Design sound for animation
Overview
This Standard is about designing the soundtrack for animation to meet the creative, technical and production needs of the project and to create a soundtrack that adds value to the story. This applies to creation of the final audio track or a temporary track (scratch mix) for an animatic. The role will involve liaising with people such as the director on the creation of voice over and dialogue. This standard is for you if you design sound for animation.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
determine the requirements that will affect your work by analysing
briefs, specifications, scripts, visual references and technical and
production parameters
- define the dialogue, music and sound effects needed for
animation productions
- create the different types of sound needed to establish the
atmospheric style of the production and to give immediacy,
enhance action and help give pace and mood
- direct and record creation of sound to meet production demands
and add value to images, narrative and action
- source supplementary sound material to suit the requirements of
the production in terms of length, content, quality and creative
effect, with due regard to copyright issues
- make ongoing adjustments to sound and picture material
throughout the production when required
- create a sound breakdown that assists the timing and
synchronisation of animation
- contribute to creating lip sync between dialogue and animation
that meets production requirements
- liaise with relevant people in a way that supports the production
process,
- review output with relevant people, offering suggestions that
assist with the production
- take direction and act on feedback
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
the aims, objectives and narrative of the production and its overall
conceptual vision
- the production requirements, such as delivery schedule
(production pipeline) and technical parameters of the project, such
as animation medium, post production methods, projection speed
of the production
- The production process, and the implications to the budget and
schedule when asking for changes to the picture
- the types of film sound, such as establishing sounds, sound
motifs, sound-scapes, characteristic, ambient, empathic, hyperreal, diegetic, acousmatic, point of audition, extended
- the relationship between sound and image and how sound-scape
and music can be used to affect the tone and mood of the piece
the balance between fx, music, and voice tracks
how to balance the need for atmosphere and clarity
film grammar and editing
timing and pacing
shot breakdown and continuity
how to use industry-standard sound software
the possibilities and constraints of the software you are using
the file formats for audio and video assets
the people you need to liaise with at different stages including
directors, composers, actors and animators