Into The Mincer
To those who dare hurt the planet we hold so dear,
beware! The Mincer awaits...
SYNOPSIS
Two valiant and courageous bureaucrats take it upon themselves to single handily end global pollution, climate change and environmental destruction. All members of society are invited to make their case to the Bureau, have they done enough to preserve mother nature and this Earth we hold so dear? But this is no simple question... what is the most efficient means to deal with those who fail to meet the expectations? Why of course, they must face the might of The Mincer.
CAST & CREW
Performed by Rabi Zaman, Matt Gillies, Chloe Fleming, Sarah Thompson, and Amelia Paterson.
Playwright: Jack Richardson & Hannah Malarski
Director: Rabi Zaman
Sound Designer: Matt Gillies & Rabi Zaman
Prop and Foley Sound Designer: Chloe Fleming
Set Designer: Sarah Thomson
Character Costume Designer: Amelia Paterson
CONTENT WARNING
Recommended for ages 15 +
Trigger Warnings: Excessive comedic violence, implied gore, screaming, loud noises and sound effects which some may find distressing.
Listen to the audio play below.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
Into the Mincer intends to satirise of one of the most pressing issues facing society in the present day, climate change and environmental destruction. But it also intends to highlight, and perhaps exaggerate, the disregard some members of society having regarding how their actions contribute to the gradual deterioration of the environment. To add on this, it explores the different perspectives members of society have on the issue depending on their age, wealth and social status.
FOLEY DESIGNER'S STATEMENT
Foley sound design is sound effects that are made with everyday items that are added into movies, videos and other media in post-production to enhance Audio quality. Some challenges faced making these sounds was finding the right item to best match the sound that was being recreated. Coming up with ideas on what to use to create these sounds to best match the themes and intention of this play. Another challenge that I faced was getting rid of any unnecessary sounds in the background to have the best outcome possible when creating the sound design. The creative process included researching different ways to create the sound effects but also using trial and error to create the best sound possible, it didn’t always come first go so continuously coming up with new ideas for one sound effect. Having researched and listened to professional radio plays use this type of sound design helped me start thinking about what could be the best sound and outcome for my own play.
EXAMPLES OF FOLEY DESIGN
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In our radio play, I have created a mixture of sounds to layer together to make a more realistic sounding “mincer”.
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Some of these sounds I have created include, a tin of tomatoes held at a height and emptying the can into a metal bowl to create the splashing of blood.
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To create the bones crunching in the background of the sounds, I used a lettuce head and twisted it to get the crisp sound. To get the finer details, I snapped the stem of a lettuce leaf in half to create a short and sharp snap.
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To create the big mincer sounds, I put ice and water into a glass bowl and used an electric beater on high, grinding up the ice and using the water to make a “moist” sound effect.
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To add dimension to the dialogue, I used a book with loose paper and flicked through the pages.
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When the line “mincing approved” occurs, I have added a stamp like sound. To make this I used a drink bottle on a wooden bench to make a loud stamp.
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To create all these sound effects, the positioning of the microphone Is very important. Having the microphone close to the object help make the outcome the best it possibly can.