Welcome


Welcome to the Performance in a Mediatised Culture blog, 2009. This is a space for you to share images, ideas and experiences throughout the course.

IMPORTANT!! CLASS EXCURSION WEEK 6:
Contrary to what your course outline says, please meet at 9.30am in the usual classroom for the week 6 excursion. We will go from there.

ALSO: AVAILABLE RESOURCES
Selected works that we have watched are now with Iain Murray at the Level 3 Webster desk and are available for you to borrow and watch on campus. You can use these for your essay preparation:

Level 3 desk:
- ‘Cesena’ and ‘Brussels’ in Tragedia Endogonidia by Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio
- Chunky Move Mortal Engine or Glow
- Blast Theory Uncle Roy All Around You and Can You See Me Now?
- The Wooster Group Route 1 & 9 (The Last Act)
- Granular Synthesis Modell 5

unsw LIBRARY:
- Einstein on the beach[videorecording] :the changing image of opera /
- The Builders Association [videorecording] : Show excerpts and trailers, 1994-2007

Bill Viola documentaries (COFA):
- I do not know what it is that I am like[videorecording] /
- The passing[videorecording]
- Selected works[videorecording] /

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Surveillance and Identity in A Scanner Darkly

Talking about surveillance today reminded me of a film I really like called A Scanner Darkly.It was made around about the same time as Sin City and plays with similar animation and manipulation of footage. In a lot of ways I think it’s because they chose to approach the story using this medium that it’s a successful film. Some scenes just wouldn’t be anywhere near as interesting if not for the stylised way it was approached.

Without giving too much away, the film is set in a futuristic world where surveillance plays a key role in society. Among other things the film also brings up notions about how surveillance can affect our perception of identity. 

Oh, and be honest now, how many of you where looking around for surveillance cameras as you left uni today…I know I was. Anyone find any?

Christopher.

1 comment:

  1. what's awesome about this movie is that at some points you can really see the actors in 'live' form as they are in reality and then it quickly turns into an animation of them... very awesome. i watched tis like 2 days ago and i completely agree it's a play on the surveillance players ideas about what it means for the world. i remember one scene where he is talking on the phone to a girl named donna and they're watching him and tracking down all the information on him before deciding that he isn't worth following up.. facsinating stuff... could really even be seen as a possibility of what might still be to come regarding surveillance.

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