Analog and Digital Media(sound)scapes

The aurality of post-cinema: Towards an affirmative queer space

Maud Ceuterick (University of Bergen)

Despite the burgeoning interest in the creation of imaginative spaces in augmented reality and virtual reality (AR and VR), very little focus has been given to sound. In post-cinematic aesthetic, speech helps the audience make sense of an accumulation of images that would not make sense otherwise (Steven Shaviro, 2010, following Michel Chion, 1990). This paper argues that sound forms the backbone of virtual reality, as it both produces the virtual space, and makes visible what images fail to convey. In particular, aural storytelling in virtual reality pieces such as Travelling While Black (Williams, 2019) and Homestay (Smith, 2018) gives visibility to images that remain in-visible, whether absent or unable to be viewed for what they are. As the orality of these works gives materiality to issues of racism and immigration,the viewer becomes an embodied listener, and potentially active participant.

Entre familiarité et expertise: la parole dans la culture vidéophile

Arnaud Widendaële (Université de Lille - CEAC)

Cette communication voudrait interroger la place de l'oralité à l’intérieur de la culture vidéophile en s'intéressant plus particulièrement à ces espaces de parole que sont les vidéoclubs.

Il s'agira d'abord de définir la part dévolue à la parole dans l'identité sociale de l’employé de vidéoclub, à partir de sources variées. Nous dégagerons, dans un deuxième temps, la dimension orale de la presse vidéo à partir d'une série de titres français spécialisés comme Vidéo 7, Télé Ciné Vidéo et Vidéo club. Enfin, l'importance de l'oralité dans la culture vidéophile sera mise en lumière via différentes pratiques témoignant, à l'heure actuelle, de la survivance du vidéoclub sur internet après la fermeture de la plupart des enseignes – survivance exprimée par la mise en scène d'une parole à la fois familière et experte.

You are there, they are here: Adventures in the stereoscape

Valerio Sbravatti (Università "La Sapienza" di Roma)

Stereophony was developed in the 30s thanks to separated research in both the US and the UK, which lead to experiments of films with realistic stereophonic sound. However, it was introduced commercially only in the 50s, in cinema as surround sound and in music as stereo LP albums. The standard approach in both cases was the realistic one called “you are there”, i.e., the impression of being in the real space of the performance. In the 60s, while films were still normally monophonic, stereophony became the norm also for pop music, which follows the approach named “they are here”, i.e., the impression that the artists are placed in the listening space for the benefit of the user. The advent of Dolby Stereo during 70s was a key event in the history of film sound: heightened the audience’s awareness of the important role of sound in the spectacular impact of cinema. The talk aims at reflecting upon the relationship between film stereophony praxis (and its parallels in music mixing) and commercial and popular discourses regarding the contribution of stereophony in terms of realism, immersion, and emotional impact.