A presentation chronicling my audio project at various stages throughout its development, including initial conception, production and finally editing, also known as post-production.

1. Audio
David Lee

2. Existing Products Research
• Short Cuts: Nocturne (documentary/factual)
– Analysis
– The episode begins with a mellow piece of music pertaining to the
theme of the overall episode which, in this case, is the subject of night
time with excerpts from those being interviewed being played so as to
give the audience a teaser ahead of what is to follow. Josie Long, the
host of the show itself, speaks in a calm albeit very tired voice as each
segment of the episode is introduced. She even reveals at one point
that she is up late recording the episode for the public to listen to.
– As the first nighttime story, The Little Nuneen is introduced, the sound
of a fire can be heard in the background with little crackling noises
sproadically heard in the background as the elder narrator begins his
reminiscence over the story that he is now unfolding to the audience.
This is done to give the audience a sense of comfort and intimacy,
almost as if they are in the room with the narrator themselves,
attempting to stay warm against the biting cold.

3. Existing Products Research
• Doctor Who: Afterlife
– Analysis
– Dramatic music plays during the moments as the Doctor reveals his
identity to Barry’s mother, suggesting that the power of his name is
enough to reduce empires to ruin and bring tyrannical rulers to justice,
with further emphasis being added as he begins to list several other
names he has acquired through the years. This shows that anyone who
dares do so much as anger the Time Lord will be met with swift and
merciless justice.
– A metal object (possibly a bowl) can be heard clanking as the Doctor
speaks to Barry, almost as if he has been taken by surprise because of
the Doctor’s addressing of him. It could also be that he is a being not
of this earth and that the Doctor has specifically summoned him to tell
him that his mother has been gaslighting him about what he truly is
and the object has moved as a result of Barry entering the physical
plane of existence, an unintended (and minor) side effect of the
Doctor’s actions.

4. Existing Products Research
• The Lord of the Rings (Audio drama) (1981)
– Analysis
– At the beginning of the first episode of this radio adaption, as Gollum laments the loss of “his Precious”,
the sound of hooves can be heard as if to suggest the coming approach of a mysterious horseman who is
patrolling the area of Mordor that Gollum is wandering across, revealed later on in the series to be the
Witch-King of Angmar. Minutes later, when Gollum has been taken to Barad-dur kicking and screaming,
the sound of a torturing wheel being turned can be heard as well as a whip to display that Gollum is in
pain and that the person torturing him, the Mouth of Sauron, is unsatisfied with his answers and will
continue to subject him to such torture until he has the answer he is looking for. Later in the same
episode, when Bilbo Baggins and Frodo are rummaging through the responses to the party invitations the
former has sent out, a loud knock on the door of Bag End can be heard followed by the sound of that
same door being opened by Bilbo, heralding the introduction of Gandalf. These sound effects have been
used as a means of drawing the audience into the scene, despite the fact that they cannot see the
characters and as such will only be interpret what they look like through their voice.
– During the opening narration that sets the stage for the ensuing story, a dramatic piece of music can be
heard which varies in pitch switching from calm to intense and vice versa. Several instruments are used
accordingly to achieve this change, such as a harp and violins before bridging directly in to the opening
theme of the series. This is done with the purpose of allowing the audience of imagining how the scenes
could potentially appear according to the narration as well as to entice them into listening to the tale that
is about to unfold.
– As it is difficult to create opening and closing titles silently on the radio, an announcer who can be a man
or a woman is employed to read said titles, thereby allowing the audience to find out what they are
listening to, how many episodes they can expect (although this is a very rare occurrence), who appears in
the episode or, more accurately, who lends their voice to it, the writer’s name and finally the title of the
episode itself. Such an example can be heard following the cold open of the first episode of the series: The
Shadow of the Past, named after the second chapter of the first book, The Fellowship of the Ring.

5. Existing Products Research
• Haunted House Soundscape
– Analysis
– Throughout the duration of the soundscape, thunder and
lightning has been used to give the impression that dark
work is afoot and give the audience an ever-growing
feeling of unease as events begin to unfold.
– The sound of a door creaking open following several
knocks can also be heard, implying that the house is very
old and starting to fall apart, piece by piece, if not halfway
through the process by the time the individual arrives.
Such noise would cause the individual to enter the house
with a feeling of dread and trepidation, almost as if they
know that they are not alone.

6. Bibliography
1. BBC Radio 4. (2019). Short Cuts - Nocturne. Available:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0005t94. Last accessed
18th Nov 2019.
2. Who Girl Reviews. (2018). Doctor Who - The Seventh Doctor is
Scary AF. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA50biqUB-8. Last accessed
18th Nov 2019.
3. Cook, Tace. (2019). The Lord of the Rings - BBC Radio
Drama.Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3PO5DxNTXo. Last
accessed 18th Nov 2019.
4. Whelan, Katie. (2017). Haunted House soundscape. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JVm2IZ3ChU. Last accessed
18th Nov 2019.

7. Ideas

8. Story
• The Cult of Stonehenge
• A shy and secretive young writer, Eithne Knight, has arrived in the small
town of Amesbury for a quiet holiday as well as to find a source of
inspiration for her next novel. At the same time, a religious cult has
convened at Stonehenge after almost two-hundred years in exile to
practice dark magic.
• Upon discovering that something unnatural and evil is happening at the
ancient monument, Eithne goes to investigate, having grown concerned
that the cult may have been targeting her since her arrival and intend to
use her as part of a ritual that will bring about the end of the world.
• With a group of unlikely friends behind her, she successfully defeats the
cult but only just with the experience having left her broken, traumatised
and completely untrusting of religion. A year later, having had time to
recover from her ordeal, she finally publishes her latest novel: “The Cult
of Stonehenge.”

