Emerging: Discovering the Surface of the Story


The  most meaningful Film and TV criticism has focused on the depth of a piece of media. In other words how far beneath the surface  the true intent of the creative team lies. In approaching analysis this way however, the critic frequently disregards the most important question. Is the piece understandable to the average viewer? Now, this does not mean it lacks depth.
What it means is does it speak for itself? Is its surface level leading to a greater depth and understanding? In other words does its visual bibliography make sense? Far too often we as story lovers and film nerds disregard this visual bibliography at the surface in the hopes of discovering the depth for ourselves, though there is no depth if you don’t start at the surface.

My hope with this endeavor is to reorient us to that surface of a piece of media so that we can more greatly appreciate the depth that it contains. This week’s visual bibliography is taken from the TV show Mad Men.

Watch Episodes in order and in their entirety.  All Episodes available on Netflix

Visual Bibliography: Mad Men

“4 out of 5 dead people smoke your brand”- Smoke Gets in Your Eyes Ep1:S1

“That’s what the money is for!”- The Suitcase EP7:S4

“Midway through our life’s journey I went astray and awoke to find myself alone in a dark wood.” -The Doorway EP1:S6

“This is where I grew up”- In Care Of EP12:S6

“Because it is the real thing, it is the real thing.”- Person to Person EP14:S7  

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