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UC Davis experts: FilmThe following UC Davis faculty members are available to speak on topics related to the cinema. Some may be particularly useful to reporters covering topics related to the Feb. 29 Academy Awards. Spanish-language media members, please note fluent Spanish speakers Pablo Ortiz and Sergio de la Mora. General topicsPopular culture on the screenOn making movies
Genres
GENERAL TOPICSAcademy Awards historyHow have the Academy Awards changed over the decades? UC Davis American studies professor Eric Smoodin can compare modern-day productions to those in the past, talking about changes in glamour, fashion, star power and nomination choices. He can also talk about the demographics of fans likely for the nominees in the acting categories. A scholar of American film history, Smoodin studies how audiences respond to films and their stars, using fan mail, diaries and other sources. His new book, "Regarding Frank Capra: Audience, Celebrity and American Film Studies 1930s-1960s" was published 2004. Smoodin also wrote "Animating Culture: Hollywood Cartoons From the Sound Era" in 1993 and edited "Disney Discourse: Producing the Magic Kingdom" in 1994. Contact: Eric Smoodin, American Studies, (530) 752-8182, esmoodin@ucdavis.edu. Tragic themesJay Mechling, professor of American studies at UC Davis and a film expert, can talk about how political and economic events have influenced the cultural shift away from the traditional American optimism in recent movies. Mechling says many films show how people are swept up by events and unable to make choices. Mechling writes and teaches about the construction of masculinity in the United States, from the socialization of boys in families and organizations to the representations of masculinity in film and television. His book "On My Honor: The Boy Scouts and the Making of American Youth" was published in fall 2001. Contact: Jay Mechling, American Studies, (530) 752-9043 (office) or (510) 865-8858 (home), jemechling@ucdavis.edu. Sexuality, race and genderDavid Van Leer, professor of English at UC Davis, can talk about about popular films and television, with a special emphasis on issues of sexuality, race and gender in commercial Hollywood films since World War II. He has published widely at both academic presses and for The New Republic on such directors as George Cukor, Howard Hawks, Jacques Rivette, Marlon Riggs and Cheryl Dunye. His most recent book is "The Queening of America: Gay Culture in Straight Society." Contact David Van Leer, English, (530) 754-8253, dmvanleer@ucdavis.edu. Film adapations of novelsThis year four of the five of the films nominated for Academy Awards Best Picture originated as novels --"Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," "Master and Commander," "Mystic River" and "Seabiscuit." Three other films based on novels have received other Oscar nominations, including "House of Sand and Fog," "Cold Mountain" and "Girl with a Pearl Earring," illustrating just how significant literary texts continue to be as source material in Hollywood. UC Davis English lecturer Pamela Demory can talk about particularly good examples in these films of problems and implications of adapting literature into film. Demory writes and teaches about adaptations of classic English and American novels, such as those by Jane Austen or the Merchant/Ivory productions of E.M. Forster. Most recently she has been working on a study of "Apocalypse Now Redux" and its relationship to Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness." Contact: Pamela Demory, English, (530) 752-9535, phdemory@ucdavis.edu. POPULAR CULTURE ON THE SCREENAmerican popular cultureLaura Grindstaff, associate professor of sociology at UC Davis, studies American popular culture, including television and Hollywood films, with a special emphasis on issues of gender, class, race and sexuality. Her courses include "Sociology of Mass Media," "Documentary Film" and "Hollywood Genres." She wrote "The Money Shot: Trash, Class, and the Making of TV Talk Shows," published in 2002. Grindstaff is currently writing a book about cheerleading. Contact: Laura Grindstaff, Sociology, (530) 752-1580, lagrindstaff@ucdavis.edu. Law and politicsNancy Morrow, a lecturer in English and humanities at UC Davis, teaches and writes on the representation of law and justice in film and literature, especially on the ways that issues of race, gender and class are treated in "legal fictions." She also examines discourse about the family in law, literature, and film. Her work focuses on adaptation of novels into film and differences between the two genres. She also writes on the ways in which the media shape and disseminate political discourse. Contact: Nancy Morrow, English, (530) 754-6270, nvmorrow@ucdavis.edu. Cyborgs, identity and technologyLynn Hershman Leeson, UC Davis art professor, can discuss the history of cyborgs, from "Metropolis" to "Gattaca." She has just finished a new film, "Teknolust," starring Tilda Swinton and featured in the 2002 Sundance Film Festival and Sundance Writer's Lab. The film has been honored at many festivals worldwide. Hershman also directed "Conceiving Ada" in 1997, using a technique she patented that uses real people in virtual settings. She is the author of "Clicking In, Hotlinks