3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

According to director George Lucas, “sound is half of the picture.” Great directors have always known the secret power of sound in filmmaking. While film is certainly a visual art, take out the sound and you have lost “50% of the film,” as director David Lynch has said. In this course, we follow the rapid ascent of sound in film, from early talkies to the emergence of sound as an art form of its own. We will trace the technological innovations and study the artists who helped develop the nuanced language of sound in film, surveying a variety of cinematic genres and analyzing different approaches to sound design. By the end of the course, students will have an understanding of the history of sound in film, the tools and techniques used to create soundtracks, and the essential role sound plays in the cinematic experience. The course will include extensive readings as well as viewing films, writing analytical papers and a lively ongoing discussion.