A thought on Prequel Radio Dramas.

I've actually given it lots of thought. My own audio drama www.TheTableRound.com started life as my attempt to make a Star Wars fan drama, inspired by other Star Wars fan dramas.

While my creative juices go mostly towards Table Round, if you were getting a band put together, I'd like to be on it, although not the leader.

peep Star Wars FanWorks to see a lit of the awesome work people are doing.

Tack said:

If it was based on the novelizations

I remember reading the Attack of the Clones novelization a friend lent me ("You like Star Wars so you should read it - it's really good" he said. Sometimes I wonder why we're still friends). I wouldn't wish that abomination upon anyone.

However, if somebody made those... things into something decent, which effectively means rewriting all three movies from scratch, keeping the basic idea and nothing but the basic idea (the fall of Anakin Skywalker), I'd be interested. And impressed by whomever would be insane enough to do it.

Tack said:

If it was based on the novelizations, removed a bunch of anachronistic elements, and gave actual expression to everything, of COURSE I'd be interested!

 I agree. The novelisation's have big chunks of good characterization and interesting scenes that would expand and enhance the story in much the way th OT Radio shows did.

I would also say including chunks of the Clone Wars material (Tatarovsky cartoon, novels)  as the first  episode or two of "Revenge of the Sith," giving material immediatly preceding the start of the film. 

fishmanlee said:

 

 Yeah, I am.


TPM:

You might want to consider an Annikin chapter, like the early Luke and Leia chapters in the SW-Radio show. The first chapters of the novel are about that. Possibly and Amidala/Palpatine/Trade Federation chapter, fleshing them out.

Short Negotiations
The Droid Invasion
The Underwater Adventure
Queen Amidala
Fateful Meetings
Bet for a Slave
The Big Race
Freedom
The High Council
War Clouds
A Noble End
New Knight, New Apprentice


ROTS
The Clone Wars (pehaps a whole chapter on the attack on Coruscant?)
The Chancellor Rescue
Scenes and Dreams
Seeds of Distrust
General Grievous
Betrayal and Dark Deeds
Fall of the Jedi
Enter Lord Vader
The Terrible Truth
Narrow Escapes
An Empire Is Forged
Birth and Rebirth
A New Hope

Just assuming you're looking to mirror the basic length and format of the NPR dramas? 

I have accounts on all the audio drama casting websites and forums, and already a pretty big rolodex of talent. 

Would you want talent to do at least a passing similarity to the actor's from the film? 

Casting a good Lil' Annie would be really important. You'd probably want to consider a female to play him. 

I have formatted audio drama scripts and a giant collection of sound FX (including a bunch of Star Wars ones) at your disposal sir. 

This is a fantastic idea.  I found the novels far superior to the films.  If you guys successfully pulled this off, I would be first in line to take a listen!

As an alternative idea, since no one here has the resources to completely remake the prequels in film format, it might be interesting to remake them in audio drama format.  I think it could be really cool to create the prequels in a manner closer to how GL originally described them, and preferably with a likable Anakin, Kenobi as a real General, the clones as bad guys, no droid armies, etc.  I know folks have attempted some ideas in the scriptwriting section.  This might be a good venue to make better stories become a reality without the budgetary and legal problems of remaking the films.

You mean my rewrite? I suppose I'm not against the idea, but I don't think I have the technical know-how needed to get it done properly myself.

I think this is a really good idea although I'd prefer they at least loosely be based on the prequels films/novelizations/supplemental material that exist, rather than wholly original stories, although if original stories were to be done I would love to hear a script based upon Belated Media's treatments for better Star Wars prequels.

...also I can do a pretty mean Ewan MacGregor as Obi-Wan impression :P

Moving on the assumption the adaptation would be of the PT as made, it seems the best choice would be PUSH the strengths, HIDE the weaknesses. 

Matt Stover wrote some GOLD in ROTJ novelisation about Annie's fear of death. We could push those flashbacks actually into TPM and AOTC strengthening his character immensely. 

A thought on audio POV. 

In audio, its more difficult to shift scenes and viewpoints, because it takes a few moments to reorient the audience to where they are, who is there, and the more frequently you do it, the cheesier it starts to sound.

For example, the speeder chase in AOTC, I'd stick with Anakin the whole time. Obi jumps out the window, Anakin races to find a car, drives off scanning the skies for Obi, sees the droid blow up and catches Obi. No need to jump from Annie to Obi to stupid assassin and back. 

Octorox said:

...also I can do a pretty mean Ewan MacGregor as Obi-Wan impression :P

 Then why the blue milk haven't you gotten a role on The Table Round yet?

http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/The-Table-Round-Podcast-Audio-Drama/topic/16299/

http://secrethistoryofstarwars.com/thebeginning.html

This article by Zombie has lots of great material of how TPM could be tweaked, with Lucas's original ideas, to have a little more depth, without really altering the plot.

OBI-WAN: Your style of fighting is old, but I understand it now. 
MAUL: You learn fast. 
OBI-WAN: You don't bother to learn. 
MAUL: I don't have to.

Before Maul can act, Kenobi lashes out and cuts the Sith warrior in half. He studies his fallen enemy and says: "Learn not...live not, my master always says."

http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Radio-Drama-Scripts/topic/3883/

Apparently there was at least a full script someone wrote for a TPM radio drama. Might be worth looking for. 

EDIT: Found it. It'll give it a looksee. By a cat named Christopher McElroy. Anybody know him?

So my Ewan MacGregor was not as good as I thought but my Christopher Lee is okay. Here's a quick test

Octorox said:

So my Ewan MacGregor was not as good as I thought but my Christopher Lee is okay. Here's a quick test

 I cant speak for the PT show, but you've got a part in www.TheTableRound.com if you want it. :)

The more I think about this, the more I hope it happens.  There is really a lot of potential with a product like this. There are many things I enjoy about the OT radio drama even more than the movies themselves (and vice versa of course).  I imagine a radio drama of the prequels really could enhance and improve the story of the prequels, and, as Boost said, minimize the bad.

Unfortunately, I know how difficult it can be to successfully pull off a collaborative project like this.  I wish all the best of luck.

It seems to me here are the next logical steps.

1. We need a bitchin logo. Projects aint nuttin' till they gots a logo.

Can anyone make something like this

for The Phantom Menace? Maybe with Amidala's ship, or a podracer?

2.We need to contact this Chris Elroy dude. At the very least his scripts are a great jumping off point. Well written, a bit wordy IMHO, . But very good.

3. We need a dramaturge. Someone with mad EU skillz, who can dig through the pile and find those bits of gold, moments, facts, characters, history that will add to TPM, especially from the pre-existing retellings of TPM across different media. Make a dumping ground for useful bits, possibly also a google doc.

4. Find if anyone has this book.