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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "DMA 329"
COURSE NAME: "Advanced Sound Design for Film and Video"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Spring 2025
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Mauro Remiddi
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
M 3:30 PM 6:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisites: DMA 228 or permission of the instructor
OFFICE HOURS:
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
An advanced approach to the Art of Sound, its techniques and theory, targeted to students interested in exploring the relation between sound and creative expression in the context of film and video. Students will learn to perform as a sound department as they develop specific sound projects and exercises. The courses advances the theories and techniques for live and on set sound recording and post-production techniques. The course develops the introductory notions acquired in DMA 228 Sound Design in Media Arts and is complementary to a course in Sound Art.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
Week 1
Introduction, Syllabus, Class Overview, Surveys, Software Requirements & Expectations.
The Sound Department's roles.
Industry resources and possibilities when working with sounds.
In-class exercise:
Recreate the sound design for a scene from a well-known movie
Identify and list the different sound layers needed (dialogue, foley, background, effects, music)
Week 2
Editing dialogs. Audio processing in dialog tracks, multi-track workflows, matching ADR, Noise Reduction.
In-class exercise:
Practice advanced dialogue editing and Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR).
Select a scene with complex dialogue or poor audio quality. Record ADR for the dialogue, synchronization with lip movements.
Edit and clean up any noise / match the ambiance of the scene.
Week 3
Production to post-production audio workflow understanding the production sound workflow, what’s delivered to post-production, multi-track workflows, file formats.
Understanding how the different variety of microphones work, the difference between them and how they are used to capture sounds.
In-class exercise: listening session of field recordings made by the most talented sound recordists.
Week 4
Music editing. How music drives emotions.
In-class examples of movies where the soundtrack is a character in the movie.
The use of famous songs in movies.
In-class discussion.
Week 5
The understanding of psychoacoustics by exploring sound perception in narrative media.
In class exercise:
Breack down the sound elements
Identify and list all the sound elements used in the scene (dialogue, ambient sounds, music, sound effect, foley)
Note how each element contributes to the scene's mood, pacing, and storytelling.
Week 6
Foley’s editing and mixing.
In class exercise:
We will create a short story, record a 2min video and create a foley track for it.
Week 7
Sound editing.
Creating customized libraries, designing the Soundscape.
The importance of creating an original sound library.
MID TERM ASSIGMENT
Week 8
Script reading, session organization.
How sound effects help in understanding the narrative.
Editing sound effects:
We will discuss the techniques used in several popular movies
In-class exercise:
Sci-fi FX
We will record magnetic fields around us using a special microphone that perceives the electromagnetic landscape (such as laptops, air con. and mobile phones)
Week 9
Sound editing & Synthes Adding sound synthesis to enchant and enlarge existing sounds.
In-class exercise:
Using the analogue synth provided by JCU we will experience synthesis sounds and how they
affect us. We will be creating natural sounds from scratch, like birds singing and a thunderstorm.
Week 10
Sound Effects editing, advanced layering, foley editing, manipulating audio effects. Background editing.
How to mix all the sounds elements in a scene.
In-class movie examples
Week 11
Organizing your Mix:
Sub-mixes, folder tracks, track presets.
Hands-On Mixing and Automation. Focusing on the creative process.
Sound editing and mixing assignment: Final project due at the end of the semester
Week 12
Creative brief overview.
How to read a creative brief and create one to have every production department on the same page.
Analisys of famous brands’ advertisement creative briefs.
In-class exercise:
The class we create from scratch a ‘creative brief’ of a fictional project (e.g. launching a new product, creating a promotional video)
Week 13
In-class final project revision, hands on editing and discussion.
Week 14
FINAL SOUND EDITING AND MIXING ASSIGNMENT WORKSHOP
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of this course students will have sound consolidated as an aesthetic device in creative work. Students will learn the use of on-set audio recording equipment and postproduction software, performing advanced tasks skillfully in AUDITION.
Furthermore, students will learn the procedures of computer file management and sound libraries, using audio engineering techniques, theory and aesthetics to enhance the creative process of filmmaking.
