DSKNECTD is a 2013 documentary directed by Dominic H. White. The film is an exploration of the rise of digital communication technologies, examining how cell phones, social media and the Internet are reshaping human interactions. The film had its sneak preview at the Tacoma Film Festival October 9, 2013 and its world premiere at the ArcLight Documentary Festival October 11, 2013.
Synopsis
The documentary explores the positive and negative effects of cell phones, online gaming and the internet. The film examines the impact of these technologies from the introduction of texting via the BlackBerry 850, the creation of virtual worlds and MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, to the rise of Web 2.0 and easily accessible online pornography.
The body of the film includes interviews from researchers in the fields of neuroscience, psychology, child development and virtual reality including, Adam Gazzaley, Larry Rosen, Jacquelyn Ford Morie, Mary Helen Immordino-Yang and Kenneth Woog.
Development
The film's title DSKNECTD is a play on the common practice in texting and chat to abbreviate words using a phonetic spelling. White developed the idea for the film over the course of several years after observing changes in the interactions he was having with long time friends as wide spread adoption of digital communication technologies occurred in the mid-2000s. Hearing others express similar experiences White decided to interview experts in various field to determine if the anecdotal evidence matched multidisciplinary scientific research.
The film includes re-enactments, man-on-the-street interviews and vignettes. Daniel Chounard and Christopher J. Cacciacarne are the principal actors in the vignettes.
The film had its sneak preview at the 2013 Tacoma Film Festival October 9, 2013 and its world premiere at the Arclight Documentary Festival October 11, 2013. The film was acquired by Gravitas Ventures February 2014 and released in the North American market June 3, 2014. Sideways Film acquire international rights to groundbreaking doc "DSKNECTD" and a 42-minute version of the film had its international television premier October 24, 2014 on ZDFinfo in Germany.
Reception
Several reviewers criticized aspects of the film, but felt that the film was "incredibly pertinent" and a good conversation starter. Nick Schager of The Village Voice criticized the documentary calling it "a film as clumsy as the spelling of its title." Martin Tsai of the Los Angeles Times strongly criticized the film.
Accolades
Festival | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
3rd ArcLight Documentary Festival | October 13, 2013 | Best Documentary Feature | Dominic H. White | Nominated |
Rincón International Film Festival 2014 | April 14, 2014 | Best Documentary Feature Director's Choice | Dominic H. White | Won |
References
- "Imdb Crew and Cast". Imdb. Amazon. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ^ "DSKNECTD Synopsis". DSKNECTD Official Website. Internegative Films. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- "Tacoma Film Festival 2013 Festival Schedule". Tacoma Film Festival. Tacoma Film Festival. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- "Arclight Film Festival Finalist". YouTube. Arclight Film Festival. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- "DSKNECTD Synopsis". Gravitas Ventures. Gravitas Ventures. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- Rosen, Larry. "Larry Rosen Bio". Dr. Larry Rosen. Larry Rosen. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- Morie, Jacquelyn. "Jack Morie Bio". All These Worlds. All These Worlds LLC. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- Immordino-Yang, Mary Helen. "Mary Helen Immordino-Yang Bio". Association of Education Therapist. Association of Education Therapist. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- Woog, Kenneth. "Kenneth Woog Bio". Woog Labs. Woog Labs. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- "DSKNECTD Press Kit". Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- "Principal Actors". Imdb.com. Amazon LLC. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- "Tacoma Film Festival 2013". Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- "ArcLight Documentary Festival 2013". Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- "DSKNECTD: Overview". Archived from the original on July 1, 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- "Gravitas Ventures North Amer Distribution". DSKNECTD.com. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
- "DSKNECTD: Is Technology Changing Us?". Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- "Sideways Films International Distribution". DSKNECTD.com. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
- "ZDF Info Broadcast Stream". ZDF Info. ZDF. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
- "Imdb DSKNECTD Release Dates". Imdb. Amazon.
- Harmon, Jeremy. "Cinemit DSKNECTD Review". Archived from the original on July 5, 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- Angulo Chen, Sandie. "Common Sense Media DSKNECTD Review". Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- Antunes, Maria. "Row Three DSKNECTD Review". Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- Schager, Nick. "Village Voice DSKNECTD Review". Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- Tsai, Martin. "L.A. Times DSKNECTD Review". Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
- "Finalist for 3rd ArcLight Documentary Festival". Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- "Rincón International Film Festival Award Winner 2014". Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
External links
- Official website
- DSKNECTD at IMDb
- DSKNECTD at Rotten Tomatoes
- Podcast of Director Dominic H. White Interview on Webcology