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Assignment brief

Qualification Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production – GAMES DESIGN Y1

Unit number and title L3 Unit 73 Sound for Computer Games L3 Unit 1 Pre Production Techniques L3 Unit 2 Communication Skills for Creative Media Industries

Start date Monday 06/01/2015

Deadline Friday 05/06/2015

Assessor name Iain Goodyear

Assignment title IG2 – Computer Game Audio Cut Sequence Production

The purpose of this assignment is to: Unit 73 Learning Outcome 1 – Understand the use of sound and music in games. Unit 73 Learning Outcome 2 – Understand methods and principles of sound design and production. Unit 73 Learning Outcome 3 – Be able to create sound assets for a computer game following industry practice. Unit 73 Learning Outcome 4 – Be able to apply sound assets to a computer game following industry practice. Unit 1 Learning Outcome 1 - Understand requirements for a specific media production. Unit 1 Learning Outcome 2 – Be able to prepare pre-production documentation for a specific media production Unit 1 Learning Outcome 3 – Be able to apply pre-production planning for a specific media production. Unit 2 Learning Outcome 1 – Be able to extract information from written sources. Unit 2 Learning Outcome 2 – Be able to create a report in a media production context. Unit 2 Learning Outcome 3 – Be able to pitch a media production proposal using appropriate technology.

Scenario Sound is an essential part of the computer game experience. Forming 50% of our sensory experience, and good game soundtrack can enhance our pleasure of a computer game and help bridge the ever decreasing gap between games and more traditional forms of storytelling such as films. You have been commissioned by Sony Europe to produce the audio soundtracks for cut sequences that will be used in a series of planned mission expansion packs for key game franchises due for release in 2015. This assignment will introduce you to audio production and post-production technologies so that you will be able to produce technically competent and professional sound assets that will used in the cut sequences of planned mission expansion packs. You will produce voice recordings and sound assets using portable audio recording hardware, studio based production hardware and post-production computer software using VST instruments and effects. This newly acquired audio production knowledge will equip you with the skills needed to produce a cut sequence soundtrack. This assignment will do the following:

Require pitching a group idea for a computer game audio cut sequence production.

Introduce portable audio field recording technology.

Require the use audio field recording techniques to capture sound assets. Introduce studio dialogue recording technologies and techniques.

Require the use of studio recording technologies to produce clear voice recordings.

Introduce audio post production software and editing techniques.

Require the application of field recording and computer audio synthesis to create a computer game audio cut sequence.

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Tasks Grading Criteria Mapping

1. Produce a glossary of terms specific to the methods and principles of sound design and production. Using a provided template, you must research and gather definitions specific to provided glossary terms. Any definitions must be referenced with the URL link of the website you have obtained the definition. As your practical audio production experience develops, by way of improving your initial report, you must also provide specific details of how researched definitions relate to your own production practice. This improved report must be uploaded in addition to your initial glossary research report. Your completed glossary of terms and definitions must be uploaded to your Unit 73 IG2 assignment blog with the title Methods and Principles of Sound Design and Production

Unit 73 P2/M2/D2 Unit 2 P1/M1/D1 Unit 2 P2/M2/D2 Unit 2 P3/M3/D3

2. Analyse the sound design of a range of computer game cut sequences. You must gather video examples and discuss how the sound design gives a sense of:

Setting

Mood

Game genre Narrative

In addition, your analysis must explain how you think specific soundtrack assets have been produced (with reference to production process):

VST instruments and effects Studio recording

Use of traditional instruments

Audio field recordings Your analysis must contain clear reference to specific sections of your chosen examples. Your sequence analysis must be uploaded to a blog post on your IG1 blog using the title Computer Game Cut Sequence Sound Design Analysis

Unit 73 P1/M1/D1 Unit 2 P2/M2/D2

3. Use Celtx software to produce a 2 page script featuring two characters. This will form the narrative basis for your audio cut sequence production. Your script pages must include correctly formatted character names, character dialogue and action description that clearly indicates reference to sounds that will feature in your audio cut sequence. You must produce an initial draft and a final draft. Your final draft is expected to refine and improve upon the initial draft you produce. Your 2 page draft script and final draft script must be uploaded to a blog post on your IG2 blog using the title Audio Cut Sequence Scripts

Unit 1 P2/M2/D2 Unit 2 P3/M3/D3

4.

