Looking around us, it is hard to imagine U.S. pop-culture not existing, but just over a century ago, there was such a period. Art, fashion, and music, three things originally enjoyed only by high brow society, trickled down onto the masses once mechanical reproduction, printing press, and public education were introduced. Now that these foreign items were newly available, western culture flourished, giving way to all sorts of entertainment. One of the many past times (and arguably still is) was visiting wax museums and witnessing the many prominent/infamous figures in their world face to face for the first time.
Arguably the single most influential technology that had the largest impact was the introduction of the motion picture camera. After photographic capturing showed various exotic vistas never before seen to the public, film actually took the audience to that unknown location- fascinating thousands with the projection of bustling cities and trains. It didn't take long for directors and producers alike to realize they had quite a market on their hands and began creating visual narratives.In the reading, Benjamin compares the two very different styles of art pertaining to painters and cinematographers. While the painter is viewed as the "classic" artist due to his raw talent and skill, the cameraman is able to manipulate what the audience sees, becoming "precise fragments under a law" (Benjamin 10) and forming a tangible world. An example of this can be found even in my own student films such as The Visit (Dylan Cope 2013) where a student's parents make a surprise trip to see their son. Once I began shooting with the manipulation of the camera I was able to create an environment much larger in reality that it presumed, thus the reason why painting is referred to as "magic" and film as "surgery."
No comments:
Post a Comment