9 - The Artist - Mr Jones
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Transcript of 9 - The Artist - Mr Jones
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7/31/2019 9 - The Artist - Mr Jones
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Im Not ThereMr Jones
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Focus Questions
(what you should be able to answer by
the end)1. What is Keenan Jones a representation of?
2. Why is the song Ballad of a Thin Man significant?
3. How does this sequence represent the impact of themedia on the artist?
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A shift...
So, we move away a little from the relationship between the artist
and their broad, fan-based audience at this point in order to
explore the more specific relationship between the artist and the
media.
This will involve close readings of stuff from the Jude timeline -
particularly the Ballad of a Thin Man mini music video
sequence. Well also be looking quite closely at the Billy
sequences - with a particular interest in the myth of Billy the Kidand the idea of forced seclusion.
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Initial questions...
How can an artist use the media?
How can the media use an artist?
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A focus question for viewing
Consider this as you watch this sequence:
Haynes talks about how he wanted to dramatise the song, i.e. he
wanted to create a visual representation of the song and itslyrics.
So, what would you say is the message of the song?
And what connections can you see between the lyrics and thevisuals?
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Insert clip of Ballad of a Thin Man
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Returning to the
question...So, what would you say is the message of the song?And what connections can you see between the lyrics and the
visuals?
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Indicting the Establishment
To indict: to accuse or charge someone with a serious crime - in
our case, charging someone or something with a significant
wrongdoing.
The Establishment: those who hold all the power; the people who
make the rules.
So, why is Keenan Jones a representation of the Establishment?
What is the indictment being made here?
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Indicting the Establishment
The idea here is that it takes those people who think they are in
control, that they know what is going on because they have
power and influence, and suggests to them that they are wrong
and that they know nothing.
The idea is that the media (as representative of the
Establishment) wants to know what is happening so that they
can package it, re-present it, and use it for their own purposes.
They need things to be understandable and they need things tobe meaningful otherwise they are useless to them.
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How?
Youve each got a set of images from the scene.
What were looking to do with each is briefly explain how the shot
goes about showing this undermining or indictment of the media.
Make sure you think about technical choices.
Consider:
- undermining their sense of authority- pointing out their lack of knowledge
- turning them into outsiders
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Example
Here we might think about the
use of a symbol. The
microphone is symbolic of
having a voice, yet Jones is
unable to speak here. The idea
ends up being that Jonesactually has nothing to say, or at
least nothing interesting to
say.
We might also talk about composition. The artist is outside of the cage, while Jones is
inside. The artist is now one of the people in this composition, rather than the other wayaround. Jones is cut off from the outside, helping to construct him as a figure of ridicule,
rather than a figure of knowledge or understanding.
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The bigger picture...
So this work is about developing an understanding about what
the film has to say about the artist/media tension. There is
always a push and pull going on between the two.
The media want something fixed - they want to know what is
happening so that they can report on it. They want their artists to
be stable and to be knowable. Even if the message is horrific, if it
fits a pattern then its understandable.
The artists drive though is based on inspiration, which is
something that is never fixed. The artist cant really explain
themselves because for them theres nothing to explain.