Movies

Every year, people are bombarded with thousands of images from magazines, movies, television, billboards, posters, flyers and the internet.  Some of these capture your attention.  Others distract you.  And still others annoy and even irritate you.  Subliminal messages from these images pass through your mind at the speed of light, and they are embedded from the conscious to the subconscious permanently like gum stuck to the bottom of a bin.  These will become part of your long-term memories whether you like it or not.  And every day, you sometimes struggle in your mind to sort these images, desiring some and avoiding others, in a constant battle between your id and superego.  These images portray roles that include gender, race, class, political divisions and so forth.  They are subjectively selected, cropped and personalized depending on the creators biases or preferences even if the images show objective reality as it is.  It is then up to your ego to mediate between the objective desires of the id and subjective aversions of the superego.

Marita Sturken and Lisa Cartwright (2001) write the following in agreement
No matter what social role an image plays, the creation of an image through a camera lens always involves some degree of subjective choice through selection, framing, and personalization... All camera-generated images, be they photographic, cinematic, or electronic (video or computer-generated), bear the cultural legacy of still photography, which historically has been regarded as a more objective practice than, say, painting or drawing. This combination of the subjective and the objective is a central tension in camera-generated images. (p.16)

This is indeed reality, and we shall discuss this statement point by point.  First, images play various social roles.  According to Rodney St.Michael (2009), social roles can be summarized into the Five Elements or the Wu Xing Wood, Water, Earth, Fire and Metal.  Wood includes males, Scholars, Yellows (race), moderate Democrats, etc.  Water includes females, Shamans, Small Browns, moderate Republicans, etc.  Earth includes lesbians, the Ubuntu Social Business Class, Blacks, moderate to conservative Republicans, etc.  Fire includes gays, the military, the Militant Business Class, Whites, liberal Democrats, etc.  And Metal includes bisexuals, the bi-military, the Bharat Business Class, Big Browns, conservative Republicans, etc.  As St.Michael says, the Five Elements are not only the external role of Others.  They are also internal elements of the Self.  St.Michael connects the Five Elements to the five pyramid stages of Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Metal is the physiological or basic needs.  Fire is the security or economic needs.  Earth is the social or belongingness need.  Water is the esteem, spiritual or superego needs.  And Wood is the self-actualization or ego need.  All of these needs are within the Self.  Thus, all of these elements are within the Self.  And consequently, the Self and Other are integrated and can never be truly separated.  This means that any conflict or attraction within Others is also reflected within the Self.

The harmony and conflict between these Elements are often seen, for example, among the genders, and this will be evident in the personal biases of the camera controller or photographer based on his or her own gender.  Men, for instance, may be attracted to women.  Bisexuals may desire both men and women.  Lesbians may love women.  Gays may lust for other gays, men, or bisexuals.  And women may love them all.  This attraction will form the biases of both the camera controller and the audience.  The genders will also form aversions.  For example, men may dislike gays.  So, this will also reflect in the photographers and viewers biases.  If the cameraman is male, he may avoid gays and shoot women.  But if the viewer is gay, he may want to see other gays in the picture too.  What the cameraman includes or excludes in the picture will reflect on his biases, and how he portrays the subject in the image will also reflect on his subjective judgments.  If he had to shoot gays, he may portray them in an ugly fashion and choose their unfavorable sides.  On the other hand, if he had to shoot women, he may portray them with excitement and perhaps, he may even select which women to include, to crop and to highlight.

It is not only, of course, among the genders that this occurs.  It also applies to the races.  Yellows, for instance, may dislike Whites.  Browns and Blacks may love or hate Whites.  Chinese newsmen may select and censor what scenes to take in portraying Whites.  They may choose to frame the parts that are favorable to them and avoid the unfavorable ones.  They may also portray Whites in a bad light.  The same thing is true for the other side.  The BBC or CNN may select certain world scenes that portray Asians in an ugly way even if it may not be the case.  If a riot broke out, for example, in 0.0001 of the area of a certain Asian country, CNN cameramen, being interested in making money from bad news and making themselves heroes, will select certain areas in the riot that will make it seem like 100 of the country is in turmoil.  They will crop out portions where there is no action.  They will make it appear that the people in footage are suffering more than they really are.  So when television viewers see it, many of them will think of the grossly exaggerated situation as a major problem in 100 of the country even if it is only happening in 0.0001 of the countrys area.  Some people eventually will realize that they are being conned and CNN may lose some viewers.  Others might try to evaluate in their minds how much to believe in what they are seeing in CNN.  So CNN will try to strike a balance on how much subjectivity they can portray on objective situations, still being aware that bad news sells and worse news sells even better.  They will try to maximize the amount of subjectivity without being caught.  This creates tension on both the cameramen or women and the viewers.

