BulbaCast Radio Drama Contest - Authors Wanted!

BMG's newest project, the BulbaCast, has already made a big splash on the internet. And as you may have already heard, a smaller side-project will soon be added to it, the BulbaCast Radio Drama.

However, there are many talented authors in the Pok?mon Fandom, any of which would be well suited to writing the script for the BulbaCast's first Radio Drama. It raises the question, "How are we ever going to decide who should write it?"

Why, the way all great decisions are made - through competition! Hence, Bulbagarden is holding the first (and likely not the last) BulbaCast Radio Drama Contest! May the best author win!

Rules, Suggestions, and Guidelines:

- You may either write independently or in a small group.
We have no problems with multiple people entering together, if they feel that would allow them to present a better result! Team names are suggested for any pairs or trios entering, and required for groups larger than three, since we'd rather not spend too long on the credits for each episode.

- Keep in mind that the scripts will be performed aloud and write appropriately.
If you choose to use a narrator for your story, keeping their part limited to an introduction and wrapup is a good idea. Having them read every last motion of the characters like someone dictating the stage directions of a play will hurt the flow of your story. Instead, try to have the characters' dialogue reflect the actions. Also, don't go overboard on the size of the cast or the number of characters per scene - while we have actors who are talented enough to perform multiple roles, we can only have four actors in each scene, five if there's an actor with the Skype recording capabilities.

- The scripts should be for a short to medium sized series with episodes that would take five to ten minutes to perform.
Sorry, but we will not be taking up half the 'Cast with the Radio Drama. Nor do we wish to be performing your work for the next five years, regardless of how good it is.

- If you need to choose between English and Japanese names, go with English.
The Radio Drama itself is in English, so is it not logical that the English names should be used? Rather than, say, stopping every fifth line to translate a name for the listeners? And yes, the script must be in English, since this is primarily an English website.

- Only real Pok?mon permitted, preferably ones that have English names and voices already.
Just as we would rather not stop and translate for the viewers, we'd also rather not stop and describe your brand new invented-just-for-the-Radio-Drama Pok?mon for them. Conversely...

- Original characters are required.
Or at least characters who never have and likely never will appear in the anime. Why? Imitating the voices of the anime characters is tougher than just imitating the Pok?mon voices! We'll make an exception for any Jennys and Joys that may show up, but really, don't expect any of us to be able to mimick Veronica Taylor or Eric Stuart. We apologize in advance to anyone who can't write original characters without them turning out to be Mary Sues. And on that note...

- The more original the story, the better.
If we just wanted to perform the adventures of Vash, Kristy, and Locke, we wouldn't be holding this contest. Trainer stories aren't likely to do well, unless you take it in a direction that is interesting and far from a rehash of the anime. Non-trainer stories are even better - how about breeders? Rockets? Professors? Rangers? Snatchers? Scientists? Think of all the directions you could take this before you start writing another trainer story!

- Nothing more mature than would be found in the anime.
Sorry, but working in dialogue with gunfire is tough, and none of us can make orgasming Pok?mon noises particularly well. Not to mention there's likely to be younger Bulbagardeners listening. We'll be less strict than 4Kids, but really, if it wouldn't be seen in the Japanese version of the anime, it won't be heard in this Radio Drama.

By Midnight (EST) on January 28th, please PM Pie with the following:
- Your online penname, as well as the penname of any other people you worked with and your group name if applicable.
- An overview of the entire plot of your series.
- Brief profiles of all the characters involved. In particular, a description of what their voices sound like.
- The first three episodes of your Radio Drama series, or if you have not completed five episodes, as much as you have finished by the deadline.

Entries will be judged in private by Moderators involved in the Bulbagarden Radio Drama project or in charge of the Bulbagarden Fanfiction Forum. Winner will be announced on the BulbaCast that airs one week after the contest's end and on the Bulbagarden Fanfiction Forum. If there are at least five entries, the second and third place entries will be announced as well.

And just to give you a heads-up about what will happen if your entry is accepted:
- First, your entry will be heavily edited by (insert all the people willing to be an editor here). Even if your entry is the best, we want to polish it before we perform it.
- Then, the potential voice actors for the Bulbagarden Radio Drama will each do a readthrough of sections of the script, giving them an opportunity to demonstrate what they would sound like for each of the characters. The recordings of this will be submitted to you, and you will get to choose which of the voice actors best suits each character's voice. If new characters are introduced later in the story, this process will be repeated for each when scripts involving their parts are written.
- Your radio drama will be performed on the BulbaCast! It will be near the end, before the BulbaCast Karaoke Contest. Each episode of the BulbaCast will contain an episode of your radio drama, save if technical difficulties make it impossible to have the newest episode ready by the time the latest BulbaCast is. However, given that the radio drama should mostly stick to the BulbaCast bi-weekly schedule, you will be expected to have the scripts ready two weeks in advance before the new episode airs to give us time to record it.

Feel free to posts any questions or comments you may have in this thread.

Remember, the deadline is January 28th! Winners will be announced in the first BulbaCast of February! We can't wait to see your entries! Good luck!

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