So here's what I've been up to. Work continues on the soundtrack project. Some really good songs are coming together after a bit of an uneven start.
I hope to start mixing Episode 1 of Tales in December. In the meantime, I'm concentrating on getting the last three scripts finished and editing sound effects. With winter setting in, I won't have access to the woods for much longer. More sounds are needed for the new scripts that I could have been collecting in the summer. There will likely be a fair bit of cheating in the studio!
I also hope to find the time to write a short story to submit for a collection called The Bell Club.
Showing posts with label Tales of elves and trolls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tales of elves and trolls. Show all posts
Friday, November 4, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
The Saga of the Typewriter
Introduced in the first episode of Tales of Elves and Trolls is a contraption called a 'type-writter.' In essence, it's a typewriter to the Nth degree: a steam-powered lump of metal, pistons, cogs, and keys. In order to create the sound of this beast, I set out to find a typewriter to record in-studio. This was easier said than done!
I've frequented thrift shops, flea markets, and garage sales for years. A lot of the electronic toys that I turned into circuit-bent instruments have been sourced from them. And, yes, I've seen my share of typewriters in them too. But when it came to actually needing one, none were to be found. I came close: I found a monstrosity of a thing at the Re-Use Centre, which looked like it came from a WW2 army hospital. Unfortunately, it didn't sound as big as it looked, so it remained hidden away on its dusty shelf.
Months passed. I located no less than two electric typewriters, and had a local antiques dealer keeping an eye out for a mechanical one. It was time for plan B. I sent my aunt an e-mail. She teaches at the local college, so I figured if anyone could find me a typewriter it would be her. Lo and behold, a few weeks later I was loaned this 1925 Remington 12:
It weighs as much as a small planet, but fulfills all the requirements and is blessed with a wealth of character. Just gazing upon it is a treat. I gave it a rudimentary clean and set about working out what sort of microphone configuration would best capture its sound.
After a little experimentation, I settled on placing my contact mic beneath it (it's open at the bottom) and suspending the CAD GXL1200 above it on a gooseneck stand. The typewriter produces an incredible amount of vibration despite its weight, so the stand had to be placed on a separate surface to the one supporting the typewriter to avoid unwanted 'mic stand wobble' noise. There wasn't much choice with the contact mic (which in this case is acting as a pickup rather than being attached to the surface of the sound source), so a towel was placed underneath.
As with my breeze block experiment some weeks ago, I recorded using both mics at once, on separate channels. My plan is to mix both recordings together after I've edited and pitch-shifted them. There's a surprising amount of variation in the sound of each keypress, so I recorded the entire sequence I need for my production (two takes) as well as additional sounds such as carriage return, bell, paper-winding, etc...
My only worry at this point is the length of the recordings. Not counting the extras, they add up to several minutes. The scene in the story should realistically be under a minute. I have a feeling I'll need to speed the typing up or edit keypresses closer together or ... something. Oh, the joys of real life vs. fiction! At any rate, there's a lot of other work to be done on these recordings before I reach that stage. The GXL1200 source will need compression, to bring out the nuances lost to the low headroom of digital recording, and the contact mic source will need noise reduction and possibly EQ. I'll explain that process in more detail in 'Field Recordings Part 2,' whenever I get around to posting it.
You may be wondering why I've gone to so much trouble when I could just as easily have used a couple of generic typewriter sounds from a sound effects collection. Well, for one it's a lot of fun, and as I mentioned before: each keypress has a unique sound depending on which bit of the antique mechanics it activates, and how hard you press it. There are also subtleties such as parts of the typewriter vibrating from the sheer momentum behind the tension of the carriage. All these things, I hope, add up to a unique and expressive 'performance' rather than a stale computer-generated facsimile (not that there's anything wrong with the latter).
I've frequented thrift shops, flea markets, and garage sales for years. A lot of the electronic toys that I turned into circuit-bent instruments have been sourced from them. And, yes, I've seen my share of typewriters in them too. But when it came to actually needing one, none were to be found. I came close: I found a monstrosity of a thing at the Re-Use Centre, which looked like it came from a WW2 army hospital. Unfortunately, it didn't sound as big as it looked, so it remained hidden away on its dusty shelf.
