Making Stereo Fit: The History of a Disquieting Film Technology Eric Dienstfrey 9780520379558

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 Author
Eric Dienstfrey is Visiting Assistant Professor of Media and Communication Studies at Ursinus College.


Book Information
ISBN 9780520379558
Author Eric Dienstfrey
Format Paperback
Page Count 312
Imprint University of California Press
Publisher University of California Press
Series California Studies in Music, Sound, and Media