Codes

Words
Words are used due to the lack of visuals in radio to give information to the listener. This is done
by giving information through what is being said whether it be from a narrator or character. An
example of this can be heard in the Postmodern radio drama titled Day of the Dead. Words are
used at 2:04 when a character excitingly says coming home again. This gives information to
the audience that this character lives or has lived in this place before. Another example can be
heard in a traditional radio drama named The Archers. At 1:05 like flying in the face of the
whole family over buying this land. This was most likely done by the script writers to let us, the
listeners know that there has been trouble in the family over buying the land and suggest
conflict. Furthermore it also tells us that the character she is talking too has went against the
families views suggesting he is a stubborn character. Comparing these two examples I believe
that the example from the traditional radio drama gives more information about the character
and the situation he is currently in. While the postmodern radio drama example leaves more up
to the viewer, giving only a small bit of the characters information. Between the both I think
they both work in different ways of giving information to the audience. Although the post
modern drama gives less information and doesnt give much detail. It does work to give some
information while keeping interest in the character and leaving the audience wanting to find out
more. The traditional radio drama leaves less for interpretation, giving the listener detailed
information about the character and what he may be like.
Voices
Voices are used in radio dramas to tell the listener information such as: the age, the gender
and where the character is from. An example of this being used can be seen in a
postmodern radio drama called Day of the Dead. At 2:12 the character speaks with a rural
accent. This tells us about his class and that he is most likely working class. Furthermore, he
speaks with quite a deep voice telling us that he is an adult and a male. This is a good
example of voices being used to give information about a character as when he speaks we
learn more about the character and helps us visualise him. Another example of voice being
used can be heard in the traditional radio drama named The Archers. At 2:18 a character
speaks with a posh English accent. He also speaks with received pronunciation. This tells us
that he is upper class. The Archers use accent a lot to show the listener. At 0:30 another
character speaks but with a rural accent telling us that he is working class. This successfully
tells the listener more about the character through them just talking, it is very clear what
class they are.
Both these examples give us information about the characters. However The Archer uses
accents to tell us the class of people, while this is not used as much in the postmodern Day
of the Dead. With The Archers doing this it makes it very clear what the character is like in
terms of class. With the Day of the Dead it leaves more to mystery and leaves it up to the
listener to decide. Both work well and which works better really depends on the type of
radio drama you are trying to create.
Speech
This is the way words are spoke. Speech tells the listener how the character is
feeling, it gives information on the character and their emotions. An example of
this being used can be seen in a postmodern radio drama called Day of the
Dead. At 2:20 the character speaks in a low timid voice. This tells us the listener
that he is a shy, not out going person. It could also show that he may be
intimidated by the person he is replying to. Another example of speech being used
can be heard in the traditional radio drama The Archers. At 11:22 the character
speaks quite slowly, holding on the ss in her words. This interrupted with giggles
in-between words tell us the listener that she is drunk. This is because slurring
words and speaking slow is all things that we associate with a drunk person. This
works well as it is a subtle way of telling the audience that she is drunk without
actually having someone have to say. I think this helps progress the narrative in a
smooth way. If they had to explain everything to the listener through the use of
words it would get boring and the narrative would take too long to progress.
Music
Music is often used in radio dramas. This is because it can help set the mood, tone and
setting of a scene. It can also tell the audience how the character may be feeling. An example
of music can be heard in the postmodern radio drama called Day of the Dead. At 0:50 a solo
acoustic guitar begins to play, this type of instrumental is often associated with travel. This
shows the listener that the character is travelling. This type of music also goes with
adventure suggesting that this character may be about to go on adventure or is traveling into
the unknown. Another example can be heard in the traditional radio drama called The
Archers. At 0:01 a piece of music known as the theme tune for the Archers begins to play.
This is done to let the listener know the audience that the episode is about to start. This grabs
people's attention as it tells you the show is about to start. These two examples are very
different uses of music in a radio drama. With the music in the postmodern setting the scene
and mood, while the traditional uses music to let people know the show is about to start and
to grab their attention. In terms of the narrative I believe the use in the postmodern is more
important as it helps tell the story however I think the traditional use of music is also good as
it grabs peoples attention which is very important as you need to listen closely to follow a
radio drama.
