Ask Him Yourself!

[Kc]

Ok, here are a few:

1. Have you guys ever "Play-tested" scenes rpg style? The scene in ch. 3 of Saul, Burt and Angel climbing down from the roof of the gunshop to the roof of the hummer made me wonder this, as it seems like a rp scenario (DnD v 3.5 style skill check: Saul and Burt make the Balance DC check and Angel doesn't, thus he falls to the ground, injuring his foot and complicating their escape.) Sometimes I feel like I can hear dice rolling behind the scenes, but that's just the kind of nerd I am...

2. Did any of the characters have a "Zombie-plan"? You describe this story as an "alternate future" and Michael and Saul refer to Zombie movie knowledge, so I assume there are/were zombie geeks in the We're Alive world. I just wonder if any of the survivors have... survived because of their pre-apocalypse preparation.

I'm pretty new to We're Alive (under a month) but I've listened through the series about 7 times, so I'll probably be back with more once the new season starts, but this is what I have so far.

1. No, never have thought of it that way. I just dig the hole a little deeper each time.

2. Perhaps... But well laid plans sometimes go amiss.

[DLMiles]

Hello Mr. wayland

I dont post much so i would love a response. I have been a fan for a while now and i absolutley love the soundtrack, it really helps immerse the listener into the situation. What i would like to know is where can i find it? Do you plan to put out any information on it? i have looks around the forums and havent found anything about it so i would love to hear back from you on this.

Happy new year!

[Kc]

Hello Mr. wayland

I dont post much so i would love a response. I have been a fan for a while now and i absolutley love the soundtrack, it really helps immerse the listener into the situation. What i would like to know is where can i find it? Do you plan to put out any information on it? i have looks around the forums and havent found anything about it so i would love to hear back from you on this.

Happy new year!

Unfortunately we aren't able to offer the soundtrack via purchase. The music license that we operate under doesn't allow us to distribute the music separately. A lot of it is sampled and re-assembled by out editors, but is only available via the podcast.

[Lusimania]

I have a question, Saul and Burt while waiting on couple of people were playing a card game. It seems like Burt said Den lon and I googled that but came up with no results. What was the game actually called?

[Kc]

03282010_2_of_hearts1.jpg
It's a nickname for a game that was taught to me, and was told it's called den long. I'm not sure that's how it's spelled considering the game was only taught to me orally. It's a variation of Tien Len.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tien_len

I love playing it, and used to be pretty good. Some of the smaller details I don't remember as much, and there 's another 2 killer three pairs in a row (like 66, 77, 88) that was added to the version I play. Not sure if Tien Len has that. It's a game of skill and not luck. You could have the worst hand and still win as long as you know how to play and can trap your opponent.

[SnipesR1]

Hey there KC, every time i listen to WA I always find myself trying to visualize what some of the scenes look like and what some of the creatures appearance would be and those little chapter images always help a bit but i always find myself wishing for just some thing more. like chapter 25's image finally gives me an idea of just how menacing and actually huge the behemoth is, and i was wandering how do you choose what the chapters image will be and contain or is that left to the artist?
and also have you ever considered that like at the end of a series putting together a book with what you see some of these scenes just to give your listeners a better idea as to what the world looks like in your head? im not saying like a comic book but just one with large full detail images of points and places in the story for reference (so far you guys have been doing a pretty dang good job!)

If i had any artistic talents in drawing I would definitely try to create some of the scenes of what I would think things would look like but in reality it would all be crayon scribblings and stick figures lol

[Kc]

Hey there KC, every time i listen to WA I always find myself trying to visualize what some of the scenes look like and what some of the creatures appearance would be and those little chapter images always help a bit but i always find myself wishing for just some thing more. like chapter 25's image finally gives me an idea of just how menacing and actually huge the behemoth is, and i was wandering how do you choose what the chapters image will be and contain or is that left to the artist?
and also have you ever considered that like at the end of a series putting together a book with what you see some of these scenes just to give your listeners a better idea as to what the world looks like in your head? im not saying like a comic book but just one with large full detail images of points and places in the story for reference (so far you guys have been doing a pretty dang good job!)

If i had any artistic talents in drawing I would definitely try to create some of the scenes of what I would think things would look like but in reality it would all be crayon scribblings and stick figures lol

I give the artist, Ben, a little bit of information on what I think would be the most appealing cover for the next chapter, and he asks some questions, we go back and forth, and then I get an image the morning of the podcast. He has a lot of liberty to create the cover art most of the time. On occasion there's a few that I have very specific images in mind. It would be cool to put together artwork from We're Alive afterwards as a book. I would enjoy doing that.

[Litmaster]

Hi Kc,

I apologize if this has been asked somewhere else already, but I was curious how writing a serial like this and getting immediate feedback from fans has affected your writing. Traditionally, writers created the entire product (novel, screenplay) and sold it to publishers / producers.... and so the writer would get feedback from editors but no so much from fans informing the creation of the piece. If anything, there would be reviews and reaction, but all done after the fact.

Now, with media such as this, you get to hear all this in-depth feedback concerning Army bases, logistical operations, helicopter skids, etc... I'm amazed at how much other fans of WA are able to notice, and how detailed their findings are. So:

1. How much do you pay attention / take seriously the comments made in the Forum regarding aspects of the story?

2. Does this kind of detailed feedback inspire you or intimidate you? Is is refreshing, or a pain in the ass?

3. Do you worry about getting caught with your pants down regarding some factual inconsistency, or do you appreciate having an army of fact-checkers at your disposal?

