Erica Andreyev
04/25/15
Professor Reed
ENGWR300
Writing Assignment #3
War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds is a broadcast scripted by Orson Welles in 1938, in which Mercury Theatre on the Air enacted a Martian invasion of Earth/New Jersey. During this broadcast, it was said to have frightened many civilians and “Upwards of a million people, [were] convinced, if only briefly, that the United States was being laid waste by alien invaders,” narrator Oliver Platt informs us in the new PBS documentary celebrating the program. It was staged as a Halloween episode on October 30, 1938, and aired over the Broadcasting System radio network. It was said to have caused wide ranged panic, but did not last long. Some panicked when they heard the Martians' …show more content…
For example, when Announcer Two spoke he mentioned an interruption: “Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt our program of dance music to bring you a special bulletin from the Intercontinental Radio News”(The War of the Worlds 2). Welles started off by presenting believable information about a Professor who reported seeing explosions of gas on planet Mars, which was then moving toward Earth. This seems realistic and non-fiction right? This is how he grabbed the listeners’ attention to feel the urge to want to hear more. It then progressed with an interview with Pierson, who spoke calmly and assured the interviewer that nothing abnormal was happening at that moment. Slowly but surely, Professor Pierson began to announce that an abnormal meteorite of some sort was headed towards Earth. These events progressed to the landing of it on a farm, to then a hissing sound coming from …show more content…
As time passed, the announcers and professors continued to inform everyone over the radio about every new piece of information they might have discovered about this “meteor”. Orson Welles new exactly how to use the radio’s creative possibilities. He succeeded in turning fiction into reality. Adding policemen and the farm owner into the script is an element he used to build on the suspense and reality. The way Wilmuth, who was the owner of the farm that the object landed on, spoke about the phenomenon in fright and pure shock made it seem even more real. Orson was definitely a great narrator, with an imaginative mind. He was very creative when it came to elements of surprise. Welles twisted the dialogue to make the surrounding sound more realistic. He “interrupted” the music, and presented information by introducing Government Bureau requests, showing seriousness in the
04/25/15
Professor Reed
ENGWR300
Writing Assignment #3
War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds is a broadcast scripted by Orson Welles in 1938, in which Mercury Theatre on the Air enacted a Martian invasion of Earth/New Jersey. During this broadcast, it was said to have frightened many civilians and “Upwards of a million people, [were] convinced, if only briefly, that the United States was being laid waste by alien invaders,” narrator Oliver Platt informs us in the new PBS documentary celebrating the program. It was staged as a Halloween episode on October 30, 1938, and aired over the Broadcasting System radio network. It was said to have caused wide ranged panic, but did not last long. Some panicked when they heard the Martians' …show more content…
For example, when Announcer Two spoke he mentioned an interruption: “Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt our program of dance music to bring you a special bulletin from the Intercontinental Radio News”(The War of the Worlds 2). Welles started off by presenting believable information about a Professor who reported seeing explosions of gas on planet Mars, which was then moving toward Earth. This seems realistic and non-fiction right? This is how he grabbed the listeners’ attention to feel the urge to want to hear more. It then progressed with an interview with Pierson, who spoke calmly and assured the interviewer that nothing abnormal was happening at that moment. Slowly but surely, Professor Pierson began to announce that an abnormal meteorite of some sort was headed towards Earth. These events progressed to the landing of it on a farm, to then a hissing sound coming from …show more content…
As time passed, the announcers and professors continued to inform everyone over the radio about every new piece of information they might have discovered about this “meteor”. Orson Welles new exactly how to use the radio’s creative possibilities. He succeeded in turning fiction into reality. Adding policemen and the farm owner into the script is an element he used to build on the suspense and reality. The way Wilmuth, who was the owner of the farm that the object landed on, spoke about the phenomenon in fright and pure shock made it seem even more real. Orson was definitely a great narrator, with an imaginative mind. He was very creative when it came to elements of surprise. Welles twisted the dialogue to make the surrounding sound more realistic. He “interrupted” the music, and presented information by introducing Government Bureau requests, showing seriousness in the