There is an aesthetic attraction to old media.

This collage shows different instances of my own admiration of old media technology both on social networking platforms and for decorative use. This reflects the idea that in my case, my preoccupation with older, analogue technology is rooted in an appreciation for the aesthetic component of the technology. This suggests that it is not so much nostalgia that drives interest in older technologies, but rather a more superficial appreciation for the look and feel of these items. We can see this is the case as I have uploaded images of these technologies to social media, putting filters on the images in order to showcase their visual appeal. I have also included technologies which I have never used, for example the typewriter. This suggests my interest in this object is not  so much nostalgic in terms of associating myself or my past with this technology, but rather my admiration is more so rooted in a materialistic, aesthetic appreciation.

Nokelainen argues that “if a displaced technology continues to enjoy market presence… the salient reasons have to do with aesthetic considerations rather than functional ones.” (p. 9, 2015) In other words when we consider the Holga film camera which we can see pictured above, my own interest in this technology likely has less to do with the functional capabilities of the technology (I could take higher quality images with my iPhone) or the functional convenience of the camera (my iPhone can fit in my pocket; this camera cannot) but rather my interest is associated with appreciation for the aesthetic qualities of the camera, both as an object and for the images that it produces.

While I argue that aesthetic value is a key contributor to appreciation for older technology, it can also be seen that wider sensory experience and nostalgia have a role in our interest with older technologies. However, it can be shown that aesthetics are inextricably bound up within these elements. Berry explores the popularity of “faux – vintage” filters on smartphones, which she argues “[use] heritage aesthetics to go beyond visual sense to interpret aspects of .. the whole sensorium experience.” (2014). She suggests these filters are also markers of “nostalgia for a sense of place”. (2014) I take this to mean that aesthetic considerations create a nostalgic feel. I liked the build of the camera and its overall look but the appeal may have also been in my association with this camera as representing a bygone era, hence the black and white filter.

We can see fascination with aesthetic components of old media reflected in the resurgence of analogue mediums like the vinyl record. Yochim and Biddinger note a collector’s opinion that the absence of vinyl would mean “the world wouldn’t be as pretty”. (p. 192, 2008) Similarly, Fonarow noted in a study of indie music fans that fascination with vinyl was about the audio aesthetics, “the scratches and minor skips” as well as other “sensual qualities” like album artwork and the vinyl sleeve. (p. 60, 2013)

While it would be naive to assume that nostalgia is irrelevant when it comes to preoccupation with older technologies, I argue that aesthetic considerations play a major role in the fascination with and resurgence of older media, like the film camera and the vinyl record.

References

Fonarow, W 2013, ‘Empire of Dirt’ , Wesleyan University Press, Middletown. Available from: Proquest eBook Library. [25th March 2017]

Yochim, E & Biddinger, M 2008, ‘”It kind of gives you that vintage feel”: Vinyl records and the tripe of death.’ Media, Culture & Society, vol. 30, no. 2. Available at: Old’s Cool Media Factory Blog. [Accessed: 20th March 2017]

Barmanski, D & Woodward, I 2015, ‘Vinyl: the analouge record in the digital age’, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, London. Available from: ProQuest eBook Central. [Accessed: 25th March 2017]

Nokelainen, T & Dedehayir, O 2015, ‘Technological adoption and use after mass market displacement: The case of the LP record’, Technovation, vol. 36 – 37, pp. 65 – 76. Available at: Science Direct. [Accessed: 25 March 2017]

Berry, M 2014,  ‘Re-imagining place with filters: More than meets the eye.’  Journal of Creative Technologies (MINA Special Issue), 4, 81-96. Available at: https://ctechjournal.aut.ac.nz/paper/re-imagining-place-filters-meets-eye/#tabs=0 [Accessed 24th March 2017]

Old and new media are similar.

MVI_1365 from Georgia Cerni on Vimeo.

This idea is inspired in part by Natale’s suggestion that “we should refuse binary and progressive distinctions between old and new media”. (p. 586, 2016) While acknowledging that the quality of media technology may have improved and increased accessibility has come with these improvements, we should consider that the way we engage with media may not have changed as much as is commonly assumed. There is an assumption that there are distinct, discernable differences between the ways we engage with digital and analogue media. This can be seen by the labels we attribute to various forms of media, for example analogue technology such as the VHS tape as “old” and digital streaming services like Netflix as “new”. While of course these labels are correct in terms of chronology, it can argued that the VHS tape is not a defunct technology because “new” platforms like Netflix are in some ways apart of their legacy. In this clip, we see the progression from VHS home video to video on demand services.

To explore this concept, we will consider Shapiro and Humphries research on the evolution of military correspondence, from civil war letters to blogging platforms. They note the similarities between two different platforms – traditional letter writing and blogging and how these similarities “suggest a deeper culture of communication among soldiers distanced by war.” (p. 1152, 2012) This need for communication still necessitates correspondence and blogging is one way to do this, as letter writing was. In other words, the concept itself (telling civilians about one’s military experience) is the same, while the method used is different.