9. Idea Generation/Initial Reaction
• One of the positive aspects about this particular project is that it allows me to
experiment with a story genre that I had a particularly low opinion of, as I had
written off ghost stories to be little more than a form of fiction designed to scare
even the most experienced of storytellers.
• Despite my pessimistic attitude towards the genre, as stated above, it will give me
the opportunity to create a story that will hopefully feel grounded and new and
not on rely on tired typical ghost/horror story tropes such as jump scares
• A difficult aspect of putting together an audio ghost story would first and foremost
be the sound effects. As I am completely unfamiliar with the realm of the
supernatural, sounds such as floorboards creaking or crows cawing could be
particularly hard to come by, even if there is a sound effects website that houses
sounds especially for horror.
• Music could also serve as a potential obstacle, as certain pieces of music, be they
from film or an artist, are copyrighted thereby only allowing the free use of such a
piece for up to 30 seconds. Therefore, to ensure that I am not one the receiving
end of a copyright infringement lawsuit, I shall attempt to find a copyright-free
piece of music that would easily fit the tone and style of my chosen ghost story.

10. Idea Generation/Initial Reaction Part 2
• Log your initial thoughts regarding the set brief- What stories could you use?
How do you feel about the different potential formats? What are the positives
about this project? What could be some difficult aspects?
• Although I have yet to fully map out what happens, the story set in and around
Stonehenge could house potentially useful material as it is likely (even though
I am uncertain this actually happens) for a religious cult to convene there and
practice unholy magic. This premise alone will serve as the basis of the story,
with character instead of scares driving it.
• The Ghost Bus story could be potentially useful as well, as it is very uncommon
for ghost story writers to create a story around an ordinary tourist vehicle and
turn it into something extraordinary and otherworldly. As I have often seen
the York Ghost Tour bus driving around town, and with the help from pictures,
this has helped to fuel my imagination and who the driver could be.
• While the concept of an audio-based ghost story does admittedly feel both
overwhelming and overambitious, I will do my utmost to create something
that is coherent and easy to follow without getting too surreal and I may
before long enjoy making. In time, I may also gain an appreciation for the story
genre that I am writing around.

11. ProposalWorking Title: The Cult of Stonehenge.
Audience: This short story is being targeted primarily towards middle-class male and female readers between 25-44
years of age, as they will be most likely to devote their time to listening to an audio-reading of a story they hold dear
whether through the use of their headphones, a YouTube Video on their laptop or their CD player. They will also be able
to understand the message that the concept of religion can be abused for fanatical purposes by those who hold great
power within that religious sect.
However, it will also be made available to a secondary audience of young adults (19-24) as well as teenagers (13-18) who
simply wish to listen to an interesting and thought-provoking story with supernatural elements in it. For those who are
not fans of horror/ghost stories, I will attempt to create a story that is centred around the character rather than the
spectacle which, in this case, would be the ghosts themselves. I have also created a female character as the lead, who
finds herself investigating extraordinary paranormal circumstances while away on holiday searching for inspiration for
either her first or next writing project, depending on what stage she could be at as a novelist in the script. This has been
done so that both male and female listeners can relate to her reasons for being there before getting caught up in events
beyond her control.
Project Concept (approx. 200 words): The main concept of my project is a ghost story, which I will be making as an audio-
based product. I have already decided upon the story that I wish to tell, entitled the Cult of Stonehenge, and I am
currently in the process of writing a script that I will then record myself. During research of the audio programmes that I
have listened to, I discovered that within each sound effects along with music are used to manipulate the audience to
feeling certain emotions, depending upon the genre that the story being told belongs to. In addition, they are used to
create sounds to help the story flow along better, due to the fact that the objects that are being used cannot be seen.
One such sound effect I intend to use for my project is an echo as, although I have not seen the underground section of
Stonehenge, I believe that a multitude of sounds would reverberate down there be they the pattering of footsteps or a
simple conversation. The story I will be recording, true to its name, will focus on a cult that emerge once every two-
hundred years and have targeted a young novelist away on holiday.

12. Experiments

13. Foley
• What went well?
• One of the key elements of this side of the project that I felt went particularly well was the main recording stage of this project,
as not only did it allow me to explore the rest of the college but also capture the various sounds certain objects, such as doors
and stairs, will make when opened or closed or when foot is put to them i.e. a door leading to the emergency exit staircases will
create a thump which can be either loud or quiet, depending on the force that has been applied when the door is opened.
• While I feel I ultimately could have done better in certain areas, I still feel happy about some of the sound effects I selected
when putting together my final edit for the clip, particularly the light breeze that can be heard through the majority of the video
as Shaun makes his way to the shop, unaware of the chaos and destruction that is unfolding around him. This helps to provide
the video with a form of ambient sound that was previously lacking during the rough edit.
• What could be better?
• Although I am happy with what I have accomplished in recreating the foley for the Shaun of the Dead clip that has been used, I
feel I could have recorded a few more sounds, albeit of minor importance, such as the groan of a zombie as Shaun passes by a
small number on his way to the corner shop and his brief cough as he crosses the half-destroyed traffic island. If more time
were possible on this project, I would happily see such a minute task done.
• Some of the sounds I have applied to the final edit could easily have been toned down slightly, but only to the point that they
would be loud enough to be heard as though they were part of the scene itself. While I managed to successfully do this for the
majority of sound effects I had recorded, I ultimately could complete this for the rest of them as time was fast becoming of the
essence.
• What have I learned?
• Ultimately, I have learned that it is considerably easier and, by extension, more effective to recreate sounds for a scene that
does not have any dialogue than one that does. While recreating sounds for a dialogue-based scene is possible, it is an
extremely difficult thing to master and if not done properly it can often result in the voice actors sounding almost
unenthusiastic, a prime example of which can be seen in the form of the infamous “Here’s Johnny!” scene from Stanley
Kubrick’s 1980 classic adaptation of The Shining.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lakFezOlWss&feature=youtu.be

