Unseen Discworld Audio Drama Society

Hsing sent me a PM about making a collection of snippets from the Discworld novels and there was a bit of confusion on my part as to whether she meant snippets of text or audio. She was talking about text snippets, which you can see [b:19b0438ae8]here[/b:19b0438ae8] in her journal at the moment, but I got to thinking – what if we did audio snippets with our own voices as the characters? We could start by doing the first scene of a Discworld play and, if it works well, do the next one and the one after that until we have a whole play, it’s just mad enough to work!

Anyway, all that needs to be done is sort out who wants to play who, then everyone records themselves reading their part and sends it to terrypb@terrypratchettbooks.org where it can all be pieced together as a complete audio file and placed on the site for everyone to listen to.

All that’s required is for you to be able to record yourself and save it as a wav of mp3 file and be able to email it, basically you need a cheap microphone plugged into a PC or Mac.

As for the play itself, I thought we could start off with the first scene of Mort as written in the play adapted by Stephen Briggs because it’s one of the most popular stories, and because it’s the only one they had in Borders when I went to look tonight.

There will be plenty of roles for people to play, it’s all just a bit of fun so don’t worry about your accent or anything like that, and some of the minor players can do more than one thing if they like – just put on different voices. When we sort out who’s doing what I’ll post the scene with colour-coded text so we can easily see what we have to read. If you haven’t seen Mort the play all the talking is done by the actors, different scenes are narrated by different actors in the form of addressing the audience when it’s on stage, so there’s no lengthy narration to be done by anyone in particular.

So, would anyone be interested in taking part; people who are able to record themselves and send it in? If we think it’s a good idea I’ll post the first scene here so we can get our heads around it then add your colours later. The first scene is very short so it shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes to record your lines, assuming you don’t keep doing it again and again until you sound like Patrick Stewart or Julie Andrews or whatever. I’m guessing Buzzfloyd and a few others wont see this right away so we'll have to give them a chance to answer too.

[size=18:19b0438ae8]SCENE 1[/size:19b0438ae8]

I'd like to participate!

Ba has a microphone and he's not afraid to use it.

I just altered the first post to add a link to scene one and the cast list, it can also be reached via the new 'Discworld Drama' link on the menu on the front page.

It's basically identical the the Stephen Briggs play with a couple of alterations to make it work better for audio.

For the first scene we need:

[list:ce9bd643a0]Walter and his Mum (just for background effect, could be done by same person, at beginning and after Walter is chosen by the cesspit cleaner)

LEZEK

HRITA

MORT

DEATH

Could also have some graphics for the page if we like? Say a badge for the 'Terry Pratchett Unseen Message Board Audio Drama Society' or whatever we call it. And some still shots of some of the action to be included on a little landscape TV screen on a purposely made Flash player that will also go on the page. In fact somebody could make a picture frame for that too if they like?
[/list:u:ce9bd643a0]

Sidenote - are we still planning to add the link to the snippets to the DW Books section?

Yes, we can put a seperate link with each book as you complete them if you like? As long as you make them all seperate pages.

Okeh!

[quote:b37548d161="Maljonic"]I just altered the first post to add a link to scene one and the cast list, it can also be reached via the new 'Discworld Drama' link on the menu on the front page.

It's basically identical the the Stephen Briggs play with a couple of alterations to make it work better for audio.

For the first scene we need:

[list:b37548d161]Walter and his Mum (just for background effect, could be done by same person, at beginning and after Walter is chosen by the cesspit cleaner)

LEZEK

HRITA

MORT

DEATH

Could also have some graphics for the page if we like? Say a badge for the 'Terry Pratchett Unseen Message Board Audio Drama Society' or whatever we call it. And some still shots of some of the action to be included on a little landscape TV screen on a purposely made Flash player that will also go on the page. In fact somebody could make a picture frame for that too if they like?
[/list:u:b37548d161][/quote:b37548d161]

Okay, Tephlon has volunteered for Death, does anyone else want to give any of the others from the first scene a try? Obviously if you're going to be Mort there'll be gauranteed work untill the end of the play, but don't feel bad about doing one of the minor parts that only appear in the first scene, you can always have more than one role and do different voices, so volunteering for LEZEK wont be the end of your career.

Right, sleepy_sarge said he was bored and has recorded the whole scene in his voice; so we have at least one character completely recorded for this scene. Very well done it is too, though Death is a bit on the quiet side.

I'm thinking that perhaps you could be Lezek for the first scene, you do it very well? And I love the cesspit cleaner's cough too.

So we now have:

Walter and his Mum (just for background effect, could be done by same person, at beginning and after Walter is chosen by the cesspit cleaner)

LEZEK - sleepy_sarge

DEATH - Tephlon

And still need HRITA (Lezek's brother), MORT and Walter and his mum.

I think this is great.

Also, if you don't want to/can't email the sound file, you could upload it to some webspace and PM me the link like sleepy_sarge did.

What a great idea! I'd love to join in, although I hate the sound of my voice on tape. Like Sarge, I don't mind what parts I do.

Just one thing - if we're doing Mort, 'Ysabell' is pronounced like 'Isabel'!

Might suggest that the actors listen to eahc others recordings before you voice your own- that way you can react to each other- did sleepy put a scarcastic spin on a line, maybe that will effect the way grace says her line etc. Great Idea this.

I thought it would be funnier if they didn't hear each other first, so it's all a big surprise and exciting. If there's any huge problems we can always ask individuals to say a line again in a specific way.

