On my daughter Rosie’s very last day at school, I was a little surprised when she bounced out of the school gates showing no emotion after her way of life of 14 years had come to an end. Perhaps it was difficult, given that she had dressed up as clown for a themed farewell!
For my part, I must admit that I shed a few tears at the end of an era which had lasted 20 years. When we got home, Rosie went straight to her favourite place and pastime – the piano. Within half an hour, the most beautiful tune drifted through the wall where I was just putting the finishing touches to my online radio play, Benchmark.
This turned out to be Rosie’s own composition, the tune she named Departure, her expression through music, of how she felt at this watershed moment in life. Departurealso became very poignant when she left for university a few months later.
It also quite literally struck a chord with Benchmark and Rosie very kindly allowed me to use it as the theme tune and we went along to the studio at Fuse Media where she recorded it.
I hope you agree it gives a real depth and tone to the drama.
Last weekend we had a trip to Berwick Film Festival where a film for which Rosie had composed the music got a ‘special mention’ in the Chris Anderson Award. Collection Day was written and directed by her talented school friend Lizzy Mansfield and I certainly recommend the few minutes it takes to watch this exquisitely crafted film.
Rosie has also composed the theme tune for my series of short films Celia, which I look forward to introduce all 7 episodes shortly – so watch this space!
It’s every writer’s dream to hear their words come to life and reach an audience or a reader. I have been very fortunate to have a group of wonderful friends that I can call upon to help me. Even so, I really thought I had overstretched myself this time as when I read through my Benchmark script and counted up the actors it required – 20 in total!
True there were actually only 4 main parts and the rest were characters with just a few lines to say at the beginning of each scene (you’ll see how it works when you listen to the radio play). Nevertheless, it was going to be a tall order to find that many actors and juggle them all during the recording.
Rehearsing & Recording Benchmark for Amy, Young Jack, Flo & Credits:
The answer was to hold 2 separate recording sessions, each one on a Saturday morning at Fuse Media Centre in Prudhoe with technician Joe Patterson. Of course there were numerous rehearsals leading upto these and a run through just before we went into the studio. Then there was the shopping – plenty of tea, coffee, water and biscuits, essential supplies to see us through our time in the studio.
The main parts required actors of diverse ages and voices; my daughter’s friend Kate played Amy, her young son was played by Luke, who was recommended by the leader of his drama group. Florence, the ghost of an elderly lady, was played by Pat whom I knew from local amdram and whose voice I had always heard in my head when writing the part of Florence. The narrator was played by Kate’s friend, Theo who is aiming for drama school and the credits were read by Helen Aitken, a local voiceover artist.
The Stocksfield Players stepped into the breach to play the voices of the other ghosts, a group that I can always rely for some fine acting.
Rehearsing & Recording Benchmark for the Ghosts and Older Jack:
I’m always nervous leading upto a recording session but once we start, the adrenalin flows and I’m on a roll. Thanks to everyone’s co-operation and great delivery, things went smoothly then the editing , sound effects and I musn’t forget the theme music Departure composed and played by my own daughter, Rosie, which sets the tone so beautifully.
https://rachelcochrane.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Fotolia_Bench_27043509_XS-Copy.jpg244290Rachel Cochranehttps://rachelcochrane.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Rachel_cochrane_logo_hori_2.jpgRachel Cochrane2014-08-29 14:38:242023-03-10 19:05:08Benchmark: Into the Studio
For several years now I’ve been fascinated by those commemorative plaques on benches. They usually start ‘In Loving Memory of…’
From a writer’s perspective, I wonder about each of the lives they represent, each person that someone has loved and cared enough about to mark their passing. Much to my kids embarrassment, I had an obsession about taking a photograph of every plaque I passed; those I found on benches, clocks, trees, bandstands, seaside piers and promenades.
I knew I wanted to write a radio play about them; I got all the photos I had taken and spread them out. What were they trying to tell me? Was it possible to weave lots of separate stories into one drama? After letting the idea rest for a while, the solution came to me as I was walking through a park. I decided to have one central story, with the incidental voices of different ghosts, each telling a snapshot from their own lives as the narrator passes by each spot of commemoration.
So I set the radio play in a park, the story of a young unmarried mother & the ghost of a refined Edwardian spinster, two people a world away from each other in culture & values. Despite starting with great motivation, after a while I reached a point of stalemate, the plot just wasn’t thickening! I just couldn’t see a way forward. Perhaps it was time to abandon the project altogether?
My sister, unaware of what I was writing, came along to a family gathering for what would have been my Father’s 100th birthday, had he still been alive. It was here, quite unexpectedly, that she presented me with something from the local crematorium – the commemorative plaque used to mark the passing of my parents.
I took this quite literally as a sign to carry on. I hope you enjoy the results.
https://rachelcochrane.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Fotolia_54257133_XS.jpg283424Rachel Cochranehttps://rachelcochrane.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Rachel_cochrane_logo_hori_2.jpgRachel Cochrane2014-08-12 18:28:582014-09-30 16:57:36Benchmark: An Idea Takes Shape
Rosie’s Tune
/in Uncategorised /by Rachel CochraneOn my daughter Rosie’s very last day at school, I was a little surprised when she bounced out of the school gates showing no emotion after her way of life of 14 years had come to an end. Perhaps it was difficult, given that she had dressed up as clown for a themed farewell!
