Lamplighter Theatre

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the microphones at a recording session for a radio drama? Well here is an insiders look from one of the industries best, Mark Drury, on what the Foley recording involved for Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince.

Well, you’ve got 53 scenes with some challenging action and settings…it ain’t a Whit’s End or Barclay’s show! Even with 2 of us working on it together (with me doing some stuff on my own), the time commitment will probably end up being around 80-85 hours for the foley. That might be about 15-20% longer than if I was doing this at Focus – in a true foley room with all surfaces and props readily available – but foley is always a very time-consuming process, especially when you have to get very unique sounds like crawling through weeds, jumping on/off wagons, horse dismounts (did that with a real saddle on a stand), building a dam in a stream (used a real stream), jumping on/off a rolling ladder, getting in/out of a boat and rowing, etc, etc, etc. Can’t just get that stuff off of sound fx CD’s and make it sound in-scene or timed correctly.

Foley is the art of recording the natural, everyday sounds that would occur in a soundtrack for a movie or audio recording. Basic sounds would be cloth movements, foot steps, doors opening, body movements, etc. It is the sound that provides a real life aspect in a fictional environment. You may not notice when it’s there, but when it’s not, you would certainly feel a difference. Foley recording involves long days of much physical activity, scrutinizing the performance to ensure accuracy, and a lot of editing. For a high quality, realistic sounding audio drama like Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince, much of the recording would be done at various locations outside the studio in order to capture the most realistic sounds.

Our producers and sound designers have put an incredible amount of effort into making this audio drama the very best that it can be in a relatively short amount of time. There has been a great number of long days and nights put into the creation of Lamplighter’s first audio drama. We can’t wait for you to hear it!

One of the biggest challenges in producing an audio drama intended for radio is actually getting it on the airwaves. Thankfully, we have had interest in our project from radio stations before we even began. We knew that when we had a finished product, we had a place to put it. And for us, that is just more evidence that God is in this and that He is directing our steps according to His plans. Here is a brief note from Rick Snavely, CEO and Network Manager of Family Life Network in Bath, NY after receiving “Defy the Darkness” and the accompanying promotional materials:

Mark,

Wow – I’m impressed! That’s quite a promotional package that you put together. How far along are you with the video concept? Will you have a video for each audio story that you produce? It looks like your going full-speed ahead with multiple engines. I’m excited for you!

Rick Snavely
CEO / Radio Network Manager
Family Life Network
  

We’ve been receiving a lot of positive feedback from people who have listened to the demo of Sir Malcom and the Missing Prince. Its exciting for us to see that others are eagerly anticipating the release of this just as we are. Here are a few examples:

Dear Mr. Hamby,

We are so excited to hear the entire audio drama!!! This glimpse was so good; we wanted it to continue!! Our family is Jonathan Parker fans; however, Lamplighter Theatre seems like it is going to quickly become a new favorite! We love reading the Lamplighter books and the audio drama is an exciting addition. It will be a great way to introduce others to your ministry and ultimately to the Lord. We will be sure to pass on the excitement at the IAHE convention where we will be working (it’s too much fun to be considered work though) at the Lamplighter booth. What a blessing this ministry is )

Praying you up!

The Dutchess family

Excellent!!!! So excited about this! I had a 3yr. old, a 9yr. old, a 10yr., 14yr., 15yr., 16 1/2yr. old, and myself listening to it…EVERYONE loved it. It far surpasses what we even had imagined it would be. Awesome job! Can’t wait for them to be finished.

-Tamara

WOW! I wasn’t expecting to be able to publish a preview of what we’re working on quite this early. But here it is! As I mentioned in the previous post, our team was working feverishly to produce a five minute demo for a foundation who is meeting to discuss funding for Lamplighter Theatre. When I got into the office this morning, the first thing I heard from a co-worker was “Did you hear the audio yet?” Immediately I sat down and and listened to the demo… and it would be fruitless to try to explain to you in words what the experience was like. So without further ado, Lamplighter Theatre presents, Sir Malcom and the Missing Prince (Demo)!

This past weekend a great effort was underway to produce a five minute excerpt of the new Sir Malcom and the Missing Prince Dramatic Audio to send to a very important meeting. Both our audio engineer and music composer spent their weekend working on this, and they did it free of charge. Once the sound designer completed the final mix of this demo, our producer John Fornoff raced around trying to find an open courier who could deliver the demo overnight to the meeting. No one was open, and he had just missed FedEx by five minutes. John was ready to book a flight to Texas in order to deliver the demo in time, but in a moment of wisdom, his wife urged him to contact a recording studio near where the meeting was to take place to see if they could help. Thankfully, a studio employee was working and was not only willing to receive the demo over the internet and record it to a cd, but to ensure it’s delivery to the meeting by 9 a.m. the next morning.

One of the most extraordinary things about working in ministry, is seeing God use people in ways you might never expect. The people that God has raised up to be a part of Lamplighter and Lamplighter Theatre are people of passion and vision, and the years they have spent in cultivating their skills have not blinded their eyes and ears to God’s call for sacrifice and faithfulness.