With this artefact, I attempted to convey the idea that despite shifts in media technology, we still engage with media in a similar way. Today, anyone with a smartphone and an internet connection has access to a plethora of information and entertainment, and as a result of this there are bound to be changes in our media habits. However, we should also consider that content from twenty years ago, like films and television shows, can still hold relevance in one’s life, even if the platforms these are being viewed and accessed on have changed. Tyron considers the future of cinema and spectatorship, noting that although viewing practises are changing because of “platform mobility”, “for millions… movies still hold a significant place in our cultural imagination.” (p. 180, 2013)

Hagener also has an interesting perspective on the current cinema landscape, arguing that gone are the days of “patience” (p. 190) when it comes to being a spectator, today with the diversification of platforms we have “fluidity and flexibility” (191) – more and more people are becoming cinephiles. (2016) Today, viewers can watch ‘Spice World’ on a number of platforms – the old medium, film can flourish in the digital age rather than being in competition with it. 

In conclusion, it can be seen that “new” and “old” media are not direct opponents, nor should they necessarily be seen as completely separate entities. While the landscape is changing, digital media can be used to distribute and celebrate what was once considered “old” media, as we can see with films that were once available on the analogue VHS tape being available online.

References

Hagener, M 2016, ‘Cinephilia and Film Culture in the Age of Digital Networks’ in M Hagener, V Hediger & A Strohmaier, (eds), The State of Post – Cinema, pp. 189 – 191. Available at: https://link-springer-com.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/book/10.1057%2F978-1-137-52939-8 [Accessed 26 Mar. 2017].

Natale, S 2016, ‘There Are No Old Media’, Journal of Communcation, vol. 66, no. 4, pp. 585 – 603. Available from: Old’s Cool Media Factory Blog. [Accessed: 20th March 2017]

Shapiro, S & Humphreys, L 2013, ‘Exploring old and new media: Comparing military blogs to Civil War Letters’, New Media & Society, vol. 15, no. 7, pp. 1151 – 1167. Available at: SAGE Communication Studies. [Accessed: 23rd March 2017]

Tyron, C 2013, ‘On – Demand Culture: Digital Delivery and the Future of Movies‘, Rutgers University Press, London. Available from: Google eBooks. [24th March 2017]

Video acknowledgements

Music used: 

Inside and Out by Colored Mind on Soundcloud

Licensed under creative commons

Archival footage used: 

Under public domain

https://archive.org/details/VHSRecordingPrinciplesTape01

https://archive.org/details/2009_Movies

https://ia601305.us.archive.org/0/items/TheFineBros-
2_20160128/ELDERS%20REACT%20TO%20NETFLIX-2PHccY
owfo4.mp4

I asked my Mum about different audio from back in the day and she mentioned that her brother had an 8 track cassette player in his car. Unfortunately I don’t have the player to show or a photo, but here’s what that may have looked like:

Image source

Delving deeper into 8 tracks, here’s what I found out:

When it comes to the mechanics of the eight track tape, it was made up of “an endless loop of standard 1/4 inch magnetic tape, housed in a plastic cartridge”. Eight track is named as such as there were eight parallel soundtracks and four stereo programmes associated. source

I grew up with cassette tapes and I didn’t know what the difference was between cassettes and 8 tracks. Apparently 8 tracks had a single reel, whereas a cassette has two reels which can go in both directions. A cassette tape can also fit more than 8 tracks onto a tape (unlike the, you guessed it, 8 track tape). source

Today David shows us some of the ‘redundant’ media that hangs around near the editing suits in building 9. I was intrigued by this camera, pictured above.

• The Beaulieu 5008 S was a super 8mm used primarily to make home videos in the 1970s/80s. It was in production from 1974 – 77.
• Super 8 mm dual speed professional movie camera. Available with a multi speed function.
• Auto and manual zoom
• For sound – auto and manual level controls
• I even found a manual that someone has kept and uploaded, since it turns out their are super 8 enthusiasts out there who buy these nowadays. The manual tells me that you need to load film into the camera, which can be either Kodapak cartridges for silent movies or the same cartridges with striped films for sound movies. My millennial self didn’t even register that there would have been silent and sound film. You also have the footage counter which tells you the length of the film you have left. film. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxR_SVAX6J1ZbDNhZ3BCVFNpNUk/view
• This vid shows more about the camera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHrRuwaO8yQ
• I looked up how editing super8mm footage works, source. You need a an editor/viewer, a splicer and tape. Though nowadays you can digitise your footage, back in the 70’s analogue editing would’ve been your only option.

Our first class for this studio involved going out into the city and finding examples of craft - something that was likely created/designed by one person. Here's some stuff I found ~

John Dias flat clay sculpture


There's a few different things involved in the process of sculpting clay. 
- Start with fresh clay, a black canvas and then other clay is added onto it to form different shapes i.e. the hair on this guy ^ 
- Clay is removed with a cutting/scraping tool for precision, artist constantly manoeuvres around clay
- To maneuver with clay, water is added to soften it up

source: http://www.figurines-sculpture.com/sculpture-technique.html

Stained glass window



- First step is in the design of the window before even physically working with glass/paint
 - Seperate pieces of glasses selected, cut and painted, colours to match the template
 - Pieces slotted into H-sectioned lead cames. Joints soldered together. Example of this process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7NBCNY1Tck

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stained_glass