How to Prepare Radio Scripts for Production
My advice on producing radio drama using my own RuyaSonic radio drama
scripts.
If you'd like to produce one of my shows, contact me via The
Depot page here.
If you are seeking more information on how to use or understand my script
format, you can look through this page, but without the starter package I send
to groups who've licensed a script from me, it may not make total sense.
Advice from
Tony Palermo
Preparing Actors', SFX and Engineer’s books using RuyaSonic Radio Drama Scripts
In order to produce my radio dramas in a timely and efficient manner, you
will need to have Sound Effects and Engineer’s books prepared before you begin
rehearsal. You will also need to have the actors’ scripts highlighted with their
lines. It’ll take some time, but this preparation results in better organized
rehearsals and performances.
Each RuyaSonic Radio Drama script package contains all the necessary pages for making
SFX and ENG books. You only need to assemble them and mark them up with
highlighter pens.
For each program package, follow these steps:
1) Prepare the master script
From the print-out of the entire document, locate the actual performance
script pages. These consist of the title page, followed by the cast listing, an
optional glossary page, then the script itself--which ends with “THE END.” Stop
there. This is what you will make copies of for everyone to work from. If you
need to create the SFX and ENG books, you will use this group of pages for their
books in addition to the pages marked "SFX" or "ENG" in the top right hand
corner.
First, mark up a master script:
The RuyaSonic Radio Drama script packages contain pages
of music, dialogue and sound cues that look like this:
3.
MUSIC:
DANGER THEME--ESTABLISH--FADE UNDER.
4* JOHNNY-BOY: Look out! They've thrown a refrigerator out the window!
5. SOUND: REFRIGERATOR CRASH. WALLA-SCREAMS.
6* SUZANNE:
(GASP) Oh no! Johnny-Boy's flatter than a pancake!
7. NARRATOR:
(SIGH) Sadly, Johnny-Boy wound up just one more ghost.
Meanwhile, Kitty had to deal with ghosts of a different sort.
Add the timing "Q" marks:
In radio drama, an ensemble must coordinate delivery of their cues at
just the right time. For example, music must be established before allowing
an actor to speak, or a sound effect must be fully heard before letting an
actor react to it. These require timing coordination. Asterisks beside the cue numbers in the script alert the
director, cast and crew that they must pay attention to delivering this cue
at a timing determined by the
director. The director may point to a performer exactly when they want them to begin
a line or SFX cue. Or sometimes the performer must merely be conscious that they delay delivery until the previous cue reaches the desired point. The script
indicates when these important timing cues occur. To make these cues
stand out in the script, a hand-written timing "Q" mark is added to
the master script. All other copies made from this master script will
contain these timing Q marks.
Take the master script and, using a Sharpie-style marker, hand-write a
large "Q" besides any cues with an asterisk. Wherever you see a cue number
followed by an asterisk--as in cues #4 and #6 in the current example,
make a large “Q” mark. These timing Qs generally occur after
underlined music cues or
SFX cues.
EXAMPLE:
3.
MUSIC:
DANGER THEME--ESTABLISH--FADE UNDER.
Q
4* JOHNNY-BOY: Look out! They've thrown a refrigerator out the window!
5. SOUND: REFRIGERATOR CRASH. WALLA-SCREAMS.
Q
6* SUZANNE:
(GASP) Oh no! Johnny-Boy's flatter than a pancake!
7. NARRATOR:
(SIGH) Sadly, Johnny-Boy wound up just one more ghost.
Meanwhile, Kitty had to deal with ghosts of a different sort.
2) Make copies of the Master Script
Once the entire script has been marked up, take this master “Q” script and make 15-20
copies for the cast and crew. Staple all scripts in the top left hand corner. If
you are making an Engineer's book and books for the SFX crew, you’ll need one copy
of the master script for the ENG book and from 3 to 5 copies for the SFX
artists. Add one more walla walla book, if the script has many references for
walla walla sound effects.
3) Prepare the Actors' Scripts
Highlight dialogue for all characters:
For each character in the show, write the character's name on the title
page and take an orange, pink or green highlighter
to highlight just the dialogue for that character. Don’t highlight their character
names. NOTE: Yellow highlighting tends to disappear in dimly lit studios
and on-stage. Orange, pink and
green highlighters show up very well.
