Play it by Ear Towards a Definition of Audio Documentary

Date of Award

2010

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Zamsky, Robert

Keywords

Audio, Documentary, Story Telling, Radio, Sound Art

Area of Concentration

Humanities

Abstract

The ambiguous nature of the contemporary audio documentary has been noted by scholars and audio producers alike, who tend to borrow terminology from, and employ conventions of, other expressive forms when discussing and conceptualizing the genre. This thesis will provide an understanding of early experimental approaches to broadcast journalism as well as creative uses of the radio medium. Such aesthetic techniques allowed exploration of the possibilities for the documentary narrator, methods of remixing sonic elements, and oral historical purposes for the genre. Analogies drawn between contemporary audio documentary and resources of drama and lyric poetry will prove especially invaluable for comprehending the craft; attention to the audio producers� responsibilities indicates the genre�s hope to become increasingly inclusive and democratic. A series of �close listenings� focusing on three examples of the contemporary audio documentary will build on, concretize and reinforce the theoretical framework presented in the preceding chapters.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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