AUDIO DRAMA
Why Choose Audio?
“The pictures are better on radio. There's nothing you can't do, nowhere you can't go, and nothing that looks 'cheap'. Nobody will say that they can't afford to build that set, or the lighting's not quite right, or that the bad weather is going to delay production for days. The true 'budget' is that spent between you and the listener - the cost of two imaginations combined.” - BBC Writers Room.
Possibly the most important consideration for a writer/producer, particularly one who is just starting out in their career is the financial restrictions placed upon their budget.
When it comes to the production of a drama for an audio medium the benefits are obvious and substantial.
An audio format circumvents the prohibitive costs some writer/producers may face in getting a performance to an audience in regard to the hiring of a theatre or any venue in which to stage their performance not to mention lighting technicians, costume designers and any other ancillary members required in the visual production of a play which will also, if successful require repeat performances; simply avoided in audio by recording and archiving.
This of course does not mean that audio is just a cheap alternative to visual drama production. There are several benefits which audio has over the more conventional medium when it comes to performing a play.
“Because Radio drama takes place in the mind of the listener it is possible for the listener, as in no other form of drama, to enter into the minds of the characters – to have the sense of thinking their thoughts and feeling their feelings.” - William Ash, “The Way to Write Radio Drama”.
As with podcasting in general audio dramas are very popular with people who spend a lot of time on the move e.g. commuting on public transport or in their cars. Many take the opportunity of utilising what is essentially downtime to enjoy downloaded books and dramas. Since the advent of portable devices the market for entertainment in this format has grown substantially and shows no signs of a decline in popularity.