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For the conclusion of Thicker Than Blood, I chose to reintroduce the opening line with the same MIDI Celeste of the traditional Italian folk song and nursery rhyme, La Bella Lavanderina—a motif that also featured at the beginning of the dramatised adaptation. This recurrence served to bookend the narrative, providing thematic cohesion and musical symmetry. However, unlike…

To continue the development of the underscore, I aimed to introduce a higher register to contrast with the existing lower frequencies established by the Clarinets and Basses. I chose to incorporate vocal elements—both for their extended pitch range and their capacity to reintroduce recognisable melodic fragments from La Bella Lavanderina. The goal was to evoke…

Drawing upon my research and creative exploration, I aimed to apply my developing production skills to craft an underscore that was both emotionally resonant and immersive. Although improvisation and spontaneous melody creation are typically my strengths, this particular project required a more deliberate and focused approach. After an hour of exploratory composition on Logic Pro…

For the introduction of Thicker Than Blood, I chose to incorporate the opening line of the traditional Italian nursery rhyme, La Bella Lavanderina: Italian: “La bella lavanderia che lava i fazzoletti,” English: “The beautiful maiden, who washes handkerchiefs,” This simple melodic motif serves as the thematic basis for the introduction. In arranging the music, I intentionally directed…

In the course of developing the musical elements for my project, I initially explored an approach influenced by Joe Hisaishi’s compositional style and the technique of Mickey Mousing. While my intuitive inclination and earlier research guided me in this direction, I found the results unsatisfactory both aesthetically and narratively. The overly literal synchronisation of music…

Building upon my initial spotting session and intuitive inclination towards Mickey Mousing and melodies reminiscent of Joe Hisaishi’s compositional style, I undertook further research to examine their applicability to my audiobook dramatised adaptation. Notably, in Takeshi Kitano’s films, such as Brother (2000), Hisaishi’s compositions are deeply sentimental, often juxtaposed against Kitano’s deadpan characters. Additionally, Hisaishi frequently omits…

Before initiating the process of composition for my dramatised adaptation, I conducted a thorough review of the entire audio recording. During this initial stage, I identified significant points within the narration that stood out due to their importance in terms of story development, character introduction, or emotional transformation and did some spotting. Ultimately, I marked…

Drawing on my research into Leitmotifs and the Role of Music in Storytelling, I set out to compose a distinctive musical theme for the antagonist, Aurelia. Rather than following the conventional Hollywood approach—where antagonists are frequently characterised by dramatic and musically tense leitmotifs, such as John Williams’ Imperial March for Darth Vader—I aimed for a more nuanced…

Howbeit, these tools are utilised in physical/visual acting (for stage/T.V./film) therefore for the purpose of my final major project I will be applying the following appropriate tools to my work: In short the protagonist and narrator, Altaluna, who I will be portraying is a character who is retelling the moments after her murder whilst shedding…

Dramatised Adaptation Demo – Process and Execution For the dramatised adaptation demo of my audiobook, I aimed to create an immersive listening experience by incorporating my own vocals, soundscapes, and sound effects (SFX). Drawing on my previous research into immersion in audio storytelling and my analysis of existing dramatised adaptations on the market, I sought to produce an initial audio sketch of…

In preparing the underscoring for my dramatised adaptation of Thicker Than Blood, I have explored the concept of leitmotif and its role in enhancing narrative through music. Drawing from both prior experience and academic research, I aim to use leitmotifs to deepen emotional resonance and strengthen thematic elements in my final project. The Role of…

In preparation for the creation of my draft for my final major project I did some research into the concept of immersion as that is my main objective with my dramatised audiobook for Thicker Than Blood. To create an immersive audiobook. My research led me to conclude that the concept of immersion in relation to…

I next chose to critically review the most popular GraphicAudio on Audible, Fourth Wing (Part 2 of 2) by Rebecca Yarros. Another epic fantasy story. In this review, as with the previous audiobook, I will critically examine the strengths and weaknesses of this adaptation. Focusing on how the elements I collected, by listening, to construct…

For my final major project, I critically reviewed the first five minutes of A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas, a dramatised audiobook on Audible. With limited options outside of dark and epic fantasy, I selected a well-known author’s work for analysis. I created a cue list of voice overs, sound effects,…

In preparation for the recording of my voice over for the audiobook I did some research into voice over. I found evidence of consumers being attracted to the prospects of listening to the original author reading the “Audiobooks consumers customarily relish the opportunity of listening to an author narrating his/her own work in his/her voice.…

To record my audiobook voiceover, I booked a session in the Live Studios at university, ensuring I had access to professional recording equipment and an acoustically treated space. With the guidance of the technician, I carefully selected the most suitable microphone and setup for a solo recording session. After considering different options, I ultimately chose a condenser microphone,…

Translating the screenplay into a short story was surprisingly a lengthy process. Whereas when creatively writing a novel manuscript the words come easily and uninhibited by pre-set limitations, something I was used to, Thicker Than Blood’s story had already been written and so that is what I had to follow. It was a lot of…

I wrote Thicker Than Blood two years ago as a screenplay for a short animation using Matt Carless’s screenplay format (2004). The story came to me after having found inspiration from watching “Echoes” (2022). “Echoes” is a Netflix T.V. series about identical twin sisters who go through life constantly swapping places and living each other’s…