Stars and Stardom 1

Richard Dyers 7 factors that can 'make' a star

- Social circumstances (level of wealth, industry, infrastructure, entertainment industries)
- Economics ("stars are a form of capital")
- Producers' manipulation of consumers ("stars are a standardized product")
- Fashion
- The stars own exceptional qualities, talents, 'magic'
- The consumer's relationships to (eg. emotional affinity with, self identification with, imitation of, and/ or desire for) stars
- The "collective unconscious" or dreams of a society

John Ellis's basic definition of a star

"The basic definition of a star is that of a performer in a particular medium whose image enters into subsidiary circulation, and then feeds back into future performances" -Stars as a Cinematic Phenomenon

- This alludes to recycling of talents across multiple platforms, repetition of roles, etc.
- Recognition of stars as persons in themselves, and as archetypes

Christine Geraghty's three types of performance stardom:

Star as celebrity: reputation based on private behaviours that are made public- lifestyle, relationships, scandal, etc

Star as professional: reputation based on a well-defined and reliable persona that recurs across many performances

Star as performance: reputation based on chameleonic ability to disappear into varied roles/ characters

List of elements that can be analyzed to discuss actor's performances

Repetition of visual/ aural signifiers:
- Stance and gestures: how does the character express him or herself physically?
- Mannerisms: What repeated, characteristic, apparently unconscious or uncontrollable gestures are typical of the actor or character? Can you distinguish between the actors and the characters mannerisms?
- Vocal Performance: what vocal range does the actor use?
- Tempo of speech and movement: what tempi are characteristic of the characteristics gestures and speech (ex: frequent fast moves, loud low pitched voice)
Clarity: how clear are the character's thoughts and intentions?
Engagement: how engaged is the actor with fellow actors (scene partners)?
Subtext: if appropriate, is there a sense of deeper emotional or psychological meaning behind the characters literal words and actions

Joseph Roach's concept of it (what characterizes someone who has it?)

Requires an "effortless look of public intimacy"
To have it, the fortunate possessor must have that strange magnetism which attracts both sexes [...] In the animal world 'It' demonstrates [itself] in tigers and cats\-- both animals being fascinating and mysterious and quite unbiddable" - Elinor Glyn cited in Roach
It is the power of apparently effortless embodiment of contradictory qualities simultaneously
There is a kind of freakishness to having It; and despite the allure, a potential for monstrocity

Aspects of early modern european society that helped to give rise to stardom

Rise of easily reproducible media, especially printed books, pamphlets and engravings
Urbanization of soceity\= proliferation of permanent professional theatres, opera houses, print outlets, etc
Increased international travel and communication\= rise of performance forms that gain international popularity

Early modern actresses

Female-identified performers began to appear on the public stage in Italy, Spain and France in the 16th century, and in England from 1662 onwards

Often referred to by name in theatrical prologues and epilogues, early modern actresses were celebrated for their beauty, wit, and talent, but also demonized as "mercenary prostituting dame[s]"

Castrati

Adult male singers who had undergone surgical alteration to retain the high vocal registers of child singers while attaining physical maturity
They originated as singers in the papal choirs of Rome, which did not allow women, but in the 17th and 18th centuries became stars in the popular new art form of opera

Stars as "assets or economic resources"

Star system emerged as studios realized that star performers were "assets, or economic recourses that produced value and reduced risk"
Stars were created by:

* Associating performers with their names
* Encouraging audiences to recognize actors across different films
* Associating film acting with stars of popular stage

1912 adolph zukor established the "famous players" company (which would become paramount studios) with the slogan, "famous players in the famous plays"

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Photo: Shirly Temple with Shirly Temple doll

Steps by which the Hollywood star system created stars

Talent spotting (stage, in dance clubs, foreign markets, street)
Screen testing
Contracting the 'starlet' to the studio
Grooming the starlet via lessons, styling, etc- and in some cases changing the stars name
Shaping a star persona via a series of roles carefully chosen by the studio

Characteristics of the Nollywood Star system

Creation of intertwined cinematic and social media personae
Simultaneous engagement with multiple media platforms
An "anti-essentialist stance"- stars often work in multiple languages, cultural traditions, styles, etc
Speaking to multiple, diverse global audiences and cultures
Self-reflexivity\-- films often include direct reflections on fame success, and 'star quality'; film characters and star personae sometimes engage directly with names and personae from other global stardoms

Source of the word 'fan'

In english, the word fan is an abbreviation of 'fanatic', taken from the Latin word fanaticus, 'a temple dweller'
The word has been in use since the 17th century to describe a devoted and even obsessive admirer or follower of a public figure or movement
How do you see the relationship between stardom and fandom

Hiiki Renchu

Kabuki Theatre Fan Club
Emerged in Osaka and Kyoto in the 18th century and flourished throughout the 19th century

"Members of clapping clubs are sons of wealthy citizens. All year round they have to spend a great deal of money; so poor men cannot afford to join. Candidates must swear an oath to those who are already members, to obey the rules of the club even if disowned by their fathers"

Activities of the Hiiki Renchu

Key activities:

