WTF ARE WE DOING???

[Sgt. Howard]

Gentlemen... and Ladies... I believe we are doing "Another Day at the Shop or Two Sergeants and a Mystery,"

Who's in?

[Just Old Al]

If we do Sergeants, I'm thinking you will narrate- Al and I have to argue with each other through most of the script. We only need a decent Tina- Julie, you up?

We also need at least 3 agents - one on the secure phone initially ( I think female there just for a bit of balance, perhaps?), and Bevis and Butthead who drop the Haliburton case.

Opening scene starts with the drum lead-in to "I'm Just A Singer" from the Moody Blues...

[Just Old Al]

Gentlemen... and Ladies... I believe we are doing "Another Day at the Shop or Two Sergeants and a Mystery,"

Who's in?

I'm sorry - I didn't mean to steamroll. I have just seen this for so long it spilled out. I am in, of course...if if there's someone with a better idea I'm up for it as well.

[Atomic]

Ladies and Gentlemen, I think we have officially reached Wapsi Otaku Shonen/shojo critical mass!

Ok -- some stuff for ya....

1. "The Ticket" is a complete one-off based on a writing exercise style of genre collisions. In this case, I went hard-boiled detective a'la Calvin and Hobbes character Tracer Bullet, vs the Retired to Safety trope. I have another example if you dare ask to see it -- Winnie the Pooh vs Stephen King. (Not responsible for nightmares or shattered dreams if you do.)

2. Yes, I love the idea of making radio plays out of some of these. I've done some radio work as a story reader for Radio for the Blind, and long ago some scripting for a friend's free-access cable show. (Think Firesign Theater by rank amateurs.) My story skills speak for themselves. Further, I've had public speaking in High School, and plenty of time doing public/crowd presentations professionally.

3. Skype is your/our friend! With coordination, we can present/record the voice work there, and add the SFX afterwards. Then, pop the whole mess onto a YouTube and be done with it.

4. Suitable artwork would be needed, and PW's stuff is copyright, of course, sooo... well you get the idea, and the permissions. I simply have to get back into gear and put pencil to paper again to contribute.

5. Oh yeah -- Halloween is coming. I'd better finish THAT project in time to post! One more for the stack. Priorities, priorities...

6. I'm for this. I just need to find and focus my time to help make it happen. Count me in!

7. I make too many lists. Perhaps it's a sign of some repressed memories about being caught in a nightmare where a bat-faced, caped figure with a European accent liked to count, and count, and count... ha ha ha...

8. There is no eighth item. Disregard this.

[Sgt. Howard]

THESE ARE THE PEOPLE I AM WORKING WITH?!? WE NEED A RINGMASTER!!!

[Sgt. Howard]

OK- We need a Bevis and a Butthead (MIB nameless agents) and one phone voice, male or female doesn't matter. Also, Dink or Julie- either one want to do a Tina?

[AmriloJim]

If each voice is recorded separately, I would suggest we all download Audacity as a recording software (those who don't already have it, that is...) It's free, and it works great.

If you d/l Audacity, make sure you grab the LAME (that's an acronym, not an adjective) MP3 encoder as well.

AmariloJim, if you need help with tech, I can help. I'll let you take the lead, as per your previous post, but any overflow can be sent my way.

¡Bueno! Right now, my focus is on infrastructure to support file upload and previews. Once I get that set, we'll start soliciting auditions.

[Sgt. Howard]

There are reasonable quality USP port plug in microphones for $30 to $120 on the internet- SURE makes one for $99 dollars that is an update on their 'green bullet' from the 1950s- RICH, FAT, TUBE SOUNDS!!! Skype compatible!

[AmriloJim]

There are reasonable quality USP port plug in microphones for $30 to $120 on the internet- SURE makes one for $99 dollars that is an update on their 'green bullet' from the 1950s- RICH, FAT, TUBE SOUNDS!!! Skype compatible!

Amazon: Shure MV5 Digital Condenser Mic

[Sgt. Howard]

There are reasonable quality USP port plug in microphones for $30 to $120 on the internet- SURE makes one for $99 dollars that is an update on their 'green bullet' from the 1950s- RICH, FAT, TUBE SOUNDS!!! Skype compatible!

Amazon: Shure MV5 Digital Condenser Mic

YA- THAT ONE!!!

[Julie]

I'm in ifin I'm wanted/needed. I don't know if I could do Tina justice (doesn't she have an accent?), but keep me posted...

*heads to bed to wake up in 4 hrs for a flight back to TX*

[GlytchMeister]

I can do an MIB agent. I'm a bit strapped for cash at the moment, but I'll see if I can't get my hands on a decent microphone. Depending on how long it takes for you lot to get everything else together, I can get a few paychecks and save up the money.

I also happen to know how to make a poor man's anti-echo recording studio (a fancy version of a pillow fort ), and I also know how to get rid of the "P Pop" sound: coat hanger and women's hosiery - a cheap version of those screens you see in front of singer and radio broadcaster's microphones.
That should improve the sound quality... Just make sure your actual computer is outside of your pillow fort... The fan can be surprisingly noisy. Maybe put your script on a tablet? Those tend to be nice and quiet.

Hmm. It seems we need to get everyone on the same page as far as recording software and communications. I think it's best if everyone gets Audacity + LAME MP3 encoder for final recordings. Skype will be good for communications... But I don't know if people have to pay for multi-person video or audio chats. A group chat will be excellent for everyone to really act off of one another - it's hard to truly act and react when you don't know the exact tone and expression of other actors and actresses.
Even in animated films, I've seen voice actors do their thing in a single studio, while looking at one another. Maybe a glass panel between them to isolate the sound from everyone else's microphones... In which case everyone is wearing earphones to hear everyone.

