INDEX

 A

B

C

CHARACTER

D

DIRECTING

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O
         

P
 Q

R

S

 T

 PRODUCTION

POSTPRODUCTION
  

 

 SCRIPTING
  

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

 

A

 EXAMPLE - CUT OUT THAT 'AND'
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

B

 BBC Editorial Guidelines - links and excerpts
 BIBLE - Setting up the SOAP BIBLE - the agreed details - storylines, characters, locations, production and postproduction style, etc.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

C

CHARACTER  
  Creating a character
 ALAN BECK'S FORMULA FOR THE MAIN CHARACTERS (fixed-end soap)
 Create characters' personalities - always go for results - don't get bogged down in preparations
 NAMING THE CHARACTERS
 INNOCENT BOY - more scripting ideas for this character
 
 
 A CHARACTER CAN BE CUT OUT - BUT STILL BE 'IN' THE SOAP.
 IS THAT HOW THOSE CHARACTERS 'REALLY' SPEAK?
 CHOP IT UP - EXAMPLE - CUT OUT THAT 'AND' - chop up those sentences into short phrases to release the emotion of the situation
 
 CASTING is 70% of the production - you have to get it right!
 Cliffhangers - the electrifying end of a special episode leaving the listeners desperate to tune in again
 CLUMPS (broadcasting episodes Monday to Friday) and CLUMP PLOTLINES (newly beginning on a Monday and ending on a Friday)
 Comedy - fixed-end soaps which are really situation comedies.    
     
     
     
 You can cheat a little    
     
 SCRIPT    
 'Crime Crackers' INTRODUCTION    
     
     

 

 

 A

B

C

D

DIRECTING

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O
         

P
 Q

R

S

 T

 PRODUCTION
  

 

 SCRIPTING
  

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

 

 

D

 DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES - Terms and conditions for this web site.
 DETECTIVE genre
 Description or added words in the dialogue to fill in what is 'blind' for the listener
 
 
 DIRECTING
 SOME DIRECTING NOTES
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 A

B

C

D

DIRECTING

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O
         

P
 Q

R

S

 T

 PRODUCTION
  

 

 SCRIPTING
  

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

 

 

E

 The first episode of a soap has to be special
 EPISODE ONE - special requirements
  Scene endings - snappy one-liners to end a scene = scripting help for you
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

F

 ALAN BECK'S FORMULA FOR THE MAIN CHARACTERS (fixed-end soap)
 
 FORENSICS - research for the thriller and detective and spy genres
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

G

 GENRE
 Types of plays - and suggestions for productions
 DETECTIVE genre
 FORENSICS - research for the thriller and detective and spy genres
 
 
 
 
 
 

H

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I

 INTENSIFYING THE MOMENT - discover the intense moments within your scenes
 INNOCENT BOY - more scripting ideas for this character
 INTRODUCTION TO THE SITE - Radio Soap - HOW TO MAKE IT - introduction page
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

J

 Jokes and one-liners to work with
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

K

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

L

 LOCATIONS - YOU CAN PLACE YOUR SCENES ANYWHERE!
 Love - falling in love - wanting to love - scripting ideas
 Listening - see http://www.savoyhill.co.uk/technique/listening.html
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 A

B

C

D

DIRECTING

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O
         

P
 Q

R

S

 T

 PRODUCTION
  

 

 SCRIPTING
  

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

 

M

 MONOLOGUES
Monologues
 Soap - use of monologues
 
 
 
 MARKETING
 Marketing the soap
 MARKETING THE SOAP - introduction to what you must do
 Set up the soap web site
 
 
  'The Magic Detectives' - sample beginning to a radio soap by Alan Beck
 MUSIC
  Music signature tune = sig tune
 Underscoring music versus FXs
 Music bridges and entertaining and ironic music choices
 
 
 Mike and the Mechanic - Melanie Spence - Winner 2005
 
 
 HOW THE SOAP IS MARKED - SOME GUIDANCE

N

 NAMING THE CHARACTERS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

N

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

O

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 A

B

C

D

DIRECTING

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O
         

P
 Q

R

S

 T

 PRODUCTION
  

 

 SCRIPTING
  

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

 

 

P

 PRODUCTION
 PRODUCTION - Be consistent - you have to match production up (in the Studio and OB outside)
 PRODUCTION IN THE STUDIO OR OB (OUTSIDE THE STUDIO) - introduction
 You can cheat a little
 ESTABLISH SCENE AT TOP
 
 
 
 POST-PRODUCTION
 Have confidence in your listener in post-production
 POST-PRODUCTION - introduction
 Once a scene has been established, reduce the SFXs
 Get a new pair of ears to listen to your post-production work
 Predict the rhythm of each Episode
 Time-keeping - keeping to five minutes for each episode
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 A

