'Produce a 1,500 word written proposal stating the aims and objectives of your dissertation that contextualizes the topic, accompanied by a 10 minute Power Point presentation.'
For this module I have begun by formulating a few ideas for subjects that I would like to research for my forthcoming Dissertation at Level 6. Since my work will ultimately depend upon the quality of available research sources I therefore need to choose a topic that has already been discussed at a doctoral level. Some of the ideas that interest me are written out below, together with a subsequent commentary detailing the kinds of research I can access about them without too much difficulty.
Initial Dissertation Ideas
1.
Utopia & Dystopia as portrayed in Film: underlying themes and what
they say about our society
Research areas:
Sci-Fi literature & film such as
Brave New World & 1984, Brazil, 12 Monkeys, Blade runner,
Orson Wells The Time Machine, Solaris, Metropolis, The Prisoner, a Clockwork Orange, The Fifth Element, 2001. Political and design trends during the making of
these films - Futurism, Fascism, Communism.
Commentary:
An interesting area to cover with several theses available online but the subject splits into two main areas: socio-political research and artistic commentary from critics. It may involve too much 'second-guessing' for the motives behind the directors' creation of such films and overall present too much of a challenge.
2. Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely: a study of the themes prevelant in Mafia Films of the last century
Research areas:
Scarface, Carlito's Way, Godfathers 1,
2 & 3, Goodfellas etc. Political climates during the making
of these films, Bio and socio-political ideology of
the films' writers, directors & producers.
Commentary:
My research sources for this subject would have to be mainly historic and socio-political, examining the various contexts within which Italian and Sicilian migration into North America over the last century have been viewed. Having established this I could then begin to isolate recurrent themes and narratives, exploring both mis en scene and moral characterisation and the degree to which organised crime has been romanticized in such films, looking at possible purposes behind it. A brief bio of the most well known writers and directors - examining their fascination with the subject matter - would follow, concluding with the role that these movies occupy in public consciousness (both in the US and Europe) and an evaluation of their meaning within the broader social context.
3. Retrofuturism in film and video: its influence upon trends within design and fashion
Research areas:
Metropolis, Brazil, Star Trek, The Prisoner, HG Welles, 1950s
B-Movies etc. Steampunk, Futurism, Art Deco, Streamline
Moderne, Modernism, TV during the period 1950-70. Historic newspaper and TV predictions as to what life will be like in the future containing examples that demonstrate the inversion of these values.
Commentary:
This would be a fairly quirky investigation into a strange - but increasingly popular - genre. Whilst the raw material for this topic would be readily available online, I am not sure that extensive scholarly commentary exists in a sufficient quantity to provide the wide variety of views on this subject necessary for a dissertation.
Commentary:
This would be a fairly quirky investigation into a strange - but increasingly popular - genre. Whilst the raw material for this topic would be readily available online, I am not sure that extensive scholarly commentary exists in a sufficient quantity to provide the wide variety of views on this subject necessary for a dissertation.
4. The Wire: Shakesperean themes within the HBO television series: 'The Wire'
Research areas:
Background and Bio of writer David
Simon, Episodes from The Wire, Shakespearean comedy and tragedy.
Commentary:
The Wire is one of the most beautifully written and well-crafted television series that I have ever watched and the fan base both for the writers and the episodes themselves are vast, but brief forays online have not revealed very many serious articles that have been written on this fascinating subject at an academic level. Additionally I would be approaching the subject from a standpoint of English Literature rather than that of film-making, which might not be a good thing since it is not an area I have studied in depth.
5. Which type of individual are you?: a study on the commercial manipulation of consumers from 1970 and the present
Research areas:
1960's individualism, sales psychology, fashion, branding, designer labels, Nike etc.
Commentary:
An area that has interested me for many years - albeit from a critical standpoint - this research would study the efforts of advertisers to employ techniques garnered from psychology to re-assert their power over the consumer following the rise of individualism during the 1960's and early 1970's.
6.
New Gods: the rise and significance of Celebrity Culture
Research areas:
Proliferation of media channels, costs, CCTV, Andy Warhol, atheism, fame vs intrusion, rise of social media especially Twitter, celebrity stalking and David Bowies' new release 'Stars (are out tonight)', Jungian psychology, sainthood, veneration of individuals, branding and the idea of individuals as commodities.
Research areas:
Proliferation of media channels, costs, CCTV, Andy Warhol, atheism, fame vs intrusion, rise of social media especially Twitter, celebrity stalking and David Bowies' new release 'Stars (are out tonight)', Jungian psychology, sainthood, veneration of individuals, branding and the idea of individuals as commodities.
