A bit of background…

When I first began this PhD, I had merely a vague notion that it would explore something about video online; maybe a study of streaming independent film or the methods filmmakers use for online video. These ideas brought about the question: Why? Why do filmmakers ‘shun the cinema’ and use the Internet as a means of distribution?

After reading what a few cinephiles (such as James Quandt) had to say about online video, I started thinking about how one might integrate a few of the concepts of cinephilia into new technologies. This is when I started reading about the Slow Movement.

I came across Carl Honoré’s In Praise of Slow and Benedikt Köhler, Sabria David & Jörg Blumtritt’s Slow Media Manifesto (see below). Honoré says that ‘everything about urban life – the cacophony, the cars, the crowds, the consumerism – invites us to rush rather than relax, reflect or reach out to people’. The main idea that all these theorists have in common is that everything in life should have an emphasis on quality over quantity.

So that’s it in a very small nutshell. I’ll elaborate more on these ideas in the future, rather than squeeze it all in this post. For now, I’m finishing off my preliminary research proposal, but very soon, I’ll be looking at how the theories of Slow Media are being put into practice.

If you’ve come across any creative works (especially online video!) that you think encompasses these ideas (either in the way they’ve been produced or in the themes or narrative), please post a comment here or email me. Slow Media is about communication and the exploration of ideas, so I’d love for you to explore with me!

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