Page - 41 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 01/01

Methodological Challenges by (New) Media | 41www.jrfm.eu 2015, 1/1, 37–42 CONSEQUENCES it appears that our classic analytical approaches to media such as movies may still be useful in that context, but that a new, additional approach is needed to cope with the challenges of the dynamics of interactive media. Roger Odin’s concept of “individual” communication spaces that are defined sepa- rately for each individual and each product is intriguing, and probably the best choice if one wants to compare one’s own results for different films or different interpreta- tions over time. however, its limit is reached with the exchange of results between researchers. each of them has the right to choose their own set of spaces and to choose the triad of actant, operator and axis of Relevance. since there is no possibility of logically preferring one approach over another, what would common ground look like? Science’s dependence on logical coherence, intersubjectivity and repeatability creates rather than solves the respective problems. hence the need for a set of rules that would allow us to describe the aforementioned approach by way of a cogent conclusion, which would shift but not solve the general problem. an important aspect of this issue was addressed by Nicole Mahne in 2007.16 Mahne tried to apply the classic approach of narratology to what she calls ‘Hyperfiction’17 (i.e. interactive media) and stated that due to the inevitable use of metalepses, the user experienced an ontological change: the impression of integration of narration and life through interactivity. Thus, any reflexion process changes the reference frame of the “consumer” (be it researcher or private individual). Consequently, any analysis would have to fall back on the elementary categories any individual will always experience: time (although not in the form of a consistent continuum but merely in dissected separate nodes) and space (although not in the form of a consistent big picture but merely in sets of symbolic forms). at the moment, i do not see any convincing solution for this problem. however, my first approach would be to demand media literacy as a subject in all educational facilities. Knowing that structures – especially mythological structures like Campbell’s Hero’s Journey18 – are spellbinding, yet unable to encompass a majority of contempo- rary media, we must establish a common set of “pictures” (symbols) and “processes” (time nodes) that denote a mandatory set of values. Only if we learn about the corre- spondence of our inner reference to any other and learn to interpret the impressions we gain in the media universe within to this framework from early childhood, can we possibly achieve a consensus about various interpretations and various ways of inte- grating them into our lives. and that, i think, is what all media analysis is ultimately about. 16 Mahne 2007. 17 Mahne 2007, 110–125. 18 Campbell 2009; cf. Wessely 1996.