Sound Design and Science Fiction

Sound Design and Science Fiction PDF

Author: William Whittington

Publisher: University of Texas Press

Published: 2009-01-27

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 0292773994

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Sound is half the picture, and since the 1960s, film sound not only has rivaled the innovative imagery of contemporary Hollywood cinema, but in some ways has surpassed it in status and privilege because of the emergence of sound design. This in-depth study by William Whittington considers the evolution of sound design not only through cultural and technological developments during the last four decades, but also through the attitudes and expectations of filmgoers. Fans of recent blockbuster films, in particular science fiction films, have come to expect a more advanced and refined degree of film sound use, which has changed the way they experience and understand spectacle and storytelling in contemporary cinema. The book covers recent science fiction cinema in rich and compelling detail, providing a new sounding of familiar films, while offering insights into the constructed nature of cinematic sound design. This is accomplished by examining the formal elements and historical context of sound production in movies to better appreciate how a film sound track is conceived and presented.Whittington focuses on seminal science fiction films that have made specific advances in film sound, including 2001: A Space Odyssey, THX 1138, Star Wars, Alien, Blade Runner (original version and director's cut), Terminator 2: Judgment Day and The Matrix trilogy and games—milestones of the entertainment industry's technological and aesthetic advancements with sound. Setting itself apart from other works, the book illustrates through accessible detail and compelling examples how swiftly such advancements in film sound aesthetics and technology have influenced recent science fiction cinema, and examines how these changes correlate to the history, theory, and practice of contemporary Hollywood filmmaking.

The Sound of Things to Come

The Sound of Things to Come PDF

Author: Trace Reddell

Publisher: U of Minnesota Press

Published: 2018-10-16

Total Pages: 649

ISBN-13: 1452957363

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A groundbreaking approach to sound in sci-fi films offers new ways of construing both sonic innovation and science fiction cinema Including original readings of classics like The Day the Earth Stood Still, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, and Blade Runner, The Sound of Things to Come delivers a comprehensive history of sound in science fiction cinema. Approaching movies as sound objects that combine cinematic apparatus and consciousness, Trace Reddell presents a new theory of sonic innovation in the science fiction film. Reddell assembles a staggering array of movies from sixty years of film history—including classics, blockbusters, B-movies, and documentaries from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, and the Soviet Union—all in service to his powerful conception of sound making as a speculative activity in its own right. Reddell recasts debates about noise and music, while arguing that sound in the science fiction film provides a medium for alien, unknown, and posthuman sound objects that transform what and how we hear. Avoiding genre criticism’s tendency to obsess over utopias, The Sound of Things to Come draws on film theory, sound studies, and philosophies of technology to advance conversations about the avant-garde, while also opening up opportunities to examine cinematic sounds beyond the screen.

Music in Science Fiction Television

Music in Science Fiction Television PDF

Author: Kevin J. Donnelly

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13: 0415641071

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The music for science fiction television programs, like music for science fiction films, is often highly distinctive, introducing cutting-edge electronic music and soundscapes. There is a highly particular role for sound and music in science fiction, because it regularly has to expand the vistas and imagination of the shows and plays a crucial role in setting up the time and place. Notable for its adoption of electronic instruments and integration of music and effects, science fiction programs explore sonic capabilities offered through the evolution of sound technology and design, which has allowed for the precise control and creation of unique and otherworldly sounds. This collection of essays analyzes the style and context of music and sound design in Science Fiction television. It provides a wide range of in-depth analyses of seminal live-action series such as Doctor Who, The Twilight Zone, and Lost, as well as animated series, such as The Jetsons. With thirteen essays from prominent contributors in the field of music and screen media, this anthology will appeal to students of Music and Media, as well as fans of science fiction television.

Sound Design

Sound Design PDF

Author: David Sonnenschein

Publisher:

Published: 2013-04

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781615932023

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"The clash of light sabers in the electrifying duels of Star Wars. The chilling bass line signifying the lurking menace of the shark in Jaws. The otherworldly yet familiar pleas to "phone home" in the enchanting E.T." "These are examples of the different ways sound can contribute to the overall dramatic impact of a film. To craft a distinctive atmosphere, sound design is as important as art direction and cinematography - and it can also be an effective tool to express the personalities of your characters."--Jacket.

