Microphone positions - five in total - from closest to 'moves off' (furthest)

POSITION 1 - closest to the microphone (as close as possible - beware of blasting and popping) USED FOR: monologue + voice in the mind = interiorizing - the voice in the mind

POSITION 2 - intimate conversation (a step away from position no 1) CLOSE-UP

POSITION 3 - conversation (stand far away enough from the microphone so that your outstretched fist is level with it) - MOST RADIO DRAMA DIALOGUE HAPPENS IN POSITION THREE NOTE: SHIFT from POSITION THREE to POSITION TWO, and back again. This demands technical acting skill. It must fit with the dialogue situation - the intimate climax of a scene?, telling a secret?, wanting to move to an objective.

POSITION 4 - across the 'room' (to 10 feet away) - opens out the dialogue to a larger space + making an approach 'through the door' to characters in POSITION 3

POSITION 5 - 'moves off' (farthest off in the STUDIO, behind curtains, behind screen) or OB

SOUND CENTRE - FIXED SOUND CENTRE - the centre of the sound picture remains fixed in the same place + MOVING SOUND CENTRE - 'we go with'

Perspective - construction, width and depth of the sound picture

Perspective explained by film shot analogy

Top of scene (technique) - establishing sound centre - first character speaking (perspective & sound picture)

OB - recording outside the studio

I have not included details about these MICROPHONE POSITIONS further on this site. They are crucial for scripting and production. You need to consult my book.

Learn about these production details and working at the microphone, in my book -

Beck, Alan, Radio Acting, London: A & C Black (1997) ISBN 0-7136-4631-4

For an application of this - see Close-up - making some dialogue section more intimate

============================================================

Next - You will find advice on EXPERIMENTAL radio drama pieces - being as creative as you can.

Then - further into this site:

Setting the scene

Silences and the overall design	silences	hook
signposting	Description
establish presence	scene boundaries	scene boundaries - more
Perspective	sound centre and   Point of listening = POL	To index

Structuring the plot

Narrative	protagonist-dominated	Narrator
closure (ending)	use a 'mystery'	Realism
		To index

Production issues in detail

address	naming	record 'umms' from all the characters to store
scene structure	dialogue is more than words	SOUND BOX - production sound effects archive
atmos and soundscapes	double frame - triple frame	clustering
underscoring music - fighting the dialogue	Noise	'moving camera' technique
Music	montage	'Will you turn that music down!' 18-second rule
drop-ins	sound pictures	memorability
number the scenes carefully with a system	voice in the mind = interiorizing	time-space rule or jump cut

Styles of production, directing and post-production

Standard production	Genre (academic) and types of plays	story board
chaining sentences - (characters or character and narrator)	doubling sentences - overlapping (narrator and protagonist)	economy rule
		To index

Theoretical issues & writing-up your project

writing up your student project work (critique)	realism	symbol system
language based =  logocentric	What is radio theory for?	Theory - what is it?
Voice

 

 

 

 

This site is 'Radio Drama - directing, acting, technical, learning & teaching, researching, styles, genres'. See INDEX to navigate also.  Complete curriculum of scripts, techniques (acting & directing & post-production & genre styles), advice, sound files - effects and atmoses (with no copyright and so free to use), detailed script commentaries, etc. TECHNIQUES - FULL RANGE OF RADIO DRAMA TECHNIQUES ON THESE SITES Academic material on this site is Alan Beck is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales License. Learn about radio drama on this site along with my book - Beck, Alan, Radio Acting, London: A & C Black ISBN 0-7136-4631-4 Available on Amazon. CLICK HERE. To the WELCOME PAGE for Alan Beck's sites. See more of Alan Beck's work. Disclaimer Any opinions expressed in this site are the personal opinions of the owner of the site. IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS, PLEASE EMAIL TO : [email protected]