Radio drama 2017 s wotw 96 ppl

PowerPoint Presentation

Fake NewsWar of the Worlds

One of the greatest examples of verisimilitude through imitation, as well as the single most famous episode of radio drama, occurred in 1938.

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If you were 18 in 1938You cannot remember a time without radio. Your parents can. You probably have had a radio in your home for most of your life.

One of the greatest examples of verisimilitude through imitation, as well as the single most famous episode of radio drama, occurred in 1938.

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If you were 18 in 1938You hear daily reports of escalating tensions in Europe and Asia and Africa. The Japanese occupy large portions of China and continue to advance. Adolf Hitler assumes command of the German military and occupies Austria, then invades Czechoslovakia. But you have no idea that within three years the U.S. will be embroiled in a second World War. If youre male, chances are you will be fighting in this war.

If you were 18 in 1938You probably listened to extensive radio coverage of the New England Hurricane of 1938 that killed over 600.

If you were 18 in 1938You may be aware of a number of meteorite crashes throughout the world*June 16: Several buildings are hit by meteorites in Pantar, Philippians.*June 29: A 450-ton meteorite explodes about 12miles above the earth near Chicora, Pennsylvania.*September 29: a meteorite crashes through the roof of a garage and through a parked car in Benld, IL.

If you were 18 in 1938And you are very familiar with the sound of your presidents voice.

Listen to the first 42 seconds https://youtu.be/1WBGyPqOZwc

spe_1938_0624_roosevelt

By 1938At the age of 23, actor and director Orson Welles has taken Broadway by storm with a series of innovative and imaginative theater productions.

By 1938And has been featured on the cover of Time magazine.

By 1938

His theatrical achievements include a modern dress Julius Caesar set in Fascist Italy, and a federally sponsored production of Macbeth, set in Haiti, and with an all African-American cast.

Watch Orson Welles Voodoo Macbeth https://youtu.be/QZLrqJka-EU

4:00

Orson-Welles---Voodoo--Macbethhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZLrqJka-EU

By 1938

He is also one of radios busiest performers

The Shadow

1:34Listen to https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/shadow

Shadow

Mercury Theatre on the Air

Beginning in 1938, Orson Welles directed his acting company in weekly literary adaptations for CBS radio. He told all his stories from a first person perspective, harnessing the intimacy and directness of the medium. Beginning as First Person Singular, the show was soon retitled The Mercury Theatre on the Air, named for Welles theatrical company.

Mercury Theatre History http://www.mercurytheatre.info/history

Mercury Theatre on the Air The Mercury Theatre on the Air was a critical if not a ratings success. Welles was a master of radio as a dramatic medium. He conducted his programs from a podium, as if the show were a symphony, and his actors and technicians an orchestra. He used the medium with as no one before or since.

The Mercury Theatre on the Air https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mercury_Theatre_on_the_Air

In 1938 For the Halloween episode of Mercury Theatre on the Air, Orson Welles instructed writer Howard Koch to adapt H.G. Wells classic The War of the Worlds, about an invasion of the earth by Martians. Welles thought it might be enlivened were it updated and told as a series of news bulletins.

October 30, 1938The Mercury had an average listenership of 3.6%. By contrast, the wildly popular Chase and Sandborn Hour, which aired opposite the Mercury, had an average listenership of 34.7%. , Improbably, Chase and Sandborn featured a ventriloquist and his wooden dummy.

October 30, 1938At 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, The Mercury Theatre on the Air began on CBS.

Listen to https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/war-of-the-worlds-001

4:30

October 30, 1938At 8:09 PM, following musical performances interrupted by an interview of noted Princeton astronomer Professor Pierson by reporter Carl Phillips regarding the Martian explosions, the program returned to music.

1:25Listen to https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/war-of-the-worlds-002

16Audio: War of the Worlds 002

October 30, 1938By 8:11 PM, reporter Carl Phillips and Professor Pierson reach Grovers Mill, New Jersey. Its been less than two minutes of air time; Phillips mentions that they have made the trip in 10 minutes, equally incredible, exemplifying the dramatic time compression of the program.



