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Art General

Amateur Movie Making

Aesthetics of the Everyday in New England Film, 1915–1960

edited by Martha J. McNamara & Karan Sheldon

foreword by Alice T. Friedman

contributions by Dino Everett, Libby Bischof, Justin Wolff, Whit Stillman, Karen Gracy, Charles Tepperman, Jennifer Neptune, Christopher Reed, Christopher Castiglia, Brian Jacobson, Martha White, Melissa Dollman & Janna Jones

Publisher
Indiana University Press
Initial publish date
May 2017
Category
General, History & Criticism
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780253026163
    Publish Date
    May 2017
    List Price
    $46.00
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780253025623
    Publish Date
    May 2017
    List Price
    $112.00

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

A compelling regional and historical study that transforms our understanding of film history, Amateur Movie Making demonstrates how amateur films and home movies stand as testaments to the creative lives of ordinary people, enriching our experience of art and the everyday. Here we encounter the lyrical and visually expressive qualities of films produced in New England between 1915 and 1960 and held in the collections of Northeast Historic Film, a moving image repository and study center that was established to collect, preserve, and interpret the audiovisual record of northern New England. Contributors from diverse backgrounds examine the visual aesthetics of these films while placing them in their social, political, and historical contexts. Each discussion is enhanced by technical notes and the analyses are also juxtaposed with personal reflections by artists who have close connections to particular amateur filmmakers. These reflections reanimate the original private contexts of the home movies before they were recast as objects of study and artifacts of public history.

About the authors

Editorial Reviews

At first blush, Amateur Movie Making's subtitle, Aesthetics of the Everyday in New England Film, 1915–1960, might suggest a narrowly defined field of inquiry with limited appeal to a broader audience. But readers would be remiss to dismiss such a delightful and expansive volume that resonates far beyond the realm of amateur film. One of Amateur Movie Making's greatest strengths is its addition of materials that animate the films in surprising ways.

Journal of Cinema and Media Studies

 

Amateur Movie Making is Visual History at its best.

Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television

 

An invaluable contribution to the study of previously overlooked nontheatrical films, Amateur Movie Making is a welcome addition to the overall field of media studies. Its focus on the everyday aspects of the material culture of the past along with its highly accessible and engaging writing will appeal to experts and non-experts alike.

Society for Cinema and Media Studies Best Edited Collection Award Committee. (2018 award winner)

 

[I]t is the love of cinema that shines through in these essays and the films themselves, making this book a must read for all of us.

UCLA Film & Television Archive