Experimental Sound

Experimental Sound Project Brief

In this unit, we will examine the potential of sound design and it’s scope for making meaning through experimental technique whilst challenging the myth that audio merely serves the picture.

‘Humble sounds had always been considered the inevitable accompaniment of the visual — stuck like an insubstantial, submissive shadow to the object that "caused" them’.
- Walter Murch, 2000
Through examining a history of experimental sound design, we will explore the potential to build on imagery and manipulate the way visuals are interpreted.
Photographs of the original BBC Radiophonic Workshop

Task

Taking one of the artworks provided; interpret, record, edit and mix an experimental design consisting of only sound. The piece should last between 1 and 2 minutes in duration and implement experimental techniques of audio production as explored during this unit.
The sound design could consider an exploration of:

• A Journey
  
• A Narrative
  
• Space and/or Place
  
• A Passage of Time
  

The design should consider the possibility sound has to communicate ideas, distort realities and affect the interpretation of visuals. You should utilise skills acquired in the operation of recording equipment and Adobe Audition audio editing software to produce a complete experimental sound design. The final sound should be submitted as a Quicktime (.mov) file with a visual of the interpreted image. The audio on the file should adhere to the following standards:

   

• 48 kHz Sample Rate
  
• 24 Bit Depth Resolution
  
• Mixed to -10 dBfs
  PROJECT HAND-IN: 10AM, 21st MARCH 2014
  

DIGITAL FILM AND SCREEN ARTS: YEAR 1 FDFS4005: IMAGE FACTORY 13/14 EXPERIMENTAL SOUND UNIT