Vinzenz Hediger - Böcker

What unleashed the forces of global capitalism which continue to shape the world that we live in? Economists and economic historians variously point to innovations in logistics and trade, the emergence of a new set of business-friendly values and the emergence of new forms of applied knowledge in early modernity to solve this riddle. This book focuses on the moving image as a factor of economic development. In a series of in-depth cases studies at the intersection of film and media studies, science and technology studies and economic and social history, Films That Work Harder: The Circulations of Industrial Film presents an in-depth, global perspective on the dynamic relationship between film, industrial organization and economic development. Bringing together new research from leading scholars from Europe, Asia, Australia and North America, this book combines the state of the art in the field with an agenda for a future research. Provides a in-depth, global perspective on the complex, dynamic relationship of film, visual and organizational rhetoric and economic development. It brings together the leading scholars in a burgeoning new field of film studies with original work not previously presented elsewhere. Contributes towards the further development of an exciting new interdisciplinary research paradigm at the intersection of film studies, economic history, science and technology studies and the social sciences.

This includes informal networks of exchange and transaction, such as p2p-networks, video platforms and so called “piracy” with a special focus on the Middle East and North Africa, where political and social transformations makenew forms of circulation and presentation particularly visible.

Dis.Ordering Distribution explores the intricate relationship between distribution and production, drawing on empirical evidence from two vibrant centers of cultural production: Africa and Asia. Delving into how cultural entrepreneurs engage with global distribution platforms and the resulting impact on the creation of cultural artifacts, the analysis reveals that digital platforms are not merely end-point distribution tools but are also reshaping production processes.The first section, “Infrastructures, Formats, and Rules”, examines the triad of infrastructures, formats, and rules, highlighting their historical significance and their role in shaping consumer behavior through distribution platforms. The second section, “Distribution as a Force Shaping Production” focuses on memes as a case study to illustrate the close link between distribution and production and how memes as a ubiquitous element of contemporary media culture, exemplify how distribution influences production. The final section, “Cultural Entrepreneurs in the Platform Business” brings attention to the physical spaces within a platform-dominated environment. It discusses how cultural entrepreneurs, such as artists and musicians, leverage their networks and data collection methods to promote their work, emphasizing the continued importance of local production and distribution sites.This volume provides a comprehensive analysis of how digital platforms are transforming cultural production and distribution.

In the work of artist and artistic researcher Hannes Rickli, video and audio recordings originating from research in scientific laboratories (videograms) play an important role. Videograms are a category of moving images produced in an operative context by measuring cameras and microphones. This kind of audio-visual commodity has so far been largely neglected by artists as well as by image scientists. For his work-in-progress Spillover Rickli has put together since 1992 vast collection of such audio-visual lab reports. Rickli has also initiated also a research program on this topic at Zurich University of the Arts. In close exchange with biologists and image scientists Rickli investigated the material to enhanced his understanding of and work with it for his artistic project. This resulted in a series of video-installations that were shown for the first time in an exhibition Zurich in autumn 2010. The book Videograms documents both, the video installations and their mise en scene at the museum, as well as the context in which the original material was produced in the laboratory. It also includes essays by scholars in image and cultural sciences and by scientists.

The history of industrial films – an orphan genre of twentieth-century cinema composed of government-produced and industrially sponsored movies that sought to achieve the goals of their sponsors, rather than the creative artists involved –seems to have left no trace in filmic cultural discourse. At its height the industrial film industry employed thousands, produced several trade journals and festival circuits, engaged with giants of twentieth-century industry like Shell and AT & T, and featured the talents of iconic actors and directors such as Buster Keaton, John Grierson and Alain Resnais. This is the first full-length book, anthology, and annotated bibliography to analyse the industrial film and its remarkable history. Exploring thepotential of the industrial film to uncoverrenewed and unexplored areas of media studies, this remarkable volume brings together renowned scholars such as Rick Prelinger and Thomas Elsaesser in a discussion of the radical potential and new possibilities in considering the history of this unexplored corporate medium.

Only available in hardback: ISBN 978 90 8964 012 3The history of industrial films – an orphangenre of twentieth-century cinemacomposed of government-produced andindustrially sponsored movies that soughtto achieve the goals of their sponsors,rather than the creative artists involved –seems to have left no trace in filmic culturaldiscourse. At its height the industrial filmindustry employed thousands, producedseveral trade journals and festival circuits,engaged with giants of twentieth-centuryindustry like Shell and AT & T, and featuredthe talents of iconic actors and directors such as Buster Keaton, John Griersonand Alain Resnais. This is the firstfull-length book, anthology, and annotatedbibliography to analyse the industrial filmand its remarkable history. Exploring thepotential of the industrial film to uncoverrenewed and unexplored areas of mediastudies, this remarkable volume bringstogether renowned scholars such asRick Prelinger and Thomas Elsaesser in adiscussion of the radical potential and newpossibilities in considering the history ofthis unexplored corporate medium.

This important and first-of-its-kind collection addresses the emerging challenges in the field of media art preservation and exhibition, providing an outline for the training of professionals in this field.