GRADING

Exams and quizzes                  40%

Projects                                   60%

 

Absences:

You are expected to attend all lecture and lab meetings for this course.  If you miss a class, you are responsible for getting the assignment and learning the new skills demonstrated in class (contact the TA or talk to your classmates).  Please call or email me if you are sick or have a personal emergency, so I don=t penalize you for missing class.  If you have more than three unexcused absences, I will lower your final grade by half a grade.

 

Late Projects:

Projects which are handed in late will be penalized one letter grade.  (For example, an A project will receive a B.)  If your project is more than a week late, you will receive an F.  (If there are extraordinary circumstances, I will make an exception.) This is in fairness to those who completed their project on time.

Late Equipment Return:

Responsibility and reliability are part of what you are learning in this course.  If equipment is returned late, I will deduct one grade from your project the first week, and one grade each week thereafter.

 

 

CALL FOR HELP!

Please do not hesitate to email, call, or talk to me during office hours or in class if you are confused about anything.  The TA is available to help you in the lab.  Your classmates can also be a great help with hands-on production work.  Plan to participate actively in classroom discussions and in lab activities.  The best way to achieve your goals in this course is to involve yourself in the learning experiences.

 

Electronics Technician Steve Miller (607-436-3360) is also available for troubleshooting.  His office is in the Technology Center on the first basement level in the library. There is an audio studio in the Technology Center which is open on a first come-first served basis.

 

If you have trouble using your key card to get into the studio, IRC Secretary Donna Baker (IRC 104) can help you with that and almost anything else! 

 

 

 

IMPORTANT DATES

 

September 23             Exam #1

 

October 2 and 7         Hands-on Exam (half of the class each date)

 

November 20             Final project due.

 

December 9, 11, 16    Hands-on Exam (one-third of the class each date)

 

December 16  11 am   (Finals Week)                                                                      

                                    Exam #2

                                    Hands-on Exam (final one-third of class)

MCOM 253 - BURNETT, TOROSYAN

                                                                                                                                   

AUDIO PRODUCTION

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:  This course is designed to introduce the student to the fundamentals of audio production, with a particular emphasis on computer recording and editing.  Students will be required to conceive, write and produce individual and group audio projects in a set time limit.  Topics include general production principles, techniques and the operation of general audio production tools such as audio board, tape recorders, microphones, CD, minidisc, and computer.  Students will be required to demonstrate knowledge of basic audio production and apply it in various studio projects and at the campus radio station.

 

 

FORMAT:  This class requires good self-discipline and motivation.  Class consists of quizzes on the assigned reading, sharing of student projects which are due weekly, and demonstration of new production techniques.  This is a hands-on course.

 

 

PREREQUISITE:  SoS and MCOM 151

 

 

TEXTBOOKS:  Hausman, Messere, Benoit, Modern Radio Production, 7^th edition

 

 

REQUIREMENTS:     

      1)    Completion of assigned/approved professional projects.

      2)    Projects must meet production deadlines.

      3)    Mandatory attendance.

      4)    Satisfactory grades in exams and production skills.

     5)   Thorough reading and study of textbook chapters and other works related to the course.

 

COURSE SCHEDULE

 

Audio Production – Professor Burnett

 

Please note: 

This schedule is subject to change based on class needs and availability of guest speakers.

 

 

Week 1

August 28       Introductions and Overview

Class demo:     Broadcasting with mic.  Articulation, proper positioning of mic.

Pick partners.  Play final projects (doc and radio show). 

Show website.

Assignment:    Chapter 1 Production in Modern Radio

Buy textbook                                                                        

 

Week 2

Sept. 2             Quiz:   Chapter 1      

Class demo:     Computer recording and playback.  Writing for radio.

Play Best of Project 1

Assignment:    Chapter 2 The Console                      

Project #1 – Newscast (voice to computer)

 

Sept. 4             Quiz: Chapter 2

                        Look over news copy. Preview final project. Show website.

                        Class demo:     Review computer recording/playback and board operation

Assignment:    Chapter 3 CD Players, Recordable CDs, Turntables 

 

 

Week 3

Sept. 9             Quiz:   Chapter 3       Project 1 due.

Play “Best of Project 2”

Class demo:     Music up full, fade under voice, up full and fade out

Assignment:    Project #2

                        Chapter 4 (Sampling p. 65-68 and Tuning into Technology p. 83)

 

Sept. 11           Quiz:  Chapter 4

                        Show WONY site. Sign up for time to visit for WONY report

                        WONY tour

                        Assignment:  Chapter 5 Microphones and sound

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 4

Sept. 16           Quiz:  Chapter 5        Project 2 due.

                        Guest:  Dave Geasey re mics, audio for video

Assignment:   WONY report

                                                Chapter 8 Live, On-Air Production

 

Sept. 18           Quiz:  Chapter 8

                        Play Project 1.

                        Class demo: timer, crossfades, Project 3 technique

                        Play “Best of Project 3”

Assignment     Review for exam.  Bring a #2 pencil with an eraser! 

 

 

Week 5

Sept. 23           WONY report due.

