In our audio-visual essay, we will address and explore particular areas in depth through our archive research. The main area includes but is not limited to; the ethics and agendas created by film and television based on the political and cultural sphere at that moment in time. In our essay, we will address these issues through a contemporary mind-set focusing on the way in which a change in cultural values and ideologies affects both marketing agendas and the symbolic iconography in film. We believe that our choice of subject will reveal the issues behind ethics and representation, as the archive material clearly depicts how the cultural mind-set of an earlier period of time can dramatically differ in representation through time. In short,
…show more content…
We intend to explore this by paying particular attention in regard to the agenda’s behind the images which were consumed by audiences. By utilising archive clips of cigarette advertisements and smoking in short films, we will highlight how through political, cultural and historical changes the attitude towards smoking in filmmaking and iconography behind these images has changed – creating both a change in social attitudes and a different symbolic meaning behind the act of smoking. The primary debate which we will utilise within our essay, is the way in which agendas are presented in smoking films depends on the cultural context and laws regarding the act. In Week 4’s seminar our exploration into ‘Delineating the Documentary’ has provided us relevant material and the subject itself explores themes mirroring those that we wish to include in our essay. The delineation of the documentary is relevant due to the fiction and commerciality within our choice of archive materials. We will also consider readings from both ‘Political Filmmaking’ in Week 8 and ‘Ethics’, in Week 9. We will include films studied outside of the course which encompass our topic, these films include the documentary film Revolution (1968) a film which chronicles the life of smoking hippies during the late 1960’s. We will also include examples within regular fiction films. One example includes, Rebel Without a Cause (1955) a film created in the mid-50’s whereby a young James Dean smokes throughout the entirety of the film. In the 50’s smoking was alternatively conveyed as an act of cool
We intend to explore this by paying particular attention in regard to the agenda’s behind the images which were consumed by audiences. By utilising archive clips of cigarette advertisements and smoking in short films, we will highlight how through political, cultural and historical changes the attitude towards smoking in filmmaking and iconography behind these images has changed – creating both a change in social attitudes and a different symbolic meaning behind the act of smoking. The primary debate which we will utilise within our essay, is the way in which agendas are presented in smoking films depends on the cultural context and laws regarding the act. In Week 4’s seminar our exploration into ‘Delineating the Documentary’ has provided us relevant material and the subject itself explores themes mirroring those that we wish to include in our essay. The delineation of the documentary is relevant due to the fiction and commerciality within our choice of archive materials. We will also consider readings from both ‘Political Filmmaking’ in Week 8 and ‘Ethics’, in Week 9. We will include films studied outside of the course which encompass our topic, these films include the documentary film Revolution (1968) a film which chronicles the life of smoking hippies during the late 1960’s. We will also include examples within regular fiction films. One example includes, Rebel Without a Cause (1955) a film created in the mid-50’s whereby a young James Dean smokes throughout the entirety of the film. In the 50’s smoking was alternatively conveyed as an act of cool