Abstract

Despite their sudden growth in popularity, the role-playing actual-play podcasts have either been ignored or grouped with the genre of audio drama in prior scholarly works. Examination using frame analysis shows, however, that these podcasts are distinct in their engagement of the audience on multiple, simultaneous levels; levels which correspond with well-known media genres such as Documentary, Fiction, and Game Play. Each frame has its own layer of identities, conduct, and avenue for appealing to audiences just as these genres have their own distinct appeals. Through the combinations of these frames, familiar tropes and techniques such as Short-Form Improv and Campbell's monomyth are broadened and challenged, and identities become entangled in this post-modern medium. Delineating the features of these frames and exploring their interactions and interconnectivity not only helps to distinguish the actual-play podcast as its own distinct podcast genre, but also highlights the potential for using such frames or frame analysis in other media forms.

Degree

College and Department

Fine Arts and Communications; Theatre and Media Arts

Rights

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