Tutorial Record

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Callum Norfolk

Tutorial One

In our first tutorial we proposed our project idea of our project to Lee. Our idea was to create the soundtrack for an animated piece, created by an animation student at the University of Lincoln. After some discussion we decided to establish ourselves as an audio post-production business, showcasing our work on our website which would include re-design work and the short animation. Lee then created a list of things to work on in the meantime, including:

  • Register your Blog URLs
  • Declare what it is we are going to make. (Project Objectives, Joint)
  • Look at website styles. (Project Objectives, Joint)
  • Investigate potential films, redesigns etc. to work on. (Project Objectives, Joint)
  • What will you have learnt by doing this project, 4-5 statements. (Learning Outcomes, Individual)

We also needed to decide/ act upon a few key points with our product. Including; investigating free web design packages such as Wix and Yola. Shortlisting potential clips from online sources that you could redesign, and meeting with your Animation director to get a full breakdown of the audio assets that you’ll need to create.

Tutorial Two

In our second tutorial, we discussed how to approach presenting our business in more detail. This included looking at the websites of similar freelancers and how they present themselves, as a benchmark/guide as to how we should promote ourselves in a professional manner. It was stated that we could ask advice from people in the industry how to improve upon this. We also discussed that our show reel should reflect a wide range of abilities in our work, but not so broad that we look like “the jack of all trades”. We also needed to decide how you’re going to divide up the workload.

Tutorial Three

In our third tutorial, we discussed further details of what the website should include such as our team and contact information. After looking at other websites and discussing what employers look for in a sound designer, we concluded that our site should not be too ‘text heavy’ and have a lot of focus on our show reel. It should also be very easy to navigate around. We also discussed that we need to work coherently with our client, communicate with them effectively so we can meet their specific requirements (of the animation). We should start to make suggestions to her about examples of music and sound effects. When dividing the research workload, Lee suggested the two types of research should include:

  • The processes and practices of sound design.
  • Market research – the most effective way to present our portfolio.

All objective information, planning and the timescale of our project should be collated for us to present to Lee the following week.

Tutorial Four

In our fourth tutorial, we gave a presentation outlining the premise and details of our project. See the link to our presentation below.

Animation-Portfolio-Project (1)

Tutorial Five

In our fifth tutorial, we discussed the depth of research needed into creating our redesigns and how they should reflect that we are ‘technically capable’ and ‘creatively smart’ to potential employers. We should also research what people are actually looking for in a sound designer. We decided our website needs to be lean, stylistic and easily accessible. We looked at potential and similar clips for us to work on and redesign. Websites such as www.aicp.com was a good source for visual pieces with good sound design, dating back to the 1990’s. For next week, we were to send Lee our ideas for which redesigns we wanted to work on, so we could discuss if they were suitable.

Tutorial Six

In our sixth tutorial, we spent the majority of the session looking at our shortlisted videos for potential redesigns, and decided which ones would work best to show case ability and creativeness. Lee suggested the importance that you can create professional impact sounds in our work, as it is an important aspect of sound design. We spoke about the importance of our research into the project, and how all content should all link back to the blog and our learning outcomes (include pictures, videos etc.) This is because our research should shape how we work on our redesigns and animation pieces. Other topics considered included:

  • Access to royalty free music, once purchased we can use as much as we want.
  • A future tutorial will be skipped, in order to create an hour-long, practical, sound design workshop.

Tutorial Seven

In our seventh tutorial, we looked through our blogs and spoke about tweaking a few details such as the wording of our learning objectives. We also spoke about the importance of making our research linear on our blogs, and how we should be regularly posting any new research that we find relevant to this project. We also discussed how at the end of this research, we should state how it is relevant to our individual learning objectives. We should get in touch with our animation client about further benchmarks and aesthetics of what specific sounds she requires, no matter how subtle or dramatic. We finished the tutorial with a discussion about music sites that we could use in our designs, they included; Beat sweet, AKM music, Pump audio, Pond 5, Active Music and mobygratis.com

Tutorial Eight

For our eighth tutorial, Lee came into the sound theatre where myself and Ben were working on our redesigns. Lee looked at the current progress of our current recordings (they had not been mixed yet). We then had a discussion about our client and how we need to ask for some more content from her, as she had been away to Japan as part of her course. We also discussed the importance of a ‘tick sheet’ and how this planning technique can benefit us in the organising of our project. Myself and Ben started to write out a tick sheet immediately after the tutorial.

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The Project

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Callum Norfolk

Welcome to my sound design portfolio blog. Here I will be posting regular updates on my third year sound design project, which will include two redesign pieces (individual) and a soundtrack for an animation client (joint). I am collaborating with course colleague Benjamin Hollick for this project. We are promoting ourselves as a business specialising in post production sound design and intend to create a website with our showreel to attract potential clients.

Project Aims

  • To create an online portfolio that showcases our work.
  • To produce bespoke sound design for a third year animation project.
  • To redesign the sound for four additional clips, i.e. a trailer and an animation scene.
  • To research the processes and practices of sound design in audio post production and market research into the most effective way to present a portfolio website.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Be able to implement professional practices when working on my designs, in the area of foley and sound design.
  2. Learn how to apply theoretical research to the sound in my redesigns and animation film.
  3. By the end of the project, I will have learnt how to create professional soundtracks suitable to showcase on our website.
  4. Understand how to implement professional practices used by freelance creatives.

Roles

Callum – I will be investigating the processes and practices of sound design. This includes extensively researching professional practices when carrying out sound design work, particularly when recording Foley. It also entails showing that we are applying this theoretical research to our soundtracks. This is to enforce professional sounding pieces in order to obtain work for our ‘business’.