14. Recording
• Write about your experiences of recording in different places.
• While it initially felt awkward recording sound effects at college, having previously
recorded a yoga documentary outside regular hours plus my unnecessary worry that I
would get into trouble simply for being out of class, it became quite a stimulating
experience as I learned that with each object, such as a staircase or door, comes an
individual and unique sound. A staircase, for instance, in the emergency corridors that
lead to the fire exit would carry a similar sound to any other staircase but with a
reverberating echo, due to its position within the building.
• What effect did it have? How will this influence your project?
• When putting together the rough edit for the Shaun of the Dead clip I was using as a
template, the sound of feet jumping quickly as a reflex response to tripping up, minus
the unneeded echo, gave me the sound I needed during the moment when Shaun
crosses onto the other side of the pavement without looking.
• However, the echo may come in particularly useful when I finally come to develop my
project in full as, during a certain part in my story, I may wish to try and capture what a
scene in the underground section of Stonehenge may sound like if I have time.

15. Nursery Rhymes
• Oranges and Lemons
• Lyrics
• Oranges and lemons,
Say the bells of St. Clement’s
• You owe me five farthings,
Say the bells of St. Martin’s
• When will you pay me?
Say the bells at Old Bailey
• When I grow rich,
Say the bells at Shoreditch
• When will that be?
Say the bells of Stepney
• I do not know,
Says the great bell at Bow
• Here comes a candle to light
you to bed
Here comes a chopper to
chop off your head
Potential Ideas for Sound Effects:
The sound of a tolling bell could be used to not just introduce the rhyme
properly but also as a means of foreshadowing the final lyric, “Here
comes a chopper to chop off your head”, thereby creating a sense of
foreboding for the listener but not too much that it makes the rhyme off-
putting. Additionally, if I wanted to create a bookend effect, I could use
the same sound effect to end the rhyme.
The second verse “You owe me five farthings” could potentially feature
the sound effect of coins being rustled around, as though someone is
trying but are otherwise unable to find the payment that is owed.
During the recitation of the penultimate verse, “Here comes a candle to
light you to bed”, the sound effect of a candle holder being set upon a flat
surface could be applied to the final recording providing the listener with
a warm sense of security which is ultimately short-lived when the final
verse is recited.
The sound effect that will be used for the last verse of the nursery rhyme
may prove potentially difficult to pin down as, while I would like the
sound of something being chopped to be used, I do not want it to be to
graphic as, given its nature as a children’s nursery rhyme, the noise of a
head literally being chopped off could prove to be unsettling. Thus, to
bypass this problem, I will use the sound effect of wood being chopped
down with an axe, thereby keeping the subject matter of the nursery
rhyme relatively humane while also retaining the sound that often
accompanies a chopper.

16. Nursery Rhymes (cont’d)
• What went well?
• Although I felt somewhat unaccustomed to recording a recitation of a nursery rhyme due to my present age,
one of the elements of this experiment that I felt was a complete success was, following the recording, the
addition of sound effects to help set the tone of the rhyme, specifically the tolling bell used at the beginning
and end of the audio clip, thereby creating a bookend effect as I had originally intended. Additionally, the
sound of a chopping axe heard in a pause between the first and second parts of the final verse helps to create
dramatic emphasis, despite the fact that the axe is touching down on a completely different surface.
• Despite my nervousness about recording a nursery rhyme and reluctance to sing, I ultimately found a solution
to the twofold problem by simply reciting the rhyme in spoken form. This, in turn, allowed my tone of voice
more variety in its delivery, particularly during the verse “Here comes a chopper to chop off your head” where I
adopt a slightly more menacing tone than I had previously in the rhyme.
• What could have gone better?
• While applying the finished audio and sound effects to Adobe Premiere Pro, I thought to create a graphic of a
bell using Adobe Photoshop with the use of a royalty-free picture. Although I am happy that I strived to make
the creative effort, the picture was ultimately too big to fit the required image size on Premiere Pro. This could
easily have been achieved by finding a pre-existing royalty free graphic of a bell or a live-action picture instead.
• What have I learned?
• Having previously recorded a five-minute yoga audio documentary, I have learned that you can record a
recitation of a nursery rhyme or soliloquy in one or two minutes flat, provided that your delivery as well as your
voice is clear, which will allow others to hear you as such.
• I have also learned that if you are recording and you make an error, such as stumbling on your lines or
forgetting part of a speech, you can stop recording immediately and make another attempt at delivering the
lines with a new recording, provided the same mistakes are not made twice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEfwrA9WUsg&feature=youtu.be

