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Current practices in transferring the audio on grooved media have serious issues and limitations coping with the challenge of preserving the vast numbers of these recordings in archives across the world. I argue for an interdisciplinary scientific approach to the problem, building on advances in non-contact imaging of the groove. I propose a new ‘Type 3 Re-recording’ standard based on a digital image, algorithmic derivation of an audio signal from the image, non-destructive editing audio processing of that signal, and a meta-data trail derived directly from the processing steps for quality control. This would establish a new master preservation file format inclusive of associated printed documents.

This introductory-level book surveys all legal aspects of film and television production. In addition to central issues of copyright, lawsuits, dealing with lawyers, libel, insurance, taxes, union contracts and the Federal Communications Commission, important peripheral topics--such as raising money, buying equipment, distribution, pirate usage, music use, and workmen's compensation--are covered. The goal of the book is to acquaint video- and film-makers with the legal problems and responsibilities their work entails. (CH)

The relation of Georg Lukacs and Henrik Ibsen, uncomplicated in terms of their single instance of personal contact, is intricate indeed with respect to the former's early writings on theater, the surprisingly few references to Ibsen's drama, and--especially--the implications of Lukacs's theory with regard to two of the playwright's late plays in particular. In these instances, a reading of Lukacs against, or in concert with, the dramatist's portraits of selfhood (Halvard Solness and Arnold Rubek), his modernist associations with a heritage of tragic drama, and a related application of Lukacs's conception of "real life," provide a multidimensional standpoint on Ibsen's art in his final years. While most of what follows is concerned with two of Lukacs's renowned essays in dramatic theory, "The Sociology of Modern Drama" and "The Metaphysics of Tragedy," I begin with a brief allusion to one of his later statements on character in drama. In "The Intellectual Physiognomy in Characterization," Ibsen is given only passing attention. He is mentioned along with many other writers, mostly novelists, but with Strindberg included also. The essay dates to 1936, several years after Lukacs's conversion to Marxism--and following, significantly, his renunciation of the critical writings of younger days. (1) His intention is not, however, to feature particular writers or writings--although the Symposium is identified as a model for character portrayal with a basis in intellectual standpoints--but rather to argue the necessity for ideology in the composition of vital, if fictional, personages. (2) Singling out Diderot and Balzac along with Plato, Lukacs declares that in works by figures such as these, "characters are individualized through their dynamic personal, vital positions on abstract questions; the intellectual physiognomy again is the chief factor in creating living personality." (3) With respect to Ibsen, the example of Peer Gynt is referenced briefly in the context of a loss of cohesiveness in character, with the well-known metaphor of the peeled onion described in this connection. For Lukacs, the "extreme subjectivism in modern ideology, the increasing refinement in the depiction of the unique, and the increasingly exclusive emphasis on the psychological lead to the dissolution of character." Ibsen, he suggests, "had already given this philosophical attitude poetic expression. He has the ageing Peer Gynt meditate on his past and on his personality and its evolution while peeling an onion. He compares each skin with a phase in his life until he recognizes with despair that his life consists of skins without a core, that he has lived through a series of incidents without having achieved a character." (4) Again, it is not Lukacs's primary business here to delve into specific characterizations. At the same time, it is noteworthy that no other of Ibsen's characters is mentioned--either in the context of a questioning of self or, perhaps more significantly, with reference to composing a vital "physiognomy" in relation to given dramas or social applications. Moreover, and even with the author's political transformation and renunciations taken into account, it is striking that his own past relationship to the playwright goes without mention or nuance. Strindberg, instead, is credited among modern playwrights with exhibiting "the greatest virtuosity with dialogue." (5) There is no doubt that for the younger Lukacs, Ibsen was an object of veneration and emulation. And yet, in neither of the aforementioned essays in dramatic theory (each from 1911, when the author was twentysix), is there significant mention of the playwright's name or works, nor is there reference to characters such as Halvard Solness and Arnold Rubek who might have served, I argue, as noteworthy exceptions or as especially illustrative examples. (6) In truth, the influence of Ibsen and his works upon the young Lukacs was extraordinarily strong and long-lasting. …

Dramatic character is among the most long-standing and familiar of artistic phenomena. From the theatre of Dionysus in ancient Greece to the modern stage, William Storm's book delivers a wide-ranging view of how characters have been conceived at pivotal moments in history. Storm reaffirms dramatic character as not only ancestrally prominent but as a continuing focus of interest. He looks closely at how stage figures compare to fictional characters in books, dramatic media, and other visual arts. Emphasis is sustained throughout on fundamental questions of how theatrical characterization relates to dramatic structure, style, and genre. Extensive attention is given to how characters think and to aspects of agency, selfhood, and consciousness. As the only book to offer a long view of theatrical characterization across this historical span, Storm's dramaturgical and theoretical investigation examines topics that remain vital and pertinent for practitioners, scholars, students of theatre and literature, and general audiences.