Commentary:
This research would take a very broad look at the rise of celebrity culture, beginning with an account of the Hollywood 'Star System' and following its trace through to the adulation accorded Princess Diana, ending with the media obsessions of the present day. I would examine the historic context of 'celebrity status' and the possible social meanings behind the veneration of individuals within different cultures, before moving on to describe the cultural and technological changes which have allowed the current media obsession with 'celebrity' to arise, taking into account the positive and negative aspects of fame and the so-called 'narcissistic culture'. Since this is a sociological phenomenon I believe I would find a reasonably large amount of academic papers on the subject upon which to draw. Not being a sociologist however, my comprehension of such articles may be somewhat limited, particularly if they are couched in meta language that I do not understand.
Research areas:
'Everyone is photographer these days', proliferation of affordable consumer technology and open-source software, digital revolution an enablement to creativity or simply oversaturating the media market with inferior user-generated content? Friends out who failed to adapt to digital art are now out of a job, elitism versus basic human creativity, personal expression has previously been undervalued and stifled by market-based consumerism, visual illiteracy and percieved 'threats' (establishment), innovation, taste.
Commentary:
We now live in a world in which we are constantly bombarded with manufactured visual content and this research would investigate the meanings we attach to such images. Beginning with a brief history of painting from the earliest rock art to medieval religious frescoes, portraiture, modern art and journalism, this research would examine the role of the image as a means of communication and latterly, self expression, reviewing the different ways that the roles of artist and designer, their patrons and audience have been historically perceived. The advent of the technological revolution will then be discussed together with the new possibilities engendered by digital editing software and the 'quantity versus quality' argument will be examined in the light of the natural human desire for self expression.
8. The Digital Ephemera: toward a new perception
Research areas:
Powerful solar flares could effectively destroy all of our digital art. Temporal art: Buddhist sand painting, Buddhist water art, Rangoli – now spreading into Western digital art, the history and cultural context of temporal artforms, moving image, meme culture, rolling news culture, conceptual art, views of art and design as objects of permanence, art history, the search for enduring mediums, mortality versus immortality.
Commentary:
The digital platform has given rise to artforms which are essentially ephemeral – should they be viewed as new artforms in their own right, perhaps as an extension to conceptual art (currently undergoing resurgence if recent Mostyn Open was anything to go by)? This study will examine the essentially ephemeral nature of digitally based work and its possible role in a society obsessed with the preservation of history, both its own and that of the individual. Parallels and contrasts between with the way art in the West and the East is viewed, concluding with the suggestion that an entirely new aesthetic approach to online visual art - including the moving image - may be necessary. I believe that there might be quite a few academic articles available on this subject, although they make take a while to hunt down and I may require a lot of help doing this.
9. Digital Democracy: an investigation into equality within the Digital Platform
Research areas:
In the face of financial inequality between the developed and developing worlds, is there a true 'digital democracy'? Do the tastes of the affluent West affect the way in which developing countries use the internet, such as shaping the types of content they produce? Africa – solar power – the way forward? South America – projects to provide school children with basic laptops. Western concepts of the 'virtuoso artist' versus Other World cultures view of art as a collective activity belonging to everyone and no one. Global Ethics vs the Global Community, Buddhist sand painting, Buddhist water art, Rangoli. Disabled access to the internet in general and digital artforms in particular.
Research areas:
In the face of financial inequality between the developed and developing worlds, is there a true 'digital democracy'? Do the tastes of the affluent West affect the way in which developing countries use the internet, such as shaping the types of content they produce? Africa – solar power – the way forward? South America – projects to provide school children with basic laptops. Western concepts of the 'virtuoso artist' versus Other World cultures view of art as a collective activity belonging to everyone and no one. Global Ethics vs the Global Community, Buddhist sand painting, Buddhist water art, Rangoli. Disabled access to the internet in general and digital artforms in particular.
Commentary:
There are several areas in which the research for this subject would overlap with that of Numbers 7 and 8, above, however the main topic of this research would be concerned far less with perceived aesthetics, concentrating instead upon economic and physical inequalities with regard to internet access and the steps being taken by both governments and designers to rectify this. I would also examine the impact that the largely Westernised internet has upon the cultural diversity of the developing world. I think this is a very broad subject and it might be difficult to pull it all together over 5,000 words but it might prove an inspiring subject to develop and work upon. I am aware that I will be dealing with statistics however and not being mathematically minded I'm a little concerned that this might be a struggle.
10. Copyright Law: The Way Forward
Research areas:
History of copyright law, current developments in copyright
law and their implication, underlying
ethics of copyright versus plaigerism, monetizing creativity, innovative monetization
models, Western concepts of the 'virtuoso artist' versus Other World cultures
view of art as a collectiveactivity
belonging to everyone and no one. Instagram and current hoo-ha vis a vis visual journalism.
Commentary:
Rather than a purely factual research documenting the various copyright laws in use today, this essay would explore some of the main issues currently dividing the online community, from as many different viewpoints as possible in order to gain a clearer understanding of the argument and draw a series of conclusions based on this information. This would be a useful research to undertake and do much to clarify my knowledge of the current situation.
