Since the arrival of cinema, film theorists have studied how spectators perceive the representations that the medium offers to our senses. Early film theorists have bent their heads over what cinema is, how cinema can be seen as art, but also over what cinema is capable of. One of the earliest film theorists, Hugo Münsterberg argued in 1916 that the uniqueness of cinema, or as he calls it photoplay, lies in the way it offers the possibility to represent our mental perception and organisation of the reality, or the world we live in: “the photoplay tells us the human story by overcoming the forms of the outer world, namely, space, time, and causality, and by adjusting the events to the forms of the inner world, namely, attention, memory, imagination, and emotion” (Münsterberg [1916] 2004, 402)
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Technologies that were initially developed to be applied within the domain of video games are currently being used in experiments to explore their meaning and possibilities for cinema and cinema audiences. In this position paper we examine how narrativity, interactivity and engagement are mutually reshaped within this new domain of media entertainment, addressing both the production and the user experience of new types of interactive cinematography. We work towards research questions that will direct our future studies and in-troduce the term lean in to address the kind of engagement style that applies to users within this new domain.
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The purpose for writing this paper is twofold: (1) building on the former PBPD publication on “Placecinemaking”, from the viewpoints of the foundations of history, theory, and methodology; and (2) demonstrating the methodology on a new movie/place-making project, “Le Mille Notti”, which was launched after the publication of said PBPD paper. This new submission is therefore a complementary extension and a deeper analysis of what was presented in 2023 on PBPD. The approach is based on documental back-tracing, where needed complemented by interviews and testimonials. The analysis pertains to a wide range of fields, from the history of cinema to leisure direction and to placemaking. This paper is based on a further analysis of the “Placecinemaking” approach, in order to extract: (a) historical roots and context in the history of cinema; to enable (b) application to a new film in the series of projects where the approach was organically developed into a repeatable process; and to present (c) the outcome of the new movie, titled “Le Mille Notti” in the specific areas pertaining to the movie, Borgo Aurora, Turin, and its actors. Research was based on documental back-tracing, therefore no new empirical findings will be made available or generated from this process besides what was tracked in documental sources (newspapers, production notes, earlier interviews as already publicly published and distributed in media, and more). Process and methods will be equivalent to the ones adopted in the PBPB publication, 2023, therefore already tested and proven by peer review. The paper will have a potential high impact in terms of further proving, justifying, and contextualizing an organic approach as formalized in a repeatable process. The paper does uniquely present, critically review, and demonstrate the place-making fit of a new film, “Le Mille Notti”, providing additional insights into the “Placecinemaking” approach.
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Used by millions on a daily basis Web 2 and social media have become part of our lives; Facebook arguably developed into the largest online group worldwide with some 800 million users - or one seventh of the world's population. (Facebook, 2011) This paper reviews social media and provides a general overview of the same from the perspective of an independent documentary filmmaker. The paper investigates use of social media during the Arab Spring and Wall Street Movement (Occupy, 2011) and compares social- with traditional media. Using the example of the documentary 'God, Church, Pills & Condoms' (F Kohle, A Cuevas, 2011) the tools social media offers are examined and their applications are discussed. Web 2 is the accumulative sum of print, radio, TV and film, offering an ever-increasing amount of content. What are the implications and challenges for Documentary filmmakers? How can documentary filmmakers explore the full potential of social media? Does social media really offer an alternative to traditional content commissioning, content development and distribution as well as fund raising? The paper concludes by examining future trends for social media and potential applications in documentary filmmaking.
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Used by millions on a daily basis Web 2 and social media have become part of our lives; Facebook arguably developed into the largest online group worldwide with some 800 million users - or one seventh of the world's population. (Facebook, 2011) This paper reviews social media and provides a general overview of the same from the perspective of an independent documentary filmmaker. The paper investigates use of social media during the Arab Spring and Wall Street Movement (Occupy, 2011) and compares social- with traditional media. Using the example of the documentary 'God, Church, Pills & Condoms' (F Kohle, A Cuevas, 2011) the tools social media offers are examined and their applications are discussed. Web 2 is the accumulative sum of print, radio, TV and film, offering an ever-increasing amount of content. What are the implications and challenges for Documentary filmmakers? How can documentary filmmakers explore the full potential of social media? Does social media really offer an alternative to traditional content commissioning, content development and distribution as well as fund raising? The paper concludes by examining future trends for social media and potential applications in documentary filmmaking.
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Heeft de grootste literator de van twintigste eeuw zijn sporen nagelaten in de Nederlande film?
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Natalie Bookchin’s work is synonymous with the Video Vortex network and the rise of YouTube. Whereas we got to know each other’s work in the turbulent net.art late nineties years, this particular story started with a DVD I got from Natalie, containing The Trip (2008), a video collection of early YouTube fragments, which Natalie reassembled into an imaginary travel around the globe, shot during car trips on all continents. What has always defined Natalie Bookchin’s work is her ability to recreate unity out of dispersed fragments. We, as users, may feel lost and desperate, but the artist gives us hope again that we can overcome distraction and senseless multi-tasking by creating an all-together new meta narrative that is human—again. This is database cinema as you always imagined it, overcoming the isolation of the individualized voice-as-image while paying respect to the unique status that each of us has.
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Introduction/purpose: The paper reflexively documents (for the first time) as a consistent approach a participatory, co-creative storytelling practice for organic place branding as developed by the researcher across cinema, digital platforms, and word-of-mouth. Focus of this paper is on the societal impact of an implicit approach, to be structured into a repeatable process. Research limitations: The paper is based on reflexive observations and insights. The original empirical materials were co-created with stakeholders or developed for cinema, creative industry, or other applied uses, with the intent to develop a formalized methodology. Empirical research assets were therefore interpreted, reframed, or reflected upon from the viewpoint of both (a) social sciences and humanities and (b) place branding, leisure direction, and impact viewpoints. Theoretical framework: This paper is presented as a case study. A theoretical justification is provided. Methodology/main research approach: Reflexive reporting of art-based participatory interventions, between activism (action research) and storytelling for place branding. Findings: Reference cases will be grounded in the City of Turin, Italy, and most specifically its underprivileged Mirafiori and Borgo Aurora districts. The paper will frame an organic field practice through reflexively structuring it as a repeatable process. Impacts of an economic, social, and artistic nature will be documented. Specific empirical research assets include: (a) fictional movie and documentary (2014, 2019); (b) video clips, based on participatory interviews; (c) reflexive evidence from original approach bridging (cinematic) storytelling to place branding; (4) information and evidence on economic and social impacts, as extracted from (a) news and other secondary sources, and (b) primary statements from key stakeholders. Conclusions: The paper will offer two key value points: (a) Reflexive externalization by stakeholders of an implicit approach; (b) Potential formalization into a repeatable process, for universal adoption. The authors are committed to achieving the most societal impact through their research and consulting work and the paper will provide the opportunity to transfer findings, learnings, and assets to a wider community of stakeholders, for example, citizens and practitioners, with the required methodological reliability. Practical implications: The focus of this paper is eminently practical in terms of translating an organic practice at the crossroads of the creative industry, cinematic arts, and place branding, into a structured approach, and possibly a process. The outcome will be a reflexive repeatable formalization of the said approach, for future consideration and adoption by place branding leaders and stakeholders, with societal impact as the priority.
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