17. Planning

18. Script Draft
• NARRATOR: One hundred thousand years ago, long before the birth of Christ, a religious cult was formed in the quiet county of Wiltshire. Every 200 years, this cult
would congregate at Stonehenge with only one purpose: To practice rituals that would allow the dead to walk the earth and bring about the end of the world. At the
height of their power during the 19th century, they nearly succeeded in accomplishing their unholy mission. However, an idealistic young woman who had infiltrated
their ranks managed to foil their plans, effectively destroying the cult for good. Or so she thought… 200 years later, in the final months of the year 2019, a shy, young
novelist arrived in the county of Wiltshire. Her name was Eithne Knight, and she had come to the quiet village as a retreat from the loss she had very recently suffered
– her father had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of lung cancer which he passed away from two months later. In addition to that, she had also arrived in the
town to find inspiration for her next novel. One night, as she began to draft the first chapter of her novel, she heard loud chanting, chanting so guttural that it would
be powerful enough to summon the devil. Initially, she dismissed it as little more as a figment of her imagination but on the second night, the chanting returned even
louder and clearer than before. It was then that Eithne began to realise that something was very wrong. (Highlighted words indicate where sound effect is to be
inserted) “What on Earth is making that noise?”, asked Eithne, almost stricken with panic. Gathering her courage, she went to investigate the source of the disturbance
and instantly discovered that the noise was emanating from none other than Stonehenge. She knew immediately that if her thoughts were proven to be true, she
could be the target of the mysterious group’s plans. “If I don’t do something now, they will surely come for me sooner or later,” she said, “so what do I have to lose? I
will go to the public archives in the morning and, with luck, I shall uncover the identity of this mysterious group.” And so, the next day she organised a trip to the library
to continue her work
• As Eithne rummaged through the archives, looking through documents that would help her uncover the past history of her mystery group, she began to discover a
common thread between her group and the other groups that gathered in Wiltshire years ago: They were all one and the same. Unable to comprehend what she was
reading, she continued searching through the documents at tremendous speed like blood flowing from an open wound. She had to be sure. Eventually, the documents
began to paint a clear picture before her very eyes: Whenever these religious sects gathered at Stonehenge, they would target people grieving the loss of a loved one,
brainwash them and finally, once their purpose had been served, kill them. The woman who had infiltrated their ranks and seemingly destroyed them was in fact her
great-great grandmother, Sally Knight. But despite her best efforts, they were merely disbanded, driven into exile until such a time that they felt it right to re-emerge
from the shadows. Eithne was now in two minds over what to do: To pack up and leave and in so doing give in to fear or to muster her courage, stand her ground and
face the Cult of Stonehenge head-on
• As the sun started to set, Eithne, tired from the investigative work she had been doing, returned to her cottage and fell asleep, intending to remain as such until
nightfall. She had ultimately decided to stay and do battle against the evil cult. Once night fell, the chanting that had troubled her over the past couple of nights started
up again. But this time, she was ready for it and, upon waking, grabbed her coat and gloves and strode with purpose to the beleaguered monument
• Eventually, Eithne reached the monument, determined to finish what her great-great grandmother started and see the cult destroyed for good. But an expression of
trepidation also ran across her face, uncertain that she would prevail. She could see ghosts, reanimated skeletons and light moving across the circular structure of the
monument. The cult’s plans to bring about the end of the world were already in full swing. Thankfully, however, she would not face this threat alone as her three
closest friends, Maria, Ellie and Luke, had arrived to help her. “So, what’s the plan?”, said Luke. “We split up”, responded Eithne simply and quickly. “If we all head
straight towards the main circle, they will catch us easily. One of us has to get into the middle of the circle and recite the ritual that will send these evil beings back to
their infernal abodes. Does anyone have a spellbook?”
• Ellie stepped forward and, in an instant, Eithne snatched the book out of her hands, flicked through the pages and ripped out the necessary passages required to send
the dead back to their graves. Then, like a captain commanding a battle strategy, Eithne let out a silent gesture to each of her friends as to which directions they
should take. Eithne would run straight for the circle, while Ellie, Luke and Maria would create a diversion to draw the cult off and buy her some time.
• Eithne then darted straight into a run for the circles with the torn-out pages, instantly attracting the attention of the cult, as she had hoped. At this point, her friends
spread out across the monument, hoping that the cult would follow suit. This indeed was what happened, leaving only one member chasing after her: The leader
himself. “Those pages are mine!” he shouted at her. Quickly memorising the pages, Eithne began chanting in the language of Latin, her tone becoming more and more
urgent as the cult leader continued his approach. After a brief pause, the dead began to vanish and the cult was sent into disarray as all began to flee, their scheme,
which they had planned for so long, having been thwarted by a young woman as it was so very long ago.
• Exhausted and broken by the ordeal, Eithne thanked her friends for helping her defeat this impossible threat as she said goodbye to them. As she returned to her
cottage, she began contemplating recent events and, having finally sought the inspiration she came for, began writing the first chapter of her new book, "The Cult of
Stonehenge.
• The End.

