Visual Studies at Annenberg
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THE LEGACY OF SOL WORTH
From the year of its founding, 1959, the Annenberg School has had an enduring commitment
to the study of visual communication. The School’s graduate program in visual studies
was established by Sol Worth (1922-1977), who taught its first visual courses as
a part-time lecturer and became a full-fledged member of the faculty in 1964. Before
coming to Annenberg, Worth had had a highly successful 16-year career in commercial
photography and film making, and he had also created an award-winning documentary
film, Teatteri (1957), which was chosen for the permanent collection of the
Museum of Modern Art. Worth’s background as a producer of visual media played a
major role in his subsequent research and teaching, and, to this day, the integration
of production experience into theory and research remains a common feature of visual
studies at Annenberg.
Sol Worth’s major publication during his lifetime was Through Navajo Eyes: An Exploration
in Film Communication and Anthropology (Indiana University Press, 1972).
Co-authored with anthropologist John Adair, this book was a report of a ground-breaking
experiment: In the summer of 1966, Worth taught the techniques of film-making to
a group of young men and women from the Navajo Nation who had had minimal previous
exposure to film. Worth and Adair then analyzed the visual structure of the resulting
films in relation to the young film-makers’ culture. This study exemplifies the
core concerns of Worth’s approach to visual studies: a focus on the distinctive
“language” of visual media (visual composition, camera angles, editing techniques,
etc.) and an interest in the cultural ramifications of that “language.” These concerns
have had a long-term impact on visual scholarship at Annenberg and are reflected
in the work of several generations of the School’s faculty and students.
Sol Worth
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Annenberg professors
Sol Worth (left) and Larry Gross
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Worth’s theoretical writings on visual communication were collected in a posthumous
book, Studying Visual Communication (University of Pennsylvania, 1981), edited
by his colleague and frequent collaborator Larry Gross. Through Navajo Eyes
was republished in 1997 (University of New Mexico Press) with additional commentary
by Worth’s former research assistant, Richard Chalfen.
By Paul Messaris,
Ph.D., the Lev Kuleshov Professor of Communication
CURRENT PROJECTS
Digital Transformations in Visual Communication
The advent of digital media has transformed every aspect of the creation and reception
of visual media – production, post-production, distribution, exhibition, and spectator
response. The technological changes in each of these areas are striking and often
very obvious. The cultural ramifications of these changes are less clear and more
difficult to assess. My recent work in this area has dealt with the impact of digital technologies on the economics and aesthetics
of theatrical motion pictures. My current work focuses on cross-cultural
mash-ups and international commentary on YouTube.
Persuasive Uses of Visual Media
I have a long-standing interest in the ways in which the structural variables of
visual communication – camera position, editing rhythm, montage, etc. – can be used
for persuasive purposes in commercial, political, and social advertising, as well
as in less explicit forms of advocacy such as documentary photography or even fiction
film. This topic is sometimes referred to as “visual rhetoric”. My most recent research in this area has
to do with viewers’ resistance to persuasion. Working within the broader context
of the Annenberg School’s investigation of the impact of health communication, I
have been analyzing the types of visual arguments that lead viewers to reject anti-smoking
PSAs.
Fictional Explorations of Issues in Visual Communication
As part of a film production laboratory that I teach at the undergraduate level,
my students and I have created a number of fiction films dealing with controversial
aspects of visual media – for example, whether violent movies cause real-life violence.
In our most recent completed project, a feature-length film called “The Harmful
Effects of Violent Movies,” we used three interwoven storylines to explore three
different perspective: (1) catharsis theory – the idea that engaging in violent
fantasy actually reduces real-life aggression; (2) social resentment theory – the
idea that violent crime is triggered by images of wealth, not violence; (3) anti-censorship
critique – the idea that connections between fictional and real violence are manufactured
by media critics in order to promote censorship. “The Harmful Effects of Violent
Movies” has screened at several international film festivals and received repeated
best-picture nominations.
STUDENT PROJECTS
Moira O'Keeffe
Broadly, I’m interested in studying how moving image media help to set the stage
for daily life. How do people utilize media images – consciously and unconsciously
– as they navigate the world? How does imagery from fictional entertainment media
influence public discourse about significant real-world issues? For my dissertation,
I am exploring these issues as they relate to the intersection of science and entertainment
media about science such as science fiction film television and science-based crime
dramas. My dissertation explores how scientists respond, as viewers, to these fictional,
visual media about science. Through interviews with scientists, I consider how scientists
think about fictional images of science in relation to their own career paths from
childhood onwards. I am especially interested in the possibility that entertainment
media can inspire young people to learn more science. Such inspiration is badly
needed, as schools are failing to provide it. Studies repeatedly find that U.S.
students are behind students from other countries when it comes to comes to science
knowledge. The shortage of qualified science and math teachers exacerbates the problem.
This bleak situation exists during a boom in the popularity of science-oriented
television shows and science fiction movies. How might entertainment media play
a role in helping young people engage with science, or in promoting broader science
literacy in civil society?
Mario Rodriguez
In recent years media critics have lamented an apparent lack of concern among young
people regarding personal privacy, particularly online. Critics suggest young people
disregard the potential misuse of personal information posted on social network
services (SNS) like Facebook and MySpace, information that may become available
to stalkers or for identity theft. Another example might be revealing pictures posted
that can have negative consequences on future employment or even be appropriated
for unanticipated purposes such as advertising, law enforcement or pornography.
Yet because young people's attitudes towards online privacy have not been thoroughly
investigated we should be more cautious before making any broad generalizations.
The relationship of young people to privacy may be more complicated than we currently
appreciate. My dissertation is an investigation of privacy-related beliefs and behaviors
among college seniors, in order to understand how they strategically control what
they reveal about themselves as they prepare to enter the job market. The purpose
of the study is to understand how college-graduate age seniors define "privacy"
with respect to SNS.
Rocio Nunez
My research interest lies in understanding the impact that digital 3D and all its
derivatives could have and is already having on the movie industry and on cinematic
culture. Even in its nascent stages, digital 3D has been on an accelerated and precise
trajectory to change the way we see movies. Its narrative already bears many similarities
to how the technologies that supported sound and color were once speedily embraced
by the industry and the public, something that radically and permanently changed
the nature of movies. If digital 3D meets insider expectations, we could very well
be on the cusp of a third dimension in cinematic history. Digital 3D has recently
been hailed by some as the third major change in the history of cinema, following
the introductions of sound and color. But, what is the lasting potential of this
fast-evolving new technology? Is it the wave of the future, or just another passing
trend? Will digital 3D change not only how movies are produced and distributed,
but the content and language of cinema as well? Are there already differences in
how people interact with and react to “traditional” films compared to digital 3D
movies?