Gonzalez 1 Ana Gonzalez Professor: Erin Dietel-McLaughlin WR 13300: Multimedia Writing and Rhetoric February 28th 2014 The

use of Immediacy and Hypermediacy to convey a message The Social Network is a Hollywood film that takes its turn on the creation of Facebook. It was directed by David Fincher and released in 2010. This film draws allusion to the friendships between the characters and the development of those friendships through the evolution of technology, most specifically Facebook. The film centers primarily on Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, and Edwuardo Saverin, the CFO; and their interaction with other important characters such as the Sean Parker, Erika Albright and Marilyn Delpy, whom help shape the story and complete the drama. This essay will focus on the idea that the film uses cinematic techniques to convey a sense of immediacy and hypermediacy in key points of the film in order to aid its critique of our societys relationship with screen media. The directors choice of cinematic features to convey the critique of our societys use of technology, allows rhetorical analysis of the film and its response to a situation of a certain kind (Bitzer 3). Finchers systematic use of rhetorical features, in turn, proposes an alternate view of the film that renders significance to the directors claims. Throughout the use of camera angles, diegetic and non-diegetic audio and superposition of texts, the director successfully conveys the idea of immediacy and hypermediacyterms that will be further developed through out the essay. Camera angles are the ways in which the camera is positioned in order to focus the attention of the viewer,

Gonzalez 2 as the camera is more towards eye level there is more sense of immediacy, compared to when the camera is looking down or up to the subject. Sound also forms part of enhancing the dramatic message (McGrawHill A-8). Finally the superposition of text can accurately convey a sense of hypermediacy, due to its ability to edit the film and incorporate unnatural action and emphasis to certain parts of the film. In certain parts of the film Fincher uses cinematic techniques to offer a sense of immediacy which highlight different points of view he wishes to convey. According to Bolter and Grusin, immediacy refers to the human need for transparency and refers to an interactive space of which we are part of. It is produced by taking away the programmer/creator from the image (Bolter and Grusin 28). Immediacy is portrayed convincingly in a scene at a party of the Phoenix Club, one of the most famous fraternities in the United States. The first view points of the party are intended to allow us, as spectators, to capture the essence of the event. Nevertheless, the cameras focus shifts when we are turned towards the men who are welcoming the their guests, portraying them in a way we as audience feel we are the guests. Regardless, of our gender we are put in the position of women. It could be argued that the male audience would not feel the same sense of immediacy than the female audience, but, the way the diegetic sounds and camera angles come together allure the same emotional appeal to all audience. The diegetic sound refers to, according to Columbia CNMTL, those sounds produced by the characters or situations of the film. We only hear the voices of men and the music playing in the background and this music is related to the party rather than added for additional rhetorical significance. The way we are put in the position of women through the use of immediacy conveys the sense of denigration and provokes an emotional appeal towards women by feeling their inferiority portrayed in the film. This sense of immediacy renders significance to the directors claim of the figure of women in the film.

Gonzalez 3 The first scene of the movie not only conveys very important script lines but also projects the most realistic sense of immediacy portrayed throughout the film. This first scene consists of a date between Erika Albright and Mark Zuckerberg, and with the use of camera angles we are, as Bolter and Grusin would describe immediacy, rendered automatic the act of representation (33). Meaning we are completely introduced as part of the film. The camera is at the eye level of each character and switches between characters and scenes of both of them, making us believe we are in the bar at that same time experiencing that date. Also, Finchers use of only diegetic soundsbar noises and characters voicesis consistent with the idea of immediacy he is trying to portray in the scene. Non-diegetic sounds are not used because it would exemplify a hyper-mediated space which would contradict our sense of direct relation with the scene. The directors choice to portray us as parts of the scene, is used to reach out to our emotional side and feel the lines of the actors as if they were directed to us. By putting ourselves as part of the conversation the director manages to create an emotional connection between us and the characters, which will later on form part of our biased critique towards the characters. The Phoenix house and the Bar scene both draw on the use of diegetic sounds, camera angles and emotional appeals to rhetorically induce a sense of immediacy that will project a critique. Rhetoric as a persuasion technique, according to Herrick (2001), has the ability of guiding the audience into the perspective of the author. Fincher employs several scenes such as the aforementioned bar scene where he depicts through the rhetorical use of immediacy a social conception (Henrrick 2001) of women as inferior to men. In addition, the use of rhetoric is paramount in the representation of characters as unique individuals that the audience can relate to. Sean Parkers prepotent and dominant nature renders special significance to people with such characteristics. This compares to the depiction of women's inferiority by rendering importance of

Gonzalez 4 the role of women in a society where as Fincher would describe in his rhetorical use of script lines, has been characterized by following men. The emotional appeal of the role of woman is one of Finchers most predominant themes throughout the film; and the description of characters through what they make us feel is the directors most efficient technique for presenting the characters. Certain critiques are supported as well through the implementation of hypermediacy in certain parts of the film. According to Bolter and Grusin, hypermediacy presents an interactive space in which we are not part of but rather we are an outsider looking in, windowed style (Bolter and Grusin 31). To exemplify Finchers use of hypermediacy to convey a message we can examine the scene in the dorm room were Mark Zuckerberg is creating FaceMash. The camera centers on Zuckerberg as he is hacking his way through houses databases, in order to create FaceMash. We get a sense we are looking from above rather than from within the scene. Further on, in the screen appear a number of coding fragments super-positioned onto the film that tell us we are undoubtedly watching a medium in itself. Also, the fast pace nature of the scene induces a sense of rapid progression and a bit of stress onto the viewer. We are now completely sure we are seeing a media represented for us rather than a situation happening directly in front of us. Moreover, the non-diegetic sounds start appearing to portray a sense of further hypermediacy. Non-diegetic sounds refers to those sounds outside the story world (Columbia CNMTL), introduced through film editing. These non-diegetic sounds are presented as we start hearing the thoughts that go through Mark Zuckerbergs head. The proposition of a supernatural effect hearing peoples thoughtsfurther establishes the hyper-mediated scene. In this particular scene, we start to formulate questionsWhat does all this coding mean? Is he creating the next big thing? or Is he simply a nerdy guy with nothing to do?and through all the mediated fragments we feel overwhelmed with everything and we are left with a sense of misunderstanding. Through the use