19. Script Final
• NARRATOR: In the year 2019, a shy, young novelist arrived in the county of Wiltshire. Her name was Eithne Knight and she had come to the quiet village to find
inspiration for her next novel. One night, as she began writing, she heard chanting, chanting so loud it would be powerful enough to summon the devil. Initially
dismissing it as a figment of her imagination, it returned on the second night even clearer than before. “What on Earth is making that noise?” asked Eithne,
almost stricken with panic. Gathering her courage, she went to investigate the source of the disturbance and instantly discovered that the noise was
emanating from the ancient monument of Stonehenge. And so, the next day she organised a trip to the library to try and make sense of what was going on. As
Eithne worked through the documents related to the group, like blood pouring from an open wound, she began to discover that the group she heard last night
was named The Cult of Stonehenge and had been formed over more than two-thousand years ago, congregating at Stonehenge once every two-hundred
years. Whenever these religious sects gathered, they would target people, like Eithne, who were grieving the loss of a loved one, brainwash them and
eventually kill them once their purpose had been fulfilled. Now that she was in possession of this information, Eithne now found herself in two minds over
what to do: To pack up and leave or to face the Cult of Stonehenge head-on.
• Tired from the investigative work she had done, Eithne returned to her cottage and fell asleep, hoping to remain in a state of slumber until nightfall, when she
expected the chanting noises to return. Once night fell, she awoke and began to suspect that she was not the only one in the house. Perhaps the cult had
heard of her investigation and the leader had dispatched of its members to ensure her silence. The thought had briefly occurred to Eithne as she stirred from
her sleep, but her priority now was to escape. So, under cover of darkness, she attempted to tip-toe quietly down the stairs, with the creaking of floorboards
occasionally breaking the silence.(sound of creaking floorboards to be heard) But then her study door began to creak open. Was it a ghost? Or was it
something else entirely? Regardless, it was enough to force her to drop her quiet escape and make a run straight for the ancient monument instead.(Sound of
running feet across gravel or another surface)
• Exhausted and running as fast as her feet would carry her, Eithne stopped to catch her breath when, before her, she saw… Stonehenge. It was what she saw
beyond, however, that caused her heart to fall. Ghosts flying high across the night sky, reanimated skeletons patrolling the circles like guards and, at the centre
of it all, cult members reciting Latin incantations. She knew that if she failed to intervene then and there, it would surely mean the end of the world. Fumbling
around in her left coat pocket, she discovered a couple of faded, brown pages she had taken from the library during her investigative work, both of which she
discovered contained a passage that, when recited, would send the dead back to their graves. In order to do that, however, she would have to bring the cult to
her. Thankfully, she was not alone as her friends; Ellie, Maria and Luke arrived at the timeliest opportunity and she knew that, with their help, she could defeat
the Cult once and for all and send them into disarray. All four began reciting the Latin passages in unison as they sat in a circle within the first wave of rocks
with Eithne’s intonation becoming more and more urgent as the cult and its leader began to quicken their approach. Now reciting the passages with more and
more urgency, Eithne arched her head back in pain as green, spiritual energy began coursing through her body.
• She stood up and towered over the cult, now a being of immense power. “You will no longer profane this place with your presence”, she exclaimed in an
otherworldy voice. “This monument belongs to the living, not the dead, not those who are bound to the wills of a false god. Leave this sacred monument and
never return!” In fear of this being that bore Eithne’s appearance, they fled, never to return, and she turned her attention to the spirits that still remained.
Knowing full well that she would turn her wrath upon them for defiling the land of the living, the ghosts and skeletons returned to their final resting places,
shimmering away and crumbling into a pile of ash.(crumbling and shimmering sound effect to be heard at the same time)
• When all was finally quiet, the spiritual energy faded from Eithne’s body and, overwhelmed by the experience, instantly passed out. Two whole days passed
before Eithne fully regained consciousness. When she finally awoke, her friends, who remained to look after her following the ordeal, informed her of all that
had transpired over the past two days. She breathed a tremendous sigh of relief upon learning that the leader of the cult had been arrested for crimes
undisclosed as it meant that the Cult of Stonehenge, her sworn enemy, had finally been disbanded and their scheme, which they had planned for so long, been
thwarted by a young woman as it was so many years ago. As Eithne began to start typing the first chapter of her book at long last, she suddenly realised that
she was in desperate need of a title. Inspired by the events of recent days, she eventually settled upon “The Cult of Stonehenge.” Her story was only just
beginning. (sound of typewriter mechanisms clicking)
• The End.

20. Sound Effects
Sound Effect Needed How I Will Create the Sound
Creaking floorboards I will attempt to record the sound of my feet walking on tip-toes across the floorboards in
the front room of my house. If this does not work, I will seek out a copyright-free sound to
produce the desired effect.
Running feet If possible, I shall try and record the sound of running feet myself. To do this, I can either
record the effect just outside the front door of my house or in the garden area at the back.
Recorder must be as close to my feet as possible.
Typewriter As I do not have a typewriter at home, not to mention that they can be both extremely
hard and expensive to procure, it will prove impossible for me to record the sound of such
a device being used. However, as there are websites where multiple royalty-free sound
effects can be found, I intend to browse said websites in order to find the sound effect.
Crumbling While it would be a fun idea to record the sound of something crumbling, it could easily
take up considerable time to record as well as seeking out the desired location. So, in
order to save time, I will utilise a pre-existing recording of something crumbling from
YouTube i.e. an ice surface crumbling or a glass window shattering.
Shimmering The sound of shimmering, as if several other of the sound effects I require, most
predominantly the typewriter, could prove difficult to record unless I sought to capture the
sound of droning in the house, specifically from the kitchen boiler, which may prove time-
consuming. As before, I will search for the appropriate sound effect either on the Audio
section of YouTube or a royalty-free website containing similar sound effects.
Chanting I will attempt to record myself chanting in a different language as if performing some kind
of ritual. However, as my knowledge of certain languages is somewhat limited, I will
require a translation application on my computer, such as Google Translate, in order to
help certain words and how they are pronounced. If this fails, then as with the previous
sound effects, I will attempt to find a pre-existing copyright-free version of my sound.

21. Actors/Locations
Actor Role Location for recording
David Lee (Myself) Narrator throughout entire
story (to save time and
effort)
On Monday, I will attempt to
record the first half of my story at
home after I have acquired the
sound recorder from college.
As the studio is the only place in
college that I will be able to
record my narration peacefully
and quietly, I will use that
particular area of college to
record more of my narration
when needed. Failing that, I will
see if an nearby, unoccupied
classroom is available for use.

