|
|
The 2006 TCF ShortDocs: 99 Ways to Tell a Radio Story
A radio experiment with the following elements:
> An opening sentence ("To begin with, they never got along.")
> 3 specific sounds (pre-recorded voice, a rhythmic noise, an exclamation)
> A time limit (2 min 30 sec)
Resulting in:
> 99 different stories (with a few similarities)
Check out the 99 Ways archive to hear the growing collection of stories!
Note! The 99 Ways to Tell a Radio Story project is now closed. To listen to all 101 of the Ways that were submitted over the course of 2006, visit our 99 Ways archive.
Read on for more information:
About the project
2006 ShortDocs information
Guidelines
Submission details
Related projects
|
About the project
The Third Coast Festival, in collaboration with cartoonist Matt Madden (99 Ways to Tell a Story), announces 99 Ways to Tell a Radio Story - an experiment in documentary radio style and execution inspired by the French literary group Oulipo.
The TCF invites producers of all artistic backgrounds and experience levels to submit a finished, short (2:30) audio piece for 99 Ways to Tell a Radio Story. In the Oulipo tradition of imposing constraint on the creative process (read more), each submission must exhibit a distinct production style and include a specific first sentence and three particular sounds, which have been pre-selected by the Third Coast Festival and Madden.
Four submissions will be chosen as the official 2006 TCF ShortDocs and presented by their producers at the TCF Conference this fall. The other submissions will remain part of a permanent and public archive here at thirdcoastfestival.org. The deadline for submitting a story for ShortDoc consideration is September 8th.
Why the experiment? The TCF loves to encourage producers to push beyond traditional or instinctive approaches toward making radio. Here's an opportunity (and challenge) to use audio in new and surprising ways to tell a story. AND here's your chance to collaborate with participants from around the world on a cool project!
Oulipo stands for "Ouvroir de littérature potentielle", which translates roughly as "workshop of potential literature". So consider 99 Ways to Tell a Radio Story a "workshop of potential radio". We think it's going to be a lot of fun.
Questions? We encourage you to ask them. |
2006 ShortDocs
If you're already familiar with the ShortDocs you'll notice we're doing things differently this year. Instead of soliciting proposals for stories about a particular theme then choosing four as this year's ShortDocs, the TCF staff will choose four ShortDocs from the pool of work submitted to the 99 Ways project by September 8th.
We'll be looking for four audio pieces that present a range of stories, speak to a variety of emotions and clearly embrace the challenges of the experiment. Producers of the chosen ShortDocs will be invited to Chicago (all expenses paid) to attend the TCF Conference in October and present their work. The ShortDocs will also be featured seperately here on thirdcoastfestival.org. |
Guidelines
> TIMELINE
- Submissions for 99 Ways to Tell a Radio Story will be accepted Monday, April 17 - December 31, 2006.
- Submissions for consideration for the 2006 TCF ShortDocs will be accepted until Friday, September 8th. Producers whose work has been selected as a ShortDoc will be notified shortly thereafter.
- If more than 99 submissions are received before Friday, September 8th, the project will be be extended to include all submissions that arrive up until that date for ShortDoc consideration. After September 8th, additional submissions will also be accepted as part of 99 Ways... through December 31. (And we'd be delighted to overshoot the original plan of 99. Overjoyed.)
> LENGTH
Each submission must be 2 min 30 sec.
> STYLE
Tapping into new veins of creativity is the whole point of 99 Ways to Tell a Radio Story. To this end, each submission should exhibit a distinct style. Producers will be asked to include a description of this style along with a title and a one-sentence summary of their submission. Stories may be narrated or not, linear or abstract, true or false, documentary or fictional. They can even be reactions to or remixes of previously posted submissions.
Examples of styles beyond the traditional “narrated” / “non-narrated” divide:
- Confessional
- Talk Radio-ish
- Infant Perspective
- Drunk
> FIRST SENTENCE
Each submission must begin with the following opening sentence, either directly narrated or interpreted otherwise, for instance through sound, metaphor or dramatization: "To begin with, they never got along."
> SOUNDS
Each submission must include the following sounds, interpreted literally, figuratively or however else a producer wishes. The sounds must appear in the order listed here, but may occur in the piece at any time, and for whatever length a producer wishes. The sounds may be recorded or found, or metaphorical, real or invented.
> a pre-recorded voice
Examples: answering machine messages / public transportation announcements / a found cassette from the thrift store / electronic doll voices / automatic check-out at the grocery
> a rhythmic noise
Examples: jackhammer / clock ticking / hoofbeats / windshield wipers / car alarm / applause
> an exclamation
Examples: Ouch! / Get off of my foot! / Put your hands up in the air! / Swing, batter!
Note: While expletives are not forbidden, keep in mind your story might air on the radio.
Questions? We encourage you to ask them or read through the FAQ. Or do both. |
Submission Details
Note! The 99 Ways to Tell a Radio Story project is now closed. To listen to all 101 of the Ways submitted over the course of 2006, visit our 99 Ways archive. The information below is listed for historical reference.
|
|
More about Oulipo, Matt Madden and related projects:
Founded in 1960 by French writers Raymond Queneau and Francois Le Lionnais, and includng others such as Marcel Duchamp, Italo Calvino and Georges Perec, Oulipo promotes the art of writing under specific, self-imposed constraints, with the intent of triggering inspiration and yet unexplored creativity.
In "Exercises in Style," one of the seminal examples of Oulipo literature, Queneau rewrote a two-paragraph short story in 99 different ways, with each version exhibiting a distinct style of its own. Matt Madden pursued the same idea using a nine-panel comic, with "99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style." There are many other Oulipo and Oulipo-like projects out in the world. If you know of one to include on this list let us know.
More about Oulipo
Official Oulipo website
Exercises in Style, by Raymond Queneau (book)
Queneau’s famous collection of 99 tellings of a two-paragraph story, with each version written in a different "style,” including the past tense, awkwardly, as an ode, in pure slang, through logical analysis, etc.
99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style, by Matt Madden (book)
Madden’s adaptation of Queneau’s original idea through the art of comics.
More about Matt Madden
Madden will be moderating the session presenting the 2006 ShortDocs at the TCF Conference in October.
Dogme95
Lars Von Trier's call to action to filmmakers to counter "certain tendencies" in modern filmmaking. Includes the infamous "Vow of Chastity" - ten rules for making films that challenge film industry worldwide.
The Iron Chef
How could we not point this out?
99 Ways on Myspace
160 Versions of Todd Colby's "Cake"
WFMU dj Kenny G. has been playing the same 45-second rant about cake during his weekly radio show for ten years. Recently he invited listeners to send in their own versions of the cake rant, resulting in several hours of partly delicious / partly disturbing slices of audio...
|
|
|
|
|
|
