Throughout the process of working on the drama, blog posts were made detailing extensive research into many aspects of radio production. A great deal of problems were encountered during the execution of the tasks which has led to the slow production times of the finalised product.
Sound effects and background ambiance was recorded by some of the team for use in the final production. These sounds would help to give a more in depth effect to the overall contents of the play. These were edit before inclusion into the final session to help maximise the workflow.
Research into mastering standards for the BBC was conducted in order to ensure the finalised drama met the requirements for broadcasting. The research also provided a better overall understanding on the process of mastering engineering and the tools in which are used in this art form.
The script for the play was adapted by the team to make it suitable for a slot in the BBC broadcast scheduled with a timescale to reach of 15 minutes in total. Therefore contents of the original works by Mary McIntosh had to be edited and expanded upon to reach this goal and to make it more suitable for a wider audience.
The recording and mixing of the drama was undertaken during the final weeks before submission which placed a great deal of pressure on the remaining members. This was undertaken over several days to complete before mixing could begin. The recorded audio was split into sections with each take, this was to ensure that each piece of recorded dialogue was of the highest standard possible for further editing in the mixing process.
Despite the mixing process being slow, due to complications with members of the group, the remainder of the team took on the extra duties in order to complete the process despite the remaining time available.
Friday, 10 May 2013
Monday, 6 May 2013
Research for Loudness Normalisation and permitted maximum level of audio signals.
Useful Link to a Pdf which details recommendations and guidelines for EBU standards.
http://tech.ebu.ch/docs/r/r128.pdf
Friday, 3 May 2013
Studio session 03/05/2013
Objective of today's session are:
During the placement we realised we had forgot to record the shop worker in scene 3, so I recorded the vocals for that. It is not ideal that I have 3 roles within the play, however they are very small (one is one line and my voice is heavily filtered, another is two very short lines) so hopefully this wouldn't be picked up on by anyone that didn't know.
The group worked well today, we now have all the dialogue, sound effects and ambiance required within the play, the only audio left to record is a brief piece of music for the intro and the credits at the end, which will get done over the weekend.
Hopefully the entire production will be fully mastered by Monday.
- Finalise selection of all audio to be used within production
- Record and edit any required sound effects
- Placement of all audio within the session
During the placement we realised we had forgot to record the shop worker in scene 3, so I recorded the vocals for that. It is not ideal that I have 3 roles within the play, however they are very small (one is one line and my voice is heavily filtered, another is two very short lines) so hopefully this wouldn't be picked up on by anyone that didn't know.
The group worked well today, we now have all the dialogue, sound effects and ambiance required within the play, the only audio left to record is a brief piece of music for the intro and the credits at the end, which will get done over the weekend.
Hopefully the entire production will be fully mastered by Monday.
Artwork
I sourced a photo online to use as the artwork. Obviously in a real life situation this artwork would need to be paid for or a photographer commissioned to take a photo for us. I was looking for a photo of a train crossing the Tay bridge with Dundee in the background on a sunny day. The closest to that I found was quite blurry and the weather was grim, so I chose a different one and used Photoshop to add a title.
References
Tug60044. 2012. Scotrail 170429 passing Invergowrie Bay on 1L77 to Dundee. [online image]. Available from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tug60044/8015994774/ [Accessed 3 May 2013].
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| Scotrail 170429 passing Invergowrie Bay on 1L77 to Dundee (Tug60044 2012). (Slow Train Title added by me). |
References
Tug60044. 2012. Scotrail 170429 passing Invergowrie Bay on 1L77 to Dundee. [online image]. Available from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tug60044/8015994774/ [Accessed 3 May 2013].
Sound Effect Recording 03/05/2013
Recording
Microphones Used:-
- Neumann U87 x 2
- Zoom H4n Built in Stereo Microphones
The objectives of this session were to record any left over sound effects which were not recorded on location. These effects would have been difficult to obtain in public areas or rooms which were not very well sound proofed as they were very subtle and required a high gain setting for them to be clearly audible.