I would recommend a female agent on the phone for contrast; that will prevent the audience from thinking the Phone Agent is part of the Beevis and Butthead pair. That voice would probably be best recorded with a low-quality mike, with both Bass and Treble reduced - that will make them sound like they're on the phone and not there in person. Imagine the crappy sound quality of people who call radio stations - I'd try for something like that, but not so bad as to be unintelligible.

Hmm. Somebody mentioned a need for a ringmaster? I work second shift, but I'm willing if y'all are ok with my whacked-out circadian rhythm.

[shadowinthelight]

I'm sorry, but the audiophile in me is cringing at the suggestion of everyone compressing their submissions to MP3. Lossy formats should only be used for distribution after the final mix. Audacity has the ability to save to FLAC which will preserve each sample's quality.

[Sgt. Howard]

I can do an MIB agent. I'm a bit strapped for cash at the moment, but I'll see if I can't get my hands on a decent microphone. Depending on how long it takes for you lot to get everything else together, I can get a few paychecks and save up the money.

I also happen to know how to make a poor man's anti-echo recording studio (a fancy version of a pillow fort ), and I also know how to get rid of the "P Pop" sound: coat hanger and women's hosiery - a cheap version of those screens you see in front of singer and radio broadcaster's microphones.
That should improve the sound quality... Just make sure your actual computer is outside of your pillow fort... The fan can be surprisingly noisy. Maybe put your script on a tablet? Those tend to be nice and quiet.

Hmm. It seems we need to get everyone on the same page as far as recording software and communications. I think it's best if everyone gets Audacity + LAME MP3 encoder for final recordings. Skype will be good for communications... But I don't know if people have to pay for multi-person video or audio chats. A group chat will be excellent for everyone to really act off of one another - it's hard to truly act and react when you don't know the exact tone and expression of other actors and actresses.
Even in animated films, I've seen voice actors do their thing in a single studio, while looking at one another. Maybe a glass panel between them to isolate the sound from everyone else's microphones... In which case everyone is wearing earphones to hear everyone.

I would recommend a female agent on the phone for contrast; that will prevent the audience from thinking the Phone Agent is part of the Beevis and Butthead pair. That voice would probably be best recorded with a low-quality mike, with both Bass and Treble reduced - that will make them sound like they're on the phone and not there in person. Imagine the crappy sound quality of people who call radio stations - I'd try for something like that, but not so bad as to be unintelligible.

Hmm. Somebody mentioned a need for a ringmaster? I work second shift, but I'm willing if y'all are ok with my whacked-out circadian rhythm.

The fellow on the phone needs to be high treble boost to create that tinny sound of a phone voice- yer cheaper mikes do that by nature- and given that there's a reasonable mike for $30, I'm thinking I could buy it and have it shipped to you

[Sgt. Howard]

I PM'd Paul yesterday regarding permission- I'm sure he will want links to his comic, which I would want as well anyway. Youtube, eh? I have never posted on Youtube before, and I am visualizing the illustrations that can go with this effort- Atomic, we might want to harness your skills there... and if this flies, then 'The Ticket' might be the next shot...
'Harebrained Productions' via 'Slipshod Studios', a conglomeration of rank amateurs who met on the internet bring you,
"Just Another Day at the Shop', an absurd comedy about ancient technology, foul tempers and fine coffee. Meet Al and Greg as they argue their way through something NOBODY understands and that has the capacity render a fair chunk of Minneapolis into a glassed-over radioactive wasteland. A good time is had by all (except for Al's broken arm).
WARNING: it is absolutely prohibited to eat, smoke or otherwise consume this recording in and way, shape or form. Violators will be introduced to the Campbell Junior High School 1967 Board of Education... publicly. Those who enjoy that will be offered contracts.

[jwhouk]

Do I still get the walk-on role?

(I only have Skype, BTW... I think somewhere on my old computer was a copy of Audacity, but I rarely used it...)

[DinkyInky]

Well, stupid WIN 8.1 update bricked my laptop, so until I can get the data pulled and get HP to send me a recovery disc, I'm running off a tablet. MicroSHAFT was no help. Yes, it's a known issue. No, we can't unlock your hard drive. #@$%&¢!

[jwhouk]

Too far away for tech support, Dinky.

[Warrl]

I'm sorry, but the audiophile in me is cringing at the suggestion of everyone compressing their submissions to MP3. Lossy formats should only be used for distribution after the final mix. Audacity has the ability to save to FLAC which will preserve each sample's quality.

+1 on this. Lossy compression is to be avoided for as long as possible. In fact I'd recommend releasing the "final" product both as MP3 and in some lossless format.

[AmriloJim]

I'm sorry, but the audiophile in me is cringing at the suggestion of everyone compressing their submissions to MP3. Lossy formats should only be used for distribution after the final mix. Audacity has the ability to save to FLAC which will preserve each sample's quality.

I've been out of practice long enough not to have been introduced to FLAC. My suggestion of MP3 was out of convenience.

+1 on this. Lossy compression is to be avoided for as long as possible. In fact I'd recommend releasing the "final" product both as MP3 and in some lossless format.

Master in FLAC, release in FLAC and MP3. Sounds like a winner.