Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2004. / Supervisor: Thomas G. Schatz. Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Also available from UMI.

Religion has become one of the central themes in the Ghanaian/Nigerian video film industry. The portrayal of religious elements which mirrors the religious dynamics of the audience has been attributed partly to the success and popularity of the films. The video films have also excited religious passions as well as criticisms. The heart of the debate, as the existing studies indicate, is how the various religious traditions (often, Christianity and Indigenous religions) are represented in the video films. Whereas some scholars opine that Christianity, especially Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches are frequently privileged, others contend that the religious delineation in the video films reflect experiential issues; the churches are portrayed in line with the niche, positive or otherwise, that they have created for themselves which is well known to producers and the consumers. This study examines the religious constructs in the Ghanaian/Nigerian video films phenomenon. The main focus is an investigation into audience reception of the video films, particularly among the members of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity in Ghana and the UK. It also explores the appropriation of the religious elements in general and Pentecostal-Charismatic narratives in selected video films. An ethnographic research method, comprising mainly of textual analysis of selected video films; participant observation and qualitative interviews, was used to draw comparative insights from a cross section of members of Action Chapel International and Word Miracle International churches in Accra and London. This thesis contributes to the on-going discourse on the Ghanaian/Nigerian video films and Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity partly popularized by Birgit Meyer and Afe Adogame. Hall’s Encoding/Decoding theoretical framework is used to explore the reception while the Uses and Gratifications theory is also adopted to examine the appropriation of the religious constructs in the Ghanaian/Nigerian video films. Notwithstanding the fluid representations of various religious traditions in Ghanaian/Nigerian video films, the findings show that the reception and uses of the religious narratives in the films by the audience comprise of a synthesis of full embrace on one hand and scepticism on the other. It was found that beyond entertainment, majority of the audience who were members of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity focus on the religious significance of the video films. Yet, most pastors and leaders in these churches were not comfortable recommending the video films as a good partner in the religious lives of their members. As this thesis focused on only Pentecostal-Charismatic audience, further research on members of other Christian denominations or religions regarding their self-representation in the video films is recommended. This will help to establish if the reception pattern of other religious groups is complex or linked directly with the portrayal trend of one’s religion.

The Texas Film Commission has actively been in existence since 1971, yet there has not been any published study that examines its history, how it functions, or its impact on the film industry in Texas. Using information gathered from magazine and newspaper articles, the State laws of Texas, letters from people associated with the Texas Film Commission, and interviews, this study explores these aspects of the Film Commission. Texas has been popular as a filmmaking state since the early 1900's. It was through the interest of the State legislators that a film commission was established in Texas. Guidelines for the Texas Film Commission are described in the State Statutes of Texas. The goal of the Texas Film Commission is to encourage and promote both out-of-state and in-state production. It does receive assistance in promoting Texas as a filmmaking state from other State agencies, but is solely responsible for increasing Texas' popularity with filmmakers through marketing seminars and advertising campaigns.

Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Johannesburg, 2017 / This thesis explores the contribution and significance of Multichoice Nigeria and its Africa Magic channels in the development of the Nigerian film industry. The main objective of the study is an interrogation of the terms of Multichoice contracts with Nollywood content producers as well as a review of the effect of the programmes of Multichoice on content producers. The second key objective is to examine the development impacts of these initiatives on the Nigerian film industry. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with industry practitioners, representatives of the Multichoice and officials of government agencies in Nigeria in addition to analysis of policy documents. The thesis is influenced by critical political economy and the critical media industry studies approach developed by Haves, Lotz and Tinic (2009) whose study of creative and entertainment industries focuses on content producers and cultures of production in media corporations. The study examines Multichoice’s production initiatives as perceived by Nollywood content producers, and provides situated accounts of Nollywood filmmakers’ experiences, encounters, pressures and tensions which undermine Multichoice’s apparent social objectives. It modifies the production culture to the culture of business in the media industry and exposes the need for industry practitioners to engage intellectual property lawyers in their business dealings with Multichoice and other corporate agencies in order to forestall exploitation. While highlighting the complexities, contradictions and ambiguities in the Multichoice-Nollywood relationship, as well as the challenges confronting Nollywood, I argue that contrary to the reservations of the content producers, the industry has benefited from Multichoice in direct and indirect ways. These include improved quality of film production, the increased online presence of Nollywood films, enhancing the local tourism and hospitality industry and promoting professionalism. The study therefore recommends government intervention to address the existing mistrust between Multichoice and Nollywood. The study inspires the “early bird theory” to interpret the Multichoice-Nollywood relationship and experience; studying similar relationships between media corporations and the local film industries in Third World nations. This thesis makes original contribution to knowledge by providing resource material to the scarce literature in critical media industry studies with particular regard to the African film industry. / XL2018