Several Recordings were made for each sound effect in order to give more variations for editing and mixing.
Sounds Recorded.
- Cup being placed on table (Scene in Burger King).
- Water Being poured into plastic cup (Scene where train worker pours coffee).
- Trolley being pushed up carriage.
- Trolley contents rattling.
The trolley contents rattling effect was recorded separately from the trolley movement effect as it would allow for greater control of the overall effect when being played in the radio drama.
The sounds were recorded onto the Zoom H4n and transferred over to the main session for editing and mixing.
Thursday, 2 May 2013
Music Licensing
In order to use licensed music within our productions royalties must be paid to the relevant owners, within our production we are using Frank Sinatra's 'Come Fly With Me' (1958).
In order to use this music your must obtain an Independent Radio Production Company Licence from the PRS (Application can be obtained here: http://www.prsformusic.com/users/broadcastandonline/Radio/Documents/PRSforMusic_Independent%20Production%20Company%20Licence_Application%20Pack%202011.pdf)
The snapshot below taken from the PRS website (PRS for Music 2013) and gives detail of the licence, including fees required. Payment is calculated by dividing the amount of time the music is heard in the programme by the total length of the programme, this figure is then multiplied by 10% of the gross revenue of the production:
(Total duration of member music in programme X 10% of gross revenue).
Total duration of programme
In order to use this music your must obtain an Independent Radio Production Company Licence from the PRS (Application can be obtained here: http://www.prsformusic.com/users/broadcastandonline/Radio/Documents/PRSforMusic_Independent%20Production%20Company%20Licence_Application%20Pack%202011.pdf)
The snapshot below taken from the PRS website (PRS for Music 2013) and gives detail of the licence, including fees required. Payment is calculated by dividing the amount of time the music is heard in the programme by the total length of the programme, this figure is then multiplied by 10% of the gross revenue of the production:
(Total duration of member music in programme X 10% of gross revenue).
Total duration of programme
References
Frank Sinatra. 1958. Come Fly With Me. [sound recording]. Los Angeles: Capitol
PRS For Music. 2013. Independent Radio Production Company License. [online] Available from: http://www.prsformusic.com/users/broadcastandonline/Radio/ipcradio/Pages/ipcradio.aspx [Accessed 2 May 2013].
Studio Session 02/05/13
Objectives for this session:
- Place ambiance tracks
- Place character dialogue
- Record Alan, Carrie and the Train conductor
- Record, edit and place sound effects
- Begin Mixdown
- Create/source music for the end credits/trailer
The group began today's session going through the final takes of Archie's dialogue. There was issues with the final monologue; we had 3 full takes, the first two had paper turn's during them (which we should have picked up during recording) and the third sounded rushed and not as well acted. Thank fully the paper turns in the first two takes were in slightly different places and we were able to take a cut from the first take and add it to the second one. The cut itself was not noticeable, however there is a very slight difference in delivery. I think it would go unnoticed to someone who was not aware of it and will test it on someone tomorrow. Unfortunately we will need to use it as it is too late to get Ian back in to record.
Today we also recorded the parts of the conductor, Alan (the son) and Carrie (the daughter). We got Irvine to come in and record the conductor, it was a fairly short role and Irvine is good at voice acting so we were happy with the recordings after 3 or 4 takes.
Alan and Carrie's parts were performed by Campbell's friends Gary and Maggie. They were not professional actors (Gary has some acting experience) but they took direction well and after a few rehearsals seemed to pick up the parts quite well. Maggie is from Bristol and has a southern accent which is not ideal for the role, however due to time restraints we must go ahead. The script had to be amended slightly to suit her voice; replacing the Dundee dialect with more standardized English. One of Chrissie's lines in the play is that she lives "halfway across the country" so that could explain the difference in accent.
