This dissertation explores the intersection of new media and narrative, as it is presented through a cinematic aesthetic. The narrative language of film is analyzed through the theoretical framework of Bakhtin’s concepts of Heteroglossia, Chronotope, and Dialogism. Bakhtin’s ideas of classifying language act as strong tools for demonstrating how cinematic narrative can inform and alter the perception of its spectators. Lev Manovich’s principles of New Media, specifically Variability, Modularity, and Automation are also utilized to demonstrate how cinema is a constantly evolving paradigm. Chapter one focuses on the theoretical terminology, outlining the conceptual definitions and illustrating their relevance in precise moments of cinema. This chapter introduces the idea that despite the original conception of Bakhtin and Manovich’s deriving from text and digital processes, their concepts are strongly present in contemporary cinema. Chapter two explores Manovich’s concept of variability in the cinematic genre of Noir. The Coen Brother’s Miller’s Crossing illustrates how the use of pastiche and homage has paved the way for the classic Noir genre to evolve into the genre of Neo-Noir. The aesthetic of Miller’s Crossing is examined in great detail to illuminate the comparisons between the variability of both genres. Chapter three also employs a Neo-Noir aesthetic. In Rian Johnson’s film Brick, the language is as much a character as any of the actors on the screen. A detailed reading of film exploring Bakhtin’s Dialogic concepts is established. The narrative of the film is examined with the idea that multiple meanings exist throughout individual units of speech. Chapter four continues the exploration of new media narrative concepts with a Science Fiction and Noir cinematic hybrid in an investigation of Rian Johnson’s film Looper. The basis of this analysis will be focused on fabula time and how the narrative of the film explores time travel, literally and metaphorically. In Looper the concepts of Chronotope and Modularity are both used to illustrate the director’s stylistic use of narrative sequencing to explore the paradoxes of time travel. Chapter five illustrates Manovich’s principles of new media as demonstrated in a biographical music drama. The documentary 20,000 Days on Earth features 24 hours in the life of Noir rock musician Nick Cave. The use of Cave’s music as a basis for the documentarians’ artful biopic creates an interpretive grid for analyzing the views of the artist and the persona that he has created for himself. Representations of diachrony in Cave’s reflective interviews regarding his evolution as an artist are also examined. The goal of this dissertation is to provide academic consideration for theoretical concepts that have not been traditionally applied to the study of cinema. It should be of interest to scholars seeking to supplement their endeavors within the realms of film studies as well as new media. In the interest of nurturing an interdisciplinary space for literary studies to exist and inform other branches of scholarship, the topics of new media and narratology, when applied to cinema establish a juncture between historical linguistics, digital media concepts and film studies.

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As we speak, analogue film is being phased out of the international film industry. The medium that once reigned in capturing and projecting our world's light and the flow of time, has now been rendered obsolete and replaced by digital media technology. However, analogue film remains, and has come to be increasingly used and investigated in contemporary art. In my essay, I examine how our aesthetic perception of analogue film is changing with this shift to digital film technology. How do we experience analogue film – now that it is both on the verge of disappearing from society and is put in contrast to its digital successor? My investigation is based on the thesis that analogue film is now in a state of change. By analyzing three contemporary artists I attempt to discern how this change is aesthetically articulated, and trace alternative forms of continued existence for analogue film. The British artist Tacita Dean, the Italian artist Rosa Barba and the Swedish artist Alexander Gutke all work with film in their own way, and also in the context of the changed status of analogue film today. Furthermore, I examine the possibility that these artists form an active part of a continuous reshaping of analogue film, which is taking place in the fracture created in this shift to digital media technologies.

