Course Title: Develop sound designs
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2021
Course Code: VART6416C
Course Title: Develop sound designs
School: 375T Vocational Design and Social Context
Campus: City Campus
Program: C6151 - Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media
Course Contact: Nat Bates
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 3326
Course Contact Email: nat.bates@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
Nat Bates
nat.bates@rmit.edu.au
9925 4815
Nominal Hours: 50
Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
None
Course Description
In this course you will cover the skills and knowledge required to develop an overall sound design from production briefs.
It applies to individuals with a good understanding of the physical nature of sound, along with research and creative thinking skills. They collaborate with other creative personnel to develop the overall sound or musical identity of a wide range productions.
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
CUASOU503 Develop sound designs |
Element: |
1. Interpret and confirm sound design brief |
Performance Criteria: |
1.1 Participate in concept meetings with relevant people to discuss and determine creative and technical sound requirements for a production 1.2 Confirm sound requirements meet the overall production requirements in liaison with relevant people 1.3 Identify and confirm any additional sound design team members required to fulfil the brief |
Element: |
2. Break down components of sound design brief |
Performance Criteria: |
2.1 Identify types of sounds required, and determine content, quality and duration of each sound component 2.2 Determine and document resource and creative requirements for each sound component 2.3 Document and confirm roles of sound design team members |
Element: |
3. Experiment with sound components to express ideas |
Performance Criteria: |
3.1 Encourage and motivate sound design team members to generate ideas 3.2 Generate, explore and record a range of ideas and options to serve as a creative base for developing the required sound design 3.3 Select ideas with the most potential for technical and creative development of the required sound design |
Element: |
4. Assess creative ideas |
Performance Criteria: |
4.1 Evaluate selected ideas in terms of their viability, cost, technical feasibility and suitability to meet requirements of sound design brief 4.2 Select final ideas for the components of the sound design, based on what is needed to meet the overall requirements of the brief |
Element: |
5. Design sound elements |
Performance Criteria: |
5.1 Develop sound design concept, taking into consideration the brief and the ideas generated by the sound design team 5.2 Determine sound components required to implement sound design in line with creative and technical requirements 5.3 Establish clear relationship between sound components and objectives of sound design 5.4 Liaise with relevant people to incorporate additional requirements and ideas to achieve best sound design 5.5 Present sound design in required format to convey design concept 5.6 Confirm final sound design concept is consistent with brief and that potential difficulties are addressed |
Element: |
6. Evaluate final sound design |
Performance Criteria: |
6.1 Use appropriate techniques to evaluate whether final sound design meets the requirements of the sound design brief 6.2 Seek feedback and opinions from relevant people, and document results of evaluation 6.3 Communicate results of evaluation to relevant people, and use results to improve future practice |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will have developed skills and knowledge required to develop sound designs across a number of screen and media platforms.
Details of Learning Activities
In class learning activities may include, but are not limited to:
• lectures and/or lab work
• teacher directed group activities and projects
• concept development of group and individual projects
• group discussions and class presentations
• peer and teacher feedback
• WIP (work in progress) reviews
• self directed online, library and industry research
• self directed project production work and reflection
Out of class activities may include, but are not limited to:
• maintaining secure daily backups of all assessment and project data to your RMIT Google Drive account
• accessing online tutorial resources
• self directed online, library and industry research
• self directed project production work and reflection
• class excursions to events and locations outside of RMIT
Teaching Schedule
Please note: While your teacher will cover all the material in this schedule, the weekly order is subject to change depending on class needs and availability of speakers and resources.
| Week 1 |
Overview of course Introduction to course and assessments. What does a sound designer do? Introduction to the role of a sound designer and show some work from teacher’s career as a freelance sound designer.
|
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| Week 2 |
What is sound design? How to analyse audio visual material to reveal how the soundtrack works. Parts of a soundtrack (music, atmos, sfx, dialogue/VO) AT01 answers for questions 1-3. Provide sound design storyboard templates |
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| Week 3 |
How to develop ideas for sound designs and evaluate them. AT01 answers for questions 4-6.
