There are many ways to introduce and teach the skill of sound design in the classroom – but a good place to start is with key terms and definitions.
Direct your students to this blog for a clear, concise, and illustrated glossary of key sound terminology, perfect for your next technical theatre lesson!
Check out our existing glossaries...
Sounds the characters can hear on-stage or on-screen.
A strong feeling arising from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.
The surroundings or conditions in which the play takes place.
The reproduction of everyday sound effects to enhance the auditory experience. Foley is often added in post-production to add in 'missing' sounds for a more believable experience.
Explore Foley in our three-part How To: Sound e-learning series...
Sounds that the characters cannot hear, but that help to create the mood or atmosphere of a production. For example, music playing over a montage scene.
The process of recording, developing, or creating audio elements to achieve a certain tone or effect for a production.
Introduce your students to sound design with this Key Concepts episode...
A sound recorded and presented to make a specific storytelling or creative point without the use of dialogue or music.
A library of consistent sounds that the designer can draw from to unify an audio piece (much like a visual artist uses a variety of colors to create a unified piece).
A combination of sounds that creates the sensation of a particular acoustic environment. For example, the soundscape of a playground would be very different from that of a hospital.
Music accompanying and synchronized to the action on-stage or on-screen.
When the music or action is changing from one location or time to another on-stage.
Music that plays under the dialogue or action on-stage or on-screen.
This glossary has been adapted from Unlocking Sound: Discover, Explore, Assess, written by Julie Benitez and Kirsten Giard Branch. This resource is available to customers on the DT+ platform.
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