Works Cited

Aviv, Vered. "What Does the Brain Tell as about Abstract Art?" Frontiers in
Human Neuroscience, Feb. 2014, doi:10.3389/fnhum.2014.00085. Accessed
13 Nov. 2019.
This source by Vered Aviv discusses how abstract art attracts its audience, and how

abstract art plays a role in neuroscience. Aviv argues that abstract art allows people to think

outside the limits of reality, allowing the brain to make new pathways and tap into a different

mix of emotions. Audiences are drawn to abstract art because the discovery of these new

emotions is rewarding. The neural routes used to perceive reality involve the same processes

involved in interacting with art within the brain. When the brain is initially processing visuals, it

takes notice of simple shapes, color, and lighting, and at the more advanced stages of visual

processing the brain records more complicated images, like movement, faces, or labels. The

source also describes a study that found observers preferring representational art over abstract

art, with more brain activity occurring when they viewed representational art due to the fact that

they could recognize more objects in the image. However, the lack of familiar objects in abstract

art frees the brain from the busy processes of automatically recognizing an object, instead

allowing viewers to make the kinds of emotional associations that can only be felt, not described.

This source is written by Vered Aviv, a professor at the Jerusalem Academy of Music

and Dance. She studied drawing and painting with painter Josef Hirsch to help her create her

own works of art. She has a doctorate in neuroscience and teaches anatomy, kinesiology, and

neuroaesthetics. Because of her knowledge and experiences, she is qualified to discuss the

connections between art and neurology. Written five years ago, this source is current on the

topic of science and art. The author thoroughly evaluated all sides of the issue. For example,

Aviv acknowledges the viewpoint that the brain is more active when observing representational

art over abstract art. This statement opposes Aviv’s argument that abstract art attracts more
audiences, though she goes on to explain that abstract and representational art really just attract

viewers in different ways. The information contained in the source can be verified elsewhere.

For example, when describing the processes of sensing and perception, Aviv explains that the

brain uses bidirectional processing schemes, or “top down/bottom up” processing. This

information can be corroborated by M. Bar in his publication, The proactive brain: using

analogies and associations to generate predictions, which shares such information, claiming that

the brain uses bidirectional processing schemes to evaluate the current world and predict what

will happen next. The purpose of this article is to explain the link between abstract art and

neuroscience, allowing the reader to better understand the appeal of abstract art in a clear and

scientific way. The audience is neuroscientists, especially those interested in studying the

brain’s visual processing. This article is appropriate for this purpose and audience because it

explores the effect of visual art on brain activity. Aviv, for example, discusses the first things a

brain notices in an image and to what extent.

Benovsky, Jiri. "Realism in Film: Less Is More." Canadian Philosophical Review, vol.

56, no. 1, 20 Feb. 2017. CambridgeCore, doi:10.1017/S0012217317000130. Accessed 1

Oct. 2019.

The source describes realism in film as fitting into three categories: precision,

recessiveness of the medium, and image precision. Precision refers to how much information the

brain processes as it watches the film. This can either be related to the quality of the image on

screen (resolution, for example), or to details in the plot, like the exact height of a character and

how consistently their height compares to others. Recessiveness of the medium refers to the idea

that scratches, grain, or other visual blemishes that appear on screen will distract the audience
from being engaged in the film’s plot, reminding them that they are sitting in front of a two-

dimensional image. Generally, filmmakers want to avoid this, but some may want to separate

their audience from the plot for various artistic reasons. A non-recessive film would be one that

includes such distractions. Finally, image precision is a more specific term meant to describe the

clarity of the image, as well as the motion blur, frames per second, and how smoothly the images

move. Realism does not necessarily mean that the film has to be realistic fiction. In fact, the

primary example the article used to demonstrate elements of realism was The Hobbit, a fantasy

epic. What matters to Benovsky is whether or not the audience can believe the world of the story

enough to forget that they are in the theater, following the characters throughout their lives as if

they were the audience. The article also claims that when we watch films, we first perceive it as

images on a screen and nothing more, then as actors in role play, and finally as real characters in

the world of the story, the way it was intended to be watched.

The author of the article, Jiri Benovsky, works in the Department of Philosophy at the

University of Fribourg. He has studied and written many works concerning the concept of

realism/antirealism in forms of culture, as well as human perception. The source was published

recently, in 2017, so the information in the source should demonstrate the current opinions on

this field. Additionally, claims made by this source can be corroborated with other current

sources. The idea that audiences perceive a film as three separate things (simple images, actors

in costumes, then the story truth) can be verified by Robert Hopkins in his publication, Realism

in Film (and Other Representations). Benovsky is also careful to address misconceptions and

opposing viewpoints in his article. He describes an idea called Collapse, which suggests that

films are realistic when audiences believe that they are watching a photographic record of

something that happened, and not a fictional work. He acknowledges a potential misconception
that Collapse is the same as transparency, but clarifies that transparency is when a photo depicts

exactly what was before the camera (for example, a photo of a flower would look exactly the

same as the flower did in reality), while even realistic films are edited and may not necessarily

show exactly what was in front of the camera during filming. The purpose of this article is to

describe realism in film, and how different factors engage the audience into believing what they

see, no matter the genre. The article would be of interest to filmmakers who want their

audiences to believe in their films as (to an extent) a part of the real world.

Bulkeley, Kelly. "Dreaming and the Cinema of David Lynch." Dreaming, vol. 13,
no. 1, Mar. 2003, doi:10.1023/A:1022190318612. Accessed 12 Dec. 2019.

This source is an analysis of David Lynch’s work, specifically focusing on the dream-like

atmosphere of his films. According to his source, Lynch explicitly uses dreams and their

relationship to the unconscious in his stories, without being blurred by plot-driven repression or

heavy symbolism. Dreams are a legitimate part of his unique plot structure, and characters

openly talk about dreams in front of the audience. They also allow him to use bizarre imagery

without question, since the imagination can conjure up any image in the realm of dreams.

Through dreams, he can express emotions a character’s emotions that are otherwise hard to

portray in scenes that take place in reality. Some have misinterpreted Lynch’s use of dreams,

either believing that he does not know how to tell a story or that he pretentiously uses dreams to

make himself seem special, not to serve his film. However, a closer look at his work shows that

his use of dreams opens up a wider potential for the viewer’s interpretations of the film,

provoking self examination within the audience.

The author, Kelly Bulkeley, is qualified to discuss film’s relationship to the expression of

dreams because he is a psychologist with a doctorate from the University of Chicago Divinity
School, specializing in the research of dreams and its connection to science, culture, and art. His

contact information is also available. Although written more than 10 years ago, this source is

still relevant because it is analyzing movies, which generally do not change with age. The author

also covers multiple sides of the issue, suggesting multiple reasons why David Lynch used a

certain dream sequence in a movie and allowing the reader to look at the evidence and decide for

themselves. In his examples, the author analyzes the films Mulholland Drive and Lost Highway

before describing multiple theories associated with the dream sequences in those films and what

they might mean. The information contained in the source can be verified elsewhere. For

example, the author says that David Lynch got many of his story ideas from dreams, explaining

their odd nature, claiming that Lynch even based the entire climax of Blue Velvet on a dream he

had the night before finishing the fourth draft of his screenplay. This can be corroborated by C.

Rodley in his publication, Lynch on Lynch, which relates some of Lynch’s films to dreams and

nightmares that he has talked about in the past, including Blue Velvet, as well as The Alphabet, a

short film about a girl tormented by the letters of the alphabet, based off of a nightmare Lynch’s

niece had experienced. The purpose of this article is to examine the significance of dreams in

relation to psychology, and how that significance is represented in the films of David Lynch.

The audience is psychologists and experimental filmmakers who want to understand or achieve

the psychoanalytic effects of Lynch’s films.

Caldwell, Ellen C. "Can Art Help People Develop Empathy?" JSTOR Daily, 16 Jan.
2018, daily.jstor.org/can-art-help-people-develop-empathy/. Accessed 13 Dec. 2019.

This source analyzes the relationship between art and the teaching of empathy in

relevance to the Center for Empathy and the Visual Arts, an organization proposed to the

Minneapolis Institute of Art by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which offered $750,000 to

support the cause. The center reunited experts in art and education to see if the arts can help
people build a stronger sense of empathy. Lauren Christine Phillips, an elementary school art

teacher, believers that empathy cannot be taught as a lesson in a curriculum, but by strengthening

a sense of community with her students. Art allows her students to express themselves and use

their imagination. Phillips also teaches her students forms of art from other cultures, opening up

the students’ minds to the worlds of people other than themselves, allowing them to be more

empathetic to those who are different from them. Students can also learn how art can be made

just for the love of it, not for a grade or because one is forced to. That freedom of expression

allows them to express their identity and see the beauty in the identities of others.

The author, Ellen C. Caldwell, is qualified to discuss art and education because she is an

art-based historian, writer, and professor, and her contact information is included in the article.

