module specification

This module will provide students with an introduction to the production of sound and effects that are used for media products such as games, films and mobile apps. It will facilitate the development of key skills and knowledge in sound design and audio post-production.

The module is structured around a staged development of the key principles of sound and media, leading on to developing students’ practice with recording and design of foley and sound effects for games, films and mobile apps, as well as recording of original sounds, location, ADR and effects to support interactivity, narrative and action.

The module is designed to facilitate the transition into undergraduate study by encouraging critical engagement and the development of basic skills and competencies in the realm of Sound and Media.

Therefore, by the end of the module students will have developed an understanding of a range of sound creation scenarios that might exist in a typical portfolio for someone working in the music industry and the sonic arts sector.

Aims of the module:

1. To provide students with the basic knowledge in the use of sound in media products.
2. To develop students’ understanding of the roles in the production of sound for use in media products, key terminology, practices and skills.
3. To introduce students to methods for describing their working processes and to present work-in-progress for different audiences.
4. To develop students’ ability to be analytical, reflective and critical, through analysing reference works as well as their own productions.

Key Subject Areas:

• Introduction to Sound Design and post-production and the roles involved
• Sound used to support media products:
o Foley, effects, actions, button clicks, rollover sounds
o voiceover, dialogue, commentary
o diegetic and non-diegetic sound
o ambient and wild sound
o electronic versus natural
• Recording and production techniques for effects and foley:
o Studio and production requirements:
 sampling, capturing audio
 portable recording devices, mobile technology
 editing audio, use of waveform and sampler editors
 microphone techniques, placement
• Editing and treatments:
o techniques such as reversal, inversion, normalisation, parameter editing
o use of effects
o quality considerations such as level, noise, hum, hiss, clips, pops, and dynamic range
• Creativity and problem solving for sound effects creation:
o storyboard, audio visual structure, setting pace
o creative use of editing, order of events and progress
o suitability of sound for screen images and footage
o creative problem solving (creating sounds that don’t exist in the real world)
o meeting the needs of the specified product
• Working with different media file formats:
o working with file formats commonly used in film, TV and media production (consumer and professional formats), compatibility of file types and how to work across platform
o exporting and importing files and media and the solutions to distributing and sharing large files among groups of users, locally, nationally and globally
o storing, archiving and sharing material, back-up systems and procedures, local and cloud storage solutions, shared access and file ownership, version control
• Digital audio workstation (DAW) techniques:
o placing material on timelines, use of time, clicks and beats
o editing existing material
o creative use of equalisation (EQ) and control over balance
o creative use of effects
o mixing and balance
• Creative use of synthesis and sampling:
o using sound to convey atmospheres
o use of parameters to change sound and sonic components
o plug-ins and external sources
• Mixing down to client expectations:
o quality criteria for production
o quality of finished project, noise and portability of material across devices and formats

The balance between independent study and scheduled teaching activities within this module is 70% and 30% respectively.

Scheduled teaching follows the average contact time, per standard 30-credit module across the University, at 90 hours (3 hours per week). The scheduled teaching is divided in Lectures, Workshops and Demonstrations and they take place in the Music IT Lab, Foley Studio and Video Suites.

Independent study provides students with the opportunity to develop LO5 – Experience working collaboratively and individually towards improving their understanding of sound design and audio post-production.

Students have extensive access to the Music IT Lab supported by Foley Studio and Video Suites access monitored by teaching and technical staff, besides of the Library facilities at London Met. Blended Learning is maintained via Weblearn Course and Module pages with full documentation of the activities developed in class. Opportunities for reflective learning/PDP are promoted through feedback and written reports, embedded in all assessments with emphasis on reflection of their work. Formative assessment is planned with comprehensive feedback to address the learning development needs of the student cohort and to capture their learning achievements with a regular request of reflective commentaries in all written submissions.

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to demonstrate:

1.    Knowledge and basic understanding of the use of sound in media products.
2.    Knowledge and understanding in working with different media file formats.
3.    Application of skills in problem solving for sound effects creation, location and dialogue recording and production techniques for effects and foley sounds.
4.    The ability to design and produce sound effects, to record location, foley and dialogue, working in the audio post-production studio environment.
5.    Experience working collaboratively and individually towards improving their understanding of sound design and audio post-production.

The first assessment is a project requiring investigation and discovery of particular producers/creators of sound design for media products.
•     Students are required to produce a talk or class presentation on how music and sound are used to create and control the atmosphere in a recent media product such as a game, advert, mobile app, TV programme or film
•     Students should choose something that shows a rich and interesting use of sound and includes music by a sound designer, producer or production company they admire
•     The talk should look at the production and analyse the use of sound, Foley and effects and illustrate where and why the sound designer/producer has succeeded in their task

The Midterm assessment will be a portfolio of sounds requiring the production, labelling and storage of 100 sounds for use in media projects.
•     The resulting library of sounds should be a class project; learners can work independently or in small groups to ensure the project is completed on time
•     Students will have to manage and organise themselves to achieve the deadline and work carefully and efficiently to ensure the equipment and workflow is maintained

The Final project will result in a finished media product in an appropriate format created in response to media stimulus.
•     Students are required to develop sound design and post-production for an audio visual project with the choice of film, TV, game or animation
•     Students should create up to 6 minutes of sound designed and produced for a variety of scenes, themes and activities within their choice of audio visual project synchronising them to illustrate for example gameplay, textures and atmosphere
•     Students will be required to demonstrate all the skills and practice they have developed over the entire year. A supporting report of the work carried out will be included in the final submission.
 

Textbooks:

Core Text:

Sonnenschein, D., (2001) Sound design: the expressive power of music, voice, and sound effects in cinema, Michael Wiese Productions, Studio City, California

Vernallis, C., Herzog, A., Richardson, J. (2013) The Oxford Handbook of Sound and Image in Digital Media, Oxford University Press, New York

Woodhall, W. (2011) Audio production and post-production, Jones & Bartlett Learning, Sudbury, Massachusetts

Other Texts:

Bartlett, B. (1999) On-location recording techniques, Focal Press, Oxford

Harper, G.; Doughty, R.; Eisentraut, J. (2009) Sound and music in film and visual media: an overview, Continuum, New York

Rose, Jay (2015) Producing great sound for film and video: expert tips from preproduction to final mix, Focal Press, Burlington, Massachusetts

Websites:

Transom, A Showcase and Workshop for New Public Radio, Atlantic Public Media, www.transom.org

Journals:

Electronic Databases:

Social Media Sources

Other