Exercises in Sound

Exercises in Sound will be on break until after the holidays. Those last two episodes took more time to produce than the typical episode, and I've eaten up my buffer. I have some other deadlines demanding my attention, and honestly, I could use a little break anyway.

But I'll be back in January!

Which is to say, one of the most interesting points to consider for audio production that this one raises is how real physical props can play a valuable role in voice acting. They really do make a difference, and can add new layers of texture to how the actor speaks.

It's most obvious when he's got it in his mouth--you can hear how clenching his teeth on it changes his speech, not to mention talking around the object. Less obvious is how he physically gestured with it--but those gestures affect the vocal performance in pacing, emphasis, and intensity.

Felix made a really interesting choice here--at one point, he picked up a pen and used it to give his character a physical action of smoking a cigarette. You can hear it in the performance, and it brings such a wonderful new element to it.

That version uses Felix's dry run on the script. It's a beautiful, intimate take, demonstrating how instinctual a performer Felix is!

For version 2, we tried something deliberately performative--playing it as a One-Man Show, as would be performed live on stage. It has such a different feel to it!

Autobiography as One Man Show Content Warnings: Death of a Parent/Family Member Drug Addiction Incarceration Child Endangerment Child Abandonment Child Abduction (The child is ultimately okay. T…

Take two on the Autobiography script!

Last week I posted the first version of a take on the script where Character B (Felix Trench) is self-aware, and gives a metafictional monologue about me as the author of the work.

Autobiography Content Warnings: Death of a Parent/Family Member Drug Addiction Incarceration Child Endangerment Child Abandonment Child Abduction (The child is ultimately okay. T…

So, did I just slip probably the most personal and confessional writing I've ever done into the middle of my weird sound design experiment?

Yes, I did.

This one is a long time coming.

Special thanks to @felixtrench.com for bringing this to life!

(Several times. More versions to come.)

Also, apologies for the weird doubling on James' directing notes at the top. James' recordings for the whole first half of the session got wiped somehow, so I had to use the backup Zoom meeting recording. I think it recorded from both his internal and external mic at once for some reason?

Felix Written and sound designed by Alexander Danner and directed by James Oliva. Performed by Felix Trench and Jordan Higgs. Theme music by Katherine Seaton. Tile art by…

A new cast member joins Exercises in Sound today! The wonderful @felixtrench.com, best known as Rudyard in Wooden Overcoats, steps into the role of Character A! We're starting light, just playing with a simple cast change, but we have bigger plans down the line.
www.exercisesinsound.com/felix/

Storytime Narration Written and sound designed by Alexander Danner and directed by James Oliva. Performed by Jordan Higgs and Jordan Stillman, with Julia Morizawa as The Narrator. Them…

www.exercisesinsound.com/storytime-na...

Bedtime Story Narration Written and sound designed by Alexander Danner and directed by James Oliva. Performed by Jordan Higgs and Jordan Stillman, with Richard Penner as The Narrator. Them…

www.exercisesinsound.com/bedtime-stor...

What I find interesting here is not just the play with who is in the physical realm, but also the strong contrast between too very similar, and yet strikingly different kinds of storytelling. You can hear the different intentions of these ways of storytelling in the narrators' cadences.

In both, we are exploring modes of storytelling to children. In the first, Storytime, Julia Morizawa takes on the role of a classroom teacher reading to kids. In the second, Bedtime Story, Richard Penner takes on the role of a father telling a bedtime story to an infant.

Post by @alexanderdanner 💬 0  🔁 0  ❤️ 0 · Exercises in Sound: Reversing the Planes · The two most recent episodes of EiS have played with narration again, this time in flipping the planes of reality--rather than Characters…

Two recent episodes played with narration again, this time flipping the planes of reality--rather than Characters A and B being in the physical plane while the narrators provide voiceover, it's the other way around. The narrators are having real interactions, while the characters are abstracted.

