Justin Hodgson is an Assistant Professor of Rhetoric in the English Department at Indiana University. He is the founding editor of The Journal for Undergraduate Multimedia Projects (now rebranded, TheJUMP+) and the co-coordinator of the Indiana Digital Rhetoric Symposium. Professor Hodgson has published both print and digital scholarship in journals such as Kairos, Enculturation, Composition Studies, EDUCAUSE, and PRE/TEXT, and his book Post-Digital Rhetoric & The New Aesthetic (forthcoming from Ohio State University Press) offers a set of heuretics for knowing, doing, and making in a techno-saturated culture.

*Please click here for a transcript of this video.

A Post-Production Turn: New Media, New Practice, New Ontology

At its core, Ulmer’s flash reason is an image metaphysics, which is increasingly necessary as the contemporary cultural moment is one of becoming-image. That is, not only do we operate at the speed of light (via electronic and computational technologies), but also we are completely saturated with images and our worlds are routinely reduced to image streams (i.e., condensed to pixel-data values). What this suggests is that in addition to exchanging information at levels of compression previously unknown, the primary mode of presentation (and representation, for that matter) is as image, with the bulk of embodied reality and the phenomenological world being flattened into the pixel-values of the screen. In and of itself, this introduces a fundamental shift in the ratios by which we make (and make sense of) our worlds. Not only does it change the very sense ratios that operate in the human condition (as Marshall McLuhan suggested many moons ago), but it also renders reason and representation as being suspect to the conditions of computational and pixel-oriented technical efficacy: which means that flash reason is not only linked to conductive logics and speed-of-light operations, and not only rooted in matters of affect and mood, but is itself susceptible to the inflections and imperfections of the very medial platforms that make electracy available on a larger scale. This is a fairly important detail within Ulmer’s larger framework, for while Ulmer introduces flash reason as way of adding complexity to procedures of electracy, and while he situates electracy as complimentary to literacy (i.e., offering a new instauration), it remains critical (and creatively important) that we recognize the depth and degree to which the digital and non-digital undergirding exposes the operative logics and available practices of electracy (flash reason included) to the materialities and machinations of the apparatus. In this regard, something like glitch functions as not only another form of conductive logic, but also introduces an altogether different orientation toward the aesthetic—inviting a different set of aesthetic judgments that gesture toward a post-digital conditionality.

To this end, this project, “A Post-Production Turn: New Media, New Practice, New Ontology,” grounds itself in a post-critical orientation and situates to make (and to make available) as necessarily a precedent for any conditional to make sense of. What this suggests, on the one hand, is a need to foreground the productive dimensions of working with digital media, as to have digital existence and/or to participate as digital citizen requires one to produce, to make things, and to share them through digital means (not excluding nondigital distributions as well). Further, as Ulmer suggests in “Flash Reason,” we are increasingly working within the realm of readymades—where everything we make, including, I would add, our very own likenesses (i.e., the becoming-image conditionality) becomes suspect to being a readymade as well. Thus, if avant garde artists like Marcel Duchamp employed readymades to call attention to critical art practices (calling into question the very ideologies of art history/art culture), what is occurring in a post-digital moment is that everything is now susceptible to digitization (and digital mishaps) and so exists with the potential to become (perpetually so) part of the never-ending archive of readymade objects and subjects, artifacts and expressions. Consequently, we now have an expansive (and ever expanding) set of available means, and what matters, in terms of any post-digital rhetorical capacity, is not merely one’s ability to access this ever-expanding archive, but one’s ability to manipulate them through post-production techniques and practices.

The critical contribution of any post-digital practitioner, then, comes not from a definitive act of criticism, but rather from an electrate prototyping: i.e., working creatives, who are yet critically attuned, finding ways to leverage a world of readymades and repeating signifiers to create conductive resonances within a multisensory and multi-representational, mediated experience. Here, what gets exposed to an interested, viewing public is not only the representational practices of electracy, but also the dimensions to which the dreamwork logic of flash reason becomes suspect to rhetorical practice (i.e., where post-production operations allow for remaking and reimagining the mediated artifacts of today’s digital-real mixed reality).

