In the introduction to his book, Convergence of Culture, Henry
Jenkins attempts to explain what convergence really means. It’s easy to
oversimplify it, he warns, to nothing more than a merging of media outlets. He
claims “Convergence does not occur through media appliances, however
sophisticated they may become. Convergence occurs within the brains of
individual consumers and through their social interactions with others. (pg.
3)” A wonderful example of convergence on display is through Star Wars:
Uncut, the 2010 fan remake of the first star wars film, A New Hope.
Hundreds of fans from all over the world took part in not only sharing a love
or an understanding, but in recreating and, thus, creating a work of art.
Jenkins also discusses the idea of collective intelligence. He says,
“Consumption has become a collective process – and that’s what this book means
by collective intelligence… none of us can know everything; each of us knows
something; and we can put the pieces together if we pool our resources and
combine our skills.” (pg 4) Although here he is referring to the comprehension
of data, facts, or resources, these ideas flow nicely into the makeup of Star
Wars: Uncut. Divided into over 400 segments, the final product is a
little piece of well over 400 fans’ experiences with the film. At its most
basic level it is an idea. That idea grew into a story that became a script and
then a movie. But the relationship that viewers have with the Star Wars franchise
doesn’t just stop with the film. It grew into merchandise, costumes,
paraphernalia, board games, video games, LARP-ing, and fan fiction. This
massive convergence grew from the minds of the fans.
Star Wars: Uncut takes collective
intelligence a step further and displays collective production. The varying
degree of skill displayed in these 15 second clips is astounding. Some were
shot using a cell phone with family members acting as the leads. Others had
their cats dressed up (obviously, because it’s the internet) or used action
figures. Those amateur 15 seconds would be followed by a beautifully animated segment
that looks almost identical to the actual film. Not only was the variance of skill
on exhibit, but a clear indication of what is important to each fan was
obviously showcased. Some made sure that the dialogue was clear and exact,
others that the camera movements were identical. More than a few even created
their own hand-made versions of Lucas’s famous swipe transitions. My personal
favorite, however, was the music. The Star
Wars theme is well known and, arguably, an essential part of the film. Instead
of using a recording or even instruments, many of these creators chose to hum,
whistle, or la-la-la the soundtrack. In order to experience the film, the music
must also be included, but many of these fans know that what they’re doing is
light-hearted and funny so they poorly sing the theme song.
More
fascinating still is how certain fans chose to portray their 15 seconds. Most
were true to the story. Although shot in a garage or with action figures, the
events that are shown mirror those from the original film. A few fans, however,
chose to keep nothing more than the characters and the dialogue the same while
completely changing the actions. Most notably were the few disturbingly sexual
depictions. Although fandom has long had a bit of eroticism to it, it’s rarely why a fan is a fan (notable exceptions
being things like 50 Shades of Gray).
This, however, harkens to Janice Radway’s ideas that an outsider cannot know
why or how a true fan approaches a work like this. But each fan’s individual
approach to the recreation of a part of the film is an excellent look into
their personal views.
In
regards to the Star Wars franchise,
there isn’t a huge pool of knowledge. There are, generally, the films and not
much more as far as story goes. Of course certain fans will know more about the
production than others. Some may know more about the actors or George Lucas
himself. But what Star Wars: Uncut
shows us is that this collective intelligence isn’t based on facts, but on
experiences. Fan A may love the story while Fan B is impressed with the special
effects. When each of these fans gets an opportunity to reshoot their 15
seconds, they are able to display what has resonated most with them.
This display
of convergence happens exactly as Jenkins describes, “within the brains of
individual consumers and through their social interactions with others.” It’s
not so much the availability of the film divided or the tools they use to
reproduce. It’s their expression and the interactions with the other fans that
produce such an amazing result in Star
Wars: Uncut. Letting the fans be individuals, but share in a collective
experience in the underlying importance of Jenkins’ convergence.
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