Ironically, we are seeing some classes replacing writing with either PowerPoint presentations (I do this) or drama in the class room and I’m sure we will see video used when it becomes cost efficient. I’m intrigued by this because the guys who barely passed English the last few years have taken over programming for our school TV studio. They have serious issues expressing themselves in writing but are reaching their audience via video. I think they will eventually be limited if they don’t expand their language and ideas, but for now they are entertaining their peers and confusing the rest of us.
To comment of a comment - I not sure I agree with Scotahb’s comment about video providing a more accurate way to represent history/experience. In fact, he references WWII where the Nazi’s used video to represent only one view – theirs- and because it was so well done and compelling, it was taken in without questioning by many.
My sense is that we need to use all the mediums, but be very careful of the power of the visual medium in a world that seeks the easiest route to knowledge.
For 'Why Write', hmm, this came up last year as well. I had a good discussion, in part via blogs, with one of the students, where I talked some about this. Check out this blog entry. Follow some of the links to Nile's blog, and my earlier blog entries.
Bottom line, that I come back to, which I this is a starting point for many people who chose text as their preferred medium:
”Of course there is the other aspect of why people write; because they must.”
I don't think video has killed writing, because there seems to be something fundamentally differect about the way we react to written word as to the way we react to film or video. (If I sound like an authority here, I'm not.) I mean, here we are talking about Jim's blogsite being hot, and to me the reason he is attracting our attention is because of his skill as a writer. If Jim was trying to make a video to express the opinions of his blog, not only would it take enormous effort on his part to create the shots that depict his point of view (and every filmmaker has a point of view) but it would probably lack the flavor that he creates so easily by choosing the right words. To me, there are skill sets for writers and skill sets for filmmakers, and while one can certainly posess the qualities of both, those skills are not necessarily dependant upon each other for success in either field.
Point well taken...however, the person expressing the view, Benjamin, was a Jew who died while fleeing the Nazis over the Alps. And while he does mention the aestheticisation of politics with reference to National Socialism, he also has a lot to write about Russian film of the time, and film in general. I wasn't trying to go the aestheto-political route, but stay on the subject of personal expression. WWII is something that affected everybody's perception and worldview.
4 comments:
I’ll post this to both sites….
Ironically, we are seeing some classes replacing writing with either PowerPoint presentations (I do this) or drama in the class room and I’m sure we will see video used when it becomes cost efficient. I’m intrigued by this because the guys who barely passed English the last few years have taken over programming for our school TV studio. They have serious issues expressing themselves in writing but are reaching their audience via video. I think they will eventually be limited if they don’t expand their language and ideas, but for now they are entertaining their peers and confusing the rest of us.
To comment of a comment - I not sure I agree with Scotahb’s comment about video providing a more accurate way to represent history/experience. In fact, he references WWII where the Nazi’s used video to represent only one view – theirs- and because it was so well done and compelling, it was taken in without questioning by many.
My sense is that we need to use all the mediums, but be very careful of the power of the visual medium in a world that seeks the easiest route to knowledge.
For comments on Malkin, please check out Marc Lamont Hill's blog post.
For 'Why Write', hmm, this came up last year as well. I had a good discussion, in part via blogs, with one of the students, where I talked some about this. Check out this blog entry. Follow some of the links to Nile's blog, and my earlier blog entries.
Bottom line, that I come back to, which I this is a starting point for many people who chose text as their preferred medium:
”Of course there is the other aspect of why people write; because they must.”
I don't think video has killed writing, because there seems to be something fundamentally differect about the way we react to written word as to the way we react to film or video. (If I sound like an authority here, I'm not.) I mean, here we are talking about Jim's blogsite being hot, and to me the reason he is attracting our attention is because of his skill as a writer. If Jim was trying to make a video to express the opinions of his blog, not only would it take enormous effort on his part to create the shots that depict his point of view (and every filmmaker has a point of view) but it would probably lack the flavor that he creates so easily by choosing the right words. To me, there are skill sets for writers and skill sets for filmmakers, and while one can certainly posess the qualities of both, those skills are not necessarily dependant upon each other for success in either field.
(I posted this to my blog as well.)
Jim -
Point well taken...however, the person expressing the view, Benjamin, was a Jew who died while fleeing the Nazis over the Alps. And while he does mention the aestheticisation of politics with reference to National Socialism, he also has a lot to write about Russian film of the time, and film in general. I wasn't trying to go the aestheto-political route, but stay on the subject of personal expression. WWII is something that affected everybody's perception and worldview.
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