We're Alive Outreach program.

[Kc]

Hello Gentlemen and Ladies. One of my goals of the series has not been fulfilled yet. And that was an outreach program to bring free copies of We're Alive to Schools for the Blind. I think it might be something grades 9 and up at least, but something I want to have happen.

Is there anyone here who would like to become that liaison? This idea isn't concrete, but I was curious who might be interested-

[Creem_Filling]

What exactly does that entail? I don't think I'de be old enough to be able to help, but I love that idea. If I can't do anything else, I'de be willing to donate money if I need to.

[cupcakezombie]

I could help with New Zealand, but I guess I am too far away from the States to help there.
I don't think we have any schools for the blind, but we do have a Foundation for the Blind that I am sure would love this.

[StepLaugh]

It's a wonderful idea, the only problem I see with it is the language in the podcast.

[cupcakezombie]

It's a wonderful idea, the only problem I see with it is the language in the podcast.

I had language like this in some of the books/movies we studied at higher levels at school. Once the schools have been offered the copies they can choose who gets it, but if they don't have access, they can't.

[COsurvivor]

My view on this proposal... It DEPENDS GREATLY on what country and State/Providence you live in...

Let me explain, as many Non-Americans may have learned from watching us, WE (USA) are pretty Conservative and stiff about such things being shown to our kids. BUT, this is not true for all of our States... In California, not so much (maybe). I live in Colorado now and that is so stiff you can break a branch on, so the idea of passing this out to kids here would not go over well.

I can only counsel that this proposal should be looked on as a case-by-case basis only, do not think EVERYONE will jump at such a opportunity.

You may not like what I am saying here, but you cannot deny it either...

[Kc]

My view on this proposal... It DEPENDS GREATLY on what country and State/Providence you live in...

Let me explain, as many Non-Americans may have learned from watching us, WE (USA) are pretty Conservative and stiff about such things being shown to our kids. BUT, this is not true for all of our States... In California, not so much (maybe). I live in Colorado now and that is so stiff you can break a branch on, so the idea of passing this out to kids here would not go over well.

I can only counsel that this proposal should be looked on as a case-by-case basis only, do not think EVERYONE will jump at such a opportunity.

You may not like what I am saying here, but you cannot deny it either...

Ok, so that pushes me in another direction, that of creating a language free version of the show. We've been trying to do that for a while, and I think this will turn the tides.

What I find funny to me, if I can rant for a minute, the whole idea of offense by swear words. Watching Firefly last night and a long time ago "Frak" from Battlestar Galactica, they made up swear words to get around it, BUT it was entirely necessary for those people to use the language.

[j0be]

Ok, so that pushes me in another direction, that of creating a language free version of the show. We've been trying to do that for a while, and I think this will turn the tides.

What I find funny to me, if I can rant for a minute, the whole idea of offense by swear words. Watching Firefly last night and a long time ago "Frak" from Battlestar Galactica, they made up swear words to get around it, BUT it was entirely necessary for those people to use the language.

Or just get them to swear in other languages! How good is your Mandarin?

[Kc]

Or just get them to swear in other languages! How good is your Mandarin?
Shitty.

[Zombiefrog]

I love this idea, i am not blind but i have Irlean's syndrome. put simply i find reading very tiring and i don't enjoy it although i love stories.text does not look like words but patterns and does not make sense. when i was younger i found the voice on audio books very dull. this idea is very good and the content would of appealed to me. hope this works.

[mascaria]

Or just get them to swear in other languages! How good is your Mandarin?


Shitty.

HAHAHAHAHA I love this exchange.

[ComradeNarf]

Would it be worthwhile to form an "expeditionary committee" and start talking to schools, figure out who would be interested in the original and what interest there is for an edited version? I'd certainly be willing to donate some time/money in helping to put this together.

[Kc]

Hello Comrade, That would be great! I know Britt is interested as well. I looked around and there are many institutions across the country. Might I suggest the formulation on this thread of a common letter to send to these places? To create cohesion and a great letter everyone could collaborate and coordinate through this thread.

Part of the production game plan is to get a clean version polished out around the same time we remaster season 2 for CD print.

[ComradeNarf]

Here's a rough draft for the contact letter. My thoughts for structure are: A.) Greetings B.) What We're Doing C.) Why Your School Would Want This D.) Possible Edited/Unedited Versions and Closing.

