Star Voices
A one-day symposium on film star voices
Tuesday 30th March 2010 in the Martin Harris Centre, University of
Manchester , 10am 5pm.
Co-ordinated by Dr Victoria Lowe (University of Manchester) and Dr Martin
Shingler (University of Sunderland).
Confirmed speakers include:
Prof. Ginette Vincendeau (Kings College London)
Prof. Paul McDonald (University of Portsmouth)
Toby Jones (Truman Capote in Infamous [2006])
In film studies, stars are often defined
primarily in terms of their image, an
approach that crucially neglects the
contribution of an actor's voice to their
star identity and their appeal for audiences.
This symposium seeks to build and
advance research on film stars by inviting a
range of film scholars, including
some leading exponents of star studies, to address and examine the issue of
the voice within the promotion, performance and
critical reception of film stars
(both historical and contemporary).
Issues under discussion will be:
? the vocal work (i.e. method) and performances of a star;
? the formation and development of their voices (i.e. training and
coaching);
? the reception of their voices and vocal work across a range of
media;
? the technological interventions (and affects) of recording, miking,
amplifying (e.g. Dolby surround sound) and dubbing voices;
? the relative importance of the voice in comparison to other defining
features of a star's persona or `image' (e.g., costume, iconography,
physical/bodily performance)
? vocal performance in relation to
genre, national and/or transnational
cinemas, gender and sexuality.
The intention is to stimulate original research by both new and leading film
scholars that contributes in significant ways to many of the existing debates
on stardom. For instance, we hope that our contributors will engage with
issues of vocal performance, taking into account the often collaborative
nature of this work, including the contributions
of teachers, coaches, dialogue
directors and movie directors in the process of developing a star's vocal
performance and style.
The day will include papers delivered by our keynote speakers but will also
provide scheduled time in order to stimulate debate on issues raised by the
papers and discuss avenues for further research. Manchester University Press
has expressed an interest in a publication arising from this event.
The symposium is FREE but places need to be booked through the Conference
Administrator, Hannah Mansell.
By Email at (Hannah.Mansell /at/ manchester.ac.uk)
By Post at:
Hannah Mansell
Conference Administrator
Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL
Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 3319
Fax: +44 (0) 161 275 4994