October 30, 1938Were a listener to be scanning the dial for something more interesting, they might have entered The War of the Worlds at this point.



October 30, 1938Listeners could not be blamed for perhaps remembering another tragedy described over radio only the year before. After all, the actor portraying Carl Phillips had listened to a recording of the broadcast dozens of times preparing for his role.

The Hindenburg DisasterListen to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F54rqDh2mWA

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19Hindenburg-disasterhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F54rqDh2mWA

October 30, 1938After another musical pause, the bulletins continue at 8:19. By now, it has been estimated that the Mercurys audience has doubled to six million listeners.

:50

Listen to https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/war-of-the-worlds-005


October 30, 1938Following an interview with Professor Pierson, bulletins continue at 8:22.



October 30, 1938At 8:25, the unbelievable is reported as fact.

1:00

Listen to https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/war-of-the-worlds-7a

22Audio: War of the Worlds 007A

October 30, 1938At 8:26, a familiar voice is heard.



October 30, 1938 By 8:36, the military has been utterly defeated, and the Martian machines are advancing on New York City.



October 30, 1938 The program continues in a more standard format, with the rest of the story told in the first person singular by Professor Pierson.

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October 30, 1938It was estimated that 6 million people listened to some part of the broadcast, and that 1.2 million believed the broadcast and reacted according to their natures and personalities.

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October 30, 1938Harlem: An church congregation falls to its knees.Indianapolis: A woman runs into a church service screaming that New York has been destroyed.Newark: Neighbors leave their homes with improvised gas masks - wet towels wrapped around their heads.Grovers Mill: A water tower is mistaken for a Martian war machine and fired upon.Premature births, falls, attempted suicides, traffic jams and communication breakdowns are blamed on the broadcast.

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October 30, 1938 DISCLAIMER

1:20Listen to https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/war-of-the-worlds-end

28Audio: War of the WORLDS END

October 31, 1938

Watch Attack-By-Mars--Panic--Orson-Wells-Speaks-1938-10-31 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho_9XTnlJKM

1:30

29Video: Attack-By-Mars--Panic--Orson-Wells-Speaks-1938-10-31.movhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho_9XTnlJKM

October 31, 1938

October 31, 1938

The actual number of listeners, and the full extent of the hysteria, have never been accurately confirmed. Contemporaneous studies are undoubtedly flawed. Newspapers, facing new competition from radio, may have exaggerated the effect of the broadcast. However from time to time the events of October 30, 1938 are replicated.

November 12, 1944

A widespread panic is triggered following a broadcast of the Welles play by a Santiago, Chile radio station. Upon hearing the broadcast, many fled into the streets or barricaded themselves in their homes. In one province, troops and artillery were briefly mobilized by the governor in a bid to repel the invading Martians. The broadcast included references to such organizations as the Red Cross and used an actor to impersonate the interior minister.

http://www.war-ofthe-worlds.co.uk/war_worlds_santiago.htm

February 12, 1949

Another radio version of The War of the Worlds, broadcast in Quito, Ecuador, results in crowds of panic-stricken residents running into the streets to escape Martian gas raids. The event makes headlines around the world, including the front page of The New York Times ("Mars Raiders Caused Quito Panic; Mob Burns Radio Plant, Kills 15). The drama described strange Martian creatures heading toward the city after landing and destroying a neighboring community. The program included impersonations of well-known local politicians and journalists. A riot broke out and an enraged mob set fire to the radio station, killing at least six people.

http://www.radiolab.org/story/91624-could-it-happen-again-and-again/http://www.war-ofthe-worlds.co.uk/war_worlds_quito.htm

