Sound Design in a Production by Mara Hinton
Objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the use of sound in a production by designing
the sound for the production "You Can’t Take It With You".
Class Level: Beginning
Prior Experience: Basic understanding of what a play is, and what a director’s concept is and means for
a show. Little or no previous experience is necessary for this unit.
Main Concepts: Music, Sound Effects, Sound Board Operation
1994 National Standards:
CONTENT STANDARD 3: Designing and producing by conceptualizing and realizing artistic interpretations for informal or
formal productions.
CONTENT STANDARD 5: Researching by evaluating and synthesizing cultural and historical information to support artistic
choices.
CONTENT STANDARD 6: Comparing and integrating art forms by analyzing traditional theatre, dance, music, and visual
arts, and new art forms.
Lesson Plans
Lesson 1: Introduction to Sound
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the use of sound effects/music by creating and
performing a scene using only music and/or sound effects.
Lesson 2: Designing Sound
Students will demonstrate their ability to design the sound for a show by creating a sound cue script for
"You Can't Take It With You".
Lesson 3: Designing and Sharing
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the soundboard by ordering and entering the sound cues
for "You Can't Take It With You".
Lesson 4: Workshop
Students will evaluate their ability to design sound for a show by critiquing and adjusting their sound
cue scripts for "You Can't Take It With You".
Lesson 1: Introduction to Sound
Objective
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the use of sound effects/music by creating and
performing a scene using only music and/or sound effects.
Materials Needed
DVD Player and projector/TV, the following DVD’s: I Love Lucy the complete series disks 1 and 9, Into
the Woods, Jaws, Castaway, Hairspray,
Film Clip Playlist
1. My Favorite Husband—I Love Lucy complete series, disk 9, under special features; play for
approximately 7 minutes.
2.Into the Woods—play first scene from the play, on DVD Chapter Selection #1.
3.Jaws—play scene of the “First Attack,” Chapter Selection #4.
4.Castaway—“The Coconut Problem,” Chapter Selection #11.
5.I Love Lucy—Complete series, disk 1, episode “The Benefit,” Scene Selection “Lucy Steals the
Punchlines.”
6.Hairspray—opening sequence from the movie, Chapter Selection #1.
Related Documents
 Performance Assessment Rubric
Lesson Directions
Anticipatory Set/Hook
Play the first few scenes from on episode of the radio comedy My Favorite Husband. (See attached
playlist) Discuss the effects that the sound and music have on the story. How do they communicate
what is happening, even though we can’t see it? How do they add to the emotions/humor/content of the
episode? How would the piece be different without them?
Instruction
Show the following film clips. After each one, discuss the way sound/music was used, its effect,
emotions evoked, whether it worked for them as listeners, etc. Be sure to discuss why the students think
what they do (aka why certain things worked and others did not) so that at the end of the discussion, the
class can brainstorm general rules for the use of sound. (For example, it should fit with the progression
of events, it should not detract from the show, etc.)
Film clips to show:
Castaway
I Love Lucy
Hairspray
Into the Woods
Jaws
Practice: Get students into groups of 2-4. Each group will brainstorm, form, and then rehearse a scene
to be performed, between 3-5 minutes in length. However, there can be no talking; only action, sound
effects, and/or music are allowed (as if it were a live silent film). All members of the group must
participate, whether doing the actual acting out of the scene or in making the sounds.
Assessment
Each group will perform the scene from the entire class, then they will discuss and decide which
scenes/moments within scenes worked well and why.
Lesson 2: Designing Sound
Objective
Students will demonstrate their ability to design the sound for a show by creating a sound cue script for
"You Can't Take It With You".
Materials Needed
CD’s from Music Selections, CD player, soundboard access, scripts of You Can’t Take It With You (one
per student), computer lab and library access
Music Selection:
1. Moulin Rouge Soundtrack, vol. 2—#11-Closing Credits: “Bolero”
2. The Other Side of Heaven Soundtrack—#17-The Hurricane
3. The Scarlet Pimpernel Broadway Cast Album—#1-Overture
4. Disney’s Mulan Soundtrack—#11-The Burned-Out Village
5. Back to Titanic Soundtrack—# 2-An Irish Party In Third Class
Related Documents
 Music Selection
Lesson Directions
Anticipatory Set/Hook
Play music selection #1 (from the attached Music Selections) as the students enter the classroom. When
the bell rings begin by asking them what they thought about the music. What mood did it create? What
time period or location did it seem to fit best with? What story could it be telling? etc. Repeat this
process of listening and discussing with as many of the music selections as possible. (10 minutes)
Instruction
Detail the process of designing sound for a show. Discuss with the students each of the following steps:
reading the script (multiple times), identifying the necessary cues, identifying possible (though not
indicated in the script) cues, research of the time period, research of how to produce some of the sounds
live, where to find the recorded sounds, and how to create a sound cue script. (15 minutes)
Take students to the soundboard and give them an introduction on how to operate it. Show them
the basic on/off switch, how to bring the sound up or down, where the play button is, how to enter the
cues, where things hook in and where the various wires take the sound (i.e. monitors, house speakers,
etc.). (15 minutes)
Practice: Divide students into four groups and assign one section of the show to each. (Act 1 scene 1,
Act 1 scene 2, Act 2, and Act 3—also in charge of pre/post-show and intermission music.) Groups will
follow the process of designing sound and create a sound cue script for their respective part of the
show. They will be given access to the computer lab as well as CD’s from the library.
