Possibly a first of its kind*, Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland, UK, is offering an online Masters degree course in Sound Design. The MSc is offered as an 18-month part-time package, with all course lectures delivered via distance learning. The programme is particularly keen to encourage applications from industry professionals (however you choose to interpret the term), … [Read more...]
Expectations of Noise
(This one fell through the cracks for our noise feature last month, we bring it to you now...better late than never. ;) SF) I’ve spent most of my engineering career (the last 13 years or so) doing my best to eradicate noise from my work. Working to tape as a music engineer I became well acquainted with noise gates and expanders (equipment I haven’t made any serious use of in … [Read more...]
Separating Your Signal from the Noise: The Intersection Between Bit Depth and Branding
As a sound designer, there are many different thoughts that come to mind when considering a topic such as noise. Everything from using tone generated noise, like white noise in the designing of sound effects, to a technical discussion on different types of dither algorithms, but when I kept thinking about noise, one slightly different viewpoint of the word "noise" kept coming … [Read more...]
The Theatre Sound Colloquium (and thoughts on sound design)
Guest contribution by Andy Farnell Images by Jemima Yong This article is the first of two part series on two sound symposia that recently happened in the UK. The Theatre Sound Colloquium – June 28 2013 First off, the last days of June. The sun finally came out in the UK in time for a splendid Glastonbury Festival, and I was in London for the Theatre Sound Colloquium held … [Read more...]
Noise, Storytelling with Sound, and Visuals on the Radio with Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad
I recently had the chance to chat with Jad Abumrad, creator and co-host of WNYC's Radiolab. Each episode of Radiolab explores ideas in science, technology, and the universe at large through a seamless blend of expert interviews, sound design, and music. Together with co-host Robert Krulwich, the show has covered topics such as sleep, colors, cities, and loops, just to name a … [Read more...]
Interview: Dren McDonald and Skulls of the Shogun
Here is my interview with the wonderfully talented Dren McDonald in which I ask him a few questions about his work on the fantastic indie strategy game: Skulls of the Shogun which is now available on Steam. And we also talk a bit about the Game Audio Network Guild and Kickstarter. -Tell us a little bit about your sound design background and how you got … [Read more...]
“The quieter it is, the more you hear!” – Chuck Michael on the sound for Stoker
Sound is the most invisible part of the film. That’s probably why it’s quite rare for the sound of a movie to be mentioned in the press. But it happens, fortunately, and the film Stoker is a great example – this latest work by acclaimed Korean director Park Chan-wook premiered at this year’s Sundance, and since then the prolific and powerful sound design has been getting a lot … [Read more...]