Category: Media (Page 30 of 45)

Who Speaks for the Commons?

April 25, 2015 / Jack / 0 Comments

The Prime Minister of Canada presented the latest budget for the fiscal year with a special Easter egg.

“The budget tabled yesterday includes a measure that will extend copyright protection on audio recordings to 70 years as of the recording’s release, from the current 50 years.”

Many who feel that the “Commons”, the idea that we have a shared heritage and a need to maintain a strong public presence feel that the world has been robbed another twenty years of great music. Others feel that this will ensure copyright for musicians who have a longer life span.

Which ever way you look at it, the privatization of all things in our culture seems to be continually accelerating. Some believe this is a good thing. How do you feel?

Why Do We Love Audio Stories So Much?

April 16, 2015 / Jack / 0 Comments

Tiffanie Wen talks about our favourite subject- the appeal of the audio story and why it is so compelling in this lovely article. Notice how she begins with the single voice narrator and moves into the power of audio drama to tell the story commenting on John Deaver’s The Starling Project as an example of the power of the new form of radio drama. Great stuff!

Blake’s Ghostly Review

April 2, 2015 / Jack / 0 Comments

Big Finish has released a brand spanking new episode of Blake’s 7 called “Ghost Ship”. In this detailed review by James McLean, fans will find everything there that they love about the original Blake’s 7. This of course includes the original stars, Gareth Thomas, Michael Keating, and Paul Darrow. “Ghost Ship” is written by Iain McLaughlin and available at Big Finish. So, are you ready for another ride on the Liberator?

Archers Reign Supreme

April 1, 2015 / Jack / 0 Comments

Speculative fiction may be the most popular of the modern Internet-age audio drama but for 33 years The Archers have been England’s favourite radio drama. Tim Bentinck provides some background into his role of David Archer and some work he’s done as a children’s author in this Daily Mail interview.

Audio Actors Selected by Voice Frequencies

March 30, 2015 / Jack / 0 Comments

After decades of slow incremental changes, we’re under a blossoming of innovations thanks to the addition of incredible new technology that seems to pop up everywhere. Case in point is the new algorithms that are being used to decide who makes for a good listening voice on the air. Computers apparently are there to tell you if you make the cut as to whether your voice can be identified as “engaging” or not. Check out Aarti Shahani’s article from NPR on the subject before you make your picks for your next radio drama casting session.

The Resurgence of Audio Drama

March 28, 2015 / Jack / 0 Comments

Julius Purcell write an interesting article about the rise of Audio Drama and it includes such alumni as Fred Greenhalgh and Lawrence Raw and the We’re Alive team as they talk about the state of our beloved medium and its most recent interest. While most of us at the Society are thinking, “Where have you been?” it’s really about the elevation of audio drama in the central consciousness since producers like John Dryden (A Fine Balance) and Sarah Koenig (Serial) have

Happy World Theatre Day!

March 27, 2015 / Jack / 0 Comments

Bangwave Radio wants you to celebrate World Theatre Day with Radio Drama. And why not? Can you think of a better way than to listening to some great OTR like The Halls of Fantasy or The Haunting Hour? Or of course, you can just tune in to Sonic Echo every Friday night for the rest of Season 10 of the Sonic Society and get you thirst for old time radio quenched there!

Terry’s Tribute from Radio 4

March 19, 2015 / Jack / 0 Comments

If you missed it the first go around, don’t you dare miss it this time! BBC Radio 4 is planning a repeat performance of Dirk Maggs, Neil Gaiman, and Terry Pratchett‘s amazing audio adaptation Good Omens from the sixth to the tenth of April and completing the series on Saturday the 11th in a tribute to the great Sir Terry.

Nothing but the Pitts

March 19, 2015 / Jack / 0 Comments

The Brits really know how it’s done! Tony Pitts in this article talks about how he began in a soap opera and has found himself acting in a Spielberg blockbuster in this Yorkshore Post.

How does it fit the Society? Well, Mr. Pitts points out the thing we all know,

“I love radio. I actually think that it is the most powerful medium.”

Yes indeed, they do call you Mr. Pitts!

Transforming the AB to AD

March 18, 2015 / Jack / 0 Comments

Robert Montenegro muses in the BigThink Blog that maybe Audio Books are really the next step to bringing back Audio Drama. He notes that from a piece in NPR, that something big is coming down the pipeline with the audioverse. While this may not be such big news for the Society, we’re all excited that it’s starting to look like many others are catching up!