to a Digital Culture." Contact: Lucy Day, Art, (530) 752-0105, lcday@ucdavis.edu. ON MAKING MOVIESLegal protection for fictional charactersLeslie A. Kurtz, a professor in the UC Davis School of Law and an expert in intellectual property, can comment on the legal protection of fictional characters -- from movies, television shows, and books -- that others may use in ads and other media. A former actress and assistant editor at a publishing house, Kurtz has been a litigator in copyright, trademark and unfair competition at a firm specializing in entertainment law. She is author of law review articles titled "The Methuselah Factor: When Characters Outlive Their Copyrights," "A Knight Without Armour in a Savage Land: Victor DeCosta and Intellectual Property Law in the United States," "The Rocky Road to Character Protection" and "The Independent Legal Lives of Fictional Characters." Contact: Leslie A. Kurtz, School of Law, (530) 752-7766, lakurtz@ucdavis.edu. Pitching creativityHollywood producers, who have just moments to assess creativity, use industry stereotypes and their own level of engagement to judge the creativity of the person behind a pitch, says Kim Elsbach of UC Davis. Producers use physical traits and behaviors of pitchers, as well as self-appraisals of their own collaboration during the pitch, says the professor of organizational behavior in the Graduate School of Management. Based on these cues, producers classify pitchers into creative prototypes, ranging from the "show runner," who combines inspiration with production know-how, to the argumentative "used-car salesman" unwilling to make revisions. Elsbach's research has been published in the Academy of Management Journal and the Harvard Business Review. Contact: Kim Elsbach, Graduate School of Management, (530) 752-0910, kdeslbach@ucdavis.edu. Composing film scoresComposing music for movies is an art in itself, says UC Davis music professor Pablo Ortiz, who has created musical scores for Argentine director Sergio Renan. He can talk about the challenges composers have in creating music for the big screen and stage and how this differs from composing other types of music. Ortiz also teaches a course on "Star Wars and Wagner" that delves into broader themes such as the mythical story of heroes and how great filmmakers of the '70s destroyed and recreated the studio system. Ortiz has composed internationally award-winning music for 27 years. Contacts: Pablo Ortiz, Music, (fluent in Spanish) (530) 752-7509, pvortiz@ucdavis.edu. Film coordinationBeth Bechky, an assistant professor of organizational behavior in UC Davis' Graduate School of Management, focuses her research on the accomplishment and coordination of technical work. She studies the coordination and processes of film crews and is interested in how interaction among members of different technical occupations impacts organizations. In "Coordination and Role Enactment in Film Production," published by the Academy of Management in 2002, she says that smooth production is accomplished through practices that make the role structure, the work activity and the role expectations visible to the organization's members. Bechky has also studied how technical work unfolds in science laboratories, manufacturing plants and consulting firms. Contact: Beth Bechky, Graduate School of Management, (530) 752-0911, babechky@ucdavis.edu. FILM GENRESHollywood cartoonsUC Davis American studies professor Eric Smoodin can talk about mid-century Hollywood cartoonists and their art. Smoodin is especially knowledgeable about Walt Disney and the history of his cartoons, but he can also discuss work by Chuck Jones, Ted Avery, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Smoodin wrote "Animating Culture: Hollywood Cartoons From the Sound Era" in 1993 and later edited "Disney Discourse: Producing the Magic Kingdom" in 1994. Smoodin studies how audiences respond to films and their stars, using fan mail, diaries and other sources. His new book, "Regarding Frank Capra: Audience, Celebrity and American Film Studies 1930s-1960s" was published in 2004. Contact: Eric Smoodin, American Studies, (530) 752-8182, esmoodin@ucdavis.edu. African American filmChristine Acham, UC Davis assistant professor of African American and African studies, can talk about the history of blacks in African American film and television. Her new book, "Revolution Televised: Prime Time and the Struggle for Black Power," will be published by the University of Minnesota Press this fall. She can also talk about contemporary film and TV trends in regards to blacks, African Americans currently in the film and television industry, and popular culture. She is writing another book on the Blaxploitation films of the '70s. Contact: Christine Acham, African American and African Studies, (530) 574-1693 cell, acham@ucdavis.edu. Mexican contributions to cinemaSergio de la Mora, UC Davis assistant professor of Chicana/o studies, says Mexican cinema has captivated worldwide audiences, particularly in the United States, these past few years. De la Mora writes about Mexican film for the media and scholarly film journals. He has just completed a book, "Macho Nation: Masculinity and Sexuality in Mexican Cinema" and is working on another about male sexual violence and incarceration in film. He is also writing about