Topics in Sound Production (401-0-23)
Topic
Videogame Sound Design
Instructors
Stephan Michael Moore
Meeting Info
Frances Searle 1101 SoundTank: Wed 3:30PM - 7:20PM
Overview of class
This course is a study of sound design, production and engineering for games. It presents a solid foundation in the knowledge and skills needed to enter the game industry in sound, either working at a game development studio or as a freelance game audio professional. The course includes experience with typical game audio workflow and an historical overview of sound within the video game industry.
Registration Requirements
Any student in the SAI MA program may register for the class. Other students will be admitted on a case-by-case basis as long as there are additional seats available in the class. Please contact the instructor for further information.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, the student will be able to:
- Recall the historical development of sound production for games
- Analyze and critique effective sound production for games
- Operate game design software and audio middleware as applied to interactive games
- Craft in-game audio from a library of source material and/or created sounds
- At a basic level, understand and manipulate the code required to apply sounds to a project
Evaluation Method
Students will be graded on their attendance and participation in class activities and discussions. In addition, there will be one class presentation, five incremental assignments, and a final project.
Class Materials (Required)
Students will use the freely available software packages Unity (a popular game engine) and Wwise by AudioKinetic (a popular audio middleware platform). Both of these programs will run on Mac- or Windows-based computers. If using your own computer to complete coursework (instead of computers in the SoundTank lab), your computer should meet the minimum software requirements for both programs. Any other materials, texts, etc. will be provided via Canvas.