1. RADIO DRAMA
CODES + CONVENTIONS

2. W O R D S & V O I C E S
- BECAUSE THERE ARE NO VISUALS IN RADIO, THE IMPACT AND EMPHASIS OF THE SHOW IS RELIENT ON THE WORDS AND VOICES TO MAINTAIN THE LISTENERS ATTENTION. A STRONG SCRIPT IS KEY TO CREATING AN ENTICING DRAMA. SCRIPT WRITERS WILL ALSO HAVE TO INSERT SUBTLE HINTS TO LOCATION, CHARACTER PROFILES AND PROPS TO FURHTER INFORM THE AUDIENCE’S IMAGINATION OF THE SCENERY.
CODES

3. S P E E C H
- AS YOU CAN’T SEE THE CHARACTERS FACES FOR RESPONSES, THE ACTOR HAS TO ACCENTUATE HIS MOOD/ACCENT/FEELINGS IN HIS/HER TONE OF VOICE SO THE AUDIENCE UNDERSTANDS. THIS IS DIFFICULT TO DO WITHOUT SOUNDING SARCASTIC OR PATRONISING (UNLESS IT IS SCRIPTED LIKE THAT)
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN ACTOR ACCENTUATING HIS MOOD OF ANGER. YOU CAN TELL HE IS ANGRY BECAUSE OF THE USE OF LANGUAGE AND TONE OF HIS VOICE.
CODES

4. M U S I C & A M B I E N C E
- THESE CODES WORK THE SAME WAY AS THEY DO ON SCREEN, BASIC TOOLS TO SCENE SETTING, TONE AND MOOD. ALTHOUGH THIS IS KEY IN RADIO DRAMAS DUE TO THE LACK OF VISUALS. PICKING THE RIGHT SOUNDTRACK IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE DIRECTOR TO GET HIS VISION ACROSS TO THE AUDIENCE.
CODES

5. S O U N D & S I L E N C E
- SILENCE IS A GOOD TOOL TO CREATE A DRAMATIC EFFECT, BUT TOO LONG AND THE LISTENER MIGHT SWITCH OFF, TOO SHORT IT WONT BE NOTICED. SILENCES ARE ALSO USED AS SCENE BREAKERS.
THIS IS A LONG SILENCE, IT CAN BE INSERTED INTO DRAMAS OR ACTORS CAN RECREATE THIS SOUND TO ADD DRAMATIC EFFECT.
CODES

6. CONVENTIONS A U R A L S I G N P O S T I N G
THE SETTING OF A SCENE USING AUDIO PROPS AND CUES - SUCH AS THE BACKGROUND NOISE OF A BINGO NIGHT ON A TUESDAY OR THE GROANING OF SHEEP EATING A BABY BULLFROG
THESE GIVE THE AUDIENCE AN IDEA OF THE SCENERY.
CONVENTIONS
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE PRODUCERS RECORDING AN AURAL SIGNPOST. CREWS WILL GO OUT AND RECORD SOUNDS TO INSERT INTO THEIR SHOWS. THIS STEAM CLEANER RECORDING WAS USED IN AN EPISODE OF THE ARCHERS.

7. CONVENTIONS C L I F F H A N G E R S
- ALSO USED IN TV DRAMAS, THE TOOL OF ENDING A SCENE OR EPISODE JUST BEFORE AN INTERESTING PLOT DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS KEEPING THE AUDIENCES INTEREST IN THE SHOW. THE WRITER ALLOWS THE LISTENER TO COME TO HIS OWN CONCLUSION BEFORE FINDING OUT IN THE NEXT SCENE/EPISODE.
CONVENTIONS
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A CLIFFHANGER USED IN A SOAP. THE ABRUPT ENDING OF AN EPISODE TURNS TO CREDITS. THIS CAN ALSO BE USED EXACTLY THE SAME IN RADIO DRAMA.

8. CONVENTIONS F L A S H B A C K S
- FLASHBACKS CAN BE USED TO EXPLORE BACKGROUNDS, MOTIVATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES OF A CHARACTER IN A STORY CREATING CONTEXT. IN RADIO DRAMA, FLASHBACKS CAN BE INTIATED BY A MOTIF OR A SCRIPTED LINE BY A CHARACTER. FLASHBACKS ARE DIFFICULT TO CREATE IN RADIO DRAMA BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF VISUAL AID.
CONVENTIONS

9. CONVENTIONS F A D E S & S I L E N C E
- USED TO ALLOW THE AUDIENCE TO IDENTIFY THE END OF A SCENE OR CHANGE OF SCENERY. ALTHOUGH THESE ARE THE MAIN USES OF A FADE AND SILENCE, THEY CAN ALSO BE USED FOR THE PASSING OF TIME OR DRAMATIC EFFECT.
CONVENTIONS

10. CONVENTIONS C H A R A C T E R I S A T I O N
- THE REPRESENTATION OF A CHARACTER OR CHARACTERS, OFTEN IMITATING OR DESCRIBING ACTIONS, GESTURES OR SPEECHES.
CONVENTIONS

