In a time of uncertainty, as theatre artists are being forced to work from home and all of the live shows are canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sound designers are faced with a challenge of how to adjust to this new reality and how they can show the wider theatrical community how we innovate. During this year’s annual meeting of the Theatrical Designers and Composers Associations (TSDCA), which transitioned to a virtual meeting due to the pandemic, the idea of the Creative Challenge was born. TSDCA Affiliated Professional member Becca Stoll, who was one of the organizers of this event said, “We wanted to give a sense of what is needed for us to be able to work in this remote environment.”
The Creative Challenge was a week-long event, where sound designers across the country worked solo or as part of a team to create a 90-second sound design based off a work of art, a poem, or a combination of both. Participants submitted forms listing their audio expertise, and members of TSDCA put together the teams by finding a balance between the skills of each artist, by pairing early career members with professional members, as well as composers with sound designers who are stronger at mixing and mastering. On the first day of the Annual Meeting, the teams and prompts were announced, and participants went to work right away. For most TSDCA members, they were put into a team where they have never met each other before and faced the challenge of working together from different parts of the country. They remotely recorded and sent materials back and forth, spending countless hours on Zoom. All of this led up to the presentation, which was nicknamed Prom Night, where the final designs were showcased and were well received by the sound design community.
Sound designers & composers who were forced to be sidelined due to COVID-19 were once again doing what they love to do, creating unique content. Final products ranged from soundscapes inspired from paintings, soundscapes that reflect the ongoing protests in our world, to an interactive software game created from scratch. TSDCA early career member William Lowe said, “This project allowed me to get back to stuff that I was comfortable with and gave me this freedom to create, and now I am a lot more motivated to do work.”
Participants put in anywhere from 20 to 40 hours of work in one week. As the performing arts industry moves towards a digital age of producing more virtual forms of entertainment, sound designers are evolving their skills from live stage to live on a virtual platform but also holding on to the human element of sound design. The Creative Prompt is an opportunity for sound designers to get back to what they love doing the most, but also to help lead the way for artistic creation in this new age of COVID-19. For more information on future Creative Challenges and TSDCA membership, please visit the TSDCA website.