For this week’s blog post, I’m choosing to analyze the DH project, Early African American Film. This web-based database is a compilation of early African American silent race film information gathered from primary and secondary resources. Information on these films created before the 1930s include details on specific actors, directors, production companies, among others. The purpose of this database is to promote awareness about this period in film history and to educate interested individuals on how this data is presented. As can be seen below, this database is presented with an easy to use navigation, with tabs distinguishing different aspects of the project and outlining the process of presentation. The different tabs give visitors a walk through the thought process of the team, as well as types of data used and how the data was reorganized using data visualization tools to fit the purposes of this project. In addition, the home page gives links to tutorials on how this project was put together.
I thought this project was extremely easy to navigate and understand. I really enjoyed the use of tabs and clearly depicted data visualizations. The tutorials and links to how the data visualizations were created were also extremely helpful. The time map in particular was one of my favorite visualizations because it showed how early African American film production companies have come and go over time. I thought it would have been even cooler if they had associated this rise and fall with any specific event in relation to African American rights.
Source
Source of data includes records on early race films produced from 1909 to 1930. Record information includes details on associated peoples and production companies. Primary sources such as notes, correspondence and conversation were also used. Data collected was filtered and cleaned up based on whether the film had African American self-determination. This database also defines early African American film as having some combination of the following aspects:
- African American Cast
- Produced by an African American owned company
- Intended for exhibition to African American audiences
- Produced outside the Hollywood system
- Designed to counter prevailing caricatures of African Americans on film
Process
This data was processed using data visualizations based on connections the team saw within the dataset. Before the visualization, the records were cleaned up and filtered based on their working definition of Early African American race films. It was then sorted into a relational database for easy navigation, pictured below.
Presentation
Data presentations include charts made with plot.ly, time maps and a network graph made with web-mapping platform CartoDB shown below. The nodes signify entities and the lines signify a connection between them. The network graph includes all associated people in relation to silent films selected by the team. The people include actors, directors, producers, writers, cinemtographers and “otherwise involved”.
The charts include the number of films premiering every year, with a peak in 1921.
The time maps show the locations of African-American based production companies by founding year. The still maps show the geographical expansion of African American film related companies, signifying a strong Eastern influence.
Really nicely done, Melody! You hit on everything!
I chose to do my blog post on the same database, but I think you went into great depth, which is great! I loved the subheadings, very easy to follow and understand, as well as using enough visuals where it was a “let me show you, not just tell you.” I also think it’s cool you give your opinion on what they could have done better or what connections they could have made to improve their project!
I really like how thorough and complete your blog post it! I can visualize the site itself just based on your descriptions. It was really great to see you interacting with the project, especially your comment that the time map could have been enhanced by information relaying the correlation with between the creation of production companies and changes in African American rights. I also liked how you broke up your post into the three different sections, making it easy to compartmentalize and follow along. Having multiple photos really added to your post, allowing readers to visualize the visualizations.