FVD 143S Spring 2008
Major Production and Writing
Assignments in Detail1. Project One is a group project. Prepare an audio work of no more than five minutes length (3 minutes minimum) in which you create a mood, tell a story, offer a description, or otherwise present an audio "picture" to the listener. This may be accomplished through narrative, musical, sound effects, or other abstract devices. Use no dialogue or any readily understandable human language. All of the recorded material must be original. The final product should incorporate some manipulation of the recorded material. Extended event recordings are not acceptable.You may not use any prerecorded material in this assignment. Work together and use this project to acquaint yourself with recording devices, work stations, and software.
2. Project Two can be either an individual or a group project. It must be four to six minutes in length. In this one you may use some prerecorded material and spoken words. Nevertheless, at least half of the material used must be original recordings you have made. The objective is to present a complete work that shows a variety of recording and production techniques. Like all subsequent projects, this one can be about anything and take on any form you choose.
3. Project Three: Two "Snapshots". Record a single (discrete) acoustic event of no more than three seconds duration for each snapshot. Use that recording as the sole basis of a 2-5 minute production. You may work in either analog or digital domains. If the sound you chose is from a repeating pattern such as a clock ticking, use only one instance of the sound (a single cycle of "tick tock"). Otherwise, there are no rules. Do not spend a lot of time on this project. You need not have both pieces ready at the same time. End each snapshot with a two second pause followed by the original (unaltered) recording of the acoustic event you chose. This is an individual project.
4. Project Four
Option A: This is an individual project. It must be four to six minutes in length. Like all other projects in this course, this one can be about anything and take on any form you choose. I do expect a little more sophistication at this point of the course. The work should be well conceived and well put together.
Option B: Sound and Image. This is an individual project as far as sound is concerned. You may work with another person on images. Choose a single still image, a coherent set of still images, an incoherent set of still images, a short animation, a short fillm, or any other visual material and create a sound track for it. Be prepared to present the images and sound together in class.
5. Project Five (Final) is another individual effort. Like Project Four, it may be purely audio or audio paired with image(s). This project is five to ten minutes long (timed exactly to the minute]. By this time you should be able to use more complex techniques. I expect your production to reflect all of the complexity demanded by your artistic vision. You may accumulate some bonus points if you include some originally scripted spoken material (not a transcript). Provide a typed copy of the script when you submit the project.
6. The 4-5 Option: In exceptional cases it is possible to combine projects four and five into a single major project to be presented at the end of the semester. This option is not available to teams, only individuals. It is intended to encourage a highly focused effort on some relatively complex project in which you have a strong interest. It could be a project involving research, numerous interviews, extensive field recordings, multiple complex studio sessions, or some other complicating factors. If you are interested, see me after we get through the first project. Do not even think about proposing the 4-5 option as a way of shifting deadlines to the end of the semester! The project has the same guidelines as project five except for the length. The 4-5 option must be at least 15 minutes long.
7. The Spot is a thirty second production for extra credit only. It is not a requirement! The spot is intended to convey a message to a mass audience (although it may be targeted). It may be commercial, political or service oriented in nature. It may integrated into one of your other projects or submitted as a separate item. Thus, it may be turned anytime during the semester.
8. The Audio Genre Development Foundation is a fictitious funding agency that exists to encourage the exploration of new ways to use the audio medium. It "supports" audio projects ranging from new radio programs to concerts and audio installations. A Request For Proposals (RFP) is available on the web. It is not too early to check it out. The Foundation Center's Proposal Writing Guide is helpful.
9. Research Paper/Advanced Production Option. It is my expectation that most students in the class will complete the Audio Genre Development Foundation proposal. However, students who prefer to do a traditional research paper for this course may do so. The topic of the paper, however, will have to be negotiated with me in advance. The first step in gaining permission to write a traditional research paper is to submit a brief (one page) proposal. Your greatest likelihood of approval will come from proposals that have a strong theoretical bent. The incorporation of a production component (acoustic examples) is a plus.