Months passed. I located no less than two electric typewriters, and had a local antiques dealer keeping an eye out for a mechanical one. It was time for plan B. I sent my aunt an e-mail. She teaches at the local college, so I figured if anyone could find me a typewriter it would be her. Lo and behold, a few weeks later I was loaned this 1925 Remington 12:
It weighs as much as a small planet, but fulfills all the requirements and is blessed with a wealth of character. Just gazing upon it is a treat. I gave it a rudimentary clean and set about working out what sort of microphone configuration would best capture its sound.
After a little experimentation, I settled on placing my contact mic beneath it (it's open at the bottom) and suspending the CAD GXL1200 above it on a gooseneck stand. The typewriter produces an incredible amount of vibration despite its weight, so the stand had to be placed on a separate surface to the one supporting the typewriter to avoid unwanted 'mic stand wobble' noise. There wasn't much choice with the contact mic (which in this case is acting as a pickup rather than being attached to the surface of the sound source), so a towel was placed underneath.
As with my breeze block experiment some weeks ago, I recorded using both mics at once, on separate channels. My plan is to mix both recordings together after I've edited and pitch-shifted them. There's a surprising amount of variation in the sound of each keypress, so I recorded the entire sequence I need for my production (two takes) as well as additional sounds such as carriage return, bell, paper-winding, etc...
My only worry at this point is the length of the recordings. Not counting the extras, they add up to several minutes. The scene in the story should realistically be under a minute. I have a feeling I'll need to speed the typing up or edit keypresses closer together or ... something. Oh, the joys of real life vs. fiction! At any rate, there's a lot of other work to be done on these recordings before I reach that stage. The GXL1200 source will need compression, to bring out the nuances lost to the low headroom of digital recording, and the contact mic source will need noise reduction and possibly EQ. I'll explain that process in more detail in 'Field Recordings Part 2,' whenever I get around to posting it.
You may be wondering why I've gone to so much trouble when I could just as easily have used a couple of generic typewriter sounds from a sound effects collection. Well, for one it's a lot of fun, and as I mentioned before: each keypress has a unique sound depending on which bit of the antique mechanics it activates, and how hard you press it. There are also subtleties such as parts of the typewriter vibrating from the sheer momentum behind the tension of the carriage. All these things, I hope, add up to a unique and expressive 'performance' rather than a stale computer-generated facsimile (not that there's anything wrong with the latter).
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Tales: Casting Update
The first auditions for the Tales Audio Drama are now over, and all roles for episodes 1-3 filled. I won't say it was an easy process. There were times I felt a cast wasn't going to gel. But overall it's been a success and the scripts have all been sent out.
Having characters that are very close to my heart brought to life is a mixed blessing. They've been part of my life now for almost ten years. I've come to know them inside and out; to hear their voices in my head. To match an actor to the voice is no mean feat - especially with a limited number of applicants. I've been very lucky though to attract some amazing talent to the project. The voices might not match my vision 100%, but the characters will forge new and exciting paths, in the hands (mouths?) of their new caretakers.
Having characters that are very close to my heart brought to life is a mixed blessing. They've been part of my life now for almost ten years. I've come to know them inside and out; to hear their voices in my head. To match an actor to the voice is no mean feat - especially with a limited number of applicants. I've been very lucky though to attract some amazing talent to the project. The voices might not match my vision 100%, but the characters will forge new and exciting paths, in the hands (mouths?) of their new caretakers.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Tales Music: Turned To Stone
Another transition piece for Tales Episode 1, 'Turned To Stone' marks the demise of the Troll Tree Removers after they're petrified by the sun's rays. I wanted it to have a haunting quality. The first idea that came to mind was the sound of tingsha (Tibetan prayer cymbals). These are small cast bronze cymbals on a leather strap which produce a high-pitched ringing when struck together. They're more like bells in that respect. Each cymbal is supposed to sound identical, but possibly mine are slightly out of whack because they produce some harsh harmonics. This just adds to the character though, making them all the more suitable for this track.
