Treatment

 Radio: ON THE COURT 

On the Court follows the emotional and competitive journey of Shiloh, a talented young basketball player trying to rebuild his confidence after a humiliating moment from his past went viral online. Haunted by a missed shot that cost his old team the season—and led to intense cyberbullying—Shiloh struggles to hide his insecurities even as he trains with his new friends.

I would utilize sound to create a more realistic and engrossing environment for the audience when listening to On the Court. One of the key ways to accomplish this is through the use of environmental sound effects that take on the environment. For example, when there is training time when Shiloh and his friends are active, background sounds like bouncing basketballs, the squealing of shoes upon the court, and some laughter far away to set the scene just right and have the audience envisioning that they are with the characters. The same technique was used in the BBC Radio 4 15 Minute Radio Drama, where paper flicking was used to subtly indicate a therapy room this added realism and assisted grounding for the listener, which is what I aim to do. Dialogue would also be of prime significance.

I would use dialogue not just to further the story, but also to reflect shifts in mood and surroundings. For example, when the group is going from training to hanging out and talking about rankings, such a change would be signaled by shifts in tone, pace, and ambient background noises (like conversation dying down when they exit the court). At the tense scenes, like when the antagonist is battling Shiloh, background sounds would soften to place more focus on dialogue, emphasizing the tension Shiloh is undergoing and making the scene more tense and intimate to viewers. Music would be the other essential conveyor. I'd use bass-reverberant music, similar to what is being used with the fight scene, to signal impending battle and warn of increased tension. The theme music for the show would be anything but hugely upbeat, the better to recognise the heavier-of-heft issues of cyberbullies, insecurities, and pressure for young players.

I would also use wild tracks and Foley sound effects to further create the feeling of realism. For instance, when Shiloh and his friends argue or psych themselves up, you could have the noises of other basketball games going on in the background, sneakers squeaking, or even phones ringing as clips and rankings are being shown all little details that make the world feel real and inhabited. These subtle layers would keep the viewers engaged and emotionally invested in Shiloh's story.

The target market for On the Court would be young people aged 13-24, both male and female, and living primarily in England.

Despite addressing mature topics including cyberbullying and low self-esteem issues, the programme is highly accessible to young people, especially those attuned to the social media sphere and comfortable with the sport culture and online critique ethos. Through using a multicultural set of characters and depending on audio to deliver the realism of what they are experiencing, the show would create a chance for listeners across the board to be able to identify with the tale and stay completely immersed.