Ambience
Ambience is often created in radio dramas through different sound effects. This is done to
help create the scene and let you know where the characters are. Furthermore, it can also
be used to help set the tone and setting of the scene. An example of ambience being used
can be heard in the postmodern radio drama called Day of the Dead. At 0:50 ambient
sounds are used to tell the listener that the character is on a train. The sounds used are the
sounds of a train on tracks, an engine and a conductor speaking. All these sounds together
help visualise the scene for the listener. Ambience is used in this example to show the
listeners where the character is. Another example of ambience being used can be heard in
the traditional radio drama called The Archers. At 0:22 ambience is used to show that the
characters are outside. With the use of different wild life animal sounds and the sound of
walking on grass helps the listener visualise the location of the characters. The postmodern
and the traditional radio dramas use ambience in the same way in these two examples.
Both work very well with subtle noises that would be found in those different locations.
Sound
Sounds are very important in radio dramas as without it there would only
be silence which too much of would make people not want to listen. Sound
is used to allow the listener to visualise what is happening in the scene or
what a character is doing. An example of sound being used can be heard in
the postmodern radio drama called Day of the Dead. At 6:43 the sound
effect of a lighter being used tells the audience that the character is
lighting up a cigarette. This sound is important as it tells the audience the
action that the character is doing. Another example of sound being used in
a radio drama can be heard in the traditional radio drama called The
Archers. At 0:54 the sound of crunching grass and heavy breathing tells
us that the characters are walking. These two examples both use sound in
the same way, to show the audience the action being taken by the
characters, it helps visualise what they are doing.
Silence
Silence is often used in radio drama. It can be used to indicate the end of dialog and a
scene. It can also be used to show something as a big impact or to create tension. An
example of silence being used can be heard in the postmodern radio drama called Day
of the Dead. At 0:32 silence is used to tell the audience the scene is over. This is useful
to stop confusion as it could mess up the narrative if you think it was the same scene
continuing on. Another example of silence being used can be heard in the traditional
drama The Archers. At 1:33 silence is used in between dialog to let the audience know
that what is about to be said is important/serious. The pause acts as a dramatic pause
and suggests that the character may not want to say it. This shows its seriousness. As
you can see the postmodern uses silence in a very different way, in the example shown
with it being used as an indicator to let the listener know the scene is changing. While
the traditional radio drama uses it in the middle of the dialog as a dramatic pause. Both
are important with the progression of the narrative, giving information the audience.
The traditional does also use the silence as a que, letting the audience know that what
is about to be said is important.
Aural Signposting
Aural signposting is used to establish the scene through audio cues. It allows
the audience to know what is there and where the character is. It can also be
used to let the audience know when a conversation is coming to an end. An
example of aural signposting being used can be found in the postmodern radio
drama Day of the Dead. At 5:08 the sound of a car door being closed and the
screech of tires tells the audience that the character has exited the cab car and
also lets the listener know that the conversation has ended between the cab
driver and the main character. This is important as it lets the audience know
where the character is and who he is interacting with, it helps progress the
narrative. Another example of aural signposting can be found in the traditional
radio drama The Archers. At 2:09 the aural signpost of a gate being opened
tells us that the characters are about to leave the farm. Furthermore, similar to
the postmodern drama it also tells us that the conversation is about to end.
Cliff-Hanger Ending
A cliff-hanger is when the characters build up to something dramatic at the end of the radio
drama, this makes the listeners very interested in what is going to happen. Then the show will
end before showing how it all unfolds. This means the listeners have to wait till the next show to
hear the outcome of the build-up. This makes the audience eager to tune in next time, making it
less likely to lose audience size for the next episode. An example of a cliff hanger ending can be
found in the postmodern radio drama Day of the Dead. At 53:27 the character has to leave
before he can find out why his love Emily did the things he did. This is something commonly
found in postmodern radio dramas as it doesnt conclude the story for the listener and will often
leave it for interpretation. This cliff hanger ending makes the ending and story memorable as it
leaves you to think about the why. Another cliff hanger ending can be found in the traditional
radio drama called The Archers. At 12:05 Debby and Richard leave together clearly upsetting
one of the characters. How this will unfold and if there will be any conflict is not shown as the
show ends, leaving it as a cliff-hanger ending. However unlike the postmodern radio drama this
example does not end as open ended. It is clear what has happened the cliff-hanger is more in
the how people will react. However the post modern what happened is what has been left open
ended. Between the two examples I think both work as a successful cliff-hanger ending.
