Response to "Video and Intermedia"

As someone who hopes to pursue a career in screenwriting, and potentially even directing, Foster's thoughts on video really resonated with me. The idea that video is inherently social, political, and therefore relevant. Art is always a representation of some form, whether it is a feeling, an idea, an object, etc. Video as a medium is somewhat unique in its ability to represent. While there are myriad choices and decisions to be made for each and every shot (lighting, sound, mise-en-scene, etc.), video in and of itself represents a sort of absolute truth. Video transfers an exact copy of what is seen before the videographer. Editing, filters, and other filmic choices all play a heavy part in what is seen by the viewer, but at its core video takes visual representation to its most exact point. Intermedia, at least by my current (limited) understanding of it, is a form of representation that calls attention to its own status as (or not as) art and media. Video strikes the perfect balance for such: though it is certainly regarded as an art form, its exact representation of the real world and "real" life makes its status a little more confused.