* Ceremonial greeting of actors at the beginning of the theatre season
* Clapping (teuchi) during performances
* Gift giving to actors and donation of items to theatres (banners, furniture, fish, etc)
* Collection of items associated with actors
Creation of poems (haiku etc) and books in praise of actors. Some of these were humorous
Further activities included:
* Gathering in tea houses associated with fandom for particular actors
* Collecting banzuke: promotional materials that recorded past performances and advertised future ones
* Creation of theatre and actor scrapbooks: "not private collections, but created with the cooperation of many different individuals"
* surimono: “woodblock prints designed and produced for special \n occasions and not for sale”

fan magazines in classical Hollywood

In the classical Hollywood Era, studios sought to manage their investments in stars by shaping and controlling fan behaviours

Key tools in this effort were the popular fan magazines, which studios did not own but with which they enjoyed a reciprocal relationship

Fancons and cosplay as expressions of fandom

The 1970s and 1980s in particular saw a proliferation of fan responses to stars and stardom- for instance:
- Non commercial fanzines produced by and for fans, which often featured fan action and fan arts
- The emergence of large scale fan conventions
- The first use of the term cosplay (1984)

The advent of the internet in the 1990s and 2000s hugely accelerated these developments, and created new opportunities for fan/ star interaction

Tom Cruise

Celebrity, Professional type
Does his own stunts
Top Gun: Maverick
Idolization of Cruise built into the structure of the role and in the trailer top gun
- type casting (always plays lead role in actions)
- marketing of stars/movies through iconic features/mannerisms - the tom cruise smile

Benedict Cumberbatch

Celebrity- associated with large fanbase, originated on stage
Professional- has many similar characters, witty and intelligent
The Imitation game
- actors as stars vs actors as performers
- range of performances

Tony Leung Chiu-Wai

"In the Mood for Love"
Acting is observable subconsciously- one can read Leungs face without trying, tension in the body

"Lust, caution" vs. "Chinese odyssey" vs "Shang-Chi: Legend of the 10 Rings)
- Seems very present- liveliness
- Communication through the body
- how little does the actor need to do to convey emotion?

Nell Gwyn

Actress
1650-1687
Mistress of King Charles II
Lady with the lamb
- one of the first female actors
- female actors celebrated for beauty/wit, demonized/shamed as mercenary prostituting dames

Greta Garbo

Best known for her portrayals of strong-willed heroines
1905-1990
Swedish American actress
Real name: Greta Lovisa Gustafsson
Never married
- funtionality of the star system itself
- "she's got it, that is, if the public likes her"
- stars and their personas were created in the star system, not discovered
- when she arrived from Sweden, she is given a makeover to fit american beauty standards, so that the public will accept her - making her a star
- creation of a star through creation of a public persona - Greta was perceived to be a mysterious beauty
- Casablana - one role can make you iconic /change how you are perceived

Charlie Chaplin

A "silent comedian," this movie star continued to lengthen the silent film style and offer an alternative to the sound film with his trademark tattered suit, derby hat, and cane, playing the "little tramp" who made audiences laugh with his silent jokes.
Charles Spencer Chaplin
- funny though relatability
- star quality - stupid when done by others, funny when done by him
- opposite of leads such as Cary Grant
- some roles fit actors perfectly, could not be done by anyone else

Mary Pickford

Real name: Gladys Louise Smith
"The girl with the curls"
Played Nell Gwyn in "Mistress Nell" in her final appearance on screen

Cary Grant

Played Roger Thornhill in "North by Northwest"
Real name: Archibald Leach
"When he exhibited himself, he was 'Cary Grant'\-- the handsome leading man, star incarnate. Grant never gave the impression of being 'commercial'\-- and he was probably as commercial an actor as ever lived" (Stanley Kramer)
-type casting, handsome leading male archetype
-established persona
- his persona is the appeal
- always very put together, desirable not in a relatable way, but in a idealistic way

Stephanie Okereke

Stephaniedaily.com
African american actress of nollywood
Starred in "Efficacy"
"talk to stephanie" on youtube
Wedding video online
- stars in the digital age: Creation of intertwined cinematic and social media personae
- Simultaneous engagement with multiple media platforms
- people feel closer than ever to the stars
- stars are less illusive - they're just like us
- we see stars in a more day-to-day fashion

Clara Bow

"Making it in Hollywood: Clara Bow, Fandom, and consumer culture"
Silent film era of 1920s
Called "The It Girl" after she played in "It" (1927), a popular silent film
- Fan magazines: Studios
sought to manage their investments in stars
by shaping and controlling fan behaviours - did so through magazines
- gossip and intel about stars, interviews with stars
- made stars the attention grabber for films, people would become "fans" and go see movies to see their favourite actors
- increased intimacy in the star system, but also a line of profit for the studios

The Beggars Opera

written in 1728 by John Gay

the only example of the once thriving genre of satirical ballad opera to remain popular today

United Artists 1919

Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith joined forces to create their own film studio

UA functioned as a distribution company for independent producers

The first major production company to be controlled by its artists rather than by businessmen

Nollywood and Technology

the Nollywood film \n industry is often especially linked to the \n highly accessible video format, first \n shared via VHS tapes and DVDs, and later \n via the internet

Expanding quickly in the 1990s and 2000s, \n the industry grew alongside the rise of \n digital social media and file-sharing \n platforms.