Course Title: Immersive Environments 1a

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Immersive Environments 1a

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
COMM1267	City Campus	Undergraduate	340H Art	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2006, Sem 1 2007, Sem 1 2008, Sem 1 2009, Sem 1 2010

Course Coordinator: Dr Philip Samartzis

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 5207

Course Coordinator Email: p.samartzis@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Availability: Via Appointment

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Pre-requisite : Audio Technology COMM1241

Course Description

This course demonstrates the technical, conceptual & artistic intricacies of sound spatialization by examining the history and theory of music production, film soundtracks, installation art and surround sound performance.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

To instruct students to:
1). Consider surround sound options in a range of installation, performance and audiovisual productions
2). Become knowledgeable of the technological affects upon sound and music as applied to surround spatialisation
3). Become articulate in the communication and direction of aural concepts and technical terminology within immersive environments
4). Capably handle issues of surround mixing, spatialisation and mastering.

Overview of Learning Activities

Technical Workshops:
The class involves a series of workshops dealing with advanced applications of sound: ‘space’ in sound recording; manipulating sound in analogue and digital environments for multi-speaker playback; multi-speaker arrangement and site-specificity; DVD authoring; multi-channel playback systems; mixing and surround sound.

Process Workshops:
As an adjunct to the technical workshops, a series of process workshops are presented to demonstrate ways in which to conceptualise, plan, manage and generally approach the utilization of sound for installation, performance and screen based works. Central to this is the presentation of recent works and commissions professionally carried out by the lecturer.

Revisions:
Students are able to make one-on-one consultation bookings on select afternoons throughout the semesters to revise and seek further advice on the methods and processes covered in the technical Workshops, technical lectures & process workshops

Installation, Music and Film screenings and analyses:
A number of excerpts from installation documentation, DVD and compact disc are presented after which an in-depth analysis of key themes and sequences is presented to the class, covering ways in which their surround spatialisation have been implemented.

Field Trips:
A number of field trips will be organized to examine exhibitions and performances first hand in which curators and artists will be invited to explain their concepts and answer questions.

Overview of Learning Resources

Hardware and Software necessary for the course are provided in the Immersive Environment Studio, with each student allocated a minimum five hours a week access. Home recording, where viable, is also permissible through negotiation.
Wide listening is encouraged, with the campus audiovisual archives recommended as an adjunct to students’ existing avenues.
Recommended texts are discussed in class, and students are expected to deepen their understanding and broaden their perspectives through access to material in the library, websites and discussion groups.
Students are able to make one-on-one consultation bookings on select mornings throughout the semesters to revise and seek further advice on the methods and processes covered in the technical Workshops, lectures & process workshops

Overview of Assessment

Assessable tasks are chosen to hone both the students’ technical skill set, as well as their compositional methodology. Projects are designed to allow the students opportunity to demonstrate many of the fundamental issues canvassed in class discussion, as well as to extend the fundamental parameters of their arts practice.
Assessment includes compositional exercises, class presentations, semester reviews and class participation.