Cinematic Logic and the Function of the Cut

This paper investigates the essentially ‘Lacanian’ function of the cut in cinematic logic, arguing that the historical relationship between cinema and psychoanalysis is rooted in their shared logic of elision and division. However, while standard cinematic practice is to disavow the cut (through the repressive operation of ‘suture’) so as to construct and conserve the filmic ‘fantasy’ and thereby strengthen the imaginary, psychoanalysis contrarily seeks to directly attain to the real by traversing the fantasy along the lines of the cut. In examining this ‘diverging convergence’, the paper looks to the cinema of Alfred Hitchcock, whose celebrated films cut across both sides of the divide, providing the comfort of ‘imaginary resolution’ while at the same time undermining this equilibrium by directly invoking the real in the form and figure of the cut. In particular, the paper examines how Hitchcock’s films supplement the various cuts constitutive of cinema’s very being with an additional ‘foundational cut’; a cut that is equally formative of the film itself, but which simultaneously introduces a fundamentally determinative rift in this world, a central hole around which everything – plot, image, dialogue, etc. – twists and turns (and which is, moreover, intimately tied to Lacan’s formulation of the subject-object relation). The paper then goes on to address two key questions arising from this examination: what becomes of the suture when cinema, like psychoanalysis, truly acknowledges the cut and traverses its own fantasy; and (following Žižek) is there really a ‘proper’ way to remake a (Hitchcock) film

Ephemeral: An Original Play

Interesting conversations are had when an American woman spends a weekend with her Czech penpal and his relatives at his recently deceased mother\u27s cottage. Based on a series of interviews with Czech citizens and personal experiences, Kierstan DeVoe\u27s play focuses on the complex nature of tragedy and nostalgia, complete with moments of warm laughter and great tension

A PSYCHOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF DYSLEXIA IN BACKWARDS: THE RIDDLE OF DYSLEXIA

This study is under a psycholinguistic umbrella. The aim of this study is to analyze linguistic phenomena of dyslexia suffered by Brian, the main character in Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia. This study has three objectives: (1) to identify and explain the types of linguistic errors experienced by the main character in Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia; (2) to examine the environmental factors which occur in the movie; and (3) to describe the kinds of teaching approaches used to recover the main character in the movie from dyslexia. This study employed a descriptive qualitative method since it emphasized on describing the phenomena of dyslexia in Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia. Moreover, the findings were presented in narrative or textual description. However, number was also used to support the analysis of the data. Some steps in analyzing the data were: identifying the raw data, classifying each datum into the categorization, analyzing each datum, interpreting each datum based on its contexts, reporting the findings, and drawing the conclusion. Finally, the data findings were triangulated by two linguistics students who were keen on psycholinguistics. This study reveals three findings. First, of eight types of miscues, only six types occur in Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia. They are substitution, hesitation, omission, non-response, addition, and self-corrections. Meanwhile, the absent types are repetition and reversal. Substitution is the most common error made by a dyslexic who has problems in extracting printed letters into sounds. Meanwhile, the other types have only small occurrences since they are not common errors made by a dyslexic. Second, all types of environmental factors occur in the movie, i.e. social interaction and communication, physical environment, cognitive modality preference, emotional motivation, and children’s behavior. Social interaction and communication as well as physical environment become the highest in rank because Brian works well with another and needs a suitable condition and situation to read. Finally, each type of environmental factors supports successful teaching approaches for a dyslexic. Third, types of teaching approaches which occur in the movie are language experience, teacher modeling, self-questioning, phonological approach, and engaging parents. Meanwhile, the absent types are creative writing and critical literacy. Those present types of teaching approaches have represented successful treatments for Brian to recover from dyslexia. Key words: psycholinguistics, dyslexia, Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexi

Homebound: STS-M1301 A Study on Television Writing in the Science Fiction Genre

This project is a scene-by-scene outline of an original television pilot script in the science fiction genre. The outline is based on research conducted in both the television and science fiction fields, providing the project with a firm foundation in television screenwriting structure as well as insights into the characteristics of the science fiction genre. Additional research was carried out on the topic of developing realistic, engaging characters for the screen. This project serves to broaden the writer’s portfolio upon graduation while giving him a chance to study the world of television, which contains numerous differences from the field of cinematic arts

Early experience, developmental tasks and the blossoming of the capacity to learn

Illustrations from one infant observation are used to discuss the early development of the capacity to learn and develop the mind. A description of the psychoanalytic theory of learning beginning with Freud and moving to Klein, Bion and Winnicott is the theoretical context for the illustrations. The paper moves on to discuss hypotheses about the baby’s mental and cognitive development. The baby and his mother are able, the author suggests, to work through a less than ideal start to their relationship and to learn together in a way that fosters creative learning from experience