Virtuality and Platform Studies Applied to Film Criticism

Abstract

Ideas begin and end in different places. An idea has infinite potential forms virtually, but finite possible forms materialistically. So how can the potential of an idea be conserved as much as possible thanks to proper mediation? Why are the most widely used media platforms today efficient for manifesting ideas? And to what extent is film criticism contingent on its platform? This media studies project aims to shed light on these questions in order to prove yet again that the choice of the medium is as crucial to the overall message as the choice of the idea itself, if not more crucial (McLuhan 1975). I will experiment with this theory using film analysis of the film Host (2020) across social media platforms (Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram) to compare and contrast the differentiations in the respective forms of expression and perception in terms value changes in affects and effects when it comes to production as well as consumption. So, the project is not just the production of film reviews across different platforms, it is mainly about the takeaways on the potentialities of said platforms in terms of communication. In the end, I will try to determine the best approaches to digital film criticism on socially significant media platforms, and why those approaches are most affective by analyzing both my experience (facilitations and limitations) in creating the content and the consumers' experience based on a survey they filled out.