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Brian Stansell started the topic Audio Cinema in the forum Fantasy Writers 4 years, 10 months ago
Hey Fellow Writers,
So I have been given permission from above…(No, not THAT far above đ ) to start a new Topic that challenges us to step out of our comfort zones a little, and employ some of our other theatrical skills.
Who likes movies? Who like “mind movies”? (No, not you mumbling freak sitting in the nuthouse talking to himself in the padded playpen… What?! Sorry, I just chased away one of those pesky mind rabbits… Uh, you don’t want to know. 😝)
…Anyway, this is it.Drum roll….
I am challenging my fellow Story Embers creatives to Read & Record a short scene (no more than 20 minutes max) of their WIPs and post a shared link to the MP3 file (preferably on a location like Good Docs) to give others a chance to listen under the posted excerpt text of their scene.Assignment:
Just post your Tag, the “Text” and the Audio File link” with no context qualifiers or lead-in notes.
I know personally that I get myopic in my writing when I only âhearâ my work in my head. Â Sometimes performing it into a recording (using a smartphone’s audio memo feature) allows me to step back from it and listen to it as it might be read by a stranger. [Not that my potential readers are “strange”… Just gonna let that go… Forget I said it. 😜]
This has helped me to see what seems to work and what âsounds offâ more clearly. Â It also allows me to rework the scene so that it flows more naturally, with the added benefit of role-playing and experimenting with my charactersâ voices.
I thought it might be fun to try this with my fellow writers in the Forum.
Remember: Just post your 1) Forum moniker, 2) the scene text, and 3) the MP3 File link so we all get to âseeâ how it sounds.
Bonus:
Here are some potential follow-up questions to the listeners to help give the Author some valuable feedback. Remember all posts (in text or in audio) must adhere to the Forum Guidelines.
I used to make a weekly 80-mile commute, and recorded much of my WIP to listen to âon the roadâ. Â I had a Google Audio Voice read it first, but have recently been recording it in my own âcharacter voicesâ with sound effects and background music to bring in the atmospheric experience, much like a dramatic audiobook does. Â The Audio Cinema might be a fun and developmental exercise that helps us writers employ more of our senses when approaching our giftâs expression.
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Count me in!! Is this still going on?
Absolutely! I have posted 3 of these, so I was waiting for a few others to give it a shot before I posted some more. The reviewer/listener questions are the 2nd post, I believe, If you would like offer your personal review. Bethania did one, and Bronte did one, and Joelle did one.
I am still waiting for Cathy and Rose to give it a try too. The more the merrier!
Just use any App or your phone’s Voice-Memo recording device to record your reading/performance of a single scene from anywhere in one of your works. Then upload the file in a cloud-based location (Google Docs, One Drive, etc.) and make the link shareable so that anyone who has the link can listen. Then post the link, your SE moniker (@nataliecone) the Working title of your story and perhaps a scene title if you have one. Then post only the passage of text you are reading, so we can follow along if for some reason the audio volume is low or we miss something in the audio. Abd that’s it.
You don’t have to go fancy. Just add a little emotional pixie dust to your reading of how you feel being each character in the reading. You can do the voices, we are a supportive group, so don’t feel “self-conscious” working out your acting skills here. We will laugh only in the right places with you, I promise.
If you creativity runs along with a technical side of you, try downloading the Free Audio-editing software called “Audacity”. This allows you to experiment and cut out long-pauses, “uh(s)”, coughs, throat-clearing, hyperventilating, the dog barking, someone flushing… 😜 okay, you get the point.
Just have fun with it.
I have a techie side to me, so mine tend to have a little more production in them, since I have been recording my scenes for a few years now and sending clips to some of my family members who don’t have as much time to read “Brian’s War and Peace tome”, but could put their blue-tooth earpiece in and listen to one while driving from here to there. This has peaked their interest, and they have even told me, “Huh! This is actually something I might like to read. Let me know when the book comes out and I’ll buy one!” (My nefarious marketing strategy worked…😉)
Let me know if you would like the official link to where you can download Audacity. Don’t trust Google to find it. I avoid that “Hive Mind” whenever I can. I prefer “Duck-Duck-Go”. Some of my writing research searches would get me in a lot of trouble with the “powers-that-be”. 😜
@nataliecone
Natalie,
If you want to try Audacity…
Here is the official site if you want to download it: âwww.audacityteam.orgâ
Also check out their page: âwww.audacityteam.org/download/online-safety-when-downloading/â
These days, one cannot be too careful.
Donât let Goggle or any other search engine send you to any where else, if you decide you want to download it. Audacity works on both Windows, Linux and Apple/Mac PCs.
Thanks @obrian-of-the-surface-world ! I already have Audacity and use it for podcasting. Thanks for the suggestion! It’s a great resource. I’ve got a techie side, too, and it’s a lot of fun to play with.