FIT3172 Sonics – Semester 2, 2023 Assignment 2
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FIT3172 Sonics – Semester 2, 2023
Assignment 2: Creating an audio narrative
In this assignment,you will create an audio composition that creates a scene or impression in the mind of the listener. You will use an image, chosen from a set of source images provided, as a source of inspiration. You may tell an explicit story through a series of audio events or consist of a more abstract set of sounds that invoke a mood or feeling. Your composition will use a combination of recorded audio and sounds you create yourself.
Statement on the use of Generative AI for assessments in this unit: Generative AI tools cannot be used for any assessments in this unit. In this unit, you must not use generative artificial intelligence (AI) to generate any materials or content in relation to your assessment.
Requirements
● Recording: The narrative must include some recorded audio. This should include a mixture of background audio (e.g. environmental soundscape) and foreground sounds (e.g. recognisable human activity).
● Sound creation: Your composition should include a variety of sounds you create yourself. This includes both digitally generated sounds using VST synthesisers (e.g. Helm) or hardware synthesisers, and effects created using Foley. You should not rely on vocal narration. Your composition may not contain any speech except for indistinct voices captured in background audio, non-speech vocalizations (e.g. abstract sounds), wordless singing, or voice used in Foley.
● Composition: Your composition may be literal (portray a sequence of events), or abstract (convey an emotion or feeling) in nature. Be creative!
● Editing and processing: The recordings should be appropriately edited and processed in Reaper using techniques learned during your studios. This should include techniques such as multi-track mixing, non-destructive sound processing and editing (for example filtering and effects), as well as techniques used in Assignment 1.
● Length: The finished piece should be about 3 minutes in length.
● Documentation: Your submission should be accompanied by details about how and where you made your recordings, as well as descriptions of the sounds you made and how you made them. You should also describe the story or mental image your composition is intended to invoke, along with the decisions you made to achieve this (for example, what foreground and background sounds you chose and how you fitted them together). Explain how you designed your piece, using the content from Lecture 7 as a starting point. For example, how would you describe the narrative arc of your piece? How did you create tension? Why did you use diegetic sounds, or not? Briefly describe (at a high level) the editing and sound processing decisions you made, and your rationale.
● Recording: Your submission will include your final edited composition, along with the source files you used. This should follow the specified submission format.
Assignment Submission (via Moodle)
1. Audio file: Your final audio file in .wav format.
2. Project files: Your Reaper project files, including original sound files.
3. Documentation file: A pdf of your recording documentation.
Submission instructions continue overleaf…
Submission Instructions
Please complete the below steps to assemble your assignment files and prepare them for submission. Be sure not to include excessive source material (delete some raw audio files and note this in your documentation if necessary), as your submission must meet Moodle’s upload limit of 500MB.
1. Create a new folder titled FIT3172_A2_StudentName
2. Create a sub-folder, titled “Project”. Copy your Reaper project into this folder. Your Reaper project folder should contain a sub-directory of your media as you were shown in Studio 6. (Markers must be able to open the project on their machine without linking errors or need to install additional plugins.)
3. Add your documentation file to the main folder. This should be a single document in .pdf format.
4. Add your final rendered recording to the main folder. This should be a single audio file in .wav format (44.1 kHz, 16 bit, PCM).
5. Compress your main folder into a single .zip file
a. Windows: Right click FIT3172_A2_StudentName and select “Send To->Compressed (zipped) folder”
b. Mac: Right click FIT3172_A2_Studentname and select “Compress <filename>” 6. Upload the .zip to Moodle
Assessment Criteria (total 20 marks)
● Quality of recorded content: inclusion of both foreground and background audio, quality of recordings, sufficient variety of interesting sounds (e.g. timbre, volume, distance, dynamics, variety), sound elements added, does the audio create an interesting picture in the listener’s mind? (4 marks)
● Quality of created sounds: inclusion of both digitally generated sounds and foley, quality of sounds, variety of interesting sounds. (4 marks)
● Quality of the composition: creation of an effective narrative or image, strategic use of different types of sounds, design of the piece. (4 marks)
● Quality of editing and mixing: correct use of editing and mixing techniques, overall qualities such as dynamic range, control of unwanted sounds (e.g. wind), level matching between edits, noise reduction, normalisation, fading introduction and fadeout, with 2 second silent header, and correct file format. (4 marks)
● Documentation of the sound design, recording and production process, and factors in the decision(s) to use the chosen sounds and how they fit into the scene. (4 marks)
Due Date: Friday, 11 :55 pm, Week 9 (22nd September)
2023-09-18
Creating an audio narrative