I wanted to hear a variety of stories, so I took on The Truth from this week’s assignment list.

I listened to them once during the week, but I also went back today, before writing this, to pay more attention to the noises and sound effects.

(Each heading is the link to the story)

Third Party

So, this was really the first audio story I’ve ever listened, too.

The Story

I didn’t like any of the characters. Mike’s a hypocrite, having a gun while campaigning against guns. The cops were very static and uninteresting. His wife was annoying for having sold his gun.

I guess I just wasn’t invested in this story at all.

I also knew that the actors were tricking the listeners by having the Independent reporter going after an interview with Mike Coleman.

Actually, it may have been more interesting if the reporter was the serial killer.

The Audio Story

Being that this was my first, I was really stunned by the stereo effects of the audio story. I felt like I was in the room while “Mike Coleman” was speaking.

There was always background noise. People talking on the phone, doors closing. It helped me build an image of what was going on. I could remember a movie that depicted a scene of a campaign office, so I built on that scene in my head with what the audio story was giving me.

I also liked the producers’ transitions. Whenever a scene changed, the voices or the script would tell the listener where they were.

Also very effective: the producers often used this high-pitched “creepy” sound in the background to create this atmosphere of suspense.

What I didn’t understand, however, was this one section of the story. At about 12 minutes in, we hear the candidate, Mike Coleman, giving a speech. It sounds like we’re right in front of him, but we’re also hearing the radio transmissions of the police/FBI around him.

I didn’t understand if we were listening from Mike’s perspective or not.

I also didn’t understand what the “thumps” were that we kept hearing. On one part of the story, the wife relates it to the dog running into the wall (wtf?). Then we hear it when the serial killer is there in the second half, and I didn’t understand. Did the dog run into the wall again? Did the serial killer walk into the wall? What?

Also, “I got you now!” was perhaps the worst line in the history of scary movies. I understand why that and why “I’m shot!” were necessary to tell the listener what is going on, but they really took me out of the scene.

Nevertheless, the bass and high-pitched noise during the fight scene really made it scene serious and suspenseful.

The Modern Prometheus

The Story

The computer, Geneva, is far too familiar and conversational. Even in The Eagle (2008), the computer system seemed like a computer–incapable of emotion.

I’m sure they were inspired by that movie, so they should have been more careful with their voice effects.

Also, what’s with that ending? I don’t feel like it ended at all. Suddenly it was like, “Here’s the credits!”

The Audio Story

The voice of the “boss” in the beginning of the story was sooo overdone. I don’t even know what to say about that. It was like Clint Eastwood, but not.

The commercials were well-done, though. I immediately recognized them as commercials because of their either overdramatic music or far-too-happy music.

When Victor stays late to work with Geneva, we hear things that would be typical of a closed building. The janitor is vacuuming and picking up things.

The computer sound was also really effective. It sounded futuristic, but believable. It reverberated and just sounded like computers.

The producers also made use of different sound effects for voices. Geneva, for example, sounded like an automated voice. Robert, Victor’s friend, is talking through a telephone.

The Death of Poe

The Story

I thought it would be scarier. I got to the end and was like, “That’s it?!”

The Audio Story

Talk about creepy music. The crow was also a nice effect, being that Poe was creepy himself. The harp mixed with the high-pitched music was the best part, though. It seemed scary and haunting, but with the harp, it also seemed old.

The producers of the story were interesting. The voice of the man in purple was a bit confusing. I didn’t quite understand where they were going with that voice. It sounded like it was a voice that I would use for someone from the “beyond” or maybe a priest/pastor. I’m not sure if that was what they were going for.

Their transitions were well done. The first one, when the man in purple is talking about “couping,” I can just imagine the smoke coming in and then disappearing for the new scene, taking us back to the bar where Poe was waiting to vote.

In the bar scene, we hear people talking, glasses hitting the wood tables, chairs moving, etc. It all made the scene. Just people talking would have been any place.

The creaky wood stairs with the dripping water–definitely a basement.