Session Discussion "Defining the Sound Designer"
Relevant comments copied from the Sound Commission List-Serv.
BC Keller, 03-06-06: An additional thought. How about defining what a Sound Designer is responsible for. Don't get me wrong, I think passing the test is great, but, how about after that?
I recall going through portfolio review in Grad school, and thinking about what I had to prepare for. Speaker plot, mic plot, line drawings, com & video drawings, rack drawings, cue sheets, mic tracking sheets, recording tracking, etc etc etc.
Now, in the real world, I'm lucky if a designer gives me a cue sheet with page numbers! If I ask for a wx mic plot, I get this look of "what is that".
I look at the Associated Designers of Canada, and they have a Standards document that outlines everything the Sound Designer (and other areas) is responsible for bringing to a show. Download a copy here, and pdf page 24: http://70.30.111.124/adc/ADCStandards03.pdf NOTE - This Link Appears to be Broken
I bring this up, since I know at my theater, there is much confusion as to what is design, and what is engineering. It would be nice to have a standard to point to.
I mention it, partly in a selfish way, because it's getting old to do all the work of an uncredited designer, and be told "that is your job as engineer". But also as a need to further our area.
I'm tired of directors asking for a 'creative engineer' when they need a designer, at least a young one that needs a leg up. Also, why is it theaters feel the need to have an ME, but not a Master Sound, that the Sound Designer should run cables, hang speakers, etc. No way!
As David Budries once told me, (paraphrase) "BC, you have to realize, not all theaters have a BC there" - well... why not?
I think if there is a standards set that outlined "this is what we do, this is what the producers provide" it would help with that... and hopefully create additional jobs for everyone! Gotta keep all those alumni employed some how, no?
I'm not sure if USITT Sound Commission is the venue for this, but USITT is known for writing standards, no? Why not lead where the union is not willing to go.
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Rick Thomas, 03-06-06: This is an excellent document BC, and very close to the guidelines we've written for students in our program. I can definitely and easily incorporate these into our production guidelines.
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We have also just instituted the position of "Production Sound Engineer" for each production, after some conversations with Don Tindall at Ithaca College , who seemed to think that this title is emerging as the most
commonly used when such a position exists. We are trying to divide these responsibilities up so that the Production Sound Engineer is responsible for installing, testing and maintaining what the Designer specifies (the designer is responsible, however, for calibrating the system, levels, delays, eq, etc. i.e., any thing where ears are involved). We are also experimenting with a protocol where the production sound engineer is the person that speaks on behalf of the sound team at production meetings, as that person would typically be the one most familiar with the house system, equipment, protocol, etc., and also be the one most intimately involved in the installation; there seems to be some thought that this is how a lot of resident theatres conduct their production meetings.
We are doing these things for many of the reasons you mention, and I would be very interested in hearing yours and others thoughts on the subject.
I think that USITT could create guidelines along this way, and it might be the most appropriate way to go because the "house rules" may not standardize as easily as Sound Designers contracts and responsibilities for a union, but
theatres could still benefit from being adapted from some standard. This cold be similar to the Tenure and Promotion Standards document that USITT has develooped. It would probably be a lot easier to develop this kind of standard than the graphics standard (tee hee) too....