Discover the hidden art of sound design, guided by a master whose work includes American Beauty, Star Trek, and films for Guillermo del Toro.

There are no available registration dates at this time.

NOTE: This class will be held in an online format using the Zoom Platform. 
Class meets Tuesdays 12:30-2pm ET, For six sessions

Explore how artful sound design can take your dramatic experience to a new and thrilling level.  Through case studies and experimentation with creating soundscapes, you’ll never listen to sound the same way.

Remember the sound of the overhead fan becoming the blades of a helicopter in APOCALYPSE NOW? Or the sound of an elevated train metronomically marking the tension in Michael Corleone’s head as he sat in a restaurant, about to become an assassin, in THE GODFATHER? They were indelible examples of sound used in the service of heightening story and character. Not mere sound effects. And they didn’t happen by accident. They were designed.   

In this six session workshop, you’ll be guided by Scott Gershin, an award-winning sound designer for film, streaming television series, and gaming.  His credits include films by Guillermo del Toro, Sam Mendes, Oliver Stone, Quentin Tarantino, J.J. Abrams, and many others.  

While the process and tools of sound design will be covered, more than anything these sessions are about exploring the creative dimensions of sound to heighten the impact of a scene. You will examine how different soundscapes can change and intensify our perception of a moment. While the focus will be on sound design for film, the dynamics examined will also resonate for TV, gaming and web series.

You’ll explore how to design a film with sound in mind, how to analyze a script and determine where sound can help to tell the story. Through screenings of selected films, scenes, and sequences, you will deepen your ability to listen to how sound design amplifies your emotional experience. You’ll learn how to gauge whether a scene is best served by silence, sound effects, or music; and how many sonic elements are too much. The dynamics of working with a director will also be covered.

As the class is about artistic growth and stretching perception of what sound design can bring to a dramatic experience, the instructor does not want a specific software to be a barrier to anyone wishing to participate.  While students wishing to engage in more nuanced exercises will benefit from having experience with Pro Tools software (classes in this are available via Maine Media), students without experience in Pro Tools are fully welcome to take the class and explore the creative possibilities of sound design using software they are familiar with (i.e. Adobe Premiere).   For those wishing to use Pro Tools,  a free trial version may be downloaded at: https://www.avid.com/pro-tools   

You will leave the workshop listening to sound in a whole new way.

Please note: Participants might incur streaming rental costs of $10-20 to watch assigned films at home.

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Instructor: Scott Gershin

Scott Gershin is an award-winning sound designer for film, streaming television series, and gaming. His credits include films by Guillermo del Toro, Sam Mendes, Oliver Stone, Quentin Tarantino, David Twohy, J.J. Abrams, Wolfgang Petersen, Dan Gilroy, and many others. His films & TV shows include THE STRAIN, PACIFIC RIM, AMERICAN BEAUTY, STAR TREK, MRS AMERICA, SHREK, NIGHTCRAWLER, HELLBOY 2, CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, TEAM AMERICA, KILL BILL VOLS. 1 & 2, BRAVEHEART, TRUE LIES, HEAT, THE PERFECT STORM, STEEL MAGNOLIAS, JFK, MADONNA: TRUTH OR DARE, and HOME ALONE. Major games include the GEARS OF WAR series, EPIC MICKEY, and the RESIDENT EVIL and FABLE series. Scott is currently working with Jorge Gutierrez on MAYA & THE THREE and with Guillermo del Toro on the upcoming stop motion movie PINOCCHIO, both for Netflix. He is Creative Director / Supervising Sound Designer and Mixer at The Sound Lab, a Keywords Studio. Scott has garnered an impressive number of awards and nominations: 12 MPSE Golden Reel awards, numerous GANG and TEC awards, and BAFTA nominations. He has also lent his talents to numerous projects that have won both DICE awards and Oscars.
Having studied music since he was ten, Scott could easily be identified as that kid you grew up with who made sound effects and creature noises with his mouth. Little did he know it would lead him into a career doing just that. His talent for creating personalities with his voice has been tapped for such memorable movie characters such as Flubber, Disney’s Herbie, Reapers in Blade II, The dragon in Shrek, and Kirchek in Tarzan. After attending Berklee College of Music, Scott made a name for himself as one of the pioneers of audio technology in film and games. Using what he learned as a synth programmer and recording engineer, he was one of the first to utilize computers to edit and design sound against picture. He has embraced technology to better help him tell stories through audio and take audiences on an immersive journey. Scott considers himself an audio photographer who captures the sounds of life and manipulates those sounds in new and exciting ways, enabling him to be currently doing some of his best work. Previously, Scott worked at Soundelux for twenty seven years as a sound supervisor and sound designer, and he was also the founder and executive creative director of Soundelux Design Music Group.