year 12 media 2023

leo rieckmann

The Disappearance of the Lee Diamond

Unit 3 and 4 Media

SAT Final Presentation – Radio Drama

I intended to produce a detective mystery story in the form of a 40s-style radio drama. The radio show follows classic conventions of this time period including having a radio announcer introduce the show as well as advertising that is very ‘of the time’ e.g. cigarettes and sexism. This element of my media product was heavily inspired by old print advertisements from the 1940s and 50s with bright and flashy colouring informing the style of ads that were popular at the time. The mystery elements are intended to be light-hearted and fun in keeping with the ideals of this era and are inspired by comic book heroes such as Batman who were originally conceived in the early 40s and heavily popularised over the following decades. The mystery being solved is the disappearance of a prized artefact or jewel from a museum. Over the course of the radio play the main detectives collect evidence and have to piece it together to discover both how the artefact was stolen and who stole it so they can be brought to justice. The main ideas I intend to present through the story elements of my media product are that perceptiveness and cleverness are admirable traits as portrayed through the protagonist, the detective, being highly intelligent and observant. I also intended to explore an implicit criticism of the rich as the only wealthy characters depicted are presented as either antagonistic or having a naive sense of self-importance. I also explicitly mock the ideals of western culture in the 1940s making the short advertising segments in my radio play have elements of satire. The purpose of my radio show was to thrill audiences as they follow along with the unfolding drama of trying to catch the thief. I also intended for my product to be a joyful experience with light-hearted and simple story elements creating a sense of simplicity that will put listeners at ease.