Ben – Ben will undertake the market research side of our business. He will be identifying and using researched principles to promote our work in a professional and business-like manner, such as creating an appropriate looking website.

We are both also carrying our research as to how being self employed and freelancing works from a business perspective. This includes incorporating professional practices when working with a client (animation student) to facilitate the realisation of their idea.

Responsibilities

Post-production responsibilities – In this project, we are both responsible for producing two individual redesigns each and are to collaborate together for the animation piece. We are responsible for creating the entire soundtracks for these pieces, including foley, sfx and ADR. Personally, I am responsible for investigating the theoretical and practical research applicable to the soundtracks.

Client responsibilities – We are both responsible for liaising with our animation client efficiently, in order to meet all the sound requirements she needs. This includes collating the right sound effects, music and foley to her stylistic requirements.

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Freelance Survival – Masterclass

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Callum Norfolk

It was an essential part of my project to undertake research in how a freelancing business would operate, as it is relevant to the ‘business’ myself and Ben are promoting and directly relates to learning outcome 4. It would also be naïve to ignore the business side of the project, as it may be directly relevant to my future working in audio, as many people in the media sector go on to be freelancers. There is also the fact that there are 1.4 million British freelancers working across all sectors in the UK.

I attended the ‘Freelance Survival’ Masterclass by Jack Shelbourne. The class was very useful and informative on paperwork, getting paid, accounting, VAT, tax, social media and other freelancing tips and tricks. Essentially, freelancing is being self employed, meaning you are in charge of finding and creating your own work, and running your business yourself. The master class gave the following advice.

Starting up – It is important to have money saved up due to illness, having no work or not being paid.

Paperwork – Keep all receipts (travel, petrol, equipment etc.) to claim back against tax. However, do not keep them for large group meals, alcohol and holidays, as these will not be reclaimable. Jack advised to think of kit as an employee, would you keep an employee that sits on the shelf for six months? If not, you sell the kit to raise funds.

Jack spoke about how a verbal agreement (on the phone) is not legally binding, you need proof for an agreement. Always follow up everything with an email or in writing. He also suggested creating a ‘confirmation form’ which will include all information of the agreement, outline all expenses, length and full cost of the job. This way it is easier to legally secure work.

Have your client pay for your kit – This can be done from including the price of your kit in the fee for the job or getting them to directly hire equipment.

Working out your fee – Jack had the same advice as Lee, that you should value your work when pricing it. Keep up with the standard pricing, don’t undersell yourself as ‘cheap suggests cheap’. Always chase up late payments, as no job is worth late payment.

In terms of graduate fees, maybe offer a lower price for your first job/year. Always state your full cost, and if giving discounts put it on your invoice (discount to the agreed price). Discount in percentages and always let your customer know much you are cutting for them. Jack also suggested that if you are going to raise your prices, do it little and often. Also to have two prices, one with and one without kit.

Accounting – Have a business and personal account. Find a 0% interest credit card and change it when the interest runs out. If you do not have a sufficient amount of back up money then credit cards can be used to buy equipment.

If you need it, seek professional advice/protection regarding accounting, tax, legal advice, unions and insurance, as public liability insurance is essential. Accountants will look after your finances, and pay for themselves as they look after your money (until you can learn or do it yourself). They however can be quite expensive, so there are other online services that can give you advice on your accounts.

Bookkeepers are great for organising your end of year tax, make sure they are qualified and know the sector you work in. You can give them all your receipts, as they decide what is correct for tax. They will do your tax return, and then you just have to check and sign the document. They also help with VAT.

VAT – Value Added Tax is a must if you earn at least £81 000 a year. You claim back your VAT. You are more expensive to non-VAT registered clients, as you are essentially costing them 20% more. VAT is great for commercial and corporate work. Purchases are registered for the past four years.

Tax – You are taxed on roughly 20% of your earnings. Some types of tax include; income tax, national insurance and student loans. Jack suggested having a third account for tax saving (you can speak to your accountant or the bank about this). This would be used so that 20% of your income automatically transfers to this account when you are paid.

It is illegal not to pay tax, however it is easy to pay. If you do not pay HMRC will look for you. There is a £100 fine for not filling in a tax return form, and you are charged interest on any owed amount. Online tax return is paid in January, the normal tax year happens from April to April.

Tax advice – Your first £10 000 is tax-free. If you earn up to £31, 865 (£41, 865) you are charged 20% tax, anything above is charged at 40%.

Brand yourself – Showcase works and express opinions/ideas on social media sites such as Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo. Make sure social media pages are professional. Websites are quite cheap to buy, roughly £2.50 (.co.uk) and £10 (.com) annually. On the other hand you can blog for free. Websites are a great for advertising, Jack suggested getting others to write about your work (testimonials).

Contacts – Make good contacts with people as a lot of the time, work comes through recommendations. You should also look to write articles, enter competitions, tweet about work and hand out business cards.

Getting paid – Make sure to send your invoice immediately when the job is done, and state your payment terms (usually within 30 days). On invoices ask to include PO number, date the last day of the job (for payment within agreed time) and include client discount.

 If the client still isn’t paying then chase them up with emails on phone calls. You can reissue the invoice and can legally charge £40 extra for the job if this happens. Make sure you keep a record of all calls and paperwork. If the client still does not pay after this, they may be breaking the late payments of commercial debts (interest) act 1998. If so, reissue your invoice and you can charge interest of 8%.

 

References

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