Sound Design for Digital Media

Code:

MM0034

Acronym:

DSMD

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Communication Technology

Instance: 2023/2024 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Informatics Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Multimedia

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MM	26	Syllabus	1	-	6	45	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

1) Knowledge on the historical background and vocabulary of sound design.

2) Provide contact with the nomenclature, working methodology and main tools of sound design for digital media.

3) Application of sound design to the creation, manipulation and transmission of sound content for visual media, with emphasis on cinema and games.

Learning outcomes and competences

After successfully finishing this class, the student will be able to:
1) Know the history and vocabulary of sound design.
2) Know the main platforms, techniques and methodologies of sound design for digital media.
3) Work in sound design for digital media, with emphasis on sound design for cinema and games.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1) History of Sound Design:
a) foley;
b) music for cinema;
c) soundscapes;
d) semiotics;
e) theoretical models.

2) Sound perception and immersiveness:
a) psychoacoustics and cognition of hearing;
b) sound manipulation techniques;
c) spatialization techniques.

3) Technological platforms of sound design for digital media:
a) recording techniques;
b) editing and mixing with a Digital Audio Workstation;
c) affects and audio manipulation: reverberation, equalization, noise reduction, amplitude manipulation, etc.;
d) introduction to digital synthesis for sound design;
e) introduction to mastering;
f) integration of sound design in tools for game development.

4) Practical applications of sound design for digital media:
a) in cinema;
b) in games.

Mandatory literature

R. Murray Schafer; The soundscape. ISBN: 978-0-89281-455-8
Chion, M.; Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen, C. Gorbman, trans. New York: Columbia University Press, 1994
SONNENSCHEIN, DAVID; Sound Design, Michael Wiese Productions, 2001
Ekman, I.; Modelling the Emotional Listener: Making Psychological Pro- cesses Audible, Proc. AudioMostly 2009, Sepbember, Glasgow, Great Britain., 2009
Andy Farnell; Designing sound. ISBN: 978-0-262-01441-0
Blesser, B., & Salter, L.-R.; Spaces Speak, Are You Listening?, MIT Press, 2007

Complementary Bibliography

Álvaro Mendes Barbosa ; orient. Prof. Doutor Xavier Serra e co-orient. Prof. Doutor Sergi Jordà; Displaced soundscapes
RUMSEY, F.; The Audio Workstation Handbook, Oxford, Focal Press, 1996
ZAZA, T.; Audio Design, Englewood Cliffs, Prentice Hall, 1991
Lastra, J. Reading; Writing, and Representing Sound, n Altman, R. (ed.) Sound theory, Sound practise, Routledge, 1985

Teaching methods and learning activities

This course unit is composed mainly by practical applications of the sound desing methodologies, with some comprehensive seminars on the theorical program contents.
The practical projects are developed both as laboratorial work and outside contact hours.

Software

Snapper
Max/MSP/Jitter
Native Instruments Komplete
Izotope RX
Audiokinetic Wwise
Waves Audio
Tapestrea
Digidesign Protools
Pd
Kyma

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Participação presencial	35,00
Trabalho de campo	20,00
Trabalho laboratorial	45,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	30,00
Frequência das aulas	45,00
Trabalho de campo	20,00
Trabalho laboratorial	70,00
Total:	165,00

Eligibility for exams

The practical assignments will be evaluated during the laboratory classes, based on the submission of the planned deliveries.

Given the pratical nature of the course, it is not possible to take a single evaluation exam to replace the pratical assignments.

Calculation formula of final grade

Evaluation Formula: 0,35 * Proj1 + 0,35 * Proj2 + 0,2 * MiniProj + 0,1 * AC

Proj1 - Group project 1
Proj2 - Group project 2
MiniProj - Individual assignments carried out during the semester 
AC - Continuous assessment

Classification improvement

Substantial improvement of the final assignment or presentation of another assignment previously approved by the professor.

Observations

Classes will be taught in English if there is foreign students or if it is deemed necessary (e.g. presentations given by foreign professors). Students can either present their assignments in Portuguese or in English.