JOHN CAGE
Silence, is there such a thing?
“The brilliant thing about 4'33'' isn't its silence, anyway:
4'33", pronounced 'four minutes, thirty-three seconds', (Cage himself referred to it as 'four, thirty-three') is often mistakenly referred to as Cage's 'silent piece'. He made it clear that he believed there is no such thing as silence, defined as a total absence of sound. In 1951, he visited an anechoic chamber at Harvard University in order to hear silence. 'I literally expected to hear nothing,' he said. Instead, he heard two sounds, one high and one low. He was told that the first was his nervous system and the other his blood circulating. This was a major revelation that was to affect his compositional philosophy from that time on. It was from this experience that he decided that silence defined as a total absence of sound did not exist. 'Try as we may to make a silence, we cannot,' he wrote. "One need not fear for the future of music."
The real content of 4'33" was not silence, but the movement of the audience, the breathing, coughing, whispers and scuffing of feet or people getting up and leaving. Cage points us to the sound of our environment as a place to begin.
"From Rhode Island I went on to Cambridge and in the anechoic chamber at Harvard University heard that silence was not the absence of sound but was the unintended operation of my nervous system and the circulation of my blood. It was this experience and the white paintings of Rauschenberg that led me to compose 4'33" ... my silent piece." -Excerpt from John Cage Quotations, University of Pennsylvania
T369 SOUND DESIGN SYLLABUS
Instructor :: Professor Andrew Bucksbarg
Meeting Times :: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12 PM – 1:45 PM
Room :: TV 250
E-mail :: abucksba(at)indiana(dot)edu
Office Hours :: Tuesdays and Thursdays 4-5 PM or by appointment , RTV #318
General Schedule ::
Tuesdays- Lecture/Media Presentation
Thursdays- Software Demo/Technique Lab and Lab Assignment
Description ::
An introduction to sound design for a variety of forms of audio-visual and interactive media with a focus on creativity and developing the ear.
This course will introduce you to sound design for multimedia in a broad and diverse manner. We will focus on the goal of attaining an appreciation of the importance of sonic elements in media projects for conveying information and shaping experience and the knowledge you need to produce powerful sound designs for these projects.
Your first goal is listening- to open up your ear and challenge yourself to explore the enormous palette of sound available to you as you move from a consumer to a producer of sound.
We will explore how moving images can be used to strengthen and illustrate relationships and add dimension to sound (and the reverse!) We will also look at how sound is used in these formats to heighten impact of visual language, provide cues to what is occurring visually, create a sense of space (depth) and place (location), focus attention on objects and actions, create and support transitions, provide for compositional structure or to create psychological (emotional) ambience. We will push the boundaries between sound effects, dialog and music.
Objectives ::
• To listen. What could be more important in designing sound?
• Explore what sound is and how we sense and perceive it.
• Explore what happens when sound is synthesised, recorded and digitized.
• Develop a basic proficiency designing sound- synthesizing, recording, editing, processing, layering, mixing and spatializing.
• To investigate the following-
How does sound work with the visual (interactive media, film, video, animation, motion graphics, etc.)? What are the relationships between sound and the moving image?
• Narrative/Dramatic Structure- Examine how sound strengthens the narrative and dramatic elements in media. What are the ways we use sound to communicate, to tell stories, to share information and to build dramatic intensity?
• Perform an analysis and critique of the sound design of various media projects, including your own work.
• Create a sound library and complete different sound design projects.
Content ::
You will produce four projects as well as smaller assignments and in-class lab projects that will introduce you to synthesizing, recording, processing, editing, layering and mixing sound using Pure Data, Protools, Flash, Soundhack and Soundtrack Pro.
IMPORTANT: You will produce ALL SOUNDS used in class for the assignments and projects. Sounds from the internet, Mp3 files, CDs, Sound or Sample Libraries, etc. are NOT to be used. Third party content is NOT allowed. I will provide you with visual content for your sound designs, think of me as your client.
Projects/Assignments/Quizzes and Grading ::
Unless otherwise noted in the criteria for assignments and projects, etc. all work must be YOUR OWN or properly cited. If you have questions regarding this make sure you talk to the professor. Please review what constitutes academic misconduct here- http://dsa.indiana.edu/Code/index.html
The class will produce four major projects. Emphasis will be placed on attention to specifications, creative use of class concepts and techniques, and the meeting of deadlines as real world experience. Quizzes will arise for knowledge insurance purposes.
