This book develops a critical and theoretical approach to the semiotics of motion pictures as they are applied to a broader range of constructions than traditional commercial narrative productions.
This interdisciplinary approach begins with the problems posed by motion perception to develop a model of cinematic interpretation that includes both narrative and non-narrative types of productions. Contrasting traditional theatrical projection and varieties of new media, this book integrates analyses of title sequences, music videos, and visual effects with discussions on classic and avant-garde films. It further explores the intersection between formative audio-visual cues identified by viewers and how viewers’ desires direct engagement with the motion picture to present a framework for understanding cinematic articulation. This new theoretical model incorporates much of what was neglected and gives greater prominence to formerly critical marginal productions by showing the fundamental connections that link all moving imagery and animated text, whether it tells a story or not.
This insightful work will appeal to students and academics in film and media studies.
Introduction 1. The ‘Cinematic Sign’ 2. Refractive Judgment 3. Interpreting Cinematics 4. Synchronization 5. The Presentation 6. Diagnostic 7. Symbolic 8. Afterword: Cinema and Motion Graphics
Biography
Michael Betancourt is a critical theorist and research artist concerned with media history, digital technology, and capitalist ideology. He is the author of more than 30 books. Deeply interdisciplinary, his writing has been translated into Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Persian, Portuguese, and Spanish. He is the author of The ____________ Manifesto and books such as The History of Motion Graphics and The Critique of Digital Capitalism, as well as several books on the semiotics of motion graphics. These publications complement his movies, which have screened internationally in galleries, museums, film festivals, and contemporary art fairs.
