Unit 41 Radio Drama

Radio Drama

Radio drama was initially developed in the 1920's, and became popular with the public within ten years of that. Radio drama reached its peak by the 1940's- it became a leading popular form of entertainment internationally. In 1927, radio drama was first introduced- networks began writing and adapting short stories and original scripts for broadcasts. In the 1930's, radio channels began to advertise and started buying sponsor programs and air-time- companies were even competing for their share these. As a result of this, different forms of entertainment were formed, including things like; dramatized news programs, comedy, interview and advice, soap opera dramas etc. During the war, the number of people who listened to radio doubled- however, programs like quizzes, music & audience participation became a lot less frequent, whereas things like the news and human interest programs became more popular because people were more concerned about what was happening in the war. However, on an evening the most popular forms of entertainment became the dramatic programs- such as comedy drama's, comedy variety and thriller drama's. In the early years of TV, not many people had a TV receiver, so production costs were controlled. By this, it meant that the forms of entertainment on the radio were moved directly onto television. The reason is that if the producers had decided to create a new TV show, the audience may not have enjoyed it as much because they hadn't heard of it before- well known shows were going to be more popular an produce more profit.
Radio dramas still exist in today's radio. For example, Radio 7 has a range of different types of radio drama that are played daily. Some of these include; '7th dimension'- which is a Sci-fi, 'Lines from my grandfather's forehead'- Comedy, The Colour Purple & The Wordsmith's at Gorsemere.

References:

http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Federal:Radio:Commission.htm
http://www.balancepublishing.com/golden.htm

Introductory Task:

War Of The Worlds

On October 30th, 1938, American citizens tuned in to the radio expecting to hear a music show. Little did they know, what they were about to hear would have a huge impact on the country. Listeners were unaware that what they were in fact listening to was also a dramatic radio drama called 'War Of The Worlds' and it was created by Orson Wells. The show began with the presenter telling the listeners that the show was on next- however, many people missed this introduction; thus they had no idea what they were listening to- they thought it was a genuine broadcast. As a result of this, wide spread panic flooded around America- people started to flee the area they lived. Orson Wells giving a speech "We know now that in the early years of the twentieth century, this world is being watched closely, by intelligences greater than man..." After this, a fake weather broadcast was mixed in- which confused vast amounts of listeners- they thought what they heard about the upcoming terrible weather conditions were true, and even began to report seeing flashes of lightening on the horizon. 1.7 million people were apparently genuinely frightened by this drama, and it caused such a massive uproar, that within a month there was around 12,500 newspaper articles based on the broadcast.

Another reason this broadcast had such an effect on the Americans was that the voices used in the script were all unfamiliar and unrecognizable to the usual people that the listeners would hear on the channel. This had an effect, because the listeners thought these people were real reporters- not actors. In today's society, this radio drama wouldn't cause such an uproar amongst listeners, as nowadays this type of radio drama is much more scripted and played on a regular basis. Furthermore, in the 1930's, the upcoming war and the depression meant that people were reliant on the radio for any upcoming news- so would believe anything that the broadcasters said. The script was in fact, an adaptation of a novel written by H.G wells. Orson adapted this with the intention of creating as much panic as possible, and he intended it to be realistic. The reason for this was that he actually wanted to get more listeners, because a different drama was getting more people than his original 'Mercury Theatre on Air'.

Task 1 (P1,M1,D1)

The Archers analysis:



The genre of this radio drama is a soap opera, and the target audience is aimed towards a more middle class, adult audience from the ages of 30 and up. The drama was aired at 7pm on a wednesday evening, which suggests that older listeners may be listening- the middle of the week is quiet and older people who are unable to leave their house as much will be more likely to listen to a soap opera drama. on The duration of The Archers is almost 15 minutes long, as it is a serial drama and each episode is an individual narrative, so the story is longer to make it more realistic- as if the events are happening simultaneously and as we listen.