This project, then, works extensively with post-production editing to produce a digital video prototype (in Ulmer’s sense). It does not seek to offer a singular point of criticism, but rather invites conductive resonances across visual, oral, and aural registers to suggest something about post-digital practice. In so doing, it demonstrates an engagement with readymades, deploys multiple post-production maneuvers as rhetorical techniques, and attempts to allow forth at least one understanding of the sense ratio shift central to Ulmer’s flash reason. In this regard, this project may be more akin to the image reflected in the puddle below the neon sign, than the words spelled out in the neon itself.

REFERENCES/PROJECT MATERIALS

TEXTS

Bridle, James. “#sxaesthetic.” Booktwo.org, 15 Mar. 2012.

Gibson, William. Spook Country. Putnam’s, 2007.

Lanham, Richard. The Electronic Word: Democracy, Technology, and the Arts. U of Chicago Press, 1993.

McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. MIT Press, 1964.

Ulmer, Gregory L. “Flash Reason.” Cybertext Yearbook 2013 – High Wired Redux. Editors Cynthia Haynes and Jan Holmevik. University of Jyväskylä, 2013.

VIDEO ASSETS

“Adam MacBook Typing.” Archive.org, 10 Feb. 2007, https://archive.org/details/Dogra-AdamMacBookTyping676.
Adafruit Industries. “Conductive Textiles at Adafruit – Becky Stern Explains.” YouTube.com, 4 Feb. 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9O-T8oy7TU.

Adafruit Industries. “iPhone Light Mod.” YouTube.com, 18 Oct. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR6a-7xlFxg.

AttackOfTheShow. “Filmmaking with the iPad Review.” YouTube.com, 10 Aug. 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NI3PRN7geY.

Avaya. “Top Video Conferencing Tips With Avaya Scopia.” YouTube.com, 5 Dec. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48MkJJgidnE.

Bolts, Mikey. “Pharrell – ‘Happy’ (Sung in FAMILY GUY Voices).” Youtube.com, 11 Mar. 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pbvX5Y3ZJ8.

BuzzFeedVideo. “9 Tech Hacks That Will Make Your Life Better.” 29 Jul. 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX0acWMTc60.

Cinematic 2199 Productions. “Music Producer DJ Toomp (JayZ, Kanye West) How to make a HOT beat in 3 minutes w/Reason! PT. 1/5.” YouTube.com, 10 Dec. 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnMRh9m8vZQ.
Cosmin P. “the perfect human part 1” from Jorgen Leth’s The Perfect Human. YouTube.com, 14 Nov. 2007, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIjNv2b5C8Q.

CraftedMovie. “Minecraft – The Christmas gifting.” YouTube.com, 22 Dec. 2012., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ1UuISQuEA.

D Piddy. “Cosplay | Pharrell Williams – Happy Parody.” YouTube.com, 24 Mar. 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP0zRvy6gBw.

Dubspot. “What is Dubspot? Electronic Music Production & DJ School – NYC & Online.” YouTube.com, 11 Nov. 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ssu9PE20RvE.

Faraut, Phillipe. “Sculpting The Hand.” YouTube.com, 4 Nov. 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As3l1I5vumY.
Firas Haddad. “Total Knee Replacement Surgery 2011 – HD.” YouTube.com, 13 Jan. 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9NrKylKMIY.

Gadget Infinity. “Movie Making Enabling Tools for Smartphone and iPhone.” YouTube.com, 5 Feb. 2012, - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whw8O0hejrk.

Gambling, Simon. “Jools Holland Bumble Boogie Live Piano Close-up, Amsterdam 2013.” YouTube.com, 15 Apr. 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9AR5yhRB-g.

Humor Subtitulado. “Pharrell Williams – ‘Happy’ PARODY (Bart Barker subtitulado al Español).” YouTube.com, 19 Apr. 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VsL9ITlIC8.

iamOTHER. “Pharrell Williams – Happy (Official Music Video).” YouTube.com, 21 Nov. 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv-sUYtM.

Indy Mogul. “10 Household Hacks for Filmmakers: Indy News.” YouTube.com, 20 Aug. 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WX1DU74P6E.

Jenkins, Joshua. “iPad Review: Typing on iPad.” YouTube.com, 11 Apr. 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dETfKbHp-Q.

JumpFlyInc. “2 Year-old kid playing new Apple iPad.” YouTube.com, 8 Jun. 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3tam2Pwyqk.

KQED. “Open Source Creativity – Hackerspaces: Science on the SPOT.” YouTube.com, 24 Jan. 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wamwklXWK4M.

