Film Matters: Please tell us about your article that is being published in Film Matters.
Paige Hartenburg: My article, “See No Evil: Audio Identification with the Monstrous in Under the Skin,” focuses on the relationship between identity and body as seen in horror. Commenting on Carol Clover’s Final Girl and Kara Silverman’s female authorial voice, my essay argues that audio provides audiences an opportunity to choose how they identify the film’s protagonist: as a monster or as the Final Girl. Through audio, Under the Skin (2013) provides alternative modes of reading that allow the film to take on subjective meaning.
FM: What research and/or methodologies do you incorporate in your article?
PH: My research relies on a lot of queer and feminist theory through the lens of cultural studies and content analysis.
FM: Describe the original context for/when writing this article while an undergraduate student.
PH: This paper is the third section of my undergraduate honors thesis, “Echoes of Pleasure and Audiophilic Cinema,” written in the fall of 2021.
FM: What does your writing process look like?
PH: I think of myself more of a reviser than a writer. Usually, I think about my projects for a couple of weeks beforehand, reading any related material I can find and making notes in my writing journal. Once I am ready to start writing, I spend the first week getting all my thoughts out on paper. I spend the rest of my writing process revising, revising, revising.
FM: How have your personal experiences shaped and influenced your writing?
PH: Writing is my way of contextualizing my personal experience into the larger framework of society. It’s in everything I choose to write about and how I write about it.
FM: What are your methods for finding diverse and relevant sources?
PH: I get my sources from EVERYWHERE and try not limit myself to traditional academic archives. There are some amazing popular academics on social media who recommend articles or sources that I will go look at. Pay attention to who you follow online, what academics you engage with, etc.
FM: Why is including marginalized voices in research important to you?
PH: Because everyone experiences the world differently, marginalized perspectives are essential in understanding how the world functions in all its complexities. Exclusionary theory that only relies on white, male, heterosexual, etc. voices creates a view of the world that only applies to those voices. Marginalized voices allow us to see all the beauty and challenges in society, providing us with a better picture of ourselves.
FM: What aspects of the writing process were most challenging? Why?
PH: Really understanding your sources can be difficult, especially if you enter a project with specific ideas in mind about how you want to use your references. Take time to read on your own, independent of your current projects.
FM: What’s a resistance point you hit in your writing, and how did you move past it?
PH: Because film is such a visual medium, it was difficult to separate visual from auditory components, especially in moments where one would trigger the other. I watched the movie without visuals in some select moments to get a better understanding of the elements I was analyzing.
FM: What do you enjoy most about your article?
PH: I really enjoy how focusing on different sensory experiences allows us to see different relationships between body, identity, and consciousness.
FM: How has the Film Matters editorial and publication process impacted the development/evolution of your article?
PH: This process made me think about how I can apply my sources in new ways, allowing me to further emphasize my arguments and develop new analyzes.
FM: What audience do you hope to reach with your Film Matters article and/or what impact do you hope it has on the field of film studies?
PH: I hope this article will help to theorize different ways of connecting body, identity, and consciousness, reaching audiences with similar interests.
FM: How has your department and/or institution supported your work in film and media?
PH: Miami has been incredibly helpful in my work as a young academic. They allowed me to study whatever I want, at my own pace, offering support along the way. I would not be where I am today without their help.
FM: How has your faculty mentor fostered your advancement as a film scholar?
PH: My graduate advisor, Dr. Katie Johnson, made the writing processes so much better. From reading/returning daily revisions, sending sources, or brainstorming, she was there to help. She made so much time for me and I cannot thank her enough for helping me during this process.
FM: What advice do you have for undergraduate film and media scholars?
PH: It is important to be intentional with how you ask your questions. One of the amazing things about theory is that you can unlock entirely new meaning from asking questions in slightly different/completely new ways. Changing one word in your question can send you on an entirely new path, so be intentional with your questions and really think about what interests you about media/film.
FM: What are your future plans?
PH: I want to continue my graduate education through to a doctorate, continuing to develop my writing and ideas.
Author Biography
Paige Hartenburg is a master’s student at New York University. Her research interests are new media, online culture, and gender/sexuality. Her current project focuses on fandom and the relationship between readers, media, and identity as seen in online spaces.
