Sound Design Unit 2

What are the 11 main things to look for in a SD contract?

1. Budget 2. Consider Cost of Studio Time 3. Loot at media you will need for the show (flash drive) 4. Rental of equipment 5. Sound Operator 6. Tech and Prep Time 7. Travel Expenses 8. Perdium (cost of every day living) 9. Sound Design Fee- local fees around the area 10. Production schedule and provisions of overtime (***INCLUDE TIME OF SHOWS) 11. Additional fees

What are the three groups of functions of sound in theatre?

1. Dramatic 2. Aesthetic 3. Practical

What is the most difficult concept to sound design?

Abstract

Concept where sound elements are reduced to their most fundamental form

Abstract concept

AEA

Actors Equity Association

What group of sound designates matters that have to do with personal interpretation of the immediate emotional character of the drama and the long term development of feelings and attitudes as modified as those in the dramatic experience

Aesthetic Group

Backstage, RF engineer, deck engineers- usually also in IATSE

Assistant sound engineer - A2

takes a cue that you have found and changes it by adding reverb, echo, or delay

Audacity

Making all aspects of a production fully audible to all members of the audience

Audibility

Of the 7 functions of sound in theatre, which are practical?

Audibility

What is the first thing you look for in a SD contract of Letter of Agreement?

Budget

What cannot happen with audibility?

Cannot make intelligible that in which is garbled as the actor speaks

Associate Sound Designer to Richard Fitzgerald Worked alongside on: Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast, and Xanadu

Carl Cassela

Responsible for arranging travel accommodations and there person that takes care of you

Company Manager

Software used to play a cue back

Cue Lab

The manipulation of the element of sound

Cueing

Ultimate authority for the artistic part of the show

Director

What group of sound refers to those things that directly advance or condition the progress of the drama or the environment in which the drama takes place?

Dramatic group

compensates for acoustic problems in a space or with the equipment

Equalization

Use of sounds in ways that refers to events outside of the physical space and/or time frame of the dramatic action- done because you cannot literally take someone back in time

Extension of Dramatic Space and Time

Of the 7 functions of sound in theatre, which are Aesthetic?

Extension of dramatic space and time Mood

Movie sound effects people; they leave nothing to the imagination- ex. include footsteps, door opening, ext. -these are artists that make real made sound effects- no sound effect is found on the internet

Foley Artist

Concept that makes sound elements organized and structured in a certain pattern and tonal value

Formal Concept

Cues that relate to curtain call / between acts/ pre show

Framing Cues

How does one stay in AEA and what is one of the main incentives?

Has to work so many hours per year Benefits include: good health insurance

Becomes the technical director when the show leaves

Head Carpenter

Choice music- it is not a have to, but a want to

Incidental music

Music that is specifically called for by the playwright OR it is performed as part of the action of the play by the actors- it is a must.

Integral music

IATSE

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (Union)

What is an A city?

Large cities that take league tours on a national tour ex. dallas

A tour that comes right out of broadway- most accurate replication of the broadway production- well financed, similar equipment, same designers

League Tour

Sound Designer Designed: The Pee Wee Herman Show (over 400 sound cues) Oh Hello! on Broadway * mostly works for television

ML Dogg

Operates the company's budget and operating cost

Managing Director

Manipulation of all of the other functions in order to enhance the mood and emotional character of the play/ acts/ scenes within the play

Mood

Means that all sounds that occur within the dramatic environment must fit

Motivation

Of the 7 functions of sound in theatre, which are dramatic?

Motivation Vocal Alteration Vocal Substitution

Of the 7 functions of sound in theatre, which overlaps with the dramatic and aesthetic group equally?

Music

What number regions are New York, Fort Worth, and Dallas?

NY- 1 FW- 126 Dallas- 127

Compete that is faithful to real world environmental conditions in every detail * ad nauseous ** Means- Extensively

Natural / Organic Concept

What is important to remember when it comes to underscoring a play or musical?

No low frequency music

Going though all the cues without actually firing cues- includes sound effects, but not pick ups

Paper Tech

Richard Fitzgerald's brother that is also a sound designer

Peter Fitzgerald

What group of sound refers to the necessary considerations for audience comfort in perceiving the vocal component of dramatic production?

Practical group

Voice Overs / Ambiance / required music effects

Specific Cues

Dog Barks / thunder

Spot Effects

Records blocking and line assignments, calls cues ext.- Preserves the actors performance level and they maintain the integrity of the design after the director and designers leave.

Stage Manager

Concept that is distorted, exaggerated, and conceptualized that distort the sound effect, but still maintains its original source / goal

Stylized concept

Assists all members of the production team in executing their designs- most important technical person to the sound designer

Technical Director

What are other factors that can effect the sound in a play other than the sound designer?