Written one year ago, this source is current on the topic of art and education. The author

thoroughly evaluated all sides of the issue. For example, she acknowledges that her research

only applies to children because it took place at an elementary school, and that research on adults

is yet to be conducted. This inclusion shows that alternate views to the author’s were

acknowledged because it considers a population of people excluded from the data, warning the

reader to take Caldwell’s claims with a grain of salt. The information in the source can be

verified elsewhere. For example, the author says that allowing the students to study art from

other cultures allowed them to better understand those cultures, encouraging them to grow up

with a heart for other people. This can be corroborated by Kaya Yilmaz in her publication

Historical Empathy and Its Implications for Classroom Practices in Schools, which also cites

studies that found that students who have studied world history and culture had a relationship

with the development of empathy. The purpose of this article is to study the relationship
between art and empathy, specifically in children. This information is appropriate for artists and

educators who want to raise the next generation with a stronger sense of empathy for others,

Coffeen, Daniel. "This Is Cinema: The Pleated Plenitude of the Cinematic Sign in David
Lynch's Mulholland Dr." Film-Philosophy, vol. 7, no. 1, Mar. 2003. Edinburgh
University Press, doi:10.3366/film.2003.2007.0007. Accessed 14 Dec. 2019.

This film discusses David Lynch’s 2001 film, Mulholland Drive. The article lists scenes

from the film before explaining why they cannot be analyzed. According to the article,

attempting to analyze the film only makes it more confusing. The film cannot be viewed as a

puzzle or allegory, it simply is what it appears to be. Coffeen points out that even the title is

difficult to pronounce, summarizing the web of unrelated concepts that the film produces. The

camera work further confuses the viewer, changing focus multiple times throughout the same

scene for seemingly no reason. For example, there is a scene that takes place in a diner, where

two characters are having a conversation. The camera initially focuses on the two characters, but

begins to pull away from them, focusing on a character’s neck, then on the table, then to a finger,

then back to the characters but at an odd angle that feels unnatural to the human eye line. The

reason that Lynch’s films are so uncomfortable is because they intentionally go against the

natural senses of human perception, giving them the feeling that they come from another world.

This style of filmmaking does not support the plot, but supports the art of film itself, pushing

boundaries and demonstrating what film is capable of, rather than being limited to the

expectations of representing reality.

The author, Daniel Coffeen, is qualified to analyze Mulholland Drive because he is a

professor at the San Francisco Art Institute, teaching graduate seminars in critical theory.

Although written more than ten years ago, this source is still relevant because it is a review of a
movie that does not change with time. Even though this analysis is the author’s own

interpretation, he still presents evidence, reasoning, and logic to support his argument. For

example, the author describes the shot-by-shot sequence in the diner scene, detailing the

unrelated shots to emphasize the chaotic cinematography. The author also acknowledges that

their analysis of the film is not meant to be a concrete definition of the film, but merely one

opinion out of many possible interpretations. This information can also be verified elsewhere.

For example, the source says that Lynch’s films are not meant to be analyzed in one specific

manner, but must be watched and felt as they are. This can be corroborated with "Eraserhead: Is

There Life after Birth?", a chapter from David Lynch Interviews, edited by Richard A. Barney,

where David Lynch himself insists that his films were not made to point to one theme, but to be

open ended and felt on an emotional level, rather than picked apart into theoretical formulas.

Though this source does indeed analyze visual choices in Mulholland Drive, it does not attempt

to derive a single, philosophical theme from the entire picture, as Lynch advises. The purpose of

this article is to offer one perspective on the production of Mulholland Drive to help filmmakers

and film students get a better sense of how to read Lynch’s films so that they can develop

opinions of their own.

Deren, Maya. "Amateur versus Professional." Essential Deren: Collected Writings

on Film by Maya Deren, McPherson & Company, 2005.

This source is an essay by Maya Deren, a filmmaker most known for her experimental

short film, Meshes of the Afternoon. It discusses the difference between films produced

professionally and films produced by amateur artists. She starts by breaking down the

etymology of the word “amateur”, which comes from the Latin amator, or “lover”, which would

then indicate than an amateur filmmaker does it out of pure love for the craft. This idea
illustrates the main idea of the essay, that amateur filmmakers are free to express their vision

without the influence of a sponsor or the need to show off a Hollywood star. Amateur

filmmakers can stay focused on the images that they want to, without necessarily worrying about

satisfying a box office. Without these limitations, filmmakers do not have to follow the

traditional formula of visual storytelling, but can do whatever they want on camera, whether that

be telling a story or just capturing simple snapshots of life. On a more practical side of the

argument, Deren notes that amateur filmmakers do not have to deal with nearly as much

equipment, saving time and space to move about as desired. She concludes that ultimately, the

equipment, budget, or status of the filmmaker does not determine the quality of a film, but the

imagination of its creators.

The author, Maya Deren, is qualified to discuss filmmaking because of her experience in

film. Deren is responsible for many major, influential films, many of them amateur and low

budget (as described in her article), most notably Meshes of the Afternoon. Although written

more than ten years ago, this source is still relevant because it discusses amateur filmmaking,

which has not changed enough for Deren’s descriptions to be deemed inaccurate. Amateur

filmmaking has grown with the development of technology and social media, yet the core of

Deren’s arguments are still valid: amateur filmmaking is still much less expensive, less of a

hassle, always has and always will allow filmmakers to work without the expectations and

pressures of a big studio. Though this is an opinion, the author still presents claims, reasoning,

and evidence to show why that opinion is valid. Deren’s argument is largely constructed on

logic, almost common sense. An amateur film would naturally have a cheaper, calmer

production process than others, an advantage over the constant stress and busy schedule of a

professional production. The information in the source can be verified elsewhere. For example,
Deren mentions that amateur filmmaking is not contained by the limits of the traditional film

formula, allowing creators to explore unique visuals and even stray away from the usual plot

structure. David Lynch makes this same argument in David Lynch Interviews, defending the

independent production of Eraserhead by saying that it gave him time and space to make the

film more personal and true to his own vision. The purpose of this article is to encourage

amateur filmmakers to keep making movies, because what matters is not the money, the actors,

or even the camera, but imagination and hard work.

Aitken, Ian. "Determinism and Symbolism in the Film Theory of Eisenstein."

European Film Theory and Cinema, Indiana UP, 2001.

This source is a chapter from a book discussing European film theory. This chapter

focuses on the ideas of Sergei Eisenstein, a Soviet filmmaker, most known for pioneering the

montage technique. When he first began using this technique, he intended that montages use

juxtaposition to show contrasting elements in order to build up the suspense of the plot. He was

also influenced by the theories of Ivan Pavlov, a psychologist best known for his theory of

conditioned response, which suggests that a person can be conditioned into a specific intended

response. Eisenstein felt that these ideas should guide the mindset of a filmmaker, to manipulate

the perceptions of an audience (though Eisenstein was more interested in these techniques for

political and military reasons, while it would eventually become an artistic technique). The

Kuleshov Effect is also referenced, a kind of montage that changes the meaning of the images

depending on which image is shown first. For example, the image of a cup, then of a man, then

of water may indicate that the man is thirsty, but if the water is shown, then the man, and then

the cup, it may be implied that the man already drank the water. In explaining his theories of the

montage, Eisenstein says that the montage is like an unfinished character, allowing the audience
to engage in the storytelling as they determine what the images mean for themselves, without

being explicitly told what is happening.

The author, Ian Aitken, is qualified to discuss film theory and its history because he is a

professor of Film Studies at the University of Westminster. Although written more than ten

years ago, this source is still relevant because it discusses events and discoveries of history,

which cannot change after it has passed. Because Aitken is merely describing history and the

methods of a particular filmmaker, the text is unlikely to be skewed by personal bias. The

information contained in the source can also verified elsewhere. For example, the source says

that though Sergei Eisenstein did not invent the montage, he popularized the technique, greatly

impacting the culture of films to follow. This can be corroborated by Christian Metz in his

publication, Film Language; A Semiotics of Cinema, which also claims that Eisenstein’s use of

montage, though not original, caught the attention of other filmmakers, and the technique grew

to use all over the world by filmmakers of all kinds. The purpose of the article is to describe the

development of Eisenstein’s film theories, and is appropriate for an audience of filmmakers and

film historians. This article is appropriate for this purpose and audience because it provides

detailed information on how Eisenstein used film and how it impacted the world around him.

"Eraserhead: Is There Life after Birth?" David Lynch Interviews, edited by Richard A.
Barney, UP of Mississippi, 2009.

