El contexto actual: la Sociedad del Conocimiento, la Economía del Conocimiento y la

Concept development includes the script, a written treatment (plot summary), and concept art for the project. The script and treat- ment are often the sound designer’s first exposure to the project. The script contains many suggestions for potential sound design. Scriptwriters often highlight suggested sounds within the script. Sound designers can develop sound treatments based on the script in the same fashion that radio dramas have been developed. The following are eight elements of creative script writing and their implications for the sound track.

a. Script Analysis: “Hearing Between the Lines” Table 9.1 provides the essential elements of script analysis.

b. Concept Art

Concept art (Figure 9.2) can provide insight regarding sound for character development and potential sounds for objects and actions.

TABLE 9.1 Script Analysis Designing Sound for Animation

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Element Description Implication for Sound Design Plot The pacing of tension

and release (conflict and resolution)

All three stems have the ability to enhance tension and release, further supporting the plot development.

Characters Hero (protagonist), vil- lain (antagonist), sup- porting characters, and narrator

Dialog and Foley are strong elements in character development. Signal processing is a good way to provide contrast between dialog and narration. Music portrays the subtext of a character’s inner world. A leit- motif can be used to represent a character. Third-person narration implies ambient scoring whereas first-person narration implies subtext scoring.

Setting Environment, location, time period, and scale

Location and time period provide opportuni- ty for establishing sound, which includes ref- erential ambience and SFX as well as period music. The visual setting gives us an indica- tion of the scale of the film. Instrumentation has a strong role in establishing scale. Props Emphasize narrative el-

ements, create dramat- ic interest, and develop the character

Props are often defined and clarified with sound design. Foley is the art of manipulat- ing and recording props.

Imagery Implicit visuals (“Show me, don’t tell me.”)

Off-screen SFX and ambience reinforce the implied action while engaging the audi- ence’s imagination. Subtext scoring is used to imply the character’s inner world, allow- ing the visuals to be more subtle.

Language Primary means of de- livering the narrative

The interpretation of dialog is of equal impor- tance with voice characterization. Dialog is prerecorded.

Tone Genre and emotional feel

Music is perhaps the strongest sonic element in establishing emotional feel and genre. Voice Signature style Composers and sound designers develop

signature styles that work in the context of the project. Carl Stalling developed the sig- nature music for the early Warner Brothers animations

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c. Treatment

A treatment is a short overview of the project used to pitch or pro- mote the project; for example:

A Trip to Granny’s

A Trip to Granny’s explores the experience of visiting a grandparent through the POV of a young boy. The story utilizes misdirection as a means of moving to and from the implied reality and the child’s fantasy world. Television programming is used to deliver story points, to establish time lapse, and to contrast age differences. In the end, we are left to wonder what is real and what is the product of the child’s imagination.

d. Understanding Genre

Animation is typically categorized as family, animation, or anime (Japanese style); however, animations often contain conflicts that parallel live-action films and their associated genres. Sound design- ers will often reference films from the same genre to aid in their conceptualization of the sound track.

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A storyboard (Figure 9.3) is a series of still drawings laid out in sequence to visualize the story. Storyboards are usually black-and- white stills with limited backgrounds. They are useful in suggesting movement, identifying production needs, and for brainstorming sessions. A carefully constructed storyboard serves as a blueprint for the entire production (Table 9.3). Carl Stalling reportedly com- posed storyboards for the classic Warner animations.

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TABLE 9.2 Genres

Genre Description and Examples

Action Resolution of conflict when opposing forces clash (for example, Final Fantasy, Small Soldiers, Mulan, and most anime)

Adventure A quest in which the principal characters overcome envi- ronmental challenges and new worlds (for example, Dinosaur, Ice Age, Shrek, and Finding Nemo)

Comedy Situations, sight gags, parody, and comedic dialog to pro- duce humor (for example, Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, and The Simpson’s)

Coming of age Plot revolving around characters facing challenges, grow- ing up, and finding their place (for example, The Lion King, Stuart Little, and Anastasia)

Crime/gangster Good guy, bad guy; good triumphs over evil (for example, Superman and Batman)

Detective/mystery Uncovering and exposing the truth (for example, Scooby Doo and Johnny Quest)

Drama Struggle with injustice (for example, A Bug’s Life and Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Epic Spanning broad history or great scope (for example, Treasure Planet and Atlantis)

Fantasy Characters interacting between a “real world” and a “fan- tasy world” (for example, Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story, and Monsters Inc.)

Sci-fi Technology-driven and futuristic (for example, Titan AE, Final Fantasy, and Jimmy Neutron)

Thriller Innocent protagonist against a lethal antagonist (for exam- ple, Chicken Run and Small Soldiers)

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TABLE 9.3

Implications of a Storyboard for Sound Design

Storyboard Elements Sound Treatment

Key movements (sync points) Music or SFX hits and basic synchronization Sound objects Hard effects and created design effects Environment Ambience and signal processing Dialog Prerecorded dialog

Emotional tone Subtext scoring, ambiences, drones Genre Music style, level of realism

Types of shots or cuts Linear or nonlinear sound design elements Logistics Prerecorded elements, music clearance,

audio research, and score development

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