Proposed Panel for SCMS 2015: "Media Studies Beyond the Screen"

Please share widely: Proposed Panel: Media Studies Beyond the Screen Society for Cinema and Media Studies Annual Conference 2015 Call for Papers: Deadline: -July 15, 2014- Extended until August 8th! Notification by August 12th. When media are fused with our lives, whither media studies? While screens large and small are ever-present objects in our environment, “media” as a term encompasses more than the cinema, television, or mobile devices. By encouraging a timely reflection on what constitutes “media,” this panel considers what role we can play in the analysis and understanding of media technologies beyond the screen. From the concept of the body as a medium and the development of biomedia, to the consideration of senses other than the eyes, media studies stand to be enriched by the broadening of our scope. In fact, what does it mean to bring non-screen-based media into contact with the rich history of cinema studies? What happens if the “beyond” of this panel’s title is taken to mean not just “other than” but, literally ,“on the other side of”? What types of translation must take place for concepts of mediation to move from related disciplines? How can we draw from the work of allied fields and make media studies a truly trans-disciplinary enterprise? Methodological and speculative in scope, this panel aims to bring together theorists, historians, and practice-based researchers of non-screen-based media. Papers will be selected based on their ability to contribute to a broad conversation regarding the contribution of non-screen-based media to cinema and media studies as a trans-discipline. Possible topics include, but are not limited to: · Sound-based media projects such as sound art and new instrumental technologies · Haptic and body-based media technologies such as the Kinect, Geomagic Phantom, and force-feedback devices · Olfactory and gustatory media · Wearable media technologies such as Google Glass and the Lilypad · Nanomedia, nano-fog, and other forms of media at the atomic level · Interactions with kinetic forms of mediation such as robots, drones, and puppets · Biomedia and biotechnologies · Neuromedia such as sound from EEG devices and neurofeedback · Non-ocular assistive technologies · Maker spaces, making, hacking, and 3D printing of media · How any of the above may intersect cinema studies/film theory Please send your paper proposal of no more than 300 words, along with affiliation and short bio, to Nicholas Knouf (nknouf@wellesley.edu) and Maurizio Viano (mviano@wellesley.edu) by July 15, 2014.