Visualizing Audio

From SPARK

Brief Summary

How to produce dramatized Scripture for radio and audio cassette.

Introduction

May, 2003. One of the main objectives for radio programs in Quechua was to promote the use of the translated Scriptures in each of the 15 dialects of the Quechua language. Since most producers of radio programs could not read well in Quechua, pre-recorded Scripture presentations on cassettes were needed. We also felt an urgency to produce Scripture cassettes in a culturally appropriate format. Quechuas love [/media_types/info/18 drama], so we decided to have a workshop to train key men how to produce powerful audio productions that would impact listeners.

Key Factors

What Was Done

In May of 2003, we presented a week long Audio Productions workshop with eight prominent Quechua leaders from different areas of the country. The goal was to teach these men how to train others in the production of dramatized Scriptures with music and sound effects. We also wanted to show them how this could be done economically with a good cassette recorder and one microphone, like old time radio programs, before the days of television.

First they learned how to take a Scripture portion and make a script with everybody’s part written out in sequence. They also had to decide on what sound effects were needed and how to produce them so the story would come alive and the listener could visualize what was taking place. Then they all gathered around a microphone on a floor stand in the center, with scripts in hand. As each part came up the actor would quickly move in close to the mike, emotionally acting out his part. When finished, he would quickly back away for the next actor to move in and speak. One of the actors would be the sound effects man who either made the sounds live on the spot or had them previously recorded.

Results

We found that by dividing the men into three groups, each doing the same Scripture portion, they produced three different variations of the same story that were a delight to listen to. One of the men who had been recording Scripture for many years said, “I have learned so much this week, things that I could never have imagined. Dramatized Scripture is much more powerful than just reading it.”

During the workshop we also developed a training manual that could be used by these men to train others. These presentations are now being used on radio or sold as audio cassette productions. This approach has also motivated radio program producers to add music and sound effects to their Scripture readings to make them come alive for the listener.

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