SPECIAL TOPICS IN DRAMATIC
PERFORMANCE: SOUND DESIGN
THTR&FLM 3K03
Course Outline
for Winter 2004
Instructor
Details:
Name:
Email: ranil[dot]sonnadara[at]learnlink[dot]mcmaster[dot]ca ***replace
symbols in []s***
Office: TSH Room 302, Ext. 27534
Lab: PC-323, Ext. 24797
Office hours: by appointment
Schedule:
(Lectures), Discussions, Presentations and Lab work: Tuesdays
Course content:
This course is a general, introductory
course in sound design, aimed at opening students’ eyes to the use of sound and
music in the creative arts in general, with a bias towards live theatre, and
the course will tackle aesthetic, philosophical and technical issues involved
in the sound design process. There will be a strong experiential element to the
course, and students will be required to plan and implement a number of partial
and complete sound designs using computer-based tools.
Resources:
Recommended Texts: ‘Theatre Sound’ by John Leonard ISBN: 087830116X.
‘Sound
and Music for the Theatre’ by Deena Kaye and
James LeBrecht
ISBN: 024080371X.
Other Resources: The experiential component of this course will involve the use of
specialist audio editing software (Adobe Audition), to
which students will have unrestricted access in TSH 206 during the lab’s
regular opening hours. Whilst some basic instruction will be provided for this
software, students should be comfortable in the general use of computers.
Students will be required to have a learnlink
account (available free of charge to all registered undergraduate students), as
heavy use of this resource will be made in this course. Click
here for a link to the course conference. Students will be required to make
use of the sound effects library held
in the Lyons Media Centre or on the web (lab access only)
Most practical work will have to be done outside of class-time, and students
are responsible for arranging their schedules so that they have access to the
resources they require during the times when those resources are available.
Evaluation:
There will be no formal examinations for this course.
Instead, assessment will be based around participation in class / group work, a
series of short projects / assignments, and a final major project. All written
work must be submitted electronically.
Breakdown
of Assessment:
Participation: 20%
Short assignments / practical projects x 6 (each worth
6%): 36%
These may be small projects such as coming
up with either practical or paper sound designs for a single scene from a play
or film. Where the design is a paper design, students will be required to
explain the framework underlying their designs. Where the design is a ‘real’
design, students will be required to present their design within a meaningful
context. For both paper and practical projects, students should be prepared to
make a short presentation to the class explaining their work. On average,
students will be given one assignment each week for the first 6 - 7 weeks of
class. At least 3 assignments will be due before February 6th.
Group project: 24%
This will be a major practical design
project such as a radio play, a film, a sound design for a theatre play or
musical. Groups will be assigned during the first week of classes. Groups will
be required to find, define and implement their own projects, with guidance
from the instructor. The breakdown of marks for the group projects is as
follows:
6% presentation to class of design concepts
9% implementation of design concepts
9% peer assessment (within group)
All members of the group will be given the
same mark for the presentation and implementation components of the project.
The mark for the peer assessment component will be allocated through
questionnaires which will be completed by each student in confidence. In these
questionnaires, each student will be asked to assign a grade for every member
of the group including themselves. The final mark assigned will be an aggregate
of the scores received. All projects
must be identified and approved by the instructor before reading week.
Final report (based on group project): 20% Due
date:
Final reports will be written individually by each student, and
should explain in detail the motivation for, concepts underlying, and the
student’s contribution to the group project. Students should also indicate,
retrospectively, their opinion of the project, and indicate elements of the end
result that in their opinion worked especially well or badly, and how they
would approach the project differently if given the chance.
Assigning of Final Grades
Initially, all
grades will be numerical. Final letter grades will be assigned based on the
table below.
|
Numerical Grade  90-100 |
Letter Grade A+ |
Notes:
All excuses for missed work and presentations
must be submitted through the office of the Associate Dean of Humanities.
Penalties will be imposed for every
academic day assignments are late (1% per day for short assignments, and 3% per
day for the final report).
Students are responsible for understanding what constitutes
academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty consists of misrepresentation by
deception or by other fraudulent means and can result in serious consequences, [e.g.
the grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the
transcript (notation reads: “Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty”),
and/or suspension or expulsion from the university.] The following illustrates
only three forms of academic dishonesty:
1. Plagiarism, (e.g., the submission of
work that is not one’s own or for which other credit has been obtained)
2. Improper collaboration in group work
3. Copying or using unauthorized aids in
tests and examinations.
For information on the various kinds of academic dishonesty
please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy, specifically Appendix 3, located
at: http://www.mcmaster.ca/senate/academic/ac_integrity.htm