1968

WKBW-AM in Buffalo, New York uses its staff of reporters and disc jockies to recreate The War of the Worlds, with up-to-date techniques and music. Although clearly and regularly identified as a dramatization, a local newspaper, several small-town police officers and the Canadian military are convinced. The station repeated the reenactment in 1971, 1973 and 1975.WKBW's 1968 War of the Worlds https://youtu.be/8zzEGD1ESr8http://www.buffalohistoryworks.com/broadcasters/hist_kbwow.asp

1974

WPRO-FM in Rhode Island recreates The War of the Worlds. The program is promoted as a spoof throughout the day. During the actual broadcast, however, 45 minutes elapse before the first public disclaimer. Over 100 listeners call the radio station and almost as many call the police. The FCC reprimand WPRO, the first time the commission has gone on record that programing such as War of the Worlds is adverse to the public interest.

http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20141030/ENTERTAINMENT/310309989

1977

The television program Alternative 3 is broadcast once only in the United Kingdom, and later in Australia and New Zealand A fictional hoax, the program purported to be an investigation uncovering a plan to make the moon and Mars habitable in the event of climate change and a terminal environmental catastrophe on Earth. The program was originally meant to be broadcast on April Fools Day, 1977. To this day there are some that refuse to believe the program was fictional.http://hoaxes.org/archive/permalink/alternative3 Alternative 3 1977 https://youtu.be/jSDBl0FMX0s

1990s

A spate of media hoaxes perpetrated across the country prompt the Federal Communications Commission to impose fines of up to $250,000 for stations knowingly broadcasting false information.

KSLX-FM, Scottsdale, Arizona fakes a hostage takeover of the station by terrorists. WCCC-AM/FM, Hartford, Connecticut, falsely reports a nearby volcanic eruption.KSHE, St. Louis morning personality John Ulett stages a mock nuclear alert during the morning drive time, complete with a simulated Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) tone and an authentic-sounding civil defense warning. There was no disclaimer until 2 hours after the broadcast. 400 listeners called the station. KROQ, Los Angeles morning team stages a false confession from an anonymous caller who claims to have brutally murdered his girlfriend. Police spent nearly 150 hours investigating the case.WALE, Rhode Island news director announces that the overnight on-air personality had been shot in the head. Police and media rushed to investigate the incident. The program director shuts off the transmitter to stop the hoax. http://articles.latimes.com/1991-05-20/entertainment/ca-1596_1_radio-hoaxes/2 http://tinyurl.com/hcwu5e7

1990s

1992 FCC Anti-Hoax Rule

No licensee or permittee of any broadcast station shall broadcast false information concerning a crime or catastrophe if (a) the licensee knows this information is false, (b) it is foreseeable that broadcasting the information will cause substantial public harm. Any programming accompanied by a disclaimer will be presumed not to pose foreseeable harm if the disclaimer clearly characterizes the program as fiction and is presented in a way that is reasonable under the circumstances (amendment to Part 73 Regarding Broadcast Hoaxes, Communications Act, Report and Order, 7FCCRcd4106 [1992]).

1990s

Ghostwatch, 1992BBC's Ghostwatch, presented by Michael Parkinson and broadcast on Halloween, was so convincing in its depiction of ghouls that it was later reported that two children viewers had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and one teenager had committed suicide. Sarah Greene and Craig Charles reported from a reputedly haunted London house for the broadcast. A series of eerie events grew more sinister until viewers were left to believe that Greene had been killed and Parkinson possessed by a ghost called Pipes.

Ghostwatch https://youtu.be/Yfy9UHAIwgQ

2000s

Flemish Independence, 2006Belgian politicians were furious after it was reported the country had split in two and the Flemish part had declared independence. The French-speaking channel RTBF interrupted programming with a spoof report showing "live" pictures of crowds with Flemish flags, trams being stopped at the new border and the royal family seeming to flee the country. "It's irresponsible for a public television channel to announce the end of Belgium as a reality," said a spokesman for the thenBelgian prime minister, Guy Verhofstadt.

http://hoaxes.org/archive/permalink/flemish_secession_hoax

March 14, 2010

Panic sweeps Georgia after a pilot for a proposed television show airs using stock footage and faked commentary to report an invasion from Russia .