The voices we are primarily introduced to are those of the presenters. The woman who presents the radio drama to us speaks in a formal accent, which is suggesting that the drama is going to be aimed at a more sofisticated, or mature listener.The next voices we hear are of a variety of people, both male and female- from young adults to older people, which is also a suggestion of the wide audience that the drama is targeted at. The variety of characters shows that the drama is meant to be like a soap opera that we would watch on tv- we listen to the lives of different people, and the amount of characters makes the issues raised sound more realistic. There is a wide range of volumes throughout, from quiet, normal speech when in normal conversation- normal between two people, to louder, rasied voices when a disruption happens. The pitch of the voices is also varied throughout- high pitched; e.g, the elderly woman to portray her annoyance at the characters and a calmer, quieter pitch from the man- showing he is less bothered by the events. The rhythm of the speech is varied too- it speeds up when the older woman gets angry, but slows down in normal conversations- and turn taking is more apparent, with less interruptions. The accent from the characters is of different types regional dialects from various parts of England. This is more appealing to from people all over- the listeners would develop stronger personal relationships with the characters than if the speech was to be said in a formal way.
The drama is on BBC radio 4, and is a high quality piece. The speech is clear and the range of different voices & sound effects make the piece much more professional and enjoyable to listen to.
Sound effects are used, such as doors opening, and forks on plates, and characters moving objects around. These all apply to the uses and gratifications theory of personal relationships- listeners can find these everyday things easy to indentify with and therefore it will apeal to them more.
The only music that is identified is at the start and end of the drama, which is played each time The Archers is aired- this is helpful to the listener as they can identify the piece through the theme tune. The music is classical, which suggests that the radio drama is meant to be for a more sophisticated listener.
There are occasional silences in the script, which are to outline each change of scenery of changes of character. The pauses make it easy for the listener to tell that they are no longer listening to the same plot line, and can then identify with ease why the characters are suddenly different.

Task 2 (P1,M1,D1)

I made the following three clips in order to show the different conventions of three types of genre:

Comedy clip:

Horror Clip:

Romance:

Task 3 (P1,M1,D1)

This is my mind map for my radio drama proposal 'The Tourbus Diaries':

Jack and the Beanstalk Mindmap:

Task 4 (P1,M1,D1)

The proposal for 'The Tour Bus Diaries':

‘The Tourbus Diaries’ will be a series of extracts from a journal, whilst being stuck in a field of sheep. Through the main protagonist, Rhys, we will get a perspective of the events going on. The main story line is that a tourbus has broken down in the middle of a field, surrounded by evil sheep. When we arrive we are transported into the situation through the narration of a journal, in which all the events are played out. My target audience will be teenagers, as i think they are the most likely to listen to the adventures of a popular band. The genre is going to be a mixture of comedy and horror. I would choose to broadcast the drama at around 3- 4pm, as this is a time when most students are on their way home from school- if they were travelling by car they could tune in on the radio.

The manner of the drama will be very chatty and informal, because it is the adventures of friends, and i think that the target audience would find it more entertaining if the band were themselves- this would develop better personal relationships with the characters as they would be able to relate better. An omniscient narrator will begin the story in order to set the scene and who the band are, but then the rest of the dialogue is from Rhys's diary, or the band themselves. I think this will be effective, as it gives the story a more realistic approach- the events are live and more spontaneous, and the listeners are unaware of what will happen next. I expect the full length of my radio drama to be from 6-8 minutes long, as it will be a one off piece. I think that this piece of drama would be most suitable being aired on a local radio station that is aimed at a more specific audience, because they would be more likely to understand what is happening if they recognize the band, tour bus, gigs etc, and would find it more amusing than a broad audience who don't go to gigs etc.

