ABSTRACT

This chapter presents a theoretical and historical framework for understanding the work of practitioners at the forefront as designers of media of attraction. The panorama is an interesting example to examine from a media of attraction perspective at a macro level, not focusing on the work of a particular designer, but looking at the technology’s trajectory in overview. Media theorist Marie Laure Ryan has articulated the question of ‘fit,’ in terms of a medium finding what type of narrative it can present most compellingly, as the crucial factor in terms of determining a medium’s entertainment capacity, and cultural staying power. The incredible range of experimentation that is a hallmark of the media of attraction phase can be seen across Alice Guy Blache’s early films. Relocating to the Media Lab positioned Cooper ideally to integrate ‘cast-offs’ from the other research centers in the lab.