[ISEA2009] Paper: Gabriel Menotti Gonring – Through the dark room: an approximation between the movie theatre and VJ-ing spaces

Abstract

Historical records suggest that movie exhibition was a very autonomous practice in the first years of Cinema. The simple fact that film reels were sold to the exhibitors, instead of rented, implies that the industry had a very different organization in the beginning of the last century. The act of moviegoing was constituted more as going to the movies than as going to see a movie – partly because the ‘movie’ itself only existed during its screening, as pure cinematographic experience. The owner of an exhibition venue had a great editorial control over its programme. The projectionist, in turn, could either use tricks of lighting or adjust the speed of the projector, in order to give or correct the meaning of the images. The score, played in synchronicity with the film, was not truly part of the work, being just applied along its process of consumption. Therefore, in as much as a movie could be replayed, it was never watched in the same way twice.

  • Gabriel Menotti Gonring Goldsmiths University of London, UK

Full text (PDF)  p. 828-833