I'm supposed to write a comparison/contrast essay for university. I was thinking of going with "Lost Media Recovery: Pros and Cons". Are there any academic sources about lost media?
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I definitely think you're gonna face a bit of an uphill battle trying to find academic articles about lost media, but I think it would be worth looking at very well known mainstream pieces of lost media (such as movies from the 20s that are missing key scenes, or missing movies in general), and see if you can find any resource that talks about the lost media aspect of it somewhere within the article. Probably should also look at archival stuff, such as those libraries and museums that currently hold onto lost media that is very rarely shown publicly. Or archivals in general really. The Day the Clown Cried would be a good one because there's a lot of controversy surrounding it's impending future showing. I also got in the habit of scouring through wikipedia article references because sometimes it helps with particular searches, also google scholar isn't bad. Sorry I can't give you a specific academic article, I just think you will have to be creative in your search. I wrote a lot of film theory essays so I get it.
I would really struggle with finding any cons to lost media recovery. Sometimes the media turns out to be mediocre or nonexistent, but we're never better off not knowing. As Co said, most adequately scholarly articles are probably going to be about the oldest lost media such as historical documents or the hundreds of lost silent films.
Hoarding obscure self-published music on the off chance someone misses it.
I would really struggle with finding any cons to lost media recovery. Sometimes the media turns out to be mediocre or nonexistent, but we're never better off not knowing. As Co said, most adequately scholarly articles are probably going to be about the oldest lost media such as historical documents or the hundreds of lost silent films.
I dunno, there's a lot of lost media that people think should stay lost. Grizzly man, Christine Chubbick, and even The Day the Clown Cried are examples I can think of where there is definitely a group of people who cannot see the benefit of releasing it to the public so there could be an arguement made against it.
I would really struggle with finding any cons to lost media recovery. Sometimes the media turns out to be mediocre or nonexistent, but we're never better off not knowing. As Co said, most adequately scholarly articles are probably going to be about the oldest lost media such as historical documents or the hundreds of lost silent films.
I dunno, there's a lot of lost media that people think should stay lost. Grizzly man, Christine Chubbick, and even The Day the Clown Cried are examples I can think of where there is definitely a group of people who cannot see the benefit of releasing it to the public so there could be an arguement made against it.
On this issue, I think there must be a different standard for snuff films and private footage vs works of art that were intended for public exhibition. The latter works of lost media should absolutely be preserved in all circumstances. The former should stay private unless those personally affected (like surviving family) choose to make them available for historical reasons.
This forum is, in my humble opinion, letting good works of art rot or drift into obscurity while we focus obsessively on fruitless pursuits like Christine Chubbuck.
I dunno, there's a lot of lost media that people think should stay lost. Grizzly man, Christine Chubbick, and even The Day the Clown Cried are examples I can think of where there is definitely a group of people who cannot see the benefit of releasing it to the public so there could be an arguement made against it.
On this issue, I think there must be a different standard for snuff films and private footage vs works of art that were intended for public exhibition. The latter works of lost media should absolutely be preserved in all circumstances. The former should stay private unless those personally affected (like surviving family) choose to make them available for historical reasons.
This forum is, in my humble opinion, letting good works of art rot or drift into obscurity while we focus obsessively on fruitless pursuits like Christine Chubbuck.
Exactly what I mean by cons in some lost media recovery. I personally have no interest in grizzly man or Christine Chubbick, but there are people who do. The Day the Clown Cried isn't a snuff film though, it's just an unreleased (and I think maybe unfinished film) that has an abhorrent plot, but some people will still argue for the importance of its public release.
But what do we define as lost media? And on that same note, what do we define as lost media worth recovering? I think an essay on this topic is great because there are a lot of pros and cons and gray areas as well.
On the one hand, places like the LMW forum allow for many talented, dedicated people to pool resources and focus their search efforts. The can be heard by big companies, because the collective voice is so much stronger than the single voice.
On the other hand, imagine being an artist who really doesn't want to release some of their work for whatever reason. If a single person asks them about it privately, it's easier for that artist to say no. But if a group of excited lost media hunters asks them about it publicly, it's a lot harder to say no. There's more pressure, and some people might be openly critical of the artist's decision to withhold their art.
When people put a lot of effort into searching for media, I think it's natural to feel a little entitled to it. But at the end of the day, the artist should have some control over their artwork.
I understand how frustrating it can be when an important piece of media is withheld. It really is excruciating sometimes.
However, I can also understand why artists want to control their own art. Many are very protective of the art they actually own, and want to distribute it on their own terms, in part because many have to sell rights to companies in order to make money.
