Codes and Conventions of a

Radio Drama Hayley McCarthy

By using a number of different voices it makes it clear to the listener who is speaking. Also the tone in which the narrator is speaking in should make it clear to the audience of how he or she is feeling.

Voices

Speech is also critical in radio drama. So that the audience can recognize classes; such as Upper class, Middle class and lower class. A great example that teenagers use slang which shows there age and class. If you have an upper class character your most likely to pronounce words better. Stereotypically this would be a posh, rich way of showing charectorisation.

Speech

Music is used a lot in Radio Dramas due to changing scenes. These are called jingles and by using them it makes it a lot clearer for the audience to show there location. An example of this is at a train station as you can use announcements. By using music and sound effects it creates the atmosphere and set the mood.

Music

Using ambience you are able to use music to describe how the characters are feeling. You can also use the tone of the characters voice. For example using classical music it can make the atmosphere uplifting or depressing. Due to this it make listeners become more observant of how the character is feeling.

Ambience

The way in which you use sounds is also another way setting the scene. For example if you hear a door closing you know that someone has left the room. Another example is if you hear an aeroplane and announcements ‘for departure’ you know that they are at the Airport.

Sounds

Silence can be used to increase tension. For example if they are running then you hear a sudden silence.

Silence

Signposting is a way of establishing the location at the opening of a scene. This is done by effects, spot or FX, and sometimes supported by description”

Most of the time these effects are introduced at the top of the scene, before the dialogue begins. It is up to the director whether speech begins quickly, or more seconds are needed to strengthen the effect of this signposting on the listener. If a new location, especially an outside location, is being

established, the audience will need more time to absorb this information.

So for example; this scene would be established in this way: Airport- using plane FX or announcements used at the airport.

Aural Signposting

A cliff-hanger is used at the ending of the Radio Drama. The reason for the word ‘hanger’ is because the audience has to hang on until the next ‘series’ or ‘episode’.

However there is also a danger in this where audiences leave the movie feeling frustrated that all loose ends are not complete.

The Radio Drama below includes a cliff hanger at the ending: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmPbGXP0v0Q

Cliff-hanger

Shift in a narrative to an earlier event that interrupts the normal chronological development of a story.

An example of this is in the hobbit as displayed below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Init63GNALs

Flashbacks

You can use fades when changing scene which is again used in the hobbit this is used at 3:33.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Init63GNALs

You can also use fades to show Distance, for example if someone is walking away and you hear there voice getting quieter you know how far they have walked away.

Use of fades

To show your Characters throughout the Radio Drama using speech and sound effects.

Characterisation

Time in literal manner

Chronological Development

Narration is done by someone who has a clear voice so they can be understood by the listener. They mainly speak in third person.

Used in the hobbit at 3:36: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Init63GNALs

Narration

This is used to tell the listeners the characters opinions upon something it make the listener understand the characters more. This is mainly used by the Main Character.

Direct Speech

Credits are for the listeners telling us who the actors were, and who produced the drama. This helps the team by promoting the actors, writers, production team as well.

Credits

Music can be used to set the scene or explain how the character is feeling.

Music

is where an actor will recreate a scene melodramatically.

Dramatic Reconstruction

Post-modern, radio drama as „theatre of the mind‟, creation of mood or location (effects, acoustic)

Radio Drama styles

How long your Radio Drama would last

Duration

A Structural framework which tells you the order and manner in which the narrator is presented to reader, listener, or viewer.

The narrative text structures the plot and location.

Narrative Structure