I started by recording several takes into my CAD mic and selecting the best ones. If the cymbals wobble about too much you get a wobbly-sounding recording, so after some experimentation I got some clean takes. You can be sure I kept the wobbly ones too, though - you never know when they might come in handy!
I loaded the sample I was happy with direct into Sonar (my multi-track software) and repeated it every couple of bars. I applied reverb to soften the sound a little, but had to tweak it quite a lot. Certain frequencies were bouncing around and sounding horrible. This served as my guide for adding other instruments.
Next I added a plucked spring sound, sampled from my 'Spring Thing' which is nothing more than two dishwasher springs mounted on a board. But hooked up to a contact microphone it sounds fantastic. This already had a reverb all its own, but I added extra software reverb and it totally stole the show.
For the third element I turned to the K-Station synth, with the intention of adding a slow, bright, metallic arpeggio. My tweaking produced a detuned sound - not unlike bells that have been really messed up - more suited for melody, so a melody it was. In an attempt to fit melody to tempo, I threw in a bass-drum sample to play to. That lead to the mimicked sound of a slow hearbeat, which echoes the plight of the poor trolls and further enhances the track.
Oh yes, I almost forgot about the growls. I took a sound from my modified Yamaha PSS-140 FM keyboard and pitch-shifted it way low in shortcircuit. To me it sounds like the growl of an alien animal. No real reason for adding it except that it adds some spookiness.
By then the track was pretty much finished, to my mind. But there's always the temptation to add more, and later on I thought of some string parts and had to try them out. I called upon my trusty Crumar Performer analog string synthesizer for this. I dropped the bottom and mid-range out via the on-board EQ, and modulated the pitch. The latter is a trick I used on the Doctor Who: Mechalution soundtrack / Let's Build Mecha e.p. to give the strings a wailing, melancholy quality, not unlike tape-wobble.
The final element I added was a Chinese woodblock (also called a 'wooden fish'). This was again recorded using the CAD. It sounded too bright in my first version so I pitch-shifted it about an octave lower and EQ'd out some high-end.
I started by recording several takes into my CAD mic and selecting the best ones. If the cymbals wobble about too much you get a wobbly-sounding recording, so after some experimentation I got some clean takes. You can be sure I kept the wobbly ones too, though - you never know when they might come in handy!
I loaded the sample I was happy with direct into Sonar (my multi-track software) and repeated it every couple of bars. I applied reverb to soften the sound a little, but had to tweak it quite a lot. Certain frequencies were bouncing around and sounding horrible. This served as my guide for adding other instruments.
Next I added a plucked spring sound, sampled from my 'Spring Thing' which is nothing more than two dishwasher springs mounted on a board. But hooked up to a contact microphone it sounds fantastic. This already had a reverb all its own, but I added extra software reverb and it totally stole the show.
For the third element I turned to the K-Station synth, with the intention of adding a slow, bright, metallic arpeggio. My tweaking produced a detuned sound - not unlike bells that have been really messed up - more suited for melody, so a melody it was. In an attempt to fit melody to tempo, I threw in a bass-drum sample to play to. That lead to the mimicked sound of a slow hearbeat, which echoes the plight of the poor trolls and further enhances the track.
Oh yes, I almost forgot about the growls. I took a sound from my modified Yamaha PSS-140 FM keyboard and pitch-shifted it way low in shortcircuit. To me it sounds like the growl of an alien animal. No real reason for adding it except that it adds some spookiness.
By then the track was pretty much finished, to my mind. But there's always the temptation to add more, and later on I thought of some string parts and had to try them out. I called upon my trusty Crumar Performer analog string synthesizer for this. I dropped the bottom and mid-range out via the on-board EQ, and modulated the pitch. The latter is a trick I used on the Doctor Who: Mechalution soundtrack / Let's Build Mecha e.p. to give the strings a wailing, melancholy quality, not unlike tape-wobble.