This source is a chapter from a book of interviews with filmmaker David Lynch, with this

specific interview focusing on Lynch’s first feature film, Eraserhead. The source contains

dialogue between Lynch and his interviewer, Jimmy Summers, intertwined with detailed

summaries of Lynch’s life and summaries of Eraserhead. Lynch gives a lot of insight

concerning the production of the film, describing the plot as a vague base to serve the aesthetic
imagery, not the other way around, giving the film its unique nightmarish atmosphere. The

film’s production had no deadline, allowing the filmmakers to take their time with the project,

building a personal connection with the movie that made it feel more organic to those on and off

camera. Lynch explains that the soundtrack was highly unconventional, consisting of originally

recorded noises that did not underscore the scene as much as it did serve as a character itself,

changing between shots to add an otherwise absent mood to the scene, whereas a traditional

soundtrack would merely emphasize a theme already present in the story. Lynch refused to

explain the main message of the film, though he acknowledges that he had one in mind. Lynch

asserts the point of such ambiguous films as this is to allow different audience members to form

their own interpretation of the film without being influenced by the filmmaker’s biased

intentions. Many different audiences have had different reactions to Eraserhead, because the

open ended imagery triggers elements of the audience’s subconscious that makes the experience

more personal to them.

David Lynch is qualified to discuss the production of Eraserhead and experimental

filmmaking because he was the experienced filmmaker behind the film in the first place. Written

ten years ago, this source is current on the topic of experimental film, and since the interview

mostly focuses on Lynch’s first work, Eraserhead, there is not much information that would be

invalidated with time, since Lynch mainly discussed behind the scenes processes, a part of

history and not an evolving scientific field. There was no major argument that could have been

twisted by bias, other than Lynch’s insistence that an open-ended film allows for a wider net of

interpretations. He supports this claim by describing mystery films that tell everything to its

audience, leaving the audience out of the thrill of interacting with the plot and trying to solve the

mystery themselves. The information in the source can be verified elsewhere. For example, the
interview notes that the film evoked different reactions from different people, and that its style

simply may not apply to some audiences. This can be corroborated by Schuy R. Weishaar in his

publication, Masters of the Grotesque: The Cinema of Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, the Coen

Brothers and David Lynch, agreeing that Eraserhead initially met mixed reviews because

experimental films are not always tailored for the general public, only to be available to the

general public, allowing audience members who would enjoy the experience to gravitate towards

the film as others drift away. The purpose of this article is to explain the production processes

behind Eraserhead, giving the reader some insight as to why certain decisions were made in that

production. The audience is experimental filmmakers and film students who want to better

understand the genre by studying one of the most famous examples of experimental film. The

source allows them to get inside the mind of Eraserhead’s creator and creative processes.

"Experimental Film." Schirmer Encyclopedia of Film, edited by Barry Keith Grant, vol.
2, Schirmer Reference, 2007, pp. 149-162. Gale Virtual Reference Library,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX2587600077/GVRL?
u=glen20233&sid=GVRL&xid=412ba457. Accessed 16 July 2019.

The source describes a genre of film known as “experimental film.” Though difficult to

define, the text attempts to investigate traits that many experimental films have in common.

Most experimental films have a tiny crew, if any at all, and are usually short in duration. They

often attempt to explore new styles of filmmaking, veering away from traditional Hollywood

storytelling by using abstract imagery and sound design. They also tend to lack verbal

communication. Of course, not all experimental films have these traits, since the whole purpose

is to be unique. But most experimental films go down this route, which is already so departed

from Hollywood standards. The article also recounts the history of experimental films, from the

1920’s to the present.

 The author of the article is Barry Keith Grant, a critic, educator, writer, and editor known

for his commentary on film and pop culture. With so many media-related positions in his career,

Grant is knowledgeable on the topic of film. He has also worked on many documentaries, and is

therefore familiar with the research process and what is needed to properly present that

information to an audience. The article is long, taking every opportunity to describe its subject

in depth, providing examples of various experimental films and what exactly they did to

distinguish themselves from mainstream media. Grant also includes the details and opinions of

different film critics and specialists (like Mark McEllhatten and editor Gavin Smith) to aid him

in his presentation of the information. The article was published in 2007, but its information is

simply describing history, supported by other referenced sources, so the currency of the text is

not at risk of being extremely outdated. The article is useful for historians who want to study the

progression of a particular artistic movement.

Gadassik, Alla. "Meshes of the Afternoon." The Moving Image: The Journal of the

Association of Moving Image Archivists, vol. 12, no. 1, Spring 2012,

doi:10.5749/movingimage.12.1.0139. Accessed 6 Dec. 2019.

This source is a review of the short film, Meshes of the Afternoon, directed by Maya

Deren and Alexandr Hackenschmied. The source comments on the film’s use of point of view

cinematography, allowing the audience to better identify with the protagonist in an already

bizarre movie. The story is also circular, using editing to disorient the plot and use time

inconsistently. The odd and spiraling structure of the editing gives the film a hypnotic dream-

like nature, emphasizing the pressures felt by a woman in a patriarchal society as the female

protagonist attempts to chase her stalker, a cloaked man with a mirror for a face, but can never
catch up to him. The slow, melting imagery communicates that she is unhappy in her

relationship with her male partner and is not interested in the traditional values of a hetrosexual

relationship. Additionally, the film evokes a vague sense of deja-vu when the protagonist’s

boyfriend carries out the same actions and behaviors that the robed man had earlier in the film.

The overall disorientating nature proved engaging for an otherwise simple plot, allowing the

filmmakers to take more time to explore its central concepts.

The author, Alla Gadassik, is qualified to properly analyze Meshes of the Afternoon

because she is a professor at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Written seven years

ago, this source is still relevant because it is simply a review and analysis of a film. Such

information does not often become outdated. Though the analysis is just one author’s

interpretation of the film, the author still presents claims, reasoning, and evidence to show why

that opinion is valid and credible. For example, she describes the film’s atmosphere by

comparing it to a nightmare, noting that chase scenes are slow and dragged out, as they would be

in a dream. She also notes the film’s confusing (and therefore engaging) editing, mostly

attributed to the film’s circular nature, with various shots repeating without any clear pattern to

create the other worldly feel of the short. The coverage can be considered broad and deep

because it analyzes the film in large detail, providing different interpretations of scenes to allow

for a diverse, bigger picture. The information contained in the source can be verified elsewhere.

For example, the author says that the point of view shots work to engage the audience, tricking

them into believing that they are on the side of the protagonist so that later scenes of the

protagonist turning on herself in the form of a clone are more shocking. This can be

corroborated by John David Rhodes in his own review of Meshes of the Afternoon (of the same

name, the title of the short), who claims that the switches in perspective on camera have a jarring
effect, distorting the world of the story by lacking a stability in narrative. The purpose of this

article is to analyze an important work within the genre of experimental film. The audience is

for filmmakers and film historians, because it describes various cinematic techniques and how

these techniques impacted the experimental genre to follow.

Gilbey, Ryan. "Why Film's Outsiders Get Our Sympathy." The Guardian, 13 Jan.
2014, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/31/
film-outsiders-sympathy-12-years-slave-dallas-buyers. Accessed 1 Mar. 2020.
This source contains two reviews of the films Dallas Buyers Club and 12 Years a Slave,

using them to explore the concept that stories often use outsiders to gain sympathy. An outsider

is usually the victim of some sort of personal struggle, and in the cases of these two movies, the

outsider has a strange twist of irony to accompany their respective antagonists. 12 Years a Slave

tells the story of a talented black violinist born who is born a free man, and Dallas Buyers Club

is about a homophobic cowboy with Aids who must face a community who believes he is gay.

Both films use the context of two horrible cases of mass human suffering (slavery and the Aids

epidemic), but focus in on unique individuals for the majority of the film. That is not to say that

the suffering of those populations is less significant in any way at all, but audiences are drawn to

stories of human oddities, people who stand out, and through these individuals the audience can

feel the personal and unique suffering of the character before magnifying those emotions to the

entire population.

The author, Ryan Gilbey, is qualified to analyze these two films because he is a

professional film critic, writing for the Guardian, the Independent, and the Sunday Times. This

source was written six years ago and is also a movie review, a topic that would not be changed or

outdated with time. Even though this is an opinion, the author still presents claims, reasoning,
and evidence to show why that opinion is valid and credible. For example, Gilbey compares the

films he reviews to tragic stories on the news, where a single victim of a disaster is usually

interviewed instead of just describing the tragedy as a whole. The personal focus on a single

victim builds a connection with the audience that would not be achieved if only the event itself

were covered by the story. Because this source is a movie review there is not much to

corroborate, but it is still a good source because its value is in seeing how people interpret art,

not in obtaining concrete information. The purpose of this article is to analyze Dallas Buyers

Club and 12 Years a Slave, intended for an audience of film audiences who may want to learn

about the movies they watch and decide whether or not they want to buy a ticket.

Hainge, Greg. "Weird or Loopy? Specular Spaces, Feedback and Artifice in Lost
Highway's Aesthetics of Sensation." The Cinema of David Lynch: American Dreams,
Nightmare Visions, edited by Erica Sheen and Annette Davidson, Wallflower Press,
2004.

