Surround sound is often mistaken as a relatively new phenomenon in cinemas, one that emerged in the 1970s with the arrival of Dolby.
Making Stereo Fit reveals that, in fact, filmmakers have been creating stereo and surround-sound effects for nearly a century, since the advent of talking pictures, and argues that their endurance owes primarily to the longstanding battles between stereo and mono technologies. Throughout the book, Eric Dienstfrey analyzes newly discovered archival materials and myriad stereo releases, from
Hell's Angels (1930) to
Get Out (2017), to show how Hollywood's financial dependence on mono prevented filmmakers from seeing surround sound's full aesthetic potential. Though studios initially explored stereo's unique capabilities, Dienstfrey details how filmmakers eventually codified a conservative set of surround-sound techniques that prevail today, despite the arrival of more immersive formats.
About the AuthorEric Dienstfrey is Visiting Assistant Professor of Media and Communication Studies at Ursinus College.
Book InformationISBN 9780520379541
Author Eric DienstfreyFormat Hardback
Page Count 312
Imprint University of California PressPublisher University of California Press
Series California Studies in Music, Sound, and Media