Collective Identity

David Gauntlett and David Buckingham are influential writers concerned with the relationship between media and cultural identity:

• "A focus on identity requires...attention to...media and technologies...used in everyday life, and their consequences both for individuals and for social groups" - Buckingham (2008)
• "Thinking about self-identity and individuality can cause some anxiety...is individuality just an illusion? Maybe we are all incredibly similar, but are programmed to value minuscule bits of differentiation." - Gauntlett (2007)

DEBATE: should innocent people have any reason to worry about carrying an identity card?

Abstract ways of thinking about identity: the clothes we wear, the media we consume; the people we like.

• "the presentation of self" - Goffman (1990) talking of how others see us

People make assumption of minority groups, such as Muslims or The Police, due to their collective identity: traits of a similar nature that one identity share.

ISSUE: is 'straight-acting' a safer 'way-of-being'?

Dogma 95

Dogma 95, created by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterburg in 1995, is an avant-grade film making movement that has been criticised for being a disguised attempt at trying to gain media attention. However, Von Trier and Vinterburg state they produced the 'Dogme 95 Manifesto' as a set of rules to create film making based on traditional values of story, theme and acting. Therefore no advanced technology or special effects are to be used. On the 22nd of March 1995 in Paris, the Dogme movement was anouncced when von Trier was called to publicly discuss the future of film at the 'La cinema vers son deuxieme siecle' conferense. When fellow directors Kirstain Levring and Soren Kragh-Jacobsen joined von Trier and Vinterburg, the 'Dogme 95 Collection' was formed. Due to its accessibility the genre gained international appeal. The Dogma inspired unknown film makers as it stated any one, with out being dependant on commissions and Hollywood budgets, can create a recognised film. It raised awareness among audiences of the art, essence and effects of film making.

Goals of the 'Dogme Collective':

• to purify film making by excluding the use of special effects in production and the use of post-production modification entirely.
• film makers must concentrate on the actor's performance and the story of the piece.

The application of these aims in film making are believed by the Dogme Collective to engage the audience on a better level as there should be no distraction of over-production.

From these goals, Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg produced the 'Vow of Chastity' that any Dogme film must follow:

1. Filming must be done on location and any props needed must be found on location - not brought in.
2. Only diagetic sound can be used.
3. Hand-held cameras must be used opposed to static cameras, movement is permitted. Filming must take place where the actions is, not the other way around.
4. Filming must be in colour. No special lighting permitted.
5. Optical work and filters are permitted.
6. The film it's self must contain no superficial action, i.e. murders.
7. The film must take place here and now: temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden.
8. Genre movies are not acceptable.
9. The final picture must be transferred to the Academy 35mm film, aspect ratio of 4:3 - not wide screen.
10. The director must not be credited.