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I'm interested to understand how people view the creative process that is Sound Design. Specifically, how it relates to Production Design and Audio Post Production activities. Also - what are the specific inputs to the creative process and what are the outputs. How do those outputs feed into Audio Post Production and other elements of the sound production process such as Soundtrack Composition?

Thanks,

Mark.

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  • Why do you want a system theoretic (it's a system theoretic model, if you speak about 'inputs' and 'outputs'?) explanation for a creative activity or an artform, which shouldn't be "logical" (and the reason why it's not logical is that it cannot be explained by a consistent logic, instead "stuff just happens", i.e. it's what we call "[human] creativity"). Jul 28, 2013 at 18:47
  • The "artform" which is sound design does not work in a vacuum. It has to interact with other "artforms" and "activities" to produce the final product. For instance, film production is a linear activity - at a macro level there is "pre-production", "production" and "post-production". Sound Design is a necessary creative process but it has to interact and engage with other areas of the production in a consistent way across productions. My question is investigating this interaction.
    – Mark
    Jul 30, 2013 at 2:16
  • I don't think it has to interact and engage with other areas. One can perform "sound design" in a "vacuum". Either without any input from anything else than the tools and the sounds that you hear or with only a piece of other media, but no human contact. It can, but doesn't have to, interact and engage with other areas. And that's usually the case when you're trying to give a client what he's/she's happy with or work in a production team. I think you may be looking for a "process flowchart" or something, but not really the definition of creative inputs and outputs, because that's psychology. Jul 30, 2013 at 10:07

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I am very confused ...

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  • That's OK Chris - hopefully we get some answers to the question that will enlighten us all.
    – Mark
    Jul 30, 2013 at 2:17
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I'm interested to understand how people view the creative process that is Sound Design.

I think "creative process" is undefined or varies from person to person and therefore may not be a very interesting or at least not a "certainly answerable" question.

Specifically, how it relates to Production Design and Audio Post Production activities.

I think that production design and sound design are two separate things and there are different people or teams designated to them. I also claim that production design precedes everything, it defines "what the production is about and what everyone else will be doing", i.e. sets the thematic and stylistic groundwork for the whole production.

Sound design can be thought to equal "audio post production". Or it may be seen as a part of the overall "audio post production activity". I think this is not a relevant question and may need to be specified more (i.e. what do you really want to know?).

Also - what are the specific inputs to the creative process and what are the outputs.

As of now I don't think anyone has been able to define "creativity". It's a philosophical or an opinionated question. Unless we stick strictly to the "dictionary definition".

How do those outputs feed into Audio Post Production and other elements of the sound production process such as Soundtrack Composition?

I think these both and all are human activities that work on a set specification and aim for a certain goal (a completed production).

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  • I agree that production design and sound design differ in that different teams of people work on these activities, but in essence they are very similar in that both teams are designing and building plans for their area of the production. Production Design team builds plans for the visuals and the set, Sound Design team builds plans for sounds and sonic environments. Defining the inputs and outputs of a process does not necessarily define what that process is performed. This is what makes it creative. You still have to have inputs / outputs so that it can interact with other activities.
    – Mark
    Jul 30, 2013 at 2:20
  • @Mark Well maybe, but those inputs and outputs cannot necessarily be put into words or explained in an exact way that would govern the process in general and could predict the process (because it varies and depends on the person). People get inspired and they can't put a finger on why they did that. People get inspired but they "cannot do it" by instant, because it's not about exact knowledge that works the same way everytime. People create art, but they create it always differently. Jul 30, 2013 at 8:55

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