                        Exam #1 (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8)

                        Listen to DJ shows. Visit WUOW.

Assignment:    Project #3 – You’re the DJ

                       

                                               

Sept. 25           Play Project 2. Review Project 3 technique.

                       

 

Week 6

Sept. 30           Project 3 due. 

                        Play Project 3. Feedback for hands-on exam.

                        Sign up for hands-on exam.

                        Assignment:    Prepare for hands-on exam.

 

Oct. 2              Hands-on exam

 

Week 7

Oct. 7              Hands-on Exam

 

 

Break: October 9 – 12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 8

Oct. 14            Class demo:  Digital editing and multitrack recording

            Assignment:    Chapter 6 Electronic Editing and Chapter 9 More about Computer

                                                Project #4 – Digital Editing

 

Oct. 16            Quiz:   Chapter 6 and 9. 

Class demo:  Volume envelopes, bouncing tracks. Burning CDs, ripping audio from
                        CDs, downloading from iPod 

Play “Best of Concert Commercials and Commercials with SFX”

                         Assignment:   Chapter 10 Achieving an Effect                    

Project #5– Concert commercial

 

 

Week 9

Oct. 21            Quiz Chapter 10.   Project #4 due.

Guest:  Tom Clack                             

                        Assignment:    Chapter 11 Drama and Dramatic Elements

 

Oct. 23            Quiz:   Chapter 11. 

                        Guest:  Tom Clack

 

 

Week 10

Oct. 28            Project #5 due

Class demo:     Downloading SFX from sounddogs.com

Chorusing, echo, reverb, FFT filter, pitch shifting, splitting tracks, normalizing

                        Assignment:    Chapter 12 Commercial Production  

Project #6 – Commercial with SFX

 

Oct. 30            Quiz:   Chapter 12.  

Play “Best of Radio Show Projects” and “Best of Documentaries”

Discuss final project and hand out assignment. 

Demo handheld recorder. In class interview/natural sound recording, dub from zoom, pull cuts, write wrap.

                        Assignment:   Chapter 13 News Production

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 11

Nov. 4            Quiz:  Chapter 13      Project 6 due.            

Listening session:  Documentaries. Discuss interviewing, using SFX, and pacing in documentary production. 

                        Listening session:  Radio shows. Discuss format, music, commercials, PSA,                                                            contests, station IDs, news and DJ style. Explain radio clock.

                        Develop ideas for final project. 

                        In class assignment for DJ show/radio drama:  Form teams, determine format,                                                   assign roles, submit group report. 

                        In class assignment for doc project:  Write out a list of story ideas, list of                                                             interviewees, questions for interviewees, thoughts on music, natural sound, and SFX.

                        Reading Assignment:  Chapter 16 Production, Programming, Modern Format      

                        For doc project:  Contact interviewees, set up interviews, sign out equipment, record interviews.             

                                   

Nov. 6             Quiz Chapter 16.  Ideas for final project due.

Play Project 5 & Project 6. Discuss problems, show time stretch, loop, mix paste.

Sign up for individual/team meetings

                        Assignment for doc project:  Complete interviews, select music and sound effects.  Begin editing interviews.      

                        Assignment for radio show:  Write commercials, PSAs, radio contest, develop
                        station ID and show promo, choose music.   

                        Reading assignment:  Chapter 7 Recorded Program Production

 

 

Week 12

Nov. 11           Quiz: Chapter 7

                        Consultations with Tom Clack and Nancy Burnett               

                        Assignment for doc project:  Edit interviews and write script.

Assignment for radio show:  Record commercials, PSAs, radio contest, station ID, show promo

           

                       

Nov. 13           Timetable for completion of final project

                        Career Development/Internship experiences (Nick Sheingold, Spike Lee Productions)

                        Individual/team meetings on final project

Assignment for doc project:  Record narration.  Make the final selection of interview cuts, natural sound, and music in the order you want them.

Assignment for radio show: Record DJ track and place all the elements of the show in order.

                        Reading assignment:  Chapter 14  Remote and Sports Production

 

 

Week 13

Nov. 18           Quiz:  Chapter 14

Check up on progress. 

Guest speaker:  Local DJ on remotes and sports production 

Assignment:  Complete final project.

           

Nov. 20           Final project due

 

Break: November 22 – 30

 

 

Week 14                    

Dec. 2              Play final projects. 

                        Sign up for hands-on exam.

                        Take photos for website.

Assignment:    Burn MD and computer projects to CD for website.

                                                Prepare bio, project writeups, and photo for website.

 

Dec. 4              Hand in CD of projects, bio, project writeups, and photo for website.        

Play final projects

                        Assignment:    Prepare for hands-on exam and final exam                           

                                                   

 

Week 15

Dec. 9              Hands-on Exam (one-third of the class)

 

Dec. 11            Hands-on Exam (one-third of the class)

 

 

 

FINALS WEEK   Dec. 15 - 19

 

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 11 am - 1:30 pm   

Exam #2 (Chapters 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16), Evaluations, Hands-on Exam (final third of class)