Audio Production Awards 2020

Audio Production Awards 2020

 

Audio Production Awards 2020

We were once again nominated for Best Sound Designer at this years Audio Production Awards.

Our entry included audio clips from The Harrowing, Directed by Ben Walker at Storyglass, Deadringers, BBC Radio 4, produced by Bill Dare and The Fugitives also directed by Ben Walker.

The Harrowing

The Harrowing is a serial podcast drama set on a remote island, North West of the Scottish Mainland, Easter 2019.

In an isolated farmhouse, a family lies slain.

Their daughter, left untouched, is found wandering the hills, lost and bewildered. As a once-in-a-generation storm gathers on the horizon and the girl is taken into protective custody, a mysterious stranger is seen watching the darkening skies near the crime scene. He is arrested by Jackie O’Hara ( Golden Globe winner Joanne Froggatt) but when questioned refuses to give his name and repeatedly warns of a coming evil. The next morning Jackie finds his cell empty. The stranger is gone. And so is the girl.

Mark Healy’s original scripted podcast series tells the story of the devastating events that occur on the Isle of Toll Mor over five days between Holy Wednesday and Easter Sunday, as recounted by the only survivor – Sergeant O’Hara. It tracks the rise of an ancient evil and the battle for survival as a terrifying power takes over the island. Full of dark foreboding, eerie landscapes and startling revelations, The Harrowing is a crime series that gradually shifts genre to become a disturbing supernatural horror.

Deep, eerie sound design compliments the distressing storyline, all mixed binaurally to bring a truly immersive experience to the listener. The drama has been allowed to breath with many pauses left in to grab the listener’s attention and pull them into each scene. This one is a treat to listen to.

An 8 part podcast drama published by Storyglass and produced by Ben Walker, the series is available now from your usual podcast provider or click on https://podfollow.com/theharrowing to subscribe.

 

Deadringers, BBC Radio 4

Deadringers Series 20 broadcast right in the middle of Lockdown. Richard Evans, Sound Designer tells us more.

“I’ve been mixing Deadringers for years. Normally, the show is recorded on a Thursday in The Radio Theatre. The job is relatively simple, as all the audio is provided as a stereo file on a Friday morning before the show is broadcast that evening.

However, this series landed right in the middle of lockdown. So, no audience, no Radio Theatre and all the cast were scattered around the UK.

The only solution was to record it remotely and mix the series at home.”

“Rich took up the challenge of doing a fast-paced topical show that is DeadRingers on lockdown. Suddenly our studio audience and studio was no more. Instead the cast were holed up in five different regions in the UK all giving their voices down some sort of contraption that only Rich could work. Rich balanced the sound overnight, added music and fx, and edited the show all in time for the deadline the following afternoon. No one knows quite how he managed it but the final production was masterful.”

Bill Dare. Series Producer. BBC Radio 4

 

The Fugitives

The Fugitives is an 8 part scripted comedy podcast available on all podcast platforms.

Synopsis

Two lowly tech developers acquire a laptop full of contraband data, witness a murder, and then narrowly escape being assassinated. Suddenly, they find themselves sucked into a world of state-funded disinformation campaigns, bot farms, all-knowing Big Data organisations, and shadowy terror groups. They are on the run. Can they escape with the laptop and secure the data before the underground terror groups catch up with them and????

Inspired by the chaotic way global politics is currently unfolding, Max & Ivan: Fugitives is an on-the-run comedy thriller set across international borders. Written and performed by Max Olesker and Ivan Gonzalez it stars Gemma Whelan, Alice Lowe, Adam Buxton, Kyle Kinane and Stephen Mangan. The cast also includes Celeste Dring, Dan Tetsell, Elina Alminas, Ernest Gromov, Freya Parker, Jak Malone, Jason Forbes, Justin Edwards, Katia Kvinge, Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Sammy Broly and Steve Furst.

 

Sound Design

The main bulk of the 8 part series was recorded at Sonica Studios in Clapham over a few days, with the additional characters and the few last scenes recorded in our studio.

Once edited the the story then needed a full sound design build from the ground up. Soundscapes for huge office blocks, tiny cabins in the country, container ships, ports, cities, private members clubs and a multitude of cars were created to set the background for each scene.  Country specific sfx were used to create authenticity for each scene. Real crowds in the Ukraine and Poland were used as well as the sfx of a Trabant. That’s a really cheap and nasty car made in n East Germany between 1957 and 1990.

Foley was recorded and added to fill out the soundscape and add a sense of movement and place. Whilst carefully selected music enhanced the listeners emotional listen.

A rollercoaster of a comedy that never sits still. If you are looking for a terrifying and sometimes disgusting ride, then check out Fugitives. It’s available from all major podcast providers including iTunes, Acast, Spotify, PlayerFM, Global Player and The Podcast App.

Episodes

1. Max & Ivan’s lives are turned upside down when they play a prank on a work colleague with devastating consequences. On the run with a laptop full of contraband data, they turn to Max’s old IT teacher Mr Cheyne (Adam Buxton) for help.

2. Max & Ivan zig-zag across Europe in a desperate attempt to try to make sense of the little information they have. They track down Lara (Gemma Whelan) who sets them on their way to meet renowned investigative journalist Stanford Wells (Justin Edwards) who, quite by accident, helps them get the break they need.

3. Finally finding themselves face to face with The MinerTOR (Alice Lowe), Max & Ivan have to think quickly to stop her having them killed and win her trust. The international errand she sends them on places them in mortal danger, and lots of horrific surprises await them in Ukraine.

4. Max & Ivan find temporary shelter at a very niche gathering in Krakow, but the relative calm is shattered by events across Europe. The question is – is it all the work of the Brotherhood?

5. Max & Ivan team up with Lara (Gemma Whelan) to infiltrate the 8th Meridian conference. They encounter the Emancipatriot (Kyle Kinane) IRL, but can they get hold of an exclusive enough lanyard to bug the meeting with Yitzhak Cohen (Steve Furst)?

6. After what happened with Yitzhak, Max and Ivan are shocked by Lara’s strange behaviour – but has she found their best lead yet? They head to Amsterdam where they face an impossible decision and are stunned when they encounter someone they never wanted to meet again.

7. As the endgame nears, a desperate Max and Ivan go in search of Lara and the poison. But news from Katja stops them in their tracks: are they finally going to find out the truth behind ‘The Cuckoo’?

8. Max, Ivan and Lara finally get some answers. Last episode in the series.

 

 

 

Winners

Sadly no gong for us this year. The winners were…

Benbrick – ‘Have You Heard George’s Podcast?’, Benbrick Music / George The Poet Ltd  – Gold

Eloise Whitmore – ‘Tunnel 29’, Naked Productions – Silver

Jon Holmes & Tony Churnside – The Skewer, Unusual – Bronze

 

For more examples of our work please click here.