Task
Go back and challenge the choices you initially made.
- For example, if you chose to underscore a sad moment with sad music, see what happens if you use a happy track instead.
- See what happens if you just used atmospheric effects instead of music, such as wind or rain.
- See what happens if you don’t use sound at all to underscore a particular moment.
You can record yourself reading the dialogue from the extract to give you something to work with. Sometimes, unusual choices can produce unexpected effects. Give it a go and see what happens. You may end up changing your design based on this experimentation.
Task
Once you are satisfied with your design, create a cue list. A cue list tells you which sounds occur and when they occur in the script. Work your way through the text and make decisions as to where each of your sound effects and music cues should go. Use the music you collected from your audio moodboard to help with this.
Assemble all the information into your cue list. This could either be in the form of a list or a spreadsheet. You must include:
- The cue number.
- The page number where the effect is played.
- A stage direction or line from the script to indicate when the effect will be played.
- A description of the sound.
You can download a cue list template with some initial examples below.
Thank you for taking part in our Introduction to Sound Design workshop. We hope you found it useful and that you had fun putting together your own sound design. We’d love to know how you got on. Connect with us on social media @oldvictheatre #OVJoinIn to let us know what you thought of the workshop and what sound design decisions you made.
If you’re interested in finding out more about sound design you can download our free Inside guide to production management, which contains an interview with sound designer Tony Gayle, top tips and additional opportunities.
Credits
Writer: Nicola T Chang
Videography and editing: Olyvon
Writer (A reunion/An end): Live Ello
Graphic design: Matt Hodges