• January 27, 2020

  1. Find a game of your choice, analyze its audio content, sound design and audio implementation:

Put together a PowerPoint Presentation, using examples from the game and gameplay, be ready to share it in class.

  1. Bring your favourite sound effect from a game or a movie to class. (or just a cool sound effect you'd like to showcase). Please have a video file, or a link to a video of the sound used in context. It cannot be dialog or a musical cue.

Be prepared to talk about it in class. Why do you like it, why is it effective, and how would you try and recreate it if you had to?

  1. Download Unity from the Unity website, and go through the Unity interface tutorials here:

Unity interface essentials: https://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials/topics/interface-essentials/interface-overview

• February 3rd, assignment 2:

  1. If you haven't done so yet, download Unity Hub, it will help you manage multiple versions of the software, as well as projects and tutorials. https://unity3d.com/get-unity/update
  2. Download and go through the "roll a ball" tutorial under "Projects/Learn" in Unity Hub, learn tab.
  3. Build a small playable Unity level. It should consist of:

This isn't a level design assignment, so outside a floor, some walls, and a a few lights so the camera can see, nothing much else is required visually. However, you'll probably want to explore, and some of you might already have experience working with Unity. Do feel free to experiment and work with assets from the Unity Asset store if you are up for it and are already familiar with the process of bringing in assets from external sources.

You may think of it as a simple virtual soundscape, creating an ambient soundscape that tells a story without visuals or with minimal visuals, or more specific type of environment, but do make sure no mater the material that each audio source is set individually to the settings we discussed in class, and mentioned above, among others.

  1. Watch the LinkedIn Unity tutorial:

https://www.linkedin.com/learning/c-sharp-for-unity-game-development/welcome?u=42262329

• February 11th, assignment 3:

  1. Download and go through the game audio tutorial level for the class: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1m9k3T9GIG4BXZCu6axGeUwZVKy-Oh3Vk

  2. Go through the Breakout tutorial in Unity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_ahbdB0AnI

    it was done with an earlier version of Unity, but should work well on the latest version, However, some things might look a bit different here and there. You may feel free to download an earlier version of Unity to make it a bit simpler to follow along, and 2018.3X version should do the trick

  3. Add sound to the game, to the best of your ability for now. Add as many sounds as you can, and plan for the ones you are not sure about how to proceed with just yet. You will be graded on the sound design as well as the functionality of the audio in the game. Add music as well. Think creatively. The sound of the ball hitting the walls ought to be different from hitting a brick. Which sounds should have variations? Create more sounds than you need, in the DAW of your choice. The sound designed ought to be detailed and sound much more impressive than the game looks. Name your project Breakout_LASTNAME, zip the entire Unity folder and upload it to the Google drive, under a "Week 3" Directory.

• February 24th, assignment 4:

  1. Using the solved version of the breakout game, here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17wFfTYOEnEM0bqZqzDkxX9yWt2hLjA7N/view?usp=sharing or your own if you prefer, complete the sound design for the game, creating and implementing the following sounds:

    Try to the best of your abilities at this point to work with a mixer and mixer groups. You can find out more about them here:

    https://learn.unity.com/tutorial/audio-mixing#

    Please zip the whole Unity project, name it in the following format: LastName_BreakOut.zip and upload it to your google drive location for the class.

    1. Big Momma Sound Design - Due week 6:

    This is a linear assignment. Please download the following quicktime movie:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hWLwGwUUPB_vi8ko0KBRmLHzBH5g0zTp/view?usp=sharing

    And start sound design for it. You may use the DAW of your choice, but Pro Tools is recommended.

    The assignment is to design all sounds for the creature (roar, footsteps, others) as well as for the environment, but no music.

    • March 9, Assignment 5:

    Turret Game - Due Week 9.

    Replace all the sounds in the turret Game.

    This is a multi week assignments, and you are expected to replace all the sounds in the game, as well as improve on it overall.

    You will find the file on the google drive for the class, under class materials.

    For next week please have all the weapon sounds. This will count as your Midterm.

    • March 23rd Assignment 6:

    Turret Game Continued:

    In addition to the sound design work from last week, please tend to the following:

    1. Add 2D and 3D ambiences to the game so that each room, indoors or outdoors has its own ambience
    2. Create at least 3 snapshots for the game in Unity:
      1. an exploration snapshot
      2. a battle snapshot
      3. a wounded snapshot
      4. More if you see fit.
    3. Add reverb to each room using a reverb zone, and a global reverb using an effect loop on the mixer. This will will require you to create a new group in the game's mixer.

    • April 6th Assignment 7:

    Wwise.

    1. Please download Wwise, from the Audiokinetic page:https://www.audiokinetic.com/download/
    2. Go over the following online tutorials, Wwise 101 for 2019, 1-10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-1rHTLuuDA&list=PLXMeprTk4ORPcG9rd_lilElZERqhtcEFU
    3. Go through the Wwise 101 course: https://www.audiokinetic.com/courses/wwise101/

    • April 13, Assignment 8:

    1. Recreate and improve the sound for the game Break out you designed in Unity, but do it in Wwise. Since Wwise offers more tools, take advantage of them. Add random variations, use sequence containers, and mixer. Experiment with plug ins for reverb but also anything else you might be interested in. Filters, Distortion, etc.
    2. Make a copy of your original Unity project, and integrate your Wwise file with it.

    • April 20: Final Project Proposals

    Dear Class,

    This week, and moving forward, I'd like to focus on your final project. The Final project may be done in Unity only or Wwise and Unity.

    As discussed in class you may focus on one of several aspects, or combine both:

    1. A primarily sound design interactive project. This can be an actual game, from the asset store, or outside, or a very intricate audio environment.

      You'd be expected to design 50 to 100 sounds, not including variations, and make a list of them. Although this is not an implementation project, the sounds still have to work in the game, and be designed to work as appropriate, such as seamless loops, mono sounds for spatialization, stereo for ambiences etc.

      You will be expected to improve the mix, set up a mixer if non is present, and add effects as appropriate.

      Additionally you may still decide to improve the implementation, by adding triggers, collision detection, implementing sample randomization etc...

      Please document your work so that I can clearly tell the extent of your work.

      1. A primarily implementation based project. This can also be either an actual game, or a level, from the asset store, or an outside source.

      When working with an implementation type project, you will be expected to replace, or drastically improve it so that the game play benefits from it as much as possible.

      This means, but is not limited to: Adding sample randomization, including pitch and amplitude, working with triggers, colliders, reverb zones, mixers, effects etc.

      Although the focus is not on sound design, you will also be expected to add or replace samples when needed, but you may use sample libraries sounds as long as they are appropriate.

      Please document your work as well.

      1. A combination of both, that is working on the implementation and sound design.

      2. An adaptive music project.

      If you are a film scoring student, you may elect to focus on working with Wwise, and creating an adaptive soundtrack for an actual game. You will use an example of an actual gameplay from an existing game and create a 5-7 minute adaptive work for it.

      This must include horizontal and vertical structures, include stingers, and at least 3 different themes, with transitions, to and from.

      Please discuss with me please.

      1. A research based project.

      This can be related to your field of research, and could serve as an etude towards your thesis. Please discuss with me first though please.

      Please write a short proposal detailing the project you are planning on focusing on, as well as the things you wish to accomplish, and upload it to the google drive.