[ecrea] CfP A Hundred Years of Film Theory. Münsterberg and Beyond: Concepts, Applications, Perspectives

/Call for papers/

A hundred years of Film theory. Münsterberg and beyond: Concepts,
Applications, Perspectives

Leipzig, Germany, 29th June 2016 – 2nd July 2016

A century after Hugo Münsterberg´s pioneering publication of 1916, The
Photoplay. A Psychological Study, an international and interdisciplinary
conference will look at audiovisual media from a broad variety of
perspectives and disciplines. The conference will highlight Münsterberg´s
achievements as a scholar, who began his academic career at the University
of Leipzig before going to Harvard, via the Universities of Heidelberg and
Freiburg. The interdisciplinary character of the conference reflects the
wide range of visions and interests that Hugo Münsterberg pursued in the
course of his life.

Münsterberg´s scientific interests reached from philosophy to different
fields of psychology and found a symbiosis in his studies on the new medium
of film in the last years of his life. Münsterberg´s work is noted for the
independent and pioneering development of Wundtian experimental psychology
based on fundamental concepts in philosophy and physiology. This was his
later groundwork for behaviorism as well as for application oriented
psychological sub disciplines. In addition to his manifold interests and
activities as a scholar, Hugo Münsterberg played a significant role in the
political trials and tribulations in pre WWI. At his time and still today,
the views on his role as a German in the prewar period vary extremely
between a German-US bridge constructor and a spy for the German Empire.

Held at the University of Leipzig, Germany, and sponsored by the
International Association for Media and History (iamhist) as well as the
Zentrum für Wissenschaft und Forschung|Medien (ZWF), the conference will
host a ceremony to celebrate Münsterberg’s achievements, who began his
career as a professor at the University of Leipzig before going to Harvard.

Papers in five thematic areas are welcome:

Area 1: MEDIA THEORY REVISITED

This area focuses on the role of this early film theory and takes a new look
at canonical works and examines forgotten theorists, ideas and debates.
Presentations may feature original analyses of individual texts or
theorists’ works from a variety of angles. Proposals may include analyses of
specific theorists, development of schools of thought, dissemination of
theory (e.g. in trade and specialist journals or academic writing),
approaches to media social theory and early ways to implement theory into
practice. Papers based on primary sources (archival documents, contemporary
journals, etc.), international perspectives and comparative approaches are
strongly welcomed.

Area 2: HUGO MÜNSTERBERG

This area invites analyses of individual films using Münsterberg’s ideas,
including considerations of film in comparison to other art forms, film
reception, the relevance of aesthetic and technical means in the medium of
film, and the value of cinema’s mimetic ability to represent reality. Paper
topics might also examine Münsterberg’s life and work, as well as the impact
and applications of his ideas. This area welcomes interdisciplinary
approaches, and papers, which discuss the transnational influence of
Münsterberg’s published work in both Germany and America, as well as in
other countries.

Area 3: MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY AND RECEPTION

This area investigates the psychological foundations of film reception
studies. It addresses various forms of reception research from preview
audiences, panels, focus groups, numerous forms of test marketing to more
recent uses of social media and gaming. We are particularly interested in
studies applying basic psychological concepts to practical reception
phenomena. Proposals may include analyses of individual case studies, the
development of certain methods (like physiological measures, eye-tracking,
real-time-response measurement etc.), the dissemination of results, the
implications of reception studies on film marketing and production, as well
as ways of putting psychological theory into practice.

Area 4: CONSULTANTS, CRITICS AND THE AUDIOVISUAL INDUSTRY

Presentations may feature analyses of individual academics or critics
working for the film business or other sponsors, investigate the role of
consultants, or take a closer look at how journalists or critics influenced
production from the early pre-production stages through distribution,
promotion, and reception.

Area 5: REDEFINING THE BOUNDARIES OF CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE

This area investigates the ways in which the boundaries of the cinematic
experience have been redefined throughout the history of moving images from
early fairground attractions to multiplex cinemas, to yet more contemporary
developments, i.e. in movie theatres or at home. This area particularly
welcomes papers based on primary sources (archival documents, contemporary
journals, interviews, etc.). Proposals may include case studies of films,
screening facilities, distribution and promotion, as well as the changing
role of cinema within global, national, regional, or local contexts.

Paper submission is now open until Sunday, November 15 2015.

For updates and further information, see the conference website:
http://www.muensterberg-2016.de/home.
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