Rebuilding the Paradigm of Research Using Visual Narratives
The Department of English at Syracuse University's College of Arts and Sciences is revolutionising academic research by adopting videographic criticism – a scholarly practice that uses video, sound, and editing techniques to explore and interpret works. This innovative method allows scholars to engage directly with media elements, enhancing the depth and multidimensionality of literary and film analysis.
Videographic criticism offers several benefits for students and scholars. It encourages multimodal engagement, fostering a broader understanding and critical perspective on media texts and cultural products. By combining textual analysis with audiovisual media, it enables a more holistic approach to scholarly inquiry.
Moreover, videographic criticism cultivates creative and analytical skill development. It encourages the development of technical skills in video editing and sound, as well as critical thinking, promoting innovative methods of scholarly communication beyond the written word.
The use of audiovisual tools offers enhanced interpretive richness, as scholars can directly engage with a work’s formal elements like visuals, sounds, and pacing, which are difficult to convey in traditional text-based criticism. This approach allows for nuanced interpretations and a deeper understanding of the works being analysed.
Furthermore, videographic criticism promotes interdisciplinary research by bridging film studies, digital humanities, and artistic research. This blending of theoretical analysis with creative media production enriches humanities research, making it more dynamic and engaging.
The growing recognition of videographic criticism's academic value is evident in its expansion within English departments, such as at Syracuse University. The institution actively incorporates this method into research and teaching, signalling a shift towards more innovative and engaging scholarly practices.
One Ph.D. candidate in English, Meg Healy, has found videographic criticism particularly enlightening in her dissertation research. Healy's research examines how fans, corporations, authors, and scholars have shaped the popularity of science fiction across literature and film. Healy's work with videographic criticism led to a particularly enlightening discovery in the chapter focused on the "Star Wars" franchise, revealing elements she had previously overlooked.
Healy attended the Reframing the Argument workshop at the University of Notre Dame, where she received training in advanced audiovisual rhetoric, video editing, constructing scholarly arguments, and applying videographic techniques to her dissertation. Faculty mentors at the workshop, including Colleen Laird, Ariel Avissar, Barbara Zecchi, and Matthew Thomas Payne, played a key role in creating an environment that encouraged experimentation and led to meaningful discoveries.
In the fall, the Department of English will host a workshop with Catherine Grant, an internationally recognised scholar and practitioner of videographic criticism. Grant is known for her pioneering work with audiovisual essays in film and moving image studies.
Through its adoption and promotion of videographic criticism, the Department of English is helping redefine what academic research can look-and sound-like, with a growing network of collaborators and a fresh approach to scholarship. This innovative method is transforming the study of literature and media by combining innovative media techniques with scholarly inquiry, offering both pedagogical and research benefits that deepen students’ and scholars’ engagement with texts and audiovisual culture.
- Meg Healy, a Ph.D. candidate in English at Syracuse University, delved deeper into her dissertation research on the popularity of science fiction in literature and film due to the use of videographic criticism.
- The Department of English's integration of online education, such as workshops on audiovisual rhetoric and video editing, has facilitated the development of creative and analytical skills among students and scholars.
- Beyond traditional academic research, the Department of English's adoption of sustainable-living practices like home-and-garden workshops fosters a lifestyle that supports education-and-self-development, encouraging a holistic approach to scholarly inquiry and public engagement.
