MA571+Syllabus

Long Island University – Brooklyn Campus

MA 571 Sound For Visual Media Spring Semester 2010

Class Meeting Time: Wednesdays 6pm - 8:50pm Room: Studio C – (LLC005) Instructor: Michele Darling Phone: (718) 488-100 Ext. 3007 Email: michele.darling@liu.edu Office: 	Media Arts Department H Building, 2nd Floor, 4th Office on the left Additional time can be scheduled with me. Please email or call me to set up a time!

Studio C and Equipment Sign Up Online: http://tinyurl.com/liuaudioforms

Reed Butterfield, Technical Director Contact info: (718)488-1000 Ext. 4110 Reed.butterfield@liu.edu

Assignments will be posted online: http://ma571soundforvisualmedia.wikispaces.com/

Course Description:

MA571 is an intermediate class in sound for film, television, and multimedia. Topics include audio post-production for video, film, or other multimedia formats with a focus on sound design, Foley, and ADR (dialog replacement). Students will work with Digidesign’s ProTool’s HD, SFX libraries, and microphones in a recording studio environment. The class will include an emphasis on storytelling through sound as well as on how sound can affect the dramatic impact and overall tone of images. As with all the classes we offer in the Audio department, emphasis is placed on learning industry standard techniques, existing software, and hardware. We use the technology as a tool to move students towards their own creative development and goals. Classes will take place in the Advanced Studio C. It has the capability of recording and playing back as many as 128 audio tracks that can be synchronized to a moving image. This is typical of modern sound for picture studios used for feature films and television.

Course Goals 1.	Learn the terminology relevant to the audio industry 2.	Acquire technical production skills in audio through Digidesign’s ProTools 3.	Create a foundation of creative skills to improve students’ work on their own soundtracks and/or to work with audio engineers on their own audio-visual projects 4.	Build a foundation for advanced study in audio for visual media 5.	Create an awareness of the different specializations in the audio post-production industry Course Objectives 1.	Students will be able to edit, record, and manipulate audio 2.	Students will have a working knowledge of ProTools 3.	Students will understand terminology that is relevant to the audio post-production industry 4.	Students will have a deeper understanding of audio and it’s relation to other media-arts based fields 5.	 Students will be able to create better soundtracks

Course Content:

Classes will be organized as follows:

•	Discussion •	Lecture and demonstrations •	Hands-On Studio Work •	Student Work Critiques

In addition, individual assignments will be a large portion of the course work. Assignments and projects are geared towards increasing your comfort with audio technology.

Tools to be used: Digidesign’s ProTools Soundtrack Pro

Materials required:	A backup Flash drive or Your OWN Firewire hard drive					A pair of closed Headphones with ¼” and mini connectors A notebook Texts: ProTool’s Manual (provided) Additional class handouts and reading assignments (provided)

Attendance:

Students are required to attend all classes AND to attend studio time.
 * Three absences will result in a failing grade.** Attendance will be taken during each class time.  Missed classes and studio time will severely affect your ability to learn this subject.   The LIU absenteeism policy will be enforced.  If you are late for class by 30 minutes or more, it will be counted as half an absence.  In other words, if you are late two times, that will equal 1 absence.

Studio Lab Time Students will receive 3 hours of individual studio time per week outside of Wednesday class time. Lab time should be used to complete class assignments. Students are required to follow all class topics. Once the assignments are finished, additional time can be used for individual specialization and creative projects. Students may also access the Mac lab classroom and audio bays in LLC012.


 * Important note: If you cannot adjust your schedule to make time for your weekly lab time or regular class time, you will not be able to complete this class and should consider taking it at a later date.

Final Grading:

Lab assignments and Midterm Test	30 Points Midterm Project			15 Points Final project and Presentation:	30 Points Class participation/Attendance: 	25 Points Total: 100 Points As we begin the midterm and final projects, I will provide grading rubrics for you so you will understand how your projects will be graded.
 * NOTE: There are no incompletes given for this class.

Lab Assignments: These are weekly lab exercises and assignments completed for credit. Assignments are relevant to classtime topics. They are graded on planning and organization, quality of work, attention to detail, incorporation of required specifications and thoughtful use of the concepts introduced in class. Late Assignments will not be accepted. Please plan ahead and budget your time. Be sure to back-up your work in more than one location regularly. Lost work due to data probems is not an acceptable excuse.

Resources: (Not Required)

Books:  Sound Design, David Sonnesnscein Audio in Media, Stanley R. Alten Producing Great Sound for Digital Video, Jay Rose Practical Art of Motion Picture Sound, David Lewis Yewdall Sound for Picture: The Art of Sound Design in Film and Television, Tom Kenny

Websites: http://filmsound.org/ http://mixonline.com/sound4picture/film_tv/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_film http://history.sandiego.edu/GEN/recording/motionpicture1.html