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Post by Audio Watchdog on Jul 26, 2017 20:19:15 GMT
It's completely accurate and you just seem to be hyper-sensitive on the subject. Put any American actor who's never had do audio work up against a British actor who will have had experience in the medium and the comparison will be obvious. Line up anyone who hasn't been trained to do something against someone who has and the difference is almost always going to be painfully obvious. Voice work requires a very specific skill set and it isn't one taught in most American dramatic training grounds. There are a lot of reasons for that but again, without proper training and/or work experience, the average British trained actor is going to be light years ahead of the average American trained actor.
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Post by shallacatop on Jul 27, 2017 12:54:43 GMT
I didn't have a problem with Duchovny or Anderson really. I can understand what some are saying about the former, but he sounds and acts exactly like he does on screen, albeit without the mannerisms.
It wasn't the worlds best production, but I couldn't really fault the cast.
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Post by kimalysong on Jul 27, 2017 15:47:44 GMT
But as for Americans not getting audio drama want to point out that audio drama is making a comeback in the US in the form of Podcasts. Now I haven't really had the time to check any of these out but many of them are quite popular and critically well received. So saying bad acting in American audio dramas is a common thing doesn't seem to be very fair. www.nytimes.com/2016/11/13/arts/fiction-rising-podcasts-grow-dramatic.html?mcubz=0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2017 23:44:51 GMT
I didn't have a problem with Duchovny or Anderson really. I can understand what some are saying about the former, but he sounds and acts exactly like he does on screen, albeit without the mannerisms. It wasn't the worlds best production, but I couldn't really fault the cast. Like I said, his delivery as Mulder has always been laid back...but this is lazy. In the show he could still project anger, fear and emotion. Here? All the same monotone. There's a bit where he's in an internet cafe and suddenly comes under rifle attack...but he sounds about as interested as someone phoning their car insurance. He's putting NOTHING in wheras he certainly did in the show. It's just a bit of a poor set all in though. It tries to cram references to EVERYTHING in. Spender, Krycek, the Gunmen, Tooms, X, Deep Throat, Black oil, Frank Black....it's fanservice instead of story. A true waste. Sure it's an adaptation but then...it didn't need to be adapted. The X-Files is never, ever at its best when doubling down on its own (convoluted and inconsistent) mythos - and certainly not when Chris Carter is the mastermind - and this is pretty much 4 hours of that. A really messy, tangled up 4 hours that would be impenetrable for newbies and just frustrating for us old fans. William B Davis was fantastic though. His solo ep, a sequel to his solo tv ep (of course...everything here has to evoke something) is easily the best thing here. Mitch Pileggi as Skinner isn't far behind. Just gimme more of them and I'm happy. Hell - give me Einstein and Miller and give them a new mythos!
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Post by fitzoliverj on Jul 29, 2017 6:30:46 GMT
Like I said, his delivery as Mulder has always been laid back...but this is lazy. In the show he could still project anger, fear and emotion. Here? All the same monotone. There's a bit where he's in an internet cafe and suddenly comes under rifle attack...but he sounds about as interested as someone phoning their car insurance. He's putting NOTHING in wheras he certainly did in the show. He was quoted as saying how difficult he founding this kind of acting (and, in his defence, he's not the only person working in audio drama at the moment who does. I listened to a BF freebie recently and there was a lead character in it who spoke in a disappointing monotone as well. And it's always interesting watching the first series of 'Futurama', as the early performances sound quite literally like an actor standing behind a microphone reading from a script. It takes a while for the voices to really line up with what the characters are doing on screen, and I don't mean in a audiovisual out-of-sync way).
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2017 6:38:51 GMT
Like I said, his delivery as Mulder has always been laid back...but this is lazy. In the show he could still project anger, fear and emotion. Here? All the same monotone. There's a bit where he's in an internet cafe and suddenly comes under rifle attack...but he sounds about as interested as someone phoning their car insurance. He's putting NOTHING in wheras he certainly did in the show. He was quoted as saying how difficult he founding this kind of acting (and, in his defence, he's not the only person working in audio drama at the moment who does. I listened to a BF freebie recently and there was a lead character in it who spoke in a disappointing monotone as well. And it's always interesting watching the first series of 'Futurama', as the early performances sound quite literally like an actor standing behind a microphone reading from a script. It takes a while for the voices to really line up with what the characters are doing on screen, and I don't mean in a audiovisual out-of-sync way). Can you say which that is or pm me which one of the freebies that is?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2017 6:41:58 GMT
Absolutely he's not the only one - but nonetheless it's much more difficult to get involved in the story when the lead sounds so detached. And, as I said, I'm a huge Duchovny fan and have been for a quarter-century. I've got all his shows on bluray and even paid to see Evolution and Return To Me in the cinema so I've got nothing against him - quite the contrary. I want to believe I don't know, though, even if this was peak Duchovny it would have made terribly much difference as it would still be the same tangled christmas tree lights-like story at the end of the day. It wasn't difficult to understand or anything....just not strong storytelling. What works in one medium doesn't always translate to another. If we hadn't had Series 10 and weren't getting Series 11 this would no doubt feel like a true gift, some new X-Files.....but by the time S11 is on screen I'd imagine this'll be hard to even remember. Again, nice moments here and there and two very good performances from Davis and Pileggi so far from a write-off.
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Post by muckypup on Jul 29, 2017 11:10:29 GMT
it would still be the same tangled christmas tree lights-like story what a brilliant phrase.....I am going to unashamedly nick this. expected to see this phrase cropping up in my tangled Christmas tree lights post....very soon.