22. Music
Band Name Track Name Link
Wayne Jones A Quiet Thought (to be used as Eithne’s
Theme, at beginning and end,
particularly when the character begins
to start writing her book at the end of
the story.)
https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music?
ar=1575890005064
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-
R2rufDRBE
Hainbach The Banquet (to be used as the theme
for the Cult of Stonehenge. Will be
played whenever cult are mentioned
and/or appear.)
https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music?
ar=1575890005064
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwuSt5QcS
Ic
Biz Baz Studio Apprehensive at Best (to be played
when Eithne transforms into an
ethereal being after reciting the
reversal passages, reminiscent of Rose
Tyler becoming Bad Wolf in the Doctor
Who Series 1 finale or Galadriel turning
dark in the Middle-earth films, and
unleashes her fury upon the Cult for
desecrating Stonehenge simply by their
presence.)
https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music?
ar=1575890005064
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sou7IGni8
KQ

23. Resource List
Resource Owned/Cost What sound effect will it be used for?
Handheld Audio Recorder York College (Cost not
applicable, as can be
booked for free)
Audio recorder will be used to record full story
narration as well as occasional sound effects,
such as a door creaking open or running feet.
Microphone (part of audio recorder) Cost not applicable
(as it is part of device
and, as such, can be
booked for free)
I will use the built-in microphone to speak
directly into the recorder. To ensure this is
accomplished, however, my delivery of the
narration must be clear.
YouTube (and other websites) Cost not applicable YouTube will be used to procure certain royalty-
free sounds that I will not be able to record,
either because of timing reasons or because I do
not have certain items e.g. the vibration and
droning of outer space could potentially serve as
a shimmering sound.
Adobe Premier Pro Cost not applicable
(installed as part of
computer, though
may require update)
To ensure that I have a complete and coherent
story during the final stages of production, I will
use Adobe Premier Pro to combine any music
and sound effects I have acquired with my
narration, which will also provide the story with a
much wider sense of scope. If necessary, I will
also use the software to trim or cut any dialogue
that might slow the plot down. If this does not
work, however, I will use a piece of software
similar to Premiere.

24. Production

25. Daily Reflection Day 1
• Today, I have begun recording the first half of my
ghost/horror/supernatural story The Cult of Stonehenge. Throughout
production, I will be using an audio recorder to ensure that my delivery of
my finished script is direct, clear and distinctive.
• To make completely sure that the recorder would work properly, I
performed a 15-second test recording that would capture the sound of my
hand flicking the microphone followed by the standard declaration of
“Testing, testing!” Although the sound could not be heard, owing to not
wearing headphones, the test proved to be a success thereby allowing me
to begin recording of the first part of the story.
• Despite some initial setbacks in recording the story’s opening, such as
hesitation and fluffing the line simply by forgetting it, I was ultimately able
to record a version of the narration in which I spoke clearly and without
hesitation. This audio recording (which is the third take of the opening
narration) will be used in the story’s final edit, which will clock in at
approximately five minutes or less.

26. Daily Reflection Day 2
• I am in the second and final stage of recording my story today. While I had hoped
to use the studio in order to perform my recording successfully, this proved
impossible as it had already been booked out for filming purposes. However, after
several minutes searching around the entire college for an unoccupied classroom, I
was able to find one nearby on the second floor.
• To make sure that no background noise got in the recording, accidentally or
otherwise, I would wait at regular intervals until all music and singing had stopped
in order to start recording. This helped to provide a sense of atmosphere that the
story required, as if to give the room I was recording in an otherworldly feel. As
before, I attempted to record the story as clearly and distinctively as possible.
• While I initially experienced difficulty in searching for an empty room, due to the
recording studio having already been booked (as mentioned above) to film
interviews, I am particularly proud of the efforts I made in order to find a decent
room in which to record. This was achieved, with the help of an anonymous friend,
simply by asking a member of staff for help to find an empty room, which
happened to be two classrooms down from the one I was working in.

27. Daily Reflection Day 3
• I have finished rerecording the middle and end sections of my story and I plan to begin the first
stages of editing (or post-production) today. I plan to use Adobe Audition in order to get the audio
down to a feasible length. Failing that, however, I will use Adobe Premier Pro to edit the story
instead. I also intend to search for royalty-free sound effects to provide the appropriate
atmosphere for the story as well as provide pauses in the narration where required.
• To help with the editing of my story, I have begun searching for royalty-free music contained within
the YouTube Audio Library that will help to serve as themes for characters at certain points in the
story i.e. something calm, relaxing and soothing would serve as Eithne’s theme while something
intense and unsettling would serve as the theme for the Cult. I have also used sound effects from
YouTube as well as other websites to provide the story with a soundscape that it sorely lacked but
had been previously dictated in the script.
• While I would have loved to have recorded a few sound effects myself using the audio recorder, I
unfortunately ran out of time, which I felt disappointed by, owing to the deadline I had to use the
audio recorder. Fortunately, however, this allowed me to conduct an extensive search for sound
effects that would be appropriate for certain scenes during the story e.g. foot running across gravel
as the narrator begins the next part of the story, or a door creaking as the lead character attempts
to escape quietly, but is forced to scrap that plan upon hearing it open.

28. Daily Reflection Day 4
• Today, I am already underway with the final stages of post-production with my ghost story project. I
have already begun incorporating sound effects and music into the edit to accompany my narration.
Once I have incorporated all the sounds that I require, I will then begin, using Adobe Premiere Pro,
trimming down the story to a length that is manageable, possibly clocking in at around five
minutes, less than three minutes shorter than the current edit.
• To ensure that most of the cuts I performed in editing were as seamless as possible, I utilised the
razor tool with the intent of exploiting gaps where I would pause to catch my breath within the
recording. This, in turn, would allow me to move on to the next sentence seamlessly without my
delivery and intonation of the script sounding too robotic and/or jumpy. In most cases, this editing
principle would work while it would less so with others. In the event a problem would arise, I would
simply move the audio bars further along the timeline, thereby allowing for a much-needed pause
in that half of the narration before moving on to the next half.
• Although I am happy with the work that I have done to ensure a seamless and coherent edit, there
is at least one part of the edit that I was ultimately unable to avoid editing without it becoming
jumpy, despite my best efforts to ensure a seamless transition. This came as a side effect from not
pausing to catch my breath in between sentences. However, despite this setback, I feel that I was
able to make up for the shortcoming by incorporating two sound effects into the edit, which played
directly next to one another, before the final half of my narration, encompassing the third act of the
story, began.
The story in its rough initial edit (right) before
being trimmed down to a more feasible length
of five minutes (left).

