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Where the Paths Meet – The Rationality of Human…

December 13, 2021December 13, 2021
by Sameera Khan Rehmani

Our sudden outbursts as individuals are more termed as gender-specific categories. Be it a wife, mother, daughter or any other living soul these sparks of expressions are termed as ‘burst of emotions.’ These emotional sparks may be gender-fluid, however, the point to focus is way beyond gender demarcation. The crux lies in the fight of all of us as individuals with passing on the trophy from emotionality to rationality! Who we are is of least importance because in this discussion what is more crucial is, demarcations between theory and practicality behind the behaviour! Have we proudly categorized humans as beings with the power of rationality? We have uplifted ourselves from the animal kingdom by putting a suffix ‘social.’ This social animal has the wisdom enough to reason and judge the aspects of his living so that we all can co-exist harmoniously. We use signs and symbols to make our choices upon our rationality and instincts.

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Our behaviour is the result of our mental understanding and psychological inclinations of these symbols that form our perceptions and views. We further try to alienate psychology from philosophy due to the latter being more qualitative in approach than the former. However, this attempt to separate self from the other seems to only result in the neglection of integral problems that rely on theories as well. The theory behind rationality focuses on the ideas of rational actors, the invisible hand, and self-interest. During the study of our emotions, humans assume these as part of our behaviour at different moments in time. The choices we make while sailing through psychology, economics as well as philosophy explains our actions through the Rational Choice Theory. Here each human makes his or her choices in life and uses the concept of self-interest to make beneficial decisions. They weigh the pros and cons and keep intact their rationality to produce the best possible decisions for themselves.

This versatility of the Theory of Rationality makes it possible, that we used it in a variety of contexts, qualitative as well as data-oriented fields. For instance, when we apply this theory to the Gaming industry, we will witness the extent of preciseness and objectivity that come in its application. Despite the flow of emotions during the actual play process, there is a deep involvement of mathematical patterns, even though the focus is upon interactions and reactions of individuals. Moreover, in such situations, this rationality becomes integral because of the outcome that is the result of the choices they make in comparison with the available options. Thus, the whole industry utilizes the rational aspect of the Theory of Rationality so that specific rules, can be set to bring out the desired results. Thus, games such as poker, bridge, and others, or a journey to the casino even though it brings out our hidden emotions while playing; have a one-track mind and rationality of keeping the ball in the court of the makers. At the time, the makers or owners have already decided our victory or loss way before we sit on the ‘hot seat’!

The other aspect of rationality is equally important. It is the emotional angle that relates strongly with the rationality of the human brain and reaps in psychological dynamics to its understanding. This emotionality confirms the correctness of human understanding of perceptions and their resultant evaluations. Even though we understand emotions traditionally to be a strong hurdle in the cognitive methods (Simon, 1967), Still they end up moving together towards mutual existence. We humans need to juggle forward and backward to explore the conflicting personalities of rationality and emotions as interlinked subjects. To study and comprehend the various connections, bodies, and levels of activity of the human mind, we need to struggle with their understanding to reach a level of reasonable understanding.

What we feel is how we react. The reaction may be conscious or unconscious but there is a hint of constant subconscious rationality involved in resultant emotions. The relation between our rationality and involved emotions involves philosophy, neuroscience, psychology along hidden logic and reasoning. In fact, there is a very visual relationship between both and the actions that occur due to their cause and effect are proof that our overall behaviour is an amalgamation of our conscience laced with emotions that erupt due to rationality present. Our frustration with our spouse’s or partner’s certain habit may have a rational reason behind it. However, our fear of darkness may not have a visible logic to us, but these are habits that form our behaviour because of the interlocking of emotions and rationality, and we cannot ignore one to give importance to the other. They are like twins that may not be identical in physicality but still have their interlinked behavioural traits!

Poetry

Semiotics of Songs

October 21, 2021October 22, 2021
by Sameera Khan Rehmani

two, silver condenser microphone, microphone, music, vintage, retro, mic, sound, audio, equipment

I try hard not to write songs for others

For it looks as if pigs fly in frames

Things are not interesting on red carpets

I sometimes wonder whether they really suit the banners

For the semiotics of it all is quite harsh

As the songs are not for their own

When someone ask, “is your spirit your own?”

