Sonic Maps: On the Acoustic (Trans)Formation of Urban Space in Straight Outta Compton (2015) and Grand Theft Auto (1997-2013)
Sonic Maps: On the Acoustic (Trans)Formation of Urban Space in Straight Outta Compton (2015) and Grand Theft Auto (1997-2013)
Author(s): Martin ButlerSubject(s): Media studies, Rural and urban sociology, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Present Times (2010 - today), ICT Information and Communications Technologies
Published by: Ośrodek Badań Filozoficznych
Keywords: soundtracks; sound technologies; sonic mapping; urban space; film; computer games;
Summary/Abstract: This contribution sets out to explore the sonic dimension of representing the city in the film Straight Outta Compton (2015) and the computer game series Grand Theft Auto (1997-2013). It analyzes the ways in which sounds and noises produced in and through these media contribute to constructing urban settings – not only in geographical terms, but also with regard to the various lines of (ethnical, racial, class or gender) demarcation that turn these settings into highly contested spaces characterized by power-laden processes and dynamics of social and cultural in- and exclusion. To do so, the article identifies the aesthetic means the film and the game series employ to render specific areas/sites of the city. At the same time, it explores the technological options of what is referred to as “sonic mapping” by also taking into consideration the forms and potential functions of 3D-sound in contemporary (home) cinema.
Journal: AVANT. Pismo Awangardy Filozoficzno-Naukowej
- Issue Year: 2020
- Issue No: 3
- Page Range: 1-12
- Page Count: 12
- Language: English