Designing Sound

Designing Sound PDF

Author: Andy Farnell

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2010-08-20

Total Pages: 689

ISBN-13: 0262014416

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A practitioner's guide to the basic principles of creating sound effects using easily accessed free software. Designing Sound teaches students and professional sound designers to understand and create sound effects starting from nothing. Its thesis is that any sound can be generated from first principles, guided by analysis and synthesis. The text takes a practitioner's perspective, exploring the basic principles of making ordinary, everyday sounds using an easily accessed free software. Readers use the Pure Data (Pd) language to construct sound objects, which are more flexible and useful than recordings. Sound is considered as a process, rather than as data—an approach sometimes known as “procedural audio.” Procedural sound is a living sound effect that can run as computer code and be changed in real time according to unpredictable events. Applications include video games, film, animation, and media in which sound is part of an interactive process. The book takes a practical, systematic approach to the subject, teaching by example and providing background information that offers a firm theoretical context for its pragmatic stance. [Many of the examples follow a pattern, beginning with a discussion of the nature and physics of a sound, proceeding through the development of models and the implementation of examples, to the final step of producing a Pure Data program for the desired sound. Different synthesis methods are discussed, analyzed, and refined throughout.] After mastering the techniques presented in Designing Sound, students will be able to build their own sound objects for use in interactive applications and other projects

Off the Planet

Off the Planet PDF

Author: Philip Hayward

Publisher: Indiana University Press

Published: 2004-05-18

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 9780861966448

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Explores the use of sound and music in Science Fiction films.

Nophek Gloss

Nophek Gloss PDF

Author: Essa Hansen

Publisher: Orbit

Published: 2020-11-17

Total Pages: 448

ISBN-13: 0316430668

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In this dark, dangerous, roller coaster of a debut, a young man sets out on a single-minded quest for revenge across a breathtaking multiverse filled with aliens, mind-bending tech, and ships beyond his wildest imagining. Essa Hansen’s is a bold new voice for the next generation of science fiction readers. Caiden's planet is destroyed. His family gone. And, his only hope for survival is a crew of misfit aliens and a mysterious ship that seems to have a soul and a universe of its own. Together they will show him that the universe is much bigger, much more advanced, and much more mysterious than Caiden had ever imagined. But the universe hides dangers as well, and soon Caiden has his own plans. He vows to do anything it takes to get revenge on the slavers who murdered his people and took away his home. To destroy their regime, he must infiltrate and dismantle them from the inside, or die trying. Finalist for r/Fantasy Stabby Awards for Best Debut! One of the most highly praised science fiction debuts of the year: “A killer story with real heart and soul."-Alastair Reynolds “A fast-paced, action-filled ride through the multiverse” - Library Journal (starred) “A strong, rollercoaster of a debut." – Gareth L Powell “Gripping and inventive” – Megan E O’Keefe “Mesmerizing” – Fantasy Book Critic “Reads like a Becky Chambers novel crossed with Firefly”—Michael Mammay The Graven Trilogy Nophek Gloss Azura Ghost

Studying Sound

Studying Sound PDF

Author: Karen Collins

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2020-09-01

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13: 0262362910

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An introduction to the concepts and principles of sound design practice, with more than 175 exercises that teach readers to put theory into practice. This book offers an introduction to the principles and concepts of sound design practice, from technical aspects of sound effects to the creative use of sound in storytelling. Most books on sound design focus on sound for the moving image. Studying Sound is unique in its exploration of sound on its own as a medium and rhetorical device. It includes more than 175 exercises that enable readers to put theory into practice as they progress through the chapters.

American Independent Cinema

American Independent Cinema PDF

Author: Geoff King

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2014-09-08

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 0857737333

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The independent sector has produced many of the most distinctive films to have appeared in the US in recent decades. From 'Sex, Lies and Videotape' in the 1980s to 'The Blair Witch Project' and New Queer Cinema in the 1990s and the ultra-low budget digital video features of the 2000s, indie films have thrived, creating a body of work that stands out from the dominant Hollywood mainstream. But what exactly is 'independent' cinema? This, the first book to examine the question in detail, argues that independence can be defined partly in industry terms but also according to formal and aesthetic strategies and by distinctive attitudes towards social and political issues, suggesting that independence is a dynamic rather than a fixed quality. Chapters focus on distribution and relationships with Hollywood studios; narrative ('Clerks' and 'Slacker' to 'Pulp Fiction', 'Magnolia' and 'Memento') and other formal dimensions (from 'Blair Witch's' 'authenticity' to expressive and stylized camerawork and editing in work from Harmony Korine to the Coen brothers); approaches to genre and alternative socio-political visions.

Designing with Sound

Designing with Sound PDF

Author: Amber Case

Publisher: O'Reilly Media

Published: 2018-11-26

Total Pages: 247

ISBN-13: 1491961074

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Sound can profoundly impact how people interact with your product. Well-designed sounds can be exceptionally effective in conveying subtle distinctions, emotion, urgency, and information without adding visual clutter. In this practical guide, Amber Case and Aaron Day explain why sound design is critical to the success of products, environments, and experiences. Just as visual designers have a set of benchmarks and a design language to guide their work, this book provides a toolkit for the auditory experience, improving collaboration for a wide variety of stakeholders, from product developers to composers, user experience designers to architects. You’ll learn a complete process for designing, prototyping, and testing sound. In two parts, this guide includes: Past, present, and upcoming advances in sound design Principles for designing quieter products Guidelines for intelligently adding and removing sound in interactions When to use voice interfaces, how to consider personalities, and how to build a knowledge map of queries Working with brands to create unique and effective audio logos that will speak to your customers Adding information using sonification and generative audio