Gonzalez 5 of faster pace, supernatural effects, non-diegetic sounds and superposition of text the director appeals to our more primitive ways. He confuses us with hyper-mediated text and therefore aides his critique on technology and its effect on our daily lives. The last scenes composition of camera use and non-diegetic sounds positions us as spectators of a hyper-mediated text. The scene consists of Mark Zuckerbergcreator of Facebookalone in a chair, friend requesting Erika Albright. The camera goes back and forth from the face of Zuckerberg to the computer screen. We are watching Mark Zuckerberg from above reinstating the fact that we are not in the scene with him. Some could argue that there is a real appearance of diegetic sounds, such as the clicking of the mouse, without interference of nondiegetic soundsthere is no music at firstand this comes across as if we are in a real not interfered situation. Nevertheless, soon after Mark starts clicking more continuously a sad music appears in the background and the camera shifts up in a close zoom of Marks face. This hypermediates the scene even more, by rearranging existing forms (Bolter and Grusin 39) and thoroughly conveying the sense of isolation the director purposely introduces throughout the film. This scene encourages us to look at Mark Zuckerberg not as the millionaire, or as the jerk, but rather as a child who although is worth billions of dollars is still alone. A crucial point to be understood between this last scene and the first scene is the narrative structure that occurs between them. Through parallel editing the director helps establish a viewing pattern (Lancioni 108) that guides the viewer to a certain perspective. Although, they appear so far in time, they share the same theme a boy trying to reach out to a girl. Nevertheless, through the portrayal of immediacy when Mark is face to face with Erika and hypermediacy when he is alone; the director is able to differentiate both situations and convey his idea of loneliness achieved through technology.

Gonzalez 6 Hypermediacy as a tool of windowing reality, according to Bolter and Grusin, is seen again in the rhetorical use of cinematic techniques by the director of The Social Network. In this case Finchers use of hypermediacy is seen when he portrays the creation of The Facebook in the dorm room of Mark Zuckerberg. The camera takes a turn and goes out of the room and zooms in on the window where there is the logarithm for Facebook written down. More than the actual sense of hypermediacy were we as spectators are pushed out of the room entirely, there is the presence of the clear analogy of the windowed reality. As Bolter and Grusin would say, not as a window on to the world, but rather as windowed itself (34). The dorm room is seen through the window and is portrayed as a distant and unachievable. Even further, since the glass that separates us has written on it the logarithm of Facebook, we can see the directors choice of composition as his idea of comparing it with actual Facebook. Where Facebook is the windowed reality of something else. The contrast between the two types of relationshipimmediate and windowed portrayed in the film in regards to Zuckerbergs relationship, shows the directors point of view towards how technology affects our relationships. Although, according to Bolter and Grusin, throughout history we have developed a need for immediacy and hypermediacy itself is considered a cultural counterbalance to the desire for immediacy (33). Finchers rhetorical features suggest we are more inclined to a need for hyper-mediated relationshipsthrough Facebookrather than real immediate relationships. We can clearly understand this idea through Finchers use of rhetorical features to portray immediacy and hypermediacy. Through the special use of narrative structure, sound and cinematic techniques, Fincher portrays his critique on technology and backs it up with the metaphorical use of immediacy and hypermediacy. Fincher centers his critique of the use of technology, on the real essence of media. We believe technology offers more immediacy and faster

Gonzalez 7 communications while Fincher proposes that face to face interactions can actually be more immediate. To aid this assumption he shows immediacy in points in the film were relationships are face to face, and shows hypermediacy when relationships and scenes are drawn by technology. Therefore, aiding his idea that what we claim to needimmediacyis not what we portray to wanttechnology.

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Works Cited

Columbia CNMTL. Film Language Glossary. Columbia Univeristy. Web source. Date accessed:02/27/2014. Retrieved from http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu Bitzer, L. The Rhetorical Situation. Pennstate University Press. Vol 1 No 1, January 1968, pp.114. Digital Format. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40236733 Bolter, D., Grusin, R. Immediacy, Hypermediacy and Remediation. MIT Press. 2000. p21-50. Digital Format. Retrieved from https://sakailogin.nd.edu/access/content/group/0331958955cd-4190-a35d-e342595338dd/ImmediacyHypermediacyRemediation.pdf Herrick, J. The History and Theory of Rhetoric Allyn and Bacon. Chapter 1. 2nd edition. Digital Format. Retrieved from https://sakailogin.nd.edu/access/content/group/03319589-55cd-4190a35d-e342595338dd/Herrick_OverviewOfRhetoric-1.pdf

Lancioni, J. The rhetoric of the Frame-Revisioning archival photographs in The Civil War. Western Journal Communication. 1996. p 105-117. Digital Format. Retrieved from https://sakailogin.nd.edu/access/content/group/03319589-55cd-4190-a35de342595338dd/Lancioni_RhetoricOfTheFrame.pdf McGrawHill Writing a film analysis. McGrawHill Inc. 2003. Digital Format. Retrieved from https://sakailogin.nd.edu/access/content/group/03319589-55cd-4190-a35de342595338dd/McGrawHill_WritingAFilmAnalysis.pdf The Social Network. D. David Fincher. Columbia Pictures, 2010. Web