Audio theatre
The term audio theater is fairly generic in nature and describes a form of art that is found in different types of media. Audio theater really became popular before the days of the television. This was during the time that was known as the Golden Age of Radio. Because of this, audio theater is also often referred to as radio theater or radio drama though in modern times the reality that the audio theater is not bound to any particular medium. The nature of audio theater is once again undergoing changes because of the newer technologies that are being made available. With computer software for audio tuning and enhancement reaching more users, audio theater is being pushed to newer limits.
The biggest growth in seen through the development of fan made audio dramas. These are basically short audio clips that are based on existing characters taken from literature, movies, or television. Most of these are made at home by individuals who cannot afford to go about taking copyright permissions and that is why they are not meant for commercial use. This form of audio theater is mostly seen been distributed through pod-casts. Some other forms of audio theater include the making of dramas that are based on cult media and these are often made after acquiring licensing rights and proper sanctions.
Technological advantage
There have always been people who have a naturally affinity for audio theater and this is the golden time for them because of the power technology provides them. Besides the software, even hardware like microphones and the recording media has seen tremendous advancements and this permits for a better recording and editing option than was available in the time of the radio. Modern software available on the desktop computer makes editing and modifying sound very easy and this reduces production costs while increasing the number of options available to the audio theater producers.
Education
Schools and universities all over the world have discovered another use for audio theater; education. Many digital education products now include audio lessons that are being used to teach diverse subjects like languages, science, history, and ethics. Due to the increasing popularity of audio theater, some universities are seriously considering this method of teaching radio-acting skills to interested students.
Production
Audio theater production may be roughly divided into three broad categories that are used in combinations or singly.
- Live performance is when the actors, engineers, musicians, and sound effects people all come together and execute the script live. This may be done in a theater or in a sound studio. There may or may not be an audience.
- When the different voices in the drama are recorded individually and then assembled in a studio or through computer software then it is known as a multi-track audio drama. The music and special effects are added through separate tracks and mixing software is used to make the final audio presentation.
- On-location production is when there is only one microphone that is used like a microphone camera. The voice actors create their own sound effects like footsteps, sound of doors, telephones, and so on, while they are reading the script. This production need not take place in a studio and will frequently go outside to get various types of background noise and ambience.
Computer production
This is just like a multi-track production except that all work is done on a computer instead of in a studio. Modern computers are very capable of capturing audio and permitting easy editing. Computers can use the recording equipment built into them or they can be plugged into professional recording equipment like microphones, advanced sound cards, and so on. The final result is stored as a sound file in the computer that can be edited and modified in many ways previously impossible.