Lisa Portolan Phd Thesis Podcast Film Event 2021 Jun 2026
Traditionally, analyzing a film event requires describing it after the fact, turning a dynamic experience into a static description. Portolan’s thesis challenges this limitation. By moving the discussion into a podcast, she creates a secondary "event"—a time-based media experience that mirrors the temporality of the cinema itself. The listener is not reading a summary of an event; they are participating in a new event derived from the research.
In her podcast, Portolan utilizes soundscapes, interviews, and voice-over narration to evoke the atmosphere of the film events she studies. This aligns with what media scholars call "acousmatic sound"—sound that is heard without its source being seen. By stripping away the visual element of the films and focusing on the discourse and sounds surrounding them, Portolan forces the listener to engage with the idea of the film event in a purely cognitive and imaginative way. The podcast becomes a site of "remediation," where the live, communal aspects of the cinema are transposed into a digital, yet deeply personal, auditory sphere. lisa portolan phd thesis podcast film event
In the contemporary academic landscape, the boundaries of the traditional thesis are rapidly dissolving. No longer confined to the static, printed page, doctoral research is increasingly embracing multimodal formats to convey complex ideas. Lisa Portolan’s PhD thesis stands as a compelling case study in this evolution. By utilizing the podcast format to explore the concept of the "film event," Portolan does not merely document her findings; she creates a new performative space where cinema studies, audio culture, and live experience intersect. This essay examines how Portolan’s work transforms the "film event" from a visual spectacle into an auditory experience, arguing that the podcast format offers a unique phenomenological tool for understanding the temporality and community of cinema. Traditionally, analyzing a film event requires describing it
"Reel Conversations: Exploring Identity through Film" The listener is not reading a summary of
From Archive to Airwaves: Reimagining the Film Event in Lisa Portolan’s Audio Research
Portolan has presented her PhD findings at numerous , including:
A critical dimension of Portolan’s work is the integration of the podcast into a live "film event" context. The thesis is not an isolated artifact; it often functions as a live presentation or a recorded extension of a physical gathering. This approach blurs the line between the researcher and the practitioner.