By Dominika Kováčová
How many ‘likes’ did my last photo get? Has the number of my followers increased recently? Which filter should I use in my Instagram Story? – does this sound familiar? If so, you may be on your way to becoming an online celebrity!
By Natália Poláková
In the first place, I don’t want you to get confused. I am writing from Bellingham, in the State of Washington, home to Western Washington University, not Washington D.C., home to President Trump. This place rather wants to distance itself from Trump – but I will get to politics a bit later. Keep Reading
by Helena Brunnerová
That day I spent the morning photoshopping walls (which is a part of my job), and the afternoon and evening translating a text on the history of photography; at 11 p.m., as I watched white smoke rising from my battery charger, I felt inspired to try an alternative to digital. I wanted a reliable camera that does not need electricity or Photoshop. So I decided to build it myself.
By Blanka Šustrová
It would not be an exaggeration to claim that all of us have experienced some type of adaptation during our lifetime already. People often go to the cinema to watch movies based on their favourite books, play games based on their favourite movies and then read books based on the games. Adaptation is an organic process of information modification, of text shaping and media exploration. But what it is, exactly? Why it is good to stay unfaithful to the source material? And why is interdisciplinarity so important today? Professor Kamilla Elliott, a leading scholar in the field of adaptation studies, was kind enough to provide answers for all these questions and many more!
By Blanka Šustrová
“[Videogames are] any forms of computer-based entertainment software, either textual or image-based, using any electronic platform such as personal computers or consoles and involving one or multiple players in physical or networked environment” (Frasca in Newman 27). Keep Reading
By Markéta Šonková
It is no news that famous writings and cultural pieces have been, and continue to be used or interpreted differently than might have been their original literary purpose, often as a means to legitimize or explain actions of certain individual(s). This has been the case no matter what ideology or movement was holding the reins. However, not all kinds of content manipulation necessarily serve as a support of totalitarian regimes: they can also serve as a means to boost the morale of a war-tested nation, as is to be seen in Laurence Olivier’s 1944 Henry V movie adaptation or to send a political message in Kenneth Branagh’s 1989 film version. Truth be told, Henry V is an ambiguous text in today’s terms, allowing for various readings, which has been used several times by movie makers to pass on various messages while adapting one of the most famous pieces of British drama. Keep Reading
By Barbara Ocsovayová
You have read the books, you have seen the films, but have you heard about the musical? A Very Potter Musical is a parodic adaptation of Harry Potter that pays tribute to the story of the boy-who-lived whilst being fresh with original jokes. Keep Reading
By Tereza Walsbergerová
Have you ever wondered where Elizabeth Bennet might work if she lived in the 21st century? What would Anne Shirley think of poetry slams if she was a college student in 2013 Canada? What would Dr. Frankenstein look like as a modern young woman? The internet has you covered. From all-time classics, such as Pride and Prejudice or Little Women, to slightly more obscure works, such as The Secret Garden, or even some tales from Greek mythology, people have decided to give their favourite heroes and heroines a makeover. This article attempts to get down to the nitty-gritty of modern adaptations of classic literary works on YouTube, focusing on their originality, interactivity, and contemporariness. Keep Reading
By Martina Krénová
Are you a bookworm and a passionate baker? Have you ever wondered if the food in literary works carries a deeper meaning? If so, there is no one to stop you from exploring the world of adapting literature into meals, biscuits, cakes… You might discover hidden treasures you would not necessarily find otherwise, and in addition you will enjoy the fruits of your labor. If you need inspiration, creators of the Literary Kitchen blog, Nicoletta Asciutto and Amy Smith, provide you with great recipes and insightful analyses of literary works of different genres and periods from the fourteenth century onwards.
By Silke Jandl
Introduction
YouTube vlogger is the new dream job among teenagers (see for example here and here); in fact, over the past decade YouTubers have rapidly become prominent role models and their highly subjective advice is avidly sought after. The fan communities that have evolved around YouTube vloggers have proven not only to be eager consumers of audio-visual material but also dedicated readers of print books. Starting in late 2014 numerous books published by YouTubers have flooded the bestseller lists across the globe. The CEO of Simon & Schuster, Carolyn Reidy, has commented on this trend in Publisher’s Weekly: “YouTube authors draw [sic] new reader who, having seen the personalities on the web, want to own a small piece of them. Online videos are, by their nature, intangible; a printed book, on the other hand, is anything but.” Accordingly, I will explore the role of materiality and mediality in the interrelationship between YouTube videos and books. I will argue that the books YouTubers publish can be analyzed as adaptations, as well as transmedial expansions. I will be using Werner Wolf’s theory of intermediality in order to shed some light on certain specific adaptation processes. I will furthermore outline the relationship between YouTubers and their viewers, which will aid in the understanding the wide-spread trend of self-help books and videos. I will lastly provide a brief intermedial analysis focusing primarily on the audiobook versions of two such books. Keep Reading