4. Have you ever changed aspects of what you were planning due to fan feedback? Any past examples?

5. Do you feel that getting immediate fan feedback has made your writing / the story better?



Much appreciated, if you can spare a few moments.

[Litmaster]

Sorry, Kc-- I just went back and read through this entire thread, and saw that you had already addressed my earlier questions about how/if the Forum influences your writing. So disregard... and shame on me for being a lazy-ass.

So here's some questions about script format that no one has yet asked:


SCRIPT FORMAT QUESTIONS

1. Which script format do you use? Does it resemble that of a traditional 1940's era radio play script, or more like a modern screenplay? Or something else?

2. I'm curious how you indicate / write in sound FX cues on the scripts. If I understand right, the actors do all the voice recording before the FX are dropped in, so they must be responding to various cues that they don't actually hear, but only see mentioned in the script... right?

3. To what degree do you use the script as a 'guide' for the FX you add in? You have so many sounds going on in the background, I don't see how you can possibly note all of that down in the script, so what do you do--just write the most significant sounds in the script and do the rest on intuition?

4. Any chance of posting a page or two from one of the earlier chapters so we could take a look? I find it interesting to see a bit of script and then listen to the production again to see how the actors brought it to life... anyway, think about it.


Thanks in advance for your response.

[Kc]

Hi Kc,

I apologize if this has been asked somewhere else already....

"1. How much do you pay attention / take seriously the comments made in the Forum regarding aspects of the story?"

I hate to say it, but very little, and with good reason. When writing chapters with the big picture in mind, it's hard for people to fully understand why something is happening when. There's a logical transition that has to take place for the events to unfold. Forest from the trees...

2. Does this kind of detailed feedback inspire you or intimidate you? Is is refreshing, or a pain in the ass?

Inspire. It takes a LOT of time and effort to write and edit this show and without feedback of people enjoying the show, it would be much more daunting. Publish Monday, sit back and enjoy reading people's feedback.

3. Do you worry about getting caught with your pants down regarding some factual inconsistency, or do you appreciate having an army of fact-checkers at your disposal?

It happens here or there, mostly with small details. The fact checking fans are often a little late sometimes since I write two chapters ahead, but I have been known to fix some things. Recently I called Liberty Park, Memorial Park. Oops. With two seasons of show already in the bank little details can sometimes be missed by me and the people who proof-read the scripts.

4. Have you ever changed aspects of what you were planning due to fan feedback? Any past examples?

The Liberty park thing is something I'll change, there was another confusing error regarding the floor number Datu was on at one event that has long since been corrected. Lizzy's eye color was changed after the role was re-cast, but the original quote from Michael was there and had to be changed. A few little things. Big aspects, no, because then I wouldn't be telling the story. It'd be someone else. It's not being stubborn, just that there's a story being told.

5. Do you feel that getting immediate fan feedback has made your writing / the story better?

Yes and no. I kind of explained that in the previous questions, but I can attest that the degree of people checking my every detail makes me have to spend more time making sure the tiny details are correct.

1. Which script format do you use? Does it resemble that of a traditional 1940's era radio play script, or more like a modern screenplay? Or something else?

I write using the screenplay format for films. Why? Because the old radio play script formats were for old radio actors, which don't exist any more. The more modern format of screenplay writing has been used by screen actors for a long time now and is a format that is widely used. Details aside, it's a much clearer format when it comes to reading for the actors. The pages are divided up more evenly amongst the lines and I feel a much more concise version of a script. Another reason, and possibly more selfish, is that I have been trained to write screenplay format. I've read scripts, revised them, and am very fast in how I can write them.

A Sample can be read here: http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/s...ULL-OF-AWESOME --- It's an old post but it has Chapter 1 to be able to be read in full detail.

2. I'm curious how you indicate / write in sound FX cues on the scripts. If I understand right, the actors do all the voice recording before the FX are dropped in, so they must be responding to various cues that they don't actually hear, but only see mentioned in the script... right?

I used to write in certain sound cues, and now I just write what happens and let the details of the sound design happen in the editing room. There are a few specifics that I write in, but most of the time it just explains the action of what's happening in the scene. The chapter 1 example is an early version of what I started out doing. Most of the script focuses on just what the actors say. As with any script, the descriptions of the scenes are kept to a minimum anyway. There are occasions like the Pippin death sequence that I had to use a LOT of description, but then again that was a very complex scene. When writing that scene I also kept things a mystery to anyone acting in the show as well and use terms like "The Killer" when describing the shooter.

3. To what degree do you use the script as a 'guide' for the FX you add in? You have so many sounds going on in the background, I don't see how you can possibly note all of that down in the script, so what do you do--just write the most significant sounds in the script and do the rest on intuition?

Very little is written in regarding the layers of sound Fx. Only significant ones. When editing the show, many times I don't even look at the script, because what's on the page doesn't matter to what was recorded. That way there's not such a stringent sticking to the script. Changing around lines and dropping them is easier when listening to the scene rather than a script.

4. Any chance of posting a page or two from one of the earlier chapters so we could take a look? I find it interesting to see a bit of script and then listen to the production again to see how the actors brought it to life... anyway, think about it.

Done above. Someone asked me a software question, and we use Final Draft. There are a LOT of tools in regards to formatting the script and also simple things like revision tools that make life much easier. Also, line and character calculation tools make things easier when dealing with figuring out royalties.