By the way, I've always pronouced Ysabell, Isabel, got confused there for a second when I read it in my head that Isabel is pronounced Isabel.

We have to remember this first go at it is more for fun than fame, so it doesn't have to be up to Shakespearean standards just yet. The only thing though is if you are going to commit to a main character you have to be able to do the recording in the same timescale as everyone else, be able to do the whole thing I mean really - so we don't have to change a character's voice halfway through.

I don't want to dish out parts to people, it'll be better if you choose; I suppose you could do what sleepy_sarge did and record the whole thing if you're board, might even be easier for you, then I could pick one out?

There's only two main characters left for this scene (assuming Tephlon is going to recdord death), they're both male and, though Marcia says she wants to play a girl/woman, it doesn't have to be that way for everyone - boys can play girls, girls can play boys or whatever.

Suppose we could see what Hsing, Om and Ba want to do. I think I'll play some fo the extras throughout the play if no one volunteers for them.

Edit: Buzzfloyd, nobody uses tape anymore.

I think it should be good as it is, I can cut out the right bits.

[quote:58ef33906c="Electric_Man"]I'll join, sounds like fun. I can do my authentic Doors' style accent, complete with incomprensibility! Or maybe you want to understand the words...

P.S. I don't mind which characters I get either... well, I definitely don't think I should do Keli or Ysabel, but it'd be quite funny.[/quote:58ef33906c]Do you want to record Hrita for now then? Unless you think you'll be able to have the time to record Mort? Bear in mind you'll probably have to do something else in the play too when you do the voice, if you do Hrita now. Not sure yet who, if anyone, Ba wants to play. Nobody's mentioned Mort yet as a part.

And Lipi if you can say [b:58ef33906c]‘shut up Walter’[/b:58ef33906c] and [b:58ef33906c]‘There’s worse careers than a cesspit cleaner Walter’[/b:58ef33906c] that would be great.


I'm kind of wondering who's going to get around to doing their parts at the moment in the most efficiant manner, as in the quickest. Hopefully when aeveryone knows what they're doing it can all be done in a day or two. I figured out that if it drags out and takes a week per scene it would take us 15 years to do all the plays.

I think we need to be focusing on the more important issues. Our Akcronim (sp) is shit.

'U D R D S'

Rubbish!

Let us know if it works, then send in a recording.

I hadn't really thought of a proper name yet, though I'm not sure how you got those intitials Rincewind? Going by the thread title it would be, UDADS, which could be pronounced 'you dads'. Still, I'm sure we can come up with a better name.

Electric_Man, country bumpkin fits.

Dane, do you go to your step-dad's often? I mean is that the only place you can record? I'm just wondering if you'll be okay for the entire play, we wouldn't want something to go wrong so we have to get someone else halfway through, I'm guessing it should be okay though.

The sooner the better for all recordings though, at the moment it looks like we're going to have to wait at least 6 months before we have a complete play at best speed if some of us need to have a week at a time to record; then again that may not be such a bad way, it will give us all something extra to look forward to - another episode of Mort by the Unseen Players.*


[size=9:6c483cccc7]*okay, so I'm making the name up as I go along....[/size:6c483cccc7]

I think you'll do great.

I don't think accents matter, just so long as we can tell what you're saying, and you sound like a coaxer of souls; no really, as long as it's understandable I think it will be cool if we have lots of different accents.

I don't mind if I have a girl's or boy's part (I have a pretty low voice for a girl, anyway), or if it's major or minor. I just need telling what to record and I'll try to do it this weekend. I can do Ysabell if you're still looking. That should be a laugh.

Buzzfloyd, if you want to be Ysabel that's great; she's up in the next scene.

Spiky, yes of course, can you look at the list and see what you would like to do?

You can get a cheap microphone for next to nothing you know? I think it's cheaper than the price of two pints of beer here to buy one at Tesco or PC World?

Hadn't really thought of music, might make it beter though? I was hoping some people might want to do some still shots of the action to put in the movie player, a bit like a comic strip or something without the text.

Just updated the list with who's doing what so far: http://www.terrypratchettbooks.org/contentid-1.html with a smaller list in red that only applies to the current scene.

That would be a lot harder for me than recording sound, as I don't have a digital camera or webcam. I do have a scanner, but I don't actually have that many pictures of me.

[quote:feee805657="Maljonic"]

I hadn't really thought of a proper name yet, though I'm not sure how you got those intitials Rincewind? Going by the thread title it would be, UDADS, which could be pronounced 'you dads'. Still, I'm sure we can come up with a better name. [/quote:feee805657]

Your not sure how I got those intitials?

Do you know me at all?


I think I replaced 'Audio' with 'Radio':roll:

Stupid dyslexia!

Of course I know who you are Rincepond! I see you still haven't taking Grace's advice and activated UBB code in your posts.

[quote:00246adc1c="Maljonic"]Of course I know who you are Rincepond! [/quote:00246adc1c]
This made me chuckle inordinately - there's something about the sound of the name.

[quote:d43704f69d="Maljonic"]Of course I know who you are Rincepond! I see you still haven't taking Grace's advice and activated UBB code in your posts. [/quote:d43704f69d]

I reactivated it ages ago. don;'t sure why it's not workinbgt?

[quote:5312982eea="OmKranti"]I would quite like to put in for the part of Albert, if no one minds. I do good voices.[/quote:5312982eea]Okay, I'll put you down for Albert then.