Film Distribution in the Age of the Internet: East Asian Cinema in the UK

This thesis provides an integrated analysis of formal and informal distribution networks for East Asian Cinema in the UK through interviews and ethnographic-style research. It examines what motivates and shapes the acquisition decisions of distributors in these contexts and how these motivations might conflict, interact with, or complement one another. Whilst existing literature has focused on formal distribution and ‘piracy’ as distinct phenomena, this thesis considers both in conjunction with each other and also uncovers the distinct social contexts of each environment. Through anti-piracy discourse, the positions and priorities of ‘pirates’ and the ‘industry’ are repeatedly constructed as unequivocally distinct and oppositional. However, on the basis of my research, I argue that these seemingly opposed groups -- professional distributors and filesharers -- are more similar than we might imagine. The connections between the online and offline distributors can be noted in a number of ways. First, the actions of distributors within formal and informal networks involve complex social and cultural interactions rather than purely economic considerations. Second, an individual’s position in a socially imagined ‘knowledge community’ is perceived to be more significant than economic interest in motivating the activities of distributors within both formal and informal channels. Third, by applying Molteni and Ordanini’s principle of socio-network effects, I argue that distributors online and offline are engaged in a symbiotic relationship where each party can be said to benefit socially and culturally, if not necessarily economically, from the actions of each other. Overall, this thesis argues that social contexts of distribution in formal and informal settings shape the distribution process. Indeed, rather than just representing the movement of an economic commodity, the act of film distribution also mediates and facilitates the social and professional relationships of distributors across both sectors

'Watch like a grown up ... Enjoy like a child': Exhibition, authenticity, and film audiences at the Prince Charles Cinema

It is tempting to view the rise of event-led cinema as a symptom of shifting audience preferences – the inevitable result of cinemagoers increasingly seeking out ‘immersive’, ‘participatory’ and ‘experiential’ film screenings. The research presented within this particular article aimed to explore the appeal of such screenings by focusing on audiences at the Prince Charles Cinema (PCC) in London – a venue that is widely known for hosting sing-alongs, quote-alongs, and other participatory events. Our results, however, were surprising. Respondents to our questionnaire readily subscribed to a form of cinephilia that embraces a wide variety of tastes, but largely rejects participatory aspects of event-led cinema in favour of what they deemed to be a more authentic cinematic experience. Audiences repeatedly emphasised the superiority of the silent, reverential film screening, and many felt that the PCC’s greatest quality was the way in which it reminded them of how cinemas used to be, not what they might one day become. Ultimately, the article demonstrates that cinematic events are by no means the only option available to audiences who crave alternatives to ‘mainstream’ cinemas. We call for a reconsideration of the immersive and experiential dimensions of traditional cinemagoing, and a greater emphasis on the viewing conditions that facilitate an affective bond between audience and film. To us, the search for alternative cinema experiences seems to be more about the desire for cinema to get better at what it already does, not for it to change into something entirely different

Active Surveillance of Asymptomatic, Presymptomatic, and Oligosymptomatic SARS-CoV-2-Infected Individuals in Communities Inhabiting Closed or Semi-closed Institutions

