Evaluation

To start my radio drama, I listened to a few examples and decided to make one about a kidnap. At first, I struggled a bit to write the script as it was hard to not make it visual at all and I had to think of ways I could portray to the audience effectively what was happening in the scene, without any visual ques. This proved to be quite difficult, but in the end, I was able to make a script I was happy with and that allowed me to create enough sounds for the audience to recognise what was happening. 

Overall, I think my final product could've gone a lot better. It was difficult to find people who could act well and who could effectively portray the characters I had written for the drama. Although my actors did the best they could, it would’ve been better if I had people that had some experience with voice acting and would’ve helped if they had they had time to properly read though the script so they could get a better idea of how to read it and how to act like the character. If I was to do this again I would try to find people I know could act well so that it would sound better overall, and I would also give them the script a few days in advance so they had time to read through it and practice a bit before we start recording. 

For research, I looked into a few radio dramas to see what they had done and to get a bit of inspiration for my own. The sounds they used were all effective in the sense that it was clear what was happening throughout, and it was easy to visualise what was happening in the scene. They weren’t about kidnaps, but they helped me to think of my idea as it made me think about dramatic things that people enjoy watching/listening to, and I thought about a kidnap as it would give me a lot to think about and gave me many ideas. I’ve always been interested in things like that so I thought that it would be interesting to write about one and see what I could do with it.  

To plan this, I first wrote my script and thought about all the sounds that I’d need to use throughout the piece. I needed things such as footsteps, cars, a gunshot and car doors opening etc. I knew some sounds would be easier than others, for example, the footsteps and car doors shutting would be easy as I could easily recreate them by just walking and shutting car doors, but the gunshot would be more difficult as it’s not exactly an easy sound to recreate whilst still making it sound as realistic as possible. I was worried about how I’d make some of them as well as having the time to do it, but thankfully we were eventually able to find sounds that had already been created which meant that I could spend more time on editing it and make it sound better, as well as having more realistic sounds that would be better for the audience as they would have a better idea of what’s going on, instead if using sounds that aren’t that good and effective for what I need. 

My end product didn't turn out too badly, considering I left a lot of it quite last minute. I managed to incorporate quiet a few sounds which helps set the scene and allows the audience to understand what's happening, as well as leaving some of it to their own imagination. Some of the clips are far too loud; the audio clipped in some parts and was quite hard to understand too. I also had to re film some of it as it didn't save properly which set me back, and there was a scene at the end that wasn't saved so I had to finish it a few lines too early. Some of the sounds could have been a lot better and I know that if I was to do this again I would be better prepared and ensure that all sounds were properly recorded before I started the editing process.  

I was happy with the way my idea went and was pleased that I was able to make a script I was happy with. It took me a while to write as, like I previously said, it was hard to make a non-visual script, but I believe I was able to make a script that worked effectively and allowed me to make a product I was happy with. I know I should’ve used more directions and proper symbols to make a more professional and industry standard script, so if I was to do this again, I would consider that and incorporate it into the script. This would also make it a bit easier for my actors to fully understand what it is I want them to do as they were a bit unsure about some it due to lack of direction. I have listened to what they said and now know that they needed some more direction from me and time to read the script fully before filming, as some of them were stuttering on their words a bit due to not have read it properly before, and not fully knowing what they were doing. 

I also think that my script was too long which meant that I had to spend longer than I wanted to recording and editing my piece. If I had a shorter script, I could’ve made a better overall piece as I would’ve had some more time to do it, as well as ensuring it was the best quality possible. My recordings are all quite rushed which has affected the quality of my final piece unfortunately. 

If I was to do this project again, I would ensure that I gave myself enough time to find proper actors, as well as giving them the script in advance so that they can practice a bit before we start recording. This would allow them to be more comfortable with their lines and therefore give a better result in the end. I would also try to make more of my own sounds so that they could be exactly how I want them to sound, as well as making all my work my own and not parts from other people. My time keeping also wasn’t too good as I was also focusing a lot on the other 2 projects we were set, and I feel like I couldn’t properly dedicate enough time to this and make it as good as it could’ve been. If I had more time to focus on this, the result would’ve been a lot better as I wouldn’t have had to rush to get it all finished. If I was to do this all again, I’d ensure I stuck to a schedule to ensure that all work was completed in good time and to an even better standard as I felt that my result could’ve been far better had I had spent more time on it and not the other 2 projects. I think I should have split my time up better and possibly not set myself too much work to do and been overly ambitious with what I was doing.