Text in English, with abstracts and keywords in English, Zulu and Xhosa / Link to the dataset (catalogue): https://doi.org/10.25399/UnisaData.14101913.v1 / Digital image editing is rooted in the analog practices of photographic retouching from the late nineteenth century. This study interrogated how novel contributions of new media practice can inform understanding of the relationship between digital and analog media. The study also sought to explore new conceptual avenues in the creation of digital art that incorporates key aspects of both new and traditional media. This study employed a literature review of selected discourses related to new media studies. Specifically, the work of scholars Lev Manovich, Jay David Bolter, Richard Grusin, and Filipe Pais on the interplay between traditional and new media formed the cornerstone of the analysis. These discourses contextualise an analysis of several contemporary case studies of digital artists, with a particular focus on John Craig Freeman and the Oddviz collective. These works were selected for the way in which they destabilise conventional notions of digital photography in new media and the way digital content can be ‘displaced’ into a physical space. From this analysis several concepts arise that serve as distinguishing markers for media displacement. These themes include embodiment, memory, identity formation, autotopography, and intermediality. The dissertation concludes with an overview of my work that incorporates the concepts derived from my analysis of the case studies. It discusses how my exhibition Digital Tourist, a mixed media installation, makes use of photogrammetry and AR to displace the private connections of an individual life into the public space of the gallery. / Ukuhlelwa kwezithombe zezindaba zedijithali kususelwe emikhubeni ye-analokhu yokuthwebula kabusha izithombe kusukela ngasekupheleni kwekhulu leshumi nesishiyagalolunye leminyaka.. Lolu cwaningo luphenye ukuthi iminikelo yenoveli emisha yokwenziwa kwezezindaba ezintsha zingakwazisa kanjani ukuqonda kobudlelwano phakathi kwezindaba zedijithali ne-analokhu. Ucwaningo luphinde lwafuna ukubheka izindlela ezintsha zomqondo ekwakhiweni kobuciko bedijithali obufaka izinndaba ezibalulekile kokubili kwezokuxhumana nezendabuko ezintsha. Izinkulumo ezikhethiwe ezihlobene nezifundo zezindaba ezintsha zibuyekeziwe. Ngokuqondile, umsebenzi wezazi uLev Manovich, Jay David Bolter, Richard Grusin noFilipe Pais ekusebenzisaneni phakathi kwabezindaba bendabuko nabasha kwakha okuzobhekwa ngqo uma kuhlaziywa. Lezi zinkulumo zigxila ekuhlaziyweni kwezifundo zamanje zamaciko edijithali, kugxilwe kakhulu kuJohn Craig Freeman kanye neqoqo le-Oddviz. Le misebenzi yakhethwa ngendlela yokuthi ingazinzisi imiqondo ejwayelekile yokuthwebula izithombe zedijithali emithonjeni emisha kanye nokuthi okuqukethwe kwedijithali "kungahanjiswa kanjani" endaweni ebonakalayo. Ukusuka kulokhu kuhlaziywa kuvela imiqondo eminingana esebenza njengezimpawu ezihlukanisayo zokufuduswa kwabezindaba. Lezi zingqikithi zifaka phakathi ukwakheka, inkumbulo, ukwakheka kobunikazi, ukuziphendulela kanye nokuzibandakanya. Idezetheyishini iphetha ngokubuka konke ngomsebenzi wami ohlanganisa imiqondo esuselwe ekuhlaziyweni kwami kwezifundo zocwaningo. Ingxoxo ihlanganisa ukuthi umbukiso wami we-Zivakashi zeDijithali, ukufakwa kwabezindaba okuxubile, isebenzisa uhlelo lokuthwebula olusebenzisa ulimi noma ifothogrametri ne-AR ukukhipha ukuxhumana kwangasese kwempilo yomuntu ngamunye endaweni yomphakathi yegalari. / Ukuhlela imifanekiso yedijithali yinkqubo eyendeleyo, nowaqalwa kwiminyaka yokugqibela yenkulungwane yeshumi elinethoba, kwimisebenzi yezifaniso/yeanalogu ekuhlaziyweni kweefoto. Esi sifundo siphonononga ukuba igalelo elikhethekileyo leendlela ezintsha zonxibelelwano lwemiboniso/imidiya lingenza njani ukuqinisa ukuqonda unxulumano phakathi kwemiboniso yedijithali neyeanalogu. Kwakhona, esi sifundo sizama ukuphanda iindlela ezintsha ezisetyenziswa kubugcisa bedijithali neziquka imiba ephambili yemiboniso yale mihla neyakudala. From this analysis several concepts arise that serve as distinguishing markers for media displacement. These themes include embodiment, memory, identity formation, autotopography and intermediality. Kuphononongwe iingxoxo ezithile ezimalunga nezifundo zemiboniso yale mihla. Kuqwalaselwe ngakumbi imisebenzi yeengcali ooLev Manovich, Jay David Bolter, Richard Grusin kunye noFilipe Pais malunga nonxulumano phakathi kwemiboniso yakudala neyale mihla njengesiseko solu hlalutyo. Ezi ngxoxo zifaka emxholweni uhlalutyo lwezifundo zokuzekelisa zale mihla malunga nabazobi bale mihla, kugxininiswa kwindibanisela ka John Craig Freeman nekaOddviz. Le misebenzi ikhethwe ngenxa yokuba iyazichitha iingcinga eziqhelekileyo malunga nokufota ngedijithali kwimiboniso yale mihla nangendlela iziqulatho zedijithali “zinokushenxiswa” zisiwe kwindawo ebambekayo. Olu hlalutyo luveze iingcinga eziliqela nezisebenza njengeempawu zoshenxiso lwemiboniso. Imixholo iquka imifuziselo, ukukhumbula, ukwenziwa kwesazisi, ukuzazisa ngezinto onazo, unxulumano phakathi kwemiboniso eyahlukeneyo Le ngxelo yophando igqibela ngokushwankathela umsebenzi wam ohlanganisa iingcinga ezivele ekuhlalutyeni kwam izifundo ezingumzekelo. Ingxoxo ibonisa ukuba umboniso wengqokelela yemisebenzi yam owaziwa ngokuba yiDigital Tourist, ubusebenzise njani ubuchwepheshe ekuthiwa yifotogrametri (obokufumana ulwazi ngokuhlalutya imifanekiso) ekushenxiseni unxulumano lwabucala lobomi bomntu ibubeke kwindawo ebonwa nguwonkewonke apho kubukwa imifanekiso neefoto (igalari). / https://doi.org/10.25399/UnisaData.14101913.v1 / Arts and Music / M.A. (Visual Arts)