Students will familiarize themselves with the role of the sound editor / designer on a film project and build on the introductory notions on the field of sound studies gained in the Sound for Media course.
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TEXTBOOK:
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments |
| Sonic flux : sound, art, and metaphysics | Christoph Cox | Chicago ; London : The University of Chicago Press, 2018. | 9780226543208, 022654320X | | |
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Discussion and participation | | 10% |
| Practical exercises | | 30% |
| Final creative project | | 30% |
| Sound edit / sound mix | | 30% |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
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ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred.
In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment,
may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student
who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from
the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation
to the President, who will make the final decision.
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STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap.
Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning
of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
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SCHEDULE
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Equipment
Different digital recording equipment will be used for each project and these will be available
from the Digital Media Lab, which you will have access to.
Out of Pocket Materials
If possible (highly recommended) students enrolled in this course should provide their own external USB hard drive (250-500GB)
to store and archive audio projects. These drives must be Mac formatted.
1. Week 1
Introduction, Syllabus, Class Overview, Surveys, Software Requirements & Expectations.
The Sound Department: roles, industry resources, possibilities when working with sounds.
In-class exercise:
Recreate the sound design for a scene from a well-known movie
Identify and list the different sound layers needed (dialogue, foley, background, effects, music)
2. Week 2
Editing dialogs. Audio processing in dialog tracks, multi-track workflows, matching ADR, Noise Reduction.
In-class exercise:
Practice advanced dialogue editing and Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR).
Select a scene with complex dialogue or poor audio quality. Record ADR for the dialogue, synchronization with lip movements.
Edit and clean up any noise / match the ambiance of the scene.
3. Week 3
Production to post-production audio workflow understanding the production sound workflow, what’s delivered to post-production, multi-track workflows, file formats.
Understanding how the different variety of microphones work, the difference between them and how they are used to capture sounds.
In-class exercise: listening session of field recordings made by the most talented sound recordists.
4. Week 4
Music editing. How music drives emotions.
In-class examples of movies where the soundtrack is a character in the movie.
The use of famous songs in movies.
In-class discussion.
5. Week 5
The understanding of psychoacoustics by exploring sound perception in narrative media.
In class exercise:
Breack down the sound elements
Identify and list all the sound elements used in the scene (dialogue, ambient sounds, music, sound effect, foley)
Note how each element contributes to the scene's mood, pacing, and storytelling.
6. Week 6
Foley’s editing and mixing.
In class exercise:
We will create a short story, record a 2min video and create a foley track for it.
7. Week 7
Sound editing.
Creating customized libraries, designing the Soundscape.
The importance of creating an original sound library.
MID TERM ASSIGMENT
8. Week 8
Script reading, session organization.
How sound effects help in understanding the narrative.
Editing sound effects:
We will discuss the techniques used in several popular movies
In-class exercise:
Sci-fi FX
We will record magnetic fields around us using a special microphone that perceives the electromagnetic landscape (such as laptops, air con. and mobile phones)
9. Week 9
Sound editing & Synthes Adding sound synthesis to enchant and enlarge existing sounds.
In-class exercise:
Using the analogue synth provided by JCU we will experience synthesis sounds and how they affect us. We will be creating natural sounds from scratch, like birds singing and a thunderstorm.
10. Week 10
Sound Effects editing, advanced layering, foley editing, manipulating audio effects. Background editing.
How to mix all the sounds elements in a scene.
In-class movie examples
11. Week 11
Organizing your Mix:
Sub-mixes, folder tracks, track presets.
Hands-On Mixing and Automation. Focusing on the creative process.
Sound editing and mixing assignment: Final project due at the end of the semester
12. Week 12
Creative brief overview.
How to read a creative brief and create one to have every production department on the same page.
Analisys of famous brands’ advertisement creative briefs.
In-class exercise:
The class we create from scratch a ‘creative brief’ of a fictional project (e.g. launching a new product, creating a promotional video)
13. Week 13
In-class final project revision, hands on editing and discussion.
14. Week 14
FINAL SOUND EDITING AND MIXING ASSIGNMENT WORKSHOP
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