Produce a report & a budget that outlines the specific requirements for an audio production with supporting research & staff and equipment costs:

Describe the job role of the sound designer and be able to define the job responsibilities of

that role.

Equipment needed for sound recording and daily hire costs (researched with links and

Unit 1 P1/M1/D1

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equipment hire company quotes)

Produce a budget expenditure spread sheet in Excel that outlines expenditure to a budget of £1500 and what this will be spent on. Your research and budget sheet must be uploaded to a blog post on your IG2 blog using the title Audio Cut Sequence Production Costings

5. Prepare a pitch

Finalise ideas for your media product

Prepare a project proposal in response to the brief

Prepare a presentation including visual aids, delegate notes and presenter’s notes

Give the presentation in the form of a pitch to the client Your pitch materials and notes should be uploaded to your IG2 blog using the title Pitching an Audio Cut Sequence Production Idea

Unit 2 P4/M4/D4 Unit 2 P5/M5/D5

6. Record your audio cut sequence script in a recording studio environment. You must ensure that your dialogue is clearly recorded to a good technical standard. You are free to record yourselves and/or others when recording script dialogue. All audio recordings must be renamed once produced to clearly indicate character names and dialogue spoken. Audio recordings must be uploaded to your SoundCloud account profile page and embedded into a blog post in its unedited form with the title Audio Cut Sequence Raw Recordings

Unit 73 P3/M3/D3 Unit 1 P3/M3/D3

7. Use Reaper post-production software to edit and manipulate produced audio recordings using VST effects. You must use dialogue recorded for task 6 to produce variations that clearly demonstrate the application and manipulation of a range of VST effects plugins. This must be supported by annotated screen captures that show:

The effects plugins applied.

Clear explanations of what parameters have been adjusted.

Clear explanations of how effects applied have altered the sound of your original recordings. Your effects manipulated dialogue recordings must be uploaded to your SoundCloud account profile page. Accompanying screen grab annotations and produced sounds must be embedded into a blog post with the title Audio Recording VST Effects Manipulation

Unit 73 P3/M3/D3

8. Use Reaper post-production software to create audio using VST sound generating plugins. You must produce sound effects for your 2 minute computer game cut sequence. This must be supported by annotated screen captures that show:

The sound generating plugins used. Clear explanations of what type of sound effects that you have created.

Clear explanations of what this sound will be used to depict in your computer game audio cut sequence.

Your VST produced sounds must be uploaded to your SoundCloud account profile page. Accompanying screen grab annotations and produced sounds must be embedded into a blog post with the title VST Produced Sound Effects

Unit 73 P3/M3/D3

9.

Unit 73 P3/M3/D3

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Use Reaper post-production software to create a 2 minute computer game audio cut sequence as per the requirements of the brief Your completed audio cut sequence must be uploaded to your SoundCloud account profile page and must be embedded into a blog post with the title Computer Game Cut Sequence Audio Production

10. Select sound effects and music that you have produced which you will programme into a game you have produced as part of your Unit 70 Computer Game Engines unit. Each sound must be blogged on your Unit 73 IG2 blog as an embedded SoundCloud file. Each uploaded sound must be accompanied by a short explanation that describes what the sound will be used for within your game i.e. an explosion. For this blog post you must use the title Sounds I will Programme Into my Game

Unit 73 P4/M4/D4

11. You must produce a series of annotated print screens that clearly describe the process you have followed to program sounds that you have produced into your unit 70 computer game via either Unity or Game Maker. Your annotated process of programming sounds to your game must be uploaded to your Slide Share account and embedded into a blog post on your Unit 73 IG3 blog using the title Programming My Sounds Into my Game