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/14/russia-georgia-fake-invasion-report

Fake Russian invasion broadcast sparks Georgian panic https://youtu.be/s9RLqH4Z4UA

So, which are deceptions and which are attempts at verisimilitude? And does that matter?

A History and Analysis of the Federal Communications Commissions Response to Radio Broadcast Hoaxeshttp://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1226&context=fclj

Jack Benny https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Benny Jack Benny

Jack Benny was one of the leading American entertainers of the 20th century, movie actor, stand-up performer, radio personality, and eventually television star.

His radio show was one of the most popular of the Golden Age of Radio.

In a precursor to what we would today call meta, on his radio show he played himself, a star with his own radio show. His supporting cast were the actors who worked with him on his show. His radio show was a radio show within a radio show.

Over the course of the series Benny established a clear persona.

Among his many character defects, he was depicted as unrelentingly cheap. And much of the humor of his show played off this trait.

The Jack Benny ShowMarch 28, 1948 Your Money or Your Life

The following clip illustrates the humor derived from Bennys established stinginess.

Benny and his cast would perform in a studio or on stage, standing behind stationary microphones. Notice how the use of simple sound effects suggest setting and movement.

47Benny Money or Life Edit PartB

The Jack Benny ShowMarch 28, 1948 Your Money or Your Life

1:56Listen http://tinyurl.com/hkzxpw5The Jack Benny Program Your Money of Your Life https://youtu.be/p_XkdmRkOL0

48Benny Money or Life Edit PartB

The Jack Benny ShowDecember 7, 1947 The Violin LessonMel Blanc https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Blanc Another character trait established for Benny involved his complete obliviousness to his own ineptitude as a violin player.

In the following clip, Jack takes a violin lesson. His teacher is played by Mel Blanc, man of a thousand voices, later known for his vocal portrayals of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and many more. Among the many characters Blanc played for Benny, he was also the sound of Bennys stuttering jalopy.

The Jack Benny ShowDecember 7, 1947 The Violin Lesson5:00

Listen https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/benny-vault-edit-partaThe Jack Benny Album No. 2 https://youtu.be/PSXv5Qc8Row

The Jack Benny ShowDecember 7, 1947 The Violin LessonIn the second clip, not only is the humor derived from Bennys miserliness, but sound effects are used to suggest a setting unlikely to actually exist in the home the series has suggested as Bennys residence.

The Jack Benny ShowDecember 7, 1947 The Violin Lesson

4:09Listen http://tinyurl.com/hkzxpw5The Jack Benny Album No. 2 https://youtu.be/PSXv5Qc8Row

Treasure Island The Mercury Theatre on the Air, July 18, 1938

6:50Listen to http://tinyurl.com/he6hwt2 Treasure Island Mercury Theatre https://youtu.be/56jKvwtJJq0 Welles command of pacing, his unusual use of silence, and the sounds of a tapping cane and distant whistling added suspense to Robert Louis Stevensons classic tale of pirates.

Treasure Island Edit_1-2

The Mercury Theatre on the AirTreasure Island July 18, 1938

6:50Listen to http://tinyurl.com/he6hwt2 Treasure Island Mercury Theatre https://youtu.be/56jKvwtJJq0 Orson Welles command of pacing, his unusual use of silence, and the sounds of a tapping cane and distant whistling added suspense to Robert Louis Stevensons classic tale of pirates.

Treasure Island Edit_1-2

EscapeLeiningen Vs. the Ants 1948

William Conradhttps://soundcloud.com/enbowen/leiningen-edit-parta 3:35

55Leiningen Edit PartA


https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/leiningen-edit-partb 2:07

56Leiningen Edit PartB


https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/leiningen-edit-partc 1:10

57Leiningen Edit PartC


https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/leiningen-edit-partd 7:05

58Leiningen Edit PartD


https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/leiningen-edit-parte :36

59Leiningen Edit PartE

Education

Radio drama 2017 s wotw 96 ppl