Maurice Blair
Research Mentor: Vincent Longo
Mentor Department: Film, Television, and Media, LSA
Author(s): Maurice Blair, Vincent Longo
Session: Session 1 (9:00 AM – 9:50 AM)
Presentation Type: Poster 64
Abstract
The Audiovisual Lexicon is a multi-media resource consisting of 3-minute entries. In each entry, a different expert in media analysis explains a specific critical term and illustrates how it can be applied to analyze selected examples. The project is under contract with the University of Michigan Press and planned for release in 2026, likely consisting of 250-300 entries in total. In 2020, to support remote learning efforts, a selection of draft entries for the project was uploaded to the streaming platform, YouTube. In the first week, the playlist accrued around 3500 views and 90 hours of watchtime across at least 11 countries. This enormous success led to the project becoming the recipient of the 2023 Society for Cinema and Media Studies Innovative Pedagogy Award, which is among the highest awards in its field. The Audiovisual Lexicon is premised on the idea that awareness of diversity is a prerequisite to media literacy. Unlike many other educational resources, rather than pulling from the expertise of an individual or small group of experts, The Audiovisual Lexicon is a collaboration that consists of an enormous and diverse group of scholars, educators, and practitioners in the international professoriate. Due to this wide knowledge basis, The Audiovisual Lexicon reflects the terminology and concepts that instructors are currently using in the field.
