The term “materialities”, when applied to cinema, convokes the different areas that interact in the materialisation of a film project: choice of recording support, art direction, costumes, sound, light (amongst many others). The aim of this conference is to promote debate around the communicative and expressive powers inscribed in the many elements that comprise an oeuvre, apprehending filmmaking as a complex process apportioned between different teams; a process which culminates in a final work that is inevitably “inter-artistic”, since a wide range of arts and crafts have collaborated in the construction of the cinematic object.

King´s College London, 9 and 10 May 2019

Argument

The term Materialities, when applied to cinema, convokes the different areas thatinteract in the materialisation of a film project: choice of recording support, artdirection, costumes, sound, light (amongst many others). The aim of this conference isto promote debate around the communicative and expressive powers inscribed in themany elements that comprise an oeuvre, apprehending filmmaking as a complexprocess apportioned between different teams; a process which culminates in a finalwork that is inevitably “inter-artistic”, since a wide range of arts and crafts havecollaborated in the construction of the cinematic object.

Rather than focusing on the analysis of the numerous cinematographic codes, on whatthey enclose and signify, a materialities methodology seeks to isolate each materialdimension in its specificity, with a view to examining its function in the construction ofthe object “film”.

Costumes, scenographic elements, interior and exterior settings, sound design,acoustics, and so on: the entire final abstraction we call a film is based upon a set ofconcrete and material realities. Such formulation posits the“disassembling” of every component at the heart of all “practical” structuring of thefilm so that each individual piece can be treated as an object worthy of analysis andstudy.

When António Reis referred to “the Aesthetics of materials” (1997) he meant therigour in choosing the physical elements that compose the cinematographic frame andall the consequences that these options produce. Thus, words like “crafts”,“composition”, “materialisation”, “artefact” become decisive when trying to definethis research object which fails to entirely coincide with both narrative and visualmatter, and instead concurs with forms, cuts, materials, and the styles proposed by theseveral professional teams involved in the creative materialities process.

Bearing in mind that the platform for this debate is Portuguese film, submissions mayfocus on, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• the creative process in scriptwriting, cinematography, editing and directing
• the working processes of set and costume designers
• the mechanisms of literary adaptation to the screen
• the creative process in acting
• the construction of film soundtracks and music
• how technology influences the creative process
• the impact of finance and production in the creative process
• the bearing of censorship in the creative process (external and self-imposed)
• the creative process in the audiovisual essay
• how new media is creating new challenges for the creative process in film

Submission guidelines

Scholars and researchers from all related academic and practice-based fields and areinvited to submit proposals.

The conference will be held in English.

Submission deadline: Friday 22 March 2019.

Participants will be notified by Friday 29 March 2019

Presenters wishing to submit a proposal for a paper presentation of 20 minutes (max.)are required to provide their name, email address, the title of the paper, an abstract(300-350 words), five key bibliographical references, five keywords, and a shortbiography (100-150 words) to the following email: materialitiesinfilm@gmail.com

Participant fees

• Standard: £35
• Student: £25

Organisation

Centre for Portuguese Language and Culture (King´s College, London)and Utopia - UK Portuguese Film Festival