本文提出「影像/形象資本」作為考察影像/形象、資本及權間關係的工具。「影像/形象資本」發展至自布爾迪卮的文化資本，但「影像/形象」資本把焦點放在視覺或形象資源如何在文化/經濟、生產/消費以及上層建築/下層建構界線越趨模糊的符號空間經濟主導代，成為文化場域中新的權資源。 / 透過考察橫店影視城一個結合影視生產及遊的中國影城生產地域化及經濟符號化的過程，本文嘗試對「影像/形象資本」的概作深入的分析。沿著布爾迪卮的框架，影視城被視為一個由擁有同影像/形象資本的能動者構成的場域，而這些能動者自在地及跨境的生產及消費網絡。在橫店影視城生產、積與轉換的過程的探中，本文嘗試回答：一)影像/形象在文化場域中的功能及其轉換為經濟或其他資本的條件；二) 影像/形象資本在國際文化分工成員中的分佈以及其結構對影像資本的價值及轉換的影響。第一條問題旨在闡釋經濟符號化的過程，第二條問題則希望剖析影像/形象與資本主義結下的地域分工以及動政治。作為一個可以同時探究影像帶的可能性及限制的概，影像/形象資本把媒介影像的研究，從批判學派對影像呈現的控制及霸權形成，展至影像對同能動者、以至在符號經濟時代中冒升的社會機構所產生的建設性及壓迫性的權的多重探索。 / This thesis develops the concept of image capital to investigate the relationship between image, capital and power. Image capital is built on Bourdieu's concept of cultural capital, but looks specifically into how visual and imagery resources becomes a power at stake in the cultural field at the juncture of the economies of signs and space featured by growing convergence of culture and the economy and subsequent blurring of the boundaries between base/superstructure and production/consumption. / The concept of image capital is examined through the case study of the spatialization and the semioticization processes of Hengdian World Studios, a China studio complex that serves domestic and international film and TV productions and operates film studio tourism. The studio, as a case, is theorized as a field which is constituted by different agents with various forms of image capital, including those embedded in local as well as transnational production and consumption networks. The processes of production, accumulation and conversion of image capital at the field of Hengdian World Studios are investigated to chart 1) how image functions as a form of capital at stake in the cultural field and how it can be converted into other forms of capital; 2) how the distribution of image capital is structured amongst agents in the field and how this structure influences the value and conversion rate image capital to other forms of capital. The first question aims at studying the semioticization process, whilst the second attempts to scrutinize the spatialization and the labor politics underpinning the alliance of image and capitalism. By theorizing image as Bourdieusean form of capital and examining both its enabling possibilities and constraints, this thesis sheds light on the study of media images by steering beyond ideological control to both the productive and repressive power of images onto different agents as well as the social intuitions of the up and rising economies of sign and space. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Chow, Pui Ha. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [419-439]). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese. / ABSTRACT / 摘要 / ACKNOWLEDGMENTS / TABLE OF CONTENT / Chapter CHAPTER I --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter CHAPTER II --- Image and Capitalism --- p.21 / Marx's capital and critical media theories on image studies --- p.21 / Political economies of signs and the media --- p.26 / Implications of the political economy of signs on critical Marxist media theories --- p.31 / Alternative frameworks for the study of image and capitalism: End of Production and Labor or NICL? Or Bridging capital and labor in image production and consumption? --- p.38 / Chapter CHAPTER III --- Bourdieu's Capital, Field and Habitus --- p.51 / Bourdieu's concept of Capital --- p.52 / Field and Habitus --- p.63 / Theoretical implications of habitus and field of Bouredieusean capital --- p.71 / Chapter CHAPTER IV --- Field Theory of Cultural Production and the Political Economy of Signs --- p.76 / The field of cultural production --- p.77 / The field of cultural production and the political economies of signs and space --- p.91 / Image Capital and the political economies of signs and space --- p.105 / Chapter CHAPTER V --- Image Capital, Field and Film Studio --- p.112 / Intercontextuality: Contextual knowledge, globalization and field --- p.113 / Film Studio, image capital and field --- p.117 / Research question, design and method --- p.124 / Chapter CHAPTER VI --- The Development of Film Studio Complex --- p.135 / The emergence of film studio complex in the global field --- p.135 / Transformation of China's National Field of Cultural Production --- p.144 / Conclusion: Studio complex, image capital, and field of cultural production --- p.170 / Chapter CHAPTER VII --- Spatialization: Hengdian as a Field of Cultural Production --- p.176 / Iron Road: co-production, image capital, and boundaries negotations --- p.179 / Hengdian World Studios as Image Factory --- p.192 / Conclusion: the image factory flying beyond the place --- p.219 / Chapter CHAPTER VIII --- Semioticization: Capitalizing Image and the Mediation of Production and Consumption --- p.227 / Image capital and film-induced tourism --- p.228 / Capitalizing image at Hengdian World Studios --- p.237 / Key Image Labors --- p.252 / Chinese Hollywood: the negotiations and struggles in the capitalization of the global and the national imagination --- p.261 / Conclusion --- p.271 / Chapter CHAPTER IX --- Image Capital and Tourist Consumption: Gaze, Class and Prosumption --- p.275 / Image capital and tourist consumption --- p.276 / Tourist gaze at Hengdian World Studios --- p.284 / Image Capital, class and prosumption --- p.314 / Chapter CHAPTER X --- Image Capital and Place-Making --- p.339 / Hardware make-up: physical infrastructure engineering --- p.341 / Software make-up: lifestyle formation --- p.345 / Place branding --- p.365 / Chapter CHAPTER XI --- Conclusion: Image, Capital and Power --- p.372 / Image as capital --- p.374 / Forms of image capital --- p.376 / Functions of image capital --- p.382 / Image capital: semioticization and spatialization --- p.400