The wording needs some cleaning up, and KC - I wanted to ask what you thought for the introduction. Should this be more about you and Shane, not so much mention of Wayland Productions, and should we maybe wow them with some of your previous experience and such so they know this is from a truly talented group? Anyway, please let me know what you think and feel free to edit away!

-------------------------------------------

Dear Sir or Madame,

We are writing to you on behalf of Modern Myth Productions, creators of the radio drama We’re Alive. We’re Alive is the gripping tale of a group of survivors trying to make their way through a zombie apocalypse in Los Angeles. We’re Alive has been downloaded over 4 million times, and has recently been featured on MSNBC.com.

The reason we are writing is because of Modern Myth Productions new Outreach Program. The goal of this Outreach Program is to provide any school that serves students with visual impairment the opportunity to receive a free copy of the first season of We’re Alive for their school library. While We’re Alive is available online, the Outreach Edition of Season One has been completely remastered and edited, with no adult language present. Additionally, a physical copy in the library provides easier access for anyone interested in listening.

We're Alive appeals to the aural senses in ways that few other stories do. We're Alive is reminiscent of the radio dramas of yesterday, but with a modern appeal. The medium of audio allows for We're Alive to convey more emotion through the tonality of the actors and more grit through the sound effects. This auditory experience allows the imaginative freedom seen in written media and yet can still indulge in the changing pace that can be done through film.

We’re Alive does feature some intense situations and is recommended for older audiences. If you’d like to know more about We’re Alive yourself, please visit www.zombiepodcast.com.

Thank you for your time and we hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

We’re Alive Outreach Program Team

[StepLaugh]

That loos great!

Also @Kc, I do like the Firefly approach to the substitution of swear words! It never took me out of the firefly experience, hopefully it would be the same for WA.

[johnnywhizzbang]

I would be happy to help in anyway over here in the UK.

[kafu288]

3rd paragraph. Second line in. Would make more sense as "can be far more engaging than a book" instead of "can for more engaging than a book". First one makes sense the second one doesn't. Not trying to knock your effort, I think the letter is fantastic, but you did mention the wording needed cleaning up so just trying to help

[ComradeNarf]

Aaaannnd... fixed! Thanks, kafu!

[cupcakezombie]

Great letter!
One minor thing you MAY want to put in (but you don't have to because it reads great now), in the third paragraph you could mention that as this was designed strictly for an auditory medium, it provides a different and complete listening experince when compared with TV, movies, or audiobooks.

[cPT.cAPSLOCK]

Great letter!
One minor thing you MAY want to put in (but you don't have to because it reads great now), in the third paragraph you could mention that as this was designed strictly for an auditory medium, it provides a different and complete listening experince when compared with TV, movies, or audiobooks.

I was thinking about something similar, but to merge it into the third paragraph. That one already gives an explanation of the show, so I think one extra line wouldn't be a problem. Then, cut the bit about that cast to a new paragraph.

Maybe like this:

(oh, I also renamed radio drama to audio drama. I think the latter sounds better, but feel free to change it back if the rest of you disagrees.)


Dear Sir or Madame,

We are writing to you on behalf of KC Wayland of Wayland Productions, the co-creator of the audio drama We’re Alive. We’re Alive is the gripping tale of a group of survivors trying to make their way through a zombie apocalypse in Los Angeles. We’re Alive has been downloaded over 2 million times, and has recently been featured on MSNBC.com.

The reason we are writing is because of Wayland Productions new Outreach Program. The goal of this Outreach Program is to provide any school that serves students with visual impairment the opportunity to receive a free copy of the first season of We’re Alive for their school library. While We’re Alive is available online, the compact disc version is remastered and features no commercial interruptions. Additionally, a physical copy in the library provides easier access for anyone interested in listening.

We’re Alive weaves a tale of action, adventure, and intrigue and sucks the listener into a world of suspense. The audio medium provides greater immersion than a book, and we believe can be far more engaging than a book. Because the show is written with the audio format in mind, the listener experiences a unique experience. Unlike written media, it allows for better changes in pace throughout the story. Still, it does allow the imaginative freedom seen in written media, that would be taken away by film.

The crew of We’re Alive is comprised of professional writers, actors, and musicians all working together to create a seamless world of characters the listener will come to love, despise, and fear. It also features a dynamic online fanbase with which listeners of the show can discuss previous episodes and thoughts about what the future might hold for the characters of the show.