Next, among the classes, there is tension too.  Academics, for example, may show the military or the working class in a bad light.  Or more commonly, Hollywood-style producers may pretend to be academics, and they may create documentaries that appear scientific even if it is not so.  They may show crocodiles, lions, snakes or other dangerous animals like friendly pets.  People tend to associate size with attraction and repulsion.  If something is very big, for example, it may be thought of as repulsive.  But if something is small, people tend to think of it as cute and adorable.  So the cameraman may try to show more lion cubs or they may show a women smiling with a snake wrapped around her.  Of course, they may do the opposite if they want to portray the same animals as vicious creatures.  They could show a lion devouring a gazelle or a snake biting a mouse.

On the other hand, if the military had the camera, they could create propaganda films such as the ones from Hitler or Stalin.  They might create films that portray Jews as cockroaches.  They might show soldiers in their best uniforms at an angle that makes them appear more and mightier than they really are.  They may also select scenes where women toss flowers to the soldiers and exalt them as the saviors of the people and skip the scenes where the soldiers are ridiculed.  Of course, the cameraman again has to make it all look believable as much as possible without giving away its subjective nature.

Next, political divisions also add tension to images.  The Center Left or Center Right parties in parliament may oppose the Far Left and Far Right.  The opposite is also true.  The Far Right, for example, could portray the moderates as being too lax or too slow to action.  On the other hand, the moderates could show the Far Left or Right as radical extremists who cant control their emotions.  They may show politicians from these two wings as people who resemble Hitler or Stalin.

Nations could also add tension to images.  America could portray China as anti-American even if there are numerous American establishments in China such as McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pepsi or Hooters.  They could show China as a leader in religious suppression even if there are numerous temples, including Tibetan Buddhist ones in Beijing.  They could also show Chinese tanks, rockets and soldiers on the street even if most of China is peaceful, with tranquil villages and children running and playing on the street.
Religion could also add tension to images.   Conservative Christians could show ugly Hindu animal rituals to their laity instead of Hindus meditating.  Catholics may highlight Jews with large noses.   Christians may show Muslims as terrorists instead of peaceful men praying in a mosque.

Business competitors could also add tension.  Ford may portray Toyotas as runaway vehicles.  Pepsi may show Coke to be bitter.  American farmers may portray Chinese food to be tainted.  The Japanese or Europeans could portray American beef with mad cow disease.  The viewers then are left to decide how much objectivity and subjectivity are in these portrayals.

Furthermore, enhancements also add tension.  If advertisers choose models, they may select the ones with good skin tone.  Or they may be portrayed in a way that does not reflect their true selves in the real world. If they are too fair, for instance, a make up artist, lighting expert or tanning booth may try to make them look darker.  But if they are too dark, they may not even be included in the picture.  A hair expert may also try to rejuvenate their hair or give it some colour.  A personal trainer may also buff them up and improve their muscle tone.  So when a photographer takes photos of these models, subjectivity will be hidden beneath an objective photograph, and the photographer may try to hide the subjectivity as much as possible to make it look realistic.  The viewer then may see a shampoo ad or commercial with a beautiful woman with shiny, bouncy hair.  And some viewers may think that it was actually the shampoo that made her look that way, but others will be more skeptical.  There are even food stylists.  Pictures or films of food in restaurants or commercials are enhanced.  They use paintbrushes and food colouring to make the food look more appetizing.

The photographer or film director can also use digital enhancements or special effects to their work that alter reality.  They can remove scars, moles, tattoos or other marks from models or actors, making them appear more perfect than they really are.  They can change the color of their eyes or remove stains from their teeth.
A picture or movie may also allure the need for fantasy.  Advertisers may show scenes that attract sense pleasures.  They may show beautiful landscapes that depict freshness or streams of water that seems cool and refreshing.  Marlboro country may show the great outdoors in a relaxing atmosphere.  And a field of lovely colourful flowers may depict a smell like no other.

Colors also affect people.  The cameraman or photographer can choose, frame and characterize the right color to capture the right symbolism or emotions for his or her biases.  Colors convey meaning through psychological symbolism and natural associations.  People become more comfortable when they are reminded of color associations.  For example, blue reminds them of cool water, the sky and calmness.

