1. Largs Academy
Department of Drama
Sound Designer
Reference Booklet

2. Introduction to Sound
Types of Sound
The term sound design in the theatre basically means any type of live or pre-recorded soundtrack or effect used to make the performance more effective.
Types of sound are:
Music- an example would be between scenes, playing as background to the action or being enjoyed by characters.
Sound effects- an example would be a telephone ringing or window smashing.
Voice-over- an example would be a piece of narration or dialogue delivered from offstage(the area that is not seen by the audience).
All of which can either be:
Pre-recorded (recorded before on to C.D or mini-disk) or
Live (happening then and there, normally by an actor)

3. Reasons for Sound Reasons for Sound
Why do we need sound in a theatrical production?
Although the most important aspect of any play will always be the text (the words that are spoken by the characters and heard by the audience), sound is, when necessary, a vital part of theatre and can add to the overall effect of the performance.
Reasons for Sound
To help create a sense of time e.g. a cock crowing indicating early morning or an owl calling suggesting night time.
To help create a sense of place e.g. cars and vans travelling with horns blaring suggesting a busy high street at rush hour, a large crowd cheering and shouting indicating a football match or large machinery working to suggest a factory.
To help create a sense of the weather e.g. loud, driving rain suggesting a miserable day or wind gusting indicating a windy day
To help create a sense of mood or atmosphere e.g. wind whistling through trees followed by a wolf howling indicating a spooky graveyard at midnight
To help introduce a character or to help establish a sense of character e.g. a hard, clashing nasty piece of music playing when the pantomime villain is about to enter and a bright, cheery heroic piece of music playing when the good guy comes in.

4. How Can Sound Be Creative?
How can a sound designer/technician be creative?
They have to find the right type of music that conveys the desired mood/atmosphere.
The sound effects have to be as close to the exact sound as possible.
They have to read the script and search for moments that need sound. A creative sound designer will find places that the writer has not thought of.
They will have a good understanding of the right volume required to enhance the effect. Sound designers can experiment with layers and levels of sound to find the perfect balance.
They will have a good understanding of technical equipment and more importantly, how to use it.
If the production is non-naturalistic, they will have an imaginative approach to using different and unexpected sound effects to enhance the production.

5. Roles & Responsibilities of the Sound Designer/Technician
Read the play and identify where sound is required.
Read the play again and decide if any extra sound could be used. E.g. atmospheric music to create a mood, rain beating against the windows to create a miserable atmosphere.
Decide if it would be appropriate to use music at the beginning and/or end of the play. This would help the audience
Find/source any sound effects/music that are required. E.g. This may well include visits to locations to record sounds. A sound designer may often need to produce a sound that might never have been heard by anyone alive today, or a sound that has never been captured by a recorder, or even a fictional sound: do we really know what a town square sounded like in Shakespeare's time? Or a dragon, or the Battle of Trafalgar? To achieve this may take an awful lot of research and a great deal of time.
The sound designer will specially record appropriate sound effects, voice-overs and music for a play, mixing, changing, editing, and adding reverb or other effects until they are right for that production.
Fill in a sound cue sheet deciding when the sound effect will happen, how loud the sound will be and how long it will last for.
Apart from providing all the sound for a show the designer will have to ensure that all the correct speakers and other equipment are properly rigged and positioned so that the desired effects are achieved.
Make sure all of the sound equipment is working prior to the performance.
Operate the sound equipment during the performance.

6. Who does the Sound Designer /Technician Work With?
Who does a sound designer/technician work with?
A sound designer will often have to liaise with many other departments and designers.
The Director
The Director will have an overall vision for the play. This may involve specific music or sound effects being requested by the Director. The sound designer/technician would need to work closely with the director to ensure they found suitable music or sound effects. The sound designer would also have some creative input to the process and this would be done with the opinion of the director taken into account.
The Costume Designer/Technician
For instance, if a performer wears a radio microphone the sound designer will need to discuss this with the costume designer so that a pouch or pocket can be placed inside a costume to hold (and hide) the small but very expensive radio transmitter. The wig department will also need to be consulted if the microphone is placed in the performers hair (it often is).
The Actor
The actor will also be included in these discussions because it is important that they feel comfortable wearing the microphone. They will also have to be shown how to use and care for the microphone properly.
The Lighting Designer/Technician
Lighting cables can interfere with sound equipment so it is important that the sound designer and the lighting designer discuss which routes any temporary cables take so as to minimise possible interference. There may be a time when the sound designer will want to rig a loudspeaker in the same position as the lighting designer wishes to place light and once again the two designers will need to discuss this and come to a suitable compromise.

7. Sound Designer Checklist
Task One: Read the extract carefully and make notes
on any references to sound.
Task Two: Read through your script for a second time
and answer the following questions.
What do you think are the main issues or theme of the extract. Explain and justify your answer with reference to the text.
Give a brief description of the characters in your extract.
3. What does the language used in the extract tell us about the characters?
You might refer to age, social class, status, attitudes or relationships. You should explain your answer by referring to the text.
4. In what TIME/PERIOD and PLACE/SETTING would you choose to set this extract for a presentation?
Give reasons for your answer.
5. What feelings and /or emotions would you want the audience to have if they were watching your presentation?
Task Three:
Source the sound effects and the music required for the extract. You may need to record sound effects or rehearse them so that they can be performed live.
Burn all of your music onto a CD or create a playlist on a phone or mp3 player. Ideally they should be “burned” in the order they are used, however this is not always necessary.
3. Complete a Sound Cue Sheet. This will include when the sound is to be used, the volume of the sound effect/music, how long is going to last for and a brief description of what it is. (You will be shown how to create one of these in more detail on the next page.)

8. Completing a Sound Cue Sheet
What paper work does a sound designer need to complete?
The most important factor with sound and music is that you must come in at the right time. The director will run the production through from the beginning to end to make sure all sound cues work.
Cues should be listed in order on a sound cue sheet. Next to each cue should be the dialogue or action during which you produce the sound.
In the following column you must write down as many details as are needed to produce the sound cue effectively. This may also be notes about whether the sound is recorded or live.
In the second last column you must record the duration (how long) the sound effect will take place.
In the last column you should give details of the level (how loud) the sound will be.
Look at the example below. Copy and complete one for your script.