The Tragic Muse embodies the problem of how arts other than the literary (primarily theatrical performance and portraiture) are conveyed in narrative, an aesthetic issue reflected chiefly in the elusive and contradictory aspects of actress Miriam Rooth. One reference to Miriam ("beautiful actual fictive impossible") reflects James's sense of contrary qualities that arise partly because she is portrayed only through spectatorship-- the altering observations of other characters. Miriam's histrionic temperament, and her varied acting roles, add to what is finally a problem of representation itself, particularly in regard to how visual and kinetic arts coexist in narrative, albeit "scenic," description.

A s star actor and manager of the Lyceum Theatre, Henry Irving was among the most dominant theatrical figures of his time. His command of the Lyceum, its repertoire, company constituency, and artistic presentation was, in the tradition of the British actor/manager, absolute. His reign there lasted from 1878 until 1899, from the time he was forty until he was sixty-one, six years prior to his death. Irving was, however, not only powerful but controversial. His choice of plays was limited for the most part to Shakespeare and select melodramas, notably to works that featured roles presumably suited to his own particular talents and inclinations. George Bernard Shaw carried on a vociferous and well-documented argument with Irving that, among other matters, pertained to the latter's lack of interest in introducing new works-including plays by Henrik Ibsen, Oscar Wilde, or by Shaw himself. And, in spite of his considerable success and popular reception in roles from Shylock to Mephistopheles to Mathias in The Bells (1871), Irving was not a consistent critical favorite. Although lauded for the strength and magnetic force of his stage presence, and for his success in given roles, he was critiqued and even satirized, in print and in illustrative caricature, for a range of perceived abnormalities and eccentricities having to do with his walk, tempo, vocal inflections, and range of expression and gesture-that is, for the most fundamental elements of an actor's instrument, physicalization, and interpretive choices. Ellen Terry recounts what the actor said to her once, as they were traveling together on tour in America: "I was thinking... how strange it is that I should have made the reputation I have as an actor, with nothing to help me -with no equipment. My legs, my voice-everything has been against me. For an actor who can't walk, can't talk, and has no face to speak of, I've done pretty well" (qtd. in Story 108). Terry herself echoed the actor's own assessment: "Irving at

Objective To improve the method of automated retrieval of surveillance-related literature from a wide range of indexed repositories. Introduction The ISDS Research Committee (RC) is an interdisciplinary group of researchers interested in various topics related to disease surveillance. The RC hosts a literature review process with a permanent repository of relevant journal articles and bimonthly calls that provide a forum for discussion and author engagement. The calls have led to workgroups and society-wide events, boosted interest in the ISDS Conference, and fostered networking among participants. Since 2007, the RC has identified and classified published articles using an automated search method with the aim of progressing ISDS’s mission of advancing the science and practice of disease surveillance by fostering collaboration and increasing awareness of innovations in the field of surveillance. The RC literature review efforts have provided an opportunity for interprofessional collaboration and have resulted in a repository of over 1,000 articles, but feedback from ISDS members indicated relevant articles were not captured by the existing methodology. The method of automated literature retrieval was thus refined to improve efficiency and inclusiveness of stakeholder interests. Methods The earlier literature review method was implemented from March 2007 to March 2012. PubCrawler [1] (articles indexed in Medline) and Google Scholar [2] search results were sent to the RC via automated e-mail. To refine this method, the RC developed search strings in PubMed [3], Embase [4], and Scopus [5], consisting of over 100 terms suggested by members. After evaluating these methods, we found that the Scopus search is the most comprehensive and improved the cross-disciplinary scope. Scopus results allowed filtering of 50–100 titles and abstracts in fewer than 30 minutes each week for the identification of relevant articles (Figure). Journal titles were categorized to assess the increased range of fields covered; categories include epidemiology, agriculture, economics, and medicine (51 categories total). Results Since implementing the new method, potentially relevant articles identified per month increased from an average of 19 (SD: 13; n= 31) to 159 (SD: 63; n= 3). Both methods identified articles in the health sciences, but the new search also captured articles in the life, physical, and social sciences. Between March 2007 and March 2012, articles selected were classified into an average of 10 different categories per literature review (SD: 4; n= 31) versus an average of 33 categories (SD: 5; n= 3) with the updated process. Conclusions The new search method improves upon the previous method – it captures relevant articles indexed in health science and other secondary databases beyond Medline. The new method has resulted in a greater number of relevant literature articles, from a broader range of disciplines, and in reduced amount of preparation time as compared to the results of the previous search method. This improvement may increase multi-disciplinary discussions and partnerships, but changes in online publishing pose challenges to continued access of the new range of articles.

Preliminary analysis was completed to define, identify, and track the trends of drug overdoses (OD), both intentional and unintentional, from emergency department (ED) and urgent care (UC) chief complaint data. Using Chief complaint data to quickly track changes in the geographical distribution, demographics, and volume of ODs may aid public health efforts to decrease the number of associated deaths. A specific classifier was created to define all potential ED visits related to drug ODs. Further study of post-diagnostic ED/UC data to confirm preliminary trends is warranted.

