Based on a series of direct observations made during a visit to the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park, and drawing from Erving Goffman’s concept of frame analysis, this study looks at the devices involved in the “remodeling” of film universes, using real objects and images ranging from authentic stage relics to mere photographic doubles. Meant to make it possible to re-consume those universes in a playful way, these devices use a wide array of visual objects that appear to be quite diverse with respect to their nature, status, and way of functioning. How do average visitors orient themselves in this complex visual environment, and what kind of intellectual skills are involved in that kind of navigation? These are the questions examined here.
- image
- cinema
- mass culture
- Universal Studios Hollywood
- frame analysis
- film relics
- doubles
- re-keing
- visual culture