Sound before picture: towards a sound led videographic criticism

Donnelly, Cormac (2025) Sound before picture: towards a sound led videographic criticism. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

Videographic criticism has gained a significant foothold within the academic film studies community as a form of research and publication. The number of journals that now accept video essays as scholarly publications has grown over the last decade, and videographic works are now finding exhibition opportunities at film festivals and conferences, often bridging or balancing on the point between artistic and academic practice. Video essay courses and modules are also now part of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching at universities in the UK, Europe, and the United States. A growing body of critical writing and discussion has developed around the scholarly video essay, though there is a noticeable absence of discussion focused on the technical craft and skills involved in the making of videographic work, especially in relation to technical sound skills.

This thesis seeks to understand the role of aesthetic and technical sound skills in videographic criticism. Through analysis of published works, critical discussion, and practical engagement in the making of video essays, it will consider the contribution technical sound skills might make to this developing form of academic engagement. It will also seek to identify a means by which critical discussions and critical engagement with the technical aspects of videographic making, and specifically technical sound literacy, might be developed within the wider community of videographic critics.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: N Fine Arts > N Visual arts (General) For photography, see TR; P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN0080 Criticism; P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN1990 Broadcasting; P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN1993 Motion Pictures
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > Theatre Film and TV Studies
• Supervisor's Name: Garwood, Professor Ian and Lury, Professor Karen
• Date of Award: 2025
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2025-84982
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 07 Apr 2025 07:51
• Last Modified: 07 Apr 2025 08:03
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.84982
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/84982