The final element I added was a Chinese woodblock (also called a 'wooden fish'). This was again recorded using the CAD. It sounded too bright in my first version so I pitch-shifted it about an octave lower and EQ'd out some high-end.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Tales Music: 'Evening Descends'
Yesterday I took a break from editing field recordings long enough to finish the first piece of music for Tales of Elves and Trolls. I had a few pieces started before I decided how to approach the soundtrack as a whole, but I had the theme song to guide me (it can be heard in the promo video at the start of this blog).
One thing I'm keen to do with this soundtrack is combine electronic sounds (chiefly created with analog and pseudo-analog synthesizers) with acoustic sounds. I don't necessarily mean acoustic instruments, but any sound produced acoustically. This could be anything from a dripping tap to a metal object being struck. The kind of sounds chosen will vary depending on what I'm trying to convey.
Some pieces will also use orchestral elements, albeit from a virtual orchestra: a VST called EastWest Orchestra Silver (I was going to include a link, but the software appears to be discontinued). I've used this for several years now, chiefly for its grand piano sound and a few violins. It accounts for about 75% of the instruments on the Tales Theme music.
For now I'm only concerned with music that bridges the gap from one scene to another: the transitions. Incidental music that plays during scenes will come later. When a transition appears in the script, I give it a simple title so I have something to work with.
The first transition of Episode 1 I've named 'Evening Descends + The Alarm Rock.' It signifies the passing of time as Agnor and Runkthussle, the Troll Tree Removers, await the setting of the sun. Once it sets they can emerge from their sun shelter and go about their business. In the novel, there's also a line that reads: '... the alarm rock thudded into place ...' Rather than script it as a sound effect, I chose to incorporate it into the transition. So, as the music unfolds, clock-like sounds come in, culminating in the thud of the alarm-rock itself. My trolls are simple creatures, so I imagined that rather than a traditional time-piece they might have something rudimentary built of clockwork and stone.
For some reason, the melody of Evening Descends turned out to be a rising scale. Don't ask me which scale though, as I couldn't tell you. It's accompanied by a sweeping synthesized bass drone which also gives the illusion of rising/falling. These sounds, as well as some rudimentary bass and bass drum sounds were created on my trusty Novation K-Station.
For the 'Alarm Rock' I spent an afternoon in the studio with a breeze block and a stone. I struck both together, scraped one across the other, and also dropped the stone onto the block to capture the resulting percussive sounds. I recorded with two different microphones at once: my Shure SM58 (traditionally used for vocals), and my Buffered XLR Contact Mic. The SM58 was placed in close proximity to the block, and the Contact was sellotaped directly to the surface. I found that the SM58 resulted in sounds that were bright and trebly (is that even a word?) and the Contact gave me duller, bassier sounds. In the track I used a mixture of the two, but favoured those recorded with the Contact mic.
These recordings, or I should say a tiny percentage of these recordings, were loaded into the Shortcircuit VST sampler, and used an octave below their natural pitch to make the clockwork sounds. Shortcircuit v.1 is my sampler of choice since my Akai S1000 developed a fault. It's also free, I might add :)
Interesting though the breeze block was, I realised it sounded a little weak with just a tiny pebble rattling around on it. So for the Alarm Rock thud, I selected the sound of a more sizeable rock from my recent quarry recordings. This was also loaded into Shortcircuit, pitched down somewhat and given a touch of EQ.
This may sound like an awful lot of work for a piece of music only 30 seconds long. But to me, all this fiddly stuff is one of the reasons I create electronic music in the first place: the process. Creating sounds from what amounts to a pile of circuitry, and making the everyday sound otherworldly.
One thing I'm keen to do with this soundtrack is combine electronic sounds (chiefly created with analog and pseudo-analog synthesizers) with acoustic sounds. I don't necessarily mean acoustic instruments, but any sound produced acoustically. This could be anything from a dripping tap to a metal object being struck. The kind of sounds chosen will vary depending on what I'm trying to convey.
Some pieces will also use orchestral elements, albeit from a virtual orchestra: a VST called EastWest Orchestra Silver (I was going to include a link, but the software appears to be discontinued). I've used this for several years now, chiefly for its grand piano sound and a few violins. It accounts for about 75% of the instruments on the Tales Theme music.