B

C

D

DIRECTING

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O
         

P
 Q

R

S

 T

 PRODUCTION
  

 

 SCRIPTING
  

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

 

Q

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

R

 You can use a RADIO STATION in the soap storylines - very useful for music, for satirical fun and for THE STORY SO FAR, news reporting.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 A

B

C

D

DIRECTING

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O
         

P
 Q

R

S

 T

 PRODUCTION
  

 

 SCRIPTING
  

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

 

 

S

 SCRIPTING
Scripting for Soap and Radio Drama - introduction with links and summary guide
  IS THAT HOW THOSE CHARACTERS 'REALLY' SPEAK?
  STARTING-UP - GETTING THE 'IDEA' - TEAM-WORK - SCRIPTING
 EXAMPLE - CUT OUT THAT 'AND'

 INTENSIFYING THE MOMENT - discover the intense moments within your scenes

 Cliffhangers - the electrifying end of a special episode leaving the listeners desperate to tune in again
 CLUMPS (broadcasting episodes Monday to Friday) and CLUMP PLOTLINES (newly beginning on a Monday and ending on a Friday)
 The first episode of a soap has to be special
 Jokes and one-liners to work with
 'The Magic Detectives' - sample beginning to a radio soap by Alan Beck
 You can use a RADIO STATION in the soap storylines - very useful for music, for satirical fun and for THE STORY SO FAR, news reporting.
 Scripting - speciality ideas for parody etc.

  FINDING THE PLOTS AND INVENTING THE STORYLINES

 Setting up the SOAP BIBLE - the agreed details - storylines, characters, locations, production and postproduction style, etc.
 ALAN BECK'S FORMULA FOR THE MAIN CHARACTERS (fixed-end soap)
 Create characters' personalities - always go for results - don't get bogged down in preparations
 EPISODE ONE - special requirements
 SCENE BEGINNINGS - snappy one-liners to start a scene off - scripting help for you

 Scene endings - snappy one-liners to end a scene = scripting help for you

 'The story so far ...' - new listeners start here - putting over the story so far
 Think "recording" when scripting
 Finding the soap title
 Subtext - just beneath the surface of the dialogue
 Swear words - exclamations - profanities (SUBSTITUTES)
 Types of plays - and suggestions for productions
 ESTABLISH SCENE AT TOP

 CHOP IT UP - EXAMPLE - CUT OUT THAT 'AND' - chop up those sentences into short phrases to release the emotion of the situation

 A CHARACTER CAN BE CUT OUT - BUT STILL BE 'IN' THE SOAP
 The 'silent character'
 
 
 
 SCRIPT EXAMPLES
 'Crime Crackers' INTRODUCTION
 Mike and the Mechanic - Melanie Spence - Winner 2005
 
 
 
 
 
  Music signature tune = sig tune
 Scene boundaries - making the transition from scene to scene
 
 
 
 Sci-Fi plot suggestions
 
 SOUND
 HANDBOOK FOR ACOUSTIC ECOLOGY by Barry Truax - key groundwork and terms for mapping the area of sound
 For further items on sound, see the index and to the 'Radio Drama Directing site' (SOUND) at http://www.savoyhill.co.uk/technique/indextotal.html
 
 

 

T

 Finding the soap title
 Types of plays - and suggestions for productions
 HANDBOOK FOR ACOUSTIC ECOLOGY by Barry Truax - key groundwork and terms for mapping the area of sound
 Radio does not employ enough terms for discussing itself
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

U

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

V

 VOCABULARY - Radio does not employ enough terms for discussing itself
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

W

 Set up the soap web site
 'Wrap Pack' - radio soap 2005 - 25 episodes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

X

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Y

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Z

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 A

B

C

D

DIRECTING

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O
         

P
 Q

R

S

 T

 PRODUCTION
  

 

 SCRIPTING
  

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To WELCOME PAGE

Radio Soap (serial drama) - HOW TO MAKE IT

Five-minute episodes - or short episodes

Step by step instruction from Alan Beck.

Learn about radio drama on this site along with my book - Beck, Alan, Radio Acting, London: A & C Black (1997) ISBN 0-7136-4631-4

This is how to make a short-form soap - entertaining (above all) and you can include issues (issues that could influence the listeners' behaviour).

Further: production, scripting, web site, marketing, focus group meetings, drop-in script, copyright material logging, trails, soap launch.

LINKS WITH OTHER SITE

Radio Drama - directing, acting, technical, learning & teaching, researching, styles, genres

This is a complete curriculum of scripts, techniques, advice, sound files - effects and atmoses (with no copyright and so free to use), detailed script commentaries, etc. -

Contact: [email protected]

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