Supports
Storytelling
Overall, how well did the sound design support the
storytelling?
Did it help create the world of the play without being
distracting? If the play was conceptual did the sound support the
concept? If the play required realistic sound design, did the cues
feel real and specific to the locale? When appropriate, was it used
to enhance understanding of character; create time, place, or mood;
underscore dramatic beats; or otherwise support key moments in the
show? Or did sound design just focus predominantly on the role of
amplification, and pre-show entertainment and miss opportunities to
further enrich the story?
Creativity/Originality
How creative, interesting and original was the sound
design?
Did the sound designer use a combination of sound amplification,
sound effects, and/or music in a fashion that was unique? Was there
original music recorded for the production? If there were recorded
sound cues, did they appear to be originally and uniquely recorded
and/or edited for the production such as radio or TV
broadcasts?
Incorporating Music
How well did the sound design utilize recorded music
and/or support live musical accompaniment?
If it was a straight play, was recorded pre-show, intermission
and exit music used? If so, was it appropriate to the mood of the
play? If it was supposed to be period music, did it appear to be
from the correct period and of an appropriate style based on the
time period and location of the play? Was underscoring used and was
it effective in supporting scenes? Was incidental music used during
scene transitions and was it appropriate and effective in
maintaining or shifting the mood? Or was there little or no music
used at all and opportunities were missed to enrich the theatrical
experience?
If the show was a musical, was the orchestra balanced with the
singers and actors speaking over the underscoring? Were the sounds
of the various instruments in the orchestra properly balanced so
they could be heard appropriately in the final mix? Or did the
sound of the orchestra overshadow the acting and singing
performances?
Level of
Difficulty
How difficult was it to execute the sound design for
this show?
Was it a musical with a large cast, many body mics and a large
orchestra that required careful balance and execution? Did the
recorded sound effects appear to be layered in such a way that
multiple sounds are mixed to appear seamless? Did the sound design
require a high degree of proficiency? Was this a production with
100 sound cues interwoven with the play or musical, or was it just
a simple sound design, with little or no amplification, basic
pre-show music and just a few stock sound
effects?
Technical
Execution
How well were the technical aspects of sound
executed?
If amplification was used, did the actors’ voices sound natural,
or did they sound “canned” or over-amplified? Was the fidelity of
the amplification clear, without feedback and free of the sound of
actors rustling costumes or sets creaking beneath their feet? Was
the mix between actors, music, and sound effects appropriately
balanced? Did the speakers provide full coverage so the entire
audience could hear well? If body mics were used, was their
placement hidden or otherwise unobtrusive unless called for by the
context of the play?
If no amplification was used, was the fidelity of the recorded music or recorded sound effects clear and the levels appropriate? Were recorded sound cues appropriately edited or mixed to avoid clunky, distracting cuts or noises? If sound cues were executed as “practicals” (sound effects made by cast or crew members live during the performance) did they sound appropriately realistic and could they be heard by the entire audience?
Use of
Available Resources
How well did the sound designer seem to make use of the
available resources?
On the whole, how good was the sound quality given the equipment that appeared to be available and the natural acoustics of the playing area?