I say it’s because we move from ocean to ocean

The panic in their eyes give away to sadness

Since they know I won’t tell the answer

Because the semiotics of it is quite harsh

As their songs are not for their own

With blink of an eye years turn forty

The difference lies in just days and nights

Perhaps is seen in desperation to mark new path

Trying to become a legecy as the artist

But the semiotics of it is quite harsh

As their songs are not of their own

I still refuse to believe it will end on day

For the honesty of reality is so imaginative

There will be similar songs to sing

For the demad fo rnew never ends

But the semiotics of it is quite harsh

As the songs are not of their own

As these words are leaving my pen

So shall I need to take care?

For I feel I created a machine

That help all travel into time since,

The semiotics of it all is quite harsh

As the songs are not of their own

I want these songs to resonate me for,

They are the reasons I didn’t smile back

Under the shell of heaviness of mind

Those relations can be termed abusive

For the semiotics of it is quite harsh

As the songs are not of their own!

Poetry

From Colours to Shades

October 14, 2021
by Sameera Khan Rehmani

I found a new room the othe rday

But my house remains the same

New possibilities perhaps emerge

As I explore heart of the beings

My identity faced the sheets with pen

of all colours and shades worht seeing.

The suicide that I seem to commit everyday

Reveals my distant cousin, that mind box!

I hound it for treasures and trinklets

When I end up picking a jade so rough

And my identity faced the sheets with pen

Of all colours and shades worth seeing.

Old habits die faster then they should

Untill I cannot see them through my hood

I try to explore every nook and corner

But all that remains is a flicker of memory

Then my identity faced the sheets with pen

Of all colours and shades worth seeing.

Same symbols, great dream are all I can see

humming away with strings of broken guitar

From the fountain of fluid lyrics

I try to make make memories from mortar

For my I dentity faced the sheets with pen

Of all colours and shades worth deeing.

In that new room all I came across

Is a broken social thought that fights

To build back to its old self

By explaining deeper into the sea of dreams

As my identity faced the sheets with pen

Of all colours and shades worth seeing.

Shades that merge to fing new colours

For there seem to be endless possibilities

To paint the city around in any colour

For it looks to be definitely worth it in end

As my identity faced the sheets with pen

Of all colours and shades worth seeing.

Films

How the Moving World speaks

September 21, 2021September 21, 2021
by Sameera Khan Rehmani

When we start analysing cinema, we need to keep in mind the importance of the structure of narrative. It includes both the essence of stories as well as the detailed meaning, structure and language of the film. There is a further complication while going through this narrative. It is its relation with the real world. Cinema has a language of its own and in a way it is quite away from reality. Still when we consider ourselves to be the audience, we must convince ourselves and our mind that what we see is the actual reality. And it is this whole complex dialogue of narrative relationship of elements and narrative as whole, that make it more tedious and tangled complex understanding for the film directors and others involved in movie making.

The understanding about film maker as theorists and vice vera

The change in the storytelling take place with the inclusion of number of scenes, usage of camera in varied angles and proportions, the aspect of editing especially usage of cutting during action. Due to inclusion of these, the concept of genre emerged. This further developed and explained the various language of cinema which is as normal to all of us as we write or speak. Even though it looks very regular, the language of cinema is very deep and has its on connotations and contexts to be understood in depth.

This is how the theory of film emerges which involves understanding, dialogue and reaction of audience to the same. Many film makes are fluent in the art of understanding and imparting the knowledge about the craft. They are eloquent in the medium craft of film making of themselves and others. They know the methodology and means of how to turn a concept into piece of art. So for those movie makers who are new to the field, in depth knowledge about the concept and the theories of film and film making can help in improving the craft and art of film making and its communication. Also the dependency is vice versa. If a theorist does not give weightage to the practicality of film and its production process or, if they think that movies are merely there to entertain and nothing else, then the facts for them need to be rechecked. Theory and practical goes hand in hand and a working information about the whole concept is of equal importance. Thus there should be a consensus and hormonal balance between the knowledge and craft in cinema so as to bring about an experience that is filled with both information and entertainment equally.

Cinema has its own structure that acts as a strength. The written, verbal as-well-as visual aspect when come together, they procreate deeper analysis as a concept.Whe we talk about the term Stucturalism, we should understand that it is like a big envelope with lots of small letters inside. All these letters have different topics but the crux remains similar. Under structuralism all of the information is labelled as ‘text’ that is available for analysis. The analysis should be done of all the different things by same principles broadly.