Administrators of libraries and archives have before them an unavoidable series of concerns brought about by the inertia of commercial activity in the digital networking of information. This commercial activity is having direct impact on the fiscal, operational and political planning of both non-commercial and commercial collections. As these concerns are being addressed, a paramount issue is the integrated access of print and AV information. The rationale and value of pursuing integration as a strategy is explored. Among the points to be illustrated are the long-term commercial and governmental commitments to this delivery system and how that commitment is already influencing non-commercial enterprises such as the US Library of Congress. Commercial experiences in this field are used to show how industrial cultural biases, within and across industries, have at times been self-defeating. An analogy is made with similar circumstances within the worlds of print and AV collections. An enterprise-wise solution, the result of collaboration and cooperation of print and AV collection administrators, is advocated from inception. The benefits are enumerated as are the forces at work.

Bernard Shaw wrote Saint Joan in 1923. His immediate impetus was the canonization of Joan of Arc on 16 May 1920, during a time of power politicking hard upon the horrors of the Great War. The irony of Joan's elevation five hundred years after her death amidst forces she would have opposed but had helped put into play was too great a temptation for Shaw to resist. On a domestic level, Shaw's wife, Charlotte, too insisted upon a role in the work's progress. In the face of her husband's initial resistance, she claimed to have strategically placed books on Joan around the house where Shaw was bound to see them, read them, and thus stimulated, embark upon the play she wanted him to write. Others have explained Shaw's attraction to the figure of Joan as part of a personal religious pilgrimage, one characterized by G.K. Chesterton as consisting, in the first instance, of Shaw "running away from a religion," and in the second of his "running after one.”

Eugene Marchbanks is among the youngest of the magnificent oddballs of drama. He is fashioned by Bernard Shaw as an eighteen-year-old quixotic and contradictory spirit, shy by his own description yet consciously and intrusively assertive, poetic in sensibility but of undetermined talents. Marchbanks intrudes into the home of James and Candida Morell and in doing so forms a household triangle that is only quasi-romantic and yet distinctly dialectical in matters of conjugal, sexual, courtly, and familial relations. In essence, Marchbanks is a complicated dialectic unto himself. He is at once acutely perceptive and painfully jejune, an ardent suitor with scant sexuality, outspoken and determined and yet feckless and obfuscating at the same time. As Shaw's agent provocateur, however, he is a superb instigator, neatly able to defy and then erode James Morell's self-satisfaction while convincing himself that he loves and is the best possible match for Morell's wife. The mastering irony for Marchbanks, of course, is that his desire for Candida is so strongly qualified by reticence and that hers for him is so mysterious regarding its motivations and goals. Yet such qualifications, significant as they may be, are mitigated in light of Shaw's broader dialectical program. In truth, and as William Irvine points out, if Shaw had wanted a truly potent sexual threat to enter the Morell household, he could easily have made Marchbanks older, more single-minded, and more robust.

Henrik Ibsen is masterful in his translation of an ironic world-view into the traits and behaviors of his characters, their interrelations, and the organizing structure of his dramatic action. In Hedda Gabler , when the title character marries George Tesman and not Eilert Loevborg, becomes vulnerable to the manipulations of Judge Brack and shoots herself with her father's pistols, she is enacting, among other behaviors, an inclusive ironic pattern. When Nora Helmer, in A Doll House , performs an elaborate show of domestic dutifulness, all the while sneaking macaroons and engaging in other, more helpful duplicities, she too is embodying the very ironic pattern that brings about the ultimate, and indeed logical, reversal – shutting the door on all that was apparently affirmed on her part in favor of another, more personal duty. And when, in The Master Builder , Halvard Solness refers with ironic self-awareness to his “luck,” he is intensely aware that the fabric of his life has been transformed – and continues to be fashioned – by a power of fortune that is not only double-edged but contradictory, bringing with it both blessing and catastrophe. Such “luck” is for Solness a manifestation not so much of providential good or ill but of an overarching pattern in its visitation upon individual fate. Luck of this signifying variety is also, of course, related by its very nature to the ironic.

Irony and theatre share intimate kinships, not only regarding dramatic conflict, dialectic or wittiness, but also scenic structure and the verbal or situational ironies that typically mark theatrical speech and action. Yet irony today, in aesthetic, literary and philosophical contexts especially, is often regarded with skepticism – as ungraspable, or elusive to the point of confounding. Countering this tendency, Storm advocates a wide-angle view of this master trope, exploring the ironic in major works by playwrights including Chekhov, Pirandello and Brecht, and in notable relation to well-known representative characters in drama from Ibsen's Halvard Solness to Stoppard's Septimus Hodge and Wasserstein's Heidi Holland. To the degree that irony is existential, its presence in the theatre relates directly to the circumstances and the expressiveness of the characters on stage. This study investigates how these key figures enact, embody, represent and personify the ironic in myriad situations in the modern and contemporary theatre.

The Distributed Audio Database System (DADS) is the focus of a project to develop and implement a distributed, mulimedia database linking major media archives in the USA and Europe via national and international networks. DADS is derivative of TIMS (Total Information Management System) which is based on a relational database operating in a distributed mode and which contains multi-media data objects.