Research seminar in Musicology and Intermedia studies: Tobias Pontara

Professor Tobias Pontara, Göteborg Universitet.

Sonic worldmaking: Conspiracy theory and soundtrack rhetoric in Zeitgeist: The Movie (2007) and Loose Change: An American Coup (2009/2015).

Abstract

The newly started research project Conspiracy Soundtracks: The Role of Music and Sound in Audiovisually Mediated Conspiracy Theoretical Discourse examines to what extent and in what ways soundtrack phenomena – music, sound effects, voice-over, and even silence – can be regarded as central for effective communication and persuasion in the audiovisual dissemination of conspiracy theoretical content.

At the seminar I will give a brief overview of the project, followed by a presentation of the main outline of a draft to the article Sonic Worldmaking: Conspiracy Theory and Soundtrack Rhetoric in Zeitgeist: The Movie (2007) and Loose Change: An American Coup (2009/2015). This will be followed by a discussion around this first article draft, in which I hope to receive stimulating questions, comments and feedback.

If you wish to attend please contact sanne_krogh.groth@kultur.lu.se for further information.