This term emerged for analysis by Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913). His concepts and rules were taken, analysed, worked upon and further applied to every aspect of human conversation, so that people can understand the concept of this term. Cinema has its own language and basis of any thought or movement rely on this language and its study. Like film theorists who have immense knowledge of their subject matter, movie makers also have substantial information and in-depth vision of the craft they are associated with. They may not be using the word by word language of structuralism; however the film makers are unconscious and subconscious consumers of its method in the practical world. Thus bringing a detailed finesse and sharpness in a piece of work. This film language is extremely methodological and in its construction unlike the language that we speak.

The narrative of the cinema has been studied in detail by number of theorists and academicians of varied fields. The implication is that all narratives are not working on a single model. They vary from each other. The cinema narrative lean more towards, drama rather than text and literature of the films. When we talk about the narrative in films, we should keep in mind that these narratives have many dimensions. They are written, visual as-well-as verbal. These narratives do not emerge naturally. They are worked upon and created in every aspect. In reality they are created subconsciously while in films there is a delebrate effort to build up a conscious narrative. Narrative belong to all. Irrespective of any culture, time, relationship, real or our world of virtuality, narrative involve in every aspect. It can transcends through time. They were important back in time and they are of equal relevance even today. Infact, the narrative has cojoined films with reality in today’s times and helps in creating a genuine meaning and relatability for the audience. When we study the various aspects of narrative and its structure, it is called as narratology. Film narratology is mainly associated with language like codes and the context of these codes. They are many times even relate with the relation between language and context together.

We know by now that narrative is much more then telling stories. However when we take a film in question, we will find that narrative gains its real meaning when the plot of the movie come into being. The plot will identify how one set of action will lead to the other. If this is not made clear then the film will not make sense. So the narrative has to be able to take the movie forward with due to the pre-existence of Film plot. Afterall it a lot about what film speaks!

Films

The Science of Signs

September 20, 2021October 2, 2021
by Sameera Khan Rehmani

“Signs and symbols rule the world, not words nor laws.” These words of Confucius resonates well with films. Cinema holds on to aspects of signs and symbols very religiously. When Ferdinand de Saussure spread the study of signs, he assured that the future generation is not left bereft of the principles of sign and its presence. Films are communicating complexity of human emotion and existence, in order to do so effectively, they must keep in mind, how the receiver will accept it. In order to have desired impact on the audience, the makers of cinema should have clear vision of how the films communicate. They should be very open to understand how a shot, a picture or an action on screen will be accepted by the variety of audience. This is where the imagined ideas work in consensus with the semiotics and its signs. The signs are one of the most integral part of movie making. They are the core that can further bifurcate into various unimaginable meanings for different type of recipients. A sign can be any visual prop or unclear point of focus that is visible but explains and idea that can be very abstract and cannot be seen. A sign can be minute or very visible, but its crux is to establish a thought or idea that identifies certain concept and ideologies. A film however is a pot-pourie of signs that are co-related to help audience travel through a movie maze. These signs can be scene-specific or they can travel throughout the film to bring about a connection of the whole concept. The signs can be in cluster to give a specific thought or they can slide throughout to engage the whole film in one bond.

The two parts of signs are based on their physicality and having psychological hold. Physical part is which we can see with our eyes, like our eyes moving towards rock lying on the ground. It stimulates the external reaction thus is called as ‘signifier’ The integral stimulation is by ‘signified’, which implies the real meaning of sign, for instance frown on forehead implies disapproval or discontentment. However, the crucial thought is that there is one signifier of a sign but there are multiple signifieds with many potential meanings. These altogether creates attachment of audience towards a scene. Similarly, there is ‘synecdoche’ that tells that there is a small thing which symbolised a whole. For eg, flag is a synecdoche that identifies whole nation thus, becoming part of the whole.

Then there is ‘metaphor’ which explains when one thing identifies with the other eg. a lion in a battle. While ‘metonymy’ is establishing relation on the basis of associations like, pair of hand associated with labourers, crown for monarchy. Similarly the connoted meaning and denotation has their own relevance as well. Eg. White coat with doctors and in connotation white coat is related to kindness, empathy, selflessness.

Then there are codes in cinema that helps to communicate the concept. These codes were developed by French Semiotician Roland Barthes who put them into five sections.

