English 230: An undergraduate course for 60 students
Fall 2022 at the University of Victoria
lək̓ʷəŋən and WSÁNEĆ Territories
TWF, 1:30-2:20pm
Taught by Jentery Sayers (he / him)
With Babak Ashrafkhani, teaching assistant
Office hours: W, 12-1pm; Th, 12:30-1:30pm
jentery@uvic.ca
During Week 4, we discussed how games and other types of fiction may be understood as collections of files or “modules” bundled together to become the works we study. Audio files are often found in those bundles, and they are the subject of this prompt. In Weeks 5 and 6, we also considered how media may both manipulate and massage their audiences as part of their storytelling. Audio may, for instance, shape how we engage a narrative, interpret it, and even move through it or navigate it.
This prompt asks you to focus on audio’s role in fiction by first producing your own audio sample of a voice track and then describing the techniques at play in its production. No worries. This audio does not need to be high-tech, and I will not assess its production quality. For your primary sources, you can choose to study “Message in a Bottle,” Under a Star Called Sun, Within the Wires, or Gone Home.
Your response to this prompt should demonstrate why the production and performance of voice tracks are important aspects of a story. This is an assignment about how sound is communicated: the timbre, the vibe, the ambience, the pacing, the speaker . . . with attention to voice in particular. The “how” of audio production shapes the “what” of its content.
You’ve three options for this prompt. Please pick one.
Audiobook Sample: A publisher asked you to direct an audiobook production of either Nalo Hopkinson’s “Message in a Bottle” or Cecile Richard’s Under a Star Called Sun (pick one). The publisher received written permission from the author but wants an audio sample from you first. The sample should be between 1-2 minutes long, and the publisher wants an “accurate” reading of a text excerpt from the original work. (An excerpt of no more than 200 words is probably a good idea for 1-2 minutes.) The publisher doesn’t tell you what they mean by “accurate,” but they do say you’re welcome to use filters, effects, and/or soundscapes if you wish. They also say you should not change Hopkinson’s or Richard’s content. Along with your audio sample, they request 250-300 words asking you to describe the techniques you used to 1) produce the reading (including its performance), 2) engage your audience, and 3) respect the original work and its author. Note: I do not have access to the script or transcript for Under a Star Called Sun; however, you should have a PDF of “Message in a Bottle.”
Modified Voice Track: The tape in Episode 1 of Within the Wires combines the conventions of a relaxation tape with coded messages intended by the speaker for a particular character in the story. The tape is like a letter this way. Unfortunately, it was seized by The Institute (the folks in power), who asked you to re-record it and remove all those coded messages. They want an audio sample from you for internal testing purposes. The sample should be between 1-2 minutes long based on 1-2 minutes of the original, and it should be a relaxation tape intended for all residents of The Institute. They say you are welcome to use filters, effects, and/or soundscapes if you wish, but you should make only minor changes to 1-2 minutes of the tape’s original voice content. Here, deleting some content, rephrasing it, rearranging it, altering its vocal performance, and modifying its word choice would count as minor changes. (You should re-record the tape to produce a new file instead of only editing the old one.) Along with your audio sample, they request 250-300 words asking you to describe the techniques you used to 1) produce the relaxation tape (including its performance), 2) remove the coded messages, and 3) massage or manipulate the Institute’s residents. Note: you should have a PDF of the transcript for Episode 1.
New Voice Track: Sam’s journal entries in Gone Home are read aloud by voice actor, Sarah Grayson. The content and performance of these entries are known among Gone Home fans to elicit strong emotions. Now, imagine DLC (downloadable content) was just announced for the game. It will add five new journal entries to the narrative. Produce 1-2 minutes of audio to demo one of those new entries. You should create the content of the new entry, and you’re welcome to use filters, effects, and/or soundscapes if you wish; however, your sample should resemble the content and performance of Sam’s original entries in the game. Along with your audio sample, please use 250-300 words to describe the techniques you used to 1) produce Sam’s new journal entry (including its performance), 2) expand Gone Home’s content in a convincing way, and 3) engage the game’s dedicated player base. Fans of Gone Home are your audience for these 250-300 words. Note: see this video for a compilation of Sam’s journal entries.
For any of the three options above, you do not need to read or perform the voice track yourself. You are more than welcome to have someone else perform for you, and I will invite people in this course to volunteer and add their name to the class volunteers list (see the class notes on Tuesday, October 11th). If someone else does perform a voice for you, then please credit them in writing and, of course, be sure to write your own 250-300 words that speak to how you produced or directed the recorded performance.
Do not publish your response to this prompt online. (We’ll talk more about fair dealing in class.)
Your audience for Option 1 (Audiobook Sample) is the hypothetical audiobook publisher. Your audience for Option 2 (Modified Voice Track) is The Institute (your employer in Within the Wires.) Your audience for Option 3 (New Voice Track) are fans of Gone Home.
Your audio sample needs to include only vocal performances according to Option 1, 2, or 3 above. You can record your sample on your phone, labptop, desktop, or the like. You can also record directly in Brightspace. Just visit the Prompt 2 assignment (see Week 7 in Brightspace) and scroll down to the “Record” / “Record Audio” option. Your Brightspace audio file can be up to five minutes long, or you can upload your own file.
You are welcome to add filters, sound effects, and soundscapes, too. Such additions would, of course, exceed the exceptations of the prompt. They are by no means required.
Sound effects and soundscape libraries intended for non-commercial, educational, and research uses abound on the internet, but the BBC’s collection is probably my favourite. You are also welcome to edit and integrate MP3s I’ve distributed as part of the course material, but your audio sample must be a new recording, not only an edit of an existing file.
As for filters, Audacity (which is free) is an excellent option. Email me if you’d like any help using it, especially if you’re new to it. There are many tutorials online, including this list by the Audacity team.
I will assess your response to Prompt 2 based on the following criteria:
You will receive one mark for each of these four criteria, which will be tallied (.25 x 4) to result in your grade for Prompt 2. I will send feedback to you via Brightspace. I will use UVic’s grading system for assessment, according to this rubric: “exceeds and raises expectations” (A+), “exceeds expectations” (A, A-), “exceeds some expectations” (B+), “meets expectations” (B, B-), “meets some expectations” (C+, C), “meets few expectations” (D), and “no submission.” You will have an opportunity to revise your response to Prompt 1, 2, or 3 by Friday, December 2nd. This revision can only improve your mark.
Your response to Prompt 2 should be 1-2 minutes of audio accompanied by 250-300 words.
You should submit it via Brightspace. Look for the “Prompt 2” assignment. Feel free to submit more than one file. If I cannot access the file or its format, then I’ll let you know.
Please include references somewhere in your submission (at the end of your audio or Word document, for instance). Here are citations for the four works at hand (change the access dates, if you wish):
Email me if you’ve any questions about making, formatting, or uploading any of these files. I don’t want you to spend much time on the technical particulars, especially if you’re just wondering what I can access or download.
I’m also happy to help you with the audio side of things. I recommend using Audacity if you’re new to working with sound. It’s like a word processor for audio.
Please submit your response to Prompt 2 via Brightspace by Tuesday, October 18th at 1:30pm.