This source describes the strange, dream-like aesthetics of David Lynch’s films,

especially Lost Highway, and the impact they have on the audience. According to this article,

Lynch’s films evoke reflection onto themselves more than directly to the viewer. Not that his

films do not form connections with their audiences, but the sense of reflection within each

viewer is not directed towards themselves, but into the world of Lynch’s films and what they

may represent. Lost Highway is riddled with red herrings that are given no explanation, and the

plot twirls in a nearly incomprehensible fashion. For example, a man makes a phone call that is

answered by himself. There is a woman who is supposed to be dead who seduces the man who

is supposed to be her killer. The editing also contributes to the confusion in the plot, closing in

on the images of lit cigarettes, mouths, telephones, pulling the audience away from the bigger

picture, making it slightly harder to tell what is going on. In a strange way, the cinematography
focuses less on plot and more on showing images to the audience for them to reflect on, as if

each shot were an individual work of visual art and not a cohesive story. The story serves only

to hold the images together, and is not the driving force behind the appearance of such images.

The author, Greg Hainge, is qualified to discuss filmmaking, editing and story structure

because he is a professor at the University of Adelaide, having published a number of works on

literature, film, theory, and noise. Although written more than ten years ago, this source is still

relevant because the topic concerns discussion of a film that has already come out. Such things

cannot be outdated with time, as a movie does not usually face major changes after its release.

The author thoroughly evaluated all sides of the issue. For example, he largely praises the art of

David Lynch, but acknowledges that his work is often “incomprehensible”, and that Lynch’s

style is certainly not expected to be enjoyed by everyone. The information in the source can be

verified elsewhere. For example, the author says that Lost Highway holds an undercurrent of

mystery throughout the entire movie, and that many of the questions raised by the film have no

answer. This can be corroborated by film critic Roger Ebert in his review of Lost Highway,

saying that to analyze the film would be to miss the point. The purpose of this article is to offer a

perspective on the production of Lost Highway to help filmmakers and film students get a better

sense of how to read Lynch’s films so that they can develop their film analysis skills.

Keller, Sarah. "Teaching Meshes of the Afternoon." The Cine-Files, no. 9, Fall
2015.

This source is another review of Meshes of the Afternoon. The article explains that the

short film celebrates ameteur filmmaking. The project, an experimental film by independent

filmmakers, was not influenced by a corporation’s desire for money, or to show off a certain star

to a certain demographic. The film is a work of pure expression, and lives the way that its
creators wanted it to. It inspires other amateur filmmakers to pursue their passions, using film to

express whatever they want it to. The film, released in 1943, also marks a significant example of

both a man and woman working on a film and receiving equal recognition that they deserved,

emphasizing the creativity of women and the power of collaboration. Some have also interpreted

the film as a feminist work, depicting a woman who struggles under the pressures of a male

dominated society. The film also demonstrates how a memorable film can be produced on a tiny

budget, while Hollywood eats up a giant budget on things as necessary as lipstick. Lastly, Maya

Deren herself (the woman behind the movie) claims that her movie was never finished, just

abandoned, as indicated by the film’s constant republishing with a different soundtrack each

time. Meshes of the Afternoon, with its low budget, unique storytelling and bizarre editing,

showed a memorable film could be made even in the most unconventional circumstances.

The author, Sarah Keller, is qualified to analyze Meshes of the Afternoon because she is

an Assistant Professor of Art and Cinema Studies at the University of Massachusetts. She also

wrote Maya Deren: Incomplete Control, an in-depth study of Maya Deren’s work. Written four

years ago, this source is current on the topic of experimental film, the work of Maya Deren, and

Meshes of the Afternoon. Even though this source is mainly just Keller’s interpretation of the

film, she uses various forms of evidence to support her claims, including interviews with Maya

Deren herself. Additionally, Keller acknowledges early on in the source that films like Meshes

of the Afternoon can be interpreted in many different ones, without just one specific

interpretation being truly right or wrong. The information in the source can be verified

elsewhere. For example, the author says that the vague, open ended nature of the film works to

allow audiences to form their own personal interpretations of what they were viewing, which can

be corroborated by Cinema as an Art Form, a publication by Maya Deren that confirms that this
was her intention in making the film. The purpose of this article is to break down the

significance of Meshes of the Afternoon, in both its visual storytelling and its production values.

The article was written for film students, proposing ideas and asking questions that would allow

film students to develop their own ideas and form a stronger interest in the experimental genre.

Kim, Jang-Hyeon, et al. "Costume Color Design as a Symbolic Expression in the

Independent Film (Bittersweet Life)." The Research Journal of the Costume Culture, vol.

22, no. 1, Feb. 2014,

www.researchgate.net/profile/Young_Sam_Kim2/publication/264187232_Costume_colo

r_design_as_a_symbolic_expression_in_the_independent_film_Bittersweet_Life_-

_Images_in_situations_of_movie_location_-/links/56498e6f08aef646e6d239b8.pdf.

Accessed 17 Nov. 2019.

This source investigates the costume design in the Korean film Bittersweet Life (2005),

specifically the symbolism of the wardrobe color schemes and how they relate to the

psychological development of the characters. The study made four conclusions. According to

the study, the neutral shades of black and white (which also happened to be the most common

colors) represented negative narrative structure and humanity. Shades of blue represented

positive narrative structure and a connection to reality. The use of these colors was effective in

portraying the psychology behind the characters to the audience. The changes in color

throughout the movie helped to shape the character arcs in an effectively emotional way. The

source provides multiple tables, each listing the emotions and symbolism associated with

different colors, according to different researchers. For each color, both positive connotations

and negative connotations are listed. For example, for the color red, positive symbolism includes
passion, love, and courage, while negative symbolism includes violence, greed, and danger. In

the study, Bittersweet Life was screened for an audience who then filled out a survey about the

characters and how they were perceived based on their costumes. Each question is listed in the

source, as well as the responses in pie-chart form. For example, in response to the question

“What feeling is expressed in the yellow necktie shown in Peter’s costume in the first half of the

movie?”, a pie chart shows that 33% of responses said gloomy, 22% said hopeless, 16% said

sardonic, 16% said lonely, 7% said fearful, 5% said destructive and 1% said happy. The authors

explain that the low-budget nature of the film encouraged the director to rely on more subtle

techniques in communicating emotion, and that color was one of those successful techniques.

The authors, Jang-Hyeon Kim, Yuh-Sun Jun, and Young-Sam Kim, are qualified to

discuss the emotional impacts of costume design because they all work in the Department of

Fashion Design in the College of Arts at Chung-Ang University. With their knowledge of

clothing, they understand how people perceive outfits and the contexts in which a person might

wear a certain set of clothing. Written five years ago, this source is current on the topic of

costume design and color schemes. The authors thoroughly evaluated all sides of the issue. For

example, they not only list emotions that they associate with certain colors, but include lists

made by other researchers with varying opinions. They then find common traits across lists and

compile those traits into one so that there are more stable definitions of color for the research to

follow. This inclusion shows that alternative viewpoints to the authors’ were acknowledged

because the authors allow the reader to see what different emotions other researchers associated

with the same colors, reducing bias by not limiting the reader to their own views. The

information in the source can also be verified elsewhere. For example, the authors say that the

emotional significance of a color can vary greatly across cultures, a statement supported by
Mario De Bortoli and Jesús Maroto in their publication Colours Across Cultures: Translating

Colours in Interactive Marketing Communications, using fear as an example. In France, one

would say “green with fear”, but in Italy the color blue is associated with fear, not green. The

purpose of this article is to identify what emotional symbolism audiences pull from a costume’s

color scheme. The article is appropriate for costume designers and independent filmmakers.

Costume designers can use the information to create outfits that match the emotional tone of the

scene they are working on, and independent filmmakers can use the emotional impact of color to

communicate emotions to the audience in a simple, inexpensive way.

Kirby, David M. "The Role of Social Media in Film Marketing." Huffpost, 6 Dec. 2017,
www.huffpost.com/entry/the-role-of-social-media_b_10571026.

This text explains social media’s role in advertising films, comparing it to the word-of-

mouth tactics of the past to emphasize how much more effective the power of social media really

is. A major example provided by the article is the trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens,

which had one million views in just 23 minutes after its release. Kirby gives tips to the reader on

how to use social media to bring attention to their projects. Such tips include using hashtags and

communication with fan groups to find a demographic that would be excited about the film, as

well as being careful not to post anything that could backfire on the project (for example, The

Emoji Movie’s poster spoof of The Handmaid’s Tale). Kirby also encourages people to use

social media to make connections with those already in the film industry, because most jobs are

obtained through connections and relationships.