We’re Alive does feature some adult language and is recommended for older audiences. If you feel this is not a fit for your school, please let us know. Wayland Productions is planning on releasing an edited version of season one with adult language removed. If this version suits the needs of your students better, please let us know. If you’d like to know more about We’re Alive yourself, please visit www.zombiepodcast.com.

Thank you for your time and we hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

We’re Alive Outreach Program

Just my $0.02

[kafu288]

Just my $0.02

I see what you did there :)

[Nevermatter]

This whole idea is brilliant. I live in the Pittsburgh Metro area and am gonna see if there are any such schools around. Also in many large cities there are not only schools for the visually impaired but also community centers dedicated to the same causes.

[Eitri]

What About the Deaf People? Can You guys make like A were alive book with Braille writing? ya know the dots in a 2 by 3 rectangle that correspond to letters? ex: a dot in the top left part of the rectangle is an A.

[ComradeNarf]

Thanks for the help cupcakezombie and cPT. cAPSLOCK. The changes have been added to the letter!

[cPT.cAPSLOCK]

What About the Deaf People? Can You guys make like A were alive book with Braille writing? ya know the dots in a 2 by 3 rectangle that correspond to letters? ex: a dot in the top left part of the rectangle is an A.

The problem is that We're Alive has been made with the audio format in mind. In written format (Braille or text, doesn't matter) a lot of the show's strengths will fade.
For example, the great voice acting, the high-pace action scenes, the sound effects in the background, and so forth.

Therefore, I think there are other projects better suited for them.

[Kc]

Here's a rough draft for the contact letter. My thoughts for structure are: A.) Greetings B.) What We're Doing C.) Why Your School Would Want This D.) Possible Edited/Unedited Versions and Closing.
Sorry it took so long for me to respond. Been writing the season finale and working on ch 22...
We can make it from 'Modern Myth Productions' and leave out any mentions of names. That would make it more professional. The project is under Modern myth LLC now, so we don't make mention of Wayland Productions.
It's 4 Million downloads as of today ;) I think the last paragraph might need some tweaking. Looking at it, I don't think we'll make the adult language disk version an option for them. We should just say we're making a version specifically for this program free of language, etc. Part of that, I'm wondering, it how we make the discs, etc... I'd really love to find a school that's close to California and test this out. Each disk would need some sort of marking so someone who is blind know which disk is which, and so on.

What's the teams's thoughts, does that work? Well written BTW, this is working out great!

[StepLaugh]

Also, everyone should "like" this page, get this some traffic. Just click "like" at the top. That is if you have your facebook connected with the forums.

[ComradeNarf]

Good call, StepLaugh.

KC, I'll update the letter this evening. As for the discs, I'll dig through the American Council for the Blind and see what information I can pull up. I would assume the best option would be to have a sleeve for each disc, with braille on the sleeve. The big question is, who manufactures that, and what options do you have with the new distributor for We're Alive. Perhaps they have contact with manufacturers that could provide a braille case. I'll report back after I've done some digging.

And KC, no using Chapter 22 as an excuse - from what I've read on the forums it's not very popular. ;) Kidding! Kidding! Let's see if we can't find a school nearby you too and contact them, maybe have them be a charter school for the Outreach Program.

[Zombiefrog]

If it's not pos to lable the cd's maybe the casing the cd sits on. Also state the cd number at the start of the cd too. But I bought a cd that was painted with a rubberised texture that might work!?

[ComradeNarf]

Okay, KC's changes have been added in; please let me know what you all think. I'm wondering if there needs to be anything more in the 4th paragraph, a "Hey, write us back if you want the free stuff" or something like that.

As far as the CD, looking at the ACB's notes (http://acb.org/accessible-formats.html#ag34), they bring up a good point - any sort of braille on the disc will throw off the weight. Not to mention finding a way to permanently adhere it to the disc, making it raised enough for users, while not making it too tall for slot-load players like the PS3. KC, do you have any idea what the new distribution packaging looks like, if it will be different from the current Season One? If it's similar to what's being used now, I don't know of any way to easily label everything. I still think sleeves with braille stickers on them would be best, but it's purely guesswork at the moment. Any other suggestions folks?

Also KC, the closest dedicated school I could find to you was the California School for the Blind, located in Freemont. There were a few places closer to you, but they mostly just provided services. I'll keep looking for more, but the CSB might be a good place to start.

