A director's guide to sound preparation
for your production
I prepared these notes to help you better understand my view of my role as recording engineer and editor of the sound effects and incidental music for your production.
Sound design --- For many people, preparing good sound effects and incidental music for a stage production presents a complex challenge. Perhaps the reason is that most stage design work is visual. But sound lacks a visual part. You can't "see it under lights." In my many years of preparing sound for the stage, I have concentrated on providing the skills that help you get good sound for your show.
I will be as responsible for the basic sound design as you wish. A few days after you give me a copy of the script, I will give you a preliminary sound plot. It will show all sound effects cues I have found in the script. It also will show potential places for incidental music. Please use this as a guideline, making changes, additions, or deletions as you wish. Once you approve the preliminary plot, I will prepare sound recordings for those cues and will provide you a cassette tape dub for rehearsal and checking. Please let me know as quickly as possible any changes you need from this preliminary design.
I am chiefly an artisan, not an artist. My skill is more recreating than creating. My aims are to provide you with the sounds you want and to advise you on what is technically reasonable. If you wish, you can bypass early stages of the process by giving me a detailed cue list. I will build the effects recordings to your cue sheet.
Music --- If you want me to select or suggest music, please tell me the mood, style, or other facets you intend. I can help choose music. I have a strong background in music programming and performing. Please get me your music needs as early as possible. I will need an accurate timing requirement for each piece of music. (A good clean copy of any specific recording you want me to use will speed the job.)
Timings --- Some effects are time-sensitive. To make an effect the correct length, I must have an accurate timing, measured with a stopwatch or other watch that shows seconds. I find that most people (including me) grossly mis-estimate short times. Please don't guess. When you have blocked and set a scene, please get me preliminary exact timings for all time-sensitive cues. As we go on in rehearsals, please check them occasionally and let me know any timing changes.
Format --- I can produce your sound effects recordings in compact disk (CD), cassette tape, or reel tape format, as computer sound files (wav or mp3), or in some combination. Let me know your theater's requirements. (If you're not sure, check with your technical director.) Unless you tell me otherwise, I will produce audio compact disks. Let me know if you need something else.
Live recording --- If we have live recording requirements, please help me set up recording sessions as early as possible. To make voice recordings, we will need a quiet place. A rehearsal hall or theater is seldom quiet enough. It may be okay for recording a few lines. An inside office with no windows is usually better. I often make recordings in the living room of my suburban home, a distance from freeway and other traffic and from normal flight paths (except occasional helicopters).
Live effects --- Whenever possible, you can have recorded sounds for most sound effects. Or you may consider using live effects for telephone or doorbells and for other sounds that are easy to produce live, such as door knocks or slams. Recorded effects may not have the realism of live effects. In particular the volume levels of recorded effects must be carefully controlled.
Studio work and rehearsals --- I do most of my sound effects work at my home studio. This includes remastering, editing, dubbing, live recording, and other activities needed to build your recordings. Your sound operator uses that recording during rehearsals and performances. The operator controls running a recording on cue and setting volume levels in the theater. Please remember that I will not be at the theater often. Seldom do I need to be at rehearsals during which you use my sound recordings. Please don't ask me to attend rehearsals unless a specific problem arises. In that case, we can cover that problem when I arrive. Better yet, telephone me with detailed descriptions of problems and changes required. If I'm not at home, my answering machine will take an extended, detailed message. If you want me to call you back, leave a number where I can reach you. Since my home studio is at least a half-hour drive from most venues, when I come to a rehearsal I use at least an hour and a half of my limited time.
Please let me know as quickly as possible any changes you need for your recordings, in as much detail as you can. I will do my best to help keep the sound effects for your production running smoothly.
Copyright 1994-2003, Michael D. Shapiro -- revised January 2003
For more information, or assistance on your production,
contact
phone (voice or fax): (858) 672-1445 -- email: mdshapir@san.rr.com
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