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The auditory spectacle: designing sound for the ‘dubbing era’ of Indian cinema

The auditory spectacle: designing sound for the ‘dubbing era’ of Indian cinema This article emerges out of my ongoing research into the historical developments of cinematic sound from the analogue eras to the digital realm, and conceptualises the specific practices of designing ambient sounds (or a lack thereof) in the `dubbing era' of Indian cinema (1960s to 1990s). The basic argument that I will develop is that the creative practice of designing sound in Indian films of this period inculcated a technologically informed approach using analogue sound processing with expressionistic and melodramatic overtones that led the spectator to imagine the pro-filmic space instead of bodily experiencing it in cinematic sound. In this article, following film analysis and finding actual evidence in the interviews of sound practitioners, I will demonstrate that magnetic recording and dubbing rendered the cinematic imagination of this period as something spectacular, with extravagant songs and dances in foreign locations and actions packed with studio-manipulated and synthetic sound effects. Add to this a deliberate lack of ambience, and this practice triggered a cinematic experience of emotive tension and affective stimulation. KEYWORDS cinematic sound ambience sound design dubbing Indian cinema post-synchronisation The New Soundtrack 5.1 (2015): 55­68 DOI: 10.3366/sound.2015.0068 # Edinburgh University Press and the Contributors www.euppublishing.com/journal/sound 1. A http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png The New Soundtrack Edinburgh University Press

The auditory spectacle: designing sound for the ‘dubbing era’ of Indian cinema

Chattopadhyay, Budhaditya
The New Soundtrack , Volume 5 (1): 55 – Mar 1, 2015
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Publisher
Edinburgh University Press
Copyright
© Edinburgh University Press and the Contributors
Subject
Articles; Film, Media and Cultural Studies
ISSN
2042-8855
eISSN
2042-8863
DOI
10.3366/sound.2015.0068
Publisher site
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Abstract

This article emerges out of my ongoing research into the historical developments of cinematic sound from the analogue eras to the digital realm, and conceptualises the specific practices of designing ambient sounds (or a lack thereof) in the `dubbing era' of Indian cinema (1960s to 1990s). The basic argument that I will develop is that the creative practice of designing sound in Indian films of this period inculcated a technologically informed approach using analogue sound processing with expressionistic and melodramatic overtones that led the spectator to imagine the pro-filmic space instead of bodily experiencing it in cinematic sound. In this article, following film analysis and finding actual evidence in the interviews of sound practitioners, I will demonstrate that magnetic recording and dubbing rendered the cinematic imagination of this period as something spectacular, with extravagant songs and dances in foreign locations and actions packed with studio-manipulated and synthetic sound effects. Add to this a deliberate lack of ambience, and this practice triggered a cinematic experience of emotive tension and affective stimulation. KEYWORDS cinematic sound ambience sound design dubbing Indian cinema post-synchronisation The New Soundtrack 5.1 (2015): 55­68 DOI: 10.3366/sound.2015.0068 # Edinburgh University Press and the Contributors www.euppublishing.com/journal/sound 1. A

Journal

The New Soundtrack – Edinburgh University Press

Published: Mar 1, 2015

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