Analysis PowerPoint

1. Analysis PowerPoint Maria Garcia Candidate Number 3064

2. Difficulties faced • Organising Booking Time – I organised when and where I was going to use the recording equipment. I informed my actors that we would be recording the whole drama in bulk so gave advanced notice and gave them a copy of the script to read over and get familiar with the story. • I then recorded the drama on 10th April 2010, I recorded all scenes inside my house except the scene by the ocean which was recorded outside. • Organising Cast – I contacted possible voice actors for my radio drama via telephone and in person and queried their availability. I then chose a date that was suitable for all of the people involved and that was 10/4/10 • Editing – The editing process involved me becoming familiar with using Audacity the editing programme. I learned how to cut and paste snippets of sound files, I learned how to fade in and out and how to layer my track so that it flowed throughout.

3. Marketing • I created a webpage and advert using my skills learnt on Microsoft Publisher, this was fairly easy to do, I researched adverts and websites of other radio dramas and found they has a simple layout and didn’t give too much information about the play. I used this as a template to create my own webpage and advert. • The webpage would be featured on BBC Radio 4’s website and the advert would be in a relevant newspaper i.e. The metro, where it could be marketed to a wider audience which would include my target audiences. • Also to appeal to radio 4 listeners the advert would also be published in newspapers such as the Times.

4. Webpage

5. Advert

6. Analysis of Another Radio Drama • I listened to the play ‘Can’t live without you’ on Radio 4. • http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00s7dvw • It is a psychological thriller by Kellie Smith. When Greg’s partner Anna becomes ill and needs constant care Greg becomes intoxicated by her dependency. • About a man’s craving for control in his marriage. • This play explores the themes and conventions of marriage and patriarchy. • It both challenges and encourages stereotypical views about male dominance which a large proportion of women can relate to. • It touches upon the delicate issue of illnesses but also focuses on power and dominancy, control and almost bullying. • Greg feeds off his wife’s illness as it allows him to have the power he desires. • It confronts the ideologies of ‘perfect marriages’ which most people do believe exists.

7. The audience for this drama would be both male and female of an older age – quite possibly those in marriage. This may also appeal to people suffering from the same ailment as Anna. • The radio drama starts with the song “I have no choice” symbolic to the issues in the drama. • The main voice is a narrator – A man. Gregg, around 35 years old. He is telling his version of the story and it’s a recollection. • We get the sense that we are his brain as if we can hear his thoughts and feel his emotions. • In most cases Greg’s actions would have been condemned from an outsiders’ point of view but in this case where we hear how he felt about the situation we can have a preferred reading of empathising with Gregg. The narrative itself however can also be leant to an opposed reading due to the nature of Gregg’s actions • The narrative structure is split into Gregg’s narrations and the dialogue of the play. It switched back and forth and sometimes they overlap. • The subtheme in this play is “choices” Gregg discusses his choices in ignoring important telephone call from the transplant office that could have helped his wife recover. • “I want to take you back” It goes onto flashbacks though the narration is still there to help up gain a greater understanding of the context.

8. There are sound effects for example when Gregg is doing DIY e.g. The sound of hammers hammering. • There is background music in the very beginning whilst Gregg is introducing his story, this keeps the reader intrigued and listening. • The play is almost disturbing as it exposes the reality of what a man would do to have power. Another subtheme of the text is Love and obsession, as he is quite evidently in love with Anna, so much so that he wants to keep her locked away all to himself. He says “I wanted to see her baby photos, I wanted to see everything”

9. Analysis of Narrative • The narrative structure of the drama shows the parallels between Daniel and Janice. It is clear they are in two different worlds. The dialogue exemplifies this as Janice says “Daniel is so great” whilst Daniel discusses with his friend about drug dealing “This is going to be a good deal” • There is no narration in the play allowing listeners to focus on what is being said to understand the plot. The drama flicks back and forth between the protagonist and the antagonist and shows both their sides of the story. • This allows both a preferred and an opposed reading to be inferred. • The accent and dialects used in the drama are Jamaican and English. This is so it appeals to all the potential audiences previously stated. Janice is portrayed as a middle to working class English woman in her 40’s. She uses Standard English which is an adjustment I made from making her use Estuary English because of the targeted audience. • Daniel is portrayed as a young Jamaican man and uses a heavy Jamaican accent with all the slang and characteristics of a Jamaican person. This gives the Caribbean listeners something to relate to and something to familiarise with. This may give them a sense of empowerment as they know and recognise the slangs being used. They may have a deeper knowledge of the plot because they can fully understand both sides of the story (especially if they are Caribbean listeners living in London). • In addition, the English listeners may not totally understand the accents and dialects used in the play but it allows them to fully experience the Jamaican typical cultures and dialects.

10. Analysis of Sound Effects • Sound effects were used effectively to disseminate the context of the situation to the listener. After the opening music, I used the sound effect of a party crowd laughing and talking to set the atmosphere. • In conjunction, I used music in the background to add to the party atmosphere, because music is something you'd conventionally find at a party. • I faded out the party ambience and faded in a beachside one to show the transition. The beachside sound effects included night time birds which would be found on an island like Jamaica, and the sound of the ocean waves. • This was a supposedly “romantic” setting but because of the dramatic irony, the audience knew that Daniel wasn’t being genuine. • Whilst doing this I used a footsteps sound effect so it was clear to the audience that Janice and Daniel were leaving the party and the scene was changing.

11. Analysis of Music • Welcome to Jamrock • The start music is upbeat and lively – what one would expect from a Caribbean party. I used this to start my radio drama and keep listeners captivated. • The transition from Daniel’s first Scene to Janice’s first scene includes a section of the track ‘Welcome to Jamrock’ by Damien Marley (a famous music artist and son of legend Bob Marley). This track was symbolic in the way that Janice didn’t know what she was getting herself into when entering ‘Jamrock’ (Jamaica). A key line in the section is “it innayuh handbag” which relates to the fact that Daniel is going to be trafficking the drugs using Janice’s Luggage.