UC Santa Cruz

This dissertation explores reformulations of screen acting at the juncture of technological and social transitions. In a hybrid format that combines theory and practice, it investigates the ontological status of the figure of the film actor during key moments of change: the conversion to synchronized sound in 1920s American cinema, the adoption of body-worn cameras in the 2010s, and the political shifts in Cuba following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Each of the three chapters focuses on the constitution of actors as subjects through the engagement with cinema’s technologies in the different stages of the production process. Employing a multimodal methodology that includes film history, media theory, performance studies, and screenwriting, the dissertation highlights how cyclical reformulations of screen acting seek to advance notions of cinematic realism and authenticity. This project places actors’ work at the center of the conversation about embodiment, challenging the field of film and media studies to grapple more directly with the craft, presence, and technological complexities of acting for the screen.