This was unlike a normal radio commercial, in that it was recorded, edited and crafted over a number of weeks. In the weeks leading up to recording we read, watched and listened to everything we could about the event. Witness accounts, articles and military bureau of history documents were sourced and absorbed. All this was done to give us an authentic understanding of the sights and sounds of the rising, so we could best replicate them in the studio. In terms of voice direction, we took two approaches. Firstly, a flat monotone approach was taken to deliver the Morse code translation piece, as this matched the cold, disconnected delivery of the Morse code beeps. A more convenient and reflective approach was taken to the announcer delivery – it’s respectful, whilst having a warm pride. With everything we did, we tried to be as authentic as possible, leading us to use sounds effects from two of the most prominent weapons used during the Easter Rising (namely the Lee Enfield .303 and the Howth Mauser). This approach also led us to match the rate of the original transmission (20WPM/1000HZ). Due to this immersive approach, we were able to create an authentic audio recreation of the battles during the Easter Rising – to not just tell the audience what happened, but place in them the middle of this extraordinary piece of Irish history.