EXAMPLE:
For the Narrator's script, write "NARRATOR" on the title page and
highlight only the Narrator's parts.
7. NARRATOR:
(SIGH) Sadly, Johnny-Boy wound up as just one
more ghost.
Meanwhile, Kitty had to deal with ghosts of a different sort.
Here, the highlight begins with the delivery instruction of (SIGH) and ends with
the spoken word “sort.” Highlight
the dialogue for each major character. If you have more roles than cast members,
consult the cast listing page of the script to determine which roles can be combined,
then use a different color to highlight the secondary roles in an actor’s
script. When an actor is doubling up roles, his script would have two different colors in it.
Keeping the colors different can make it easy for an actor to play two
characters in one scene--they can even talk to each other.
4) Prepare the Engineer's Book
Begin with one of the master Q copies and then take the non-script pages--the ones left over
from step 1--take the single
page that has ENG-1 in the top most right hand corner and put it into the script
just before page-1, cue-1.
Get several highlighter pens: pink, blue and green for the Engineer's
Book.
Music Cues:
Use the pink pen to highlight all the music cues in the script--for
example:
1. MUSIC: [A-1]
PROGRAM THEME. UP AND UNDER. CONTINUE.
Highlight that entire line with a pink (or magenta) horizontal line. Cover the words in
color.
1. MUSIC: [A-1]
PROGRAM THEME. UP AND UNDER. CONTINUE.
NOTE: The bracketed code, [A-1] indicates using playback device "A"
and track number "1". This device could be a CD-player, an MP3 player, a
cassette boom box, or even a PC triggering MP3 files or samples. If more than
one playback device is suggested, you will see other codes referring to them,
[B-2] for example. I generally recommend using two playback devices,
because it allows you to quickly go from one cue to another and even cross-fade.
Additionally, you can trigger music and pre-recorded sound effects tracks
using two playback devices.
Paying attention to the cue instructions (such as “LET FINISH” or
“CONTINUE”, etc.), listen to the music track and read the dialogue aloud
while the cue is playing. Read at a natural pace--maybe even a bit slower than
normal. Notice where the cue fades or ends. Draw a vertical highlighter line
beginning with where that music cue started, on down through the dialogue and
SFX cues to where the music track ended. Bridges will be very
short and beds very long. In some cases, the music must end at a
particular point--such as the end of a scene or action sequence. Indicate
that with a short horizontal highlighter line at the end of the vertical line--looking
like an upside down "T".
In other cases, you may wish to fade out the cue under the dialogue. Indicate
that fade with a wavy vertical line--like an "S". Repeat this procedure for all music cues
in the script.
Effects Device Cues:
Review the information on page marked ENG-1 and see if reverbs or
telephone filters are required for the program. If they are used, read through the
script looking for production notes about filters or reverbs and also for
dialogue lines beginning with [FILTER] or [REVERB]. If you find any,
make a short green horizontal mark highlighting the character’s name and
the effect label.
Note: The filter is an electronic device that simulates a telephone or
walky-talky
radio effect. You may wish to use a manual device to get this effect--like
having the actor speak into a plastic cup or coffee mug. If you use an
electronic filter, then the engineer may have to turning the
effect on, or the actor may have to go to a special microphone. In all cases, highlight the ENG script
so the engineer knows this line is supposed to have the effect.
7. OPERATOR: [FILTER] What number are you dialing?
Here you would use a green highlighter to color the script in a horizontal
line from “OPERATOR:” to the end of [FILTER].
7. OPERATOR: [FILTER] What number are you dialing?
If the character has more effected dialogue below this line, then
draw a vertical line through their lines until they are done using the
[FILTER] This will indicate to the engineer just how long the
effect is in use.
For reverb effects, you will do the same highlighting, but use the blue
highlighter.
Put script pages into plastic sheet protectors
Once the music and effects device cues have been highlighted in the
Engineer's script, put the script pages into plastic page covers. Arrange
pages so that Page 1 and Page 2 will open together--with page 1 on the left
and page 2 on the right. Then insert all other pages back to back this way.