For my part, I must admit that I shed a few tears at the end of an era which had lasted 20 years. When we got home, Rosie went straight to her favourite place and pastime – the piano. Within half an hour, the most beautiful tune drifted through the wall where I was just putting the finishing touches to my online radio play, Benchmark.
This turned out to be Rosie’s own composition, the tune she named Departure, her expression through music, of how she felt at this watershed moment in life. Departure also became very poignant when she left for university a few months later.
It also quite literally struck a chord with Benchmark and Rosie very kindly allowed me to use it as the theme tune and we went along to the studio at Fuse Media where she recorded it.
I hope you agree it gives a real depth and tone to the drama.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THEME TUNE DEPARTURE
Last weekend we had a trip to Berwick Film Festival where a film for which Rosie had composed the music got a ‘special mention’ in the Chris Anderson Award. Collection Day was written and directed by her talented school friend Lizzy Mansfield and I certainly recommend the few minutes it takes to watch this exquisitely crafted film.
Collection Day from Lizzy Mansfield on Vimeo.
Rosie has also composed the theme tune for my series of short films Celia, which I look forward to introduce all 7 episodes shortly – so watch this space!
Benchmark: Into the Studio
/in Benchmark, Projects, Rachel Cochrane Writer, Uncategorised /by Rachel CochraneIt’s every writer’s dream to hear their words come to life and reach an audience or a reader. I have been very fortunate to have a group of wonderful friends that I can call upon to help me. Even so, I really thought I had overstretched myself this time as when I read through my Benchmark script and counted up the actors it required – 20 in total!
True there were actually only 4 main parts and the rest were characters with just a few lines to say at the beginning of each scene (you’ll see how it works when you listen to the radio play). Nevertheless, it was going to be a tall order to find that many actors and juggle them all during the recording.
Rehearsing & Recording Benchmark for Amy, Young Jack, Flo & Credits:
The answer was to hold 2 separate recording sessions, each one on a Saturday morning at Fuse Media Centre in Prudhoe with technician Joe Patterson. Of course there were numerous rehearsals leading upto these and a run through just before we went into the studio. Then there was the shopping – plenty of tea, coffee, water and biscuits, essential supplies to see us through our time in the studio.
The main parts required actors of diverse ages and voices; my daughter’s friend Kate played Amy, her young son was played by Luke, who was recommended by the leader of his drama group. Florence, the ghost of an elderly lady, was played by Pat whom I knew from local amdram and whose voice I had always heard in my head when writing the part of Florence. The narrator was played by Kate’s friend, Theo who is aiming for drama school and the credits were read by Helen Aitken, a local voiceover artist.
The Stocksfield Players stepped into the breach to play the voices of the other ghosts, a group that I can always rely for some fine acting.
Rehearsing & Recording Benchmark for the Ghosts and Older Jack:
I’m always nervous leading upto a recording session but once we start, the adrenalin flows and I’m on a roll. Thanks to everyone’s co-operation and great delivery, things went smoothly then the editing , sound effects and I musn’t forget the theme music Departure composed and played by my own daughter, Rosie, which sets the tone so beautifully.
I hope you enjoy what we have created!
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO BENCHMARK RADIO PLAY
Benchmark: An Idea Takes Shape
/in Benchmark, Projects, Rachel Cochrane Writer, Uncategorised /by Rachel CochraneFor several years now I’ve been fascinated by those commemorative plaques on benches. They usually start ‘In Loving Memory of…’
From a writer’s perspective, I wonder about each of the lives they represent, each person that someone has loved and cared enough about to mark their passing. Much to my kids embarrassment, I had an obsession about taking a photograph of every plaque I passed; those I found on benches, clocks, trees, bandstands, seaside piers and promenades.
I knew I wanted to write a radio play about them; I got all the photos I had taken and spread them out. What were they trying to tell me? Was it possible to weave lots of separate stories into one drama? After letting the idea rest for a while, the solution came to me as I was walking through a park. I decided to have one central story, with the incidental voices of different ghosts, each telling a snapshot from their own lives as the narrator passes by each spot of commemoration.
So I set the radio play in a park, the story of a young unmarried mother & the ghost of a refined Edwardian spinster, two people a world away from each other in culture & values. Despite starting with great motivation, after a while I reached a point of stalemate, the plot just wasn’t thickening! I just couldn’t see a way forward. Perhaps it was time to abandon the project altogether?
My sister, unaware of what I was writing, came along to a family gathering for what would have been my Father’s 100th birthday, had he still been alive. It was here, quite unexpectedly, that she presented me with something from the local crematorium – the commemorative plaque used to mark the passing of my parents.
I took this quite literally as a sign to carry on. I hope you enjoy the results.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO BENCHMARK RADIO PLAY