Maldre, Matt. “CTA train reflection.” YouTube.com, 18 May 2008. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e-UlQQpaOE.

McGrawHillPro. “Digital Filmmaking for Beginners A Practical Guide to Video Production.” YouTube.com, 11 Jun. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhjoJy5rOeo.

Mobilegeeks.de. “Apple iPad 2 Official TV-Ad.” YouTube.com, 2 Apr. 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2LLSrlKr3c.

Motorhead tribute. “Public clouds, dark clouds rolling across sky.” YouTube.com, 19 Dec. 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBm-B4Y4GNk.

NeoGe83. “Time lapse – whole gecko eaten by ants in just a few hours!” YouTube.com, 11 Jan. 2008. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3Mt2E1M6dU.

Nip Tuck. “Nip/Tuck – Intro (The Perfect Lie).” YouTube.com, 17 May 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOnQOhROJvs.

PCMag. “SXSW: This Guy Can Type 163 Words Per Minute.” YouTube.com, 19 Mar. 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GDusA21cEA.

StarkBurns. “Elias listens to his first music with headphones.” YouTube.com, 18 Mar. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jiqbckr83_0.

thefrugalfilmmaker. “Camera Stabilizer Rig for Under $5.” YouTube.com, 25 Jul. 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZtlSVgG1h8.
thunderusa. “Marshall McLuhan Interview 1967.” YouTube.com, 12 Jul. 2009., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMEC_HqWlBY.

Toastmasters. “Gestures and Body Language.” YouTube.com, 9 Oct. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3ywrgCA-1I.

Weaver Companies, Inc. “Time lapse of home construction start to finish.” YouTube.com, 21 Feb. 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3iI6S7TuCA.

AUDIO ASSETS

Goyte, featuring Kimbra. “Somebody That I Used to Know.” Making Mirrors. Eleven, 5 Jul. 2011.

Legend, John. “All of Me.” Love in the Future. Columbia Records, 12 Aug. 2013.

The Lumineers. “Ho Hey.” The Lumineers. Dualtone, 4 Jun. 2012.

Thicke, Robin, featuring Pharrell Williams and T.I., “Blurred Lines.” Blurred Lines. Interscope Records, 26 Mar. 2013.

Williams, Pharrell. “Happy.” Girl. Columbia Records, 21 Nov. 2013.

IMAGE ASSETS

“19 Gormley.” Manacontemporary.com, 2010, http://manacontemporary.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/19gormley-4-popup1.jpg.

“A thoughtful pen writing.” Fanpop.com, n.d., http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/3600000/a-thoughtfull-pen-writing-3647581-2560-1702.jpg.

“Academic Gesture.” Wired, 2014, http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/design/2014/01/postcards.gif

“Berlin.” Wikimedia.org, n.d., https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Über_den_Dächern_von_Berlin.jpg.

“Binary City Scape.” us.123rf.com, n.d., http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/leszekglasner/leszekglasner1105/leszekglasner110500002/9544308-binary-digital-city-abstract-3d-tech-background.jpg.

“Binary.” GCN.com, 22 Mar. 2013, https://gcn.com/articles/2013/03/22/~/media/GIG/GCN/Redesign/Generic/binary.png.

“Bronze Age Dwelling.” Wikipedia, n.d., http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Bronze_age_dwelling_at_Flag_Fen.JPG.

“Cameron_HUD_override.” Wikia.com, n.d., http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080909162027/terminator/images/c/c8/Cameron_HUD_override.jpg.

“COLOURBOX1993049.” d2gg9evh47fn9z.cloudfront.net, n.d., https://d2gg9evh47fn9z.cloudfront.net/800px_COLOURBOX1993049.jpg.

“Computer.” BuffaloComputerConsulting.com, http://www.buffalocomputerconsulting.com/images/computer.jpg.

“Digital Brain.” Mybroadband.co.za, 2013, http://mybroadband.co.za/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Digital-brain.jpg.

“Digital Brain.” Techspot.com, n.d., http://static.techspot.com/images/teaser/brain.jpg.

“Dwelling.” Behance.net, n.d., http://m1.behance.net/rendition/modules/45798101/disp/269b8dd38954cc1fc38ef8b6aabdcd15.jpg.