David M. Kirby, the author or the article, is a screenwriter and editor, and so is

knowledgeable in what it takes to be involved with the film industry and how to get work picked

up and distributed by producers. Though the article is published by the Huffpost, a group with a
left political bias, the topic of the article is not related to politics at all, and is not skewed by

specific biases that may be in other types of articles. The article mostly uses logic to make its

point, reasoning why social media can be effective in marketing while also giving examples of

films for which social media was beneficial in its marketing. The information in this article uses

data from the Pew Research Center, and the support for social media tactics can be corroborated

with an article by Chrissy Symeonakis, the founder of an award-winning marketing agency

called Creative Little Soul. It can also be corroborated by Britt Michaelian in her publication,

“Social Media Is a Major Game Changer for Independent Film”, which names independent

filmmakers and distributors who have used mainly social media to advertise their films and were

very successful, like Paul Bales (of the satirical Sharknado) and Mark Brunett (who successfully

brought 10 million viewers to his Australian miniseries, The Bible, in just six days). The source

is written for filmmakers, especially independent filmmakers, who want to bring attention to the

release of their own films and projects.

Konigsberg, Ira. "Film studies and the new science." Projections: The Journal for Movies
and Mind, vol. 1, no. 1, 2007, p. 1+. Gale Academic OneFile Select,
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A196442107/GPS?
u=glen20233&sid=GPS&xid=09d55905. Accessed 10 July. 2019.

This article links film theory to psychology, exploring the brain’s reaction to different

kinds of stimuli in film. With today’s technology, it is possible to see these reactions exactly as

they are, providing explanations as to how the mind fills in the gaps for things that may or may

not have been seen or heard during a viewing experience. Three categories of response are

described: attention, focus, and blinding. These categories allow people to make sense of

implications set up by various film techniques, demonstrating the psychological concept of

sensation and perception. Not only do these studies help filmmakers understand their craft, but
the research has proved interesting to neuroscientists. For example, the sense of self is mostly

associated with the medial prefrontal cortex, and when people are engaged movies they tend to

lose that sense of self. Neuroscientists want to continue to look into this to see what is

happening to the medial prefrontal cortex when a person watches a film, and how that is different

from other experiences.

The author, Ira Konigsberg, is a professor at the University of Michigan, working in the

Department of Film, Television, and Media. Konigsberg has also written many books on the

topic, including the Complete Film Dictionary, a book summarizing the technological advances

in film. It was declared one of the best reference books of its year by the Library Journal.

Though the article was written in 2007, more than ten years ago, its information is still

interesting to see as an early part of a growing study. Most of the information has not yet been

contradicted by major sources and can be corroborated with an article published by the Motion

Picture Association of America called This Is Your Brain on Movies (published in 2013), which

has data that supports the notion that the individual brains in an audience have the same

neurological reactions to the viewing of a film, an idea proposed by this source. This source is

clear and descriptive in its message, explaining complex psychological concepts in a way that is

easily comparable to film studies. Though the article can certainly be of use to filmmakers, it is

mostly targeted at neuroscientists and psychologists, who can see not only the relationship

between film and the brain, but how it influences our emotions and perception as human beings.

Lindblom, Odin. "How to do camp right: Where's the line between campy and just plain
bad? Let's take a look at the camp genre so you can stay on the right side of that line in
your filmmaking efforts." Videomaker, Aug. 2019, p. 50+. Gale General OneFile,
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A596575896/GPS?
u=glen20233&sid=GPS&xid=766c0ff0. Accessed 28 Aug. 2019.
 This source is written by Odin Lindblom and guides the reader in how to make a

successful camp film. Camp films are often associated with films of overall low quality, though

Lindblom clarifies that there is a difference between films that are campy and films that are bad.

He even lists some camp films that were genuinely successful and/or excelled the careers of their

creators, like What We Do In The Shadows: Interviews With Some Vampires (2005), Hairspray

(1988), Spaceballs (1987), Young Frankenstein (1974), and Monty Python and the Holy Grail

(1975). Lindblom emphasizes strong performances from good actors who know how to play an

over-the-top performance consistently and with purpose. He also warns the reader to be aware of

their target audience, and that a parody film is no use to an audience unfamiliar with the subject

the film seeks to satirize. If the filmmakers know how to tailor their movie for an audience who

will understand their message, their project is less likely to fall into a group of movies that are

simply failures.

Odin Lindlom is an award-winning editor, screenwriter, and cinematographer. His

experience gives him credibility on the subject of filmmaking, and his awards prove that he

knows not only how to make a film, but how to do it well. The article is deep in its explanations

of camp film, using examples of both successful and unsuccessful camp films to demonstrate

what will and will not work in a movie. Some of the examples provided were very recent films,

like Baywatch (2017) and The Disaster Artist (2017). The article was published in August of

2019, a recent date that indicates that the information in the text is representative of current

thoughts on the subject. And though Lindblom explains the reasoning between his filmmaking

techniques, he also acknowledges that reception to a film is ultimately subjective, and that

depending on the audience, different techniques may or may not work in different contexts. This

disclaimer does not necessarily invalidate the article’s information, but recognizes that a camp
film can have more than just the qualities that Lindblom describes, decreasing the potential for

bias. Lindblom speaks directly to the reader, and the Videomaker magazine is already targeted at

aspiring filmmakers. The audience of the article is clearly any filmmaker who wants to produce

a campy film.

Marder, Lisa. "How to Interpret Abstract Art." LiveAbout, 23 Sept. 2018,

www.liveabout.com/how-to-interpret-abstract-art-2577333. Accessed 16 Nov. 2019.

This source tells the reader how to interpret abstract art. First, it makes the distinction

between abstract art and a child’s art, as the two can be easily confused due to their seemingly

reckless nature. A work of abstract art will have more intention in its creation, and there will be

a clear understanding of the principles of art. The source also claims that a major factor in

analyzing abstract art is understanding its context and being aware of the artist’s past works, as

well as the culture of origin. Marder encourages the reader to take time when analyzing abstract

art because it rarely makes sense immediately. In order to guide the reader, she provides a three

step process for analyzing abstract art. The first step is to take note of the obvious visuals, taking

in all of the surface details. Step two is interpretation, making sense of the visuals from step one

and listing the emotions that it evokes. The third and final step is to evaluate the work on

whether or not it moved its observer, which not every painting will.

The author, Lisa Marder, is qualified to discuss abstract art because she is an artist and

educator at the South Shore Art Center in Massachusetts, having studied art and painting at

Harvard University. Written one year ago, this source is current on the topic of abstract art.

Even though this is an opinion, the author still presents claims, reasoning, and evidence to show

why that opinion is valid and credible. For example, Marder insists that understanding an artist’s
culture helps viewers analyze a work of abstract art, supporting this with the logic that cultures

and time periods greatly affect the feelings of its people and how they express themselves. It

makes sense that understanding the context of a painting may reveal symbolism, allusions, or

emotions that were significant to that culture in that time period. The coverage can be

considered broad and deep because it names broad topics, like understanding a work’s culture

and past, before narrowing down the information to detailed specifics that illustrate the overall

concept. For example, Marder takes time to discuss the context of a painting called The Grey

Tree, describing the past works and ideology of its creator Piet Mondrian. Marder even provides

a link to another page with more information on Mondrian. The information contained in the

source can be verified elsewhere. For example, the Marder says that abstract art is often heavy

in symbolism and is not simply a compilation of random images. It has a meaning, just reduced

to a basic form that does not represent specific, immediately recognizable images. This

argument can be corroborated by Lorenzo Pereira in his publication What is Abstract Art?

Meaning and Definition of Art Informel, which shares the idea that abstract art can include other

genres of art, but in a reduced form that is not as clear or straightforward. The purpose of this

article is to define abstract art and help spectators understand how they can find meaning in

something that does not give its audience all the answers. The audience includes artists and art

enthusiasts who intend on studying abstract art.

McAleece, Justin. "Why the world needs your documentary NOW: Documentary
filmmaking is an excellent opportunity for you to tell a unique story without requiring all
the gear and crew that a narrative project might." Videomaker, Aug. 2019, p. 46. Gale
General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A596575894/GPS?
u=glen20233&sid=GPS&xid=6d1d45d7. Accessed 28 Aug. 2019.
 This article is a call for more documentary filmmakers. The author, Justin McAleece,

strongly encourages that more people produce documentary films. McAleece asserts that

documentaries tell real, unique stories about real, unique people, and can serve to solve the

world’s problems, rather than distracting from them like many fictional narratives. He also notes

that documentaries require much smaller budgets, a much smaller crew, and a lot less gear.

McAlceece concludes that documentary filmmaking can be just as thrilling as narrative

filmmaking, and that audiences need more documentaries to watch.

Justin McAleece has been working on both narrative films and documentaries since 1999,

and has received awards for his work. With his experience in both types of filmmaking, he

surely knows the advantages and disadvantages of both, and understands the appeal of

documentary film. He addresses both sides of the argument, acknowledging a couple of

advantages of narrative film over documentary film, such as more control over the story (since

real life stories are unpredictable and can change or drop at any time, the outcome of a

documentary can likewise be hard to plan ahead of time). However, he still makes his case for

documentaries, assuring that the pursuit of a real world story is worth the effort, and that the

unpredictability of documentaries can even lead to happy accidents. The article was published in

2019, indicating that the information is relevant to the current standing on documentary

filmmaking, though the text is more based on personal experience and reasoning based than it is

in data. The piece is targeted at filmmakers at any level, as McAleece affirms that any

filmmaker, amateur, independent, or professional, should share a story that they feel is worth

sharing.

