Les Olympiades, Paris, France and Elche, Spain
Les Olympiades
Elche, Spain
Friday, December 18, 2009
Take Home Final: Google Earth
Les Olympiades, Paris, France and Elche, Spain
Les Olympiades
Elche, Spain
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Border Project Essay
Western Union: Small Boats
In an exploration of globalization, diaspora, and migration, filmmaker Isaac Julien examines the hybridity of African and European cultures with his film, Western Union: Small Boats. As an artist Julien manages to combine elements of traditional cinema with those of the art film. In an effort to document the transcendence of national borders, Julien focuses on the not only the migration of African civilians, but the inevitable risks and dangers they undertake in an effort to establish a better life elsewhere. In his film Isaac Julien uses two techniques, in particular, in order to convey this theme to viewers. With Western Union: Small Boats, Julien employs multiple projections and powerful juxtaposition in order to emphasize the ideas of cinematic history, cultural hybridity, and migration.
The use of multiple projections reinforces Julien’s film as, among many things, an examination of cinematic history in conjunction with the history of Italian society. With multiple projections displaying different images simultaneously, Julien is able to explore the space of the Palazzo, which is seen in Visconti’s The Leopard. By projecting three images at once, he is able to cover much more ground in terms of revealing this setting as a historical location. This segment of the film can be attributed to Julien’s desire to examine a space that is presently a symbol of cultural hybridity between Europeans and Africans. In addition to referencing cinematic history, Western Union: Small Boats employs multiple projections in order to create juxtaposition. However, this juxtaposition, in the end, is created in order to illustrate a sense of hybridity between different groups of people. There is a moment in the film in which a European woman and African woman are framed individually and side-by-side. The African woman reveals a fan used to cool herself, which is something seen being used by many women in The Leopard. Julien creates juxtaposition by placing them beside each other, and at the same time, shows viewers that national borders have been transcended and different cultures have been fused together. Aside from this Julien uses juxtaposition once again in the film as he combines the ideas of Italy’s old aristocracy, and the African migrant’s journey across the Mediterranean Sea. In one frame is a man who lies on the Palazzo floor and physically simulates the act of drowning. At the same time Julien presents images of underwater activity and sounds of water as well. When these images and sounds are brought together, the filmmaker is successful in juxtaposing the migrant’s journey across the Mediterranean with the opulent aristocracy of Italy. This form of juxtaposition, however, illustrates a different kind of theme that strays from cultural hybridity and globalization. Julien is instead emphasizing the difficulty and struggle that comes with attempting a migration to another continent. In the end it is the use of multiple projections that creates juxtaposition within the film’s context, thereby presenting the border as nonexistent and two radically different cultures living together.
In an exploration of globalization, diaspora, and migration, filmmaker Isaac Julien examines the hybridity of African and European cultures with his film, Western Union: Small Boats. As an artist Julien manages to combine elements of traditional cinema with those of the art film. In an effort to document the transcendence of national borders, Julien focuses on the not only the migration of African civilians, but the inevitable risks and dangers they undertake in an effort to establish a better life elsewhere. In his film Isaac Julien uses two techniques, in particular, in order to convey this theme to viewers. With Western Union: Small Boats, Julien employs multiple projections and powerful juxtaposition in order to emphasize the ideas of cinematic history, cultural hybridity, and migration.
The use of multiple projections reinforces Julien’s film as, among many things, an examination of cinematic history in conjunction with the history of Italian society. With multiple projections displaying different images simultaneously, Julien is able to explore the space of the Palazzo, which is seen in Visconti’s The Leopard. By projecting three images at once, he is able to cover much more ground in terms of revealing this setting as a historical location. This segment of the film can be attributed to Julien’s desire to examine a space that is presently a symbol of cultural hybridity between Europeans and Africans. In addition to referencing cinematic history, Western Union: Small Boats employs multiple projections in order to create juxtaposition. However, this juxtaposition, in the end, is created in order to illustrate a sense of hybridity between different groups of people. There is a moment in the film in which a European woman and African woman are framed individually and side-by-side. The African woman reveals a fan used to cool herself, which is something seen being used by many women in The Leopard. Julien creates juxtaposition by placing them beside each other, and at the same time, shows viewers that national borders have been transcended and different cultures have been fused together. Aside from this Julien uses juxtaposition once again in the film as he combines the ideas of Italy’s old aristocracy, and the African migrant’s journey across the Mediterranean Sea. In one frame is a man who lies on the Palazzo floor and physically simulates the act of drowning. At the same time Julien presents images of underwater activity and sounds of water as well. When these images and sounds are brought together, the filmmaker is successful in juxtaposing the migrant’s journey across the Mediterranean with the opulent aristocracy of Italy. This form of juxtaposition, however, illustrates a different kind of theme that strays from cultural hybridity and globalization. Julien is instead emphasizing the difficulty and struggle that comes with attempting a migration to another continent. In the end it is the use of multiple projections that creates juxtaposition within the film’s context, thereby presenting the border as nonexistent and two radically different cultures living together.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Latin American Idol
In recent years, America’s beloved reality Television show, American Idol, has spread widely throughout the world as a form of globalized entertainment. With the creation of Latin American Idol, viewers are given a glimpse into an entire region of people, rather than a single nation. Sony Entertainment Television and FreemantleMedia distribute the franchise, which originated in Argentina, in Mexico, Central America, and South America. As a result of an American reality Television show, Latin American Idol proves to be a recent addition to the idea of globalization, due to its roots in Cultural Imperialism, New Television Engines, and Mediascapes.