“Fiber Optic Cable.” Finolexblog.com, 2012, http://www.finolexblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/fiber-optic-cable-stock-693x382.png.

“Gaoliang Bridge.” Wikimedia.org, n.d., http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Gaoliang_Bridge.JPG.

“Global Cities.” Businessweek.com, 2010, http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/10/1028_global_cities/image/intro.jpg.

“Hammer.” Wikia.com, n.d., http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120121210255/walkingdead/images/f/fa/Hammer.jpg.

“hands.” Womenofgrace.com, 2012, http://www.womenofgrace.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/hands.jpg.

“Harry Potter DVD.” Bloghogwarts.com, 2009, http://bloghogwarts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Harry-Potter-DVD-box-set-pel%C3%ADculas-1-6_04.jpg.

“Hoe’s One-Cylinder Printing Press.” Wikimedia.org, n.d., http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Hoe's_one_cylinder_printing_press.png.

“HowMuchDoes1.” Centives.net, 2012, http://www.centives.net/S/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/020412_0609_HowMuchDoes1.jpg.

“Human head in watery binary code.” us.123rf.com, n.d., https://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/andreus/andreus0808/andreus080800021/3385524-human-head-emerging-from-a-water-and-binary-code-surface-digital-illustration.jpg.

“Iron Man Screen Capture.” Pinterest.com, https://sk.pinterest.com/offsite/?token=700-307&url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F9d%2F06%2Fb8%2F9d06b843f32227e84cbfaa2becf657f3.jpg&pin=440578776018232951&client_tracking_params=CwABAAAADDg1MDk2NDE3NTM1NwA~0.

“iStack.” Imgur.com, n.d., http://i.stack.imgur.com/iJBCF.jpg.
 “Marshall’s Laws.” University of Toronto News, 21 Sept. 2011. http://www.news.utoronto.ca/sites/default/files/photo_gallery/McLuhan_radio_11_10_31.jpg?1320088782.

“McLuhan (cigar).” Chino Kino Blog by David Eng. 17 Jul. 2011. http://www.chinokino.com/2011/07/mcluhan-legacy-network-mln-festival.html.

“Mechanism Wallpaper.” Superbwallpapers.com, n.d., http://www.superbwallpapers.com/3d/mechanism-15796/.

“Miley Cyrus Twerking on Famous Painting.” derickg.com, 2013, http://derickg.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Miley-Cyrus-Twerking-on-Famous-Paintings-7-470x315.gif.

“Mozart Music.” theage.com.au., Jan. 2006, http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2006/01/20/mozart_wideweb__470x300,0.jpg.

“Muscle – Arm and Forearm.” Bainbridge.edu, n.d., http://fsweb.bainbridge.edu/acunningham/AP/AP-img/Muscle-Arm-ArmandForearm-Ant01.jpg.

“Network1.” Securenetworksitc.com, 2012, http://www.securenetworksitc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Network1.jpg.

“New Aesthetic.” NewAesthetic.tumbler.com, n.d., http://37.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m09irt74ko1qzsvezo1_500.jpg.

“Obama New Aesthetic.” Giphy.com, n.d., http://media.giphy.com/media/vy2QdGKvy2xQQ/giphy.gif.

“Patterns and Pleasure – Banner - 400” Studio for STEIM. Sept. 2011, http://steim.org/archive/patternsandpleasure/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/banner-400.jpg.

“Pencil.” Wikia.com, n.d., https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Pencils_hb.jpg.

“Pixel Marilyn.” Behance.net, n.d., http://m1.behance.net/rendition/modules/28032463/disp/9f30fc253b3abeb1689816d1ce528541.jpg.

“Pixels.” 7one8design.com, 2012, http://7one8design.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/pixels.jpg.

“QR Codes.” Hyperallergic.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com, 2014, http://hyperallergic.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/ktinstall1-e1332518687975.jpg.

“Quantified Self Digital Human 1.” bpmredux.com, 2013, https://bpmredux.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/quantified-self-digital-human-1.jpeg.

“Rainbow Drone.” Media Rhizome Blog, 2011, http://media.rhizome.org/blog/8181/newaesth1.jpeg.

“Record Player.” Ebay.com, n.d., http://i.ebayimg.com/00/$T2eC16VHJHYE9nzpeDFwBRY0n0qKf!~~_35.jpg.

“Robot.” Quorrischarmyn.com, 2013, http://www.quorrischarmyn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/nod32robot.png.

