Codes and conventions

codes
Words
Due to there being no visual in radio, there is no other
way for the information of the audience to be
maintained. Radio has to evoke a response from the
listener so there is a heavy reliance on the words.
In this example it tells us what is happening by using
words. Archers 00.32 jack is teething again we how
this because they tell us this. Because you cant see
anything happening on a screen they have to say what
is happening on the script as this is the only way the
script writing can communicate to the listener. This
helps the audience understand why baby jack is
miserable and also lets them understand why his
voices
By using different voices it makes it clear to the listener
who is speaking . Rejournal acsets are often used to
help the audeince understand which characeter is
talking at any given time as is gender.
A good example of this is archers 00.38 00.48
08/01/2017 you can tell two people are talking as there
is a female and male talking because of the different
voice and tones. This is done to let the listener know
when two different people are talking so by having two
completely different voices its easy to understand when
people are having a converstaion.
speech
Speech is also critical in radio drama. This allows the
audeince to tell the emotion of the character. For example
we can tell is some one angery, sad or happy thorugh the
tone of their voice. This tells the audeince more about the
situation they are in.
a good example of this is archers on 01/02/2017 at 00:20
where a character is laughing and trying to say yes at the
same time. From the tone of her voices when saying yes
you can hear from the tone of her voice that she is happy.
The audeince can also understand the emotion that the
character is going through.
music
Music is used a lot in Radio Dramas. These are called
theme music which signs to the audience when the
show is about to start or finish. Music can also be used
to make them a lot clearer for the audience to show
there location or a new scene. This also creates mood
by the use of happy or sad music.
In archers 27/12/16 05:35 06:00 they have music
running in the background as its a dress rehearsal for a
play. By having music it makes everything run smoothly
and By using music it creates the atmosphere, set the
mood and helps the audience understand what
happening in the scene.
Ambience
Using ambience you are able to use music to describe
how the characters are feeling. So small noises in the
background telling the audience where the scene is
taking place.

