Design Samples
Jane Smith's Portfolio
The Intro To QLAB...
This was the first-ever play that I designed. It was an interesting process, especially because before this my only experience with QLAB was just pressing the go button. But lucky for me, we had 2 QLab workshops while I was preparing for this show. Using techniques like creating groups, the auto continue, auto follow, pre and post wait, and action. Gathering all of the sounds, and emerging myself in the atmosphere of the show was really cool.
This show is a mix of a normal play and an immersive experience. The theatre is completely Dark. The audience and cast members can't see anything. The show surrounds an artist painting a woman, but it is later revealed that a few years prior everyone in the world went blind. There were many moments in this show where the woman speaks about the moment when everything went dark. I took advantage of this and created an altar in the atmosphere when it comes to the present and past. It was up to me to imagine what this world sounded like, and how to convey emotion and spatial awareness through the sounds that I created.
For the sound system, I used two of my own speakers, These were placed in the corner of the room. These speakers would be used for the more atmospheric sounds. Each actor on the other hand had a blue tooth speaker under their chair. I qued specific sounds to their blue tooth speakers to cover sounds that would come from the character. For sounds like footsteps, I would transfer the sound from one speaker to another. This gave the effect of the actor walking across the stage. When in actuality they were standing in place the whole time. I was able to get voice recordings of the actors. Adding to the atmospheric feeling that the character is retelling something that happened to them in the past.
Searching for the right sounds was an interesting process. I used various websites, along with the UNCSA sound effects catalog. Chopping and editing music to fit the timing and story of the play, creating an underscore that not only sounded right but held meaning to the story.
Lessons Learned
1. Be creative and follow your instincts
2. Analyze Analyze Analyze!!
3. Start early
Position
Sound Designer
Head Engineer (A1)
Paperwork/ QLAB
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