#audio synopsis

Fahrenheit

My audio piece is intended to convey the somewhat lost world of reading. Responding in part to the demise of Borders and Angus and Robertson bookshops across the country, it is from the point of view that the loss of books leaves ‘something missing’ in society.

In my piece I plan to begin with the digital read out of Google Translator, most likely quoting from ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury’s novel deals with a society where Books are not only lost to the population, but actively destroyed, and thus creates an interesting backdrop for the current closure of book stores across Australia. As in Bradbury’s novel books are destroyed by fire, the striking of a match signals moments throughout my piece, followed by the turning of a books page. Following this, a read out of a news article, mimicking a radio broadcast, will inform the listener of the actual close of Borders bookshops. Increasingly, the chime of bells, rather like church bells, will toll. The flicking of pages will accompany this, intended to create an atmosphere of loss. Synthesised music will follow, punctuated by the click of a keyboard, and the digital read of further Bradbury quotes. These sounds will be mixed and layered with the radio broadcast, until a cacophony of sound takes over. It is possible that at the end of my piece, a prolonged silence will be followed by the gentle flick of pages, accompanied by the subtle sounds of night.

My piece is not intended to condemn the digital products many now rely upon. Neither does it suggest we should forget them for the past world of books. Rather, I hope to portray that there is room for both worlds currently. Rather like our recent lecture, there will be the sense that today’s society needs to maintain room for the old styles of narrative, as well as engaging in a more interactive social, or citizen media, so that we don’t lose both important parts of society.

As my audio piece follows a slightly disjointed narrative structure, I have been influenced greatly by the soundwalks we have listened to in the past weeks. In particular, Hildegard Westerkamp’s Kits Beach interested me greatly, and I hope to incorporate a similar, almost dreamlike tone to parts of my work, whereby the lyrical qualities of voice are punctuated by foley and ambient sounds. Further influence for the layering of voices, and in fact the general setting of literature, came from viewing the film Wings of Desire, whereby the scene in the library provided insight into how continual layering of voice can produce an overwhelming sense of chaos and intrigue.

Audio:

Human voice, newsreader, preferably female

Google Translation read out

Musical undertones

Sound of bed covers rustling

Book pages turning

Click of computer key board

Sounds of night

References:

Both the quotes “We have everything we need to be happy, but we aren't happy. Something's missing “ and “A book is a loaded [gun]” used in my piece come from Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451.