1. H O W T O G U I D E
LEARNING OUTCOME ONE

2. CODES

3. WORDS
In the use of dramatic content, words are
possibly the most important element of creating
a radio drama, for without words what is a
script.
In radio drama, words are used within the
script for different purposes such as:
To direct and instruct:
Using words within a script allows you to direct
the actors how to perform certain lines and
even when and where to deliver them.
To Produce Dialogue:
Without dialogue a radio drama is useless, as
diaglogue is a key feauture to telling the story,
and the actors will need to see a script with
words in order to know what their going to say
and what the story is.
This is an example of words being
used in a script to direct (instruct)
and has dialogue.

4. Music is one feature used within radio drama that can change the theme,
setting, and even storyline of your radio drama, as music sets the scene
and mood of the story (music does this in visually interactive
entertainment systems such as TV, and it‟s intensified with radio as
picture cannot be included to change the scene or the mood).
You can use music in your radio drama by using jingles or intervals
between each scene, which could help you to change the location or time of
your radio drama, for example:
MUSIC
VS
By using music you can paint the picture of day or night to your
audience by using instruments like violins or guitars to separate the
two scenes.

5. Voices can be used by your actors to help differentiate your characters, as
your actors can alter their voice, accent or volume to make spereractions
between the characters, which is extremeley important as in radio drama
the audience cannot see the different characters so they will need to hear
the different charaters.
for example, this could be done to separate two characters that may seem
similar in physical description, as the wealthier character would talk
differently (more posh, well spoken and sound better educated).
VOICES

6. Effects can be the cherry on top of your radio drama cake, as they
provide that very necessary touch of realism to your radio drama, as
they are used to intensify the setting of the scene.
You can use sound effects to really set the scene of anything, for
example:
Using a police car siren and, breaking
glass, gunshots and helicopter fans for
a bank robbery.
EFFECTS (AMBIENCE)

7. CONVENTIONS

8. A cliff-hanger ending is when the storyline of
any film, episode, book or radio drama etc.
end without resolution. A cliff-hanger ending
usually leaves the characters in a dramatic
situation, in which the audience normally
don‟t see resolving or overcoming.
Cliff-hanger endings are an excellent method
to maintaining or extending a high level of
suspense and inconclusive thoughts to your
audience. Cliff-hanger endings are also great
to use for radio drama for a series, as they
leave the audience wanting more (just like in
a television series or soaps).
The effect of Cliff-hanger endings could
backfire if used to often as the audience will
get fed up and irritated by the high level of
suspense and unknowingness
CLIFFHANGER ENDINGS

9. Examples of great use of cliff-hanger
endings are:
• Eastenders
• Inception
• Trustinc (radio drama series)
• The twilight saga
Though cliff-hanger endings are used well
in these examples, a few viewers do get sick
with such shows as Eastenders, as this
method gets used far too often and
audience get bored of the suspense as it
starts becoming predictable
Within radio drama‟s, it is often used in
long running serial radio dramas such as
the arches.

10. FLASHBACKS
A flashback is a change in a narrative to an
earlier event that disturbs the normal
sequential development of a story. flashbacks
usually accurse when a character tells a story
or has a dream.
Flashbacks are an excellent method to
putting an exciting twist to the average
routine of beginning, middle and end, their
also a good method to revealing more about
your character‟s motivations and influences
in a short manner. In radio drama,
flashbacks are an exciting way to let your
audience know more about your characters
and develop a relationship and opinion of
them, without giving away too much.
If not done well flashbacks could became too
complex for your audience and confuse them.

11. Examples of great use of flashbacks
are:
• The Bourne Supremacy
• Kill Bill
• Titanic
• Forrest Gump
• Scrubs
Though flashbacks are used well in
these examples, some flashbacks can go
wrong, like in such movies as “limitless”
where is used too often and confuses
the audience.
Flashbacks in radio dramas are done with the
use of a musical Queue or fading out sound
effect, for example, maybe something in the
script like Earthworm Jim's
"seems like only
yesterday....yesterday......yesterday."

12. AURAL SIGNPOSTING
Aural signposting is all about setting the
location of the scene, it is a technique for
establishing the location at the beginning of a
scene, which can be done by effects (FX) and is
sometimes supported with description.
This is a useful technique (especially in radio
drama) for painting the picture of the setting
of the scene or location for your audience
without having to be too descriptive or literal
in your script.
(specifically in radio drama). If used too
much, this technique can get irritating and
irrelevant as you need to leave some settings
to the audience imagination.

13. Examples of Aural Signposting are:
• mowing the lawn
• dog barking
• knock on
• old-fashioned shop door bell
• door
Aural signposting may fail if not used
correctly, as it may not set the correct
scenery. Aural Signposting may also
fail its aim if used too much, for
example, in some films or radio dramas
the background noises, start to
overtake the actual sound of the
dialogue or action in front.

14. NARRATION
(from wiki answer) Narration is the telling of a
story. Any story, either told from 3rd person, 1st or
2nd. It is mostly telling a story, of events that have
happened. It can also mean description,
explanation, reading, recital, storytelling, voice-
over.
Narration is a very good device to do a lot of
things, as through voice overs you either.
• Be able to describe the story.
• Be able to voice the characters thoughts
• Be able to give your story a more
interesting twist

15. Examples of great use of narration
are:
• March Of The Penguins
• Mean Girls
• Desperate Housewives
• Adventures of Henry Morgan
Narration could sometimes be a bad
device if it‟s used in the wrong way, is it
could give away too much of your story.
Narration is used in radio drama
„Adventures of Henry Morgan‟.

