guilty and therefore the audience should take the radio play far more seriously.
D1: Evaluate how the technical and auditory qualities meet the identified purpose
I think that my radio play did quite well to meet the brief which was set to me. The main thing that the brief asked me to do was to target 18-25 year olds as they are the main target of people who drink drive. I think I targeted that age range effectively because I used actors who are of a similar age and/or are playing characters who are that age. Thanks to this the audience is able to relate to the characters which in turn means that they are able to become more engaged in the radio play rather than passively listening to it. This also goes back to the purpose of the brief which is to educate the listeners about the dangers of drink driving. I think that by having my audience more engaged in the radio play rather than just listening to it in the background is very effective for this purpose as they are more likely to take in the message which the radio play is trying to convey which is that you shouldn't drink and drive.
However, I think that the lack of female voice actors in my radio play may somewhat go against the brief which wants a wide range of 18-25 year olds. However all my actors, apart from one who only has one line, are men. This may make this radio play less relatable to female listeners who are also meant to be targeted in this radio play. I think this goes against the brief as it doesn't inform as well as a play with both genders involved would. This could ultimately mean that the client who would commission me to make this radio play could decide that he isn't happy with the product and that he does not want to work with me anymore.
Another problem I have when it comes to my play following the brief and purpose is that at the end of the radio play the last line can be perceived as comedic. This might make the radio play seem far less serious which would result in people not taking in the message and the information about the drink driving and it's dangers. This would go against the brief as it requires me to make a radio play which is public information themed and comedy would subvert the public information genre convention and in turn the client might feel as though I haven't fulfilled the requirements which could cause me to lose the job.
The brief also states that I should "feature dialogue, music and sound effects to keep the audience engaged". I think I fulfilled this requirement completely and the client should be very happy with the end result. I have featured dialogue in every scene of the radio play which means that there are no points at which the audience could differ their attention from the radio play as a narrative is carried all the way throughout it. I think this is effective as it keeps the audience engaged which is what the brief asks for. I also included party music in the first three scenes. I think this is effective not only because it helps put across the narrative but also because the target audience of people aged 18-25 are prone to listening to party music. I believe that by using music in my radio play that the audience is familiar with increases their engagement in the radio play which also goes back to the brief. Lastly I included various sound effects all through out the radio play as there are no visual aids for me to use to help tell the story. I think that by using sound effects it lets the audience become more engaged as they are able to imagine the actions the characters as they are encouraged to imagine the radio play.
Overall I think that I met the requirements of the brief and I fulfilled the purpose of this radio play rather well. I believe that my radio play was made to a high enough standard that the client would be pleased to go through with it. Although I didn't fulfil some of the target audience based requirements, I made an effective play that targets the 18-25 year old student target audience. I also believe that by making the play highly relatable in it's narrative, the target audience are far more prone to changing the drink driving habits which ultimately is what the radio play is meant to do and that is what it's purpose is.
However, I think that the lack of female voice actors in my radio play may somewhat go against the brief which wants a wide range of 18-25 year olds. However all my actors, apart from one who only has one line, are men. This may make this radio play less relatable to female listeners who are also meant to be targeted in this radio play. I think this goes against the brief as it doesn't inform as well as a play with both genders involved would. This could ultimately mean that the client who would commission me to make this radio play could decide that he isn't happy with the product and that he does not want to work with me anymore.
Another problem I have when it comes to my play following the brief and purpose is that at the end of the radio play the last line can be perceived as comedic. This might make the radio play seem far less serious which would result in people not taking in the message and the information about the drink driving and it's dangers. This would go against the brief as it requires me to make a radio play which is public information themed and comedy would subvert the public information genre convention and in turn the client might feel as though I haven't fulfilled the requirements which could cause me to lose the job.
The brief also states that I should "feature dialogue, music and sound effects to keep the audience engaged". I think I fulfilled this requirement completely and the client should be very happy with the end result. I have featured dialogue in every scene of the radio play which means that there are no points at which the audience could differ their attention from the radio play as a narrative is carried all the way throughout it. I think this is effective as it keeps the audience engaged which is what the brief asks for. I also included party music in the first three scenes. I think this is effective not only because it helps put across the narrative but also because the target audience of people aged 18-25 are prone to listening to party music. I believe that by using music in my radio play that the audience is familiar with increases their engagement in the radio play which also goes back to the brief. Lastly I included various sound effects all through out the radio play as there are no visual aids for me to use to help tell the story. I think that by using sound effects it lets the audience become more engaged as they are able to imagine the actions the characters as they are encouraged to imagine the radio play.
Overall I think that I met the requirements of the brief and I fulfilled the purpose of this radio play rather well. I believe that my radio play was made to a high enough standard that the client would be pleased to go through with it. Although I didn't fulfil some of the target audience based requirements, I made an effective play that targets the 18-25 year old student target audience. I also believe that by making the play highly relatable in it's narrative, the target audience are far more prone to changing the drink driving habits which ultimately is what the radio play is meant to do and that is what it's purpose is.