1. Radio Drama By Daniel Shaw

2. Codes

3. Words Words are one of the key sources of doing a radio drama as they give guidance to the voice actors: furthermore, they assist in the use of giving a brief visual image to the listener: location, who is there; what is going on. The use of better understanding my terminology of visual imagery progresses through the slides of codes in radio drama.

4. Voices Voices give off a variety of ways to send information to the listener. Such as the use of tonal value and emotion and location. Voices can be used to analyse there sense of whereabouts via their accents, as well as their sense of state: such as depression or happiness.

5. Speech Ones use of speech, can inform the listener on their sense of education, as well as being able to detail and refine visual imagery by the listener developing their scene via conventions and possibly stereotypes: this is also connected with the use of voices: their accents can bring up stereotypes: this is just so the listener can better visualise the character/s placed.

6. Music Music can connect with the listener, as the use of music can bring about emotions which are tied in with the radio drama or audiobook. For example if say you have an radio drama and someone dies, you will most likely hear possibly slow paced music with low tones, this is an example of the synergy with music in a radio drama, where it is used to set the scene better for the listener: by making them really ‘feel’ the emotion pre- set by the director and writer.

7. Ambience Ambience is term used for, in radio drama, the addition of noise which communicates the weather/ location and scene of a background setting. Ambience are examples of commonly diegetic sounds like: trees brushing in the wind, wind alone, people in the background walking, background blurred communication. It is anything that can relate a better idea of a scene by inserting ‘fillers’

8. Sounds Sound is very important for a radio drama: as it helps the listener invent a visual image mentally and emotionally following usually in a linear-listening path. For example: you will have sound in nearly every radio drama ever made for example: radio drama, Torchwood, would use sound as it influences the audience, and can really trap them into the story being ‘played’, by using ‘effects’ such as the use of: music, ambience, silence. While trying to stand aside with its big brother of the words being spoken themselves- forming a family connection in which there is a synergy of sounds and ‘the voice’.

9. Use of Silence Absolute silence is rarely used in a “serious” genre of radio drama: sometimes in horror, for the time of a “jump scare”, it is more commonly found in a comedy radio drama, as it leaves a leeway for the audience to capture the information then listen to the ‘funny part’.

10. Conventions

11. Aural Signposting Aural signposting is when sounds can connote the location of the surroundings, one example is in Stephen King’s Pet Semetery at 2:08 where the family exits the car and the second you hear the car door opening you here a chirp, while also have cricket further in the background with a faint whiff of the wind: this is a great example of aural signposting as the small little sounds give guidance to the listener as it informs them that it is night and they are likely in a very open area with a lot of land. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QlDUWpIeng

12. Cliffhanger endings Cliffhanger Endings are the ending of a radio drama, but things are still missing or the listener has been informed of something that will happen in the next episode: which is a continuation of the previous episode: the event in the previous episode happened within the last scene of the drama. One example of this is in The Archers (1984) where the listener is informed about the wedding coming up: and about the women arriving: discussing the new house for the newly wed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqFrgcIuR1k

13. Flashback A Flashback is a scene in the story which is designed to inform the listener of a characters history. One example of this is within the first few minutes of DRACULA, where there are two girls whom are discussing their current affairs while the younger sister is dressing the older sister. Then it goes into the current time where a man is talking to himself while addressing his relations to them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGa2IqjiVMg

14. Use of fades Fades in a radio drama is when the master volume is quickly or slowly decreased to 0db. Usually after, it pans to another piece of audio: this is commonly used for setting a new scene.

15. Use of Silence Silence, in radio drama: when there is minimal or no sound to be heard, 0db. The use of silence is mainly used in two contrasting genre’s:Horror and Comedy. In comedy, they mainly use it for the intention of good timing for jokes. In horror, it is more designed for suspense, in order to shock the listener for an incoming ‘attack’ from the likely antagonist

16. Characterisation Characterisation in radio drama is when characters are given very different approaches like: voice actor, personality etc. For radio drama, they would usually give a different voice actor per character as the listener needs to differentiate characters. What they do is generally create very contrasted voices: so it makes it easier for the listener to determine characters in a story.

17. Chronological Development Chronological Development is related to a linear narrative, as a chronological development is limited to the development of usually a character. Where they change always for the better or the opposite.

18. Narration A narration in radio-play is a voice over or third-person, which analyses or describes the events taken place. In a normal situation, the narrator will be third person, who tells the inner details of a story.

19. Direct Speech Direct speech is like the third-wall in screen-play. For radio-play it is when a character or narrator is talking to the listener. An example would be when say a character asks a question

20. Titles Titles in radio drama, should present the entirety of a play through one or two words. For Example Not from Space “A fictional Bill Gates rivals a media mogul, both dreaming of controlling mankind by means of telepathy. Inhabitants of Earth and Mars both realize they are not alone in the universe” The word ‘space’ perceives the show as something that relates to science fiction.

21. Credits Credits: presents the final print of information in a verbal manner, it informs the listener of the voice actors: as well as the characters they are related with. It also includes other data like choice of music and references (if any)

22. Music Music is very important in a radio drama, as it allows the scene to be better emphasised. For example: you have a sad scene and a happy scene, very basic. In average media you are going to have a slow paced song: like most orchestra, with a sad scene, this is the convention of music. In the average media you are going to have a regular or up beat music. Typically this is with a happy scene, because the musical tone is high and that relates to positive emotions.

23. Styles

24. Appropriateness of target audience When making a radio-play, and you have your target audience, you are going to have to understand what restrictions you have to your audience. The appropriateness of one’s radio play will have to relate to three main things: Age Group Gender Job Skill level (this can be tied in with what one would stereotypically do in a specific class grade) The reason you need to understand this is because we still do not live in the perfect world, we are still very judgemental of people. How can that benefit us? It helps us understand our target audience. Which allows us to define what this target can relate to: in order for them to have a better experience with the play.

25. Dramatic Reconstruction Very little information is on this particular subject: so I am unable to complete it

26. Radio Drama Styles Appropriateness of target audience Use of narration Use of direct speech or first person Use of drama

27. Creation of Mood or Location The creation of mood or location in a drama is necessary to create a good radio-drama. It involves the listener further by giving them the specific emphasis of the scene with the characters; destination allows the listener to find themselves in a setting: which can support the mood: are they happy outside, sunny in the grass/ or are they in a dark dungeon surrounded by rust.

28. Structures

29. Duration The duration of a radio play is rather important, this is also intertwined with the development of characters and plot: as a long, never ending script is great! However the listener will just get bored and shut it off. Too fast, and the entire play will be a blur of skipped information.

30. Narrative Structure The narrative structure has help give information on the play: when necessary. A linear narrative, gives a chronical pace of mind: where the story unfolds in a constant state: always moving forward. A non-linear narrative is the complete opposite. This narrative can be a lot more engulfing, to the listener, and creative: it is where the story unfolds but going back and forth between scenes

31. Development of Plot The development of plot must be presented in a radio play. Without any development of plot: the entirety of the drama would be like “two men go past each other and say hi”. Which is dis-interesting. The development of plot is where the story begins at a starting point: and throughout the drama, it has to find its way to the finish line, while showing its tracks.