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Annotated Bibliography by Corinna Contreras

Page history last edited by corinnacontreras@umail.ucsb.edu 15 years, 1 month ago

Annotated Bibliography Assignment

Bibliography by Corinna Contreras, member of the Harrison Bergeron Project

 

 

 

1. Meyer, David. The Politics of Protest: Social Movements in America. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.

     

     As an academic work, this book defines, applies, and clarifies social protest and movements that have occurred, and/or are occurring in the United States of America. As a recent study, this contemporary in-depth look at the social processes that culminate in social movements and protest, provides a logical backdrop for the Harrison Bergeron Project. Focusing on various perspectives of social movement theory, a tightly framed theoretical structure arises from concise discussion involving collective identity, networks, grievances, and individual influence. Issues of politcal nature are brought to the forefront in this book, actively engaging the reader in both a lesson in American History as well as novel insights into why it is that people participate in social movements. Drawing on rich dialouge between history and sociology, a clear picture of contemporary American life begins to emerge. Resting on the foundation that protest movements lay at the core of American history, theory is built from the first protest movement in U.S. history, to contemporary movements.

 

     Such movements are explained in such a fashion as to illuminate the actual political system that governs the American people. The American Constitution rests at the center of this academic examination, claiming that the structure of this constitution provides a healthy means by which the public can engage in mass protest to change the course of history. The social impuse to protest against political and social grievances plays into the structure of the United States Constitution which bears allowance to such activities. These actions are not with out consequence; the book also looks into the institutional response and the possible political ramifications of such activities at both a micro and macro level.

 

 

2. Jolliffe, Genevieve and Chris Jones. The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook. Chris Jones and Genevieve Jolliffe, 2004. 

     

     With over one hundred and fifty interviews with some of the most important film industry insiders, this book outlines, at its minimum, how to construct a film from scratch. In seven hundred and twenty pages, one can see the long and sometimes painful process of creating a film from start to finish, receiving valuable information at each progression forward. Working professionals divulge information in a casual manner, allowing a 'Hollywood outsider' to get a cozy look at the business from the ones that make it work. Some of those interviewed include Steven Soderbergh's crew, Universal and Fox Studio's executives as well as top agents, film festival co-ordinator, top lawyers and managers, just to name a few.

     Covering every aspect of filmmaking, from breaking into the business to actually making your film and selling it, expert advice gives the reader a big heads-up when it comes to common pitfalls. A wealth of knowledge, this hunk of text answers any question one would have concerning the film business, even providing valuable contact information ranging from legal to postproduction for those with unanswered question or plain curiosity.

     Perhaps the most important advice given in this book is that of proper legal procedures. With copyright and privacy rights, among others, often halting the progression of the film process, knowing how to avoid or push through such obstacles can save even a bad film.

 

 

3. Ang, Tom. Digital Video: An Introduction. New York, New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2006.

     

     With the bulk of the Harrison Bergeron Project consisting of digital video, unerstanding the elements behind digital video faciliates the process. In this book, the basics of digital video are explained in a simple step by step method. While filming, technical difficulties no doubtedly arise; under tight time constraints, these issues can retard the filming process, effectively destroying the core of the Harrison Bergeron Project. Common digital video issues are diligently addressed in this book, making it a must have during the filming process.

     A common occurrance is that of problems with exposure. Since lighting has dramatic effects on the filming process, knowing how to manipulate light in an effective manner produces more interesting and aethetically pleasing results. This area of know-how in the book provides important tips that steer the filmmaker towards more correct use of ambient light. With object positioning key in the lighting and the general filming process, key lighting and other 'accepted' lighting/positioning procedures are discussed at length.

     Particularly interesting is the chapter on wideshot perspective; due to the protest-documentary nature of the project, such perspective shooting is key to the adequate portrayal of the tone and short story in general.

 

 

4. Joseph, Peniel. Waiting 'Til The Midnight Hour: A Narrative History of Black Power In America. Peniel E. Joseph, 2006.

 

     Focusing on the Black Power movement that flourished during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, this book probes deep into the foundation of the movement, drawing on little known facts that came together in heated furry to set forth the Black Power movement. In 1966, the loud cry of "Black Power" rang with passion as many, dissatisfied with the progress or tactics of the mainstream socio-political movement, turned away from the pacifist ways of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and built upon the work of Malcom X, reviving his fallen legacy. Those who sought this new path towards equality include the influential members Stokely Carmichael and Huey P. Newton, both of which fostered the growth of the Black Power movement. Written with intensity, this mesmerizing journey from the obscure origins of this movement to the rise of the Black Panthers and beyond intertwines archival research with more than sixty original oral histories, successfully producing an exciting and academic examination of this faction of the Civil Rights Movement.

     Full of tension, the 1960s and early 1970s fit the absurdist tone in Kurt Vonnegut's short story "Harrison Bergeron". Understanding the context in which this story was written in allows for the team to better bring to life the story while preserving the weight of history behind it. The Civil Rights movement, and in particular the radical factions of the movement such as the Black Power movement, deal entirely with the notion of equality. As a central theme in Vonnegut's short story, the interpretation of equality in "Harrison Bergeron" needs to be compared to the notion of equality during the Civil Rights movement; Joseph's book allows for such cross-examination and cross-comparison between the two narratives.

 

5. "Harrison Bergeron: Introduction." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol 5. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 11 February 2009. <http://www.enotes.com/harrison-bergeron/introduction>.

 

     Beginning with a quick overview of the history behind Kurt Vonnegut's short story "Harrison Bergeron," this web site provides an in depth examination of this short story that focuses on the themes, style, historical context, and literary criticism to academically dissect this literary work. Having such an overview to fall back on provides an easy way to access the greater themes of the work as well as the basis for personal interpretation of the text. The historical context of the text allows for a more genuine interpretation of the short story by painting a more vivid picture that connects the themes discussed in the short story to those that occurred in reality during the time period in which it was written. Allusions to actual events and people would not be easily noticed by the reader if historical context were not included. This website provides such context and uses academic investigation to connect such passages in the text with contemporary events and people that may have been alluded to in the story. The connection between the real and the imagined relies on sound historical analysis; this website provides the basis for such an analysis.  

 

 

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