When only five minutes of class remains, have then return to their desks, take out a half-sheet of
paper, and give a letter grade to each person in their group (as well as themselves) based on their
participation during the project. Each grade must also be accompanied by at least one sentence of
justification (or more if necessary).
Assessment
Students will hand in whatever they have completed at the end of class as well as handing in the halfsheet of paper with the participation grades on them.
Lesson 3: Designing and Sharing
Objective
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the soundboard by ordering and entering the sound cues
for "You Can't Take It With You".
Materials Needed
CD soundtrack - All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten (Track 3 - “Uh Oh"), CD player,
schedule computer lab and library access, soundboard access, scripts ofYou Can’t Take it With You—
one for each student
Lesson Directions
Anticipatory Set/Hook
If time permits, get students into groups and give each group a sound. Proceed to teach them the
beginning of the song, "Uh-Oh" (from the show All I Really Need to Know I Learned in
Kindergarten) and let them run through it several times, faster and faster. If time does not allow, simply
have them listen to the song on CD. Afterwards, have the students discuss the song. How did ordinary
sounds combine to make a rhythm? A mood? An emotion? How does timing add to the effect (as
opposed to just hearing the sounds normally)? What thoughts do they have about this in relation to
sound design? (5-20 minutes)
Instruction
Refresh the students’ memories about the sound design process, as well as the operation of the
soundboard. Get them back into their groups and return their incomplete sound cue scripts from the day
before, so that they can continue working on it.
Practice: Continue the group work from the day before. As the groups finish, they may go to the
soundboard and enter their cues. They will then need to fill out another half sheet of paper, giving
participation grades to each member, including themselves. This paper should then be given to the
teacher. When groups are finished they are to work on their other various assignments with aspects of
the show (pre-assigned from previous units) until all groups are done. If class-time remains when all are
finished, begin reading the play aloud while each group in turn mans the soundboard and plays the
allotted cues. After each section, discuss what did and did not work. However, class-time probably will
not allow, and any group not finished will need to complete it on their own time for the next class
period.
Assessment
Students will turn in their completed sound cue scripts, all cues will be entered in the soundboard, and
they will turn in their group participation grades.
Author's Notes
*NOTE: Gage this section of the class by how far the students got on their sound cue scripts the day
before, and if they will need more or less time to work today.
Lesson 4: Workshop
Objective
Students will evaluate their ability to design sound for a show by critiquing and adjusting their sound
cue scripts for "You Can't Take It With You".
Materials Needed
Soundboard access (all sound cues entered), slips of paper with the names of each role written on it
(enough for all students to participate if they wish), copies of the script You Can’t Take it With You—
one for each student
Lesson Directions
Anticipatory Set/Hook
Have the pre-show music playing as the students enter the room. Have each student who wishes to read
a part in the play draw one out of a hat. (Have students share larger parts between acts if there are more
students than parts—i.e. Alice for Act 1 and Alice for Act 2, etc.) Have each group select a soundboard
operator to run the soundboard cues during their section of the play.
Instruction
Explain that today will be a day to read through the play while listening to the sound cues, then
reflecting and discussing whether they work or not.
Practice: Read through the play and have each group take turns playing the sound cues they’ve
chosen. After each group’s section, take ten minutes to discuss what the students felt worked
well. What possible changes could be made? What changes need to be made or what sound cues were
omitted that should be present? Note any changes that should be made to the scene and have one person
from each group volunteer to correct each change (so that hopefully there is one student each taking care
of one change). Continue this process throughout the rest of the period, until the last ten minutes of
class or until the play is finished, whichever comes first. (If they play is not finished today, repeat this
same process tomorrow.)
Assessment
Students will use the last ten minutes of class to write a response to each group’s sound cues (maximum
one paragraph each), which they will turn in to the teacher at the end of class
Author's Notes
*NOTE: This lesson could take two or more days. It is meant to work at the pace of the students.