In the interest of keeping the play sounding consistent, I decided to record Alan and Carries parts with the actors stood up (the same as Archie and Chrissie) instead of sat down as planned. All performers were recorded using a Neumann U87 stood at arms length from the microphone.
I was also recorded as part of the introduction to the show (to meet delivery specs), the lines were:
"And now on Radio 4, an adaptation of Slow Train by Mary Macintosh. A dark comedy telling the tale of one mans struggle with his bitter wife."
The group spent the rest of the session listening through takes and selecting the best tracks to use in the production.
I was happy with the groups performance today however we are now well behind schedule, I think it may have been a bit naive to assume we could get everything done in a matter of 4 days. I now hope that tomorrow we can record the last of the SFX and finalise the placement of all audio within the production ready for the mixdown. We are now aiming to get the production mixed over the weekend ready for mastering early next week.
Today we also recorded the parts of the conductor, Alan (the son) and Carrie (the daughter). We got Irvine to come in and record the conductor, it was a fairly short role and Irvine is good at voice acting so we were happy with the recordings after 3 or 4 takes.
Alan and Carrie's parts were performed by Campbell's friends Gary and Maggie. They were not professional actors (Gary has some acting experience) but they took direction well and after a few rehearsals seemed to pick up the parts quite well. Maggie is from Bristol and has a southern accent which is not ideal for the role, however due to time restraints we must go ahead. The script had to be amended slightly to suit her voice; replacing the Dundee dialect with more standardized English. One of Chrissie's lines in the play is that she lives "halfway across the country" so that could explain the difference in accent.
In the interest of keeping the play sounding consistent, I decided to record Alan and Carries parts with the actors stood up (the same as Archie and Chrissie) instead of sat down as planned. All performers were recorded using a Neumann U87 stood at arms length from the microphone.
I was also recorded as part of the introduction to the show (to meet delivery specs), the lines were:
"And now on Radio 4, an adaptation of Slow Train by Mary Macintosh. A dark comedy telling the tale of one mans struggle with his bitter wife."
The group spent the rest of the session listening through takes and selecting the best tracks to use in the production.
I was happy with the groups performance today however we are now well behind schedule, I think it may have been a bit naive to assume we could get everything done in a matter of 4 days. I now hope that tomorrow we can record the last of the SFX and finalise the placement of all audio within the production ready for the mixdown. We are now aiming to get the production mixed over the weekend ready for mastering early next week.
Recording Alan,Carrie and The Train Conductor 02/05/2013
Recording
Microphones Used:-
- Neumann U87 x 2
- AKG C414 x 1 (Used For Guide Track)
The Recording took place at 13.00 Pm and was finished by 15.00 Pm.
Voice Actors
Gary Duncan portrays Alan (13.00 Pm - 15.00 Pm)
Maggie Pentcheva portrays Carrie (13.00 Pm- 15.00 Pm)
Irvine Cruickshank portrays the Train Conductor (15.30 Pm - 16.00 Pm)
Gary and Maggie were the first to be recorded, using the record and rehearse method. They were given the opportunity to read through the script several times between takes in order to help build their characters and make the lines of dialogue flow more naturally when spoken. Unlike the professional actors they required more read throughs to become familiar with the script.
Irvine was recorded last, lending his voice to the Train conductor. Due to his natural ability to act well, he took less time to record than the other two actors, providing several takes within roughly half an hour.
All Actors were recorded using the same method as used with Archie and Chrissie to make the recordings as consistent as possible.
Organising the Radio Drama.
The multiple takes were lined up in a separate session to be arranged. The best lines were separated from each recording and combined into one session for further editing and mixing.
Wednesday, 1 May 2013
Train Passing Recording
Recording Time: The recording took place at 11.40 pm on 01/05/2013.
Location: The recording engineer lived near a railway banking between Kirkclady and Ladybank.
Train Times were looked into from between 11 pm and 12 pm and the session was left in record until a train sound was captured. The recordings took place late at night to minimise outside noise from distant traffic, this also prevented other sounds from being captured such as animals etc.
