Critical Studies Instructor To Publish New Book on Sound Design

Assistant Chair of Critical Studies William Whittington had his first book Sound Design and Science Fiction accepted in June for publication by University of Texas Press (Spring 2007). The book chronicles the rise of sound design and its relationship to science fiction cinema from the late 1960s to the present. Using seminal science fiction films from 2001: A Space Odyssey to The Matrix, his aim is to evaluate the formal elements, the technology, and production process of sound in cinema in order to render a unique understanding of the planning and patterns of the contemporary Hollywood film sound track. By using this approach, Whittington develops a new critical model that bridges the gap between sound history, theory and practice.  The book is expected to be the first in a series on sound design.