Zach Anderson, classroom technologies specialist in the Technical Support Services unit, presented a paper at the 2014 Annual Conference of the Midwest Popular and American Culture Association.
In his presentation, “Acting as Author: The Intentions of Barbara Stanwyck,” Anderson explored the place of actors in film authorship and offered analytical tools for measuring the authorial impact of actresses. He also critiqued limitations in film studies that restrict discussion of women’s contributions, including inherent sexism of widely accepted theories that omit women by excluding non-directors and marginalize women by narrowing studies to their representations within a film.
Anderson provided alternative tools for recognizing, analyzing and elevating the historically dismissed authorial contributions of actresses, challenging attendees to similarly investigate the statements of other overlooked and marginalized intentional authors, regardless of job title.
The presentation was included in a session titled, “Authorship and Auteurism Reframed.” The conference was held October 3-5 in Indianapolis, Ind.
Anderson also will present at the upcoming Red River Women’s Studies Conference on Friday, Oct. 24, on NDSU’s main campus. His presentation is titled, “Welcome to the Boys’ Club: How Film Studies Classes are Marginalizing Female and LGBT Filmmakers and Students.” More information about the conference is available at http://www.ndsu.edu/wgs/.
Anderson earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Superior with a double major in communication arts – video production and in cultural theory. In his role as a classroom technologies specialist, he works to create and deliver dynamic classroom connectivity campuswide to empower faculty to teach in innovative ways.
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation’s top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.