So as the summer comes to a close, I find myself still in the midst of trying to record. I took on the, possibly insane, task of attempting to record
The Quiet Man by
Ivyblossom. Why?
Because everytime I go to my podfic library, I wonder why it isn't there to listen to. Sometimes you just have to solve problems yourself.
Ivyblossom says that it has been attempted before, but nothing was published. Working on it, I realize why. It seems deceptively simple. The story takes place almost entirely inside of the mind of John Watson, so you would think that it is simple. Just read what he is thinking, but not so, no not so at all.
John Watson's mind is incredibly complex.
First, he thinks so fast, there are paragraphs of monologue between one outside action and the next. Does this mean that we should read this quickly to fit the passage of time, or slowly? Then there are the voices.
1. Outside voices:
John and those he interacts with, his psychiatrist, Ella, his sister, Mrs Hudson, etc.
2. Inside voices
John's thoughts being the primary ones, but also John's voice as he talks to his imaginary image of Sherlock, and that is to be distinguished from his actual memories of events between Sherlock and himself.
It becomes a bit of a zoo to separate them. There are three different voices for John, and to start with two different voices for Sherlock. Eventually there will be three, and it will be important to tell them apart.
I am trying to do the separation simply with my voice and mic technique. I'm considering whether or not I need to use special effects for this. What do I mean? Let me give you an example.
1.You’re a very lonely man, I think. People need connection, physical touch. It’s not anything untoward. You are still a human being, whatever you may want other people to think of you. I know the truth. You’re not a machine. You’re more like a cat needing to be stroked; you like it when I touch your hair.
2.“You like it too.”
3. Do I? I suppose I do. It’s nice. Being able to.The way your eyes flicker shut. Pleasure on your face. I don’t know. It’s nice. What? Is that strange?
4. “You should have kissed me.” Goldfinger theme music is playing in the background.
“5. What? Why?”
6. “Because you wanted to.” Did I? I don’t remember that. You pick up the remote control and turn the volume down a little. That’s a real memory, not an altered one; you didn’t like the music. 7. Too discordant, you said. Bad audio quality. It’s like a screeching harpy in a thunderstorm. I laughed; I laughed a lot with you. I haven’t laughed in months.
8. “You could kiss me now.”
1. is John's normal voice. The voice of his thoughts that narrates the work.
I do this by talking directly into the mike.2. Is Sherlock's voice. The imaginary Sherlock that John talks to in his head.
I do this by talking past the mike and deepening my voice.3. Is John talking back to the imaginary Sherlock.
I do this by talking past the mike.4. This combines Imaginary Sherlock and Narrator John.
5. John talking to Imaginary Sherlock.
6. Imaginary Sherlock and John with a section of John quoting Sherlock in the past.
What voice should I use for quoting Sherlock in the past? John's voice? John's voice with Sherlock's cadence? Imaginary Sherlock's voice?8. Imaginary Sherlock again.
As you can see, this is incredibly complex, and this is only 8 lines of one chapter of a work with 58 chapters. It's hard enough just figuring out who is saying what without attempting to make them all sound different. Well, different but identifiable. I try, but I'm overcome with doubt, and that makes it very difficult to keep going.
Oh, and by the way, this is a call for
beta listeners. I really could use help to know if the work is at all understandable.
Just pm me.
I could really use the help.
Aless.
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