Stephen Rafter
- 01202 965401
- srafter at bournemouth dot ac dot uk
- Senior Lecturer in Sound Design
- Weymouth House W213, Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow, Poole, BH12 5BB
Biography
Steve is a Sound Designer & Lecturer whose work spans a number of creative fields including film, TV, theatre, live events, sound installation, advertising, music and education.
Steve began his Sound Design career in theatre and worked on many shows and live events in London, Edinburgh and across the UK and Europe.
After achieving a Masters degree in Post Production: Sound Design at “distinction” level in 2007, Steve moved to Dubai in order to work at one of the leading audio post production studios in the Middle East.
During this time, he worked on a range of high profile projects for the world’s leading brands including Pepsi, HSBC, Emirates, Visa, Unilever, Panasonic, Sony, and international agencies such as; Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett, JWT, FITCH, BBDO & DDB as well as many high profile projects for the Dubai Government.
In 2013, Steve returned to his hometown of Bournemouth in order to establish BOMO Audio, a boutique sound design studio, in order to facilitate the rapidly expanding creative local community of film-makers, creative and digital agencies with high quality sound design and audio post production...
Steve has been a Lecturer in Sound Design at Bournemouth University teaching on the MA in Sound Design for Film & TV since 2013.
He also teaches on sound production specialisms in production and audio post production on various undergraduate courses, including BA Media Production and BA Television Production within the Faculty of Media & Communication at BU.
moreResearch
Sound Design for Business. I am interested in the impact sound has on businesses and how businesses use sound consciously or otherwise to connect with their customers and clients. Most businesses, from SMEs to the world's biggest multi-nationals devote a large amount of time, money and other resources in the development and projection of their brand image visually. However, very few - of even the biggest, most well established brands, are concerned with the sound their brands make...and all brands make sounds.
From sonic logos, jingles, TV & radio commercials and other advertising to tone of voice on phone systems, in-store communications and customer experience and environmental sound design to product design and user experience, sound is present and constantly communicating to your audience / customers whether you have considered it's impact or not.
Journal Articles
- Rafter, S., 2018. Unplugging the Matrix. NEW SOUNDTRACK, 8 (1), 78-85.
Internet Publications
- Gyori, B. and Rafter, S., 2018. Shelley's Heart: Locative Learning Tool. Storyplace. Available from: http://www.shelleysheart.com/.
Scholarly Editions
- Rafter, S., 2021. BFI Handbook: Sound Design & Mixing. British Film Institute.
Films
- Die Before You Die, 2024. Film. UK: White Lantern Films.
- Future TX, 2022. Film. UK cinema release: The Attraction Movie / Nelson Nutmeg Pictures. Available from: https://www.nelsonnutmegpictures.com/.
- Who Killed Nelson Nutmeg? (2015), 2015. Film. Available from: http://evolutionaryfilms.com/.
Performances
- Grace, E. and Lyons, K.. "Blackout" - China Plate Theatre, Harlow Playhouse. Theatre / Immersive Installation. Harlow Playhouse. 26 April 2017.
Invited Lectures
-
Sound Design: Creating Worlds for Screen, Bournemouth University, Faculty of Science & Tech, 23 Feb 2017 more
As part of the department of Science & Technology Industry Day, I was invited to give a lecture on Sound Design and take part in a round table discussion on working in the audio industry -
Sound Design for Screen, University of Northampton, 26 Jan 2017 more
I was invited to give a guest lecture at Northampton University as part of their "Subject Futures Week". The focus of the lecture was to introduce students with an interest in sound and audio production for film to some key concepts in sound design for screen as well as introducing the prospect of Sound Design as a career path. I was asked to take part in my capacity as a Sound Designer and showed production work from my own portfolio.
Public Engagement & Outreach Activities
- Making Contact: A Contact Microphone Building Workshop (08 Jul 2017)
Conference Presentations
- Film Expo South 2017, The Sound Surgery, 03 Feb 2017, AGEAS Bowl, Southampton, SO30 3XH
Consultancy Activities
- Blackout, Sound Design Consultancy (Theatre). China Plate Theatre
Qualifications
- MA in Post Production: Sound Design (Bournemouth University, 2007)
Memberships
- Higher Education Authority, Associate Fellow (AFHEA) (2016-),
- MeCCSA, Member,
Social Media Links
- Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/bomoaudio
- LinkedIn, http://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-rafter-0048396/
- Twitter, @BoMoAudio
Website Links
- More information on my professional practice can be found here at my business website., http://www.bomoaudio.com/