ASC guest speaker discusses “Lost in Translation”
Armando Montano
South Coloradan
Adams State Colleges English Theater and Communications Department welcomed Dr. Brian L. Ott for a guest lecture on the film “Lost in Translation” Thursday, September 10th.
Dr. Brian L. Ott, professor of media studies at Colorado State University, made his first visit to the San Luis Valley to discuss his project, “Cinema and Choric Connection: Environ and Experience in ‘Lost in Translation'”. The discussion covered the analysis of the unique cinema style, characters directing of Sophia Copella’s award winning 2003 film “Lost in Translation”.
Ott discussed the use of the symbolic representations within the film to aid in the “semiotic chora,” a term used by Ott to mean “a significance or meaning.” Ott’s investigation of the film has lead him to the conclusion that it is carried on temporal meaning to the viewer and not reliant on the film’s story. This conclusion by Ott furthers the media scholars’ recent acknowledgement of film being capable of creating unique “choric experiences” different from the way films have impacted people traditionally.
The discussion by Professor Ott was unique in the way one can observe film. Throughout the evening, the point of relating a film to an individual via a specific connection established within the film was prudent to the discussion, allowing for fans of the film to correctly identify in words how they responded to the film. Instances from the movie that were played accurately demonstrated Ott’s points from his discussion. However, for members of the audience who had not seen the film, the discussion was probably too much to take on.
The event was a thought-provoking, entertaining and thorough. As an unofficial start to this week’s Autumn@Adams, the theme of transformation was hinted at throughout the evening and set the stage for other discussions coming later in the week.
What’s Been Said…