Acting : Reviving the lost art of the radio drama... by Arthur Funni

How very interesting it has become to revive the radio drama. Granted it never left as it was continued on by certain groups to bring their ideas across on a medium that was accessible to any income bracket. However, to turn up the volume to bring the true creativity back that left once the big three networks moved their budget to a device called television...that's quite different. So what could be so different and cool about just words over the air? PLENTY! The focus is on the WORDS. The words not only drive the plot but provide the paint for each of our creative brushes of imagination. The sound effects work alongside in aiding the voice as does the music. There is no way that they are secondary. They go hand in hand as well. If this motley trio of words, sound effects and music are out of sync that's when trouble arises (I will talk about sound effect and music in other posts). But voice- This is what I've learned thus far.... It forces the actor to do homework that they normally wouldn't have to do. My assignment to all of my actors is to go to a place where people are congregating (i.e. malls, restaurants, coffee houses, etc.). Don't watch the conversations... listen to them. When listening, notice the ebb and flow of a conversation. Notice how we instinctively as communicators know when the others are wrapping up what they are saying and another one takes up the conversation where other left off. Granted we do this in film/stage/television but it's crucial for radio as we are as a radio audience an invisible witness or even an eavesdropper to the events. From a technical aspect, this is hell in an editing room. As an editor/director/yada, yada- I am insisting that all actors be present for the recording of a scene. It's unfair for the actors as they need that human interaction between characters to make that scene come alive. It's even downright unfair to do this to an editor. Creating a conversation between actors who weren't in the same room as each other is just cruel and unusual punishment. Piecing it together to create that natural ebb and flow is harder than what you think. Patchwork and pickups is one thing but this is just unkind. This art form allows one thing that stage/screen/television doesn't. It doesn't rely on the visual...in the Actor. As long as they have the voice shrouded in character, it's a green light. That's why I love it so. Just recently I had a short skinny bald man play a burly strong man. He had the voice but didn't look the part (face for radio, yeah they do exist!) and wow, did he get the role! So this is my first of many little posts I am going to do about production of radio drama. If you attempt it, you're going to find it as rewarding as I do. You will find that the focuses are different and it's strangely cool. If you have any questions as I move along, please don't hesitate to ask me. All the best, Art