Cora's blog

• Your group needs to bring in a draft script for your proposed broadcast work. This script is the spoken word or voice element of the radio artwork with additional instructions for sound effects, music stings etc. Bring TWO copies on paper of this script. These are to mark up with sfx cues and other notes.  

This is the document me and my team members are working on: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-gqjca6lNOnrXgXL2jfDLosQ9jgwq5QifQ7_8yAwwJs/edit?usp=sharing

We firstly listed some ideas about our theme and we moved on to deciding with the draft for the audio.

In our further meeting, we have finalised the theme and created our outline about the script. I have taken the role of writing the script and adding the sound effect later on. The script haven been discussed about, and in the process of discussion, I given a variety of ideas that are creative and helpful, we were thinking about making the theme bigger due to the reason of sensitivity and controversial of the it, if we pointing to any specific place or region. Therefore, I thought of creating a fractional world. We have further developed into the areas where human rights are based on the power we hold and class we are in. Where we want to put our setting in the future such as the technological world with utopia. Thinking of Utopia, I thought of a movie that I have seen before, which is also about Utopia. The story was about how people get brainwashed and eased memory, where they think they are living in a perfect world. But the truth is actually one queen controlling everything, people have to listen to her, nobody knows the truth except her. I shared this story with my team. This story inspired many of my teammates and they all agree to create a factional world with new technologies. Our concept is power and classes are human nature desires, which can be presented by using robots to compare and contrast with humans.

After planning the storyline, I have begun to write with one of my teammates. I have carried most of the narrative and structure, especially the main conflict that leads the audience to hear the highlight of the story and understand the meaning of the story.  

• Reflect on today’s session and write up your fifth blog post. Can you find two examples of creative practice that illustrate any of the points introduced today? How did you feel about the improvisation exercises – did you enjoy them? Why? Did you find any of them difficult? Why? 

In this section we learn about how to create indicative content of a radio drama, it is important to create a scenario and it is also what me and my team have been working on. We want to create a simple storyline where the problem can be shown in a short and clear story. “The War of the Worlds” (1938), “The Goon Show” (1951-1960) are the two examples I have found that inspire me and get my attention. First “The War of the worlds”, this broadcast caused a huge panic at the period where people actually started to believe the Martian invasion was happening, which is considered a landmark in the history of radio drama and a testament to the power of audio storytelling. This drama was structured in between music programs, it seems like there is actual real-time news, which it builds on the reality of the show. As well as the characters, they possess Dramatic Narration and Acting: Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre actors delivered their lines with a sense of urgency and realism, adding to the drama’s believability. Welles’ dramatic narration and voice acting were particularly effective in creating a sense of panic and fear. Here is where the tension has been created, pacing and rhythm have been made and allow the audience to be followed and empathised. Different characters making conversation brings Dialog and the direct purpose is to enhance the realisticness of the show. 

“The War of the Worlds”: https://youtu.be/Xs0K4ApWl4g?si=yW1Foh3iHbYNnLU8 

“The Goon show” is the opposite example, it is a comedy show that tells stories about a group of eccentric characters. Where it pioneered unconventional storytelling techniques and inspired generations of comedians and writers with its avant-garde approach to radio drama. Firstly the rhythm is very clear, the sense of humour was the biggest characteristic of the show, it was the most bold show that the theory and codes of narrative is never in a traditional way. The dialog and purpose was obvious for the audience, there were direct interactions made with the audience, such as questions and laughter from the audiences, which broke the fourth wall and brought up the level of interest. The sound effect of exaggerated footsteps and noises was also avant-grant. Various wordplay and improvisation was the key of the structure, it is embedded with the main plot and increases the funness of the story and attracts more attention from the audience. 

The Goon show https://youtu.be/VuVFFNvyUT8?si=L6NMJJLuhfyhY2TW  

I was strongly attracted by the improvisation exercises we had, for me I consider it a fun activity to be creative and brainstorm randomly, which actually allow me to think beyond the path that is logical and ethical, the randomness can actually open my mind and explore more possibilities for the storyline. This made me think about developing our project with some factional elements involved. 

• Write up your fourth blog post. Reflect on today’s session and articulate your responses to the different elements of a radiophonic artwork (i.e. the human voice, music as bed, the use of song and / or poetry, quotation, sound effects, environmental sounds, editing, radio as environment and the nature of radio listening).

