A UK survey published last year (and which I wrote about in a previous Rockford Blog) voted The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Primary Phase, by Douglas Adams, read by a full BBC cast) as the nation's most popular audiobook for adults and children.
As I said at the time, it's great. It's a fantastic, classic production. You should get it!
But it was made thirty years ago. Nothing wrong with that either perhaps. But why, when computer technology has brought high quality audio production within the grasp of every project studio, are there no more Hitchhikers-style adventures in sound? It seems to me that the phrase 'audio book' now means no more than an actor or author in a studio reading a book.
Hitchhiker is so much more than this - a wonderful story, of course, but also a real adventure in sound with narration, characters, music and sound effects.
The answer to the lack of creativity is certainly lack of budget... and laziness. Producing complete audio adventures is a real undertaking. A labour of love and, I'm afraid, commercial pressures make few allowances for the sort of dedication required.
Unless of course you're mad enough to have locked yourself in a darkened room for three years to produce one! Rockford's Rock Opera is our unique adventure in sound. If you love Hitchhiker, you'll love this too (so will your kids) and, because it's written by Steve Punt, there's a Douglas Adams connection there too. Part One is free so you can judge for yourself!
This blog will tell the story of how Rockford's Rock Opera is now reaching out, with a free audiobook, from our attic to the world.
As I said at the time, it's great. It's a fantastic, classic production. You should get it!
But it was made thirty years ago. Nothing wrong with that either perhaps. But why, when computer technology has brought high quality audio production within the grasp of every project studio, are there no more Hitchhikers-style adventures in sound? It seems to me that the phrase 'audio book' now means no more than an actor or author in a studio reading a book.
Hitchhiker is so much more than this - a wonderful story, of course, but also a real adventure in sound with narration, characters, music and sound effects.
The answer to the lack of creativity is certainly lack of budget... and laziness. Producing complete audio adventures is a real undertaking. A labour of love and, I'm afraid, commercial pressures make few allowances for the sort of dedication required.
Unless of course you're mad enough to have locked yourself in a darkened room for three years to produce one! Rockford's Rock Opera is our unique adventure in sound. If you love Hitchhiker, you'll love this too (so will your kids) and, because it's written by Steve Punt, there's a Douglas Adams connection there too. Part One is free so you can judge for yourself!
This blog will tell the story of how Rockford's Rock Opera is now reaching out, with a free audiobook, from our attic to the world.
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