ABSTRACT

Michel Gondry’s directorial work buzzes with playfulness and invention: in a body of work that includes feature films such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep, to music videos, commercials, television episodes, and documentaries, he has experimented with blending animation and live action, complex narrative structures, and philosophical subject matter. Central to that experimentation is Gondry’s use of music and sound, which this book addresses in a new detailed study. Kate McQuiston examines the hybrid nature of Gondry’s work, his process of collaboration, how he uses sound and music to create a highly stylized reinforcement of often-elusive subjects such as psychology, dreams, the loss of memory, and the fraught relationship between humans and the environment. This concise volume provides new insight into Gondry’s richly creative multimedia productions, and their distinctive use of the soundtrack.

chapter |11 pages

Introduction

chapter 1|11 pages

The Heart and the Brain

chapter 2|18 pages

Superchannels and Other Sound Strategies

chapter 3|14 pages

Dreaming up “The Concert I Always Wanted to Go To”

Mosaics in Dave Chappelle’s Block Party

chapter 4|16 pages

Music Video and Advertising

chapter 5|11 pages

Muse-en-scène

Jon Brion Hears the Hidden City in Mia Doi Todd’s “Open Your Heart”

chapter |3 pages

Conclusion