 In today’s section we have learned about the different elements for sonic narrative, I have taken note and summarise the elements down below: 

1. Acousmatic nature: Radio art is often experienced in an acousmatic setting, where the sound sources are unseen or obscured, allowing the listener to focus solely on the auditory experience.
2. Narrative and poetic elements: Many radio art pieces incorporate elements of storytelling, poetry, or dramatic performance, using sound as the primary means of conveying ideas and emotions.
3. Manipulation and synthesis: Radio artists employ various techniques for manipulating and synthesising sounds, such as tape loops, sampling, filtering, and electronic processing.
4. Temporal structure: Radio art pieces often have a distinct temporal structure, with elements of pacing, rhythm, and timing being crucial to the overall composition.
5. Spatialization: The use of multi-channel or binaural recording and playback techniques allows radio artists to create immersive spatial experiences and explore the relationship between sound and physical space.
6. Live performance: Some radio art pieces are created and performed live, either in studio settings or as public performances, allowing for real-time manipulation and improvisation.
7. Interdisciplinary approach: Radio art often incorporates elements from other art forms, such as visual art, literature, and performance, blurring the boundaries between artistic disciplines.
8. Experimental and avant-garde nature: Radio art is often associated with experimental and avant-garde art movements, pushing the boundaries of traditional radio broadcasting and challenging conventional notions of sound and listening.
9. Transmission and dissemination: The unique characteristic of radio art is its transmission and dissemination through radio waves, allowing for a potentially vast and geographically dispersed audience.

  I consider these elements are very helpful for me to understand the concept of radio, it can help me to have a better structure and use of technique for my script writing.

SFX: Sound effects in film and video, it can also be used to describe special effects as a whole. 

Techniques that can be used are: mixing, liveness, repetition, serendipity, fugitive nature of the sound, where radio is located. 

Sound effects can be shared are explosions, dramatic weather, a prison or forest environment, a hammer blow to the head. (Make sure this sfx have been realised)

• Listen to “Knock Knock – 200 years of sound effects,” a programme made last year for BBC Radio 4’s Archive on 4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001hxs4 This guide to sfx is itself an elaborate and wide-ranging tour de force and a work of art in its own right. 
• Write up your notes on how Foley/Sfx have been achieved and share these on your blog. This is your second blog post as asked for in the Assignment Brief.

In this further section the teacher led us to experiment putting the sound effects and music behind the broadcast. After listening to a few examples I got a basic idea about what can be added for a broadcast, the sonic design could come after each line or design according to the scenario. 

From research and experiment I found out these sfx can be created by using: Field recordings, Foley (where sound can be created by using items and imitate), Synthesis (electronic sound where made by computers softwares), Sampling (record exist sound and made electronically), Layering and process (sound can be layered up with multiple sound sources and also process in different sound edits like sound effects into new sound shapes). 

• Polish and archive any sound files that might contribute to your Unit Assessment, or the group broadcast. 

For the group project, we have finalised our theme and decided to meet on Thursday to decide further about work divisions. I have collected down all the ideas we had and are planning to bring them up for our meeting. Before we finalise all the details we have strong feelings about freedom of speech in China or even broader all around the world, we consider this is the fundamental right of all people and it is important for people to realise the matters of being heard and seen. We were thinking about writing a speech that could be sarcastic and having traditional Chinese instruments as the music for the background. 

To know what specific music and sound we want, the first thing is to explore a range of ideas around sound effects. The traditional chinese instruments in China are: 

1. Melodic Instruments:

• Guqin and Guzheng: These plucked zithers have a warm, mellow, and resonant tone quality.
• Erhu: The bowed erhu has a haunting, expressive, and sometimes nasal sound due to the python skin resonator.
• Dizi and Xiao: The bamboo flutes produce a bright, airy, and penetrating sound.

2. Tonal Quality:

• Many Chinese instruments, like the guqin, guzheng, and pipa, have a rich tonal quality with a wide range of overtones and harmonics.
• The use of materials like wood, bamboo, and silk contributes to the unique timbres of these instruments.

3. Microtonal Inflections:

• Traditional Chinese music often incorporates subtle microtonal inflections and embellishments, which are easily achieved on instruments like the erhu and dizi.

