Course Content and Outcomes Guides (CCOG)

CCOG for MM 247 archive revision 202504

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Effective Term:
Fall 2025

Course Number:
MM 247
Course Title:
Field Sound for Video
Credit Hours:
4
Lecture Hours:
30
Lecture/Lab Hours:
20
Lab Hours:
0

Course Description

Provides an overview, exploration and practice of field sound recording for video projects with an emphasis on dialogue capture for narrative productions. Examines multiple concepts, methods and techniques including pre-production, microphone use, signal routing, mixing and improving sound recording in challenging acoustical environments. Audit available.

Addendum to Course Description

MM 247 collaborates as the Field sound team alongside the MM 261 Narrative Production class. 

Intended Outcomes for the course

Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

  1. Choose and prepare audio equipment such as microphones, mixing devices, and recorders for collecting audio for video in the field.
  2. Perform field sound recording for video using industry-standard methods.
  3. Demonstrate, evaluate, and discuss audio solutions for projects produced for video to determine the best solution for the given situation.
  4. Evaluate completed projects to identify areas of potential or needed improvement.
  5. Collaborate in an audio crew position role demonstrating audio recording workflow on a video production set.

Course Activities and Design

The material in this course will be presented in a classroom lecture/discussion/demonstration format, and in class hands-on exercises. There will be short assignments weekly, which may be partially completed in class. Also, a longer assignment, which demonstrates techniques and skills, developed in the course.

Outcome Assessment Strategies

Projects will be the major criteria for evaluation. Emphasis will be placed on creativity, presentations, meeting assigned deadlines, and participation in critiques. Additional methods of assessment may include quizzes, exercises, assignments, and attendance.

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)

Boom Operation techniques.

Recording scene work.

Recording 'wild sound'.

Recording foley. 

Hiding microphone etiquette on actors and talent.

Tracking sound recording files. Logging files to support postproduction.

Working with a video production team.

Communicating with Scriptsupervisor and Assistant Director.

Budgeting, scheduling, and pre-production for field sound recording.

Room acoustics, understanding and improving environments for sound recording.

Lavaliere, boom, wireless, and plant microphone techniques.

Wiring and signal routing.

On-location mixing of multiple sound sources.

Single-system, Double-system, and Multi-camera sound recording.

Planning for Post-Production synchronization of sound recordings.

Recording analog signals on digital recorders.

Recording audio feeds from house sound systems at meetings and events.

Recording Voice-Overs, Automatic Dialog Replacement, and Sound Effects