I will use both diagetic and non-diagetic sounds throughout the piece, using non- diagetic music to add tension or happiness to the drama. This will hopefully carry across to the listener to help them understand the changing moods of the characters. I will use various diagetic sound effects to make the piece more interesting and realistic. For example, footsteps, door's opening etc. This should hopefully make the piece more interesting to the listeners than if it was all dialogue. I will also include more random diagetic sound effects, such as party horns and animal growls to add to the humour of the piece- when the band are happy they will blow the party horn etc.

The characters will all be played by different people, who i have already found to play. Sean & Rhys will now be played by girls, as they are going to be seen as quite hyper and display a range of mixed emotions- i thought the girls were able to display this better when read out than the boys. The rest of the band will be very manly, and all will be played by boys. The farmer will also be played by a boy, and his character will be quite jolly, which gives variation to the piece.

The story will begin in an equilibruim with the band travelling to play a gig- swiftly moving to an immediate disruption- their tour bus breaks down in the middle of a field, and the disruption becomes greater when the sheep turn on them- revealing that they are infact, crazy sheep. We see the characters on the broken down bus work to try and put up with their surroundings and work to try and sort out the sheep problems- they are the damsels in distress. Later on in the tale, the hero of the film becomes apparent when the helpers- other members of the band and their driver- find a local farmer, who helps them to both solve the problem of the evil sheep, and to fix their bus.The drama will end in an equilibrium, where the band drive away happily to their gig.

This is my proposal for my adaptation of the classic fairy tale 'Jack And The Beanstalk':

My 'Jack And The Beanstalk' adaptation will be based on the same characters as in the classic story- Jack & The Giant & his wife- except his wife will have a name, to make it more fair to women and men. The piece will have a modern twist, and the issues of the character of Jack will be related to more crimes that we see in modern society- such as drugs & thef, and the prejudice that some people still have against teenagers. This drama is going to be a one off drama as it is based on a fairytale, and so i estimate that it would be around 5 minutes long. My target audience is going to be teeangers from the ages of 13 to 16, as i feel that the issues surrounding the story would be suitable for them to relate to. I would aim to play it on air at around 4-5pm, as teenagers are either on their way home from school, or at home at that time and so would be able to listen either online if they are home, or on car radio's if they are travelling. The genre of the piece would be more comedic- with the wife 'Martha' adding a modern twist, constantly quarrelling with her husband over his old fashioned ways. I would aim to play my peice on a radio station like Radio 4, as that is a popular place for radio dramas. Another option would be a local radio station, as i would include actors with a regional dialect, so local people would be able to create a stronger personal relationship with the characters.

I hope to include a range of non- diegetic and diegetic sounds throughout the piece, to help make the fairy tale seem more realistic and ultimately more interesting to listen to. It would add drama to the piece, and diegetic sounds, such as sniffing- when the giant is detecting Jack, would add a more comedic effect. Non- diegetic sounds, such as deeper sounding, fast paced tracks would be useful in showing the rage of the giant when he is expressing his anger towards Jack.

The characters will all have different traits, which will be easily recognisable to the listener. I would choose a teenager with a bit of attitude for Jack, but someone who can be both helpful and sweet to the giant, in order to outline that teenagers are good people. For the character of the wife, I would cast a jolly person, maybe someone older, or someone that can act the part of a middle aged woman. She should also express the individual attitude of the modern woman, but at the same time have a kindness in her voice. I would aim to find someone who can use a deeper tone of voice for the character of the giant, either a teenager or an adult- anyone that can sound angry and grumpy.

The story will begin with a disruption, which is the helpless Giant smelling Jack's presence- him being agitated, not knowing where the boy is. The wife (Martha) and him have a debate over the boy- whether he is a thief or not and why, ultimately resulting in finding Jack to question him about it. After various arguments, the Giant fails to overcome his prejudice over Jack, and the climax of the tale is when he attempts to throw Jack into the human world- only resulting in failure. The resolution of the tale is that Jack and Martha live happily ever after- losing the grumpy Giant forever- he falls down the Beanstalk, and they break it so he can never return. The equilibrium returns and they live happily ever after.

