Films that Work: Industrial Film and the Productivity of Media (Film Culture in Transition) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 9089640134 ISBN 13: 9789089640130

Publisher: Routledge, 2009

Synopsis

The history of industrial films – an orphan genre of twentieth-century cinema composed of government-produced and industrially sponsored movies that sought to achieve the goals of their sponsors, rather than the creative artists involved –seems to have left no trace in filmic cultural discourse. At its height the industrial film industry employed thousands, produced several trade journals and festival circuits, engaged with giants of twentieth-century industry like Shell and AT & T, and featured the talents of iconic actors and directors such as Buster Keaton, John Grierson and Alain Resnais. This is the first full-length book, anthology, and annotated bibliography to analyse the industrial film and its remarkable history. Exploring thepotential of the industrial film to uncoverrenewed and unexplored areas of media studies, this remarkable volume brings together renowned scholars such as Rick Prelinger and Thomas Elsaesser in a discussion of the radical potential and new possibilities in considering the history of this unexplored corporate medium.

About this title

About the Author

Patrick Vonderau is Professor of Media and Communication Studies at the University of Halle, Germany. Vinzenz Hediger is professor of cinema studies at Goethe University Frankfurt, where he directs the Graduate Research Training Program Configurations of film (www.konfigrationen-des-films.de). His publications include Films that Work. Industrial Film and the Productivity of Media (Amsterdam University Press 2009, with Patrick Vonderau) and Essays zur Filmphilosophie (Fink 2015, with Lorenz Engell, Oliver Fahle and Christiane Voss). He is a co-founder of NECS – European Network of Cinema and Media Studies (www.necs.org) and the founding editor of Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft (www.zfmedienwissenschaft.de)

From the Back Cover

Only available in hardback: ISBN 978 90 8964 012 3The history of industrial films – an orphangenre of twentieth-century cinemacomposed of government-produced andindustrially sponsored movies that soughtto achieve the goals of their sponsors,rather than the creative artists involved –seems to have left no trace in filmic culturaldiscourse. At its height the industrial filmindustry employed thousands, producedseveral trade journals and festival circuits,engaged with giants of twentieth-centuryindustry like Shell and AT & T, and featuredthe talents of iconic actors and directors such as Buster Keaton, John Griersonand Alain Resnais. This is the firstfull-length book, anthology, and annotatedbibliography to analyse the industrial filmand its remarkable history. Exploring thepotential of the industrial film to uncoverrenewed and unexplored areas of mediastudies, this remarkable volume bringstogether renowned scholars such asRick Prelinger and Thomas Elsaesser in adiscussion of the radical potential and newpossibilities in considering the history ofthis unexplored corporate medium.

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9089640134
• ISBN 13: 9789089640130
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 492
• Editor: Vonderau Patrick, Hediger Vinzenz