representations of Chicanos in Vietnam War films. Contact: Sergio de la Mora, Chicana/o Studies, (fluent in Spanish) (530) 754-8743, sedelamora@ucdavis.edu. Chinese and Hong Kong cinemaUC Davis comparative literature professor Sheldon Lu, an expert on Chinese and Hong Kong cinema, can discuss the impact of East Asian film on the international movie industry, especially in the action and martial arts genres. Lu co-directs the new film studies program at UC Davis. A member of the Society for Cinema and Media Studies, Lu wrote "From Historicity to Fictionality: The Chinese Poetics of Narrative" (1994) and "China, Transnational Visuality, Global Postmodernity" (2001) and edited "Transnational Chinese Cinemas: Identity, Nationhood, Gender" (1997). Contact Sheldon Lu, Comparative Literature, (530) 754-8324, shlu@ucdavis.edu. Italian American cinemaMargherita Heyer-Caput, UC Davis associate professor of Italian, can talk about various aspects of Italian American cinema. She focuses on the ways in which Italian and Italian American ethnicity, culture and experience have been represented on the screen and the question of how American cinema has constructed images of race and ethnicity to configure a sense of "Americanness." She is also conversant on the works of distinguished Italian American directors such as Coppola, Scorsese, Savoca, Tucci and Vitale. Heyer-Caput teaches a course on Italian American cinema and has taught courses on the particularly rich tradition of literature and film relationships in Italian cinema. Contact: Margherita Heyer-Caput, French and Italian, (530) 754-7938, mheyercaput@ucdavis.edu. Asian American filmDarrell Y. Hamamoto, professor of Asian American studies at UC Davis, specializes in media and popular culture with specific reference to Asian American independent production. He has written extensively on both mainstream and independent media. Hamamoto's most recent work includes the edited anthology, "Countervisions: Asian American Film Criticism" (2000). His other books include "Nervous Laughter: Television Situation Comedy and Liberal Democratic Ideology" (1989) and "Monitored Peril: Asian Americans and the Politics of Television Representation" (1994). Contact: Darrell Hamamoto, Asian American Studies, (530) 752-5600, dyhamamoto@ucdavis.edu. Indian and South Asian diasporic cinemaGayatri Gopinath, an assistant professor of women and gender studies at UC Davis, can talk about Indian and South Asian cinema as well as women of color in film. She teaches classes on queer film and video, South Asian diasporic film and video, and "Third World" feminist filmmaking. Her teaching and research on film focus on the ways in which queer and feminist filmmakers have challenged the regulation of gender and sexuality under different forms of nationalism. She also considers the transnational movement of cinematic images and the creation of transnational spectatorships. Contact: Gayatri Gopinath, Women and Gender Studies, (530) 752-7525, ggopinath@ucdavis.edu. New German cinemaAnna K. Kuhn, professor of women and gender studies at UC Davis, is an expert on New German Cinema and has written about the genre's directors such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Voelker Schloendorff and Margarethe von Trotta. She also teaches about global cinema, gender and German cinema, Weimar cinema, New German Cinema, and representations that focus on mothers and daughters. Contact: Anna K. Kuhn, Women and Gender Studies, (530) 752-3675, akkuhn@ucdavis.edu. Spanish filmCristina MartĚnez-Carazo, a UC Davis assistant professor of Spanish, analyzes Spanish films from a cultural perspective. Directors such as Pedro Almodovar (director of the Oscar-winning "All About My Mother" and this year's "Talk to Her") and Luis BuŇuel ("Diary of a Chambermaid") are explored from this perspective. She is also working on a book about female Spanish film directors. MartĚnez-Carazo teaches a course on Spanish film with emphasis in how the films depict society, history, politics and gender issues. Contact: Cristina MartĚnez-Carazo, Spanish and Classics, (530) 752-6070, (fluent Spanish speaker) cmmartinezcarazo@ucdavis.edu. Rare films and film historyScott Simmon, professor of English and co-director of the film studies program at UC Davis, curates rare films found outside the Hollywood archives. He delivered a first to historic-cinema buffs in 2000 with a set of four DVDs containing 50 movies called "Treasures From American Film Archives." The 11-hour set ranges from silent features and avant-garde shorts to documentaries and political advertisements produced between 1893 and 1985. His forthcoming DVD set, "More Treasures from American Film Archives, 1894-1931" (fall 2004), will make available another 50 films preserved by American archives. A former curator of film retrospectives at the Library of Congress, Simmon's book "The Invention of the Western Film: A Cultural History of the Genre's First Half Century" was published in 2003. He also wrote "The Films of D.W. Griffith" (1993) and has co-authored other books on film history and preservation. Contact: Scott Simmon, English, (530) 754-8911, and National Film Preservation Foundation, (415) 392-7291, sasimmon@ucdavis.edu. Media contact:
Last updated June 13, 2005 |
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