Overview

This standard is about providing sound that enhances immediacy, action and helps give pace and mood to visual content. Sound spot effects and atmosphere may need to be created from scratch or acquired from a sound library.

This standard should apply to anyone who is involved with creating or selecting sound spot effects and atmosphere, and in particular to Foley artists.

 

Performance Criteria 

You must be able to:

  1. identify and agree the role of atmospheric sound and specific sounds in the narrative with relevant people
  2. develop ideas that help tell the story; taking into account filming and editing decisions
  3. agree approaches with clients that meet their vision and ideas about how effects can highlight or enhance their material
  4. evaluate existing recorded material for audio quality against agreed technical and artistic standards and advise if it can be used and when new spot effects and atmosphere are required
  5. advise relevant people on schedule and cost to ensure required material can be acquired and incorporated within clients’ budget and schedule
  6. share ideas with colleagues working on related 2D, 3D, colour grading and audio using appropriate communication channels
  7. source sound effects and atmosphere that match pre-shot actions or events
  8. select material that meets production requirements, including the intention of the script, and are of a sufficient duration for required sound
  9. source atmospheric sound that matches specified visual settings and acoustic environments
  10. manipulate or accent sound to communicate mood, atmosphere, impact and authenticity in line with the brief
  11. check that material is in a format and medium suitable for the required sound and equipment being used, converting between formats or media where necessary
  12. comply with copyright laws and conventions and pass any relevant information to appropriate people
  13. maintain security for files and other materials in line with legal and orgnaisational requirements
  14. keep records of material you use and its sources
  15. return loan material by agreed deadlines and in a condition acceptable to lenders

 

Knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand:

  1. the client or production requirements, including any script requirements
  2. the technical and artistic requirements, including any technical specification
  3. the timescales, deadlines and other operational constraints of the production
  4. how to assess audio quality to expected artistic and technical standards
  5. sound libraries, how they are organised and how to access them
  6. apparatus for creating sounds including how to use common objects and materials to create sounds
  7. techniques and procedures for sound treatment
  8. how to manipulate and extend sound
  9. how to calculate timing
  10. techniques for sound recording and use of sound recording equipment
  11. recording formats, synchronization and reference systems
  12. the use of mono, stereo and multichannel sound to realise creative ideas
  13. statutory regulation and viewing standards that apply to content delivery
  14. national and international best practice for content delivery across different platforms
  15. characteristics of sounds in different acoustic environments
  16. documentation and labelling requirements
  17. what copyright laws and conventions apply and how to get releases or licences and the impact that these will have on budget
  18. legal and organisational requirements for storage, back up and security of files and other materials