Andrew Siedenburg

This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of recording sound for film and moving images. Sound is crucial to immerse viewers in a performance, whether through clearly recorded dialogue or through field recordings made in a landscape. This relies on the recordings made by the sound recordist, or production sound mixer, and we will deconstruct and learn what this important role entails. We will cover different approaches to recording sound, including for documentary, narrative, and experimental works. Through hands-on practical demonstrations and class participation, we will learn how to best capture high-quality audio during production, focusing on the critical relationship between sound and image. Topics include dialogue recording, field recordings, sound effects, portable recorders, boom mic operation and techniques, lavalier microphone operation and techniques, cross-department collaboration, and synchronization with camera. Each week, we will better familiarize ourselves with different aspects of recording sound while opening up ourselves to the technical and conceptual possibilities present in the medium. By the end of the course, students will be proficient with sound recording equipment and have the tools necessary to record high-quality sound on a film set or for their next project.

This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of recording sound for film and moving images. Sound is crucial to immerse viewers in a performance, whether through clearly recorded dialogue or through field recordings made in a landscape. This relies on the recordings made by the sound recordist, or production sound mixer, and we will deconstruct and learn what this important role entails. We will cover different approaches to recording sound, including for documentary, narrative, and experimental works. Through hands-on practical demonstrations and class participation, we will learn how to best capture high-quality audio during production, focusing on the critical relationship between sound and image. Topics include dialogue recording, field recordings, sound effects, portable recorders, boom mic operation and techniques, lavalier microphone operation and techniques, cross-department collaboration, and synchronization with camera. Each week, we will better familiarize ourselves with different aspects of recording sound while opening up ourselves to the technical and conceptual possibilities present in the medium. By the end of the course, students will be proficient with sound recording equipment and have the tools necessary to record high-quality sound on a film set or for their next project.