As an example of Cultural Imperialism, Latin American Idol reproduces an American reality program in a conscious effort to comment on entertainment found in a different region of Western civilization (2). Interestingly, the Latin version proves to be nearly identical to the original in terms of production, judges, contestants, etc. The only real difference, in the end, is obviously the language being spoken. This element of the series provides it with a sense of homogenization, due to the fact that it recycles familiar traits of the original version, yet it represents an entirely foreign region of the world. This can be seen in any clip of the series, simply during the audition process before the real contest even begins. One clip in particular, featuring an audition in Argentina, perfectly mimics the style of the American show, even to the extent of cutting back and forth between performers and the judges, who make their decisions with familiar, nasty looks.
Aside from the idea of Cultural Imperialism, the series also features the element of new television “engines,” which provide viewers and contestants with unique results. The engine that Latin American Idol employs, elimination, is central the show’s purpose. Without elimination the show would obviously go nowhere and viewers would not be given an incentive to tune in every week. Elimination allows for a certain amount of weekly suspense, which can also be tied in to advertising for the show itself. In the article “Television’s New Engines,” Michael Keane and Albert Moran comment on this by stating, “the voting engine captures a range of cross platform publicity, including television news, magazines, radio, and internet” (1). This confirms the importance of marketing and advertising within television’s new engines, especially the element of elimination within Latin American Idol. In relation to the statement by Keane and Moran regarding elimination as a way create media revenue, one may conclude that mediascapes can be the result of television’s new engines. Mediascapes, the spread of technological capabilities as a means of delivering information, relies on shows such as Latin American Idol to generate media attention from location to another.
The homogeneity of Latin American Idol, however, does not rely on each individual nation representing itself. Whether it is Argentina, Mexico, or Peru, each nation represents a part of the greater region, which extends through Central and North America. This creates an even greater sense of hybridity for Spanish-speaking nations due to the fact that they all share a portion of a larger cultural display. To conclude, Latin American Idol proves to globalize the series created by the United States, while also retaining cultural roots in a specific region of the world.
Citations
(1) Michael Keane, Albert Moran, “Television’s New Engines,” Television and New Media. 9.2 (2008): 160
(2) Toby Miller, Nitin Gavil and John McCurrin, “Cultural Imperialism,” Global Hollywood. (2005): 64-84
As an example of Cultural Imperialism, Latin American Idol reproduces an American reality program in a conscious effort to comment on entertainment found in a different region of Western civilization (2). Interestingly, the Latin version proves to be nearly identical to the original in terms of production, judges, contestants, etc. The only real difference, in the end, is obviously the language being spoken. This element of the series provides it with a sense of homogenization, due to the fact that it recycles familiar traits of the original version, yet it represents an entirely foreign region of the world. This can be seen in any clip of the series, simply during the audition process before the real contest even begins. One clip in particular, featuring an audition in Argentina, perfectly mimics the style of the American show, even to the extent of cutting back and forth between performers and the judges, who make their decisions with familiar, nasty looks.
Aside from the idea of Cultural Imperialism, the series also features the element of new television “engines,” which provide viewers and contestants with unique results. The engine that Latin American Idol employs, elimination, is central the show’s purpose. Without elimination the show would obviously go nowhere and viewers would not be given an incentive to tune in every week. Elimination allows for a certain amount of weekly suspense, which can also be tied in to advertising for the show itself. In the article “Television’s New Engines,” Michael Keane and Albert Moran comment on this by stating, “the voting engine captures a range of cross platform publicity, including television news, magazines, radio, and internet” (1). This confirms the importance of marketing and advertising within television’s new engines, especially the element of elimination within Latin American Idol. In relation to the statement by Keane and Moran regarding elimination as a way create media revenue, one may conclude that mediascapes can be the result of television’s new engines. Mediascapes, the spread of technological capabilities as a means of delivering information, relies on shows such as Latin American Idol to generate media attention from location to another.
The homogeneity of Latin American Idol, however, does not rely on each individual nation representing itself. Whether it is Argentina, Mexico, or Peru, each nation represents a part of the greater region, which extends through Central and North America. This creates an even greater sense of hybridity for Spanish-speaking nations due to the fact that they all share a portion of a larger cultural display. To conclude, Latin American Idol proves to globalize the series created by the United States, while also retaining cultural roots in a specific region of the world.
Citations
(1) Michael Keane, Albert Moran, “Television’s New Engines,” Television and New Media. 9.2 (2008): 160
(2) Toby Miller, Nitin Gavil and John McCurrin, “Cultural Imperialism,” Global Hollywood. (2005): 64-84
Friday, October 23, 2009
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