The actors voice, the equipment, board op

What do the different numbers in IATSE mean?

The regions and the order in which they started

What are sound effects/ music used for?

To manipulate emotional response in a play

After a show has run a national tour for over a year, companies will buy the shows and continue to run them.. what are these companies called?

Troika Networks

Which US department will cooperate with sound designers if they feel the project is deemed support of the military?

US department of defense

In Lighting, what is the equivalent to audibility?

Visibility

Audibility rests as much on the ------ as it does on the sound designer

actor

Who is included in AEA?

actors and stage managers

Sound must also appear ------ to the character of the actual source of the sound... What are some examples of this?

appropriate -- Localization of the gun shot from the actor who shoots the gun If the sound is louder than it should be, then it is not normal

What is the difference between off broadway and broadway

broadway- seats more than 500 seats off broadway- less than 499 seats

How do you locate the cue in the script?

by page number

enhances localization to the actors actual voices

delay

what improves delay before feedback?

delay

What are things you can do to process sound?

equalization and delay

When referring to "fit" in motivation, what do you mean?

has to make sense to the brain- sound must appear to come from a proper location and direction

What is a B city?

larger sized cities that take national tours, but are not as big as the large hubs ex. Fort Worth

A sound cue is normally labeled by

numbers or letters

How do we achieve audibility?

processes of placing microphones around the stage and on the bodies of the actors- you then combine those mics into a mixer and then into a sound system

What type of employees work in IATSE

stage hands

quality of sound

timber

Music beneath action and dialogue that reinforces the emotional impact of the scene

underscoring

When do you use a pre recorded intermission and pre show music?

used to be only for straight plays, but now more common for both plays and musicals

Any introduction of an oral element into a production

Sound Cue

Not a union member nor are they an employee of the theatre

Sound Designer

Who is not allowed to touch the sound equipment when in a union house?

Sound Designer

Front of House mixer- member of IATSE

Sound Engineer/ A1

All sound department personelle respond to this person- always works with the theatre company

Sound Supervisor

Where can you get sound effects?

Sound Track Pro Google Youtube iTunes

Considerations of a sound designer

1. Location of sound/movement of sound 2. Characteristics of sound cue (ex. live or pre recorded) 3. Equalization and timber (quality of sound) 4. Volume and mix of sounds (Repetitiveness and Differentiation)

As a sound designer, what do you do after you get the script?

1. Look at stage directions 2. Line indications 3. Find hidden cues (not mentioned in the script)

3 main sound companies

1. Masque- best and most expensive 2. PRG 3. Sound Associates

What are the different design concepts for a sound designer?

1. Natural/organic 2. Realistic 3. Stylized 4. Formal 5. Abstract

When cueing, what does manipulation pertain to?

1. Timing of a cue 2. Volume of a cue 3. Signal and effects processing 4. Segway cue 5. Transition cue 6. Exit cue

What are the 7 functions of sound in theatre?

1. audibility 2. Motivation (environmental ambiance) 3. Music 4. Vocal Alteration 5. Vocal Substitution 6. Extension of Dramatic Space and Time 7. Mood

When are sound effects/ music used?

1.Scene Transitions 2. Underscoring- no low frequency music 3. Framing cues- curtain call/ top of act/ pre show 4. Specific cues- voice overs/ ambiance/ required music effects 5. Spot effects- dog barks/thunder

What is a cue line reference?

A cue that references an action of the actor or a word the actor speaks

Does the director or producer usually win in arguments?

Producer

Responsible for the overall execution of the production

Producer

Arranges rehearsal times, fittings, recording sessions ext.

Production Stage Manager

Does not SM the shows

Production Stage Manager

Liaison between the technical and the creative staff and the management of the theatre

Production manager

When labeling by letters, what letter do you usually avoid

Q

Concept that omits irrelevant detail

Realistic concept

What sort of things does one consider when thinking of the volume and mix of sounds?

Repetitiveness and differentiation

Sound Designer CEO of Sound Associates Designed: Little Shop Of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast, Xanadu

Richard Fitzgerald

What sort of things make up additional fees in a SD contract?

Rights to intellectual properties and royalties Billing and the program Insurance

Changing from one scene to the next

Scene Transitions

What is a C City?

Small cities that take the tail end of national tours ex. Amarillo

the actor speaks their lines live on stage, but we use audio equipment to amplify the quality and the character of their voice

Vocal Alteration

What two functions of sound in theatre cannot be carried out without the use of audio equipment; modern equipment

Vocal alteration and vocal substitution

the actor does not speak the lines onstage- pre recorded voice over or the actor speaks the line off stage

Vocal substitution

What sort of things does one consider when thinking of the characteristics of a sound cue?

Whether the cue should be live or pre-recorded