Post by @alexanderdanner 💬 0  🔁 1  ❤️ 2 · Exercises in Sound: Music and Tension · In two recent versions of Exercises in Sound, I focused on ways of using music to create different types of tension. The music in both of th…

In two recent versions of Exercises in Sound, I focused on ways of using music to create different types of tension. The music in both of these is drawn from the original composition by Katherine Seaton that you already hear every episode! So, let me tell you a little more about the music itself:

If you're following this feed, then you dig high-concept formal experiments...so how about an audio drama in the form of a personal essay in the form of a concept album?

Jeff's new project is something truly special, please go listen!

Read my personal reactions here: bsky.app/profile/alex....

Narrated A Written and sound designed by Alexander Danner and directed by James Oliva. Performed by Jordan Higgs and Jordan Stillman, with Julia Morizawa as The Narrator. Them…

Two new episodes today, in which we introduce @juliamorizawa.bsky.social and @timescanner.bsky.social as our alternate narrators!

www.exercisesinsound.com/narrated-a/

www.exercisesinsound.com/narrated-b/

Hospital Written and sound designed by Alexander Danner and directed by James Oliva. Performed by Jordan Higgs and Jordan Stillman. Theme music by Katherine Seaton. Tile art…

New Episode!

Hospital
www.exercisesinsound.com/hospital/

How does the scene change when we move it from an armchair to a hospital bed?

[Changes to: Setting, backgrounds, blocking, props, take selection.]

Happy #AudioDramaSunday pals! Nothing from me this week, but I’ll be back next week with a bunch to cover. In the meantime, it’d mean a lot to me if you check out the newest episode of @windfallpodcast.bsky.social 💜💜💜

Telephone B Written and sound designed by Alexander Danner and directed by James Oliva. Performed by Jordan Higgs and Jordan Stillman. Theme music by Katherine Seaton. Tile art…

New Episode!

Telephone B
www.exercisesinsound.com/telephone-b/

How does the scene change if we see it from B's perspective, while he's still at the store? A whole new location!

[Changes to environment/setting props/sfx, blocking, voice distortion, environmental interaction]

YouTube video by Julia Morizawa SOMETHING ABOUT THE TIDE (Pitch Video) | directed by Desdemona Chiang, written by Julia Morizawa

Hello! I recently put the pitch video for my feature film SOMETHING ABOUT THE TIDE on YouTube:

youtu.be/4NtlUmx0n_8?...

If you can spare a few minutes, please watch (or skim!) and like/comment. (Trying to working the algorithm!) Thank you!

Telephone A Written and sound designed by Alexander Danner and directed by James Oliva. Performed by Jordan Higgs and Jordan Stillman. Theme music by Katherine Seaton. Tile art…

New episode!

Telephone A
www.exercisesinsound.com/telephone-a/

How does the scene change if A is still at the store during the conversation?

[Changes to props/sfx, blocking, voice distortion, environmental interaction]

(Rotary phones forever!)

Thunderstorm Written and sound designed by Alexander Danner and directed by James Oliva. Performed by Jordan Higgs and Jordan Stillman. Theme music by Katherine Seaton. Tile art…

New Episode!

Thunderstorm
www.exercisesinsound.com/thunderstorm/

How does the scene change when you change the weather? (And add a gothic organ?)

[Changes to blocking, props/wardrobe, environmental interaction]

Template B Written and sound designed by Alexander Danner and directed by James Oliva. Performed by Jordan Higgs and Jordan Stillman. Theme music by Katherine Seaton. Tile art…

Exercises in sound is live, with two episodes out today! How does a scene change when actors trade roles?

Template A: url:https://www.exercisesinsound.com/template-a/

Template B: url:https://www.exercisesinsound.com/template-b/

The Perfect Sentence: An Audio Drama Concept Album An audio fiction podcast told in the form of a musical album, with songs rather than episodes. | Check out 'The Perfect Sentence: An Audio Drama Concept Album' on Indiegogo.

Only $143 left to hit our fundraising goal. Can you help take us there?

The next milestone after our goal will be $3000. If we hit that, everyone who contributes will get a limited edition double vinyl version of the album.

www.indiegogo.com/projects/the...

It's official: Exercises in Sound launches on February 20th!

February is here, and our launch is near!

(But first we need to get over the flu. 🤒)