Volume Introduction

Abstract

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides an overview of cross-disciplinary inquiry into sound design that transcends discursive and practical divides. It discusses the multisensory crosstalk between sonic, visual and even haptic dimensions of cinematic experiences and presents psychophysiological methods that measure listeners’ responses to sound in real time. The book covers techniques aimed at empirically measuring audiences’ emotional responses while undergoing audiovisual experiences. It examines the gamut of methods for conducting sound design research in the context of health, accessibility and disability. The book highlights the aesthetic dimensions of sonification, where design success has to integrate perspectives from auditory perception, data and musical structures. It explores the situation of the contemporary composer who has to invent the form anew for each composition. The book also presents an in-depth exploratory sequential mixed methods account of the experience of immersion and game play in interactive sound design.