http://www.amdram.net/articles/_/advice/ Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:11:33 +0000 43200 Advice http://www.amdram.net/articles/_/advice/creating-a-website-r32 sharing some of my knowledge with the wider community.

If you are interested in creating a website for your local group or society then see my top tips:-

1) If you're about to get involved in the website then remember you are in it for the long term,
a website that is out of date or not maintained is probably worse than having no website at all

2) It's worthwhile thinking about how updates will make their way from the committee or organisers
through to the people that need to update the website - You'll want a website where the content is
updated regularly and is relevant.

3) If your website is going to be updated by more than one person then you really need to think how
that is going to happen? You might want to consider a Content Management System - I'll talk more
about this in a later article

4) Website hosting - Depending on what you choose with regards to Content Management Systems etc will
shape the sort of website hosting that you require, becareful to select something that fully meets
your needs, be sure to ask lots of questions and remember just because it's cheap doesn't mean that
it is good value for money!

5) Domain name and hosting - Many of the 4 letter, 5 letter and even 6 letter domain names for common
TLDs such as .com, .net and .co.uk are no longer available. I would recommend chossing something
memorable and potentially considering .org.uk as an alternative TLD.

6) Once you've got your domain name then you can obviously setup email addresses @yourdomainname.com
becareful to think about how you might use email and becareful to think about how you might publicise
your email address - afterall you don't want to become yet another magnet for spam!

7) If you do choose to utilise a COntent Management System then be sure to make a note that you're
going to need to maintain the software e.g. if you choose Wordpress then everytime a new version is
released you should be ready to upgrade.

These are my top tips for now, I'm sure that I'll think of more over time and will return here to
update!

I'm hoping to find some time soon to write articles on website hosting and content management systems.]]> Mon, 13 Dec 2010 21:59:07 +0000 65ded5353c5ee48d0b7d48c591b8f430 http://www.amdram.net/articles/_/advice/sound-advice-for-drama-groups-by-derek-webb-r23 I'd like to show how many a drama group could benefit from following Rita's very sound advice. You don't have to be aiming to actually broadcast your plays either – although that is possible. But recording them, adding sound effects and music and producing a lasting record of a performance has many benefits for groups and is far more straightforward than you might think.

It can either be done as an aid to learning the play or as a production in its own right. For example, you might be in a situation where a number of your group are busy rehearsing for a play, while others are kicking their heels. Of course there are plenty of other things they could be doing, but what about giving them a real bit of acting to be getting on with? They don't need to learn the script – although they do need to rehearse. The process is far quicker than putting a stage show together, and the end result is, in its own way, just as satisfying. Best of all, they get to keep their performance.

First things first

Remember that not all plays will be suitable for audio. One which depends on many visual gags for example will not necessarily translate well. But the vast majority of plays often work very well, simply using the existing stage script. That's because stage plays like radio plays tend to be dialogue-led, unlike film or television, which are usually vision-led. You'll quickly discover any problems in the first read through, and often a simple reference can be added to make it clear what it happening visually if it's not immediately obvious.
As Rita recognised, because there is nothing to see, you neatly avoid problems in staging a play. But is also means acting is dependent to a far greater extent on your voice. This in itself is an exciting area for many actors, giving them a chance to develop their acting talents through the use of the voice alone.
Microphones are sensitive things and don't like being shouted at. In fact, you can talk in an entirely natural way – act as if you're on a stage and it will tend to sound terribly artificial. That's not to say you shouldn't raise your voice if the script calls for it, but there's no need to project it in the same way. All the little nuances and intonation you want to bring to the part will be faithfully reproduced.
You can create a sense of space easily too. Moving off mic for example (if only by a few feet) will produce the illusion of distance. So when the character goes to the door, move away from the mic as you're delivering the line and it will sound convincingly real.

Setting up

You will need a recorder of course, which ideally should be digital. If I had been writing this article a few years ago, you could be looking at many hundreds of pounds to buy some decent recording equipment. Now it is possible to pick up digital recording equipment of broadcast quality for under £100. The one shown here is just under £300, but it is a fully professional piece of kit that will do everything you want. You will obviously need a microphone or two and the better the mic the better the results. But again, the cost needn't be prohibitive. Other than that, a couple of microphone stands and you're in business.

Where to record

Obviously a quiet room is necessary, unless you're going for 'actuality' sound. The trouble there is that if you edit the voice, you'll also be editing the background noise, so you might find that a passing car suddenly disappears if you need to edit the voice. Far better to add such effects later. What can be helpful though is, if your play has scenes set in the garden for instance, actually recording outside (assuming you're not under Heathrow's flightpath) can add a far more realistic sound. There is a world of difference between the ambience of a hillside and a small tiled bathroom. And while you can add echo to a recording, you can't take it away!
Sound effects should generally be recorded later and edited in. The rattle of tea cups, the door opening and closing, the phone being picked up and put down can easily be recorded. Or there are many excellent CDs of FX available.

Editing

Time was when editing was down to your ability with a razor blade and sticky tape. Now computer editing make the whole process seamless, flexible and extremely easy. As with anything, the more practice you have the better, but you can achieve very acceptable results in no time at all.

Google and you will find a great choice of audio editing packages available at very low prices. You can even get them free! Open source editing software such as WavePad (www.nch.com.au/wavepad) or Audacity (audacity.sourceforge.net) is excellent and well worth trying – so you can get the hang of editing, before perhaps moving up to a more sophisticated software package.

Then, having edited your play, added music and FX, you can then simply make an mp3 or audio CD of it – and your performance is preserved for posterity!

The rights issue

One thing of course you must be aware of is that if you are intending to broadcast the play and that includes making multiple copies of CDs, you will need a licence, just as you would when putting on a stage play. But bear in mind that the audio and radio rights are not always handled by the same publisher as the stage play, so it's a matter of asking. As for costs, I've generally found that if producing only a small number of CDs, the cost if much the same as a stage performance. And if it is only for the cast member and not public performance, there may not be a charge at all, but it's always best to check first.

Other possibilities

You can of course use specially written material and this is a good way to develop writing talent within your group. Recently we put on a number of five and ten minute plays in pubs and many of these were subsequently successfully adapted to radio and actually broadcast on a local FM station. Hospital radio too might be very glad to be supplied with interesting new material.

I also work with a group of visually impaired people and so far we have produced several plays. Two of the members are completely blind. One works from braille scripts, but the other simply repeats the line when I say it. Then I edit out my voice, leaving just the actor's. This works well with other members of the group who find it difficult to read even the largest type. It has been a most rewarding experience and very enjoyable. The same system I'm sure would work with members of the company who have difficulty remembering lines, giving them a whole new lease of life!
The possibilities, as they say, are endless.... so I hope that this short article might have inspired you to consider venturing into the world of the audio play. Could be just the thing if you're having difficulties staging Peer Gynt!]]> Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:08:29 +0000 202cb962ac59075b964b07152d234b70