Now the engineer has two pages open at a time and can see ahead when the
show is performed.
4) Prepare the Sound Effects Books:
From the non-script pages--the ones left over in the package--take the
pages that have SFX-1 through SFX-3 or SFX-4 in the top most right hand
corner and put them into the script just before page-1, cue-1 of the script.
Get several highlighter pens: pink, blue, green, yellow and orange.
Starting with the listing of Sound Effects Roles, use one color to highlight
all the SFX for each SFX artist. Highlight all of these in say, green.
EXAMPLE:
SOUND EFFECTS ARTIST #1:
FOOTSTEPS.
WIND MACHINE.
CRASHING.
Proceed to the other artists and do the
same using other colors.
EXAMPLE:
SOUND EFFECTS ARTIST #4:
THUNDER RUMBLING.
FLAPPING WINGS.
DOOR KNOCKS
POUNDING ON DOOR
Then go to pages SFX-2 and SFX-3 and use the same colors to
highlight that artist’s SFX for the “How to” information. This will be
used to train the SFX artist.
Then move onto the script pages. Look for the SOUND cues and when you see an
entry for say, FOOTSTEPS, highlight it in the same color that you used to
highlight the SFX artist for that sound.
EXAMPLE:
6. NARRATOR: Jimmy froze when he
heard the lynch mob arrive at his door. They meant business.
7. SOUND:
FOOTSTEPS.
DOOR KNOCKS (3X)
8. JIMMY:
Um... Jimmy's not here right now.
9. SOUND:
POUNDING ON DOOR (5X) WALLA--ANGRY
MOB.
Here, you would use the green highlighter for the FOOTSTEPS--indicating
that SFX Artist #1 perform the footsteps sound effects. If the sound
continues through other dialogue or music cues, draw a vertical highlight to
indicate how long the sound should last. It’s up to you to decide just how
long the effect is necessary. Decide for yourself, but keep in mind that the
FOOTSTEPS must end before some other SFX cue for SFX Artist #1 comes up. You normally don’t want the same SFX
artist to have to create two sounds at once.
The Door Knocks would be performed by SFX Artist #4. The
WALLA would be by either designated cast members or the SFX team or a separate
WALLA team.
Repeat this step for each sound effect until all are highlighted. If you have
several SFX books to make, do one master book first and then use it as a model
for the other books. It can take an hour to finish five SFX books.
If you have a lot of walla-crowd sounds, don’t include the walla
highlighting in the SFX books. I often make a separate book just for walla
cues. If I have more actors than I have main speaking roles, I can give them
the Walla book and let them perform the walla.
Put script pages into plastic sheet protectors
Once the sound effects cues have been highlighted in the SFX script, put the script
pages into plastic page covers. Arrange pages so that Page 1 and Page 2 will
open together--with page 1 on the left and page 2 on the right. Then insert
all other pages back to back this way. Now the SFX artists will have two
pages open at a time and can see ahead when the show is performed.
Tony Palermo's Workshop Production Method:
I produce workshop plays in two hours--from audition to "Tune next week,
same station, same time...". My radio plays run
the standard 25 minutes. First I audition everyone using short custom
monologues, then I TELL the cast and crew the story, then I split the actors from the SFX
crew. I DO NOT do a traditional "first read through". Instead, I hand the actors
scripts--with their lines already highlighted. I have the actors only read over their
OWN lines--and I have them say the lines aloud, several times, to "teach their
tongues" the dialogue. I then huddle with each actor to give them direction as to
their character's motivation and manner. This takes maybe 15 minutes total. It's
live radio, so you've got to work fast!
Meanwhile my SFX chief is demonstrating our live SFX and rehearsing cues
with the SFX artists. We then begin a cue rehearsal, with cast and crew, of the
entire play--stopping for mis-pronunciations and bungled SFX cues. We take a
short break and then plunge into the recording. It's amazing how an often
terrible rehearsal turns into a fine performance.
Don't stop the show for mistakes. Go back and do pickup re-recordings for
certain lines and SFX.
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