Meta on how I turn the author's words into a performance

[anna_unfolding]

Hi, all! I created a bit of meta about what my thought process is as an artist when I am turning the author's words and character headspace into a performance. It involves me reading a section of a fic I'm currently podficcing a few different ways. The fic is In the Stretch, by sophiahelix, who gave me permission to post this meta.

This is a 500 word section of a baseball rpf fic, pairing Tim Lincecum/Buster Posey. The rating for this scene would be R for sexual content. No AO3 archive warnings apply. Buster is distracted at batting practice by the memory of what happened with Timmy the night before.

It's all one file, but has a few sections, so I'll give the timestamps here, which will have the dual purpose of also being a sort of an outline for you to know what is in the meta.

DL link (with an option to stream) here.


0:00 I introduce my project and what the goals are.
1:36 Take 1. An edited reading of the scene without "performing." Just the author's words, read aloud.
4:08 I discuss what you just heard and introduce what Take 2 will be.
5:22 Take 2, a raw cut of me doing the same scene but as a performance. Includes "director's cut" commentary interspersed throughout the takes.
18:20 My concluding remarks.
19:37 Take 3. An edited retake of the whole scene where I attempt to incorporate all the things I mentioned in Take 2.
22:37 End.

Would love to hear thoughts on this meta, and also I encourage others to make a director's cut of a scene they are working on. I'd love to do it again, next time in a scene with more dialogue. Oh, and if you're interested in the full podfic of this phenomenal fic, it's coming! It's 40k and I'm through recording and editing 20k, so the whole thing will be posted in a couple of weeks. <3

Comments

[melusina]

this is completely fascinating! Although the difference between the two different approaches is interesting, what's most fascinating to me is the commentary around what techniques you use to achieve a particular effect and what thought processes go into choosing those techniques. I think it could be very useful in explaining to people who haven't podficced what it's actually about.

I'd actually be interested in a slightly different version of this project where the reader shows the difference between reading something the way you would if you read the story aloud to someone (but in the way of your second take, thoughtfully and using your voice to tell the story) and a version that is more like a radio play with sound effects, voices, etc.

Also, I totally want to do a director's cut of something now! Maybe I will pack my mic for the beach. . .

[anna_unfolding]

Thank you so much for listening and commenting. I agree; I started thinking the contrast was my goal, and found that sharing how and why I work for a specific outcome was the result.

And I agree that it'd be awesome to show the diff between really great performance story-telling and a dramatization. I'd love to hear someone do that!!! I felt our theatripod got closer to that than most podfics I've done, actually, because I could really remain in that one character the entire time.

I'd love to hear you do a director's cut of a scene. I recommend something small. This was 500 words (which seems v short) but took a fair amount of time to put together. I actually recorded many versions of the commentary sections and redid things a lot, realizing that lots of my talking was just talking, lol. Oh, I hope you do one!!! Be it similar to this or different in scope. <3 <3 <3

[jelazakazone]

I am in awe. I don't put this much thought/effort into my podfics. I think I have a slightly different method from you though.

As you say, these things are subtle and I found this fascinating to listen to. Also, I agreed with you when you had that short line where you said you nailed it (can't remember the exact words that you nailed though).

Also, feeling completely inadequate to collab with you. *winces* Have you listened to anything I've done? Save yourself. Don't do it.

Thanks for doing this! Maybe I will do something like this on my next project. It wouldn't be the same though. I tend to only rerecord if the tone is completely blatantly wrong or when I rerecord. I have a hard enough time reading smoothly! LOL.

[anna_unfolding]

I started betaing podficcers last year and also began listening to people's raw files. I found all of our different processes fascinating and all really valid. There are people to retake the tiniest line many, many times, and others who read through flubs without stopping, and both end up with really interesting products. Sometimes stopping to retake things gets certain podficcers out of the zone, while others Can. Not. Move. On. til they get it right. All were valid and taught me things.

I think it'd be wonderful to collab with you; are you kidding?? We don't have to have similar processes to team up. I'm game!

Re: reading smoothly. well we all have different struggles, I think. I do a warm up of singing and speaking to get my lips and throat in shape for a serious recording session, and I found it really cuts down on how many rough flubs I have in those first 20 minutes, saving LOTS of time in editing. I hear you though; some days getting through the lines without tripping up is all I can ask for and I take it with relief!