On a daily basis, usually many times a day, Mark Hamby, the founder and president of Lamplighter, is either on the phone or exchanging e-mails with our talented producer John Fornoff. These conversations are full of energy, ideas, and passion for the projects we’re working on at Lamplighter Publishing. Here is a thread of conversations that Mark sent to me to give you a glimpse into the process of Lamplighter Theatre:

John,

My mind is spinning right now with so many ideas. We probably should have a phone meeting and talk through all of the ideas that i have sent to you and try to hone in on the most quintessential ones. One that came to me this morning is that:

God is more concerned with our holiness than our happiness. God loves us enough to allow us to suffer. Why? Because suffering produces endurance which produces character which cultivates hope, which will never disappoint us. This is because we have a sovereign God who loves us so much that He allowed His own Son to suffering on a cross…for our good. So many today are looking for a quick fix. We want it now. But God sees the future…the eternal future and teaches us that the suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us….

As Debbie would say at about this time…”Cut it! You think too much.”

On another note, just a reminder to share with Marshal how we want to convey about the tough choice the father has to make in order to help his son learn valuable lesson. John, we are so excited about this! praying for you…let me know when you want to meet.

-Mark Hamby

Hi Mark,

I was just talking this morning with a bright young man who’s facing some challenges in his work situation, where he’s not being treated well. I mentioned that he needs to leave in God’s timing–not his. If he jumps ship just because he’s suffering, he’ll miss the benefits of perseverance, character, and hope. Don’t get off the ride until God says you’re done.

Anyway, the words your sharing are having an effect on me and others. I never saw that perspective–that God allowed his own Son to suffer for our good. So he’ll allow us to suffer for our own good as well.

John:

I hope I am not inundating you with too much. There is just so much that needs to be done and now that God is opening the doors that we have been praying and dreaming about for twenty years, it is hard to hold back.

-Mark

Mark, Amen! Bring it on!

Whenever I get around someone who’s passionate about their mission–as your are–I get a clear sense of the excitement of God himself. A pastor friend told me once that the root word of enthusiasm is entheos, or “God within.” That’s the sense of excitement I sense in you and Debbie. This is no flash-in-the pan excitement. This is a reservoir of blessing that’s been building up for thirty years like water about to burst through a dam.

Blessings ahead,

John

Mark,

I’ve told the team how much you appreciate their hard work. And I am grateful for how God teamed us together. I have sensed his favor before, but this is on a whole different level. He wants to birth something powerful here, and like you, I want to be faithful to the call. Thank you for your thoughtful note. I’m touched and very thankful for your passion to be a God-seeker and courage to be a God-pleaser no matter what. It’s an honor and joy to work alongside you!

Blessings ahead,

John

Here is a short note we received from a valued member of the Lamplighter family:

Hi Mr. Hamby,

We were in the car today, and [my sister] was reading the script for Sir Malcolm aloud to us. Very soon after she started to read, the car was quiet, all of us listening. My 8 year old brother, sitting there with rapt attention, suddenly said, “Turn it up!” We all burst out laughing because we knew he meant the volume, and she was only reading it! Thought you might like to hear that…we can’t wait to hear the audio version!!! We were very sorry when she came to the end of part 1. As Adventures in Odyssey fans, and already Lamplighter Theatre fans, we’re very excited to see this! (This looks like it might turn out even better than Odyssey!)

-Esther

Wow, that was quick! The first production of Lamplighter Theatre has completed the recording of all four episodes. Our producer, John Fornoff is bursting with excitement from the project! Here’s a short report of what he’s been experiencing:

Day 1

Mark, this is incredible…wait till you hear this…this is the greatest program I’ve ever produced!


Blessings ahead,

John

Day 2

Hello Mark,
We’re in the middle of Part 3. This cast has great chemistry–we definitely want to bring back many of them for future shows! 
Thank you for your prayers.


Blessings ahead,
John

Day 3

When I heard the part where Hugh stands before his father the King, tears came.
John

The audio will be available to purchase on May 15th, 2009 and will be broadcast nationally on Christian, and some secular, radio stations September 1st. Please be in prayer for our efforts to raise the funds necessary to continue producing these remarkable audio dramas.

Sneak Peak: We are going to be holding an essay contest for Defy the Darkness…Stay Tuned!

Today is a big day for us at Lamplighter! I just received word that the first episode of our first radio drama is being recorded today! And with the release of our promotional short film “Defy the Darkness,” the launch of a newly designed and upgraded webstore, as well as the launch of this blog, the word “busy” becomes rather inadequate! God has opened many doors, and windows, over the past few months and much has happened. Mark Hamby, the president of Lamplighter, has accounted for much of it in his blog and I would encourage you to take a look at what’s been happening.

If you’re not already on our Prayer Partners e-mail list, please considers signing up to offer your support in prayer. I’d also like to recommend that you subscribe to this blog’s RSS feed to receive the most up-to-date news and info about Lamplighter Theatre. More info on RSS and other auto-update options here. Please check back often for news, images, and video from the journey with Lamplighter Theatre.