Enigma Code – These evokes interest in the audience and help the film to push forward. For eg. The suspense, reason, problems, etc.
Connotative Code – the physical aspect that unfolds the character. For eg costume, look, dialogues, dialect etc.
Action Code – when the action speaks louder than the words. For eg kissing scene when film ends implies more than just a kiss, switching of light on the wedding night implies a more intimate encounter.
Symbolic Code – the pattern that defines the idea for eg. Truth-lie, hero-villain, good-bad.
Culture code – the idea already known but is coded in a cultural way. For eg. Politics, ideologies, society, morality etc.

Just like hands have number of fingers, similarly the sighns and symbols have a number of divisions that combine torm a whole idea that once applied creatively has the capacity to churn out a very emotive piece of art in bracket of cinema.

Films

A Conversation with Cinema

December 2, 2020February 15, 2022
by Sameera Khan Rehmani

We tell the idea through images that move and bracket it under the heading of Cinema. Lights, Cameras, and action! When you manage to grasp the thread of your concepts and combine them with the vision of how to interpret, joining the dots to create the desired image that has life to it, the step to film-making is taken. A process of capturing the moving images that have the power to bring about restlessness in the whole society is the crux of this cinema. A genre that is an amalgamation of thought, creativity, vision, practicality, and desired skill-set is what we called as cinema. Along with the camera, what is needed to make an effective piece of cinema is the makers and the audience. The connoisseur of concept that not only entertains but is also able to inform, expand, enhance, and can reform the views that are floating around. We absorb and then synthesize the whole process of conceptualizing, and carving the thoughts that we inhale from our surroundings and experiences. Actual films are made when we consciously select the thoughts and convert them into related images. A strong medium that is not a mere literary expression; an area that focuses on structures, themes, characters, plots, text as-well-as desired narrative. Along with this paraphernalia, there is the strength of sound and desired effects that add color and depth to everything, behind the camera. The desk has gradually gained its due importance, however, there is still a long way to go – the editing desk with its thought process that justifies the imaginative flight of the filmmaker. They hold a great power behind the actual projection of the thought of the filmmaker. The silent torch-bearers are the backbone of this industry for they are the ones who give real shape to the writer’s imagination. An editing desk is a place where dreams are recreated into reality. They put in the chain of practicality to wild horses of imagination of filmmaker, bringing it closer to the ground reality. They are the actual mouthpiece of a film writer and director.

This makes us go deeper into the study of symbols and signs used consciously, subconsciously, or unconsciously. They are a very integral part of visual storytelling. They assist the audience to understand those concepts that may look abstract but have a greater meaning attached to them. In cinema, most of the tools can be referred to as having a connection with symbolism. The concept, the plot, the projection of characters, the movement of sound throughout, usage of color balance, camera angle involved, scene transitions, and many more aspects can be converted into symbolic notions in cinema. This is where Semiotics and the study of the inside with the outside world come in. It is what we call the language of cinema and here is where we try to understand what and how the films speak. Even the general audience can have their identifications because of the use of various signs and symbols. They are not only making sense of what is happening around them they become stronger judges of what occurs and what is their contribution to their existence in the world. Every concept that the director puts in front of the audience has a specific thought or even multiple ideas and opinions. What is needed, is to put a little time and effort and an unbiased view behind identifying it.

The maker of the film has a vast space with a panoramic vision to capture anything and everything under the sky that has the potential to go way beyond. The broader perspective of a writer’s concept must be transcended to the filmmaker and further on the editing desk. Then only a wholistic piece of visual art can be created that becomes powerful enough to have an independent voice of reason. A panorama of emotions and visualization of thoughts is a weapon with which they can communicate to an individual audience. A vision that has the power to choose what to show and how to communicate a thought. A strong yet extremely addictive capacity to be able to change the views of people at large. It is a big responsibility to be able to create a visual masterpiece in such capacity, that thoughts of the creator can flow smoothly to the receiver who perhaps has zero conscious ideas about its impact on society. An editor is a voice of reason that enters at this point and brings everything that a filmmaker has captured, into a coherence. It is at the editing console that things start falling in line. The thoughts become streamlined, real and the film is fine-tuned to be presented for the audience so that it can be absorbed. The voice of cinema may look feeble and frivolous to many even today, but its strength has a wide reach and great insight into the human psyche of emotions and aspirations. The language of cinema is a fabric that is vast and varied in its texture and has innumerable flavors ready to be radiated for the recipients to taste and value to its maximum.