Film Sound and the Art of Listening.

Catalog description

This course investigates the historical, aesthetic, experiential, and social dimensions of cinematic sound. Whether it rumbles in our chests or subtly envelops us, sound is a primary aspect of the film experience. And yet its importance is often downplayed by critics who typically dwell on visual elements. This course more expansively appreciates how cinema works as an audio-visual medium. Students become more perceptive listeners while covering a history of film sound that spans multiple eras and sonic technological formats including immersive surround sound. The course also considers how sound informs our ways of inhabiting and knowing the world around us.