After it's "done" - Fine tuning the Radio Play

Submitted by tzor on April 27, 2011 - 10:36.

• Radio Scripts

Is there any good reference material for fine tuning a radio play so that it can be suitable for a listening audience? I'd like to work on the minor things that one tends to skip over duing the process of the frenzy. I'm assuming that each "Act" would be one "Episode" and that the "Scenes" would be separated by commerical breaks, but how long should a "scene" be?

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Foreign languages in audio drama

So. I'm writing a script that I'd like to pepper liberally with Yiddish words & phrases, for flavor; but I want to make sure it's not confusing. Films have subtitles, with books you can add a glossary. What can you do in an audio? I don't want to not include anything, and I'd like to avoid translating them all by putting the meaning after everything— but I also don't want to assume that everyone knows these words.

(This is mostly a question about the writing. Eventually I'll have to worry about the actors too— but them at least I can supply with a glossary/pronunciation guide.)

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Tip of the day... getting started

I tried to do some tips of the day last year, but petered out as I got more and more caught up in my own writing. But I figure it doesn't hurt to try.

A lot of these are actually very general tips, and will cover a lot of different kinds of writing (not just radio scripts) but everyone else can come here and visit us if they want the benefit of this wisdom.
:)
Tip 1 - getting started.

Since I tend to work in radio scripts with the idea that each episode will be about a half hour long - I don't leave time to dawdle.

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Radio Script Production Resources

Submitted by Berlin June on March 26, 2011 - 05:54.

• Radio Scripts

(Wasn't sure if this belonged in Helpful Orgs/Sites, so please move wherever you think it's more appropriate.)

I'm pretty sure I'm not doing a radio script this April; however, I have worked with audio dramas before and I just wanted to share a couple of very lovely resources, geared more toward those of you who plan on producing at some point:

The Audio Drama Directory--http://theaudiodramadirectory.com/index.php
You can submit your radio plays to this online listing. Also includes a very helpful 'ratings guide.'

The Voice Acting Alliance--
http://voiceactingalliance.com/

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Sound Effects - HELP

I've been practicing by writing small radio scripts adapting fairy tales. The part I'm finding most difficult is how to describe the sound effects. One example is in transitioning from current time to past time, I want some of that weird music that would be accompanied with weird wavy lines if this was on TV. How do I describe that in a radio script? The same with other sounds. I can say that a sound is of snapping twigs as a character walks in the woods but anything more complicated than that, I'm not sure how to describe it.

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Practicing

Howdy,
We still have a very long time until frenzy and I'm prepared as far as I can for the pieces that I will be adapting, but I haven't written a radio play in maybe 2 years, so I need practice. Yesterday the movie "Little Red Riding Hood" was advertised on TV so I thought, why not do some radio script writing of fairy tales to practice.

So far, I've written just one - The Three Little Pigs - and I'm not totally pleased with it but writing it was just an exercise and that pleases me I hope I can write one a day until 4/1. We shall see.

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Lovecraft

Has anyone tried to write radio scripts of Lovecraft stories? I was intending to write some shorts but I kinda think doing radio scripts might work better. Anyone with experience writing Lovecraft for radio?

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What's your script about?

Just want to know what my fellow radio script writers are doin this year!

This is my first script (and first comedy) so please, tell what you think.
A radio comedy about three teenaged criminal masterminds who have to brave the
Australian Outback, fight the brainwashed citizens of Glasgow, and figure out the
master plan of a former colleauge. A turn in the universe happens when they decide to save the world they have swindeled, stolen, and made a general nasty place. The antaganist must become heros when they are the only ones who can stop the still antaganizing antaganist. 

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Public Domain

Most of the old radio shows fall under public domain and can be played on the internet without problems. http://www.radiolovers.com/ is a good place to go, also the Library of Congress has a massive digital collection. Burns and Allen and The Whistler are two amazing programs to look into.

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For after the scriptfrenzy...

Once this is all over, if anyone who is interested in seeing their production actually getting made and podcast...

I can help. I don't produce outside scripts, but I can put you in touch with people who do, or show you how to produce them yourself. (This is all non-paying, but the paying markets for radio/audio scripts are few and far between.)

Just putting it out there, since I know that having an actual potential outlet can sometimes be that kick in the pants that gets you started .... or gets you across the finish line....

• 14 comments