Born to Teachers and Amateur Audio Enthusiasts in the small rural community of Belwood, Jack's first love was stories- writing, reading, telling, and singing. He developed his acting skills through High School, University, and through film and community theatre.
Jack writes the lion's share of Sonic Cinema Production's (previously Electric Vicuna) Audio Drama scripts and has his own writing site at www.jackjward.com. Jack also is the middle of book writing, screenplay production, and is the CEO of the Mutual Audio Network- where he and the best people in the world Listen & Imagine, Together!.
He's thrilled to co-host the Sonic Society with his wonderful, talented, friend David Ault as they enter their second decade in the medium!
This week Jack is running solo catching up on a bunch of projects he brings us a trilogy of comedy-terror with Hannahpocalypse! Meet Hannah, the last zombie well after the apocalypse has come and gone. She’s so very happy you’re hear, listener… Meanwhile, many miles away Cali speeds her hovering Land Spinner home towards the Golden Gate settlement. And it all begins with episodes 1,2 and 3 because it’s AUDIO DRAMA TIME!
A Sound Effect Blog has a very interesting post on how to create horror sound effects.
It’s a detailed discussion from sound designer/re-recording mixer Joe Dzuban who has worked with some great horror masters of film today like James Wan and Guillermo del Toro.
While I bristle at the word “foley”- a term that’s used for movies and not really applicable for the sound effects we develop in audio drama, its great to have access to it. After all, foley is created to provide sound to coincide with footage shot with film. Audio Drama SFX are used live, as well as in post-production but created not to represent the sounds in visuals but rather to build story from the acting and the script. I’m known for not “crossing the streams” of my artistic endeavors even though I appreciate each and every form. But, if our medium matters, it’s important to give Audio Drama it’s due. You wouldn’t call the pages of your best-selling novel, “slides”, so why “foley” instead of “SFX”?
It is true that many people come to Audio Drama being visual consumers of story first, and that explains why so many think of foley as being the first term that comes to mind, but what’s more important is that we can find some crossover with the mediums, just like we do with live stage plays, comics, or audiobooks. Audio Drama is the most flexible of artistic mediums as it can wander across all others (except perhaps Miming!).
The key element is that generated sound in audio drama requires the listener to understand what the producers and writers are marking as important. While film can contrast foley against images to provide discordant tones and even moods, Audio Drama requires accuracy so that a fluency of sound creates a congruent understanding of the full setting and meaning of the story.
So, check out what tricks and tips in the above article might work well in an audio drama sound effect library, and bring your thoughts into the comments.
Welcome to Mutual Presents! This week it’s another peek at the Mutual Audio Network’s Youtube channel showing the best from our spiritual forefather- The Mutual Broadcasting System. This time we proudly present a double-feature from the Mutual Radio Theater “One Dollar Dream House” and “North from Marakesh”!
This week David Ault hosts alone as Jack is off taking some time in his cabin. But the horror features continue this week with the first two episodes of Mocking Manor. Mockery Manor is a theme park where people disappear, and it’s up to a pair of chaotic teenage twins to catch a killer! If you have enjoyed Stranger Things, Friday the 13th, and Black Mirror than this double-bill is for you! After all, it’s AUDIO DRAMA TIME!
MADCON 2022 completes this week with our thanks to Tony and the Faustian Nonsense crew.
Jack and David bring episode one from Malevolent! Arkham Private Investigator Arthur Lester wakes up with no memory of who he is or what has happened, only a nameless, eerie voice guiding him through the darkness. Blind, terrified, and confused, his journey will lead him towards a series of mysteries in the hopes of understanding the truth of what has transpired. As cosmic horrors seep into the world around, Arthur must ask himself whether this entity truly seeks to help him, or are its intentions more… and now Part 1 “The Dark World”!
MADCON 2022 continues and this week we consider how accessing and gatekeeping can affect the audio drama community.
Captain Radio introduces our final new feature from Sonic Cinema Productions and the Wave Front Anthology- Market Crash In a near future, jobs are scarce and robotic cars are everywhere. As the world falls apart, Jerry and Brooklyn race against time to save the world. Written by Jack J. Ward. Produced by Richard Frohlich with rough editing by Austin Beach!
Steve Bellinger discusses the pros and mostly the cons of computer assistants and uses a sensitive and temperamental program, VICI, to demonstrate his point.
What do you do when the government you thought you knew turns out not to be everything you thought it was? A remembrance of Mark Bruzee and Night Terrors.
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