Flashbacks
Flashbacks are a brief re-telling of a serious and important event that occurred.
This is done to inform the audience on something that could have been missed
that is crucial in the story. It can also be used to quickly inform the audience of
something that has happened to the character a long time ago that comes into
significance. An example of a flashback can be found in the postmodern radio
drama Day of the Dead. It starts with the narrator informing the audience of
what happened previously. It acts as a small backstory to the character and also
foreshadows that something bad may happen saying I dreamt of the devil rather
than Emily that night. This flashback works well to introduce the character Emily
and her significance to the main character as with the quote shown he usually
dreams about her. It doesnt give too much information to keep the mystery and
to leave it up to the audience to interpret, something common with postmodern
radio dramas. There is no example of flashbacks in the episode of the The
Archers that I am looking at.
Use of Fades
A fade is when the sound slowly goes out. It is used in
radio drama to show changing of a scene. It can also be
used to show distance, if someone is walking away the
sound of their voice will fade out. An example of this can
be found in the postmodern radio drama Day of the
Dead. At 1:52 the sound of the train fades out. This is
done to tell the audience that the scene is changing. This
is important as it stops confusion and clearly lets the
listener what is going on. Another example can be found
in the traditional radio drama The Archers. At 2:13 the
sound fades out. It is used for the same reason as the
Characterisation
Characterisation is to show the characters in a radio drama, using
speech and other sounds. An example of characterisation in a radio
drama can be found in the postmodern radio drama Day of the
Dead. Throughout the radio drama the main character is built up as
a nervous kid. This is first shown in the train at 2:20 when speaking
to another character he uses a lot of ums and urs in his speech. This
is done to show the audience that the kid is nervous. Not only this
but also when another character talks to him at around 2:06 he says
hey kid. This tells the listener that the main character is young.
This is further backed up with occasional voice cracks in his voice.
Here we can see through speech and words that the main character
is young and a nervous kid.
Chronological Development
Chronological develop is the arrangement of which
events occur in radio drama, in order of time. An example
of chronological development can be found in the
traditional radio drama called The Archers. The
chronological development of this radio drama linear.
Things happen one after another on a straight timeline.
Narration
Narration is the way that the story is told by the narrator. The narrator can
tell/explain to the audience parts of the story that the characters cant.
Narration can also be used to intro the story catching the audience up on
what has happened previously in a short amount of time. An example of
narration can be found in the postmodern radio drama Day of the Dead.
At the start of the radio drama 3rd person narration is used to tell the
audience what had happened to the character previously. This is useful as
it gives a quick introduction to the character as well as giving some
information to why he is doing what he is doing. It is also useful as it sets
the tone for the radio drama and suggests something bad will happen in
the radio drama as the narrator speaks about the devil. The narration is
effective in this example as it gives the audience a good bit of information
without using up too much time.
Direct Speech
Direct speech is speech in its simplest form. It is any
structured sentence that the character or narrator says
during the broadcast of the radio drama. Direct speech is
used in both the traditional radio drama and the
postmodern drama. Direct speech is used by the
characters in the traditional radio drama and the
postmodern radio drama uses direct speech in both the
narrator and the characters. Direct speech is important
as there are no visuals to give information or
communicate to the audience. Therefore direct speech
must be used to give information to the audience, so that
Titles
The titles are what is said at the start of the radio drama
to let the audience know what they are listening to. An
example of titles being used can be found in the
postmodern radio drama Day of the Dead. Titles are
used at the start of the radio drama to tell the audience
that they are listening to Day of the Dead. This is
important as it lets the audience know what they are
watching and so can decide whether to listen more
closely or switch it over.
