Intermediality in Film: A Historiography of Methodologies
"Abstract: After a short survey of the key questions regarding intermediality in cinema and placing them into the context of current debates in media studies and film theory, the paper addresses the key issues of the methodology of studying intermediality in film. In assessing the import of intermedial studies on film, the paper focuses on certain characteristic methodologies that have emerged in treating intermedial occurrences within films throughout the history of theorizing about the movies in general. Some of the major historical paradigms to be briefly described are: the normative aesthetic viewpoints in the spirit of cinematic New Laocoöns, the trans–medial theorizing of the moving image, inter–art theories, and parallax historiographies. Finally methodologies aiming at modelling intermediality and mapping the rhetoric of intermedial cinema are presented in somewhat more detail."
(Ágnes Pethő, 2010)
Ágnes Pethő (2010). "Intermediality in Film: A Historiography of Methodologies", Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Film and Media Studies, 2 (2010) 39−72.
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Simon PerkinsSHARE
Choose Your Own Adventure iPad App Retells Frankenstein
"Frankenstein, by Dave Morris, is a new kind of interactive novel, that places you right there, in Frankenstein's lab, by his side as he turns the winch and brings the spark of life to bear on his creation... Following and adapting Mary Shelley's original text, Frankenstein is a new reading experience designed from the ground up for mobile devices.
Yes. I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life. More than that: I am myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter. Here are my lodgings... Come up, and I will show you.
This unique literary app places you in conversation with Frankenstein himself as his story unfolds. He will be your guide, and you his advisor (sic). Console, counsel or condemn him: the choice is yours.
Written by best–selling author Dave Morris, designed and developed for iOS by inkle and published by award–winning publisher, Profile Books, Frankenstein is a whole new way of experiencing Mary Shelley's classic tale of terror, tragedy and revenge."
(inkle Ltd.)
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Simon PerkinsSHARE
Internet Cafés: hybrids involving analogue and digital, virtual and real
"Terms like 'Internet café' or 'cybercafé' bring us right back to the 90s along with phrases like 'web page' or 'digital divide', which were invented to describe new hybrids involving analog and digital, virtual and real as well as the present and near future.
It's not that these terms have grown obsolete. It's rather that these 20th–century phenomena they once described have outgrown their terminology. They were born as metaphors, but over time turned into idioms, and their analog parts were the first [to] lose their original meanings. People who did not witness the emergence of the web do not fully understand why browser content is still called a 'page'. It's has also become unclear what public internet access facilities have in common with cafés, yet we continue calling them 'internet cafés' or 'cybercafés'."
(Olia Lialina, 2012–01–10)
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Simon PerkinsSHARE
The Future of the Book: design speculation
"The Future of the Book is a design exploration of digital reading that seeks to identify new opportunities for readers, publishers, and authors to discover, consume, and connect in different formats.
As more people consume pages in pixels, IDEO designers wondered why we continue to discover and consume the written word through the old analog, page–turning model. We asked: what happens when the reading experience catches up with new technologies?
The team looked at how digital and analog books currently are being read, shared and collected, as well as at trends, business models and consumer behavior within related fields. We identified three distinct opportunities – new narratives, social reading with richer context, and providing tools for critical thinking – and developed a design concept around each one.
The first concept, 'Alice,' turns storytelling on its head by making narratives non–linear and participatory. With Alice, the story world starts bleeding into the everyday life of the reader. Real–world challenges, like acting on a phone call from the lead character, or participating in photo based scavenger hunts, unlock new aspects of the story, and turn other readers into collaborators or competitors. Alice is a platform for authors to experiment with narratives, to allow their stories to transcend media, and to engage fans in the storytelling process.
The second concept, 'Coupland,' makes book discovery a social activity by allowing readers to build shared libraries and hear about additional texts through existing networks. Coupland makes it easy for busy professionals to stay on top of industry must–reads. Businesses can assign book budgets to their employees and build collective libraries through a group–licensing model. Personal recommendations, aggregation of reading patterns, and the ability to follow inspiring individuals and groups help ensure that Coupland users always are tapped into the latest essential content within and outside of the organization.
The third concept, 'Nelson,' connects books to commentary, critique, and contextual information, letting readers explore a topic from multiple perspectives. Nelson reinforces the role of books as carriers of knowledge and insight. Readers can explore polarizing material and see whose word currently has the greatest impact on popular opinion and debate. Layers of connected commentary, news, and fact–checking augment the core book content – providing greater context and encouraging debate and scrutiny.
Each concept features a simple, accessible storytelling format and a particular look and feel. We believe that digital technology creates possibilities, so our solutions truly adapt to the new environment, rather than emulate analog qualities onscreen. For example, we resisted any temptation to move books closer to the bite–sized character of other digital media, because longhand writing encourages immersion (deep reading) and reflection."
(IDEO, 2010)
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Simon PerkinsSHARE
Off Book: the art of Animated GIFs
"GIFs are one of the oldest image formats used on the web. Throughout their history, they have served a huge variety of purposes, from functional to entertainment. Now, 25 years after the first GIF was created, they are experiencing an explosion of interest and innovation that is pushing them into the terrain of art. In this episode of Off Book, we chart their history, explore the hotbed of GIF creativity on Tumblr, and talk to two teams of GIF artists who are evolving the form into powerful new visual experiences."
(PBS Arts: Off Book, 7th Mar 2012)
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Simon PerkinsSHARE
