Fighting with films

The article analyzes film discourse, both informative and fiction, in the United States during the First World War. The article places “the division of films” in the framework of the complex campaign of institutional communication started by W. Wilson’s government after the war declaration by analyz...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mollá Furió, Diego, Gavaldá Roca, Josep
Format: Online
Language:spa
Published: Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/eticaycine/article/view/19622
_version_ 1811172806314950656
author Mollá Furió, Diego
Gavaldá Roca, Josep
author_facet Mollá Furió, Diego
Gavaldá Roca, Josep
author_sort Mollá Furió, Diego
collection Portal de Revistas
description The article analyzes film discourse, both informative and fiction, in the United States during the First World War. The article places “the division of films” in the framework of the complex campaign of institutional communication started by W. Wilson’s government after the war declaration by analyzing “publicity” and “propaganda” strategies deployed by the Committee on Public Information, which was created ad hoc for the military campaign. On the one hand, the paper explores the film stories, both documentary and fiction, distribution apparatus in both the United States and the international markets, the administration policies and the involved agencies, especially in the international distribution. On the other hand, it examines the model of production concerning the contracts signing with film companies and the organization adopted by the Committee on Public Information to create its own productions and participate in joint projects with film companies. The paper places emphasis on the “theory” developed by the Committee on Public Information about script-writing and film staging, particulary on the case of documentary stories, which were based in a model, hybridized with fiction stories, in order to stimulate demand for “educational”, “propaganda” film-making, to which the exhibitors initially showed signs of resistence. The paper also highlights, in overall terms, how iconical representation was categorized and, in particular, the assessment on the role silent cinema can play in the Committee’s development of communicative strategies. In spite of the Comittee’s avoidance of the “propaganda” category, as its own name shows, iconical representation was given “highest propaganda value” and was granted a place of privilege, particularly, in the international campaign’s call to spread “the gospel of americanism” around the globe
format Online
id oai:ojs.revistas.unc.edu.ar:article-19622
institution Universidad Nacional de Cordoba
language spa
publishDate 2017
publisher Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad
record_format ojs
spelling oai:ojs.revistas.unc.edu.ar:article-196222019-07-27T15:52:14Z Fighting with films Fighting with films Mollá Furió, Diego Gavaldá Roca, Josep Comunicación política Propaganda Publicidad Discurso Cinematográfico Análisis del discurso Political Communication Propaganda Publicity Advertising Film Discourse Discourse analysis The article analyzes film discourse, both informative and fiction, in the United States during the First World War. The article places “the division of films” in the framework of the complex campaign of institutional communication started by W. Wilson’s government after the war declaration by analyzing “publicity” and “propaganda” strategies deployed by the Committee on Public Information, which was created ad hoc for the military campaign. On the one hand, the paper explores the film stories, both documentary and fiction, distribution apparatus in both the United States and the international markets, the administration policies and the involved agencies, especially in the international distribution. On the other hand, it examines the model of production concerning the contracts signing with film companies and the organization adopted by the Committee on Public Information to create its own productions and participate in joint projects with film companies. The paper places emphasis on the “theory” developed by the Committee on Public Information about script-writing and film staging, particulary on the case of documentary stories, which were based in a model, hybridized with fiction stories, in order to stimulate demand for “educational”, “propaganda” film-making, to which the exhibitors initially showed signs of resistence. The paper also highlights, in overall terms, how iconical representation was categorized and, in particular, the assessment on the role silent cinema can play in the Committee’s development of communicative strategies. In spite of the Comittee’s avoidance of the “propaganda” category, as its own name shows, iconical representation was given “highest propaganda value” and was granted a place of privilege, particularly, in the international campaign’s call to spread “the gospel of americanism” around the globe El artículo analiza el discurso cinematográfico norteamericano, informativo y de ficción, del periodo de la Primera Guerra Mundial. Inscribe el trabajo de “the division of films” en el marco de la compleja campaña de comunicación institucional desplegada por el gobierno de W. Wilson tras la declaración de guerra, analizando las estrategias “publicitarias” y “de propaganda” del Committee on Public Information, creado ad hoc para la campaña bélica. Se estudia, por una parte, el aparato de distribución de los relatos cinematográficos documentales y de ficción tanto en el mercado norteamericano como en el mercado internacional, las medidas administrativas y los organismos implicados, especialmente en la distribución internacional. Por otra, se estudia el modelo de producción tanto en lo relativo a los contratos firmados con las principales productoras norteamericanas como en lo relativo a la organización de la que se dotó el Committee on Public Information para realizar sus propias producciones y participar en proyectos de coproducción con las empresas cinematográficas. Se prestará especial atención a la “teoría” desarrollada por el Committee on Public Information, en lo relativo a la escritura del guión y en lo relativo a la puesta en escena de los films, sobre todo en el caso de los relatos documentales, para los que se habilitó un modelo, basado en su hibridación con los relatos de ficción, que perseguía estimular la demanda de un cine “educativo”, de “propaganda”, frente al que los exhibidores mostraron en un principio no pocas resistencias. El estudio prestará especial atención a la categorización de que es objeto la representación icónica, en términos generales, y, en particular, la valoración que se hace del papel que puede desempeñar el silent cinema en el desarrollo de las estragegias comunicativas del Committe on Public Information. A pesar de la prevención con que el Comité utiliza la categoría de “propaganda”, como lo atestigua su propia denominación, a la representación icónica se le reconocerá el “máximo valor propagandístico”, concediéndole lugar de privilegio, en especial, en la campaña internacional llamada a difundir por todo el planeta “the gospel of americanism”. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad 2017-11-01 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion application/pdf https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/eticaycine/article/view/19622 10.31056/2250.5415.v7.n3.19622 Ética y Cine Journal; Vol. 7 Núm. 3 (2017): Memoria(s) en el cine, memoria(s) del cine; 31-41 2250-5415 2250-5660 10.31056/2250.5415.v7.n3 spa https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/eticaycine/article/view/19622/19857 Derechos de autor 2017 Ética&Cine Journal
spellingShingle Comunicación política
Propaganda
Publicidad
Discurso Cinematográfico
Análisis del discurso
Political Communication
Propaganda
Publicity Advertising
Film Discourse
Discourse analysis
Mollá Furió, Diego
Gavaldá Roca, Josep
Fighting with films
title Fighting with films
title_alt Fighting with films
title_full Fighting with films
title_fullStr Fighting with films
title_full_unstemmed Fighting with films
title_short Fighting with films
title_sort fighting with films
topic Comunicación política
Propaganda
Publicidad
Discurso Cinematográfico
Análisis del discurso
Political Communication
Propaganda
Publicity Advertising
Film Discourse
Discourse analysis
topic_facet Comunicación política
Propaganda
Publicidad
Discurso Cinematográfico
Análisis del discurso
Political Communication
Propaganda
Publicity Advertising
Film Discourse
Discourse analysis
url https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/eticaycine/article/view/19622
work_keys_str_mv AT mollafuriodiego fightingwithfilms
AT gavaldarocajosep fightingwithfilms