Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2007 Political Ecology in Large-Format Films: Analyzing Environmental Representation & Audience Reception of Imax Nature Documentaries Jason Kemmitt Smith Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION POLITICAL ECOLOGY IN LARGE-FORMAT FILMS: ANALYZING ENVIRONMENTAL REPRESENTATION & AUDIENCE RECEPTION OF IMAX NATURE DOCUMENTARIES By JASON KEMMITT SMITH A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Summer Semester, 2007 The members of the Committee approve the dissertation of Jason Kemmitt Smith defended on November 13, 2006. ___________________________________ Andy Opel Professor Co-Directing Dissertation ___________________________________ Stephen McDowell Professor Co-Directing Dissertation ___________________________________ Phil Steinberg Outside Committee Member ___________________________________ Donna Nudd Committee Member Approved: _______________________________________________ Stephen McDowell, Chair, Department of Communication _______________________________________________ John Mayo, Dean, College of Communications The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are so many people I need to thank because of their support throughout my graduate career. Without their love, understanding, guidance, financial assistance and advice, I would not have been able to complete this project and receive my doctorate. First and foremost, I must express my gratitude for my faith in God, recovery, and the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. Then, I must thank my mother, Suzanne P. Smith. Your undying devotion to your children over the years, while experiencing the loss of your husband and debilitating health has been nothing less than awe-inspiring. I love and admire you more than you can possibly imagine. Also, without my two sisters Sarah A. Smith and Jessica L. Smith, I would not have the strength or confidence to keep going; I love you both immensely. To my father, James J. Smith, M.D., who died in 1996 and encouraged me to follow a career in communication, I will always love you. Beyond my immediate family, I am grateful for the love and kindness of the following: The Casarella Family, Dr. George and Eugenie Edmonds, George and Corrine Edmonds, Dr. Stephen and Penelope Leach, Dorothy Wright, The Murphys, The Brownings, The Stouts, Richard Delhaie, Chris Guiles, Tom Casarella, Firat Tuzunkan, Joseph Debellis, Lilly Byrd Messec-Anderson, Lucy Perrone, The Perrone Family, Johnny “Fire” Smith, Will Kinnally, Kimberly Leahy, Megan Fitzgerald, Kaysee Baker, Will Dulaney, Mark Hollingsworth, Bob Iglehardt, Brett Law, “Buddha” Jeff, Leslie Whatley, Jamie McLaughlin, Sharla June Benedict, Matty, Shaun “Tennessee Stix” MacMillan, Joel Barto and Jim Danitschek, M.D. I am indebted to a long list of people for their patient, nurturing guidance during my elementary, high school, collegiate and graduate careers that includes: my learning disability teachers and assistants from Ashford Elementary School and E. O. Smith High School, Frank Christianson-Lagay, Todd Bryda, Kevin McClure, Agnes Doody, Donald Ellis, Roger Desmond, Jack Banks, Katherine Black, Evelyn Chen, Bill Yousman, Gary Heald, John Mayo, Donnalyn Pompper, Art Raney, Laura Arpan, Donna Nudd, Davis Houck, Barry Sapolsky, Marilyn Young, Barney Warf, Phil Steinberg, Bill Law, Mary Ealey, Natasha Hinson-Turner and Hans Meyer. I greatly appreciate the help of the World Golf Hall of Fame and IMAX Theater in St. Augustine, Florida, The Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, Florida, and Challenger Learning Center and IMAX Theater in Tallahassee, Florida. I would like to thank Rick Fisher and Michelle Personette at the Challenger Learning Center. iii Finally, I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to Andy Opel and Steve McDowell. Steve not only helped me get my foot in the door at Florida State in the College of Communication, but maintained a steady connection with me throughout my trials of teaching, coursework and research. Without Andy, this project would not have gotten off the ground. Years of working with him generated great conversations, musicianship and multiple ideas (especially the one for this project). I am honored to have had the opportunity to work alongside, present research, and publish with such a genuine, talented person. I am also grateful for his continued dedication toward assisting me in advancing my career. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ..............................................................................................................................................................VII 1. NATURE ON THE BIG SCREEN: .......................................................................................................................1 “IMAX: THINK BIG!” ..........................................................................................................................................1 SEEING IMAGES ON THE BIG SCREEN:THE IMAX EXPERIENCE ............................................................................4 “IMAGE MAXIMUM”NATURE:LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE..................................................................................7 2. THE IMAX EXPERIENCE®.................................................................................................................................9 PROJECTING “LARGER-THAN-LIFE”IMAGES: IMAX PRODUCTION ...........................................................................9 THE “REALLY BIG”MOVIE MAKING BUSINESS.......................................................................................................11 IMAX NATURE AND WILDLIFE DOCUMENTARIES...................................................................................................14 IMAX, NATURE &REPRESENTATION .....................................................................................................................17 NATURE AS COMMODITY IN SOCIETY......................................................................................................................21 3. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIETY & NATURE: FROM ECONOMIC ANTHROPOLOGY TO POLITICAL ECOLOGY...................................................................................................................................22 HISTORICAL ROLE OF MATERIAL NATURE IN MARKET ECONOMIES .......................................................................25 HUMANS &NATURE IN INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY.........................................................................................................30 From Pastoral to Urban Life: The Reflection of Nature in Industrial Culture ..................................................31 SUSTAINABILITY OF CAPITALISM &POLITICAL ECOLOGY ......................................................................................33 PUBLIC &PRIVATE TENSIONS CREATING PERCEPTIONS ABOUT NATURE................................................................35 INDIVIDUALISM &BIO-CENTRISM...........................................................................................................................37 MEDIA’S ROLE IN ALIENATING HUMANS FROM MATERIAL NATURE ......................................................................38 4. ENVIRONMENTAL REPRESENTATION IN MEDIA & POPULAR CULTURE: THE CASE FOR THE IMAX EXPERIENCE............................................................................................................................................39 CUTE &FUZZY NATURE..........................................................................................................................................39 THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH THE MEDIA’S EYES .................................................................................................41 NOT IN MY BACKYARD TO THE HEADWATERS FOREST:RESISTANT VOICES...........................................................44 ENVIRO-POP:GREENWASHING CULTURE ................................................................................................................48 NATURE’S NICKELODEON........................................................................................................................................50 Creating the Documentary.................................................................................................................................55 IMAGES OF SUBLIME NATURE,MYTH AND FILM .....................................................................................................55 THE ENVIRONMENTAL SPECTACLE..........................................................................................................................56 THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXHIBITING CREATURES FOR AMUSEMENT:FROM THE COLISEUM TO SEA WORLD...........58 IMAX: SPECTACULAR ENVIRONMENTS ..................................................................................................................59 5. METHODOLOGY: GAZING AT MAXIMUM NATURE ...............................................................................61 ORBITING THE PLANET &BEYOND:SEATED IN THE IMAX THEATER.....................................................................61 AUDIENCES RECEPTION OF THE IMAX EXPERIENCE:DOES SIZE MATTER? ........................................................62 ANALYZING