Task 5 (P1,M1,D1)

Treatment for 'The Tour Bus Diaries':

The Tour Bus diaries is a serial drama based on the adventures of a band called 'The Blackout'. The main narration in this story is told through the dairy of one of the members (Rhys). Through this, the listeners will get a better idea of how the scene each day is set. The target audience of this piece is teenagers from around 14- 17, and mixed gender. The story is set in a field in the welsh countryside- and there are many fields in Wales, so they could be lost anywhere, which adds to the mystery of the drama- why would they be in a field anyway? Why not take a road route? This could connote to the readers that the band is slightly on the crazy side, and they like an adventure- which is what the drama is based on. As the drama would be played once a week, Each story line will be different, so they would last about 7 minutes.

The characters in the story are all meant to be male in the story. However, when casting I used both male and female voices to help to provide a wider range of personalities. This is portrayed through the characters 'Sean' and 'Rhys', Sean is an excitable, strange individual who likes to make jokes and is at one with nature- he likes to talk to the animals. Rhys is a little more serious, and likes to write about the crazy events that are happening around him, however, when faced with a disruption he does get as excitable as Sean. I thought that by casting females on these roles, they could connect better with the character traits than the boys did- the boys were less enthusiastic and more down to earth. The male parts I casted were for the other band members & the farmer. The band members were all portrayed as being a bit more 'normal' than Sean and Rhys, and less easily led than them. I thought that the boys who I cast for that part carried these characteristics across better, as they had similar traits to the characters in real life.

Treatment for 'Jack And The Beanstalk':

Jack and the Beanstalk is a one off radio drama that is a modern adaptation of the classic. The story involves three characters, Jack, the Giant- Gerald, and the Wife- Martha. The story will be set and will end with a narrator, who will open the story and set the scene, making it easy for the listener to understand the situation. The end of the tale will close the story with a classical fairy tale ending 'happily ever after'. The target audience is from the ages 13-16 because they will relate to the character of Jack, and the predjudices he comes to face from the Giant. My secondary target audience is an older audience- they all know the classic tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, so with a modern adaptation it may interest them to see how it can be changed with the times, and additionally inform them that not all teenagers are bad. This is portrayed through the voices of the actors who make it clear that teenagers are good people. The setting of the story is in the Giants house, mainly in the kitchen where the beanstalk happened to be, In the realm of Giants. Although the story is based in a foreign land, the kitchen setting makes the scene more familiar to the reader, thus making it easier for them to imagine. The story will last about 6 minutes, as this is a good amount of time for the full story to make sense, rather than if it was a shorter piece- there is more time for the scene to be set & sound effects to make the piece more entertaining.

Task 6 (P1,M1,D1)

This is the script for my radio drama 'The Tourbus Diaries':

A tour bus is driving through the countryside- a band 'The Blackout' are on their way to play a gig when it breaks down, in the middle of a field of sheep. Country music playing, interrupted by a record scratch.

It was a bright sunny day in the middle of the welsh countryside and The members of The Blackout were happily on their way to a gig, only to find out that their tour bus had broken down in a field, far from anywhere with other human contact. Or so they thought...They didn’t know how to work the sat-nav. Rhys is sat next to a window writing his diary...

Inside the tour bus, one of the band members 'Rhys' is sitting, writing his diary. Sound of a clock ticking.

Rhys: Dear diary... Day 1 on the broken down tour bus…the past few days have been absolutely mental!... I was really looking forward to playing the Cardiff gig. The driver says there’s no way we’ll make it. It wouldn’t be so bad if only one of us could get signal on our phones or computers. The fans are going to go mental. Sean is enjoying the joys of the countryside though...

Door opens, footsteps, Sean enters the room, Baa’s of sheep in the background

Sean: Did I hear you say my name Rhys? Are you talking to yourself AGAIN?!
Rhys: No I was umm.
Sean: Oh it’s your diary isn’t it ;) well… I’m going to do some farming!