16. USE OF FADES
Fades are used in a radio drama a cue. Fades
in a radio drama are used for many different
reasons including, changing a location, time
or date within a scene, or ending and closing
another scene.
Fades can be done with any form of sounds,
and can be created by fading in or out
between certain sounds for example, when
two people are having a conversation in a
pub, the background sound fades out into
complete silence, then the next scene fade
into the sound a piano in a dance rehearsal.
Fades can be bad if their not used properly as
using too many fades can became confusing
an loose effect, and if used in the wrong time
they can cut out important content within
your radio drama.

17. USE OF SILENCE
Silence in radio drama can be one of the most
effective yet simple convention of your radio
drama. Silence is used in a radio drama for a
lot of reasons and can be two different kinds
of silence e.g.
Complete Silence –
Used as a way to change a scene or emphasis
the end of any kind of dialogue or action
Silence Within The Scene-
Used as a way to emphasise a dramatic or
awkward atmosphere.
If silence is used too often or even not enough
it could seem completely unnecessary and
make your radio drama seem flawed or even
incomplete.

18. CHARACTERISATION
Characterization or characterisation is the art of
creating characters for a narrative, including the
process of conveying information about them.
This could involve information about their
personality, physical appearance or
background story.
e.g.
„Lucy Smith was a very curious young girl
and shy young girl, who constantly wore a
flowing flowery dress and rose within her
hair.

19. DIRECT SPEECH
According to Google dictionary direct
speech means „The reporting of speech by
repeating the actual words of a speaker,
for example “I'm going,” she said.‟ this
description applies to radio dramas as
well, and this convention is extremely
important and key within radio drama‟s,
as it is one of the very few ways to explain
to the audience exactly what is happening
in your radio drama

20. STYLES

21. APPROPRIATENESS TO TARGET AUDIENCE
When writing or producing a radio drama,
its extremely important that its
appropriate for your target audience (e.g.
if your target audience is children age 6-
12, complex and vulgar language cannot
and shouldn‟t be used), as there are many
risks if you don‟t such as:
• Your target audience cannot relate or
connect to your radio drama
• Your target audience can get offended
by your radio drama
• Your target audience is not interested
or engaged by your radio drama,
regardless of whether its good or bad.

22. DRAMATIC RECONSTRUCTION
Dramatic reconstruction is almost like the
act of reconstructing an old building, as it
involves re-creating/ re-enacting a scene or
event that has already occurred, as close
to the event itself as possible. Dramatic
reconstruction occurs in radio drama‟s and
films that are based on past events or
deceased individuals, such as the world
wars or bio-films.
Examples of projects based on past events
and individuals (dramatic Reconstruction
• The Great War- Radio Drama
• Liz and Dick- Biofilm
• Titanic- Cinematic Film

23. RADIO DRAMA STYLES
POST MODERN-
Postmodernism in radio drama is a reaction in contrast to
modernist theories and principles. The majority of postmodern
productions are based around the importance the imperfection
of definite truth, rather than inspiring, and reassuring
audiences to reach their own way of thinking (opinions)
NARRATION IN THE STYLE OF (VOICE OF GOD)
This style of narration allows the writers to include
information the audience cannot see and allows the
audience to visualise aspects of the radio drama that
are hard to imagine, this style of narration can fail if
not used well is it could be unnecessary and irritating
to the audience
NARRATION IN THE STYLE OF (FIRST PERSON)
Unlike film, the audience cannot see a characters
emotions through facial expression and body language,
this style of narration allows them to hear what the
characters are feeling in any given moment of the radio
drama

24. CREATION OF MOOD OR LOCATION
In radio drama, the aim is to try and make it as easy
as possible for listeners to visualize all the aspects of
the radio drama that they cannot see (locations or
mood). The producers of the radio drama would
therefore create the location and mood in the radio
drama using sounds, e.g.
Location- Bar
• Background noises of a chatter
• glasses being poured into or smashed
• Background music from speakers etc.
Mood- Gloomy and stormy night
• Background noises of thunder
• Bad whether such as, rain
• Floor boards creaking

25. STRUCTURES

26. DURATION
The duration of your radio drama is a
very important factor to take into
account when creating a radio drama, as
radio is not a device that most
individuals have the patients to listen to
for too long. Listeners can get bored or
annoyed if the radio drama last too long,
and if listeners have tuned into the
radio drama while participating in other
task (as majority of listeners do) such as,
driving or working, they will tune out as
soon as they have completed the task,
whether the radio drama is finished or
not. A typical duration of a radio drama
is anywhere between (3-10 minuets), the
lengthy radio drama‟s vary between (25-
30 minuets)

27. NARRITIVE STRUCTURE
Its important to structure your
storyline, in an entertaining yet simple
manner that the audience will not get
confused yet stay intrigued with your
radio drama. Unlike a film or television
programme, the audience cannot
physically see the story, making it more
challenging to follow the storyline, so
listeners who tune in, later within the
story get easily lost the story (thus
easily bored).

28. DEVELOPMENT OF PLOT
Development of the plot is extremely
important, if the storyline of your radio
drama doesn‟t develop in interest value,
listeners will get bored and tune out.
Your radio drama must have an
interesting start and a constantly
peaking middle and the climatic end.