It’s been just over a year now since I joined The Script Department as one of the regular voice actors on their podcast. It’s a fresh way to celebrate the art of screenwriting by ‘bringing cinema to your ears.’ It’s been exciting to watch the podcast grow from a few of us churning out quality scripts every fortnight, to having renowned guest readers like Allen Leech and Dylan Kussman. Even getting an endorsement from Oscar winning writer and director Paul Haggis. I’ve read everything from an old gangster who’s come out of retirement, to a young boxer having the fight of her life, to a yoga instructor coming to terms with an abusive past. After a couple of months trying to find the right project for me to work on, The Script dept. producer John Finnegan presented me with the script ‘I’m Alright’, by Ben Jones.
I’ve worked with John for many years, in fact since his days as a film student at St John’s Central College in Cork. The now Dr. John Finnegan, yes he is an actual script doctor and I’m like a proud older sister, presented me with Ben’s script and I jumped right on board. It’s pandemic story. I see a trend happening here! *see last post 😉
I began recording it straight away. I recorded from home on my BLUE Yeti mic as I’ve always done. The challenge at the moment is trying to find a quiet spot in the house! Ben wrote this clever short screenplay based on a brother and sister living in the UK and Italy respectively and their different approaches and attitudes to Covid 19. We hear this unfold over their Skype conversations and disagreements and the progression of a niggling cough.
The biggest challenge I found was reading the part of Boris Johnson on the TV as he addresses the public. I tired my best impression but sense prevailed and my fellow Script Department actor and producer Marcus Armstrong stepped in to voice the British PM. It gave a much more dynamic and realistic feel to the read and brought Ben’s script to life even more. The result is a clever short that no doubt will go in the vault of 2020 as a reminder of these crazy times.