For now I'm only concerned with music that bridges the gap from one scene to another: the transitions. Incidental music that plays during scenes will come later. When a transition appears in the script, I give it a simple title so I have something to work with.
The first transition of Episode 1 I've named 'Evening Descends + The Alarm Rock.' It signifies the passing of time as Agnor and Runkthussle, the Troll Tree Removers, await the setting of the sun. Once it sets they can emerge from their sun shelter and go about their business. In the novel, there's also a line that reads: '... the alarm rock thudded into place ...' Rather than script it as a sound effect, I chose to incorporate it into the transition. So, as the music unfolds, clock-like sounds come in, culminating in the thud of the alarm-rock itself. My trolls are simple creatures, so I imagined that rather than a traditional time-piece they might have something rudimentary built of clockwork and stone.
For some reason, the melody of Evening Descends turned out to be a rising scale. Don't ask me which scale though, as I couldn't tell you. It's accompanied by a sweeping synthesized bass drone which also gives the illusion of rising/falling. These sounds, as well as some rudimentary bass and bass drum sounds were created on my trusty Novation K-Station.
For the 'Alarm Rock' I spent an afternoon in the studio with a breeze block and a stone. I struck both together, scraped one across the other, and also dropped the stone onto the block to capture the resulting percussive sounds. I recorded with two different microphones at once: my Shure SM58 (traditionally used for vocals), and my Buffered XLR Contact Mic. The SM58 was placed in close proximity to the block, and the Contact was sellotaped directly to the surface. I found that the SM58 resulted in sounds that were bright and trebly (is that even a word?) and the Contact gave me duller, bassier sounds. In the track I used a mixture of the two, but favoured those recorded with the Contact mic.
These recordings, or I should say a tiny percentage of these recordings, were loaded into the Shortcircuit VST sampler, and used an octave below their natural pitch to make the clockwork sounds. Shortcircuit v.1 is my sampler of choice since my Akai S1000 developed a fault. It's also free, I might add :)
Interesting though the breeze block was, I realised it sounded a little weak with just a tiny pebble rattling around on it. So for the Alarm Rock thud, I selected the sound of a more sizeable rock from my recent quarry recordings. This was also loaded into Shortcircuit, pitched down somewhat and given a touch of EQ.
This may sound like an awful lot of work for a piece of music only 30 seconds long. But to me, all this fiddly stuff is one of the reasons I create electronic music in the first place: the process. Creating sounds from what amounts to a pile of circuitry, and making the everyday sound otherworldly.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Tales Casting Call - Block 1
I'm now accepting auditions for several characters that appear in Tales of Elves and Trolls, episodes 1-3 of Series 1. Here are the details:
Please audition with the lines below, and send as 192kbps MP3 to: ManitouProductions@gmail.com
Please remember to label your MP3s as follows:
BSAP_Elves&Trolls_(EpisodeNumber)_(CharacterName)_(YourName)
Auditions close on August 14th.
Episode 1 “Troll Tree Removers”
Troll tree removers Agnor and Runkthussle receive a suspicious scroll from an elf named Sydor Goldenleaf, asking them to remove a tree in the Sighing Forest. Despite their reservations, they jump at the chance to cut down a tree in elven lands. The tree turns out to be a sentient oak named Faarenmul, who won’t be felled without a fight.
Agnor
(troll tree remover, 30-40 years old)
Agnor is the quintessential gruff and bad-tempered troll. He loathes anything to do with elves, especially the trees he spends his time removing. He considers himself the smarter of the two brothers. He calls the shots with the tree removal business and doesn’t suffer fools. Like all trolls in Tales, he refers to himself in the third person.
Audition Lines:
“We’re in elven lands now. Agnor’s not seen trees like dese, and neither have you, you unobservant lump of rock.”
“Agnor can and will fell you, demon tree! Behold, his juggernaut!”