Melvyn Stokes, “Hollywood and Youth: From the Nickelodeon to the American New
Wave”, in Marimar Azcona and Penny Starfield eds., “Youth in American Film”, Film
Journal, 2 (2013). URL: http://filmjournal.org/fj2-stokes.
 This source describes the portrayal of teenagers and the adolescent life in films, marking

the start of this movement with the 1967 films Bonnie and Clyde and The Graduate. The main

argument of this article is that films began to look at adolescence not because teenagers had

changed in any way, but because people realized how influential movies could be on a teenage

mind. This realization was partially due to the fact that adolescence was only just recently being

considered a significant stage of life, around the same time that films not relating to fictional

narratives (such as news, local interest features, or prize-fights) started appearing in public

places, potentially exposing young people to controversial topic. Bonnie and Clyde, as well as

The Graduate, were mainstream films that brought edgy yet appealing content to younger

audiences, a pattern now visible in films with a teenage demographic: an appealing edge that just

is not too ridiculous to an adult audience. The article is significant for its in-depth example of

society and the film industry working against each other to form something new.

The author of this source is Melvyn Stokes, a professor of Film History at University

College London. With his specific focus on film history, he would surely understand how films

have affected society overall since their creation, and the relationship between a movie and its

audience. The article briefly acknowledges potential counterclaims to the main argument, noting

on the point that teenagers had always been drawn to movies that films like You Only Live Once

(1937) or They Live by Night (1949) had youthful themes before the teenage movement in film

really took off in the 60’s. The 60’s was simply when movies began to gradually find

themselves targeting youthful audiences. The source is also fairly recent, published in 2013, but

even if it were a little bit older it probably would not affect the accuracy of the argument anyway

since it is a reflection of media from the 1960’s and onward. The article can also be deemed

accurate, as it has no noticeable errors in spelling or grammar, and provides a long list of
credible editors and supervisors to ensure that the article knows what it is talking about. The

Film Journal website also contains a notice that each article is peer reviewed by at least two

specialists on the subject. The source is clear in its message to film historians and visual

anthropologists, providing clear explanations between societal development and the art of

filmmaking.

Michaelian, Britt. "Social Media Is a Major Game Changer for Independent Film."
Huffpost, 13 Jan. 2014, www.huffpost.com/entry/social-media-is-a-major-g_b_4284162?
guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer
_sig=AQAAADt4isRi3dI9WIKIRiTt3LrW5hGHOcpPxbToJLT1ZIo6kw8T7jIYihOTYE
uC4inQH0thnU1KWwWxKP5Onv1NSrfBcRCore2g1i97hxWwP_rtGWkpIHgbj_t5p7vi
Lyrvk1bCjUR8H2X3-1c-At9jqzWgfaYJ5sRKmVtFkxguaSco.

This source emphasizes how the power of social media can make independent films

genuine competition for Hollywood blockbusters, which is a huge claim, especially considering

the budget and resources that most independent filmmakers are limited to. The article details the

2013 American Film Market, an annual event held in Santa Monica, California, where social

media was one of the main points of discussion. There, thousands of filmmakers, producers, and

distributors and consumers listened to guest speaker Adam Carolla describe how social media

brought attention to his work when no other studio would agree to distribute his film. Social

media can also be used to find a cast, crew, and funding for any project. The article encourages

that social media be used to advertise the film through every stage of its making including pre-

production and filming. And even if an independent filmmaker does not have a major Internet

presence, reaching out to someone who does can quickly give a film leverage in its marketing,

one big example being the Sharknado crew’s discovery that Mia Farrow had watched their

movie. With so much technology easily available to filmmakers of any level, independent

filmmakers can communicate directly to their specific audiences in a personal and effective way.
 The author, Britt Michaelian, is a writer and producer of films. Because she has this

experience with independent filmmaking, she is qualified to talk about independent films and

their production, in addition to her presence at the American Film Market and ability to talk with

and listen to other professionals in her field, like Adam Carolla. The article was published in

2014, a recent time that is especially beneficial because of social media’s sudden yet recent

integration into American culture. Michaelian’s message is not one with much opposition, but

still uses examples of notable films promoted through social media, like Sharknado, which has

developed a strong cult following. The information in this article can be corroborated by David

M. Kirby in “The Role of Social Media in Film Marketing.” Both articles warn filmmakers to be

aware of the audiences who will want to see their movie, because advertising to the wrong type

of audience will only lead to a dead end. The purpose of the article is to emphasize the

significance of social media in the role of independent film marketing, aimed at independent

filmmakers and groups who do not have the power of major studios to market films the

traditional Hollywood way.

Nuwer, Rachel. "This Is Your Brain on Movies: Neuroscientists Weigh in on the Brain
Science of Cinema." Motion Picture Association of America, 3 Jan. 2013,
www.mpaa.org/2013/01/this-is-your-brain-on-movies-neuroscientists-weigh-in-on-the-
brain-science-of-cinema/. Accessed 3 July 2019.

This article discusses the neurological responses that occur as an audience watches a film.

Multiple parts of the brain respond to different things at the same time during the duration of a

movie, and it is more specific than just sight and sound. The brain analyzes music, sentences,

words, facial expressions, colors, and angles in seconds. A new science called neurocinema

focuses on the relationship between film and neuroscience, revealing things about both film

production and the humanity of audiences. And with modern technology, filmmakers and
scientists can experiment with all kinds of film without too much difficulty in order to test out

new stimuli. Researchers have also been taking phenomenon associated with film and

connecting it to reality. For example, some had concluded that film audiences were largely

unable to notice visual discontinuities in the images they were watching. To test this theory,

researchers had experimental actors ask strangers for directions. The researchers would distract

the stranger, and during that time the experimental actor would be exchanged for another actor

with a visibly different appearance. 40 percent of the strangers involved with this test did not

notice that the person asking them for directions had been replaced. These discoveries can be

useful for scientists who want to understand the brain, as well as for filmmakers who want to

understand how to communicate a specific message to their audience.

The article was written by Rachel Nuwer, an award winning journalist who has written

for the New York Times and National Geographic. With her experience, Nuwer is a credible

writer who should know how to properly conduct research and present it to an audience. The

main message of the article is not skewed by personal opinions, as it is mostly just presenting

data and new discoveries, though Nuwer mentioning that many filmmakers do not want their art

to be thought of as science projects, acknowledging that this is an understandable perspective.

Although the article was written in 2013, 6 years ago, most of the information is still accepted by

neurocinematics and can be corroborated by Uria Hasson (a neuroscientist and psychologist at

Princeton University) in his publication, Neurocinematics: The Neuroscience of Film, which

also discusses the validity of change blindness, the term used to describe the inability to

recognize a visible change. The source is written for neuroscientists and psychologists,

specifically those who study the branch of neurocinema.

O'Pray, Michael. Avant-Garde Film: Forms, Themes, and Passions. Wallflower Press, 2003.

This source is a discussion of experimental films and its connection to American

“mythology”. The avant-garde movement was falling apart in Europe because of economic and

political collapse around the 1940s, forcing a number of artists to move to North America.

America had already tasted the experimental movement, but it was after World War Two that it

began to stand on its own as truly American art. Filmmaker Kenneth Anger criticized

commercial film for being “cold”, emotionless, calling for artists to make more personal movies

in a more artistic and poetic fashion. It is also argued that the American experimental movement

is more independent from Europe than what is often believed, as the works of Maya Deren and

Kenneth Anger were prominent and unique even before the European exodus to America in the

mid 1940’s. To these artists, the excitement of experimental film is the stimulation of the

imagination.

The author, Michael O’Pray, is qualified to discuss experimental film because of his

credentials as a writer, curator, and director of Film and Video Umbrella, an organization

dedicated to producing, advertising, and celebrating avant-garde art. Although written more than

10 years ago, this source is still current on the subject of experimental film because it talks a lot

about film history, which is not typically a subject that is updated with time but rather something

that time builds on to. The author thoroughly evaluated all sides of the issue. For example, the

article claims that filmmakers like Kenneth Anger and Maya Deren had already been forming the

experimental genre before WWII pushed European artists to America, but acknowledges that the

movement of European artists to America did indeed have a major impact on the avant-garde

genre in America, even if it already had some beginnings before that. The information can be

corroborated elsewhere. For example, Kenneth Anger’s criticism of commercial cinema as cold
and heartless can be corroborated by Harmony Korine in her publication, Kenneth Anger, which

shares this sentiment from the filmmaker. The purpose of this article is to focus on the formation

of American experimental film, appropriate for an audience of filmmakers or film historians who

may want to study a fraction of America’s artistic culture.

