I’m very happy to announce Sounds Amazing 2020, a free online conference running from 14th-16th October. It will be celebrating the most exciting and innovative developments in audio, both creative and technical. This event is a co-production between the ±«Óătv Academy and ±«Óătv Research & Development and follows on from the really successful Sounds Amazing event that we ran together in 2018.
Day One (14th October)
On day one, we'll hear from industry leaders about their amazing award-winning work on sound across film, TV and gaming.
Nina Harstone and John Warhurst, the Oscar-winning sound editors of the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, will explain how they recreated the electric atmosphere of the iconic 1985 Live Aid concert and seamlessly blended the voices of Freddie Mercury and Rami Malak.
The pioneering wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson will reflect on his work bringing us the sounds of the natural world, including the recording of authentic and evocative soundscapes for HBO's TV docu-drama .
In the lunch-time session, we'll hear from the ±«Óătv Blue Room about some of the most exciting new audio gadgets and tools. In the afternoon session, we hear from experts in game audio about their innovative work and what we can learn from it. Sound designer Sam Hughes gives us a sneak preview in the video below. Composer and sound designer Omar Khan will join Sam. We’re thrilled to announce that Tess Tyler has also joined this session, to discuss her role as an award-winning composer for games, from indie hits to AAA LEGO® titles.
Day Two (15th October)
On day two, we'll start with a fascinating session on rethinking accessibility of audio through object-based media and personalisation technologies.
Lauren Ward and Mariana Lopez, both from the University of York, will discuss their work to improve the listening experience for people with hearing and impairments respectively, by considering accessibility as an integral part of the creative process.
Alexis Kirke from the University of Plymouth will also talk about the Radio Me project, which aims to use artificial intelligence and sensor devices to transform live local radio into a personalised, responsive service that can help those living with dementia.
In the techno bubble slot on day two, we'll hear from Nicky Birch for the ±«Óătv's Voice + AI team (and formerly in R&D) about creative opportunities with voice-controlled speakers and smart headphones. The afternoon session will focus on creativity during the COVID lockdown. Tony Churnside will talk about his work on the comedy series Dave Podmore in recent months, covering the challenges and opportunities it raised, including working with actors who are self-recording. Ben Shirley (Salsa Sound) will talk about his work to bring back the with the creation of their vCROWD system which allows the real-time control/creation of a virtual crowd sound to perfectly match the action on the pitch. They also use AI to auto-mix for the games. Broadcaster and choirmaster Gareth Malone will take us through his amazing work to bring people together through singing, and the moving TV series The Choir: Singing for Britain, filmed from his garden shed with frontline workers across the country. Kaye Dunnings was the Creative Director on Lost Horizons, described as “a real festival in a virtual world”. During lockdown and with Glastonbury cancelled, this was a breath of fresh air. Shangri-La teamed up with VRJAM and Sansar to create the world’s largest independent music festival in virtual reality.
Day Three (16th October)
On day three, top commissioners from the ±«Óătv and beyond will talk about ideas and trends in audio that excite them, discussing programmes they’ve chosen for their innovative flair and taking a look at the evolution of the creative and business sides of audio publishing. Jon Manel is Podcast Commissioning Editor at the ±«Óătv World Service, who commissioned the award winning international podcast hit, Death in Ice Valley, the ±«Óătv’s first English language podcast in India, Kalki Presents: My Indian Life, as well as 30 Animals That Made Us Smarter and 13 Minutes to the Moon. Previously, he was a multi-award winning ±«Óătv investigative reporter.
Brett Spencer is the Digital Content Director of Bauer Media. Brett is now working across Absolute Radio, Magic, Kiss, Hits and Greatest Hits Radio, Jazz FM and Scala Radio. He is responsible for podcast strategy across both Radio and Magazine groups. He was also the ±«Óătv’s former digital editor for its popular music stations (Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, 6Music and the ±«Óătv Asian Network).
Elsewhere, a longtime friend of the R&D audio team, Cathy Robinson will talk about her latest work on 3D spatial audio over lunch, including an upcoming project that uses our new Audio Orchestrator tool.
In the final session, we'll hear from leading podcast makers whose work stands out in what is now a very large crowd. James Robinson (Tracks and The Bomb), Helena Merriman (Tunnel 29) and Dan Maudsley (Paradise) will talk about their great work and interesting trends in podcast genres such as true crime, documentary, and drama.
Immersive Audio Training and Skills from the ±«Óătv Academy including:
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Immersive and Interactive Content section
IIC section is a group of around 25 researchers, investigating ways of capturing and creating new kinds of audio-visual content, with a particular focus on immersion and interactivity.