Unit 73 P4/M4/D4

This brief has been verified as being fit for purpose

Assessor Iain Goodyear

Signature

Date 03/01/2015

Internal verifier

Signature Date

5

Unit 73 Sound for computer games

P1 describe uses of sound

and music in games using some subject terminology appropriately

M1 explain use of sound

and music in games with reference to detailed illustrative examples and

with generally correct use of subject terminology

D1 comprehensively explain use

of sound and music in games with elucidated examples and consistently using subject

terminology correctly

P2 describe methods and

principles of sound design and production using some subject terminology

appropriately

M2 explain methods and

principles of sound design and production with reference to detailed illustrative examples

and with generally correct use of subject terminology

D2 comprehensively explain

methods and principles of sound design and production with elucidated examples

and consistently using subject terminology correctly

P3 create sound assets for a

computer game following industry practice, working within appropriate

conventions and with some assistance

[CT; SM]

M3 create sound assets for a

computer game working to a good technical standard following industry practice,

showing some imagination and with only occasional

assistance

D3 create sound assets for a

computer game working to a technical quality that reflects near-professional standards

following industry practice, showing creativity and flair

and working independently to professional expectations

P4 apply sound assets to a computer game following

industry practice, working within appropriate

conventions and with some assistance. [CT; RL]

M4 apply sound assets to a computer game working to

a good technical standard following industry practice,

showing some imagination and with only occasional assistance.

D4 apply sound assets to a computer game working to a

technical quality that reflects near-professional standards

following industry practice, showing creativity and flair and working independently

to professional expectations.

Unit 2 Communication Skills for Creative Media Production (Level 3) P1: use appropriate techniques to

extract relevant information from written sources

M1: use appropriate techniques to

extract information from written sources with some precision

D1: use appropriate techniques to

extract comprehensive information from written sources

P2: present a media production report which conveys relevant information [IE]

M2: present a structured and detailed media production report which conveys information and

explains conclusions with clarity

D2: present a well-structured and substantial media production report which conveys information with

precise exemplification and justifies conclusions with supporting arguments

P3: review reports to make changes with occasional beneficial effects

[RL]

M3: review reports to make changes with frequent

beneficial effects

D3: review reports to make changes with consistently

beneficial effects

P4: deploy and manage appropriate technology to pitch a media production proposal [SM]

M4: deploy and manage technology to pitch a media production proposal effectively and

with some

imagination

D4: deploy and manage technology to pitch a media production proposal with

creativity and flair and to

near-professional standards

P5: employ appropriate forms of

address in a media production pitch to communicate ideas [CT]

M5: employ forms of address in a

media production pitch to communicate ideas

effectively

D5: employ forms of address in a

media production pitch with flair to communicate ideas with impact

Unit 1 Pre-Production Techniques for the Creative Media Industries (Level 3) P1: outline requirements and sources

of requirements for a specific media production [IE]

M1: explain in some detail

and competently present requirements and sources of

requirements for a specific media production

D1: comprehensively explain and

present to a quality that reflects near-professional standards fully

detailed requirements and sources of requirements for a specific media production

P2: generate outline preproduction documentation for a specific media

production with some assistance

M2: generate competent, carefully presented and detailed pre-

production documentation for a specific media production with only

occasional assistance

D2: generate thorough and comprehensively detailed pre-

production documentation for a specific media production, working independently to professional

expectations

P3: apply pre-production

planning to a specific media

M3: apply pre-production planning to

a specific media production

D3: apply pre-production planning to

a specific media production to a

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production working with some assistance. [TW, SM]

competently with only occasional assistance.

quality that reflects near-professional standards, working independently to

professional expectations.

:PLTS: This summary references where applicable, in the square brackets, the elements of the personal, learning and thinking skills applicable in the pass criteria. It identifies opportunities for learners to demonstrate effective application of the referenced elements of the skills.