HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM-160Classroom Syllabus Form for BCC General Education Courses / "Box" Version
Revised, 12/17/02; adopted by BCC Faculty Senate, March 11, 2003
Bergen Community College
Division of Arts, Humanities & Wellness
Department of Performing Arts
Course Syllabus
MUS/COM/ART 160, Sound for Visual Media
An individual classroom syllabus for this course must include as much of the following
information as is applicable:
Basic Information About Course and Instructor
Course Description
Semester and year:
Course Number: [e.g., ANT-101-001]
Meeting Times and Locations:
Instructor:
Office Location:
Phone:
Departmental Secretary: [optional]
Office Hours:
Email Address:
Sound for Visual Media is a hands-on course exploring the ways dialog, sound effects and music
intertwine with various forms of visual media including film, video, and multimedia content.
Topics include diegetic vs. non-diegetic sound, foley, location sound, automated dialog
replacement, voiceover recording, recording techniques, mixing, and signal processing. Students
will study how sound has been used historically in visual media, as well as creating their own
soundtracks
2 lectures, 2 labs, 3 credits
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Classroom Syllabus Form for BCC General Education Courses / "Box" Version
Revised, 12/17/02; adopted by BCC Faculty Senate, March 11, 2003
Student Learning Objectives: As a result of meeting the requirements in this course, students will
be able to
Means of Assessment
Course Content
1)Record clean, undistorted, low-noise dialogue and sound effects including Automated
Dialogue Replacement and foley using state of the art recording systems
2)Record and customize sound effects using digital signal processors
3)Synchronize sound to visual references and cues
4)Professionally edit and mix dialogue, sound effects and music using non-linear editing
software
5)Understand and describe how the properties of sound affect sound capturing and mixing
6)Write scripts and create cue sheets to facilitate teamwork amongst sound crew members
7)Utilize hard and ambient sound effects and music to create soundscapes for films
Students will demonstrate their understanding of terminology and concepts via exams and/or
quizzes and/or student presentations.
Students will demonstrate their ability to apply the concepts of sound via projects for which
soundscapes are created, which may include sound only projects, film or video clips for which the
students add sound, video games for which the students add sound, multimedia presentations for
which the students add sound.
This course is intended to give students in music technology, broadcasting and animation the
knowledge to create soundscapes for various forms of visual media and/or to effectively
communicate with sound designers and sound crews to capture and add sound to films, television
programs, video games, and other forms of visual media that require sound.
The course will be presented via lectures incorporating historical use of sound in visual media,
current practices in creating soundscapes, demonstrations of sound recording, processing and
mixing, and lab assignments during which the instructor will assist students in completing
projects applying concepts and techniques taught.
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Classroom Syllabus Form for BCC General Education Courses / "Box" Version
Revised, 12/17/02; adopted by BCC Faculty Senate, March 11, 2003
Special Features of the Course (if any)
Course Texts and/or Other Study Materials
Research, Writing, and/or Examination Requirement(s)
Students will conduct field recordings during and outside of class time to capture dialog and
custom sound effects. Students will be able to sign out needed equipment from the Performing
Arts department equipment room in W-209.
Students will use a state of the art laboratory to create soundscapes for their projects using Digital
Audio Workstations and the colleges recording facilities. Students should anticipate having to use
these facilities several hours per week outside of class time to successfully complete projects.
Required text:
Producing Great Sound for Film and Video by Jay Rose, CMP Books, 3rd edition.
ISBN-13: 978-0240809700 ISBN-10: 024080970X
Because an understanding of terminology and sound theory is required for students to
successfully communicate with sound design professionals in the industry, this course should
include at least two examinations to test student knowledge of such concepts.
To enhance students’ understanding of how professionals have used sound in visual media, it is
recommended that students are assigned a written and/or oral project describing an effective use
of sound in an existing work of visual media.
Each student should be able to clearly demonstrate their participation in group projects and will
be graded individually based on their individual participation in such projects.
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Classroom Syllabus Form for BCC General Education Courses / "Box" Version
Revised, 12/17/02; adopted by BCC Faculty Senate, March 11, 2003
Grading Policy
Attendance Policy
Each instructor may develop their own grading breakdown of assignments and exams/quizzes.
Instructors should weigh the grade quotient of each project based on amount of work required of
each participant and the extent to which the project or exam indicates students achievement of
learning objectives.
Grades will be based on criteria made clear upon the assigning of projects. Instructors will
consider the following when grading projects: amount of apparent work involved, adherence to
assignment parameters, demonstrated understanding of concepts taught and their applications,
and other factors as provided to the students in project guides or exam guides.