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Post by muckypup on Jul 29, 2017 11:12:23 GMT
But as for Americans not getting audio drama want to point out that audio drama is making a comeback in the US in the form of Podcasts. Now I haven't really had the time to check any of these out but many of them are quite popular and critically well received. So saying bad acting in American audio dramas is a common thing doesn't seem to be very fair. www.nytimes.com/2016/11/13/arts/fiction-rising-podcasts-grow-dramatic.html?mcubz=0 Bad acting..... Graphic Audio.....I rest my case....lol
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2017 11:23:34 GMT
it would still be the same tangled christmas tree lights-like story what a brilliant phrase.....I am going to unashamedly nick this. expected to see this phrase cropping up in my tangled Christmas tree lights post....very soon. It's OK, I think Scully untangled them.
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Post by kimalysong on Jul 29, 2017 13:04:50 GMT
But as for Americans not getting audio drama want to point out that audio drama is making a comeback in the US in the form of Podcasts. Now I haven't really had the time to check any of these out but many of them are quite popular and critically well received. So saying bad acting in American audio dramas is a common thing doesn't seem to be very fair. www.nytimes.com/2016/11/13/arts/fiction-rising-podcasts-grow-dramatic.html?mcubz=0 Bad acting..... Graphic Audio.....I rest my case....lol Guess I am completely missing your point. Don't think any of these are known for bad acting.
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Jul 29, 2017 23:09:48 GMT
Absolutely he's not the only one - but nonetheless it's much more difficult to get involved in the story when the lead sounds so detached. And, as I said, I'm a huge Duchovny fan and have been for a quarter-century. I've got all his shows on bluray and even paid to see Evolution and Return To Me in the cinema so I've got nothing against him - quite the contrary. I want to believe I don't know, though, even if this was peak Duchovny it would have made terribly much difference as it would still be the same tangled christmas tree lights-like story at the end of the day. It wasn't difficult to understand or anything....just not strong storytelling. What works in one medium doesn't always translate to another. If we hadn't had Series 10 and weren't getting Series 11 this would no doubt feel like a true gift, some new X-Files.....but by the time S11 is on screen I'd imagine this'll be hard to even remember. Again, nice moments here and there and two very good performances from Davis and Pileggi so far from a write-off. If I bought the set it would be for the two of them.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2017 10:29:14 GMT
But as for Americans not getting audio drama want to point out that audio drama is making a comeback in the US in the form of Podcasts. Now I haven't really had the time to check any of these out but many of them are quite popular and critically well received. So saying bad acting in American audio dramas is a common thing doesn't seem to be very fair. www.nytimes.com/2016/11/13/arts/fiction-rising-podcasts-grow-dramatic.html?mcubz=0 Bad acting..... Graphic Audio.....I rest my case....lol I was going to comment earlier in this thread and compare the quality of performances in the Graphic Audio stories to Big Finish produced audios, as the acting in a lot of them does sound flat in comparison. But they are different things so I didn't want to generalise. I reckon it's more a case of Big Finish are so good at what they do we have been spoiled and expect everything to sound as good as their productions.
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Post by muckypup on Jul 30, 2017 13:24:44 GMT
Bad acting..... Graphic Audio.....I rest my case....lol I was going to comment earlier in this thread and compare the quality of performances in the Graphic Audio stories to Big Finish produced audios, as the acting in a lot of them does sound flat in comparison. But they are different things so I didn't want to generalise. I reckon it's more a case of Big Finish are so good at what they do we have been spoiled and expect everything to sound as good as their productions. its more of a jokey comment really but at the risk of annoying my American friends again, graphic audio is what the unenlightened think audio drama is, when its really just multi cast narration with the odd sound effect and music. its read instead of being performed, voice over man is always the default style, but they are audiobooks (and that's fine they must sell pretty well), I don't subscribe to the "movie in your mind" tagline. some of them are pretty good stories, but the same pool of actors for every release, huge chunks of narration and overly long, I don't buy them any longer, so within the last 3 years they might have changed but certainly the earlier titles I feel are like this. audio drama creates a soundscape, natural speech patterns and little exposition. and yes BF are fantastic as what they do, but the BBC produces 100's of hours of equally as good audio drama & comedy too.
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Post by kimalysong on Jul 30, 2017 14:47:43 GMT
Kind of confused why Graphic Audio was used to prove a point in conjunction to my posts because I am pretty sure none of the examples in the article are from graphic audio and are similar to what you describe. Though admittedly I haven't listened to any so maybe some are.
It might be true that in recent history the U.K. has more experience with audio drama than the US but that doesn't mean audio drama is completely absent from the American conscious. Historically radio drama was popular here and again it's making a comeback in the form of podcasts.
Obviously we don't have anything like Big Finish or BBC Radio here but I know even in the UK audio drama is still considered somewhat of a niche.
And while a lot of people I know here aren't interested in audio drama (especially ones you have to pay for) most people I talk to (at my job, friends etc) very much know the difference between an audio book & audio drama. Some may think it's more akin to old time radio but they don't think it's just people reading passages from a book.
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Drew
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Post by Drew on Aug 12, 2017 2:50:02 GMT
Well, I was pretty excited to hear this, but the short bits I've heard so far are kind of . . . yeah, monotone. I'm reminded that both Duchovny and Anderson had very monotone deliveries on the TV show so . . . yay! Authentic! . . . I guess.
I would have expected Dirk Maggs to try to wring a better performance out them.
As for audio drama here in America . . . it's still rare, and even where it's done it's not done very well, because many people specifically try to make it sound like "Old Time Radio" with that "everyone standing around a microphone reading from scripts" feeling.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2017 15:19:40 GMT
Sequelset is coming next month - hopefully better than the first!
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