Background: The high COVID-19 dissemination rate demands active surveillance to identify asymptomatic, presymptomatic, and oligosymptomatic (APO) SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals. This is of special importance in communities inhabiting closed or semi-closed institutions such as residential care homes, prisons, neuropsychiatric hospitals, etc., where risk people are in close contact. Thus, a pooling approach?where samples are mixed and tested as single pools?is an attractive strategy to rapidly detect APO-infected in these epidemiological scenarios. Materials and Methods: This study was done at different pandemic periods between May 28 and August 31 2020 in 153 closed or semi-closed institutions in the Province of Buenos Aires (Argentina). We setup pooling strategy in two stages: first a pool-testing followed by selective individual-testing according to pool results. Samples included in negative pools were presumed as negative, while samples from positive pools were re-tested individually for positives identification. Results: Sensitivity in 5-sample or 10-sample pools was adequate since only 2 Ct values were increased with regard to single tests on average. Concordance between 5-sample or 10-sample pools and individual-testing was 100% in the Ct ≤ 36. We tested 4,936 APO clinical samples in 822 pools, requiring 86?50% fewer tests in low-to-moderate prevalence settings compared to individual testing. Conclusions: By this strategy we detected three COVID-19 outbreaks at early stages in these institutions, helping to their containment and increasing the likelihood of saving lives in such places where risk groups are concentrated.Fil: Ambrosis, Nicolás Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Martin Aispuro, Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Belhart, Keila. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Bottero, Daniela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Crisp, Renée Leonor. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; ArgentinaFil: Dansey, Maria Virginia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Unidad de Microanálisis y Métodos Físicos en Química Orgánica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Unidad de Microanálisis y Métodos Físicos en Química Orgánica; ArgentinaFil: Gabrielli, Magali. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Filevich, Oscar. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Escuela de Ciencia y Tecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Genoud, Valeria. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; ArgentinaFil: Giordano, Alejandra Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Lin, Min Chih. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Cálculo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Lodeiro, Anibal. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales; ArgentinaFil: Marceca, Felipe. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Investigaciones Matemáticas "Luis A. Santaló". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Matemáticas "Luis A. Santaló"; ArgentinaFil: Pregi, Nicolás. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Remes Lenicov, Federico. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Rocha Viegas, Luciana. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Rudi, Erika. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Solovey, Guillermo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Cálculo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Zurita, Maria Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Pecci, Adali. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Etchenique, Roberto Argentino. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía; ArgentinaFil: Hozbor, Daniela Flavia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; Argentin

To name a thief: constructing the deviant pirate

This chapter examinse how the figure of the (digital) pirate has been constructed within both popular and academic discourse and how these constructions have been internalized and interpreted, rationalized and rebelled against within particular filesharing communities. In many respects filesharers have hitherto been constructed as subversive radicals, explorative (potential) consumers or deviant thieves. On the one hand the industry rhetoric suggests that the digital pirate is young, unconcerned about the rights of creators, lacking in self-control and unaccustomed to paying for digital content. While this construction of the deviant pirate is pervasive, competing constructions suggest that digital pirates do not do as much damage as the creative industries as is often claimed, have opposing views about current IP and copyright regimes, and are destabilizing the pre-existing monopolistic models for the distribution of music, films, software and games. This has lead to a split between arguments where filesharers are constructed as either pirates (deviants who only wish to obtain something for nothing and threaten the very existence of the cultural industries) or explorers (voracious consumers who use filesharing as a form of sampling so they might investigate products before they buy) (Bounie et al., 2005). While critics such as Klinger (2010) have questioned the propensity to construct digital pirates in such broad terms, the filesharers themselves have nonetheless engaged with the rhetoric in some interesting ways. This chapter draws on ethnographic research conducted within a number of filesharing communities and considers how rhetoric from both sides of the debate can be seen to permeate the discussions of filesharers themselves and furthermore informs their own understanding and construction of the moral, ethical and legal implications of their actions. In doing so it is argued that there is an attempt on the part of the filesharers to distance themselves from the notion of ‘piracy’ and to define and label others as the ‘real’ pirates. Thus, ‘piracy’ is not appropriated as a badge of honour but retains its pejorative connotations and is used by the filesharers to label their offline counterparts as deviant; thereby reinforcing their own moral credentials by juxtaposing their own not-for-profit ‘sharing’ activities against the circulation of tangible goods in exchange for monetary reward. Thus, the filesharers can be seen to align themselves with a moral code that constructs their activities as a form of ‘sharing’ that facilitates the ‘sampling’ of film texts. By imagining their own activities as ultimately promotional, they distinguish themselves from what they see as the immoral, illegal and indefensible actions of the for-profit ‘pirates’. By constructing others as encompassing all the negative traits of piracy they leave themselves free to align their own activities with notions of sharing, sampling and reciprocity. What this chapter demonstrates is that the figure of the digital pirate is repeatedly stereotyped as either deviant or liberator. However, it also goes beyond pre-existing work that makes similar claims by examining how these constructions have been internalized by the filesharers themselves and are used to negotiate their own understandings of the moral and ethical ramifications of their actions. In addition, the chapter examines how the act of distancing themselves from the revenue-stealing pirates is not a simple attempt at justification or rationalization on the part of the filesharers. Indeed, it is a complex process that helps to inform and develop a sense of shared goals and moral codes within these particular communities. Codes and goals that deeply influence and inform how the filesharers themselves understand and negotiate their own position within the ongoing digital piracy debates