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Composing with images: a portfolio of audiovisual works
exploring the compositional potential of associative sonic,
visual and intellectual imagery.

Bird, Stephen

Composing with images: a portfolio of audiovisual works
exploring the compositional potential of associative sonic,
visual and intellectual imagery. Thumbnail


Authors

Stephen Bird



Abstract

Most of the research undertaken within the music community on the combination of sound and imagery, has related either to mainstream filmmaking, or has been rooted in the predominantly abstract world of Visual Music. However, this portfolio utilises recognisable "real-world" imagery to produce multimedia works that function as compositions in a musical sense, whilst combining processes that draw from visual, cinematic, literary, musical and sonic traditions. Through an understanding of the different types of imagery that these seemingly unrelated media employ, the composer's intention is to formulate a working praxis which will enable a deeper understanding of the way that these image-forms interrelate within a multimedia composition.

During the creation of this portfolio, a compositional strategy developed which the author defines as image based composition. The key to this method of working is an understanding of the audiovisual image as being an image that exists when two or more different image forms coincide. These produce an overall image that only exists because of this concurrence and which would be significantly altered by the removal of any one of its constituent parts.

Working with recorded sound material and recognisable video footage, this portfolio comprises seven independent multimedia compositions which develop and explore the interaction of sonic, visual and intellectual imagery. The way that each of these component streams interact in synchronised harmony and counterpoint and the way by which each stream has influence over the others, is explained by processes referred to as: cross-genre image visualisation; digital collision and image transference.

The composer concludes that the understanding of the nature of sonic, visual and intellectual image interaction within a multimedia composition, lies in an acceptance of the multi-sensory nature of this medium within which image-streams are in a constant state of flux.

Publication Date Jan 1, 2010
Additional Information Multimedia files accompany this thesis, please consult the hard copy for the additional files. For access to the hard copy thesis, check the University Library catalogue.

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