Thanks for listening and commenting. <3

[jelazakazone]

Hunh. Maybe I should listen to someone else's raw file. Like, we could do a trade. That feels scary!

I have been thinking about this for the past couple days. I just edited a Night Vale podfic. The first bit that I did had far fewer flubs (but I think the number of retakes was about the same). I think I need to "get in character" before I can record. So I don't think singing etc would help me. I often only have 20 minutes to record! I think that being relaxed and channeling the character(s) is the best method for me. Fascinating to think about.

\o/!! I love your enthusiasm.

Thanks for the thoughts and conversation! <3

[anna_unfolding]

There is some interest in a com for people who would like to trade sections of raw podfic for educational/meta purposes (not for critique). I'll keep you in mind if it's brought up again. <3

[metanewsmods]

Hi, would it be okay to link this at metanews

[anna_unfolding]

Yep! Thanks.

[thefourthvine]

This was a fascinating thing to listen to, and I loved both the contrasts and the director's cut. Thanks for doing it!

[anna_unfolding]

I'm glad you got something out of it! I enjoyed making it.

[thefourthvine]

It made me think of podfic as audible close reading! Super cool.

[anna_unfolding]

That's a really neat lens to view podfic. It certainly can be that, for some podficcers, and is very often, for me. I still have a dream of one fairly bare bones text and several podficcers recording it separately, letting their performance be their interpretation, or "close reading" of the text.

[thefourthvine]

Oh MAN, that would make an awesome pod_together project - the author produces a bare-bones text open to interpretation, and the podficcers interpret. THAT WOULD BE SO GREAT.

[anna_unfolding]

yeeeeah that was supposed to be my pod-together project this year but I had to drop out. :( I remain interested in making it happen, though! Would you ever be interested in writing for a project like that?

[thefourthvine]

Definitely!

[anna_unfolding]

[favs this comment]

[anatsuno]

I'd be interested in performing for a project like that! /sidenote :)

[niko]

Very cool approach to talking about podfic "craft". All the little decisions on how to come at the performance are one of my favorite things about podficcing... it's neat to see that element get the spotlight in this.

[anna_unfolding]

Thank you! You know, lots of the things I stopped to mention in the commentary are things I'm doing without a ton of overly deliberate thinking. Some of the decisions I make are really conscious, like the way the coach's tone at the end contribute to Buster feeling isolated. Other times it happens without direct thought, like the softening of my tone at the broken bone line. Just knowing Buster's past led me to read it that way.

I repeat that I'd love to hear other podficcers do this, whether their style is similar to mine or not!

[anna_unfolding]

I catch myself doing that too!!! One thing that really helped me is that twice now, I've been directed by other podficcers: once in a theatripod project and once for an independent project. Both times, the directors insisted I remain with the characters, visualizing what was happening for them in the scene and committing to their experience (or connecting it with a similar one of my own), even if it's not a super dramatic moment.

Now I try to remind myself to do that. I also recognize that certain sections of narration actually are okay if read straightforwardly. Esp if you want a nice contrast with the more dramatic moments. How MUCH drama, and how MUCH straightforward reading depends on the podficcer's taste and the needs of the fic, I think. I tend to swing more subtly between moderately straightforward and moderately dramatic, but then again I'm a narrator at heart, not an actor. :)

[anna_unfolding]

I burst into tears twice already in parts of In the Stretch! I learned last time that happened to go ahead and skip quickly to character dialog that is teary/emotional and record it, even if it's out of sequence. Blood sweat and tears for podfic! <3

[fred_mouse]

I have bookmarked this to come back to once semester is over, so will hopefully remember to a) listen and b) engage in the conversation (however stale it might be). In the meantime, as a wanna-be podficcer, I am very grateful for people talking about the whys and wherefores as well as the how-tos. Thank you.

[anna_unfolding]

Thank you for letting me know this interests you, and I do hope you come back to discuss! (Good luck with the semester!)

[metanewsmods]

Hi, can we link this at metanews?

[anna_unfolding]

Sure!

[lunchee]

Coming in late, but I just found this post today and found it really interesting. It inspired me to make my own reading vs performance podcast + director's commentary here.