“School Bus.” Worldstock.com, n.d., http://www.worldofstock.com/slides/TRC4713.jpg.

“Sportcenter Tim Tebow.” Businessinsider.com, 14 Aug. 2012, http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-espns-obsession-with-tim-tebow-is-getting-out-of-hand-2012-8.

“SXSW Poster.” Booktwo.org, Mar. 2012, http://booktwo.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/sxsw_poster.jpg

“Sygic-HUD-W.” gpsworld.com, 2013, http://gpsworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Sygic-HUD-W.jpg.

“Thumbsup.” magicofpublicspeaking.com, 2013, http://www.magicofpublicspeaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Public_Speaking_Gestures_Tips.jpg.

“Venus de Milo.” Conservapedia.com, n.d., http://www.conservapedia.com/images/thumb/c/cd/Venus_de_Milo.jpg/180px-Venus_de_Milo.jpg.

“Warhol Campbell Soup.” Giphy.com, n.d., http://media0.giphy.com/media/8wbHOLEzkOCDC/giphy.gif.

“Wispy Blue Background.” Dreamstime.com, n.d., https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/wispy-blue-background-830716.jpg.

“Words as Communication: A talk by James Bridle at Selfridges.” Popscreen.com, Feb. 2012, http://www.popscreen.com/v/6cwPP/Words-as-Communication-James-Bridle. [Screen Capture]

“Young Mozart.” The RILM Blog, 2012, http://rilm.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/young-mozart.jpg.

Bridle, James. “Drones 002.” Vanity Fair, Jun. 2013, http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2013/06/new-aesthetic-james-bridle-drones/.i.0.new-aesthetic-james-bridle-art-01.jpg.

Goeller, Kello. “Pixel Pour 2.0.” Kelloworld.com, 2012.

Goeller, Kello. “Pixel Pour.” Kelloworld.com, 2008.

Gormley, Antony. “Feeling Materials.” JohnEdwardCochran.wordpress.com, 2010, https://johnedwardcochran.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/gormley-feeling-material1.png.

Mepu. “Love My Desktop 19.” Deviantart.net, n.d., http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs38/f/2008/332/6/8/Love_my_desktop_19__HUD_Vision_by_mepu.png.

Natural Language Process Group. “Algorithm.”nlp.stanford.edu, n.d., https://nlp.stanford.edu/IR-book/html/htmledition/img1553.png.

nfroustis. “Raindrop Ripple Wallpaper.” Deviantart.net, 2005, http://img07.deviantart.net/26c6/i/2005/251/c/7/raindrop_ripple_wallpaper_by_nfroustis.jpg.

Noll, Michael G. “SPEAR algorithm computation.” Michael-noll.com, 10 Jul 2010. http://www.michael-noll.com/blog/uploads/SPEAR-algorithm-computation-600x386.png.

Picasso, Pablo. “Woman With Book.” 1932. http://uploads4.wikiart.org/images/pablo-picasso/woman-with-book-1932.jpg.

Saebaryo. “Multiworkspaces.” vi.sualize.us, n.d.,  http://vi.sualize.us/multi_workspaces_by_saebaryo_multi_monitor_functional_desk_workspaces_workstation_interior_workspace_design_picture_ppad.html.

ter Beek, Guus and Tayfun Sarier. “Street Eraser (Brick Lane, London).” Streeteraser.com, 18 Mar. 2014.

Warhol, Andy. “Marilyn 4.” Zubette.free.fr, n.d., http://zubetta.free.fr/P6%20lisaa/Artistes%20divers/Warhol%20Andy/Marilyn/warhol%201967%20Marilyn%20Monroe%20partie%20droite.jpg.

Warhol, Andy. “Shot Orange Marilyn.” AllPosters.com, n.d., http://imagecache5d.allposters.com/watermarker/51-5138-UWTEG00Z.jpg?ch=775&cw=775.

Warhol, Andy. “Shot Teal Marilyn.” anitabrowndesignstudio.com, 2013, http://anitabrowndesignstudio.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/andy-warhol-marilyn-monroe-pop-art.jpg.

VIDEO ASSETS (NOW DEACTIVATED)

“Cell Division.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ1UuISQuEA.

“John Cage Cactus.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qWPCoayhjY.

“Taking apart machine.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVkas2E3Nag.