Evaluation

In this unit I was asked to create a radio drama for the BBC for 16-24 year olds. At the end of my
production I believe I have created an effective radio drama for this topic. There are some
improvements that could be made but due to research and planning I believe my production is
good. I researched some dramas before straying to plan and record my own. I looked into both
student and professional examples and those of both good and bad nature. Some that have been
displayed on the BBC and some that need some technical moderating. By listening to a variety of
examples I was able to build an understanding of what to include and what to avoid in my own
personal drama. I could first-hand pick out parts I did and dint like as I do myself fit into the target
audience. When I then created a basis of this information, I conducted a survey to guarantee that
other people in the target audience had this belief too. I asked them more general questions too
about genre etc. top get a more clear idea of which direction I should take my production. I then
disp0layed the survey results in an easy to read infographic.

My production had many strengths. I think the plot was engaging, maybe slightly over dramatic,
but was clear and understandable. I created some effective Foley sounds and added a lot of
ambience to make it clear to the listeners where the scene was taking place. I gathered an array of
actors to ensure that no voices were mixed up with each other. The actors I casted firstly did an
audition so that i could ensure they were right for their role I wanted them to play. This planning
helped with any later issues.

Although I do believe my radio drama had quite a positive outcome, there were many parts that I
could have improved on. When recording another one of my actors parts the radio booth I
originally used was being used so I used a zoom recorder. This means that in the drama it is a little
bit contrasting between characters lines and isn’t as smooth flowing as I hoped it to be. Next time
I will ensure all parts are recorded at the same time. I also believe I could have recorded some
more of my own Foley sounds or ambience. I used a lot of imported ambience so I could have
evened it out slightly with more Foley.

There was a variety of factor4s that I chose to use in my production that I believe made it an
effective radio drama. A technique that I used an thought added a lot to the production was
altering the eq and echoe of the sound. I used this at the end of my production when a letter was
being read out. I think this was effective as the echoe made it easy to understand that the words
of the letter is not being said out loud in the present time. It makes it clear its being read in
someones head. I also chose to use a familiar song at the end of my piece. I didn’t use a lot of
music in the drama , only at the end as I believe the plot was already very dramatic and potentially
cheesy so adding music throughout would make it too dramatic that it seems tacky. So, at the end
of the production I used the song clair de lune as it is recognised by most people. A recognisable
song usually allows the audience to personally connect with the character or feel more engaged. I
also believe it added a nice ending to the production instead of a sudden ending. It added a nice
fade out and allowed the intended emotion to be projected.
I think I met my goals that were originally set but due to learning and understanding more about
the software, I have set new goals for when I am creating any more radio dramas in the future.
These include new skills I have learnt about shifting pitch and experimenting with the EQ. in the
future, I could use this new skills for endless possibilities and it has enabled me to cut off a lot of
limitations with my drama. For example, I would now be able to set the radio drama in space
because I would know how to alter the sound to make it sound like this without having to visually
see it. I have also learnt about the equipment. In the future I would ensure not to use two
different mics because I want to achieve a more smooth flowing sound.

I asked a few people in the targeted age range for my production to listen to my drama and then
give me feedback about it. I recorded some of their responses and uploaded them onto my site.
When asking them , overall the feedback was quite positive. People enjoyed the plot , the music
and thought the actors did a good job. Most of the constructive criticism is to work on technical
parts of my drama like fading the noises together or using the same mic to record the voices. I am
happy with the feedback and now know that when creating my next drama , I can have a much
more smooth running production as all the technical issues won’t happen or can be quickly
resolved or avoided.

In my personal opinion I believe that this project has allowed me to develop my skills in an area
that I was quite unfamiliar. Even though this probably won’t be what I chose to go into for my FMP
it means I have developed crucial skills that will be required in any of the productions. For
example, mastering the sound effects for my visual projects will create an overall more effective
production. I think I need to work more consistently and stay up to deadlines. So overall, I believe
this project has allowed me to develop my skills and time management .