Assignments, Weekly Projects and Exercises (5-20 pts each, approximately 135 pts)-
Weekly listening assignments, work assignments, etc. (5 pts)
PD synthesis assignments (10 pts)
Protools sound recording (20 pts)
Sound library I (30 pts)
Sound library II (30 pts)
Composite sound(s) (10 pts)
Motion graphics sound design (10 pts)
Interactive media- button sounds (10 pts)
Interactive media- interface/BG/transition sound/environmental sounds (10 pts)
Major Projects-
Project 1: Multi-Track Project (20 pts)
Project 2: Mid-Project – Sound Design for Animation (30 pts)
Project 3: Sonic Logo or Sound Redesign (20 pts)
Project 4: Final Project: Interactive Media- Web Interface and Game (60 pts)
Four 15 point take-home Quizzes (60 pts)
Attendance and Participation (28 pts)
This is based on your participation in class and in critiques, as well as your attendance.
Participation includes constructive criticism in critiques and positive feedback, as well as honest comments and tough questions. Your full attention should be given to the work of the presenter.
Think of your time in the class as collaborative. Be prepared to present your ideas and share your work with others in the class. The more prepared to work and participate in class you are, the more successful you will be.
Approximate Total: 350
Grade Scale-
A+ 100
A 95-99
A- 90-94
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C- 70-72
D+ 67-69
D 63-66
D- 60-62
F 0-59
IMPORTANT: Late or incomplete assignments and minor projects are NOT accepted. The main projects can be handed in late, however they will be marked down half a letter grade for each day they are late. If you are having trouble meeting a deadline, contact the professor immediately.
Assignments and projects are due at the beginning of class on the day that they are due. Be sure to budget time to prepare a CD-R of the work or hand it in on the scratch drive prior to the start of class.
Attendance ::
Attendance will be recorded. If you know you need to miss class you are responsible to make PRIOR arrangements with the instructor.
You have two unexcused absences, excused absences require documentation.
You will get two points for each day you attend class and none for each day you don't. An absence of absences will have a positive effect on your grade. Excessive absences will have a negative effect on your learning, your grade and could potentially cause course failure (or your employer fires you).
Remember, coming in late is disruptive to the seminar. Excessive lateness will be counted as unexcused absences.
Special arrangements can be made for IU related activities or things like job interviews.
Information about observing religious holidays can be found at- http://www.indiana.edu/~deanfac/download/rel_obs.html#holreq
Class Conduct ::
You may use the computer or your laptop for course related activities, however class time is NOT, REPEAT NOT, REPEAT NOT, REPEAT NOT to be used checking email or surfing the web. The professor will note this and contact you if this is a problem. In extreme cases this can be considered academic misconduct. Please put your mobile device on vibrate. You can read text messages quickly and discretely, however class time is not meant for sending texts, emails, etc.
Discussion can be exciting and challenging, however please be respectful of the great diversity of your peers and the "life, liberty and pursuit of happiness" of others.
As members of the class organism, we abide by the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct. Please refer to this site for any questions you may have- http://dsa.indiana.edu/Code/index.html
Required Text ::
Pro tools 7 for Macintosh and Windows, Steven Roback, Peachpit Press, ISBN# 0-321-34898-2
Recommended Text ::
Designing Sound, Andy Farnell, Applied Scientific Press, Ltd., ISBN# 978-0-9560886-0-4
Supplies ::
Headphones for working (Sony MDR 7506 if you can afford)
External drive, blank DVD-R media and/or a plethora of blank CDs for audio and data back up.
General Notes ::
Please schedule/reserve 3-6 hours a week for reviewing what we have covered in class as well as time for working on assignments and class projects.
Read through the Protools material and try out the concepts in the software before the class.
ALWAY!!!!!S back-up your work. This means your work should always exist in at least two locations. Lost or incomplete work due to your lack of appropriate digital file management is unacceptable. Save often and save versions, because applications crash, files get corrupted and power fails!
Use consistent means of file naming-
Example- myName_myProject1, myName_myProject2, etc.
IMPORTANT: Remember Protools requires the files it generates in the Audio folder that lives in the Session folder you create- it links to these audio files. Be sure to back up ALL these files.
If you are unfamiliar with the MAC OS and how to burn Cds or DVDs, make sure to come to my office hours or ask another classmate for help. We cannot use class time for this.
I am available to meet with you to discuss class work, policies or other questions and concerns you may have during office hours and by appointment.
