Moderat's Rusty Nails and Loie
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
MODERAT’S RUSTY NAILS AND LOIE FULLER’S SERPENTINE DANCE: ANALYSING CLOTH, THE BODY AND MOVEMENT AS SYMBOLIC INTERPRETATION OF MEANING IN FILM MARAN COATES 2012 Moderat’s Rusty Nails and Loïe Fuller’s Serpentine Dance: Analysing cloth, the body and movement as symbolic interpretation of meaning in film Maran Coates (20676652) Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Magister Technologiae Fashion degree in the School of Music, Art and Design, Faculty of Arts awarded at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University 7 December 2012 Supervisors: Bruce Cadle and Dr Heidi Saayman Hattingh ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge the amazing contribution and time provided by Bruce Cadle and Dr Heidi Saayman Hattingh who were fundamental to the completion of this research. I am very grateful for the financial support provided by the National Research Foundation and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s Research Capacity Development. I’d also like to say a massive thank you to Simon Kuhn, Ross Truscott and Sheila Hicks for their very valuable input. CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vii LIST OF FIGURES ix ABSTRACT x CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY 1 1.1 Introduction to the field of study: Looking at fashion film 1 1.2 Aims and objectives of the study 7 1.3 Significance of the study 8 1.4 Delimitation: Technical considerations in the analysis of the selected films 9 1.5 Limitations: Availability of academically verifiable literature that discusses fashion film 9 1.6 Chapter overview 10 CHAPTER 2: THE CONTEXT OF FASHION FILM 12 2.1 Introduction 12 2.2 Review of the literature: Background and context to the theory of fashion film 13 2.2.1 Theory and methodologies of fashion on/in film analysis 16 2.2.2 How does fashion communicate meaning? 20 2.3 Determining the characteristics of fashion film 24 2.3.1 Fashion film as it is interpreted by industry leaders 24 2.3.2 Fashion, costume and cloth communicate meaning in fashion film 29 2.3.3 Fashion film communicates using the human body 31 2.3.4 Fashion film communicates using movement 33 iv 2.4 Chapter summary 36 CHAPTER 3: SEMIOTICS AS A TOOL TO ANALYSE FILM 38 3.1 Introduction 38 3.2 Research design 38 3.3 Films selected for analysis 40 3.4 Data collection 45 3.5 Data analysis: Introduction to communications perspective, semiotics and meaning 46 3.6 Key concepts used in semiotic visual analysis 51 3.7 Fashion film and signs 53 3.8 Semiotic frameworks for visual analysis 57 3.8.1 Nonverbal interpersonal communication 59 3.8.2 Codes of content 60 3.8.3 Codes of form 61 3.9 Analysis criteria 62 3.10 Chapter summary 63 CHAPTER 4: CLOTH, THE BODY AND MOVEMENT IN SERPENTINE DANCE AND RUSTY NAILS 65 4.1 Introduction 65 4.2 Serpentine Dance (1896) 66 4.2.1 Introduction to Serpentine Dance 66 4.2.2 How is cloth, the body and movement used in Serpentine Dance to create symbolic associations between the visuals and the reading? 69 4.3 Rusty Nails (2009) 73 4.3.1 Introduction to Rusty Nails 73 4.3.2 How is cloth, the body and movement used in Rusty Nails to v create symbolic associations between the visuals and the reading? 76 4.4 A comparison of Serpentine Dance and Rusty Nails 83 4.4.1 Cloth in Serpentine Dance and Rusty Nails 85 4.4.2 The body in Serpentine Dance and Rusty Nails 89 4.4.3 Movement in Serpentine Dance and Rusty Nails 93 4.5 Final notes on the findings and how they relate to fashion film communication 97 4.6 Chapter summary 99 CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 101 5.1 Summary of the preceding chapters 101 5.2 Contribution and significance of the study 104 5.3 Suggestion for further research 105 5.4 Closing comments 106 REFERENCE LIST 108 ADDENDUMS Addendum A: Semiotic analysis: Serpentine Dance (1896) 117 Addendum B: Semiotic analysis: Moderat’s Rusty Nails (2009) 125 Addendum C: Semiotic analysis: Moderat’s Rusty Nails (2009) 130 Addendum D: Semiotic analysis: Moderat’s Rusty Nails (2009) 137 Addendum E: Semiotic analysis: Moderat’s Rusty Nails (2009) 144 vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ASVOFF A Shaded View on Fashion Film VJ Visual Jockey WGSN Worth Global Style Network vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1. Front cover of the Fashion in Film Festival brochure (2011) 14 Figure 2.2. