What is a Sound Designer?
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I am often asked this question by a variety of interested people. Students, friends, family, colleagues, the barber, the taxi driver after a press night...
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The short answer
The short answer is that theatre sound designer's are responsible for everything the audience hears in a production. How the sound designer carries out that role is largely dependent on the style of the show, the venue, and the vision of the director. The requirements for Sound Design on a commercial West End musical can be dramatically different to a piece of new writing in a studio style theatre, the experienced sound designer adapts to the demands of each individual project. Normally sound designers join a production ahead of rehearsals starting and stay with the show until press night - traditionally the official opening night of the show's run.
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Naturally, my more detailed answer to this question will be shaped by my particular stylistic preferences and my professional background. I came to sound design for theatre via a meandering journey of directing and writing my own work, working as a venue technician and recording studio engineer and later bringing my artistic and technical specialisms together in my sound design practice. I bring this love of storytelling and text together with a varied and creative interest in sound technology, along with excellent teamwork and people skills to collaborate with other creative team members, the technical staff, and the performers.
The Longer Answer...
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Pre-production
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I am normally approached by a director, writer or producer in the early stages of a productions life. The show may still be casting and, if working in the world of new writing (which I often am), the script may still be dramatically different to the version we will work with in technical rehearsals.
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At this stage I will have conversations with the director around their vision for the piece and conversations with the producers and production manager around the budget and technical resources available for the show. This sets the artistic, financial and technical parameters that my sound design will be required to work within.
Reading the script
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Before I knew what a sound designer was, I had aspirations of becoming a theatre director/writer/dramaturg. From a young age I was enamoured with scripts and how these texts could prompt the creation of an entire imagined world onstage. I still love that moment of sitting down with a script for the first time and discovering the characters, stories and dramatic structure that a writer has dreamed up for us.
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On first reading of the script I take the text at face value. Not stopping to make any notes on ideas about the sound world or potential technical challenges. Wherever possible this first reading ideally takes place when I can read the script in one or two sittings completely uninterrupted.
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In conjunction with conversations around the directors vision for the production and the design intentions of my fellow creative team members I can begin to formulate my own brief for the sound design of the show.
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Sourcing and making sounds
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After reading the script and discussing the directors vision for this particular production, I return to the script and begin to make intuitive annotations on tones and ambiences suitable to the storytelling and mood of a scene. I also make a note of any sound effects, voice recordings or vocal effects that are suggested in or inspired by the text.
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These notes are then transferred to a QLab file where I will begin to create a unique library of sounds specific to this production.
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Attending rehearsals
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I like to spend as much time as possible in the rehearsal room. I enjoy working closely with the director and actors to find solutions to the staging and storytelling that uses sound, either in subliminal or more overt ways.
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When I can't be in rehearsals I will keep a close eye on daily rehearsal notes and keep in close communication with the director about how things are evolving in the room. I like to keep a draft QLab file updated in the room for the Deputy Stage Manager or Operator to fire some cues during in rehearsals that will impact the actors performed pacing of scenes.
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At a bare minimum I like to attend the first day of rehearsals for the meet & greet followed by the first read through with the full cast. Followed by attending the last week of rehearsals as the company begin to run scenes or acts in their entirety.
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System design
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The creative ambitions of my sound design inform the technical infrastructure that will be required for the production. I will specify the required loudspeakers, mixing desks, microphones, effects units and other pieces of equipment. Where these are rigged amongst other departments equipment and in conjunction with the set build is part of a conversation between myself and the wider production team.
Sometimes I am working with what the venue can already provide
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Technical rehearsals
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Previews
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Remounts, transfers, and tours
