September 20, 2004
DVD Interfaces, New Media Possibility
Current DVD technology provides opportunities for instructional design through new video and display possibilities. More than simply packaging a 'movie' in a larger digital space, DVD technology is enabling paradigms of augmenting learning and enhancing digital archiving through the medium specificity inherent in the DVD's larger digital and non-linearly accessed storage space. This entry abstracts current DVD interface technology, to reflect on new media learning possibilities for universities and university libraries.
Criterion collection's BRD Trilogy is a four DVD set, surrounding filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder's masterpiece trilogy: Marriage of Maria Braun, Veronica Voss and Lola. The set consists of three DVD's surrounding the trilogy and a supplemental DVD with paratextual material and booklet with various essays surrounding the films and filmmaker. Each film is contained in a DVD. The film may be played from beginning to end or may be referenced digitally through various chapters. Within each DVD is a menu interface that simply and elegantly references larger choices. In the Lola DVD, interface menu choices read on a single screen: Lola (film text), Audio Commentary by Fassbinder biographer, Christian Braad Thomsen, Video Interview with Lola Star Barbara Sukowa, video interview with Fassbinder's coscreenwriter Peter Marthesheimer.
After a movie has been viewed, it may be examined again with the 'expert helping commentary of Fassbinder's biographer. Commentary is accomplished as an overall lecture type presentation (over the actual film's visual track) or in counterpoint and in a play-by-play of various scenes (Veronica Voss). Other films in the trilogy present Fassbinder's editor, cinematographer and various Fassbinder scholars in talking heads interview format. The supplemental DVD to the trilogy contains further paratextual material including an interview with Fassbinder's editor, hard to find early 'tv' documentaries, interviews with Fassbinder and also early and more widely contextualizing histories.
What is going on here? Methodologically, the possibilities of 'video' and increased digital storage space are being used to present a larger 'epistemologic' space. To think more abstractly about the strategies, the 'text' may be 'Fassbinder's Trilogy' but it equally could be a major 'subject area website (say molecular biology or a sociology of the Cuban Rafter Phenomenon) and ancillary appropriate paratextual material (other Sociologists expert in the topic, various expert scientists versed in the 'central text). The central 'text' could be website, video or book. It is more important to notice that the 'text' is used in two ways: one, as a 'primary document' and anchor, secondarily as a 'text' that can be critiqued in real time (audio commentary segwaying in and out over the site). Other DVD's such as Antonioni's La Notte parcel out paratextual information differently (filmography, links to Antonioni online). Interestingly, the low budget 'talking heads' video interviews done especially for this DVD illuminate the central text.
The trick is to begin to take this methodology and bring it into dialogue with other relevant research areas.
Posted by at September 20, 2004 1:41 PM | TrackBack