Recording Arts
Total immersion. Learning by doing. Hands-on. Collaboration.
These are some of the words and phrases that define an educational experience at Flashpoint Academy and the Recording Arts Program is all about it.
Dive headfirst into industry-standard digital audio workstation practices designing soundtracks for movies, games, and visual media. Hit the road with the Film Program for some location audio and field recording. Study the science of acoustics as you examine different spatial environments. Record footsteps and clothing movements in a Foley session. And discover the difference the best mic pre’s and eq’s in the business make in our state-of-the-art music recording studios.
Flashpoint Academy, a Media Arts College for the 21st century student.
RECORDING ARTS FACULTY
Bernie Mack, Associate Chair 
Jeff Kliment, Faculty
Miguel Kertsman, Faculty
Q] How is the Recording Arts program at Flashpoint Academy different from other recording schools?
A] Flashpoint Academy’s Recording Arts program is taught completely hands-on in professionally designed and acoustically treated recording studios and state-of-the-art digital audio laboratories and classrooms. The overall curriculum is deeply rooted in storytelling; Recording Arts plays a vital role supporting the Film, Game Development, and Animation disciplines as well as focusing on modern music recording. You will be using some of the most revered microphone preamps, eq’s, and compressors in the business, a wide variety of classic studio microphones, high-end outboard processing gear, and industry-standard digital audio workstations and control surfaces. Unlike traditional recording schools and colleges, the Recording Arts program at Flashpoint approachs education experientially from day one with a blend of craft, theory, and aesthetic that prepares students for the ever-changing needs of technology-based industries and is taught by audio professionals with years of experience.
Q] What exactly will I be learning and doing?
A] The Recording Arts program has three main components: [1] studio-based music recording of many different genres—everything from Industrial to Vocal Jazz, Worldbeat to Chamber Music, Modern Electric Blues to Pop; [2] field recording including production audio on location film sets, non-sync sound effects, ambiences, and sound elements to be utilized in postproduction; and [3] sound design for film, games, and animation with final output in both 5.1 surround and stereo.
Q] Can’t I just read the manual? Why do I need to go to school for all this stuff?
A] Yes, you can read the manual and learn a great deal about which buttons and knobs do what. But that’s only a small part of the skill-set these industries are looking for. Quite frankly, we are not interested in teaching you how to move faders, push buttons, and make cool sounds—anybody can do that. We are interested in providing an environment for you to create and collaborate, to develop critical listening skills and a wide-ranging personal aesthetic, and to discover what it means to ingeniously troubleshoot, problem solve, and critically think your way right through the obstacles and difficulties that happen every day while recording production audio on location, designing soundtracks for games, recording narration for lip-sync animation, or engineering large multi-track music sessions in the studio.
Q] How else can Flashpoint get me ready for the “real world?” What about developing a portfolio?
A] Upon program completion, you will have been trained 40 hours a week, similar to a full-time job. Recording Arts coursework projects mirror real-world experiences while the nine-month PRODUCTION-IN-ACTION project will be real-world. Work ethic, discipline, professional conduct, client relationships, and collaboration will be taught along with technique and skill. In year two, there will be opportunities for advanced projects and internships, but also portfolio development. Recording Arts students will create a “reel” with samples of work that demonstrate your knowledge, ability, and creativity, allowing you to hit the ground running right after graduation!
Q] How do I know if the Recording Arts program at Flashpoint Academy is “right for me?”
A] You won’t without digging further. Like most things in life, the more questions you ask—the more curious and hungry you are for answers—the better off you’ll be. We are here to spend as much time as you’d like figuring out if Flashpoint suits you. Call us. Email us. Attend an Open House. Tell us about your drive and ambition or dive in headfirst without looking back. Either way, now is the time to get started.
Would you like to learn more about our Recording Arts program?
