Knightmare Audio Series: Summer Special 2016

Knightmare inspired creations from the community.
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TheOldenDays
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Knightmare Audio Series: Summer Special 2016

Post by TheOldenDays »

The paperwork isn't up on the KAS website yet, but the latest episode is now available to download with the following link: http://www.mediafire.com/download/kacsf ... l+2016.mp3

The fantastical world of Knightmare is brought to life by the voices of Jake Collins, Ross Thompson, Rosey Collins, Gemma Dwarwood and Amy Davies, while the four intrepid team members are voiced by Damon Wakes, John Hughes, Fionn Noonan and Antony Jeffries.

With the Mire World gone, something's moved into Level 3 to take its place, and someone's out to exert some power over the Dungeon again.
Canadanne
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Re: Knightmare Audio Series: Summer Special 2016

Post by Canadanne »

The Oracle's reference to a certain other show cracked me up. ;D

Is this the first time Fatilla has appeared in the Audio Series? Good impression of him!

LOL at "You wanted to be the dungeoneer, mate". :D And the joke I think I got in the spyglass scene even though I haven't seen the film in question. ;)

I wish the actual show had done more with Aesandre like this, she was so underused...

That greenfinch sound effect in the background is doing my head in - I'm always hearing them and never spotting them when I'm out birdwatching, and now there's one taunting me here as well! :P

Nice use of a gamebook character (and location)! Good way to use Majida, too.

That quest ending!!! ;D Well, I wasn't expecting *that*. :)

Really enjoyed listening to this while I got on with some boring tasks - thanks team!
TheOldenDays
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Re: Knightmare Audio Series: Summer Special 2016

Post by TheOldenDays »

I really do think this piece of work is a masterpiece in many ways. Following hot on the heels of the second series (several parts of which I love dearly and am greatly enthused by) this special really had to come across as something special by pushing some serious boundaries, and I think it achieves that very well.

Trying to channel Barry into an Audio Series dungeoneer is a very ambitious task, and fortunately Rosey found us the perfect actor to do it in Damon Wakes. I absolutely love Antony Jeffries as Eric, while John Hughes makes a triumphant debut as Colin and Fionn Noonan gives us some very good deliveries as Eamon, particularly "Mrs Bark did say, mate."

One might get to wondering whether there are really any new characters from the real show whose introduction can really add anything significantly worthwhile to the Audio Series at this point, and I think this episode proves that the answer to that piece of rumination is a resounding yes! I feel in particular that the introductory scenes of Gemma Dwarwood as the Oracle of Confusion and Amy Davies as Pixel translate really well from the real show, and add a fresh taste of classic Knightmare to the series.

When first listening to the episode, I was really struck by how much content from the Knightmare books had found its way in - there's the Lake of Wisps, Sister Lucienne, all the Babylon Walk stuff and Treguard's assessment of the ravine that doesn't really have what you might call a bottom. I did worry slightly that this might be a bit excessive, but on reflection I think it works very well. I was always intrigued by the wider Knightmare world that the later books introduced us to - the magical realm linked to our world and other places by more than just the dungeoneers coming on the TV show - and I think this special channels that feeling rather effectively, although obviously it's back in a quest-based environment.

I was particularly pleased to read the comment from Annie (all her comments were wonderful to read; we really do love getting feedback) about wanting to see more of the kind of thing we're doing with Aesandre making its way into the real show, as that means we've achieved our goal of expanding the Knightmare world from the TV in an appropriate but also ambitious way. I'd like to assure our devoted fans that this kind of thing is set to continue in the future.

As for Majida, I feel that her introduction works extremely well and the transition from Pickle's presence in the antechamber to her own has been smooth, amusing and believable. Now it remains to be seen just what kind of a contribution Majida will be making to the series in the future...

In conclusion, then, I love this special and it's made me very excited to move on to the next one.
TheOldenDays
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Re: Knightmare Audio Series: Summer Special 2016

Post by TheOldenDays »

We've had a lot of fun making the series over the past 8 years, but what do I really think of it? Find out now in Jake's Throwback Reviews!

Episode: Specials 2, Episode 1
Original Release Date: 24th June 2016
Throwback Review Date: 19th February 2018
Score: 5 out of 5 (brilliant)

The Good: I stand by all the praise I heaped on this episode in my original review, including the brilliance of the voice work on Gary, Eric, Colin and Eamon, the effectiveness of the first appearances of Pixel and the Oracle, the carefully judged inclusion of a whole load of stuff from the Knightmare books, and the smooth transition from Pickle to Majida. Also, it's particularly amusing to hear the Oracle's ramblings after not having listened to the episode for a while, and the same is true of the whole pestle and mortar mispronunciation sequence.

The (Not Really) Bad: As Gary bothers to answer Dooris after she's said her closing words, it would have been good to delay the drawbridge sound effect until after Gary's reply, so we could imagine that Dooris might have heard it before she disappeared. Of course it's very obliging of Aesandre and Calliban not to speak to each other until Gary and his advisors have quite finished their exchange at the start of the first spyglass sequence, but I still feel that this small contrivance is fully justified artistically.

Conclusion: Excellent stuff, well conceived and skilfully realised.
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