11. The Camera Never Lies: Investigating Objectivity in Photojournalism
Research areas:
History of photojouranlism and its primary purpose. Ethics of Photojournalism, investigation into whether the photographer should ever manipulate the scene, those who are known to have done so (such as Walker Evans & Dorothea Lange) vs Gary Winogrand & Kevin Carter who didn't, arguments for and against, conclusion.
Commentary:
In this research I would begin by describing the evolution of visual journalism, from the role of the 'War Artist' up to the present day when amateur mobile phone photographs and videos are often utilized by the news media. I would then examine the code of ethics which has traditionally underpinned such images and ask whether - and to what extent - a photographer may stage or alter their scene in order to convey a narrative. My conclusion will be based upon what I learn during the course of this research. I believe that this subject is well documented at both a professional and academic level and that it will also provide me with a wealth of visual examples upon which to draw.
12. The Music videos of Michel Gondry
Research areas:
Basic simplified bio, training and development of work including seminal influences, music artists worked with, collaborations,
re-occurring messages and themes, stylistic techniques, cinematography and influences, most famous projects.
Commentary:
I would enjoy researching and commenting upon Michel Gondry's music videos because I find his work utterly fascinating. Unfortunately however I do not think there are a sufficient number of scholarly articles on the subject to provide me with the quality of research required for such an undertaking.
________________________________________________________________
On the 12th March Stewart Edwards looked at the above list of ideas with me to help me decide which one would prove the most constructive path to pursue. I was delighted that he took the most interest in number '11 - The Camera Never Lies: Examining Objectivity in Photojournalism' since this was also my own favourite, and he briefly outlined some useful research areas that I will begin to follow up over the next few days as I start to put together my research proposal and presentation as outlined by Marisse Mari in the earlier part of the morning.
________________________________________________________________
Dissertation Proposal
The Camera Never Lies:
Investigating Objectivity in Photojournalism
Aim:
According to the National Press Photographers Association
Code of Ethics, visual journalists are expected to abide by the principle of
‘faithful and comprehensive depiction of the subject at hand’ and it is required
that they do not ‘intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or
influence events’. The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the extent to which photojournalists are able to abide by this principle of objective and unbiased visual journalism.
Beginning with a brief history of the subject, written and visual examples will be presented throughout the body of the text in order to support arguments both for and against the validity of the belief that the principle of objective still image reporting is not only possible but routinely adhered to within the profession. It is upon the basis of this discussion that the subsequent conclusion will be ultimately drawn.
Beginning with a brief history of the subject, written and visual examples will be presented throughout the body of the text in order to support arguments both for and against the validity of the belief that the principle of objective still image reporting is not only possible but routinely adhered to within the profession. It is upon the basis of this discussion that the subsequent conclusion will be ultimately drawn.
Objectives:
- By investigation of the historical context underpinning the concept of unbiased photojournalism, (that is, where the subject matter is faithfully captured without intentional alteration on the part of the photographer) it is expected that my understanding of these issues will be increased.
- Reflection both upon the reasoning behind the idea of objective photojournalism and the economic and psychological realities of adherence to it is intended to clarify of some of the issues connected with this section of the ethical code of practice.
- By evaluating the arguments for and against the practicalities of objectivity in visual journalism, it is anticipated that an awareness will be created in the reader as to the likelihood of or otherwise of personal bias on the part of the photojournalist.
- Through the discoveries made during the course of research for this dissertation, my overall knowledgebase of the ethical framework underpinning the photographic reproduction of events will increase and this critical awareness will actively inform my subsequent work in the field of event coverage and street photography.
In order to successfully achieve these objectives:
- Extensive online research into
the history of war artists, visual journalism in general and documentary
photography in particular will be undertaken with a strong emphasis on resource
articles of an academic nature.
- Information relevant to this study will also be extracted from academic books, journals and magazine articles available from the university library.
- The National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics will be investigated and the sections relevant to this dissertation will be used as an on-going framework of reference throughout the text.
- The opinions of professionals working in the field of visual journalism will be researched, documented and synthesized in order to inform and develop my own views and deepen my critical awareness and understanding of the issues involved.
- Online image resources will be downloaded, referenced and utilised within the dissertation in order to provide clear illustrations of the points being made throughout the text.
- The viewpoints, proposals, arguments and conclusions stated will be informed by the research resources presented within this dissertation.
Structure:
The introduction to this dissertation will clearly set out
the form that the body of work will take.
It will broadly state the main topic, the overarching aims and the objectives
of the work as a whole.
The first chapter will describe the context and history of visual journalism, beginning with the bas-relief depiction of military conquests on many monuments of the ancient world, before moving on to a short descriptive history of commissioned battle paintings and the more recent employment of the war artist in situations of military conflict. The increasing role played by newspapers in the dissemination of such images will also be examined.
