Category: Uncategorized

Clarence “Doc” Davis
Otterbein University
Department of Theatre and Dance
Columbus, OH

ABSTRACT:
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, theatrical producers worldwide were faced with the challenge of how to produce musical theatre while bringing the risk of infection down to acceptable levels. As Otterbein University Department of Theatre and Dance prepared to produce The Theory of Relativity on-stage (filmed to stream), it was clear that normal onstage singing was not feasible. Therefore, all dialog, singing, and most sound effects were pre-recorded 100% from the performers’ homes and living spaces. Final stereo files were created, with which the performers matched their actions onstage in order to reduce the aerosols exuded into the shared space. The video and audio recordings were then combined into a finished product for the audience to stream. The process of creating this recorded-to-stream staged piece led some among the cast and crew to re-evaluate their definitions of what does and does not constitute a live “Theatrical Performance.”

FULL PAPER:
Remote Audio Recording for Musicals: A “Theoretical” Approach
Publication: USITT Current Practices and Research in Sound
March 8, 2021

PRESENTATION:
The 61st Annual USITT Conference
March 8, 2021

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David E. Smith
Founding Director of the Theatre Sound Design Program
School of Design & Production
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Winston-Salem, NC
smithd@uncsa.edu

ABSTRACT:
This is the first in a series of four papers. The series builds on the premise that design is not a gift but instead are processes that can be learned by anyone. It uses a university class built around observing well known designers and artists to launch a journey to tease out various universal processes and demonstrates how they can be assembled together and applied to one’s own individual creative process no matter what one’s design specialization. The paper uses examples from my own design career and from my observation of other creatives along the way. At its heart, the paper advocates that as a creative person, one can also design one’s own creative process to meet different situation and to continually evolve one’s creative self. Part I deals with the adaptable role of prototyping in the design process.

FULL PAPER:
Innovating the Design Process – Part 1
Publication: USITT Current Practices and Research in Sound
March 8, 2021

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Nathan McWilliams
Senior Audiovisual Consultant, Arup
nathan.mcwilliams@arup.com

Lisa Sun
Principal Show Set Designer, Resolution Design Inc.
Production Design Consultant, Meow Wolf Denver

Shawn Tuohey
Owner/Principal Show Set Designer, 2E Scenic Design Studio

Chris Hill
Senior Creative Director of Themed Portfolio, Adena Corporation

ABSTRACT:
Loudspeakers can be cumbersome objects to integrate into themed environments, and a sound designer’s desire to keep sound images on stage or aligned with a particular aural aesthetic can conflict with a scenic designer’s drive to shape the visual narrative. This paper explores techniques used to craft illusions for hiding loudspeakers in a wide variety of themed environments, but with a particular focus on methods for executing hides in diverse materials, diverting audience attention away from loudspeakers, balancing tradeoffs like cost or longevity, and team consensus building to ensure that themed speaker grilles are seamlessly integrated and sounding great.

FULL PAPER:
The Art of Illusion and Distraction in Integrating Loudspeakers Within Themed Environments
Publication: USITT Current Practices and Research in Sound
March 8, 2021

PRESENTATION:
The 61st Annual USITT Conference
March 8, 2021

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