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (1939) 22 Top left: Source: http://www.fanpix.net/0050239/013572765/ ninotchka-stills-1939-large-picture.html. Top right: Source: http://www.altfg.com/blog/classics/greta-garbo -ninotchka-ernst-lubitsch/ Bottom left: Source: http://flickriver.com/photos/26612863@N00/2406467640/ Bottom right: Source: http://www.2guys1movie.com/2011/07/ romance-of-past-ninotchka-1939.html] Figure 2.3. Still images from Ruth Hogben films to indicate her editing 26 techniques. Top left: Source: http://blog.productionparadise.com/2012/02/28/ the-creative-relationship-between-fashion-film-2/ Top right: Source: http://www.theskinnybeep.com/2010/11/gareth pugh-ss-2011-presented-by-showstudio-com/ Bottom left: Source: http://www.shdnsm.com/2011/06/08/vice-style -blackberry-meet-gareth-pugh-visionaries-video/ Bottom right: Source: http://models.com/work/showstudio-joie-de- vivre-a-film-by-ruth-hogben Figure 2.4. Dynamic Blooms by Nick Knight and Tell No One (2011) 34 Source: http://showstudio.com/project/dynamic_blooms/fashion _film Figure 3.1. Visualisation of research design (Coates 2012) 40 Figure 3.2. Ming Xi Couture by Nick Knight (2011) 44 Source: http://showstudio.com/project/ming_xi_couture_2011/ fashion_film Figure 3.3. Semiotic analysis framework adapted by author from the 58 model proposed by Du Plooy and Fourie in Introduction to communication: Course book 3: Communication and the production of meaning. Figure 4.1. Screenshots from Serpentine Dance (1896) indicating colour 70 gradient and movements of the cloth and body viii Figure 4.2. Screenshots from Rusty Nails (2009) to indicate the various 77 ways in which cloth was used in the music video. Figure 4.3. Screenshots from Rusty Nails (2009) to indicate abstract use of body and a body that is both absent and present at the 78 same time Figure 4.4. Screenshots from Rusty Nails (2009), these indicate the use 79 of skin, dramatic lighting and abstract shapes created with the body to portray sensual and erotic visuals. Figure 4.5. Screenshots from Rusty Nails (2009), indicate the 81 protagonist’s subtle head movements, landscape forms and use of vectors. Figure 4.6. Screenshots from Serpentine Dance (1896) to indicate the 87 pastel shades that are hand-painted on the film in postproduction. Figure 4.7. Screenshots from Rusty Nails (2009) to illustrate the running 95 movements of the draped and hooded protagonist. ix ABSTRACT The main objective of the study is to explore how cloth, the body and movement are able to communicate possible symbolic meaning in Loïe Fuller’s Serpentine Dance film and Moderat’s Rusty Nails music video. The study further attempts to establish the characteristics of fashion film to include cloth, the body and movement and provide a methodology that locates fashion film as a sign system using a visual semiotic analysis framework. The films were then compared and contrasted to determine similarities and differences in their use of cloth, the body and movement. The findings from the film analysis suggest that cloth, the body and movement communicate symbolic meaning in the films based on their associated meanings that are generated both inside and outside the film context. By focussing on cloth, the body and movement as primary communicators (rather than secondary or supporting communicators) in film, new meanings can be interpreted from their interrelationship. The results inform new ways for fashion designers and fashion filmmakers to engage with cloth, the body and movement in fashion film. x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY 1.1. Introduction to the field of study: Looking at fashion film Hollander (1988:1) writes that “the fascinating capacity of cloth to bunch, stretch, hang, or flutter, to be smooth or unsmooth under different circumstances, to be wrought upon and then restored, and wrought upon differently another time” contributes to cloth’s potential to communicate meaning in a number of contexts. Whether in a gigantic cracking sail, the billowing costume of a dancer or the smooth caress of a summer dress, moving cloth can symbolise meaning and invoke possible perceptions or interpretations for both the wearer and the viewer. When captured on film, the movement of cloth, whether as loose spanning lengths or fashioned into constructed forms, can signify both literal and figurative meanings. Developing an understanding of how the movement of cloth and the body on film communicates meaning and how fashion articulates meaning in film can support gaining insight into a genre primarily concerned with fashion communication, namely fashion film. This study explores the way “an intimate narrative of the garment” is created through the filmic representation of the body in movement and its relationship to cloth (Knight in Davis 2010:9). The study aims to explores the genre of fashion film and develop criteria and methods for analysing films that use cloth, the body and movement to communicate meaning. The study further sets out to determine if possible symbolic meaning can be communicated with cloth, the body and movement on film. Visual semiotics and a communication studies perspective will form part of the methods used in the analysis of Loïe Fuller’s Rusty Nails and Moderat’s Serpentine Dance to determine how they utilised cloth, the body and movement to communicate possible symbolic meaning.