Science fiction cinematography is a genre in which, because of its characteristics, sound acquires a fundamental importance. Narrative themes related to technology, the creation of imaginary places, and the presence of fantastic objects, machines, and equipment make sound a relevant element in the understanding and spectacle of this genre.

In the science fiction genre, sound becomes a central element whose functionality can be articulated both in the more specifically musical dimension (music built on sound) and in the dimension related to sound design. Regarding the latter dimension, the functionalities and strategies related to different sound categories are analyzed: environmental sounds, sounds of objects and machines, and physiological sounds.

The lecture examines the main science fiction films from the 1930s onward in which sound plays a fundamental role; from the use of wind sounds to symbolize the arrival of a comet in La Fin du Monde (1931), to the hierarchical and complex sound world of the Star Wars saga (1977-2005); from the electronic music of Forbidden Planet (1956) to the music built on sound in Arrival (2016).

In addition to highlighting the different strategies due to the evolution of sound technology, some constants in the narrative use of sound within this film genre are identified.

Απόστολος Λουφόπουλος, Lelio Camilleri

Βλ. επίσης: https://avarts.ionio.gr/festival/2025/gr/akoysmata/

Lelio Camilleri (1957) is Professor of Electroacoustic Music Composition at the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory in Florence. His compositional work is mainly electroacoustic. His works, performed in Europe and many non-European countries, have received national and international commissions and acknowledgements. His research activity concerns electroacoustic music, popular music, sound communication and audiovision, all disciplines in which the subject of sound is of crucial importance. On these topics, he has published articles in national and international journals and published five books. His latest books, The Sound of Progress (Il Suono del Progresso, Arcana 2022), deals with the relationship between the sound experiences of electroacoustic music and progressive rock, while Fantasy Sounds (Fantasuoni, Arcana 2025) concerns with the use of sounds in sci-fi movies. He published an anthology CD of his music, Parallel (2015). He collaborates regularly with the Tempo Reale centre in Florence, of which he is a member.