Sound Design unit: (inspired by Caitlin Hall’s unit at

http://tedb.byu.edu/?courses=sound-design-the-art-of-foley-by-caitlin-hall)

TH:Cr1.1.II b. Understand and apply technology to design solutions for a drama/theatre

work.
TH:Pr5.1.II b. Apply technical elements and research to create a design that
communicates the concept of a drama/theatre production.
TH:Pr5.1.I.b. Use researched technical elements to increase the impact of design for a
drama/theatre production.

Objectives:
- Explain the impact of sound on an audience.
- Explain the process of designing sound for a play.
- Explain how a sound system works.
- Identify the best type of microphone to use based on specific needs and justify
your choice.
- Analyze a script to identify necessary sound cues.
- Analyze a script to create a sound design concept and explain how to achieve
mood through sound.
- Create and record original Foley art for sound design.
- Program a sound board for sound effects.

Essential Questions:
How does sound help to tell a story?
How can theater artists utilize technology to realize original effects?

Language Demands:
Vocabulary: Foley art,

Day 1: Explain the impact of sound on an audience.

Hook: Ask students, what do you know about sound? What do you know about sound
design for theater? (Record ideas on poster.)

Show film: “Animation Sound Design: Ben Burtt Creates the Sounds for Wall-E (Part 1
of 2)” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSf8Er2gV_Q

Have students discuss in groups and ask that one student record the groups’ ideas and
another student be prepared to share out:
- why is sound important
- how is sound created
Come back together as a group and have a person from each group share their ideas.
Define Foley art: when sounds are produced live in the space
Explain that we will read a script as a class, and I will divide the class into groups that
will pick about 5 pages to design the sound for. They will create and record the sounds
and put together a PowerPoint presentation to share their original sounds, how they
made them, and why they created those sounds.
Show part of Seabiscuit clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqgXhXx-EAk
Exit ticket: Explain the impact of sound in the clip from Seabiscuit.

Day 2: Explain the process of designing sound for a play.

Jenna Cusack presents sound design presentation that won at State.

Whole-class brainstorm: what do we need to learn in order to design sound for a play?
(e.g. how to analyze a script for mood, how to create sounds, how to use microphones
effectively)
Post objectives on posters around classroom with continuum line and distribute stickers.
Ask students to self-assess: how well do they feel that they can now do this? OK to not
yet feel able to – we will build your skills!
Pictorial presentation of this unit, e.g. process of designing sound for a play.
Exit ticket: In your own words, explain the process of designing sound for a play.

Day 3:
- Explain how a sound system works.
- Identify the best type of microphone to use based on specific needs and justify
your choice.

Watch chapters of “Practical Technical Theater Program Four: Audio for Theater”
pertaining to sound system and microphones.
Give students a graphic organizer to take notes as they watch or fill out after they watch
the film  Part of this graphic organizer includes hypothetical situations and students
have to decide the right kind of microphone to use.
Day 4:
- Explain how a sound system works.
- Identify the best type of microphone to use based on specific needs and justify
your choice.

Hands-on sound system day based on this lesson: http://tedb.byu.edu/?page_id=5085

Give students some work time to finish figuring out which mic for hypothetical situations.

Day 5: Analyze a script to identify necessary sound cues.

Begin reading Eurydice just for enjoyment – remind students that they will design the
sound for a 5-page chunk with a group, but for now they can simply listen for
comprehension of the larger story and mood.
Day 6: Finish read-through.
Day 7: Analyze a script to identify necessary sound cues.

Divide students into groups of 3-4.

Their goal for today is to decide the 5 pages they will design for and create a list of the
necessary cues. Give an example of what this should look like and a template that they
can use for their cue sheet.
Day 8: Analyze a script to create a sound design concept and explain how to achieve
mood through sound.
Mini-lesson on design concept / mood – tie back to Jenna’s presentation, how she first
determined mood to create and then worked on how to create using sound.
Students continue to work on design concept / mood and cue sheet.

Day 9: Create and record original Foley art for sound design.

Mini-lesson on how to create some basic Foley art sounds.

Share with students some common tricks for Foley design: (got from
https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/art-of-making-sound-effects/ and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foley_(filmmaking)#Creation)

 Footsteps with different types of shoes

 Sound of movement: pieces of cloth rubbing together
 Breaking bones: break a stalk of celery or head of lettuce
 Body punches: hit a phone book
 Flapping bird wings: wave a pair of leather gloves
 Crunching snow: crush a leather pouch filled with corn starch
 Whoosh: wave around a thin stick or arrow
 A pair of gloves sounds like bird wings flapping.
 An arrow or thin stick makes a whoosh.
 An old chair makes a controllable creaking sound.
 A water-soaked rusty hinge when placed against different surfaces makes a creaking sound.
Different surfaces change the sound considerably.
 A heavy staple gun combined with other small metal sounds make good gun noises.[2]
 A metal rake makes the rattle/squeak sound of chain-link fence; it can also make a metallic
screech when dragged across a piece of metal.
 A heavy car door and fender can create most of the car sounds needed, but having a whole car
in the studio is better.
 Burning plastic garbage bags cut into strips makes a realistic sounding candle or soft non-
crackling fire when the bag melts and drips to the ground.
 ¼-inch audio tape balled up sounds like grass or brush when walked upon.
 Gelatin and hand soap make squishing noises.
 Frozen romaine lettuce makes bone or head injury noises.
 Coconut shells cut in half and stuffed with padding makes horse hoof noises this is parodied
in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
 Cellophane creates crackling fire effects.
 A selection of wooden and metal doors is needed to create all sorts of door noises, but also can
be used for creaking boat sounds.
 Acorns, small apples and walnuts on a wooden parquet surface can be used for bones breaking
 Canned dog food can be used for alien pod embryo expulsions and monster vocalizations.

Day 10-13: Work days to create sounds and assemble concept, cue sheet, and sound
effects into PowerPoint

Days 14-16: Sound design presentations

Day 17: Jenna introduces students to the sound board
 How could we organize time so that each group programs the board for 3 of their
sound effects?
Days 18-20 finish programming and reflection on group work and design