[Kc]

Okay, KC's changes have been added in; please let me know what you all think. I'm wondering if there needs to be anything more in the 4th paragraph, a "Hey, write us back if you want the free stuff" or something like that.

As far as the CD, looking at the ACB's notes (http://acb.org/accessible-formats.html#ag34), they bring up a good point - any sort of braille on the disc will throw off the weight. Not to mention finding a way to permanently adhere it to the disc, making it raised enough for users, while not making it too tall for slot-load players like the PS3. KC, do you have any idea what the new distribution packaging looks like, if it will be different from the current Season One? If it's similar to what's being used now, I don't know of any way to easily label everything. I still think sleeves with braille stickers on them would be best, but it's purely guesswork at the moment. Any other suggestions folks?

Also KC, the closest dedicated school I could find to you was the California School for the Blind, located in Freemont. There were a few places closer to you, but they mostly just provided services. I'll keep looking for more, but the CSB might be a good place to start.

This version they're getting won't be the same commercial one made by the distributor. This will be a language free version made specially for them. It doesn't need to have a fancy cover, just some sort of way of labeling the discs so they can read them. I'm thinking there might be some sort of Braille label maker! We could give them the old style disc set case with the numbers next to it! Sweet!

http://compare.ebay.com/like/190399672373?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&_lwgsi=y
We need to get the label material too, but this might work well.

[Kc]

It's great! I'm wondering if we can direct this more in an Aural direction to peak the interests of those visually impaired... Any suggestions from everyone? I'm not trying to nitpick, but I'm...

[j0be]

As far as the CD, looking at the ACB's notes (http://acb.org/accessible-formats.html#ag34), they bring up a good point - any sort of braille on the disc will throw off the weight. Not to mention finding a way to permanently adhere it to the disc, making it raised enough for users, while not making it too tall for slot-load players like the PS3. KC, do you have any idea what the new distribution packaging looks like, if it will be different from the current Season One? If it's similar to what's being used now, I don't know of any way to easily label everything. I still think sleeves with braille stickers on them would be best, but it's purely guesswork at the moment. Any other suggestions folks?

I've got a great suggestion, but I have no idea how hard it would be to mass produce this method. Notch the edge of the cds. If you look at a standard cd, you've got about 1mm before the data starts at the edge of the disc. This short amount of space could be utilized by a dremmel to notch chapter numbers.

[j0be]

We’re Alive weaves a tale of action, adventure, and intrigue and sucks the listener into a world of suspense. The audio medium provides greater immersion than a book, and we believe can be far more engaging than a book. Because the show is written with the audio format in mind, the listener experiences a unique experience. Unlike written media, it allows for better changes in pace throughout the story. Still, it does allow the imaginative freedom seen in written media, that would be taken away by film.


Here's my attempt at a rewrite


We're Alive appeals to the aural senses in ways that few other stories do. We're Alive is reminiscent of the radio dramas of yesterday, but with a modern appeal. The medium of audio allows for We're Alive to convey more emotion through the tonality of the actors and more grit through the sound effects. This auditory experience allows the imaginative freedom seen in written media and yet can still indulge in the changing pace that can be done through film.

[mascaria]

We're Alive appeals to the aural senses in ways that few other stories do. We're Alive is reminiscent of the radio dramas of yesterday, but with a modern appeal. The medium of audio allows for We're Alive to convey more emotion through the tonality of the actors and more grit through the sound effects. This auditory experience allows the imaginative freedom seen in written media and yet can still indulge in the changing pace that can be done through film.

This auditory experience allows the imaginative freedom experienced with written media yet can still....


Bad idea to use the word seen in a description for media for the blind or visually impaired.

[cupcakezombie]

Not sure about the cost difference, but could we send them on a locked flash drive specifically for this program? That way they don't have to worry about inserting different discs, scratching them etc.

[ComradeNarf]

j0be's and mascaria's changes added. cupcakezombie has an interesting idea. Even if we stick with CD's for the Outreach Program, I think the Flash drives might be cool for distributing a future season. Get a nice We're Alive dogtag printed on it or some such.

Also, I found a few places that print Braille labels - some embossed, some screen printed. I'm sure it would probably be cheaper to make them ourselves, but I'll see what pricing is like just for laughs.