Popova, Maria. "The Principle of Infinite Pains: Legendary Filmmaker Maya Deren
on Cinema, Life, and Her Advice to Aspiring Filmmakers." BrainPickings, 23
Jan. 2015, www.brainpickings.org/2015/01/23/
maya-deren-advice-on-film-letter/. Accessed 3 Mar. 2020.
This source is a biography of experimental filmmaker Maya Deren, describing her work

and direct interviews with the artist herself. Deren was one of the most influential experimental

filmmakers of all time, with her most famous work, Meshes of the Afternoon, still being

referenced and studied today, years after Deren’s death in 1961. She recalls how Meshes was her

first film and might have been a failure if she did not collaborate with her filmmaker husband,

Alexander Hammid. Deren asserts that all young filmmakers should, if given the opportunity,

take on apprenticeship in order to master film, a language of art in itself. She emphasizes the

importance of movement, though acknowledges that every film is different and that the things

she advocates for are not necessarily a requirement if they do not fit within the filmmaker’s

vision for the project. The article describes Deren’s newfound appreciation for life after a near

death experience, and how this appreciation shows itself in Deren’s work, flooded with

movement and extreme attention to detail.

 The author, Maria Popova, is qualified to discuss Maya Deren and her work because she

is an award winning writer, commenting on literature, art, and culture. Written five years ago,

this source is current on the topic of Maya Deren, her work, and its influence on American art

culture. The article does not really make an argument, it simply describes Deren’s life and

creative philosophies, so there is not much of a bias to fight against in the context of this article.

One could argue that Deren’s quotes on the philosophy are biased because they are opinions, but

even Deren herself reminds the audience that her way of creating film is not necessarily the

“right” way for every other filmmaker in the world. The information in the source can be

verified elsewhere. For example, Popova describes Deren’s near death experience when

something when wrong in the emergency room, a story that Deren even recalls in her own words

in Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film. The purpose of this article is to tell Deren’s life

story and give the reader a sense of her creative approach, intended for an audience of young

filmmakers and artists.

Rees, Alan Leonard. "The French avant-garde." History of Experimental Film and
Video, British Film Institute, 1999.
This source examines the history of experimental film, with this specific chapter looking

at the influence of three French films on the genre: Entr’acte (1924), Ballet mecanique (1924),

and Andalou (1928). The three films used a unique form of montage editing to turn the films

into disorientating works of imagery. Ballet mecanique was cut in a montage that rearranged the

progression of time to create a non-linear plot, replaying the same shot of a woman going up a

staircase over and over again. Some of these films also contained images that did not relate to

each other in an explicit way, yet each picture contributed to the overall message of the film.

Generally, there are two types of experimental film. They are either short, vague films or
abstract German films, which tell a narrative in an unfamiliar space. Experimental films tend to

lack a sense of empathy, which for some films has been interpreted as being a criticism of the

modern world and its lack of empathetic relationships in the midst of Industrialism.

The author, A.R. Leonard, is qualified to discuss the history of experimental film because

he was a writer who often studied and discussed film and television, with History of

Experimental Film and Video now being used as a textbook in many college film courses.

Although written more than 10 years ago, this source is still current on the subject of

experimental film history because history is not typically a subject that is updated with time, but

rather something that time builds on to. There was not much bias in the source because it was

simply describing history, so there was no argument for which there would be bias. The

information in the source can be corroborated elsewhere. For example, the source says that some

experimental films loop sequences to disorient the perception of time, which can be corroborated

by filmmaker Maya Deren in Film Poetics, where she describes the same technique in her own

film, Meshes of the Afternoon. The purpose of this article was to describe a piece of history in

experimental film, intended for film historians or filmmakers who want to learn more about the

genre.

Rogers, Holly, and Jeremy Barham. The Music and Sound of Experimental Film.
Oxford UP, 2017, www.academia.edu/34039361/
The_Music_and_Sound_of_Experimental_Film. Accessed 29 Feb. 2020.
This source discusses sound design in experimental film, beginning with a disclaimer that

acknowledges that one cannot make universal claims about experimental film. The authors have

simply found a couple of patterns that tend to re-emerge in experimental film. In experimental

films, it is not always clear what the sounds are supposed to be. Sound in experimental film does

not spoon-feed information to the audience. Instead, it uses ambiguity to make the audience
work for the mental images of what the film is attempting to inspire. The effect of sound can

even bring the audience to question what may be an otherwise normal image. It all depends on

how the soundtrack is manipulated for the film.

The authors, Holly Rogers and Jeremy Burham, are qualified to discuss music and sound

design in experimental film because they are both faculty members in the Department of Music

at the University of London and the University of Surrey, respectively. With these credentials,

the two authors should understand how sound affects the human mind and why different

emotions are associated with different sounds. Written three years ago, this source is current on

the topic of sound design in experimental film. The author thoroughly evaluated all sides of the

issue. For example, the article mentions that soundscapes in experimental film use bizarre

atmospheres to produce unique emotions before addressing an opposing option, which is that

many experimental filmmakers opt to use pre-existing popular music in their films instead. The

information in this source can also be verified elsewhere. For example, the author says that the

manipulation of a viewer’s perception of an image through manipulation of sound (or a “clash of

sound and image”) is a common use of sound in experimental films, something different from

traditional films which use sound to amplify an image’s power, not distort it. This can be

corroborated by Dean Duncan in his publication Charms that Soothe: Classical Music and the

Narrative Film, comparing this phenomenon to dissonance in musical chords. The purpose of

this article is to discuss the use of sound in experimental films, intended for an audience of

experimental filmmakers who might want to know how they can manipulate sound to obtain the

desired reaction from audience members.

 Snyder, Blake. Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need. Michael
Wiese Productions, 2005.

This source is a book by Blake Snyder on screenwriting, helping screenwriters learn how

to pitch their ideas to studios, format a screenplay, develop characters, revise a script, and tell a

strong story. The title, Save the Cat!, refers to Snyder’s theory concerning sympathetic

protagonists. According to Snyder, a film needs to introduce its protagonist by doing something

(like saving a cat) that defines his morals in order to make the audience want to root for him. For

example, in the film Aladdin, starving street urchin Aladdin steals bread for himself, but when he

notices a hungry child on the street, he sacrifices his bread to give it to the hungry child instead.

This establishes Aladdin as someone with a good heart who prioritizes others before him.

Snyder also encourages writers to give their characters a valid drive to motivate them through the

plot of the story. Passive characters with nothing to exist for and are hard to sympathize with,

but characters with goals better engage audiences. However, the motivations that these

characters have must be primal, because primal urges catch attention and are more universal,

which makes them easier to relate to. Such primal motivations may include survival, hunger, a

loved one in danger, and more. Developing a good protagonist is the heart of a good movie and

is the foundation for a good movie.

The author, Blake Snyder, is qualified to discuss screenwriting because he is a

professional screenwriter, having written Nuclear Family, Third Grade, and Stop! Or My Mom

Will Shoot. Although written more than ten years ago, this source is still relevant because the

writing techniques (like his save the cat! technique) Synder provides can still be found in recent

movies, with some of his ideas even corroborated by Stephen King in his publication, On

Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. King also asserts that in order to have a sympathetic protagonist

that the audience will want to follow, the protagonist needs to be introduced with a deed that
defines his or her morals and character. In his book, Synder thoroughly evaluates all sides of the

issue. For example, he acknowledges that every movie and every writer is different, and there

may be times that his ideas on screenwriting may not apply. In the last chapter, he even

encourages writers to break his rules in the hopes that they might discover something new. The

purpose of this article is to help screenwriters write their screenplays, providing an in-depth

summary of story structure, archetypes, and motifs that writers can use to their advantage.

Sobczynski, Peter. "Defying Explanation: The Brilliance of David Lynch's

'Eraserhead.'" RogerEbert.com, 16 Sept. 2014, www.rogerebert.com/demanders/

defying-explanation-the-brilliance-of-david-lynchs-eraserhead. Accessed 2

Mar. 2020.

This source is a movie review of David Lynch’s Eraserhead, one of the most notable

examples of experimental films. Eraserhead is about a post-apocalyptic world where a man

named Henry Spencer must come to terms with the birth of his (literal) monster baby. The

author acknowledges the bizarre and horrifying nature of the film, but notes that there is just

enough of a plot for viewers to hold on to as they are dragged through the film, making it

bearable to watch despite its confusing atmosphere and structure. The author praises Lynch for

not simply throwing together a bunch of random images. There is a clear intention behind

everything that occurs in the film, but the reason why they occur is what is up for debate. The

film certainly offers a lot to discuss, but the reason it has aged so well is because there is no end

to its conversation. It is not so straightforward that every scene has a clear talking point. There

is so much to explain with this film that attempting to do so is nearly impossible, making it a

truly eternal work of art.