29. Evaluation

30. Research
• Strengths
• One of the primary strengths in carrying out research around similar radio products is that it allowed me to learn a
considerable amount, in addition to what I already knew, about how foley can be used to add atmosphere to a
certain scene e.g. a door creaking open in a ghost story could cause the listeners to feel nervous and uneasy, almost
as if they are in the same room with the lead character. On the other hand, rustling through envelopes or the sound
of fire crackling, as is heard in The Lord of the Rings radio series, can suggest a more mellow tone allowing the
characters pause for reflection which would otherwise feel out of place in the main story. This, in turn, has allowed
me to seek out sound effects on websites such as YouTube as well as strive to record some of my own with which to
help guide and influence the tone of my story.
• Additionally, I have also learned that music can play an important part in the development of a radio drama as, like
film and television before it, it can be used to inform the mood of a scene depending on the actions that a character
undertakes within that scene i.e. in the Doctor Who audio drama, Afterlife, dark, dramatic music plays when the
Seventh Doctor threatens Barry’s mother with swift and merciless justice if she crosses him and subsequently reveals
his identity through the names he has acquired over the years before calmly and directly telling her, “I’m the Doctor
and I look after my friends.” This proves that while the Doctor is prepared to help those in need, he will not hesitate
to stop those who oppress them, even if it means killing them or manipulating them into doing the deed themselves.
This approach has helped me to seek out pieces of royalty-free music that will, while I provide the voices of the lead
protagonist through my narration, inform the character’s personality as well as that of their enemies, and the actions
they take to defeat them which, in the case of lead character Eithne, results in her briefly transforming into an
ethereal being following the recitation of Latin passages to banish the dead back to whence they came. To show this
transformation taking place, I will play a dramatic piece of music that will allow her moment in banishing the Cult
from Stonehenge to appear more believable.
• Weaknesses
• Although I feel I have carried out as much research on similar radio products as I can, I feel I could have done more
by researching one more radio program such as Just a Minute or Desert Island Discs, and discuss many of the
similarities and differences they share between the other radio programs I have investigated. Owing to the fixed
schedule on this project, however, this would still have been possible although I would most likely be required to
omit any details I considered superfluous.

31. Planning
• Strengths
• A particular benefit that has resulted from my planning of this project is that it has allowed me to formulate a
multitude of ideas that could be potentially worth telling as a ghost story, despite my initial cynicism towards
the genre. The majority of these stories were primarily comprised of “what-if” scenarios although said
scenarios were not without context i.e. The Ghost Bus, which is often seen touring across the streets of York,
was changed from a normal tour bus into a supernatural bus that would have acted as a bridge between
worlds, following the untimely death of its driver. Another following up on the infamous Treasurer’s House
incident of 1953 would have focused on the re-emergence of the spirits of Roman soldiers in that house 66
years later. Finally, the story I ultimately chose, the Stonehenge story, featured a religious cult practicing dark
magic, based on the idea that the monument could potentially be used for those sorts of purposes, despite the
high unlikelihood of that ever happening. The wide variety of story ideas that I had come up with, in turn,
allowed me to pick out whichever one I considered to be the most appealing.
• As soon as I knew which story idea I wanted to use for my finished audio product, I immediately began working
on the script while simultaneously mapping out the story, which helped to inform the structure of the final
script. While several ideas within the story itself had to be cut back and/or altered, the plot remained relatively
unaltered from the original rough outline, namely a young writer, seeking inspiration for her next book, winds
up battling an ancient religious cult that have resurfaced in the 21st century after two-hundred years in exile.
• Weaknesses
• While I consider my final story idea, The Cult of Stonehenge, the best candidate for my audio product, I feel I
could have at least provided a rough draft for each of the other ghost stories I could have chosen to make them
potentially more appealing. My final story choice would still remain unchanged, however, but it would have
been ideal to have a beginning, middle and end for each. I would easily do this if I were able to go back and
start this project from scratch.

32. Time Management
• Strengths
• In spite of the tight deadline I faced in order to complete and submit this project on time, I ultimately feel that I was able
to put together a satisfactory script, carrying the most important story ideas across from the original rough draft, and
ensure it was fully recorded within three days. Although I felt my final delivery of the script was too loud on the recorder,
which could have potentially come as a side effect of holding the microphone too close to my mouth, I am otherwise
happy with what I have done and do not feel it could have been improved otherwise.
• Additionally, despite the various challenges I faced in the project’s post-production phase, one such being the looming
deadline of 20th December, I was able to identify dialogue in the recordings that were superfluous and slowed down the
flow of the story and simply omit them. Others were deleted simply because they were not required for the story. To do
this, I utilised the razor tool in Adobe Premiere Pro and cut between the first and last line of dialogue as I pause to catch
my breath. Sometimes, this would allow for a smooth transition between pauses, other times not. With the transitions
that appeared jumpy or abrupt, I would simply drag the audio bar across to an allotted area of timeline between the end
of one sentence and the beginning of another, thereby creating a new pause that would allow said transition to take
place.
• Weaknesses
• Although I was able to complete every other aspect of the project up to production, I was unable to complete (or start
thereof) the Garage Band experiment, despite successfully performing both the foley and nursery rhyme experiments.
This was primarily due to my inexperience/inability to understand the software as well as not knowing which piece of
music to experiment with, forcing me to skip straight to the main stages of production. If I were to restart this project
from scratch, I would simply ask for help on what I need to do before diving straight in with nothing to go on.
• Upon completing the initial draft of my script, I began to feel as if I had rushed the ending and not given the overall story
a chance to breathe. Had I slowed down and stopped to think about what I was writing, I would have put the ending in
line with what was ultimately used in the final draft of the script. While it would have evidently have been worded
slightly differently, the general idea would have remained the same. Fortunately, however, when it came time to actually
write my final script, I was able to rectify my error and give the story’s ending the leisurely pace it deserved.