Credits
Credits are used in radio dramas to let the audience
know who was involved in creating the radio drama,
giving credit to those involved. It can be heard at the
start or at the end of the radio drama, some even have it
at both, In the postmodern radio drama Day of the Dead
credits are used at the end to say who created the radio
drama as well as who was involved in creating it,
including voice actors. This is important as it allows
everyone involved to be credited. As well as this it gives
information to the audience about who created it.
Appropriateness to TA
Appropriateness to TA is how well suited the radio broadcast is to a group
of people. The TA or target audience is the selection of people that the
radio drama is designed for and who would most enjoy it. An example of
appropriateness to TA can be found in the traditional radio drama named
The Archers. The Archers target audience is most likely adults. This is
because the show often depicts themes that only an adult audience would
relate to or understand. An example of one of these themes can be found
in one of the most recent Archers episodes were a character meets up
with an old friend at the pub and they leave together. This is something
only really an adult audience would relate to or understand as for one you
have to 18+ to be in a pub and this situation will only really happen to
adults. This shows how appropriateness to TA is used in radio dramas.
Dramatic Reconstruction
Dramatic reconstruction in radio dramas is when a whole
scene is recreated using different sounds. An example of
this can be found in the traditional drama The Archers.
Near the end of one of the more recent episodes a scene
takes place in a bar. The scene is created through use of
different sounds. These include the clink of glasses and
people talking in the background. All sounds that would
be found in a pub and therefore recreates the scene for
the listener.
Drama Styles
The most common styles and genres in radio dramas are
horror, mystery, postmodern, comedy and creation of
mind. These genres are the most common as the
environments are easy to recreate. The radio drama Day
of the Dead is an example of a postmodern radio drama.
It is a postmodern because it raises questions to the
listener rather than trying to supply answers. In the Day
of the Dead it leaves it up to the audience to ask why
Emily cant be with him. This shows it is a postmodern
radio drama.
Creation of mood
Creation of mood is how a radio drama creates a certain
mood for the listener. This can be done through different
sounds/lack of sounds. An example of creation of mood
can be found in Day of the dead the postmodern radio
drama. It uses solo guitar music to set the mood of
travel, near the start of the radio drama when the main
character is travelling on the train. This is an example of
music being used in creation of mood in radio dramas.
Duration
Duration is the length of the radio drama. This is important as there is often a time limit
set by radio shows for radio dramas as the radio station may have to stick to a schedule.
Duration is also important in deciding whether you want a short and snappy radio drama
or a longer more drawn out radio drama. These different durations might work better with
a certain genre, short and snappy may work better with comedies while longer may work
better with thrillers or horrors.
The Archers are 12 minutes long. This is because they are broadcasted every day and
having it this short length allows people to listen to it every day. If it were 1 hour long it
may be more difficult to listen to it daily and less may do it as it is a much larger
commitment. The Day of the Dead radio drama is much longer coming it at 1 hour and 6
minutes. This is because it is a standalone story meaning that there is no more coming
out after this one. Therefore it needs to be longer then something like The Archers as it
only has one broadcast to tell the story. It is also more likely that people will listen to this
longer lengthen radio drama if it is a standalone as then they dont have to watch a new
one every day so it is less of a commitment.
Narrative Structure
Narrative structure consists of the traditional parts of a story and
the order that the listener hears them. This provides a framework
for the unfolding of the radio dramas story.
The Archers narrative structure is linear it does not contain any
flashbacks. This is different to Day of the Dead which contains
flashbacks. Postmodern dramas such as Day of the Dead often
have this type of narrative structure as it fits more with the
fantasy story they often tell. Traditional dramas such as The
Archers often have a more linear structure as it makes it more
realistic which is important as The Archers is based on the real
world with real world rules applying to the radio drama.
Plot
The plot is the events put together that make up the story in the
radio drama. Without the plot there would be no clear understanding
of the story and what is going to happen in the radio drama.
The plot of the traditional radio drama The Archers is realistic and
follows a group of people and their life's. The plot of Day of the Dead
follows one man and his quest to find his love. The Archers plot is
more broad while the Day of the Deads plot is a lot more focused on
this one story and one persons journey. This difference is likely due
to the fact that The Archers is a series radio drama and therefore is
able to cover a wider range of stories then a standalone radio drama
such as the Day of the Dead.