For example in the beginning of archer there is a

conversation between brian and Debbie. The audience
can hear a fait sound of birds tweeting and squelch
walking through mud. This tells the audience they are in
the country and not in the city because we hear birds
rather than traffic.
Sounds
The way in which you use sounds Is also another way
setting the scene. Because you cant see what's
happening you have to include the sounds of what's
happening in the scene.
For example in archers at 11:08 in the episode 01/01/17
you hear a door closing you know that someone has
entered the room. Because you cant see the door close
you have to clearly hear the door close to understand
what is happening in the scene. This lets the listener get
a better understanding of the scene.
silence
Silence can be used to increase tension. And another
reason for having silence is to let the listener
concentrate or keep up with the story.
A good example of this is archers the episode 01/01/17
at 03:00 where they use silence to change scene by
having a long break the listener can understand that the
scene has changed therefore letting them keep
concentration on the drama.
Aural signposting
This is where the setting of the scene is established
through audio cues in a place of visual signposts. Most of
the time these effects are introduced at the top of the
scene, before the dialogue begins. It is up to the director
whether speech begins quickly, or more seconds are
needed to strengthen the effect of this signposting on the
listener.
A good example of this would be archers on 09/01/17
04:23 where there is a conversation happening over a
telephone we know its on a telephone because one voice
is distorted. But at the beginning where you hear the
cliff-hanger endings
this is a way of keeping the interest of the listener. By
not giving them everything, the writer keeps them
interested while allowing the listener to have their own
experience. This allows the audience to understand that
is left unresolved.
A good example of this would be archers in episode
30/12/16 -12:31 this is a good example because you will
have to wait till the next episode to find out what's
happening this keeps the listener waiting for the next
episode.
flashback
Shift in a narrative to an earlier event that has
happened to helps us understand the story. This helps
the listener to understand and not get confused.
A good example of this would be a blinds man
confession at 00:40 there is a person explaining the
flashback all the way through explain the situation in a
way that lays out the scene so the listener can easily
understand what's happening within the story as we
havent seen this before so they need to explain the
flashback.
use of fades
You can use fades when changing scene. You can also
use fades to show Distance. So by using silence we can
tell that the scene has ended. So when a different voice
comes in you can tell its a new scene.
A good example of this is archers 09/01/17 04:14 this is
where a fade has coming in to introduce a new scene.
So by bringing in silence before a new voice starts this
clearly tells the listener that the scene has changed
characterisation
To show your Characters through out the Radio Drama using speech
and sound effects. Understanding who the character is and their
life. The way we find this out is the way they are speaking
A good example of this is everyday time machine at 04:00 where
you have three people talking but because they have different
classes and from different places we can understand that there are
three people talking. They have different ascent from age to class
to area all telling us this information. This allows the audience to
understand their background and motivation.
chronological development
Beginning middle and end so in chronological order. So
this is when the story would start at the beginning and
finish at the end or it can start at the end and finish at
the beginning.
A good example of this is archers berceuse 03/01/17 at
6:59 we hear the characters sit down. tells us what's
happening and its simple for the audience to
understand. This is a liner narrative, all of the archers
follows a real life chronology episode take places at the
right time of year so the episode based around the
pantomime is heard at Christmas time
narration
Narration is done by someone who has a clear voice so
they can be understood by the listener. They mainly
speak in third person.
A good example of this would be a blinds man
confession at 00:40 there is a person narrating all the
way through explain the situation in a way that lays out
the scene so the listener can easily understand what's
happening within the story. So by having this it paints a
picture for the audience. From having the narrating at
the beginning you can understand the personality and
bit about the character before he has even spoken yet.
direct speech
This is used to tell the listener the characters opinions
upon something it makes the listener understand the
characters more. This is mainly used by the main
character.
A good example of this would be a blinds man
confession at 00:40 he does a monologue to convey
information to the audience using a character as a
narrator. This is a very sophisticated as they are putting
the narration into the drama and tells the audience
something they wouldnt know.
titles
Is when someone speaks about the show and what is
about to happen within the drama. This is called a
continuity announcer so everything you would normally
see on a screen has to be said as you dont have a
screen.
A good example of this is archers 03/01/17 at the
beginning where the introduce archers and you find out
information about the show. Because there is no screen
the audience needs to be told important information
about the show.
credits
Credits are for the listeners telling us who the actors
were, and who produced the drama. This helps the team
by promoting the actors, writers, production team as
well.
A good example of this is archers 03/01/17 at the end
where the introduce archers and you find out
information about the show. Because there is no screen
the audience needs to be told important information
about the show. The continuity announcer says a little
bit about the next show to keep the audience ready for
the next episode.
Appropriateness to TA
Appropriateness to target audience is very important
when it comes to a radio drama. It is a selection of
people that the radio drama is designed for and will
appeal to them the most.
The archers is aimed at a older target audience because
it includes family life and real life problems. And in blind
mans confession it is aimed at younger target audience
because includes action and is a bit out of the ordinary.
Both dramas are aimed at well educated audiences
because they deal with complex ideas.
dramatic reconstruction
This is where a story is re created through the use of
characters and dialogues. This is done for historical
dramas such as war and peace.
This is hinted in the pantomime scene in the archers but
there is not a specific example in the dramas.
drama styles
These types styles are used in the dramas to help the
audience understand the nature of the drama.
For example the archers is a traditional soap opera with
one episode everyday and a regular cast of characters.
Blind mans confession is more post modern drama
because it leaves questions un answered in the
audiences mind.
creation of mood
This is how sound effects and background music can be
used to create a mood or a sense of place.
So in blind man confession the audience can tell the
character is agitated becaue of the way he is speaking
also the noise of the car and the pounding rock music
from the car radio.
Duration
Duration is the length of the episode. This is key in
radio drama because there is always a time limit that it
needs to be finished by. This is because they need to
stick to a schedule.
In the archers the duration is only 12 minutes long this
is appropriate for a soap opera because this lets the
audience to find time to listen everyday. The blinds man
is longer because this lets them hear the beginning,
middle and end
Narrative structure
This consists of the traditional parts of a story and the
order in which the listener encounters them. These
provide a frame work for the unfolding of the radio
drama. By dramas having non linear or linear narrative
it allows the story to unfold in many different ways.
The archers follows a linear narrative because of its
conological story line. And a blinds man confession
being a non linear narrative which is appropriate for its
post modern style.
plot
The plot is the possibly one of the most crucial parts of
the radio drama. It is the events put together that
makes up a story. Without this there would be no clear
understanding of the story and what will happen in the
drama.
An example from archers is 01/02/2017 they have so
much happening within each episode because it cuts in
and out of different scene happening that have
something within it to keep the audience interested in
each episode. you can hear the two characters opening
a bottle of champagne so from this you can tell they are
celebrating.
Evaluation
The use of voices in the archers shows the social class of the characters very clearly
because of their re journal ascents. This is less clear in the blind man confession because
America is a less class conscious society. The use of ascents are something of a stereotype
but its still effective in allowing the audience to understand the drama.
In the archers there is no narration but the blind man confession uses it constantly. By
having narration it tells the audience something they wouldnt know but by having
narration it can make the drama less interesting. The narration in the blind mans
confession was effective because it told you more about the story and allowed a better
understanding of the narrative.
Archers is really easy to understand because of the traditional soap opera style but this is
less interesting for a young audience. But with blinds man confession being a post modern
it can make the story harder to follow but makes it more rewarding for the audience.
By the archers being a linear narrative make it easy to follow and is appropriate for the
target audience but can make the drama predicable. But with blind man confession by a
non linear narrative makes it a little hard to follow but makes it more rewarding once
understood.