Homework - bring in a donatable foley object to record. |
|
| Week 4 |
Audio Recording your foley prop Recording techniques Close, normal, distant and reverberant recordings Audio file formats and digital audio |
AT01 Sound 3 Knowledge quiz DUE |
| Week 5 |
Edit audio recordings Editing digital audio. Microphones dynamic and condenser microphones, A01 - Feedback and review. |
|
| Week 6 |
Sound design for animation Designing sound for animation - no sounds come with the image, they all have to be created from scratch. Discuss ideas with teacher in AT02 WIP1 |
AT02 WIP (work in progress review) 1 |
| Week 7 |
Evaluate sound design for animation Groups swap sound designs Discuss storyboard with teacher in AT02 WIP2 |
AT02 WIP (work in progress review) 2 |
| Week 8 |
Introducing AT03 sound for independent project, including initial WIP with teacher. Meet with your teacher and confirm that your sound design concept is consistent with the brief and address any potential difficulties. |
AT03 WIP (work in progress review) 1 |
| Week 9 |
Introducing AT04 sound for Glimpses in Time, including initial WIP with teacher. Meet with your teacher and confirm that your sound design concept is consistent with the brief and address any potential difficulties. |
AT04 WIP (work in progress review) 1 |
| Week 10 |
Studio class. Sourcing sounds from libraries |
|
| Week 11 |
AT03 sound for independent project WIP 2 Meet with your director and your teacher, present your sound design document and incorporate any additional ideas. |
AT03 WIP (work in progress review) 2 |
| Week 12 |
AT04 sound for Glimpses in Time WIP 2 Meet with your director and your teacher, present your sound design document and incorporate any additional ideas.
|
AT04 WIP (work in progress review) 2 |
| Week 13 | Studio class workshop. |
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| Week 14 | Studio class / WIP, complete AT02 Sound for animation |
AT02 Sound for animation DUE |
| Week 15 | Studio class / WIP, complete AT03 Sound for independent project |
AT03 Sound for independent project DUE |
| Week 16 | Studio class / WIP, complete AT04 sound for Glimpses in Time |
AT04 Sound for Glimpses in Time DUE |
| Week 17 | Review and evaluation |
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
References
Other Resources
Overview of Assessment
Assessment for this course is ongoing throughout the semester. Your knowledge of course content is assessed through participation in class exercises, practical project work and through the application of learned skills.
Assessment Tasks
Students enrolled in Vocational Education and Training qualifications are assessed for Competency. To be assessed competent means you have consistently demonstrated the required knowledge and skills at a standard expected in the workplace. To be assessed as Competent in this course, you will need to complete each assessment task to a satisfactory standard. You will receive feedback from the teacher at the conclusion of each assessment task.
AT01 Knowledge quiz
Short answer online quiz allows you to demonstrate your knowledge of the production requirements that may impact sound designs, the information that is typically found in sound design briefs, the formats that could be used to present design concepts, the techniques for developing ideas, enhancing innovation and evaluating sound designs and the issues and challenges that typically arise when developing sound designs, and how to address them.
Due week 4
AT02 Sound for animation
You are to design sound for the animation provided to you. Working in a group you must produce a sound design that uses ONLY the objects in the foley box.
Due week 14
AT03 Sound for independent project
You will design the sound for another student’s independent project that they will be developing in Concept and Pre-Production classes. This will demonstrate your ability to conceive of, break down, experiment with, finalise and evaluate a sound design for an individual audio visual piece of work.
Due week 15
AT04 Sound for Glimpses in Time project
You are to design sound for the Glimpses in Time project. Working in a group you must produce a sound design that appropriately represents the era of Melbourne as depicted in the visuals.
Due week 16
Graded assessment in this course uses the following grades:
CA - Competency Achieved
NYC - Not Yet Competent
DNS - Did Not Submit
Assessment Matrix
The assessment matrix for this course demonstrates alignment of assessment tasks with the unit of competency. These matrices are available through Program Administration.
Other Information
Please refer to the RMIT student page for extensive information about study support, assessment, extensions, appeals and a range of other matters.
Attendance:
Your learning experience will involve class-based teaching, discussion, demonstration and practical exercises. You are strongly advised to attend all timetabled sessions. This will allow you to engage in the required learning activities, ensuring you the maximum opportunity to complete this course successfully.
Information about your studies:
You can access My Studies through the RMIT website for information about timetables, important dates, assessment dates, results and progress, Canvas etc. https://www.rmit.edu.au/students
Assessment:
Information on assessment including Special consideration, Adjustments to assessment, (eg. applying for an extension of time): https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-and-exams/assessment
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism:
RMIT University has a strict policy on plagiarism and academic integrity. Please refer to the website for more information on this policy.
Credit Transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning:
Credit transfer is the recognition of previously completed formal learning (an officially accredited qualification).
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is an assessment process that allows you to demonstrate competence using the skills you have gained through experience in the workplace, voluntary work, informal or formal training or other life experiences.
Recognition of Current Competency (RCC) RCC applies only if you have previously successfully demonstrated competence in a unit of competency, and now require to be reassessed to ensure that the competence is being maintained.
Please speak to your teacher if you wish to discuss applying for Credit Transfer, RPL, or RCC for the unit(s) of competency addressed in this course.
Course Overview: Access Course Overview