DESCRIPTION

S O U N D

DOCUMENTARY

The world of sound is
the last environmental frontier.

BY
FRANCIS KUIPERS


SUBJECT: sound, its meaning and functions
DURATION OF EPISODES: as needed.
LANGUAGE: English, Italian
FINAL MIX: Quadraphonic

Broadcast universally, sound is a common element in our lives, accompanying every type of communication and employed to create ambience of all kinds. It follows us constantly much like the score of a movie. We are continually, consciously or unwittingly, effected by it. Sound waves have an extraordinary impact on human beings, irrespective of their culture and place of origin; it is impossible to remain indifferent to them. Sound tells us about our origins and where we come from; it defines whom we are and it can prophesy changeSound and music has a multitude of uses; it has never served only for entertainment. Our ancestors recognised its power and they utilised it for a vast range of political, religious and ceremonial purposes. Sound and music has played an immensely important role throughout history, from the Etruscans, who used it in ceremony to communicate with their Gods, to the Middle Ages when percussive instruments were banned for being Satanic, to present-day sonic ambience control and Ultrasonic sound used in surgery.

SOUND discusses specific areas and functions of sound and provides its audience with a vast variety of sonic information, from ancient ethnic chants and shamanic musical formulae to the short-wave code talking of secret agencies.

SOUND is tuned to the future. If the greater part of the world’s languages are already lost or disappearing due to globalisation, thanks to developments in audio technology entire worlds of sound, previously considered silent, are emerging. Giant telescopes and spacecraft capture the sound of the cosmos. We can listen to plants, fish and other species; we are starting to hear microscopic worlds.


SOUND is a dissertation on sound and music presented ‘live’ or ‘voiced-over’ featuring film clips of performances, film-sets, music studios etc, provided by an international team of reporters, including highly skilled professionals from film productions stationed throughout the world.

Most visuals used in SOUND is original footage, most audio material is especially composed for the show; to illustrate specific arguments, stock archival film footage or brief samples of published music and sound ambience might be utilized.

FORMAT

The look is be based on extensive use of evocative imagery, digital art, and sound design that will invite the TV viewer’s attention. Our proposed format is a commercial half-hour (23-26 min) divided into four inter-related acts, bookended with teasers and recaps and featuring the following elements:

• Ethnomusicologist and composer Francis Kuipers as anchor/host in studio.
• A young vibrant roving reporter/co-host in the field.
• Guest spots featuring celebrity stars in the fields of sound including
musicians, artists, researchers and scientists.
• Strong visual narratives
• Cutting edge digital animation
• Authoritative researched scripting
• Dynamically mixed soundtrack
• A conclusion contextualizing each episode as an environmental issue.