Website
The Cotg website is a marvel to behold. It is well thought out, created with a strong theme in mind and detailed beautifully. Everything you want to know about the show is here, except perhaps a synopsis. It seems strange to have so much fantastic detail and yet not a basic synopsis of what the series is about. Even when you look at the individual episodes, they have great graphics, and nice log entries, producers comments and full credits (not enough shows include full credits in my opinion), but there isn't a single synopsis of what happens in the show to be seen, not even a teaser! Coming episodes give you a good idea of the stage of development and there's a section to help those interested in auditioning for parts. The forums are pretty sparse and sad looking. I recommend they get abandoned and Christopher Mack just looks for a spot on Audio Drama Talk like many other producers have. Rating 5/5
Audio Drama Type- Modern Theater/Audio Book
Cotg's has become one of the first examples of the power of modern audio stories on the web. It uses narration, plenty of sound effects, and a strong plot. There's an effort made for different sounding voices and strong use of music in the production. The largest complaint here is that it's really not Audio Drama. The script is written more like described audio. You find this occurring from people who really want to make a movie or write a book and do not trust the conventions of Audio Drama. Instead of setting up a situation or explaining the back story (which is done handily in the first episode) the main character describes every, little, thing that occurs in the story. Yes there are sound effects, but they end up being ways to confirm the story instead of telling it. Yes there are other actors, but so are multi-cast audio books. That's what Cotg feels like, an audio book with a big cast and lots of sound effects.
Acting Type: Long Distance Amateur
Acting is varied and unfortunately the unevenness shows. There are strong actors and weak ones. Strongest are Chris Mack himself as Kevin Corval. Strangely enough, all the female main roles are equally as strong. The poor acting at times takes away from the story itself, although there are script problems and production problems that add to this too. Rating 3/5
Production Type: Detailed/Rich
You would be hard pressed to more rich production. Christopher Mack knows production value. The sound is multi-layered and filled with appropriate and energetic music. The sound effects act as a character in the story, and that is how great audio lets you fall into the experience. This is the kind of audio story you want to listen to with headphones to get the full effect. Although I did play it in my car as well to work and enjoyed it too. It can not be emphasized enough how important it is to watch the levels of a show the more you add sound effects. An audio drama can easily go from layered to cluttered. This does not.
However if there is one problem in this production it is in direction. The editing of the actors voices comes across as mechanical and painful to listen to at times. There's something that occurs in many audio drama editing I will call "Ping Pong". This is the effect of one person talking then shooting the ball over to another person to talk and vice versa. Real discussion doesn't work that way. People run over each other's lines, they interrupt halfway through a speech. They speed up. They slow down, and they pause before they say things. There are moments where Chris Mach has a character say half a line and pauses as if the other character is supposed to interrupt them, and then another character takes over. Do not be afraid to have your characters talking at once. We can follow along, and it will sound far more natural. Rating 4/5
Writing
Many of the issues of the writing creep up in the other elements of the story- production and acting direction. Starting with script problems can make a struggling actor come across as horrible. Chris Mack is best at innovative plot developments, action scenes, and the tech jargon- and don't get me wrong, those are very good. Where the writing is troubling is in its descriptions. Mr. Mack describes far too much. It slows down the story and sounds unnatural.
The entire first episode was written as a log entry while the main character awaited rescue, and that was a good way to give the background to fill in the blanks as to where and when the story takes place. But each episode afterward continued with the same method even when there are characters fully capable of explaining what was going on through the story.
Don't take us out of the story to tell us the characters shake hands, use the sound effects and the dialogue to give us the idea they are doing so.
Cut the dialogue so that it doesn't sound hokey at times. There are a lot of clichés and phrases that seem unnatural. In episode three or four Korval is telling another character why one character wears a dagger. It's a good touch for the character, but it comes across as something that doesn't feel like real conversation. It's artificially constructed. Rating 3/5
Additional Notes
The biggest complaint I have with Children of the Gods is that the production has delayed so often as to become legendary. While J.C. Hutchins has gone on to write five books, Cotg's is only on its tenth episode. Is it because Christopher Mack is too busy to produce more? Is he struggling with the scripts or the production? Either way when people mention Cotg's someone says, "Oh yeah... I remember that. What ever happened...?" and that's never a good thing. While the website gives a lot of tempting information it really just teases us.
Over All Rating
Despite the fact that there are script, actor, and directing difficulties, and in spite of the fact that I doubt Children of the Gods is an audio drama at all, Cotg is a great story can be exciting to hear unfold. Some people describe it as Battlestar Galactica, but I would liken it more to Space, Above, and Beyond. It contains all the great elements for a space opera- gripping drama, heightened danger, and a universal threat to the existence of mankind. Rating 4/5
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