As this is a “hands on” lab-based class, projects should account for at least 50% of the final grade.
To encourage student participation in class, attendance and participation should account for at
least 10% of the grade.
As the media industries are competitive and deadline based, students should be penalized for
work submitted late unless there are extenuating circumstances. Extensions and make-up exams
should be arranged in advance unless circumstances make it impossible to do so.
BCC Attendance Policy:
All students are expected to attend punctually every scheduled meeting of each course in which
they are registered. Attendance and lateness policies and sanctions are to be determined by the
instructor for each section of each course. These will be established in writing on the individual
course outline. Attendance will be kept by the instructor for administrative and counseling
purposes.
Append a statement on the attendance policy for the course.
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Classroom Syllabus Form for BCC General Education Courses / "Box" Version
Revised, 12/17/02; adopted by BCC Faculty Senate, March 11, 2003
Other College, Divisional, and/or Departmental Policy Statements [optional but recommended]
Student and Faculty Support Services [optional but recommended]
Examples:
Statement on plagiarism and/or academic dishonesty.
ADA statement.
Sexual Harassment statement.
Statement on acceptable use of BCC technology.
List support services, e.g., the Writing Center, the Math Lab, the Tutorial Center, Online Writing
Lab (OWL), Office of Specialized Services, etc.
Include a statement on the BCC Library.
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Classroom Syllabus Form for BCC General Education Courses / "Box" Version
Revised, 12/17/02; adopted by BCC Faculty Senate, March 11, 2003
Course Outline and Calendar*
Week Topic/Activity Learning
Objectives Assignments/Events
1 Elements of a film soundtrack
Pre-production, Production and post-production
Stems & stem supervisors
Dialogue (sync dialogue, ADR, voiceovers)
Sound Effects (hard FX, ambient FX, canned vs.
custom FX)
Music (diagetic vs. non-diagetic, original scores,
underscores, licensing)
Using cue sheets
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2 Recording dialogue
Types of microphone transducers (condenser
mics, dynamic mics, ribbon mics)
Microphone pick-up patterns
Studio mics vs. location mics
Microphone accessories
Recording voiceovers & Automated Dialog
Replacement (ADR)
1, 5 Script for Project 1 due
Read Rose ch. 4, 6 and
ch. 9 pgs. 184-205
3 Analog and Digital audio theory
What is sound?
Sound pressure waves
Waveform components (compression,
rarefaction, frequency, wavelength, amplitude)
Transduction
Sampling & sample rate
Bit depth
Analog/Digital conversion
Format standards (CD, DVD, BluRay, HD
Video, film)
1, 5 Cue sheets for project
#1 due
Read Rose ch. 1 & 2
4 Dynamic range and compressors
Using plugins and inserts
Using compresors to control dynamic range
5 * PROJECT #1 DUE *
Read Rose ch. 16
pgs. 263-369
(compression)
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Classroom Syllabus Form for BCC General Education Courses / "Box" Version
Revised, 12/17/02; adopted by BCC Faculty Senate, March 11, 2003
Note to Students: The Course Outline and Calendar is tentative and subject to change, depending
upon the progress of the class.
5 Sound Effects
Customizing canned effects (pitch shifting,
combining FX, overlaying, reversing)
Recording custom sound effects
Spotting and placing “hard” FX
Creating soundscapes with ambient FX
2, 3, 7 Read Rose ch. 15 AND
pgs. 378-379
6 Music in the soundtrack
How music is used in films,videos and games
Using licensed music
Scoring the soundtrack
7 Cue sheet for project
#2 due
Read Rose ch. 14
7 Using Reverb
Overview of reverb techniques
2, 5, 7 Read Rose ch. 16 pgs.
369-375 (reverb)
8 mid-term exam and student presentations 5 prepare for exam
9 Using equalizers (EQ)
Managing the frequency spectrum
2, 5, 7 * PROJECT #2 DUE *
Read Rose ch. 16
pgs. 356-363 (EQ)
10 Mixing the soundtrack
Working with stems
Levels, pans, distance perspective
4, 5, 7 Read Rose ch. 17
11 Mix automation
Automating volume, speaker panning, EQ and
reverb for correct placement of sounds in the mix
2, 5, 7 Cue sheet for project
#3 due
12 Finishing the soundtrack
In-class sound design demo and stem bouncing
4, 7 Read handouts
13 Time code and exporting/importing audio 1, 3 Read handouts
14 In-class presentation of final projects 5 Final projects due
15 FINAL EXAM 5 prepare for exam
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