33. Technical Qualities
• Similarities
• While they are radically different projects in every respect, both my Stonehenge story and The Lord of the Rings radio series
regularly utilise sound effects that are appropriate to the needs of a certain scene instead of using a descriptive passage to
describe the proceedings. In one particular scene of my story, this principle is used to great effect during the second act when
the leading heroine attempts to tip-toe down the stairs of her cottage and, through no fault of her own, causes the wood from
which the stairs are made to creak. I played upon this deliberately upon realising that the action itself could help to paint a
visual picture of the scene in the audience’s mind rather than a descriptive passage. In The Lord of the Rings, this is done
through the sound of approaching hooves as the Witch-king of Angmar arrives to apprehend Gollum and takes him back to
Barad-dur to be interrogated.
• Additionally, both radio programmes along with the Sylvester McCoy Doctor Who audio drama use music prominently where
required so as to inform the mood of a certain scene, due to the fact that the scene itself cannot be visualised owing to its
nature. While the context inherent in each piece of music is different, the principle remains the same. In the Doctor Who drama,
dark and foreboding music plays as the Doctor recites the list of names that he has required over the years to Barry’s mother,
implying that he is not to be trifled with, even by his enemies, before cutting straight to the point and telling her who he is. In
The Lord of the Rings, dramatic music as the history predating the events of the main story is described, particularly the fall of
Sauron at the hands of Isildur which often rises and falls in pitch with a different instrument tailored specifically to the pitch
change while The Cult of Stonehenge, my own audio story, features a dramatic piece of royalty-free music entitled The Banquet
as the theme for the eponymous cult of the title wherever they appear or are mentioned, showing that they are malevolent,
dangerous and the lead heroine’s worst nightmares all rolled up in to one.
• Differences
• While many of the sound effects in The Lord of the Rings and Doctor Who: Afterlife will have been recorded in a studio, nearly
all of the sound effects I have used for my project have been taking directly from YouTube and various other sound effects
website. This came about primarily as a result of time constraints, which ultimately left me unable to record the foley I sought
directly. However, if I were to start this project from scratch, I would dedicate myself to somehow finding time to record both
my narration and the story’s sound effects.
• Perhaps the most significant difference between both The Lord of the Rings radio series and my audio project is the resources
used to record them as well as the length. Where The Lord of the Rings boasts a proper cast of voice actors and a group of
feature-length episodes clocking at nearly an hour, my project clocks in at only five minutes with only one voice actor featured,
namely myself. This was a conscious decision on my part as I had already written the script to primarily rely on narration as well
as sound effects and, to a lesser extent, music.

34. Aural Qualities
• Strengths
• One of the aspects of this project that I was both particularly surprised and pleased with was, at the risk of
sounding dangerously arrogant, the clarity of my voice when delivering the narration for my story during initial
recording which, given my past experience with another audio project, allowed me to alter the range of my voice
pitch wherever the story required i.e. when recording the narration describing the lead character Eithne’s botched
attempt to escape from quietly, I attempted to follow this principle by making my voice as quiet as possible but
not too much that it would not be heard.
• I also feel that the royalty-free music that I chose to use at certain intervals in the story where particularly
appropriate to the story as they helped to define certain aspects of a scene or a character. One particular example
of this is when Eithne’s theme, also known as A Quiet Thought, that plays at the beginning and the end of the
story, helps the character to paint a picture of what her personality might be, such as being quiet and introverted
but with a gift for creativity which ultimately leads to a brief reprisal of the music at the end when she sits down
to start writing her book.
• Weaknesses
• Despite having done utmost to make my delivery of the audio script as clear as possible, I noticed during editing
that the recording was ultimately louder than I had intended to it be causing a strange blowing sound to
prominently be heard at regular intervals and rendering the utterance of certain words more noticeable. This
would have likely been brought about as a result of me holding the microphone too close to my mouth during
recording, something that I had not intended to happen. If I were able to redo this project, I would record the
narration without hesitation, but with one difference: I would hold the microphone slightly further away for my
mouth while ensuring my delivery of the script can still be heard.
• Several of the sound effects that I had chosen from YouTube were somewhat quieter than I originally hoped, in
particular the outer space sound effect which I had chosen to represent the sound of shimmering as Eithne,
transformed into a being of unimaginable power, banishes the dead back to their graves and, in the process, sends
the Cult of Stonehenge into disarray. Fortunately, as this was only a minor setback, I was able to rectify the
problem by simply turning up the volume for the foley in Adobe Premiere Pro.

35. Audience Appeal
I feel that I have successfully managed to appeal to my target audience of
middle-class men and women from 25 years of age by creating a story that will
hopefully not just be original but so enticing that it will compel even a non-ghost
story fan to listen to it, through a combination of narration, sound effects and
music. In accomplishing this task, I believe this will give them the opportunity to
paint a picture of what is going on in the story visually while simultaneously
giving them a decent scare without relying excessively on the cliché of jump
scares.
For any confirmed ghost story fans who have put aside at least five minutes of
their time to listen to my story, I hope it has given them the inspiration they
need to create stories of their own. I have also included a scene in the second
act of the story that I believe they may enjoy.