Audio Program (Story and Edit)
March 8, 2010

Objective:
Standard 5: Students will participate in individual and team (group) activities.

Standard 6: Students will produce various forms of media.

Learning Outcomes:
Students will achieve a moderately to highly skilled status by showing proficiency in the following:

• Demonstrate the ability to work individually in the completion of multimedia projects.
  • Demonstrate oral, written, and/or technological communication skills
  • Apply management skills in personal problem solutions
  • Demonstrate personal initiative in problem solutions
  • Complete projects according to specified deadlines
• Demonstrate the ability to work as a team member in the completion of multimedia projects.
  • Demonstrate oral, written, and/or technological communication skills
  • Apply management skills in personal problem solutions
  • Utilize organizational skills
  • Demonstrate leadership ability
  • Demonstrate willingness to compromise to meet team objectives
  • Function as a responsible team member
  • Describe the role and primary activities of each member of a multimedia development team (i.e., project manager, programmer, graphic artist, audio/video specialist, subject matter expert (SME))
• Create digital audio
  • Sample (capture) sound from an original or existing source
  • Edit sound
  • Understand MIDI vs. WAV or AIF files
  • Recognize and use appropriate settings for various types of sound
  • Apply special effects to audio files

Coursework Procedure:
This assignment can be done individually OR as a team. However, this assignment cannot be done as a solo act (this is explained in greater detail below).

You will create the equivalent of an Old Time Radio (OTR) program (this was a form of entertainment before the video iPod and before television). While OTR is of a historic nature, there is a resurgence of interest in this form of audio entertainment due to the popularity of podcasting.

First I suggest that you do a little research and find out just what it is that you are supposed to create. Follow some of the links in this assignment description. You can research OTR and then read about one of the most famous radio theaters, the Mercury Theater. The Mercury Theater is famous for The War of the Worlds (no, not the movie!) broadcast on October 30, 1938. This program was made to sound like a news bulletin interrupting a normal radio broadcast. If the listener missed the introduction or the only break for station identification during the broadcast, they may have mistaken the broadcast as real. It created quite a commotion! You can hear it on the Mercury Theater site or here.

Now that you know a little bit about what exactly it is you are to create, let's get busy working on your production. First of all, this is what your production will encompass:

• You will create and write a story by developing a plot, location, and characters.
• You will record your program.
• You will record or download sound effects (FX)
• You will edit your program.
• You will export your program to MP3 format so it can be uploaded to our server.

This assignment will be done in three parts:

1. First you must write. All multimedia is the result of some form of writing. You will submit a written script prior to recording can commence. In this instance, you will write a complete script. Use Celtx to write your story or Microsoft Word. (Celtx is a free script writing program you can download and use at home. It is already installed in the lab).
• You can use any genre you like (drama, comedy, sci-fi, mystery, western, horror, etc.).
• Your program must not be longer than 10 minutes.
• It must be a complete story with a beginning, a middle, and end. It must have locations (with descriptions). And it must have characters.
2. You will record your story. Then you will edit your program adding sound FX and original music (music is optional). You will export your program to MP3 format to submit for grading and to upload to our server for everyone to listen to.
3. You must submit a team (or individual) evaluation.

Audio production is much easier than video production. But that doesn't mean that you don't have to be creative. You must perform your audio, you must create a reality that your audience can understand merely through sound. You must create a proper story, convincing characters, and understandable locations. You can use a microphone, your own computer and Audacity to create this assignment, or you can use school equipment and the teacher work room (by appointment).

Note: If you decide to do this assignment as an individual, you must still do a story with multiple characters. It is your choice on whether you incorporate other students, family members, multiple personality disorder, or your own repertoire of voices.

Due Date(s) and Submission Instructions:
Pay attention to the deadlines, you do not have as much time as you did with the video project(s). You must have the following completed and ready for grading:

• Completed script is due by Friday, March 12, 2010 or before you start recording.
• Email (to: rathke@teacher.com) your completed audio program in .MP3 format (or .OGG, Ogg Vorbis) AND submit team or individual evaluation by Wednesday, March 24, 2010.

NOTE: The end of the third term is Thursday, March 25, 2010. There is no opportunity for late work with this assignment. NO EXCEPTIONS!

ART 1800 - Digital Media Essentials
Grade Levels: 11-12
Units of Credit: 4 credit hours (SLCC)
Course Number: ART 1800
Prerequisite: None

Intro to software & hardware used to create multimedia productions. Hands-on experience using hardware, software to create 2D/3D graphics, sound, animation, & video. Discussion of the multimedia market, copyright, & ethics in mass media.