Runkthussle
(troll tree remover, 30-40 years old)
Agnor’s younger brother, and partner in the tree removal business. He’s considered the less intelligent of the duo, but actually has more sense than his brother thanks to his inquisitive nature. He is constantly brow-beaten and doesn’t stand up for himself. His manner is far less gruff, almost endearing.
Audition Lines:
“Dere’s magic in dese trees, Brother. Runk doesn’t like it.”
“I wonder how many drakes it took to carry it all.”
Faarenmul
(sentient oak, many centuries old, recurring character)
Having existed since the glory days of magic, Faarenmul is knowledgeable in ancient lore. He has grown insular and harbours contempt for the lesser creatures (except for the birds – his only companions). He dislikes trolls to the point of luring many to their deaths and carving their petrified corpses into decorative standing stones. He enunciates his words with care and his voice is deep and booming.
Audition Lines:
“Your names, trolls, and business here!”
“I existed long before trolls came down from the mountains to move like a blight across this land. Yet you think you can fell me like so much timber?”
Sydor Goldenleaf
(elven sorcerer, 30+ years old, recurring character)
Sydor starts out as a cold, calculating dark magician obsessed with reclaiming a lost magical artefact. Years of absorbing dark magic into his body have locked away his compassion and moral scruples. Sydor is eventually cleansed of dark magic and becomes a fragile, damaged creature. His quest for power is replaced by the drive to protect his orphaned niece, Lora – irregardless of his own well-being.
Audition Lines:
(evil Sydor)
“Agnor and Runkthussle. Good ... day to you.”
“You trolls have always been a greedy, ignorant bunch. But even I misjudged the depth of your stupidity.”
(good Sydor)
“I’ve suffered much these last eight years. To learn that my niece still lives lightens my heart no end.”
Episode 3 “To Go In Search of Trolls – Part 2”
Sticky and Lora have captured Gnorr the troll, only to discover he hasn’t any treasure.
Gnorr leads them to the lair of the Fellthorn Trolls, which is brimming with gold. But the bandits prove tough adversaries.
The Fellthorn Trolls
(troll bandits, any age)
This quartet, consisting of Amrok, Gan, Quern, and their leader Hobold, are all that remain of a once-mighty band of ruthless bandits. They refer to each other as brothers, but it’s unlikely they’re related. They are battle-scarred and ugly, with matted hair and zero personal hygiene. Gan, at least, walks with a limp. It’s theorised that Hobold became leader because he’s uglier than the others. Somewhat past their prime, they still strike fear into the hearts of elves with their reputation. Their speech is guttural and ill-educated. Hobold and Gan have the most lines, but four are needed for walla.
Audition Lines:
“Wha’s dis? An imp! Our luck improves by the second, Brothers!”
“Grab it! It’s good luck!”
Please audition with the lines below, and send as 192kbps MP3 to: ManitouProductions@gmail.com
Please remember to label your MP3s as follows:
BSAP_Elves&Trolls_(EpisodeNumber)_(CharacterName)_(YourName)
Auditions close on August 14th.
Episode 1 “Troll Tree Removers”
Troll tree removers Agnor and Runkthussle receive a suspicious scroll from an elf named Sydor Goldenleaf, asking them to remove a tree in the Sighing Forest. Despite their reservations, they jump at the chance to cut down a tree in elven lands. The tree turns out to be a sentient oak named Faarenmul, who won’t be felled without a fight.
Agnor
(troll tree remover, 30-40 years old)
Agnor is the quintessential gruff and bad-tempered troll. He loathes anything to do with elves, especially the trees he spends his time removing. He considers himself the smarter of the two brothers. He calls the shots with the tree removal business and doesn’t suffer fools. Like all trolls in Tales, he refers to himself in the third person.
Audition Lines:
“We’re in elven lands now. Agnor’s not seen trees like dese, and neither have you, you unobservant lump of rock.”
“Agnor can and will fell you, demon tree! Behold, his juggernaut!”
Runkthussle
(troll tree remover, 30-40 years old)
Agnor’s younger brother, and partner in the tree removal business. He’s considered the less intelligent of the duo, but actually has more sense than his brother thanks to his inquisitive nature. He is constantly brow-beaten and doesn’t stand up for himself. His manner is far less gruff, almost endearing.
