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Intro to:

SOUND DESIGN

By: Adam Schofield-Bodt

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Welcome!

What gives me the right?

  • ½ a B.A. in Theatre Sound Design
    • (The other half was for Acting)
  • City of Angels - KCACTF award
  • The Tempest - Edinburgh
  • The Mint

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PART I:

GETTING PREPARED

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What is your project?

  • Plays

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  • Musicals
  • Experimental

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Start with the Script

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Your ShowBook

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  • Notes
  • Minutes from meetings
  • Contact lists
  • Cast lists
  • Schedules

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PART II:

THE DESIGN PROCESS

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Character List

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Reviewing the Script

  • Spot Effects
  • Ambiances
  • Transitional Effects

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Spot Effects

  • Sounds that happen at a specific moment
  • Doorbell, Telephone, Gunshot
  • Timing is everything

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Ambiances

  • Ongoing sounds underneath a scene
  • Set reality of time/place or Set a mood
  • Not required to be realistic

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Transitional Effects

  • Sounds outside the action
  • “Diegetic”
  • Can be music or SFX

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Discussions with Director

  • Get ready for things to change!
  • Cues can will change during rehearsals
  • Be Flexible! Be Present!

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Cue Sheet vs. Pull List

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D Thunderstorm (AMB) pg. 23

E1 Thunder crack (SPOT) pg. 23 - on “blah blah blah”

E2 " " pg. 24 - on “yadda yadda”

E3 " " pg. 25 - Pat walks to window

F TEAPOT BOILING (SPOT) pg. 25 - Sam sits on couch

F2 TEAPOT REMOVAL (SPOT) pg. 25 - Pat removes tea from stove

G Gunshot (SPOT) pg. 30 - offstage after “damn you!”

Thunderstorm(construct from partials):

Rain on ground

Rain on windows

Wind against house

Rumbling

Teapot whistle rising (Kitchen library)

Teapot whistle descending (same folder as rising)

Gunshot (Vintage revolver, process for distant sound)

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Pulling FX

  • Libraries - freesound.org; sounddogs.com
  • Recycled cues from previous shows
  • Buy!
  • Make Your Own...

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Building FX

  • Develop your ear
  • Break a cue down to its most basic parts
  • Build the cue back up
  • How realistic/theatrical do you want it?

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Digital Audio Workstation

  • Pro Tools

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  • GarageBand
  • Logic Pro
  • Ableton Live

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Selecting Music

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  • Live or Pre-recorded?
  • Needle drop/production music
  • Original composition

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What is QLab?

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Building a Cue List

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Moving over to the

Qlab Screen Share!

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PART III:

THE GEAR

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Speaker Set-Up

  • 2 Speakers (L & R) and Subwoofer
  • Monitors for actors
  • Run non-powered speakers through an amp

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Speaker Set-Up

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Mixing Board

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Chords

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TS

TRS

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Wrapping Chords

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THANK YOU!

Any questions?

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