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Locating the Voice in Film

Critical Approaches and Global Practices

Sarah Wright editor Tom Whittaker editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Oxford University Press Inc

Published:26th Jan '17

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Locating the Voice in Film cover

Where is the place of the voice in film? Where others have focused on Hollywood film, this volume aims to extend the field to other cinemas from around the world, encompassing Latin America, Asia and Africa amongst others. Traditional theoretical accounts, based on classical narrative cinema, examine the importance of the voice in terms of a desired perfect match between visuals and sonic effects. But, as the chapters of this volume illustrate, what is normative in one film industry may not apply in another. The widespread practices of dubbing, postsynch sound and "playback singing" in some countries, for instance, provide an alternative means of understanding the location of the voice in the soundtrack. Through seventeen original chapters, this volume situates the voice in film across a range of diverse national, transnational and cultural contexts, presenting readings which challenge traditional readings of the voice in film in exciting new ways. By taking a comparative view, this volume posits that the voice may be best understood as a mobile object, one whose trajectory follows a broader network of global flows. The various chapters explore the cultural transformations the voice undergoes as it moves from one industry to another. In doing so, the volume addresses sound practices which have been long been neglected, such as dubbing and non-synch sound, as well the ways in which sound technologies have shaped nationally specific styles of vocal performance. In addressing the place of the voice in film, the book intends to nuance existing theoretical writing on the voice while applying these critical insights in a global context.

Through a dynamic range of international perspectives, this rich and far-reaching anthology broadens the discourse on voices role in cinematic experience, capturing how particular voices perform within the image flows of contemporary global cultures. From the accented locatability of speech to the hyper-transmutability of vocal dubbing, voice is critically examined as a highly charged medium for national and geopolitical interests, lending critical weight to cultural agendas as well as poetic resistances. * Brandon LaBelle *
The voice receives the attention it deserves in Locating the Voice in Film, a most welcome addition to the literature on film and media sound. Drawing on recent work in performance, translation, and media sound, this fine collection covers a wide array of practices of translation, dubbing, and voice replacement essential to the global circulation of moving-image media. Besides the novel emphasis on the voice, Locating the Voice in Films international/global coverage helps move the study of film sound beyond its customary focus on Hollywood cinema. * Charles OBrien, Associate Professor of Film Studies, Carleton University *

ISBN: 9780190261122

Dimensions: 163mm x 236mm x 25mm

Weight: 703g

334 pages