Footsteps, door closing

Rhys: Sean has taken a liking to the sheep... he’s spending more time with them than us! And its making me scared for his sanity. He just sits in the field with them, talking to them- and if we try to go near him they chase us!!

Pause to show time gap
Rhys: Dear diary… Its now day 2 on this bus and I think the driver went for help…Sean is dancing about the fields again… He’s trying to teach the sheep screamo...

Baa's of sheep

Sean: Lalalaa…. Oh the joys of the countryside. Right so all you have to do is go BAAA but with a little more RAWRRR! baa’s from sheep Oh? You aren’t comfortable with this? Urm. Okay. Hey! Back off!!! Running footsteps, crys out, sheep baa's, fast paced, non- diagetic music.
Guys get inside!!! The sheep are attacking us!!!
Rhys: What the-?!
Gavin: I don’t know Rhys, I seriously don’t know…*walks to the window* Ohhh. Myyyy. Rhys get over here!
Sean: They’re surrounding the tour bus!!
Rhys: Sean what are you talking about...?!

growls, sheep baa's
What the-?! It looks like they’re about to attack us!!!! Sean!!! Help!!
Sean: What do you want me to do about them?!
Gavin: Stop them from doing what they’re doing!
Rhys: What are they doing?!?! ARGHHHHHHHH
Blackout, music stops

Clock ticking
Rhys: Dear diary…its now day 3 on this damn bus. The lights all went out yesterday and we’ve been frozen in a corner for hours… is this a sign of the sheep taking over?? Or is it just a power cut? Either way, those sheep have gone nuts…
Gavin: Guys, we can’t sit huddling in this corner forever. Sean. What did you do to make them get like this?!
Sean: Well when I went in the field to teach them screamo they suddenly went crrrazyy and they said they want our chips and dips. And our sweeties!!!
Cries from the members in the background
Gavin: NO WAY!!! If they take them we’ll go insane!!!
Rhys: But WHY Sean?! WHY?!?!!?!?
Sean: They didn’t like my teaching methods. They thought they should get some compensation.
Gavin: Sean, if you give them our food we WILL eat YOU.
Sean: I would never do that!! Plus, I ate all the munchies when the lights went out…
screams of anger from the band members
Gavin: WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT SEAN?! WHY?! YOU’RE SO MEAN!!
Sean: I eat when I’m scared!!!
Rhys: Oh for godsake. Theyre just sheep! Aren’t they?!
All goes silent
Rhys: Dear diary…its day 4. The sheep know when we talk about them for some reason…
Gavin: Rhys I’m scared...make them go away!!
Rhys: I can’t!! Sean has to talk to them!!
Sean: Why me?!?!
Gavin: They’ll eat him!!!
Rhys: He was the one who upset them in the first place!!
Sean: Alright i’ll do it. I‘ll go now.
Door opens, footsteps
Sean: WOAH guys!
All: What is it?!?! Are the sheep gone?!?!
Sean: No silly! Have you seen that cloud?! It looks like the banana king!!!
Gavin: Oh my god! It actually does! Take a picture and we can put it on myspace when we get out of here!!!
Rhys: EH HEM. Your supposed to be talking to the sheep!!
Sean: Gosh, Rhys you’re like a constant downer aren’t you!
Rhys: Stop quoting from you tube videos! I’m being serious! We’re not gonna get outta here if you don’t help!
Sean: Fine I’m going now...
footsteps to outside and various baa sounds as Sean and the sheep barter with each other, shouts

Rhys: Dear diary, its day 5. We’re still in the bus. Sean talked to the sheep yesterday to try and settle everything out…
Footsteps into the bus, a door shuts
Gavin: What did they say Sean?!
Sean: *Sigh* They say the only way we can settle this is by leaving me here with them- to join them in their fields. Forever!
Gasps from the other members of the band, shouts
Gavin & Rhys: No, they can’t do that!!!
The door opens and there are footsteps and chatter
Enter the driver, follwed by snoz, james, matthew & a farmer.
Driver: Hey guys!! We found a local farmer!! He’s helping to fix our bus and get us back on the road again!!! Isn’t that great!
Gavin: Yes. Yes it is. You took too long!! Sean ate all our munchies!
Rhys: These sheep are mad!!!

