Tuesday, November 11, 2008

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - ARE YOU REALLY LISTENING??

Just read a review from Publishers Weekly on our production of THE HALLOWEEN TREE. Now, have any of you reading this blog heard the show yet? For those who have, can you make sense of this line posted in the review ...
While there are sound effects, they are mostly limited to ambient vocals in the background and wind, never utilizing the more calm-fracturing accoutrements like slamming doors or dishes breaking.

Now, I don't think this critic listened to the show - for if they did, they would realize that this program is stuffed full of sound effects - the building of the kite scene alone has hundreds of effects, many created just for this sequence, which took an entire week to edit ... the building of Notre Dame, the scenes in Mexico ... I mean, HUH?? Never utilizing calm fracturing accoutrements like SLAMMING DOORS (um, did you hear the scenes in Moundshrouds house?? You wanna talk slamming doors??) and breaking dishes ... well, sorry, the script didn't call for any domestic dishes being smashed, but I thought the Samhain scene with Roman Soldiers and thousands of tiny animal ghosts taking flight would be a good fill-in for a dish or two. I mean, did you listen to the show?? Really??

4 comments:

Sharonmaggie said...

I've heard THE HALLOWEEN TREE twice, and was AMAZED by the sound effects! I'll have to comment on the website for Publisher's Weekly when I get back. The kids I listened to this with were very impressed and the sound effects helped them picture the action. It is bologna that there aren't any effects. The reviewer's equiptment must have been defective and I will let them know what I think of their review!

JR said...

It's like a review I got for our production of THE ALAMO, when a critic said "I rolled my eyes when Travis drew a line in the sand for the defenders to cross." Well, nowhere in my script does this happen!!! The scene isnt even there - was never recorded - and he's blaming me for putting it in the show!! Can't win.

Sharonmaggie said...

No, but seriously, if you listen to any Colonial Radio Theater production, how can you not have heard the voluminous amount of sound effects? And if you didn't/couldn't, wouldn't it be in your best interest as a reviewer to check your equipment, pay more attention and either drink more/less (depending on your state at the time)? Does it help to respond to these reviews or is it pretty pointless to do so?

JR said...

I think they skimmed it, not listened all the way through. The show will be around a lot longer than this critic ever will be.