Courses / Undergraduate

Spring 2016

  • Special Topics in Film: Sound

    140 - 001 | CCN: 31687

    Mark Berger

    Date and Time: TUTH 2-330P, 142 DWINELLE

    4 Units

    This course will explore the nature, evolution, use, and abuse of sound in cinema. From the first silent films, which weren’t presented in silence at all, to current “ride” films, the relation between sound and image will be analyzed in detail. While there is a high degree of visual sophistication in audiences and academic analysis, there is an almost equal naiveté when it comes to sound. Starting with the physics of sound, the neurophysiology of hearing, and how our perception influences our emotional reactions, we will consider the three main categories of film sound – dialogue, music, effects – from the perspectives of the writer, the director, and the audience, looking at the artistic and technical factors that guide and constrain the creative process, as well as how changes in presentation have affected audience response. Examples will be shown from foreign and domestic feature, documentary, and animated films. Depending on schedules, there will be two guest lectures by directors, editors, or musicians currently working on the soundtracks of their films. At the end of the course, students should have an increased sophistication and depth to their understanding of how sound contributes to (or diminishes!) the filmic experience.

    Requirements: Attendance and consciousness at class lectures and film screenings are mandatory. Midterm and final exams, 2 quizzes, several short analyses of assigned films, and small group creation and presentation of audio scenes illustrating concepts covered in class.