Snoz: Guys, how old are you?! Honestly. We leave you for a few days and look what happens.
Matthew: What’s all this about mad sheep??
Farmer: What’s going on here?! Why are my sheep surrounding you?!

sheep baa's
Sean: They want me to stay in the fields with them forever!!
Snoz: Sean you’re a really good actor you know?
Sean: Yeah I am a good actor. BUT IM NOT ACTING NOW.
Rhys: No, he really isn’t acting.
James: HAHAHA. I think they’ve all gone mental!!!
Matthew: Awww, did they miss us that much that they went crazy for our love?!
Sounds of annoyance from Sean & Rhys & Gavin
Gavin: We’ll show you.
Gasps, Baa's
Farmer: Don’t panic. I’ll sort this. First thing ‘omorrow.

Pause into next scene
Rhys: Dear diary. Its day 6. I think. I’m not even sure anymore. Hahaha. The lack of sugar is making me feel funny. The farmer should be here anytime now. To sort this kerfuffle out once and for all! YAY. Then we can get back on the road!!

Happy sounds, party horn, yay's
Farmer: Hey guys! The sheep won’t be bothering you anymore. I gave them some nice roast lamb and potatoes. Should keep them quiet for a bit.

Gavin: CANNIBALS!!
Gasps
Sean: Who cares?! They’ve gone! I’m freeeeee!!!
Sighs of relief and YAYYYYYS
Driver: Ok, now back to fixing the bus!!!
footsteps and then sounds of mechanical things
Farmer: Done! Fixed! The sat nav is now up and running! And the lights should turn on any minute! You’d best get along with yer tour!!!
Cheers from the band
Rhys: Dear diary… These past few days have been mental!!! We’re setting off in the morning, but first we’re gonna get some REAL FOOOOOD!!
yawns from members and the sound of an engine starting
Rhys: Dear diary… I’m so happy! We’re setting off now!!
Gavin: Put your diary away Rhys, its time to go!
Driver: Allllll aboarddddd!!!
Sean: So long guys! I’ll miss you!!
Rhys: Whaddya mean Sean?! You don’t need to stay with them anymore!! We’re saved!!
Sean: I know! I’m saying bye to the sheep!!
Gavin: Oh. Fair enough. I’m not going near them. They don’t deserve my goodbyes.
*Footsteps onto the bus and shutting door. Bus engine noises as it drives off*
Rhys: Dear diary. Where was I? Oh yes. Mental. Gig tonight! Can’t wait…
Sean: Urm. Theres something I thought I’d tell you guys before I twitter it to the world.
Band: What?
Sean: Im going to turn into a sheep.
Gavin: What the-
Sean: They were actually weresheep. They bit me when I went to say bye. Never wonder why they liked meat so much?
Band: You WHAT?!
Sean: Guys I’m JOKING. Gosh. he laughs I don’t know why they like meat.
Phews.
Gavin: don’t do that again please.
*agreements from the band*
Sean: Sorry guys. But I can’t make any promises.
Rhys: Dear diary, so yeah. Mental. That’s our lives. I wonder what tonight will be like… OOOOH SWEETIES!

The next script is for my adaptation of a classic fairytale- Jack and the Beanstalk:

A giant and his wife are sat in their kitchen, the giant suddenly starts sniffing the air and thumping about.

Giant: FEE FI FO FUMB I SMELL THE BLOOD OF AN ENGLISH-... oh whats the use?! that dude is never gonna stop robbing us.

Wife: Why are you so bothered about him?? He's just a boy. A tiny boy.

