So ya wanna be an Indie AudioFiction creative? Here’s a few recipes to try…to get writing…7/27/2022 Ok you yearning-for-success creative soul you You’ve got that brilliant story idea burning a hole in your head You can’t stop thinking about it You’re in the shower alone or with friends 🌞 and can’t STOP thinking about a new plot point that came to you as you washed you hair whilst singing a medley of Rocky Horror show songs You started to write it. Then your mojo went/you got distracted / real life kicked in and you DIDNT FINISH/ EVEN START it properly but for a scene that you think actually will be a flashback in episode 7. Random? Yes. woah I got some news for you. if that story floated your boat, only you could tell it, and it excited you… THE WORLD NEEDS THAT STORY So. Get organised to the rhythm of your own working circumstance, Do a PAUL SATING Get up at 530 am and write EVERY DAY until it is DONE and you have your FIRST DRAFT. For. Tomorrow, doit, set that alarm you legend. Do a SARAH GOLDING Set your hard and soft deadlines And bash it out between the school runs, cooking, cleaning, doing your pt teaching job, being mum, wife, pal and famalam member and voice acting, dialogue editing, and producing and let it mould itself over time to something groovy. Do a LINDSAY HARRIS-FRIEL Let it percolate, plan it out meticulously and in those concentrated moments of time you do have free (in between fam commitments and groovy job), WRITE WRITE WRITE. Work N FAM a bit more and then WRITE WRITE WRITE. Seriously. THE ONLY WAY IT WILL GET DONE IS IF YOU …GET IT DONE. SO. Stop reading this and get to it. Instead of Doom scrolling for 30 mins after/before breakfast, write a scene! Instead of watching a streaming service thing you don’t really like. Stop it. Get your writing implements/ devices of choice and …WRITE YOU OWE IT TO THE WORLD TO TELL YOUR STORY PEOPLE. YEAH. YOU KNOW IT💙 So. Format. Folks have oft asked…. WHAT DO I DO HOW DO I DO IT WHAT’S BEST? To be honest, a lot of it is what floats your boat, there is no true one format answer and…do what works for you …but! Here are some examples of scripts I’ve utilised / voice acted /edited with and let’s talk about how they’re useful. First. OZ9 THIS IS EPISODE 74 of Oz 9 in season 4. Most recently aired. Firstly, best practice here - LINE NUMBERS. OMG. PUT LINE NUMBERS ON YOUR SCRIPTS TO HELP FOLKS NAVIGATE THE SCRIPT…. For table reads It is useful so the director/showrunner can easily navigate to the line to start from / redo / discuss. So say you disused characters and wanted to get the build of tension right, a director might say…Groovy (ok, ay E I just say that) Let’s go from LINE 29 on Page 3 and we really want to get that shock sound when Olivia appears for that crescendo and keep that momentum /pace of shock going til LINE 37 when the build pays off once more. Pace pace pace. For recording Some folks state the line they are recording before recording it as it allegedly helps their style of editing. Others (like me) HATE THIS. For editing A director can highlight a section they really want snappy/ full of tension I.e. please make the cue bite from 29-31 sharp Or you can convey some sound design direction that isn’t in the Actor script. Please pop a shower curtain pulling at the top of line 25. For missing lines Hello Sarah I’m afraid you missed a line - can you please record line 67 on page 13 As soon as is convenient / by tomorrow / let me know when you can get it to me…etc. The lines I think are easy enough to spot for your character actors if doing the record 3 versions of each line - scenario and I would truly encourage (if not actually shout wild encouragement at you in a THIS IS A GOOD THING TO DO) you to get your VAs to highlight their lines and mark up their scripts with extraneous sounds, thoughts on pace, and any ad libs they’re allowed to utilise. On to another example of a live Audio Fic Script. This is an excerpt from Dashingly Quirky Live 2021….Delivery of an alarm clock by Fiona Thraille. This was used for live performance so there are highlights in the following colours
BLUE DEPICTS LIVE FOLEY TO BE PERFORMED GREEN DEPICTS ACTIAL SOUND CUES RED DEPICTS MUSIC CUES You can see there are also stage directions in CAPITAL LETTERS in this instance. The author - Fiona Thraille - has signposted suggested beats, intentions and attitudes to add to the storytelling, humour and actor signposting. Loved doing this one. Great fun. So these are a few examples. Use what works for you. Some competitions like the BBC FORMAT which you can find on the BBC WRITERS ROOM SITE…. I love to browse this now and then and read examples of their radio plays as well as look up my fave INDIE AF shows and look at their transcripts. Check out Amelia Project Seen and not Heard Someone Dies in this elevator So. Yeah. Some fodder for through right? I feel very much that the ingredients needed for a decent writing session is A clean and comfortable space to work in Snacks A drink or two of choice The occasional masseur if you need one 1000g of time and space 500g of tenacity, excitement and creative flow A dirty dozen litres of determination and YOU’D BETTER FINISH THIS A mug of sprinklings of ideas and plot builds and highs and lows, light and shade, conflict, energies, denouement and some tied ends…and sometimes…some EPIC! One Tablespoon of keep-em-coming-back-for-more episode ending 3 large eggs of the playing with the passage of time in whichever order works for your story 600g of driven unique intriguing/scary/fun/inspiring/crazy/wonderful n full characters A whole list of ingredients to make the work sublime in audio form, easy for actors, editors and sound designers to gain their creative freedom and spark but just enough guidance to be useful and YOU So WHAT’S YOUR RECIPE? Do share on @QuirkyVoices So folks. What you put into the content and how may be some journal content for another day…but otherwise. GET RACKING. SET THAT TIMER. SET THAT AMALRM CLOCK. ADD SOME WRITING TIME TO YOUR FAMILY CALENDAR AND…. GET IT DONE GOod luck in there snd HAVE THE BEST FUN! Sarahx This week check out Chaika From THE ANAZING Karin Heimdahl and a groovy cast of audio fun folk…story, poetry and learning new languages…BRILLIANT! Goblet Wire from Ester Ellis a super intriguing new micro fiction anthology series somehow linked to itself …#havealistendooo And I had a great time on HOW I DIED from AudioOhm Vincent Dajani and pals. A really fun thrill ride of an adventure horror….not to be missed….ENJOY!
