• Integrate dialogue, ambiences, Foley, spot FX, and music to create cohesive, genre-specific soundscapes.
• Apply advanced mixing techniques for clarity, frequency balance, and dynamics processing.
• Ensure final mixes meet professional delivery standards, including loudness management and export specifications.

• Capture and design realistic soundscapes through advanced microphone techniques, field recording, and Foley.
• Translate spotting sessions into practical audio tasks using industry-standard methodologies.
• Build and manage personal sound libraries, aligned with industry standards, for professional sound design work.

Students will be introduced to the concepts surrounding the purpose of game audio and the practical skill of creating audio in sync with a moving image. They will examine how it works in practice, technically, creatively and in the professional working environment. They will learn to create audio to a brief in a variety of styles, accurately interpreting the intentions of the game audio director.

They will explore the various roles within the game industry and learn who is responsible for each aspect of the game delivery. This module will also discuss game direction and management, storytelling and narrative, level design and game workflows. Specifically, the focus will be on handheld and mobile gaming.

Students are introduced to the art of spotting a cut scene, choosing when and where to place audio, and will be discussing in depth the role that sound plays.

Video game sound designers are expected to turn their hands to a variety of styles and genres but they are mostly expected to create sound that explores the unique interactive nature of the medium. The non-linear medium of video games presents exceptional challenges and opportunities.

This module includes:

• Gain an insight into game music and audio.
• Understand the foundations of working in the game industry.
• Go deeper by looking at moving image case studies
• Learn about game audio industry practices, challenges techniques and discussions on how the video game tackles dialogue differently to other mediums.

This module introduces essential in-depth technical skills and knowledge that a sound designer must possess. It will provide students with software training in the use of game audio middleware. Students will become acquainted with the essential skills of game audio workflow and implementation, including asset management, memory budgets and version control.

There will be an introduction to the major game engines. Game audio technology is not without its limitations; therefore, it is important that students are aware of what is and is not possible. This is a constantly evolving and fast-moving area of professional practice where, through independent research, students will be equipped with the skills to comfortably progress to more advanced technical aspects in later modules.

Students will learn techniques on how to create interactive sound for a variety of common game situations. They will create suitable sound and implement the audio within middleware or other appropriate technologies. You will examine the challenges of creating audio for use in audio middleware and learn possible workflow strategies in a contextual project-based environment.

While embracing new ideas, they will continue to develop skills like understanding the game aesthetic and creating a sound world to a brief, further working on developing a distinctive sound signature of their own and improving their sound design and production skills.

This module will include:

• An introduction to game engines.
• Look into audio recording and sound design techniques.
• Delve deeper into mixing and profiling.

This module explores knowledge previously built on in the course and engages the students to research ways to combine previous techniques creatively in more detailed developing audio. At this stage, students are encouraged to develop a distinctive interpretative style of their own.

Developing their sounds to be subtler, more artistic, and interpretative to the game by an effective and well thought out score. Students at this stage will also be expected to accept and implement notes on their work quickly and effectively, a key personal and professional skill.

This module covers:

• Recording vehicle sounds and creating audio for racing games.
• Case study examples of working in racing games
• Learn more about advanced loop editing.

Both professional and academic research gathers relevant information from a wide range of sources before analysing and drawing reasonable conclusions. The research will be evaluated on the basis of its originality, depth of insight, and the quality of the supporting argument.

Research can constitute:
- Professional research (i.e. further understanding gained from examining the professional output of other practitioners)
- Academic research (i.e. further understanding gained from theoretical/historical/analytical activities)

We expect students to:
- Analyse, synthesise, critically reflect, and build an argument
- Use academic writing, including referencing and a bibliography
- Contextualise their practical work in light of the research

Here students will have the option of tailoring the course to their own needs. You can pick one module from the following:

– 3D Audio Environments
– Unreal & Blueprint
– FMOD
– Dialogue & ADR
– Creative Sound Design 2: Imaginary Worlds

Please note, the availability of elective modules maybe subject to a minimum enrolment. The choice of electives is provisional and may be subject to change.

Here students will have the option of tailoring the course to their own needs. You can pick one module from the following:

– 3D Audio Environments
– Unreal & Blueprint
– FMOD
– Dialogue & ADR
– Creative Sound Design 2: Imaginary Worlds

Please note, the availability of elective modules maybe subject to a minimum enrolment. The choice of electives is provisional and may be subject to change.

The final major project is a major piece of work that represents the culmination of creative, technical, and research skills acquired during the rest of the course. Students will be required to create sound design for a substantial project, either picking from the provided projects or delivering their own functional project that has been approved by the course manager. This is a substantially longer piece of work than any other so far. It requires both solid technical skills and a much broader and deeper creative insight into the source material.

Students will be expected to research their chosen genre, developing a critical awareness of creative and technical problems faced by sound designers at the forefront of professional practice. The quality of the creative ideas and the insight into the intention of the producer, director or developer is far more critical with larger scale work. The project should be a great deal more challenging than the sum total of several shorter assignments. It is the difference between writing a short story and a novel. Consequently, the original idea and the approach need to be thought out much more thoroughly. Students will be supported by formative assessment from their tutor at points throughout the dissertation. The final dissertation will be graded by at least two tutors. If students decide to deliver their own project, they are responsible for its functionality and the delivery of the project.