[Uber Behemoth]

what about the part tardust tries to rape liz? O.o

[Creem_Filling]

what about the part tardust tries to rape liz? O.o

It's brutal, but it's reality. The intensity of emotion it makes you feel is just mind blowing, so I see know reason why that would have to be removed. You can see worse things just by watching the news.

[Kc]

j0be's and mascaria's changes added. cupcakezombie has an interesting idea. Even if we stick with CD's for the Outreach Program, I think the Flash drives might be cool for distributing a future season. Get a nice We're Alive dogtag printed on it or some such.

Also, I found a few places that print Braille labels - some embossed, some screen printed. I'm sure it would probably be cheaper to make them ourselves, but I'll see what pricing is like just for laughs.
Yeah, the label makers would be cool and cheap, but let us know what the price is.

[ComradeNarf]

I've got a few e-mails out for label info, and I'll send a few more this weekend to see if anyone has anything cheap. Forgive me if I'm jumping the gun on this KC, but I assume we need to come up with an acceptable option of packaging the CD's? I happened to find a few different packaging options while I was looking up labels. If it's on us, I'd like to continue investigating packaging and maybe even throw a few mock-ups together.

[Kc]

I've got a few e-mails out for label info, and I'll send a few more this weekend to see if anyone has anything cheap. Forgive me if I'm jumping the gun on this KC, but I assume we need to come up with an acceptable option of packaging the CD's? I happened to find a few different packaging options while I was looking up labels. If it's on us, I'd like to continue investigating packaging and maybe even throw a few mock-ups together.
I think we can use the same packaging we used for the first disk set, but I have to check and see if there's space for a label-

[ComradeNarf]

I think we can use the same packaging we used for the first disk set, but I have to check and see if there's space for a label-

Hey, you're absolutely right; the existing cases work perfectly for labels. We should easily be able to fit a 1x3" label below each of the discs (a little snug for discs 1 and 12, but doable). In the quotes I've also requested pricing information for a "We're Alive Season 1" Braille label for the spine of the CD case. I should have better pricing data by the end of the week.

[ComradeNarf]

Alright, this whole thing has been a bit Goldilocks... I've had responses from printers stating this job is too big for them. I've had responses saying the job is too small. (And a few of...

[ComradeNarf]

Okay, finally! I just got the shipment of Braille labels in. These are pretty high quality and feel like they should really hold up to wear. I have enough here to do 2 dozen complete cases, and it only cost $25.00.

http://www.redundancydotnet.net/images/labels.jpg

KC, if you'd like to take a better look at these I'd be happy to slap them on my Season 1 case and mail it off to you.

[yarri]

Here's a rough draft for the contact letter. My thoughts for structure are: A.) Greetings B.) ::snip:::

We’re Alive Outreach Program Team

ITs wonderful and this is a great idea. Count me in as well I would love to help!

[Re1ndeer]

If my school joined in on this outreach program, I wouldn't feel so bad listening to WA during class. :D

[Kc]

That's great! I'm swamped with 23-2. I'll check back later this week.

[Magrat]

To add my two cents:

While not a school, I've been working with Vision Australia & Specifically Vision Australia Radio on and off for the past 4 years. Vision Australia provides its wide range of services from centres across New South Wales, Queensland, the ACT, the Northern Territory, Tasmania and Victoria.
The long and the short of it is I can chat to them/sent 'the email' & see how they'd feel with using this either in the radio and/or use connections with schools to facilitate getting it out there. I can chat to the vic office and see what comes of it.
Hope this can help. Give us a heads up and I can begin to run amok.

[Kc]

Okay, finally! I just got the shipment of Braille labels in. These are pretty high quality and feel like they should really hold up to wear. I have enough here to do 2 dozen complete cases, and it only cost $25.00.


KC, if you'd like to take a better look at these I'd be happy to slap them on my Season 1 case and mail it off to you.
AWESOME!! OK, Comrade, now the ball is in our court. I think we all agree if we do this we need to send language free podcast versions. Once the season is over we're going to start doing that. It will require re-recording certain people, so it will take some time.

[Shag Nasty]

I don't know about other states but here in Ohio we have a branch for the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio (http://www.nfbohio.org/). You might be able to contact them about this idea.From what I understand they do not just cater to blind children but to the whole blind community.

[Solanine]

Wa is still only i its infancy really and already Modern Myth productions are trying to help others.