Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Sound in Audiovisual Productions
Other languages of instruction: Spanish
Teaching staff
The teacher will see students on the same day of the class, before or after the session, depending on the students' timetable availability.
It is recommended to make an appointment in advance via the university's email address.
Introduction
Sound in Audiovisual Productions is a subject of 1 ECTS credits that is taught during the first semester of the third year of the degree in Audiovisual Communication. The subject is compulsory and is part of the last cycle of the degree.
Sound, and as an integral part of it, music, is applied in all audiovisual products, not only for aesthetic purposes, but also as a determining element of the narrative discourse. In the same way that students must know and master visual techniques (lighting, editing, scenography and semiotics, among others), it is necessary for them to know the possibilities of temporal narration (script, sound, music and editing, among others) in order to achieve complete audiovisual products, capable of contributing added value to society.
Among the narrative languages, sound is considered one of the most influential in the viewer's perception. It is also a means capable of radically transforming the visual cultural codes that are presented, providing the discourse with different levels of reading and enriching the connotation of the product. For this reason, this subject of a professionalising nature is considered necessary in Bachelor's Degree in Communication studies.
Pre-course requirements
No prerequisites are necessary.
Objectives
1. To make pupils aware of sound awareness and to introduce them to musical cultural codes so that they can master and implement them.
2. To provoke in the student an attitude of criticism, respect and professionalism in the use of sound in the audiovisual product. To become aware of the social responsibility involved in addressing the message to a collective and, therefore, to aspire to complete, coherent and meaningful creations or, failing that, to be able to identify a creative deficiency and seek expert advice if there is a lack of professional criteria.
3. To raise awareness of the importance of the treatment of sound as an expressive resource par excellence. To reflect on the idea that sound, whatever its source, form and duration, can become a communicative, propagandistic and sales tool with unlimited power and the capacity to strongly influence consumers.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 01 - The ability to adapt to varying circumstances
- 02 - The ability to understand, accept criticism and correct errors
- 03 - The ability to administer and manage human and technical resources
- 04 - The ability to work in a team and autonomously
- 05 - The ability to organise time and workspace
- 06 - The ability to develop academic rigour, responsibility, ethics and professionalism
- 07 - The ability to apply the deontology and respect for the audiovisual sector
- 08 - The ability of critical analysis, synthesis, concretion and abstraction
- 09 - The ability to objectify, quantify and interpret (data, statistics, empirical evidence )
- 10 - The ability to confront difficulties and resolve problems
- 11 - The ability to generate debate and reflection
- 12 - The ability to meet deadlines, develop the ability to be punctual and respect for human, technical and material resources
- 13 - The ability to create spoken and written communication
- 14 - Knowledge and mastery of rhetoric and oratory to communicate own ideas
- 15 - Knowledge and mastery of body language and techniques for public speaking
- 16 - The ability to manage, analysis and reflect on content
- 18 - The capacity and development of general culture and interest in social events
- 19 - The ability of informative documentation
- 24 - The ability to plan and organize both short term and long term projects
- 25 - The ability to maximize creative development
- 26 - The ability to develop a sense of taste and perfection in the aesthetics and finalization of projects
- 32 - The ability to confront audiovisual and film projects in all phases (pre-production, shooting, post-production, distribution)
- 33 - The ability to create and direct.
- 34 - The ability to know and respect the different roles of the artistic and technical teams
- 40 - The ability to defend and respect authorship and intellectual property
- 41 - The ability to know how the distinct elemental agencies of the audio visual sector function
- 42 - The ability to distinguish, analyze and dominate the distinct genres and formats of television, film and radio
- 44 - The ability to adapt to new audiovisual formats
- 45 - The ability to know and dominate the techniques of audiovisual narrative.
- 48 - Knowledge and mastery of the techniques of filming, directing, producing and editing
- 50 - The ability to adapt, understand and apply the expressive possibilities of new technologies and future changes
- 53 - Lingustic ability in Catalan, Spanish and English
- 54 - The ability to skillfully manage the literature, terminology and linguistic structures of the English language related to the field of communication.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Students, after completing the course, will be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:
- They will be able to work naturally in a professional radio studio.
- They will know and master the main cultural codes associated with different musical styles.
- They will be able to handle video and audio editing software with ease.
- Use sound expression resources judiciously.
- Use with logic and judgement the creative possibilities of sound as a narrative element.
- Understand the importance of sound quality in audiovisual discourse.
- Acquire awareness of the world of sound, culture and the expressive needs required to adapt messages to different audiences.
- Acquire the basic technical skills necessary to work independently in the sound recording and editing processes involved in the audiovisual creation of non-fiction projects.
Syllabus
The theoretical-practical programme of the course is made up of the following contents:
1. Introduction to sound and acoustic ambience.
The contents will be taught by means of a master class, in which students will learn how sound is transmitted and how it behaves. They will also learn about the different microphones that exist and how to use them.
2. Microphones for Indoor Recording
The contents will be taught in a laboratory session. In this part of the course, students will work on indoor microphones and will learn how to use the microphones necessary for any audiovisual recording.
3. Microphones for outdoor recording
The contents will be taught in a laboratory session. In this second part, students will work on outdoor microphones and will learn how to use the necessary microphones for any audiovisual recording.
4. . Signal processors
The contents will be taught by means of a master class where the students will learn the different signal processors that exist, and they will learn how to use them technically and artistically.
5. Sound post-production and mixing.
The contents will be taught through a master class and two Focused Praxis classes where students will learn how to use the sound post-production software and will learn the necessary techniques to make a good sound mix in audiovisuals.
6. Final multi-assessment project.
A 3-hour Meeting Point session in which the students will present a sound setting of a film sequence, a short film of about 3 minutes or the trailer of a television series.
Teaching and learning activities
In person
| TRAINING ACTIVITY | ECTS CREDITS |
| Coaching. Monitoring how students learn the content of the subject, either individually or in groups. In the coaching sessions, mistakes will be corrected, queries answered, and exercises and activities to achieve the established objectives will be suggested. | 0.4 |
| Practical workshop. A highly practical working activity, where students can acquire skills that are practical or also theoretical (intellectual skills, logical skills, critical skills, intellectual learning skills, study skills, quoting skills, etc). | 0.6 |
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
Assessment will be continuous. Students will have to hand in several audiovisual and/or sound projects every fortnight. These projects will be developed individually or in groups depending on the content covered.
Partial use will be made of multi-assessment, a methodology that will allow students to be monitored according to a list of the following criteria: attitude, teamwork, meeting deadlines, delivery, use of English, creativity, design, content, market placement or academic rigour.
The assessment will consist of:
2 internships from Jordi which will be worth 100% of the subject. Includes the presentation of a final audiovisual project in front of a specialist jury.
Due to the practical nature of the subject, students must attend at least 80% of the classes in order to pass the course.
Bibliography and resources
CHION, Michel: El sonido (Paidos, Barcelona, 1999)
STORR, Anthony: La música y la mente (Paidos, Barcelona, 2008)
RUMSEY, Francis y McCORMICK, Tim: Introducción al sonido y la grabación (IORTV, 1992)
NISBETT, Alex: El uso de los micrófonos (IORTV, 1993)
ALBEICH, Torres : Micrófonos, mirando el sonido (Universitat Jaume I, 2009)
LYVER, Des: Principios básicos del sonido para video (Gedisa, 2000)
KATZ, Robert A: La masterización de audio (Focal Press, 2002)