Anthropology 295: Anthropology of Media

I'm killing time between presentations this morning and a business meeting later on, by watching the new music DVD by Incubus. It features both live footage and documentary montages of the bands' past year of touring. It was directed by Christian Lamb and everyone else who worked on it is up and coming. The DVD has cinematographic feel to it is unlike anything I've ever seen; first you realize you're watching a live performance, and at the same time being bombarded with grainy close-ups (filmed with DV cams, some shots are almost unrecognizable) while the main camera is burred out, capturing mood lighting elements which work in conjunction with the song. Much of the footage is captured onstage directly behind the artist themselves, at extreme angles which gives the viewer a sense of intimacy. I realized this early on and this footage came as quite a shock after comparing it to my experience seeing them this past summer on the venues' lawn that was a long distance form the stage. Even then I was watching most of the concert on two screens on either sides of the stage... so really what has changed. Regardless, I am still "feeling" the music. "Music elicits feelings, conjures up memories, and sometimes encompasses all the senses and we feel complete when these things are drawn out by the message." It is interesting that art in the form of media can take so many routes and forms; in other words, this DVD is centered around music and video footage (art in itself) and by blending the two together a new form emerges.