There was a time is screen culture when the facial close-up was a spectacular and mysterious imagehellip; The constant bombardment of the super-enlarged; computer-enhanced faces of advertising; the endless talking heads of television and the ever-changing array of film stars faces have reduced the face to a banal image; while the dream of early film theorists that the giant severed heads of the screen could reveal the soul of man to the masses is long since dead. And yet the end of this dream opens up the possibility for a different view of the face on the screen. The aim of the book is to seize this opportunity to rethink the facial close-up in terms other than subjectivity and identity by shifting the focus to questions of death and recognition. In doing so; the book proposes a dialectical reversal or about-face. It suggests that we focus our attention on the places in contemporary media where the face becomes unrecognisable; for it is here that the facial close-up expresses the powers of death. Using Walter Benjamins theory of the dialectical image as a critical tool; the book provides detailed studies of a wide range of media spectacles of faces becoming unrecognisable. It shows how the mode of recognition enabled by these faces is a shock experience that can open our eyes to the underside of the mask of self - the unrecognisable mortal face of self we spend our lives trying not to see. Turning on itself; so to speak; the face exposes the fragile relationship between social recognition and facial recognizability in the images-cultures of contemporary media.
#3002020 in eBooks 2012-07-24 2012-07-24File Name: B01A27UEC4
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Read this book before you buy another set of headshots!By A Colorado CustomerMountains of information in this enlightening but easy read.Have a kid with talent? Want to know the next step forward? Author; lawyer and father Steven Beer offers insightful chapters on everything a parent asks themselves along this journey. Well formatted by a variety of subject matter chapters that are further broken down to help access them after reading the book in its entirety. There is also a great index and glossary with the all the lingo that is thrown at you the parent by a variety of individuals in the entertainment industry (ie whats a "loan out entity" or "holding fee").Your Childs Career in Music and Entertainment: The Prudent Parents Guide from Start to Stardom2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A MUST read for anyone whose kids have talent and wants to explore how to take it to the next level.By jonathan McHughI first met Mr. Beer years ago when I was at Jive Records. I was there when he helped discover and nurture a 16 year old from Kentwood; La. named Brtiney Spears (along with his partner Larry Rudolph) into a global superstar. I watched Steven through the years navigate this challenging world of super talented young artists like Britney and 14 year old Aaron Carter (brother of Nick Carter of Backsteet Boys.) It has been educational to witness his acumen first hand. Now he finally translates his massive experience in the trenches (he was the first person to tell me about Lady Gaga long before she exploded) and his own kids into one easy MUST read.If you have a kid who has some talent and may be interested in a career in the business;(dont they all) do yourself a favor and take the time and read this book BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Best reference possible for getting started in entertainmentBy JPiccariDefinitely one of the best references for getting your kid into the Entertainment industry. But its not just for kids! As an entertainment professional; it was really helpful to have a written-out way to self-examine some of my approaches (as well as my history and path) to getting into entertainment myself!Steven was able to make the material easy to read and understand with colorful metaphors that made it digestible at any level of industry exposure. Whether your kid has never been exposed to the real experience that is "the industry" or your child had been working on getting into it for years; Stevens book is an excellent reference.I highly recommend reading this book to give you peace of mind; give you a chance to re-examine and re-think; and most of all; give you the tools you need to see if entertainment REALLY is the best choice for you and your child. Its a cut-throat business; listen to this man before you jump into those shark-infested waters!
