Dream Realm Enterprises

Dream Realm Enterprises is one of the oldest of the modern audio drama companies on the Internet. It is chiefly run by Jonithan Patrick Russell who carries the moniker of "CEO" and "Executive Producer". I first heard their work over on The Sonic Society and enjoyed their continuing series Robotz of the Company. They had clever characters, and a smart way to mask terrible sound recordings by making the main characters robots of various models. They present a number of offerings including: Robotz, The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes, 2 Sides to Every Story, Jeff Niles Presents, Realm Weaver, and Doctor Who.

Website
Some websites get away from having a light color (preferably white) as their background, and the DRE website is an example. This is a mistake as it often is hard to read, the various light colored text can overwhelm the eye. This is again a problem with DRE. There are basically three columns of text that have little clear definition as to what each column is for. The left column lists shows, the right seems to detail latest news and coming attractions, the middle swath seems filled with who they are and a series of oversized links.
It be better if there wasn't so much scrolling needed to just get an idea what the shows are and what was new. Subscriptions can be put on another page, or listed tightly on one side. It's not really necessary to have the definition of Dream Realm on the first page as most listeners will want to go to the website to find what shows they have, subscribe and or listen, and find out about DRE only as a  third option.
That brings up another element. DRE seems to be its own universe with its own mailing list, "Making of" series in the "Dark Building Lounge", news, shop for "exclusive" products, and facebook and myspace pages.
One gets the feeling that DRE must be adding new content regularly. The website is far too busy with too much text and not enough ways to draw the eye in Rating 1/5

Audio Drama Type- Modern Theater, Experimental, Fan Fiction
I give DRE an "experimental" theater type because they are the first group- I know of- that used the aforementioned problem of bad microphone recordings to their advantage with Robotz of the Company. They used to have a series of Superman Improv shows (What happened to them?) and like so many other audio drama companies they do their own version of Doctor Who, so fan fiction is a staple of theirs. The rest of the works seems to be under the Modern Theater banner as they produce works from anthology series.

Acting Type: Long Distance Amateur
The acting is at best uneven. They exemplify the worst elements of having actors work in isolation. Many of the scripts feel like the actors made single responses to lines, and the editor needed to hammer them together even if they don't come across as natural. Some shows are better than others. Realm Weaver has had better success with their later shows. Dead River by Vince Stadon is my favorite pick of the bunch. Their Doctor Who also seems plagued with problems in the acting department and recasting. Strong direction is required to bring a coherent quality to productions, and actors should provide a range of emotional responses in their lines to give the producer some better choices. Maybe that is their best options, if so, either better actors or a good series of practice readings around Skype like Wormwood does would be highly preferable. Rating 3/5

Production Type: Detailed
DRE is one of the first audio dramas that worked hard on their production. You can tell the sound effects are well prepared even in the earliest episodes. The problem is the tools and skills have not kept up with the times. While other shows have produced near-studio quality production types, DRE hasn't progressed nearly enough. Sometimes their sound effects come across as jarring or inappropriate, other times they work perfectly. One gets the feeling that the producer only does as well on the show as he has the time to put in. Poor scenes might represent a late night and very little patience. Good scenes show a love for a particular script or mood. Quality seems to be something that needs to be more of a focus. Rating 3.5/5

Writing: Jon Patrick Russell
Mr. Russell penned most of the Robotz of the Company stories and many of the other shows. While he has obviously allowed others in the organization to provide him with scripts, Mr. Russell remains the Executive Producer and ultimately is responsible for script production, and sometimes that suffers. There appears to be a large sophomoric streak in the humor at times, and one gets the feeling that stories are rushed and thin on plot. The later seasons of Robotz of the Company are scattered and have lost the fun of the earlier seasons- almost like they've been replaced with the old adage "what can we do to them that's never been done before?" Instead of asking where the characters might go. Mr. Russell himself has expressed that Robotz has become more of a fantasy with Magical Wishing wells and the like instead of the tight science fantasy comedy that made the characters more endearing and a metaphor for a heartless corporation running roughshod over its employees.
Doctor Who seems to be made with the adage, "We need to make more Doctor Who" as opposed to having a powerful story to tell. Fortunately, the anthology series Realm Weaver and Jeff Niles Presents (what we've heard of it) at least work with a good story concept in each episode. Rating 2/5

Additional Notes: Production Delays
DRE is perhaps the worst offender (with Darker Projects pulling up a clear second) for production delays. Since no longer appearing on the Sonic Society at around season 3, production for Robotz of the Company ground to a near halt. While they are up to Season 5 now, the seasons have been released infrequently. Doctor Who has had even more delays with shows promised for years now that haven't been released. Jeff Niles Presents has only presented one show, and Realm Weaver which has been talked about for five years now has four episodes in season 1. (Is there going to be another season?)
The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes has only five parts despite being a staple for nearly as many years as the company has been around. Where are all the new shows?
No one is expecting the breakneck speed of Broken Sea Audio which promises and delivers new content (often multiple shows) every Thursday, but with such a mature company even a monthly release or every other week would make a huge difference. With so much detail on the company on the main page, I couldn't imagine what their email subscription list gives its audience beyond broken dreams.

Over All Rating: 2/5
Dream Realm needs to get back to basic. Revamp its website, focus on its core products and decide exactly if it still wants to be in the Audio Drama game or not. Its fans deserve a schedule that is adhered to, and show consistency, for the amount of effort they are asking people to invest. I have a lot of fond memories of DRE and right now, I'm not compelled to go visit them. Please welcome me back.