Eighteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

Video as a form of research remains quite unexplored. Regardless, in today’s world videos are everywhere. They are a catalyst for social interaction on new media and have since the dawn of film being truthfully influential in our societies. This research demonstrates the capacity of videos for social change. Focusing on two of my experiences: the death of my mother in 2021 and my arrival to Canada in 2022. This paper considers how both experiences explored through video have shaped and changed my identity whilst also making a case for the academic and scholarly power of it through all the symbolic implications being shown through its codes and conventions. It is pivotal for social sciences researchers to consider this medium due to current commercial cinema offering a traditional and comfortable narrative that does not lend itself to critical thinking and hinders questioning of the status quo. Videos can give a new voice to individuals being silenced by the mass media gaze and hegemonic practices. Another key appeal of video in research is its capacity to reach diverse groups of people as most would not read an academic paper, but they could easily watch a five-minute video. Some of the key points to explore: How videos can shape your identity when feeling displaced due to life’s major events, the importance of social semiotics to analyze video. Finally, the stylistic choices used that are backed up by Montage theory and Feminist film theory.