Category: Podcast (Page 75 of 114)

The Rise of the Bronze Age of Audio Drama?

bronzeHappy Easter Everyone! A time where traditionally we think of new life, and renewal, and it’s got us thinking here at EVP Studios.

A few years back I said we had exited the Golden Age of Modern Audio Drama, and entered a definitively new age, the Silver Age. I said that because I had seen the generation of Audio Drama enthusiasts bring back the medium to the Internet, only to inspire a new group of people who maybe hadn’t heard of audio stories before podcasts opened their ears to the possibilities.

Now, it looks like we’re entering a third age. The Bronze Age of Modern Audio Drama where a new group of people who haven’t heard of the Golden Age group, and may not even be aware of the Silver Age productions are looking at the run away podficts like Serial and Tanis and are deciding to make their own series.

Audio Drama is broadening its base, even as its not widening it. What I mean by that is that we’re now coming to a point where the small community is fracturing so that so many people are unaware of the works of others. When most people excited about the medium used to listen to a group of shows to find what’s new out there, now we see entire podcasts existing entirely ignorant of the other works out there, and almost proudly so. After all, there’s so many podcasts of every genre, can you say you know them all? It’s impossible.

Radio Drama is starting to get that kind of wide appeal. But there’s still a danger in this fractured effect. It means that if your favourite audio series stops, you’re more likely not to know if there’s anything else out there. Even now, the most popular podcasts about audio drama tend to focus on a handful of shows as if they are the only ones that exist.

Our focus in the Sonic Society, has always been about the eclectic nature. We’d rather give you the world of audio drama, and let you decide weekly your commitment to it.

So is this a New Age? Let us know what you think in the comments…

Green Audio Thumb

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Jemaine Clement Returns to Radio with the Podcast Uncle Bertie’s Botanarium. The article by Garrett Martin at Paste Magazine, tells us that the new podfict The Mysterious Secrets of Uncle Bertie’s Botanarium is about the life story of Lord Joseph Banks, the British botany and natural history scientist from Captain Cook‘s sea voyages. Banks brought back such exotics like eucalyptus to the west.
The script is written by acclaimed writer and director Duncan Sarkies, James Milne, and artist Stephen Templer, and is only inspired by history, drawing in elements of comedy and parody.

For his part, Clement is thrilled to be working in the audio world again:

“It’s a mixture between reading a book and watching a movie. Some of it’s provided for you like a movie, like the performances, but a lot of it you have to imagine yourself when you’re listening to it. I’m hoping podcasts will bring radio comedy and radio drama back.”

Welcome to the Society, Mr. Clement. Welcome to the Society.
New episodes of the Botanarium arrive every Wednesday!

Blurring Sounds Waves

mira-burt-wintonick-blogMira Burt-Wintonick who was a producer for ten years on the popular CBC Radio show Wiretap has some incredible things to say about making fiction on the air. While I think her thoughts are especially valuable for those making podficts (fictionalized podcasts), her clear thoughts can be found in detail in the article Storytelling through Sound but here are a few of her notes:

  • Performance- less is more, go off script, imperfections are your friend, take charge
  • Writing- keep it tight, read aloud before, ladle out unbelievable elements, base your writing in truth
  • Sound- leave in mic noise, paint a picture
  • Develop emotional truth
  • Break the rules

Best Foote Forward

ken-foote (1)Ken Foote muses over at CBS Local about the sunny days of radio drama after seeing an episode of The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson and the titanic voice actor Orson Welles. While talking about the difficulties of working as an actor and as part of the crew during live radio drama, Foote considers the powerful gateway show CBS Radio Mystery Theater starring the unforgettable E.G. Marshall as your host and narrator.

Go check out the article, but then consider mentioning to Mr. Foote how audio drama has come back in the modern age!

Living Nostalgia

psCarlene Philips from this Harvard Press article is feeling more than a little nostalgic for a time not experienced, and a medium Philips thought was dead:

I was filled with admiration—and a bit of envy—at the camaraderie, passion, spirit of collaboration, and mutual support among the cast members, to say nothing of their incredible talents. During the deliberately over-the-top production, I laughed with abandon and felt the sting of sarcasm, the pain of rejection, and the bliss of, ah, true love.

Philips is speaking of the classic audio drama The Philadelphia Story which is being performed live on stage for the upcoming Old Time Radio Theatre presentation Saturday, March 19, at 7:30 p.m. in Volunteers Hall, sponsored by the Harvard Friends of the Arts. This has become a bit of a tradition now, for eight years at Harvard. About time the old ivy leagues were lining ’em up again!

Beacon in the Dark

beaconBeacon Arts Centre in Inverclyde, Scotland is celebrating new writers work by presenting a collection of four new radio plays staged for an audience and dubbed “The Podcast Sessions”.

For over a decade now, we at the Sonic Society have believed that audio stories are uniquely positioned to tell stories in the most imaginative and inexpensive way while captivating a wide audience from around the world.

A group called Toasted Fiction, founded by Christopher Patrick, who is a Greenock-based writer and director is committed to supporting the development of new writing and new writers.

The Podcast Sessions will be presented Thursday 31 March, 7:30 pm. For tickets (£5 or concessions £3.50) call 01475 723723 or book online.  Details about all four shows can be found at this Inverclyde Now Article.

Support new writers. Support new Audio Drama!

Paying Audio Drama Gig

On Craigslist on March 12th in the LA area we see this ad:

SAG/AFTRA Actors Wanted for Internet Audio Drama (Voice Acting)

We are currently casting four to five SAG actors for the pilot episode of a new internet audio drama. (If you’re not familiar with the concept of “audio drama, ” think Old Time 1940s Radio. This is a vocal performance only.)

Our noirish “internet radio” drama is a playful take on the 1940s/50s detective genre. (Think Neil Simon’s “The Cheap Detective” or Carl Reiner’s “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid.”) Each episode will be performed “live-to-tape,” with episode run times from 15-20 minutes.

Cast will include three male actors and two females. Ages are not specific, and could easily range from 25-ish to 70-ish.

This new series, intended solely for online distribution, is being produced by a SAG/AFTRA signatory under the terms of the SAG/AFTRA New Media Agreement. $100 per episode minimum. Production of each episode will take no more than one hour.

Please email if interested. We’ll answer any questions, and send you casting info. . .

If you live in the North Hollywood area and are a SAG/AFTRA member. Break a leg on the audition!

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