11. CONVENTIONS C H R O N I L O G I C A L D E V E L O P M E N T
- THE STORYLINE WILL FOLLOW A THE TIMELINE THROUGHT THE PLOT. THIS IS DONE BECAUSE THE SHOW IS LIVE AND MUST BE FINISHED IN A CERTAIN TIME FRAME.
CONVENTIONS
MIDDLE
BEGINNING
END

12. CONVENTIONS N A R R A T I O N & D I R E C T S P E E C H
- IN RADIO DRAMA, THE AUDIENCE’SONLY SENSE IS HEARING WHICH MEANS THEY ARE EFFEICTIVELY BLIND. A NARRATOR TALKING DIRECTLY TO THE LISTENER IS THE GUIDE THROUGH THE STORY. EASILY PICKING UP THE LISTENER IF THEY DIDN’T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED QUICKLY, SO THAT THE PLOT DOESN’T HAVE TO SLOW DOWN.
CONVENTIONS

13. M U S I C
- MUSIC WILL BE USED AS AN AUDIO SIGNPOST, EITHER THE BEGINNING OF THE SHOW, THE END OR A LIGHT MOTIF. IT CAN ALSO BE USED INSIDE THE STORY AS DIEGETC SOUND TO SET SCENE.
CONVENTIONS

14. CONVENTIONS T I T L E S & C R E D I T S
- CAN ALSO BE USED TO BOOKEND A STORY, SIMPLY AND AUDIO LIST OF KEY ACTORS, WRITERS, DIRECTOR IN THE PRODUCTION.
CONVENTIONS

15. styles A P P R O P R A T E N E S S
- TO TARGET AUDIENCE IS VERY IMPORTANT IN PLANNING OR DEVELOPING RADIO DRAMA. ONCE A SPECIFIC AUDIENCE IS CHOSEN, THE WRITERS MUST KEEP THE SCRIPT AIMED AT THEM. GOING OFF TRACK MID SEASON WOULD BE RADIO DRAMA SUICIDE BECAUSE YOU WOULD LOOSE YOUR ORIGINAL AUDIENCE AND THE NEW TARGET WOULDN’T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON. MUCH CONFUSION.
styles

16. D R A M A T I C
- RECONSTRUCTION. THE USE OF BACKGROUND SOUND TO SET A SCENE. FOR EXAMPLE IF THE SCENE WAS IN A TRAIN STATION, THERE WOULD BE SOUNDS OF TRAINS, PEOPLE BUSTLING AND THE STATION TANNOY OCCASIONALLY SQUAKING. THESE SOUNDS WOULD BACKGROUND NOISE WHILST THE MAIN STORY CONTINUES.
styles

17. styles R A D I O D R A M A S T Y L E S >P O S T - M O D E R N
-DRAMAS SET BEFORE MODERN TIMES, AN ADAPTATION OF WHAT THE CHOSEN ERA WOULD BE LIKE.
>N A R R A T I O N
-A STORY TOLD FROM A ‘VOICE OF GOD’ WITH CHARACTERS ACTING THE STORY FROM THE NARRATORS GUIDE.
>F I R S T P E R S O N
-A STORY BASED AROUND A CERTAIN PERSON WHO DIEGETICALLY NARRATES HIS/HER STORY.
styles

18. styles C R E A T I O N O F M O O D
-CREATING MOOD IN A DRAMA IS A KEY FEATURE TO MAKE THE SHOW INTERESTING. MUSIC AND SOUND FX THAT CREATE MOOD ARE ALL TOOLS USED TO KEEP THE AUDIENCE INTERSTED AND DETER FLAT, MOODLESS SHOWS. A LOT OF BALLSY WRITERS RELY MERELY ON A POWERFUL SCRIPT TO CREATE EMOTIONAL TONE. MUSIC CAN SOMETIMES ADD A SENSE OF MELODRAMA TO THE SERIEL.
styles

19. D U R A T I O N
- IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW LONG THE EPISODE IS, YOU NEED TO KEEP THE AUDIENCE INTERESTED. IN A SHORT PRODUCTION (3-5 MINUTES) THE EPISODE SHOULD BE PACKED ALL THE WAY THROUGH. IF THE PRODUCTION IS LONG (25-30 MINUTES) THE PLOT SHOULD BUILD UP TO THE ACTION TO KEEP THE AUDIENCE’S ATTENTION.
structures

20. structures D E V E L O P M E N T O F P L O T
- SPLIT INTO TWO SECTIONS DECIDED BY DURATION. SHORT EPISODES WILL JUMP STRAIGHT INTO THE ACTION TO KEEP THE WHOLE PRODUCTION FAST AND EXCITING WHERE LONGER EPISODES WILL CAPTIVATE THE AUDIENCE BY BUILDING UP THE INTENSITY AND THEN HIT THEM WITH A CLIMAX AND/OR ENDING.
structures
SHORT
LONG

21. structures N A R R A T I V E S T R U C T U R E
- A GENERAL FRAMEWORK THE STORY MOVES AROUND, OFTEN VIUALISED AS A TRIANGLE. ITS A WAY OF EXPLAINING AN ACTION OR PLOT HAPPENING, IT IS USED FOR SETTING A SCENE OR MOOD IN THE DRAMA.
CLIMAX
structures
RISING ACTION
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RESOLUTION
BEGINNING