Blog on the Lillypad
Saturday, August 23, 2003
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I spent almost the entire day working on a 13 and a half minute scene for the latest audio drama, "Two of a Kind," in which the Doctor accidentally loses Jo in a poker game to an alien. Talk about your moral stories! (See what happens when you gamble!) The story is intended to show that everybody can be "reached" (exploited) through their desires or fears. The Doctor only consents to gamble because he so badly wants what the card player offers, and he stupidly agrees to any wager. Enter Jo Grant, his somewhat hapless assistant. In fact, the story overall presents a network of fears and desires that every character has, except for the one guy who just loves poker. He's a used car dealer who UNIT brings in to help (because he's so expert at the game). When he realizes that a human being is at stake, he comments that poker is never really about poker, and that's really what the story is about. I won't give away the ending, and I'm afraid that the gimmick and stings of the story may detract from its overall meaning. |
But I had to cut a good eight minutes that depict all the usually rock solid fellows swindling a stubborn business man out of a jade necklace because that's the only thing the alien will allow in the betting to win back Jo. I really liked that scene. (It is not in the written version.) It shows how even the toughest man can be hoodwinked by his fears. And it's funny because it's the Brigadier and the Doctor tricking him. But the story ran to 37 minutes, so I had to cut that part out.
What it comes down to, is a used car dealer, a giant lizard, an alien humanoid, and an earth girl are sitting around a table, playing cards. Sounds like the beginning of a joke. Anyway, it was exhaustng to do because small scenes are harder that "big" scenes. It's a lot more intricate and difficult with sound effects to get a poker game right than it is to get a spacehip attack right.
"Two of a Kind" is scheduled to debut September 5, Lord willing. Check the Audio Subway page. I have STRANGE DARKNESS running right now in the Doctor Who category.
Such intense work on the audio stuff always prompts a few visits to the inversion table and then the massage chair. Once again, my back started popping as soon as I went upside down this morning, especially in the left lumbar area. I felt something unkink back there. Good! Just saved myself a chirpractor visit.
I finally checked my web stats and was amazed to see that this blog is getting about 30-35 hits per day.
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Frogs are hopping through my life right now. We have tiny little ones at work, and I love to see them. They are the smallest species of frog I have ever seen, and the locals call them grass frogs. The scientific name is Pseudacris ocularis, and the sound that they make is a light, tinkling cry that I recognized at once, but I had always thought it was from birds. The work site is under construction, and it is very dry and rocky, but the little frogs find small moist crevices under the sidewalk and near drainage pipes and come out occasionally. They come in all colors. I am usually not charmed by frogs, but these small, big eyed creatures with the beautiful call have helped me to see frogs in a new light. One of these days they will hop through a story of mine, I'm sure. |