Giant: I slave away for years to build us a life of luxury and he comes in and ruins it all. It just isn't fair.

Wife: But he's poor. For all we know he could have nothing in that world below the stalk.

Giant: Nope. Its drugs. It has to be. Or candy. Kids these days are so selfish. He's stealing all of our stuff just so he can sell it on ebay or whatever so that he can afford the drugs.

Wife: Oh gosh, i never thought of that before! Not all kids do that, but when i think about what he's been doing we must stop him!

Giant: *Sigh* I've been saying this all along! Its the 21st century now dear, boys don't steal for the hunger of thier families anymore.

Wife: This means war!!!!

Dun dun duuun

Giant: No, it means I can FINALLY eat him!!!

Wife: And you say IM living in the past?! no one eats people anymore!!! Lets just get one of those new electronic lock systems and an alarm...

Electronic beeping

Giant: Ah okay, sounds like a plan!! All this talk of humans is making me hungry though... Macdonalds for tea??

Wife: Yeahh!!! Oh look!!! Its jack!!!

Giant: How do you know his name?! Oh my gosh. Have you been sneaking off with a human?!

Dramatic Music

Wife: I'd never do that!!!

Giant: What the- Well i should hope not!!

Wife: Im off to speak to the little guy... Jack! Jack!

Footsteps

Jack: Alright Martha?!

Wife: Yeaah, it seems Gerald is a bit upset about you wandering around our house all the time! He seems to think you're selling our stuff for drugs! You aren't, are you Jack?!

Jack: Oh. Um, No way! Not all young people do drugs, ya know!

Giant: You've been stealing our stuff haven't you! I can't find my Playstation anywhere! Or my favourite jacket! Or my Car keys!... Have you been driving my car?!?!

Jack: What?!! No! I don't steal! And your car is about a million times bigger than me! What do you take me for?!?!

Giant: A THIEF THATS WHAT.

Wife: Gerald! Would you shut up! I believe you Jack, its wrong to assume that because you're a teenager you do drugs and steal. Of course he hasn't stolen anything! He comes round for Cake and to watch the 'big' Tv!

Cheerful music starts playing

Jack: Yeaah! I love your cooking! Its sooo much better than at the care home. They can only afford beans and toast, which is good stuff, but a bit repetitive when its all you have to eat....And your TV- Its absolutely awes--

Giant: You cheeky boy! How can you just waltz around, eating our food and watching our Tv?!! We have to pay for these things you know!

Wife: I let him! He's a good boy, Gerald! Brings me the post from the human realm every week!

Giant: Fair enough, but that doesn't give him an excuse to STEAL!

Growls

Jack: I haven't taken anything from you! I swear!

Wife: Gerald! For god's sake, I know exactly where all your things are!

Giant: What?!?! Have you been hiding my stuff Martha?! How could you?!!!

Wife: Of course im not hiding things! You're just forgetful and lazy, and can't be bothered to actually get up and look for your things.

Giant: Me?! Lazy?! I go out hunting everyday for YOUR dinner!

Wife: Yes you do, but whats the point! Theres an Asda right across the street! Get with the times!

Giant: Ugh. Fine, but its a waste of gold.

Jack: Um, don't mean to be rude or anything, but can i watch TV now please?

Wife: Go ahead Jack, ignore Gerald! He's such a crank.

Giant: Thats it i've had it! Out Jack! Now!

Giant picks up Jack, attempting to throw him down the beanstalk, but trips over a random harp, dropping Jack to the ground and then falling down the stalk himself.

Giant: Noooo!!!

Wife: Quick Jack! Cut the stalk! You can stay and eat Cake for ever!

Jack: YAY!

Sounds of cutting the beanstalk

...And so, Jack & Martha lived happily ever after...

