Cultural Artifact- The Camera

The cultural artifact that I chose to write about is the motion picture camera. The motion picture camera is unique in more ways than you'd think. First of all, its an insanely advanced piece of equipment. It took a company and a group of designers and engineers a great deal of time to create- especially the modern digital cinema camera. In terms of the film industry- it is probably the single most important element to any film set. Without it, a video could not be created.

 The camera also says a lot about the person using it. In the industry, one does not simply become a camera operator. It takes several years to work their way up a figurative ladder to get to the point of becoming a Director of Photography (the person that operates the camera). The person who operates the camera has spent a ton of time perfecting their craft- working first as a 2nd camera assistant taking notes about each shot and loading and unloading equipment. The person then progresses towards a 1st camera assistant and learns the ins and outs of the camera. They also are responsible for making sure that everything is always in focus and keeping lenses and other support equipment in full working order. Being able to finally operate the camera is a big deal as a lot of a video's success depends on that person. I was fortunate enough to work at a camera rental house a few years ago and really learned the ins and outs of the camera world. Its an artifact that has evolved greatly over the past 100 years. Cameras used to shoot on film, now everything is digital. Its truly incredible the power and significance of this object. Never before has anything else been able to capture a slice of life and tell a story!

Project Ideas

For my class project I'd like to study the filmmaking industry in Nashville. The industry isn't nearly as large as in cities such as New York or Los Angles, but certainly exists. I plan on working in the industry upon graduation, so this topic thoroughly interests me. I feel that by researching it further, I will also have a leg up on others in the industry as I will know more about the culture that exists within. Primarily, I would like to answer the following question: What makes the Nashville Music Video, Commercial, and Corporate Video production market different than other markets that exist in cities (such as New York, Atlanta, or L.A.)? I will research the culture of the market by working on several shoots and interviewing key figures in the industry.

Immediate Culture

I went home to visit family recently and decided to observe the culture that exists between us. Home for me is in Grand Blanc, Michigan. A sleepy suburb of Flint, Michigan that is known for being the most violent and depressed city in the nation. This is hard to believe as Grand Blanc is still a nice town full of mostly middle class people like my family. My family consists of myself, my younger brother Matt, younger sister Rebecca, and my parents- Mark and Brenda. This year has been a transition year for everyone. My brother went off to college, sister entered high school and I will be graduating from Belmont in the spring. I can tell that my parents have been feeling the effects of this greatly.

Double Entry Notes

I was in the library the other night and decided to do some observations of what I saw. Double Entry observations of course! See the attached photo. Anyways, I came to ask myself the following questions afterwards:

• What surprised me?
• I think the thing that surprised me the most was the amount of time wasted by Belmont students in the library. It seems as if at least 75% of the students I observed were on social media websites or wasting time.
• What intrigued me?
• I was very intrigued by the students that seemed to actually be studying. They were able to zone out the rest of the shenanigans by putting on headphones and keeping to themselves. 
• What disturbed me?
• I think overall, the primary purpose of the library has changed. It used to be that students would only visit the library when they were serious about research. Now it seems as if the Library has changed to a social hangout where hardly any work gets done. This is truly sad in my opinion.