4. Percussion Instruments:

• Gongs and drums have a significant presence in Chinese music, providing a distinctive rhythmic foundation.
• The sound of gongs, like the Chinese opera gong, can be resonant and sustaining, while drums like the tanggu add rhythmic depth and complexity.

5. Ensemble Blend:

• When played together in an ensemble, the various Chinese instruments blend in a unique way, creating a rich and harmonious tapestry of sound.
• The combination of melodic instruments, like the dizi and erhu, with percussive elements like gongs and drums, creates a distinctive sonic landscape.

We are thinking about testing these instruments to see which are suitable for our broadcast in the further sections. 

in element 2 we suppose to create our own compositions, i have firstly thought about the theme. Where i want the compositions to be about my mental state at the moment, i consider the artwork can only be emotional and impactful when it is expression produced from real experience of an artist.

A few ideas of mine is:

1. Confusion
2. Life has no right answers

These are the two ideas and concept that i am going through at this stage of my life

The material and sound source i want to collect is my friends voice message, some symbolic spiritual sound. However, I still need more experimentation and class material and new knowledge and ideas to expand on my initial ideas.

in newist lesson of SFX workshop, one of the example used reverse technique, which create the entire senes to be choastic, where I consider that could be used in my piece

When we thinking about confusion I think about chaos, dispair, unsure about everything, fear, anxious, evaluate all the decisions I made, regret all my decisions, pain inside of my heart with passion (How I just don’t passion about music and sound, about what am l doing right now, but I don’t know what I am passion about, I feel the pain when everyone finds what they are passion about.) Always have to remind myself about what I actually want, because there are so many uncertainity I feel so insecure and anxious. (Maybe some feedback and space, echos)

• Complete your first blog post sharing a case study of radiophonic sound art and any critical reflection upon the material introduced in class. Use this exercise to outline your intentions and what you want to gain from this project. 

Radiophonic sound: The genre of radiophonic sound art, sometimes referred to as electroacoustic art or acousmatic music, focuses on the imaginative use of electrical and electromagnetic technologies for sound synthesis and modification. Which simplified with my own understanding as the technology that uses type to record sound and play with an electronic filter. 

“Dripsonic” by Hugh Le Caine (1955):
Le Caine, a Canadian inventor and composer, created the “Dripsonic” installation, which used an array of amplified dripping water sources to generate complex rhythmic patterns and timbres. This pioneering work demonstrated the artistic potential of electronically amplified and processed environmental sounds.

This artwork is the most representative artwork which includes the material of innovative techniques like filtering, amplification, and spatial distribution, Le Caine sculpted the dripping sounds’ timbres, rhythms, and dynamics in real-time. The installation featured a multi-dimensional soundscape, with sounds moving and interacting within the physical space, challenging traditional listening experiences. Despite its technological manipulation, “Dripsonic” had an organic and generative quality, with environmental factors influencing the dripping patterns, adding unpredictability and depth. I have strong interest in installation artworks, where this is a huge inspiration for me and a large urge for me to experiment more upon. 

• Start thinking about your own role in relation to the broadcast project and in relation to your group. What are your talents (confident speaker and actors are always useful) and particular areas of interest (musical composition, sound effects, mixdown)? Can you lead and direct a group? We swiftly need to define who exactly is in charge of each broadcast project and to assign clear roles. 

In this lesson, I have chosen the members that I could collaborate with, as an artist that focuses on art and design, script and composition are my strengths. Radiophonic sound is a new area for me where this is what l need to learn from my teammates. I’m greatly interested in visuals such as drama, therefore script writing and directing is what I want to experiment with this time, I have communicated with my teammates about me taking the role of planning and writing the script. In this section, I have not taken the leading role by choice, this is due to my own time slot management, I consider people who have a better understanding with time and sound techniques will lead us into a more complete work. 

Picture above: The document our team made, the ideas listed by me

I have firstly put out the idea with plotting the entire broadcast in the 70s of China. This is inspired by the history of China, where in the 70s there were very limited electronics in China that could receive information. The only method for them to do so is to listen to the radio. Thus, this plot could make a very good theme to match with the radiophonic sound we are learning about. After sharing this idea with my teammates, they approved me with the initial plotting, but we haven’t had an opportunity to discuss further yet, I first drew down some ideas that can be used as Chinese elements.