Task 7 (P1,M1,D1)

This is my radio drama called 'The Tourbus Diaries':

Task 8 (P1,M1,D1)

The Tourbus Diaries Evaluation:

Purpose:

My original aim was to create a comedic piece about a band whose tour bus had broken down, in the middle of nowhere, and it would be primarily aimed at a teenage target audience. I wanted to include a range of different sound effects to accompany the speech and give a more realistic and amusing edge to the drama. I think that I achieved my goal in the final product, as the audience who I played it to were teenagers, and they liked it. Furthermore, I included a variety of different sound effects throughout, which brought the drama to life.

Audience:

I decided to get some feedback from my primary target audience- teenagers to tell me what they thought of my radio drama.

"The Tour Bus Diaries was very entertaining and it made me laugh loads of times. I thought the editing was done very well and effectively"- Georgie Isle

Representation Issues:

Throughout 'The Tourbus Diaries', I aimed to make a bad situation into a lighthearted comedy. The characters in my drama were all supposed to be male characters, with a female narrator. However, the actors I chose to use were both male and female. I thought this would give more variation to the drama, and create equality.

The music tracks I used helped to speed the piece up, making it flow quicker and add to the comedic genre. I also used more sinister tracks that would help to carry across the horror that the characters were experiencing.

The language used was appropriate to the primary target audience (teenagers) as I decided to use informal speech, as well as some popular references, such as 'myspace', which I thought would help the listeners to create a better personal identity with the characters.

Technical Issues:

The levels of the music varied, when a disruption took place, the music would get louder and the piece would cut to nothing, to make a bigger effect on the listener. The microphone work was occasionally quite loud, so I edited the levels down to make the piece sound more even. I included a variety of sound effects all the way through, to keep the listeners interested and to make the piece more lighthearted and comedic- for example, when something good happened, a random party horn would play. I edited my radio drama in Garageband, using multi-track editing to give the piece more variation and realism. I think my editing was fine, and thought carefully into the type of effects that I would use in order to fit with the comedic genre I aimed to achieve.

Conventions/ Narrative:

In 'The Tourbus Diaries', the enigma throughout is why the sheep were attacking the band- which they never find out for sure. The piece begins with a brief equilibrium- the band members are sitting in their tour bus, on their way to play a gig. However, this is soon ended with a disruption - the tour bus breaks down in the middle of the welsh countryside. The disruption continues throughout, with a number of events throughout the days that the band are stuck out in the field. The piece closes with a resolution- a farmer helps them fix their tour bus, as well as taming the sheep and soon they are on their way to a gig again! The characters included the villains (Sheep), a hero (The Farmer), 'damsels in distress' (The band members) and a helper (The bus driver). These all played a vital role in my piece, as they contributed to the comedy of the piece- grown men we're in distress, as opposed to the stereotypical female role in a lot of other dramas. I think the effects I used were typical of the comedy genre- they were outlandish and over the top, adding more variation and drama to the speech. I think that professionals creating a comedy radio drama would have the advantage of higher quality editing software, and a bigger team of people to help put the whole advert together.

Self Evaluation:

From creating 'The Tourbus Diaries', I learnt how to use Garageband much more efficiently than previously. Additionally, I learnt how to organise the things I needed in order for the piece to work- for example, instructing the actors and how they were meant to act as a character. I think that I did well, because I managed to plan and put the whole piece together by myself. I had one team member, but I did the majority of the work by myself, because nothing on their part was being done. I think my weaknesses at first were being unable to use Garageband properly, as I had never used it for a big project like this before, however, through hours of editing I overcame this problem. I think my strengths were in putting the piece together, and organising the scripts & actors.

Future Targets:

If I was to create another radio drama, I would improve on my editing skills- pre recording more of the sound effects, to give a more varied performance and effects that suited the piece slightly more than Garageband effects.

Ofcom:

To put this radio drama on air, I would first make sure I was sticking to all of the cap codes so as not to causes any issues with the public. I would broadcast the product at a time that I think would be the most popular time for teenagers to tune into the station- for example, 3pm to 4pm; a prime time whilst teenagers travel home from school and college.