Green may remind them of trees and renewal.  Violet may induce harmony.  Yellow may increase creativity or clarity.  Orange may speak of vitality and fun.  White may symbolize purity.  And red may remind them of fire and blood, or it may show drive, direction, energy or courage.  The colors may also symbolize something positive or negative.  For instance, blue is the color of the sky on a sunny day, but blue also characterizes sadness.  Thats why if some people are sad, they may say I feel blue or Im singing the blues.

Color is then associated with the Five Elements.  It can be linked to gender, race, class, religion, political division, country and so forth.  The Elements come in different combinations for every individual that makes each person unique.  So the specific color associations will vary for each individual.  For example, for Muslims, green is heaven.  But in Ireland, it is linked with luck.  Green can also be associated with environmentalism or in politics, the Green Party.  It may also mean the traffic light go.  If a car is colored green, police may not pay as much attention to it as much as a red car.

Color symbolism also has several influential factors.  The specific color shade or variation can convey different meanings.  For example, light red or pink connotes tenderness whereas dark means energy.  Also, light blue is soft, whereas dark blue is authoritative.  Another factor is the quantity and placement of the color--the larger the area, the more potent the symbolism.  The next factor is the shape the color occupies.  Combining color and shape makes the symbolism more complex.  And the last factor is color combination.  Combinations create new meaning to color.  For instance, red and green is associated with Christmas in the West.

Color can also affect your body.  For example, blue is an appetite-suppressant. There was a time when blue MMs did not exist.  They were added later at the request of some fans.  So restaurants will want to avoid blue lighting, plates or blue-colored food.  Green, brown and red are more appetizing.  These are the colors usually included in food ads and restaurants.   Pink can also temporarily tranquilize aggression.  It is the color used in some jails to calm down angry antagonistic prisoners.

Color also affects taste and smell.  The condition called synaesthesia describes this.  Since each sense has a pathway to the brain and these paths are parallel to each other, the senses can work together.  Thus, seeing a certain color may trigger other sensations.  For example, Lemon yellow may trigger a sour taste or green may evoke the smell of grass.

Color can also irritate you and give you headaches, or it can soothe and relax you.  For example, pure bright lemon yellow is the most fatiguing color.  It is useful for getting your attention, but its long-term use will annoy you.

Moreover, the Five Elements including the genders react differently to color.  For example, blue and yellow is favored more by men than women.   On the other hand, women prefer red more than men.  But if they had to choose between yellow and orange only, men prefer orange and women yellow.  Women also prefer blue green more than men.  In addition, men are more tolerant toward achromatic colors (black, white and gray) than women, who prefer more variety (Guilford and Smith 1959).  If you also had to expose both men and women in a gray room, women would be more relaxed than men in that room (Kuller, 1976).  Women can also identify more specific colors than men, and they are more likely than men to have a favorite color (Radeloff 1990).  Finally, color combinations that are closely related or opposite to each other are perceived to be more balanced and pleasing (Guilford 1934).

Next, clothing or fashion can create tension.  Again the Five Elements, such as the genders, favor certain clothing styles and avoid others.  For example, gays and Westerners tend to wear clothes that are body-fit or tight, as opposed to men or Asians who like to wear baggy or loose clothes.  Western pants hug the buttocks and the contour can easily be seen from the back.  The shirt and sleeves tend to hug the body too, and they may wear ornamental clothing like neck ties or bow ties or clothing accessories that serve no real function but aesthetics.  Western fashion is designed to arouse the senses, and its sensual nature sometimes offends others.  On the other hand, Arabs may not want to see another mans buttocks and may in fact be offended by it.  They will wear loose fitting clothes to hide the contours of the body.  The Chinese also traditionally wear loose-fitting or baggy clothes.  The cameraman then tries to balance the bipolar opposition between the two.

Architecture also creates tension.  The Five Elements favor different kinds of designs based on what they value.  For instance, some people prioritize safety.  They may see tall buildings as fire, earthquake, terrorist, typhoon or hurricane hazards.  Others may see it as modern wonders.  Some will prefer a primitive natural look to their housing, but others will prefer a modern functional style.

While all these elements create subjectivity in film and pictures based on what you select, how you frame it and how you personalize it, the camera still produces more objective images than drawings or paintings.  Political cartoonists, for instance, tend to exaggerate certain features or peculiarities in individuals.  They make the ears larger or the noise pointier.  Or they can make the chin stretch further.  The head is usually much bigger than the body.