Audition Lines:
“Dere’s magic in dese trees, Brother. Runk doesn’t like it.”
“I wonder how many drakes it took to carry it all.”
Faarenmul
(sentient oak, many centuries old, recurring character)
Having existed since the glory days of magic, Faarenmul is knowledgeable in ancient lore. He has grown insular and harbours contempt for the lesser creatures (except for the birds – his only companions). He dislikes trolls to the point of luring many to their deaths and carving their petrified corpses into decorative standing stones. He enunciates his words with care and his voice is deep and booming.
Audition Lines:
“Your names, trolls, and business here!”
“I existed long before trolls came down from the mountains to move like a blight across this land. Yet you think you can fell me like so much timber?”
Sydor Goldenleaf
(elven sorcerer, 30+ years old, recurring character)
Sydor starts out as a cold, calculating dark magician obsessed with reclaiming a lost magical artefact. Years of absorbing dark magic into his body have locked away his compassion and moral scruples. Sydor is eventually cleansed of dark magic and becomes a fragile, damaged creature. His quest for power is replaced by the drive to protect his orphaned niece, Lora – irregardless of his own well-being.
Audition Lines:
(evil Sydor)
“You trolls have always been a greedy, ignorant bunch. But even I misjudged the depth of your stupidity.”
(good Sydor)
“I’ve suffered much these last eight years. To learn that my niece still lives lightens my heart no end.”
Episode 3 “To Go In Search of Trolls – Part 2”
Sticky and Lora have captured Gnorr the troll, only to discover he hasn’t any treasure.
Gnorr leads them to the lair of the Fellthorn Trolls, which is brimming with gold. But the bandits prove tough adversaries.
The Fellthorn Trolls
(troll bandits, any age)
This quartet, consisting of Amrok, Gan, Quern, and their leader Hobold, are all that remain of a once-mighty band of ruthless bandits. They refer to each other as brothers, but it’s unlikely they’re related. They are battle-scarred and ugly, with matted hair and zero personal hygiene. Gan, at least, walks with a limp. It’s theorised that Hobold became leader because he’s uglier than the others. Somewhat past their prime, they still strike fear into the hearts of elves with their reputation. Their speech is guttural and ill-educated. Hobold and Gan have the most lines, but four are needed for walla.
Audition Lines:
“Wha’s dis? An imp! Our luck improves by the second, Brothers!”
“Grab it! It’s good luck!”
Monday, July 4, 2011
It Begins...
Welcome to my new blog! As I'm about to embark on the most challenging creative project I've yet undertaken, the production of a full-cast audio drama, I've decided to chronicle its development here. You can expect everything from progress reports to detailed technical geek-speak about the production process (for which I make no apologies!).
The series in question is called 'Tales of Elves and Trolls,' based on my novel of the same name. Both the novel and the series is suitable for all age groups, but I'm uncertain as to whether the show will be given a G or a PG rating. It will be produced for Brokensea Audio Productions, who host a variety of highly entertaining audio dramas that are free to stream or download.
As of this posting, I have the first three scripts (of eight) of the first series prepared, and am in the process of collecting, creating, and editing original sound effects. I've also begun work on the music for the show, and will be covering that in more detail in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, here's the book trailer my good friend Stevie at Brokensea produced for me earlier in the year. It'll give you an idea what to expect from the finished show (if I can live up to his excellent production standards!):
The series in question is called 'Tales of Elves and Trolls,' based on my novel of the same name. Both the novel and the series is suitable for all age groups, but I'm uncertain as to whether the show will be given a G or a PG rating. It will be produced for Brokensea Audio Productions, who host a variety of highly entertaining audio dramas that are free to stream or download.
As of this posting, I have the first three scripts (of eight) of the first series prepared, and am in the process of collecting, creating, and editing original sound effects. I've also begun work on the music for the show, and will be covering that in more detail in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, here's the book trailer my good friend Stevie at Brokensea produced for me earlier in the year. It'll give you an idea what to expect from the finished show (if I can live up to his excellent production standards!):
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