Several Attempts to capture trains previously had failed due to gain levels on the recording equipment and the microphone positioning. However after a small amount of trial and error the recording was successfully captured.
The technique used to capture the sound was a stereo spaced pair of SE Electronic SE1A microphones.
The Microphones were placed at an open window as opposed to being placed directly outside of the house as it stopped any wind creating noise during the recording.
During the recording there was a slight creaking sound captured which was created from the wooden window ledge where the microphones were situated. The vibrations created when the train passed by cause the window frame to vibrate slightly causing a quick but noticeable sound, therefore the audio was cut slightly to remove the unwanted effect.
Train Passing (Recording, Stereo)
Train Passing (Edit, Stereo)
Train Passing (Edit, Mono)
Studio Session 01/05/13
Objectives of the session were-
Security Guard
- Rough placement and editing (where required) of ambiance tracks
- Choose and begin placement of Archie and Chrissie's dialogue
- Record the security guard, train worker and tannoy announcement
- Record and edit any other sound effects required
- Create music for the end credits/trailer
We began the session today recording some of the minor roles:
Security Guard
I was performing the part of the security guard, using the Neumann U87 I stood arms length from the microphone and delivered the lines. The part will be heavily processed at the beginning during post production as it will be this vocal that brings Archie out of his thought during scene 8.
Train Worker
Campbell's friend Scott came in to play the role of the train worker. We began by getting Scott to approach the Neumann U87 from the other side of the room, ad-libbing (asking people if they want drinks etc). We done this to make ensure his approach within the drama sounded natural, as it could be tricky to automate it accurately using panning, filters and level automation. We then had him position himself arms length from the microphone and perform his lines. It was not a huge part so after a few takes we were happy.
Train Tannoy
Originally we were intending on recreating or recording an automated tannoy announcement, however it was decided, to speed up production we would change the part to that of a driver speaking through an intercom. I recorded the line and then we put an EQ on the audio, added a high pass and a low pass filtre and added some distortion to make the audio sound like it was coming out of a small speaker.
The rest of the session was spent listening through the cuts of Archie and Chrissie's dialogue that we recorded on Monday and choosing the best takes to use when we mix it.
I felt the group worked well today, we didn't get as much done as we had hoped, however we seriously underestimated how long it would take to listen through all the recordings from Monday's session. In order to meet our target of finishing the mixdown by the weekend we will have to work very effectivly.
The rest of the session was spent listening through the cuts of Archie and Chrissie's dialogue that we recorded on Monday and choosing the best takes to use when we mix it.
I felt the group worked well today, we didn't get as much done as we had hoped, however we seriously underestimated how long it would take to listen through all the recordings from Monday's session. In order to meet our target of finishing the mixdown by the weekend we will have to work very effectivly.
Recording Security Guard, Train Worker and Tannoy Announcement. 01/05/2013
Recording
Microphone used:- Neumann U87.
Train Worker:- The Train Worker was portrayed by Scott Yorke. The lines were read over several times before recording commenced allowing Scott to get into character. A Neumann U87 was set up across the room from Scott so that we could record him walking towards the microphone for an effect which would simulate the Train worker walking down the isle. This was effective as it gave depth to the recording.
Security Guard: - The Security guard was portrayed by Liam Hutchinson. Since Liam had written the adaptation it took very little effort for him to read out the lines. This helped speed up the recording process and allowed for a better representation of the character as he had a mental visualisation of how the security guard should talk.
Train Tannoy:- The Train Tannoy dialogue was also played by Liam. Due to this being such a small part we felt that Liam could put on a voice which could be unidentifiable from his previous recording. The Tannoy effect would be heavily edited to make it sound like it came from a very small speaker, this also helped to make his voice less recognisable.
Organising the Radio Drama.
The multiple takes were lined up in a separate session to be arranged. The best lines were separated from each recording and combined into one session for further editing and mixing.
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