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"What Goes on in the Windshield": Rear-Projection and On-Screen Automobility.

  • Published In: JCMS: Journal of Cinema & Media Studies, 2024, v. 64, n. 1. P. 141 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Stock, Michael 3 of 3

Abstract

This article examines the history and role of rear-projection in the representation of automobility in classic American cinema. In use for nearly four decades, rear-projection was crucial in the presentation of traveling sequences in classic cinema—whether by car, truck, boat, plane, or other fantastic contraption. To date, there are only a handful of scholarly articles about rear-projection, many of which dismiss or deride this conspicuous artifact of the studio system. While at first glance the use of rear-projection in driving sequences seems artificial and "an emblem of a bygone era" (as Laura Mulvey describes), at the same time, viewing this technique through a phenomenological lens reveals that it is very true to our own experience of automobility each time we get into the car. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:JCMS: Journal of Cinema & Media Studies. 2024/10, Vol. 64, Issue 1, p141
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:2578-4900
  • DOI:10.1353/cj.2024.a944429
  • Accession Number:181120153
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of JCMS: Journal of Cinema & Media Studies is the property of Society of Cinema & Media Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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