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This dissertation challenges how Hollywood is typically imagined as monolithic, homogenous and homogenising, and separated from other cinemas by fixed and impermeable borders. This influential cinematic paradigm posits a centre-periphery model underpinned by binary oppositions in which most cinemas are negatively defined as Hollywood’s ‘other’ and perceived as fixed in permanent states of opposition and assimilation. It is a perception reinforced by the influential critical paradigm which focuses on the films’ formal stylistic and narrative properties. This conceptualisation ignores, or fails to observe, the larger picture, in which global, national and local cinemas relate to each other in complex and volatile ways. My argument is that a paradigm shift is required in which the main question asked is not ‘What is Hollywood?’ but ‘Where is Hollywood?’ Location is a crux of my argument because it offers a way of questioning the widespread conception of Hollywood as bounded and fixed in a stable cultural landscape. I apply Arjun Appadurai’s framework of disjunctive global cultural flows to the analysis of cinema to show the existence of a more dynamic and chaotic screenscape than is popularly imagined. I also develop a new model of textual analysis involving traces and tracings. This troubles the notion of impermeable borders by finding the traces of global cultural flows within the film frame and tracing their trajectories outside the frame to and from their points of origin and destination. From the creative tensions caused by these asymmetrical and, multidirectional flows a previously unobserved screenscape emerges in which it is possible to see globalising processes as hybridising processes. Within this interpretive framework Hollywood is decentred and can no longer be perceived as fixed and bounded, or as the paradigm by which most cinemas define themselves and are judged. It reveals that heterogeneity and flux rather than homogeneity and fixity characterise intercinematic relations. It shows the existence of porous borders permitting transnational flows. In linking a film’s formal stylistic properties to the disjunctions in the global flows, the new model I develop for textual analysis offers a way of re-imagining Hollywood within the transnational imaginary. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This thesis considers varied representations of landscape in Australian narrative film and designed landscape. Landscape is taken as an active concept that combines the associative meanings of place and the dynamism of space. Sixteen film and designed landscapes are examined to derive their landscape sources, forms and ideas, using the methodology of 'contextual poetics', Each of these landscapes is considered under a specific theme: landscape as delight, absence, nation or hope. In addition to detailing specific landscape responses by the designers of the examined landscapes, this project aims to contribute to an enhanced conversation about the effective, just practice of landscape architecture. The topic derives from a question central to landscape architectural practice in a post-colonial context, such as Australia. In a cultural setting where no single, agreed definition of landscape is allowed by the conditions of its history, which versions do practitioners of landscape architecture take up? What should be their limits, where are their inspirations and whose landscape narratives are ignored in these decisions?

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Vandra Masemann, Florida State University, College of Education, Dept. of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 15, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.