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Hello you brimmingly talented creative!
How goes your today? Ah. Well…. Hope you get some headspace and a nice massage. Hmm? Me? Oh yes, I’m fine. I think. It’s been a tough year world. I know for everyone but…well, this one…..oh what am I doing…..this isn’t a personal whinge blog! It’s more of a….a gentle Sarah sharing. Yes. Of some of my findings on my audio journeys and, some folks I think are doing stellar work and…..shows worth a listen. It will also aim to do a little better job of backing up the awesome worth of INDIE AF episodes. Becuase I think those chats to those amazingly stellar Indie AF creatives needs more ears on it. First piece of advice on here: Do yourself a favour and do SOME planning. I use notes on my iPad to get me organised. On Monday morning I sit and write out my to do list for the week….sections for my own recordings, voice acting, editing jobs and ….other areas of my life too. Oh the joys of ticking them off🎉 Some folks use multicoloured icon spreadsheets with audio encoding, some a calendar app or something like Asana or Monday and others the back of a - does anyone smoke anymore? Whatever helps to get you with some structure to work to (freelancers, unite), I do think for most folk, it may be a good thing, so…have a go! Get stuff done! Tick it off! Woohooo Folks I feel are doing stellar work in the community include Julie HOVERSON making A_D_INFINITUMon the twitters. Follow it. Share it. She’s fabulous. Also a PROLIFIC PRODUCER of amazing AF…and VAExtraordinare. Go check out her 19 Nocturne Oulevard Stuffffff of grooviness. Alasdair STUART - Not only for wit and grooviness and twitch streams of joy but THE FULL LID - His newsletter promoting all sorts of cool media including AF. Lindsey HARRIS-FRIEL - my partner in podhost prime (ADWIT - for writers…go listen…it’s got some great tips and muse points) She also writes awesome articles for THE PODCAST HOST on Af, runs their community boards and edits the FICTION PODCAST WEEKLY NEWS……WHICH IS GLOROUS. GO. SUBSCRIBE. NOW. YOU BEAUTY🌞 Tal MINEAR - Tal is legend💙 They help me run @audioauditions on the Twitter (Voice Actors Make sure you follow that one) and they write briliant articles to help us all be better at so many things. Follow Tal dooo and enjoy their works of awesome too….so. Many. Cool. Things. THE CAMBRIDGE GEEK IS ARCHIVING ALL OF THE AUDIO DRAMAS. Check out their stud on Twitter under Audio drama debut. Huzzahs🎉 Robin Howell has a groovy blog/newsletter/sharing page of awesome recs for you called Sky Full of pods. Find it. Enjjoooyyyy So. One to watch: Newt SCHOTTELKOTTE has made such a groovy groove in the AF scene already and is soon to launch a HOW TO Pod for 20 somethings to help folks make better AF. Love it. We need good advice form allll quarters. Help us share these pods - educational ones like INDIE AF, ADWIT, MADIVA, How I make music and First episode of so others can level uppppp. Follow Newt. They seem wise for their years. Whereas I, …am not…. What I’m listening to this weeekkkkk 1972….sublime historical AF from Yhane Washington Smith. Stellar sound track and a super amazing cast of audio joy. #BlackLivesMatter. This shows us again and again whyyyyyyy Picture of Dorian Gray - Shadows at the door - Gawd I love me some Oscar Wilde. And before you all shout A HANDBAAAGGG too loudly, go hear this Mark Nixon mixed grooviness for yourself. It’s Queer, It’s Here and has a stellar cast. What I’m innnnnnn OZ9 - It’s funny, Shannon and the team are amazing and I LOVE BEING MRS S DASHING. ONIONS PERFECT RETREAT - I mean it’s about creating, it’s by Fiona Thraille and stars amongst others Erikakakakakakaaa Sanderson and Robert Cudmore and Karin Heimdahl n Rj Bailey N David Ault! Go love it! I play Quirky Zinnia. Sorry there is actually singing🤣 SILLY OLD BEAR - It’s Winnie the Pooh by Caroline Mincks I mean….what are you doing? Drop everything, go listen nnnooooowwww🌞 It will fill your day with happy with a fab cast and gawjus music by Trace Callahan. Enjoy. You wants mooooore? Kick back. Cue some audio. Mix that mix, compose that music, act wi that voice n tame that social media bad boy and Watch. This. Space. |