Molly Russell
professional critique or box office figures ? The internet has provided new frames of reference which have disrupted traditional power dynamics and further convoluted the amateurprofessional debate .
On amateur cinema , Zimmermann ( 2007 , p . 275 ) states , ‘[ we ] must move beyond the binary of the accomplished professional versus the deficient , privatised amateur .’ Adopting this perspective allows the space between amateur and professional to be examined in an anthropomorphic way . Removing the binarism eliminates the static nature between the two concepts as either / or , affording academics the ability to define the plethora of ‘ stages ’ between the two in relation to human practices and cultural value . Zimmermann ( 2007 , pp . 275- 278 ) further argues that viewing amateurism in this sense transforms amateur cinema from artefactual isolated texts to active historical discourses that offer insight into identity , culture , and individualistic views . This perspective is essential to consider as it
128 disrupts the narration of history from the hegemonic ideology , inhabiting blank spaces within history and creating new discourses and structures through defiance . In summary , amateur cinema can be viewed not as lesser imitations of mainstream cinema but as a form of experimentalism that offers insight into an individual ’ s fears and fantasies .
Acknowledging the various definitions , I will henceforth define ‘ professional ’ to encompass an individual or production of work that signifies a high level of expertise and experience with a legitimised value in society through economic or cultural means . In reference to ‘ the amateur ’ or ‘ amateurism ’, I shall consider two dimensions of the concept ; the binary , and what I argue archaic , understanding of the term as an individual who partakes in a profession with lesser skill and experience than a professional . The second understanding builds on Zimmermann ’ s notion , which is an individual who utilises their skills to create an idiosyncratic discourse via flouting mainstream conventions .