Am I on?

[clayhornik]

Thanks to gingeranne for her txt message. I'm feeling SO connected now.
Just think... when the crap hit's the fan, I can post by phone to LJ, on the off chance a hurricane or something else apocalyptic happens.
I'm reminded of a computer game that'd be cool to play now, Majestic. It was all X-Files conspiranoia, but you'd get voice mail and emails. The voice mails were particularly unnerving, the first couple anyway. Like someone calling for help as their room was being broken into.
Warren Ellis, on Mister Sleepless, used post by phone to read a story from his collection Available Light. It looks like he's take the bit from Sleeples, but you can hear it here.
In terms of story telling potential, this thing has huge possiblities. Halo 2 used blogger to promote it's release, in a mix of audio and text.
A clever author, musician, film maker can use something like that. Yes, Warren Ellis is clever. Very Clever.
Audio serials.
I'm reminded of Orson Welles's War of the Worlds. It used sound breaks effectively.
Orson Welles was Very Clever too.
My favourite has to be this bit:

CARL PHILLIPS
Ladies and gent... Am I on? Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, here I am, back of a stone wall that adjoins Mr. Wilmuth's garden. From here I get a sweep of the whole scene. I'll give you every detail as long as I can talk and as long as I can see.
More state police have arrived They're drawing up a cordon in front of the pit, about thirty of them. No need to push the crowd back now. They're willing to keep their distance.
The captain is conferring with someone. We can't quite see who. Oh yes, I believe it's Professor Pierson. Yes, it is. Now they've parted and the Professor moves around one side, studying the object, while the captain and two policemen advance with something in their hands.
I can see it now. It's a white handkerchief tied to a pole... a flag of truce. If those creatures know what that means... what ANYTHING means...
Wait a minute! Something's happening...
(HISSING SOUND FOLLOWED BY A HUMMING THAT INCREASES IN INTENSITY)
CARL PHILLIPS
A humped shape is rising out of the pit. I can make out a small beam of light against a mirror. What's that? There's a jet of flame springing from that mirror, and it leaps right at the advancing men. It strikes them head on! Good Lord, they're turning into flame!
(SCREAMS AND UNEARTHLY SHRIEKS)
CARL PHILLIPS
Now the whole field's caught fire.
(EXPLOSION)
CARL PHILLIPS
The woods... the barns... the gas tanks of automobiles... it's spreading everywhere. It's coming this way. About twenty yards to my right-

Silence. Cut to announcer and music. Even now, after a kijillion listens, that bit bothers the beejeebus out of me.
I think it'd be cool to do something like that in LJ.
With my phone.

Comments

[ex-gingerann370.livejournal.com]

Glad you got the message. I sent that a few days ago.

Man, I miss hanging out at Spookycon. You should visit the west coast more often.

Still the Greatest

[1stcyborg.livejournal.com]

War of the Worlds is still the greatest moment in the history of broadcast entertainment. Anything we could try to do to approach that would be such an awesome homage. I say we should collaborate!