Using online resources, relevant images will be presented to support the proposition that emotive visual depictions of military events have been used throughout human history to inform public awareness of such conflicts. It will further be shown that in many cases the intention behind doing so has often been motivated by the need to sway public opinion for political ends, sometimes even as a direct tool for propaganda, particularly during times of national conflict. Examples will also be provided to demonstrate that modern dictatorships – the most extreme form of contemporary rule - have frequently employed edited imagery in order to manipulate public opinion in situations where political expediency takes precedence over the fully truthful depiction of real life events.
Introduction
Chapter One: Historical
Background
The first chapter will describe the context and history of visual journalism, beginning with the bas-relief depiction of military conquests on many monuments of the ancient world, before moving on to a short descriptive history of commissioned battle paintings and the more recent employment of the war artist in situations of military conflict. The increasing role played by newspapers in the dissemination of such images will also be examined.
Using online resources, relevant images will be presented to support the proposition that emotive visual depictions of military events have been used throughout human history to inform public awareness of such conflicts. It will further be shown that in many cases the intention behind doing so has often been motivated by the need to sway public opinion for political ends, sometimes even as a direct tool for propaganda, particularly during times of national conflict. Examples will also be provided to demonstrate that modern dictatorships – the most extreme form of contemporary rule - have frequently employed edited imagery in order to manipulate public opinion in situations where political expediency takes precedence over the fully truthful depiction of real life events.
Chapter Two: The Camera
Never Lies
In chapter two, developments in visual journalism resulting from the invention of the camera will be documented and the widely accepted convention that ‘the camera never lies’ will be investigated both from a technical and an editorial point of view. This chapter will then describe the gradual evolution and changing role of visual journalism from the dedicated war artist spoken of in the previous chapter up until the present day, when user generated content such as mobile phone photographs - and even CCTV footage from the stationary cameras of municipal councils and commercial establishments - is often purchased or otherwise acquired by the media to provide visual references for an item of news. Illustrations will be provided to support these statements.
The influential role played by changing expectations from within the ultimate market for such images – the general public – will also be discussed from the standpoint of whether the apparently increasing appetite for rolling news is led from within the media itself or whether in fact the news media companies are simply responding to public pressure to provide news stories that entertain and inform.
Chapter Three: Editorial
Choices
Chapter three will begin with a short examination of the National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics. It will discuss the widely accepted principle of objective reporting that underpins visual journalism and examine the reason why this is the standard expected of a professional. Well known historical examples of individuals who are acknowledged to have adhered to or departed from this code of practice will be provided, both in text and image. The extent to which they have done so and the reasons behind such actions (where known) will also be examined, together with the consequences both for themselves as professionals, for the subjects of their work and - where appropriate – society as a whole.
Whilst pertaining only indirectly to the main subject of this dissertation, the now ubiquitous use of photo editing software will also be briefly mentioned in this chapter because of its particular relevance with respect to on-going trends within the tabloid and advertising industry. Images - most frequently of female celebrities - that have been manipulated to represent frankly unattainable goals of beauty have been cited as having a negative impact upon the self-image of many women. Increased public awareness of the use of such software has therefore negatively influenced expectations regarding the authenticity of many recent still images - particularly amongst young internet users - and in this context an atmosphere of suspicion has been created, against the backdrop of which the greater issues regarding photojournalistic integrity must be viewed.
This chapter will conclude with a brief overview of some of the economic, social and political pressures that currently dictate the appetite for sensational or news-worthy images and ask whether a market-led reportage model can ever be truly impartial.
Chapter Four: Selling the
Story
In this chapter, notions of historical accuracy and the role of the photo journalist as a neutral observer will be philosophically weighed against the broader backdrop of human society and the necessity for journalists to employ narratives with which people can engage at an emotional level. The argument will be proposed that the visual journalist may in fact be more accurately viewed as a designer in the employ of a market-led organisation and as such is of necessity making continuous decisions about what elements to include and what to exclude from their image in order to convey a compelling narrative. From this standpoint it will be argued that no visual reportage can therefore be understood to be fully objective, additional support for this view being drawn from research indicating that those being recorded may alter their behaviour accordingly – known as the ‘Hawthorne Effect’ – and examples of occasions where this has been observed will be documented both in text and visual form.
Conclusion
The final chapter of the dissertation will briefly review and sum up of all the preceding arguments. It will then synthesize these results in order to offer a conclusive evaluation as to whether or not it is possible for a photojournalist to abide in full by the principle of objective, unbiased photojournalism as set forth in the National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics.
Bibliography
A full bibliography will be provided for all images, texts, quotes and reference sources, using the Harvard system of referencing.
_________________________________________________________________
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