Old Document 1
Sound Design is fun. As sound designer you are in charge of collecting all the sound effects and non-original music for a production. The Soundscape of a play helps to establish the atmosphere, the setting, and the energy of a performance. Sound Effects can be anything from doorbells, bear roars, and rain sound to breaking celery or balsa wood to make super-battle-damage sounds. Music is self-explanatory, but it is not the sound designer's job to compose original scores. So SD collects all the sounds and music a production calls for in a medium that can be used in the space in which the play is performed. The next job of the SD is to make sure the "Sounds" sound right in
the space, during the performance.
Begin with the script. Read it, aloud. Note any place where sound plays a role in the action, ie (the door bell rings) or Prospero: "Damn, won't that rain stop! Shit!." At this point be over-zealous, note any and all noises you could possibly image. Try to create a continuos soundscape for the show. Now read the script again, this time focusing on the dramatic and emotional forces at work. Note moments of intense emotion, high drama, sharp conflict, anytime when, in a Molly Ringwald 80's movie, Tears for Fears would start playing. Analyze these points to clarify exactly what emotional situation is happening, remember, not all love scenes are happy, not all victories are glorious. SD should know the drama of the play as well as the director.
Once this homework is done then the SD can raise their lowly head to meet with the director. Talk about setting, time period, themes, and what role the director sees music playing in the performance. Often times a director has an idea of a general setting but hasn't thought specifically about sound or music, that is why there is an SD. Now meet with producer, and stage manager to talk about strengths and limitations of the production. If the show is in Little Kresege there are is a better sound infrastructure than in Sala. At this point find out what kinds of playback equipment is possible in the space. Little Kresege has a big 'ol sound system with a board and everything. Spend some time playing with all the different toys like CD, cassette, MIDI, and DAT.
Now collect sounds and music. Rinaldi has a bunch of sound effect CD's, ask to use their stuff. John Head and e33 productions have sound effects CD's. Effects can be found on the internet. Think about Foley artistry, that is make the noises yourself either at real time or record yourself banging pots together. Be prepared to listen to hundreds of little noises, this step is time intensive. Also be over-zealous again, collect anything and everything that might work. If the entire James Taylor's Greatest Hits has the mellow feel of the second act, take the whole thing. Music that doesn't make the cut for the show, might be appropriate for pre and post show or intermission music.
Now make up a initial soundscape, this is primary plan for what you'd like to hear. This the rough draft. Try to run this rough draft in the space. This should help uncover any technical problems before it becomes a real bitch to change things. Now take the rough draft to the director and find out that all your notions of the play were totally wrong. Now begins the collaboration-compromise step of the process. By this point you should have the skills necessary to turn what you have into what the director wants. Be creative, a lot of noises sound similar, a wave sound can be a roar or a train passing if it's played right. Also remember that sound is a three dimensional medium, a bell from stage right is different from a bell from stage left and rain comes from the sky.
Finalize your soundscape, and set the volume levels for all the particular effects. Put together pre-show, intermission, and post-show music if necessay. Now train the Sound Board Operator to make the sound sound right. Make up lists of the sounds in the order that it's played in the performance. Sound check everything. Play with all your equipment to be sure everyone who needs to know how to use a piece of equipment knows how to use the equipment. This is production week.
Now sit back and watch the actors forget their lines. Enjoy!
People who can help you:
Director
Producer
Stage Manager
Sound Board Op
Mike Katz at Rinaldi
Andy Perelson at ajp@mit if he's still at school when you're doing this show.
A time may come when the Ensemble has the sound design software that makes the whole thing all high tech. If you have sound design software, use it, it's cool and makes the whole process easier.
Old Document 2
====== So, You Want To Be A Sound Designer ======
tag>sound-designer
===== Philosophy of Sound Design =====
===== Figuring Out What You Need =====
Go through your copy of the script and write down all of the sounds that are called for explicitly: [Sennet] or [Storm and tempest]. Extended sounds, like storms or music, will require an stop cue as well as a start cue, so mark in the script where these will end.
===== Getting Raw Sound =====
Rinaldi
The Internet
Recording it yourself
===== Creating the Clips =====
==== Programs ====
Audacity
Adobe Audition
Reaper
==== Techniques ====
Layering sound
Adding FX - reverb, etc.
===== Making It Happen =====
==== Cue Running Programs ====
ZOMG Qlab = superior
Other programs, I guess, if you're lame
==== Hardware ====
The Ensemble uses speakers from MTG. Contact them (mtg-board at mit.edu) to ask about borrowing speakers at least a couple weeks before put-in.
Hanging speakers
===== Timeline =====
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//Editor(s): Allison Schneider (aschneid at mit.edu)//