Moreover, the Five Elements will also draw or paint an image based on their own element.  For example, since the Japanese have small slanted eyes, their animated drawings or manga of Westerners tend to have very big round eyes.  On the other hand, Western cartoons of the Chinese or Japanese tend to have eyes that are only slanted lines.  They each exaggerate the others features.  Another example is the caricature of Barrack Obama and his wife by the New Yorker before he became president.  Either because of his race or political party, the Obamas were portrayed like terrorists, with Barrack wearing an Islamic wardrobe and his wife carrying a riffle on her back.  It was blasted by many critics for being very subjective.  Moreover, the Danish caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, with one being a demonic pedophile, created great controversy too because of its extreme subjectivity.

The tension between subjectivity and objectivity creates conflict, internal and external.  For example, on April 26, 2008, thousands of people surrounded the CNN center in Atlanta, San Francisco and Hollywood to protest what the people called slanderous and fraudulent news about China and the Chinese people.  People naturally expect news to be objective, but since it also has elements of the subjective, it creates tension.  Foreign ministry spokeswomen Jiang Yu urged CNN to apologize.  Eventually, CNN president Jim Walton apologized, but the Chinese government rejected CNNs explanation and demanded that CNN create more objective reports.  Clearly, media errors can even create World War III.

It would be even graver if television broadcasts were faked.  Recently, Imedi TV in Georgia triggered panic among Georgians because it aired a simulated Russian attack in the country without sufficient notice.  The show used archived footage with the anchor reporting the attack as current.  Georgians went out to the streets and prepared to flee the area.  Later the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili appeared on television and apologized for the false alarm.  The Georgian Orthodox Church said, This kind of experiment is a crime to our people and to humanity.

And during the Cold War era, the United States may have actually used photography tricks to use as propaganda against the Russians.  Some people claim that the success of Russians sputnik launch during the Cold War prompted the U.S. government to take drastic measures that is, try to land on the moon, and if it doesnt work out just use fake moon-landing photographs to cover up any failure.   Any succeeding trips to the moon would just make up for any previous failures.  Photography experts examined the original Apollo 11 landing shots and were very suspicious about its authenticity.  So some people demanded that the original video footage of the landings be released to the public.  But NASA said they lost it already and that they may have accidentally erased it.  You would think that footage that important would be treasured like gold, but the fact that they didnt arouses even more suspicion that they are hiding the truth.   The only available Apollo 11 footage today comes from grainy television recordings on earth or digitally enhanced footages from Hollywood special-effects artists.  Stan Lebar, the designer of the original Apollo camera eventually said, I dont believe that the tapes exist today at all.  It was a hard thing to accept. But there was just an overwhelming amount of evidence that led us to believe that they just dont exist any more. Tension increases when people dont know what to believe in anymore.  Even more recently, the BBC presented the story of the fake moon rock presented to Dutch Prime Minister Willem Drees by the Apollo 11 astronauts as a goodwill gift.  Xandra van Gelder, who proved it was fake, said Its a good story, with some questions that are still unanswered.

We do know that television is continuously used for propaganda.  For instance, during the Persian Gulf War with Iraq, CNN showed a U.S. military presentation about how they were going to attack Iraq.  They mentioned that attacking it by land was too dangerous and that the best way to attack them was from the sea.  Apparently, it was a trick for the Iraqis who were also watching the broadcast because the U.S. Army did the opposite of what they presented in CNN.  The Iraqis, acting on the broadcast, stationed most of their elite forces to guard a sea attack and left the land areas almost unguarded.  The U.S. Army then easily captured Bagdhad using a land attack.  This type of media manipulation and propaganda rings an alarm bell on television viewers.  While viewers who are aware of visual culture may be doubtful about television broadcasts, nave people will simply be manipulated.

Hollywood even produced a movie, Wag the Dog, about media manipulation.  In the film, the American President asks Hollywood to create a fake war for him to distract Americans and the media from his sex scandal and to win in his re-election bid. When the president doesnt give credit to the Hollywood producer later for his re-election, the producer tries to squeal to the media about their fake production, but the producer was shot by the presidents aids.

Thus, the knowledge of visual culture is very important in creating policies and designs that addresses these tensions.  People are constantly being fooled by their senses as they continuously try to evaluate the objective from the subjective.  While photographs and films are subjective based on the biases of scene selection, framing and style, it is still more objective compared to drawings or paintings which are imaginative.  When people look at these images, they question what is real and what is imagined.  And those who have knowledge of visual culture have an advantage.