 The author, Peter Sobczynski, is qualified to review Eraserhead because he is a

professional film critic for the website of Roger Ebert, who was a famous film critic himself

before his passing. This source is a movie review, so there is no data or information that would

be significantly changed in the six years that have passed since its publication. Even though this

is a work of opinion, the author still presents claims, reasoning, and evidence to show why his

opinions are valid and credible. For example, Sobczynski refers to a bizarre scene where a

woman in white steps on the heads of worm-like creatures on the ground, a scene with multiple

interpretations and no input from Lynch as to which theory is truly “correct”. The information in

the source can be verified elsewhere. For example, the author says that experimental films were

never meant to have a specific intended purpose, but have always been meant to be open ended,

which can be corroborated by Richard A. Barney in “Eraserhead: Is There Life After Birth?”, a

chapter from his book, David Lynch Interviews. The purpose of this article is to review the film

Eraserhead, intended for film buffs and audience members who are considering watching the

movie.

Standell, Heidi A. "Creating the Couple: Love, Marriage and Hollywood Performance."
Journal of Social History, vol. 29, no. 1, 1995, p. 186+. Gale In Context: Opposing
Viewpoints, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A17612929/GPS?
u=glen20233&sid=GPS&xid=7ef08517. Accessed 1 Aug. 2019.

This source is a book review of Motherhood and Representation: The Mother in Popular

Culture and Melodrama by E. Ann Kaplan, as well as Creating the Couple: Love, Marriage, and

Hollywood Performance by Virginia Wright Wexman. Kaplan’s book looks at the dramatic

genre through a feminist psychoanalytical lens. According to Kaplan, most melodramas are

shaped around a patriarchal image of society, with the role of women often being reduced by
childbirth. Kaplan also looks at the interaction between historical and social influences, and how

that relationship results in the portrayal of women in the media. On the other hand, Wexman’s

book focuses more on how an actor’s performance affects a film’s message than does an

ideological agenda. Wexman also claims that 95% of films before 1960 were either romances or

had a romantic subplot. These movies contained elements of the Oedipal narrative that pushed

heterosexuality, subtly warning that women who attempted to resist the influence of men would

face negative consequences. Both Kaplan and Wexman examine forms of media that may

fetishize heterosexuality and reproduction, identifying such patterns in films even today.

The author, Heidi A. Standell, is qualified to discuss books and feminism in the media

because of her degrees in English, Journalism, and Gender Studies. Although written more than

10 years ago, this source is still relevant because it is a review of a published book. It does not

rely on any kind of information that may become outdated. The source is detailed in its review,

focusing less on the author’s opinion and more on the main message of the two books,

comparing them to see how similar analytical lenses may view the same topic in different ways.

The article is appropriate for film theorists, as well as anthropologists because of its application

of the feminist lens on fictional narratives.

Turim, Maureen Cheryn. Abstraction in Avant-Garde Films. Ann Arbor, UMI Research

Press, 1978.

This source is the third chapter of Abstraction in Avant-Garde Films, “Sound: Beyond

Distinctions Between Music, Noise, and Speech, A New Process, A New Ordering”. The

chapter discusses avant-garde, or experimental films, and the intention of such a film when it

intentionally lacks a soundtrack. According to Turim, the absence of sound is meant to focus all
of the viewer’s engagement in the film on the images on screen, without audible distractions. An

example is made of Stan Brakhage, a filmmaker who used experimental sounds in film before

decided to lose them completely. The silence in his films were meant to bring the viewer to a

reflection of their inner conscious, and to explore imagination as viewers had to imagine sounds

for themselves. Turim also claims that originally, sound in film was not meant to be a part of the

narrative experience, but simply a way of covering up the irritating noise of the projector.

Avant-garde films do not shy away from the noise of the projector and can even use it to their

artistic advantage.

The author, Maureen Cheryn Turim, is qualified to discuss avant-garde film because she

is a professor at the University of Florida, in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, where she

teaches Film History, Film Genre Directors, and Film Studies. She has written many books on

film, her most popular being Flashbacks in Film. Her email and phone number are both made

available. Though written more than 10 years ago, this source is still relevant because it focuses

largely on the historical aspect of avant-garde filmmaking. It simply describes films of the past,

and such information is unlikely to change with time. The author thoroughly evaluated all sides

of the issue. She cites other filmmakers who claim that the absence of sound is unavoidable, or

that it serves a purpose different from the one that Turim provides. For example, one viewpoint

suggests that the absence of sound creates a surreal atmosphere of loneliness. However, she

brings the argument back to her own by citing silent avant-garde films that evoked feelings of

reflection in their audiences. These inclusion shows that the alternate viewpoints to the author’s

were acknowledged because the author addressed perspectives different from her own to limit

bias and allow the reader to look at the logic of each suggestion and choose one. The

information in the source can be verified elsewhere. For example, the author says that early
sound design in film was simply meant to hide the sound of the projector, which can be

corroborated by Max Steiner in his publication, Composing, Casablanca, and the Golden Age of

Film Music. Steiner elaborates that early sound design was really just musical accompaniment,

which not only distracted from the sound of the projector but also the fact that the people on the

screen were not speaking in audible dialogue, which would not happen until The Jazz Singer

(1927). The purpose of this text is to describe the history of avant-garde film, and the use (or

lack of) sound design in that genre of movies. The article is appropriate for film historians and

experimental filmmakers who want to learn how and why certain films manipulate sound.

Westerdale, Joel. "The Musical Promise of Abstract Film." The Many Faces of Weimar

Cinema, edited by Christian Rogowski, New York, Camden House, 2010.

This source is a chapter from a book that studies and analyzes German films. This

specific chapter focuses on a movement of early experimental films that had “musical” qualities.

Filmmaker Paul Wegener complained that modern films were boring regurgitations of

traditional, narrative-driven theatre, and that films had so much more potential. After that,

various filmmakers used film to create works that more resembled moving paintings than an

actual story. These films used shapes, color, and movement to establish tone. For example, a

film by Hands Richter called Rhythmus 21, had rectangles grow and shrink on the screen,

approaching and backing away from the viewer. This demonstrates visual dynamics, similar to

dynamics in music, when sound can either crescendo and grow or decrescendo and shrink. The

article claims that films such as these are not limited by the world of a narrative, but simply

celebrate the art of film itself, demonstrating the kind of effects that a movie is capable of.
 The author, Joel Westerdale, is qualified to discuss this topic because he is a professor at

Smith College who studies German culture, history, and film. With these topics as his speciality,

he would know more than enough about German experimental film to discuss its history and

styles. Written 9 years ago, this source is current on the topic, and is a largely historical text,

which means that there is not much information in it that is still being developed or updated

today. The author also evaluates both sides of the issue. He spends most of the chapter

describing the filmmakers who see experimental film as enhanced paintings, and as pieces of

music, but also gives attention to Balázs, a film theorist who disagrees with this notion, saying

that the visual art of film is not comparable to the audible art of music. The information

contained in the source can be verified elsewhere. For example, the author argues that visual art

can have chromatics, harmonies, dissonance, and consonance, just like music, which can be

corroborated by screenwriter Bruno Corra in his publication, Abstract Cinema-Chromatic Music,

who makes similar claims, even describing visual arts as an orchestra or symphony. According

to Corra, the appeal to the senses is what matters, not which sense is being stimulated, so visual

and audible art can have similar techniques and mechanics. The purpose of this article is to

describe early experimental film in Germany. It is of interest to experimental filmmakers and

historians, because it covers different avant-garde filmmaking techniques that developed over

time.

"Viral challenges on social media to promote films - Do they work?" Adgully, 10 Sept.
2018. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A553639340/GPS?
u=glen20233&sid=GPS&xid=c83a0cb6. Accessed 28 Aug. 2019.
 According to this source, a film’s marketing campaign can be just as big as the movie

itself. Movie trailers are no longer the only tactic used to advertise films. Some pop-culture

groups take their viewers into pre-production processes, and many movies have a poster released

to entice potential audience members. Actors may be interviewed, or a song will be released to

accompany the film. With so much going on, some productions try to stand out by getting

people to actively participate in the campaign on social media. This is especially true in India,

where even celebrities are getting each other to take part in Internet challenges relating to their

films. The simpler the challenge, the more fun it is to do, allowing it to take off and go viral. In

the case of films like Toilet Ek Prem Katha, or the web-series Home, these viral challenges seem

to be effective.

Though there is no author for this source, it was published by Adgully, a news source that

focuses on marketing and digital media. Since this is their speciality, an article about viral

challenges in the marketing campaign for films would be within their field of expertise. The

article was published in 2018, so the presented information is current on the topic of film

marketing. It also addresses opposing viewpoints, quoting media director Cyrus Oshidar, who

asserts that viral challenges are too fleeting and not lasting enough to really help a film take off.

The article is written for those in marketing, who want to find new and engaging ways to get

consumers interested in their products--in this case, films.