This is an edited digital second edition (2026) of Patrick Dew’s MFA thesis SEQUENCE, submitted to the School of Art of Kent State University in May 2008 and deposited with the OhioLINK ETD Center. The text follows the deposited PDF. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and encoding errors have been corrected conservatively; the argument, organization, citations, figure numbering and captions are unchanged. Where the 2008 wording is preserved but would benefit from a note, the note is set apart in a labelled box. Every correction is listed on the Editorial notes page, and the original PDF remains available for comparison.
Figures are reproduced from the artist’s 2008 press masters where the same work could be identified with confidence; the two film stills (Figures 3.1 and 3.2) are reproduced only as they appear in the thesis.
Corrections to the text, captions and references
| Where | 2008 | 2026 | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| all chapters | straight quotes and apostrophes (PDF text layer) | typographic quotes ‘ ’ “ ” as in the Word source | encoding restoration |
| chapter I | motion picture DVD’s | motion picture DVDs | plural, not possessive |
| chapter I | French critiques to describe | French critics to describe | critiques → critics |
| chapter I | authors of Film Noir, the film noir movement | authors of <em>Film Noir</em>, the film noir movement | book title italic |
| typography | As I render these images on various scales I apply what I call a `noir filter.' This filter is created by expressive application of ink onto paper while incorporating aesthetic conventions of film noir. According to Alain Silver and James Ursini authors of <em>Film Noir</em>, the film noir movement lasted from 1941 to 1958. The term film noir was originally used by French critics to describe the darkening of mood and subject matter in American cinema during that time. The visual iconography of the film noir movement includes chiaroscuro lighting, odd angles, moving cameras, urban landscapes, flashbacks and subjective camera. This visual vocabulary is inserted into two major themes of film noir. One of these themes is “the haunted past,” in which a character is escaping a past burden and seeks to conceal it in the dark world of film noir. The second major theme is the “fatalistic nightmare,” where the noir world revolves around causality (9-19.) | As I render these images on various scales I apply what I call a `noir filter.' This filter is created by expressive application of ink onto paper while incorporating aesthetic conventions of film noir. According to Alain Silver and James Ursini authors of <em>Film Noir</em>, the film noir movement lasted from 1941 to 1958. The term film noir was originally used by French critics to describe the darkening of mood and subject matter in American cinema during that time. The visual iconography of the film noir movement includes chiaroscuro lighting, odd angles, moving cameras, urban landscapes, flashbacks and subjective camera. This visual vocabulary is inserted into two major themes of film noir. One of these themes is “the haunted past,” in which a character is escaping a past burden and seeks to conceal it in the dark world of film noir. The second major theme is the “fatalistic nightmare,” where the noir world revolves around causality (9–19). | citation punctuation moved outside the parenthesis; en dash for page ranges |
| chapter I | with out full recognition | without full recognition | with out → without |
| chapter I | to the tone and mood into of film noir | into the tone and mood of film noir | word order (‘to … into of’) |
| chapter I | Using this filter I am able to extract or change the essence of the image to remove it from its original source and incorporate a sense of déjà vu. | Using this filter I am able to extract or change the essence of the image, to remove it from its original source and incorporate a sense of déjà vu. | comma for readability |
| chapter II | In such an instance I may have placed a drawing that contains characters in two-shot (a camera shot framing two characters) next to a character held at gun point, | In such an instance I may have placed a drawing that contains characters in two-shot (a camera shot framing two characters) next to a character held at gunpoint, | gun point → gunpoint |
| chapter III | motion picture DVD’s | motion picture DVDs | plural, not possessive |
| chapter III | Once the digital image is adjusted, it is the printed for reference | Once the digital image is adjusted, it is then printed for reference | ‘the printed’ → ‘then printed’ |
| chapter IV | more then once | more than once | then → than |
| chapter IV | The application of multiples reinforces the non- linear viewing | The application of multiples reinforces the non-linear viewing | broken hyphenation |
| chapter IV | developed during the 1960’s | developed during the 1960s | decade plural |
| chapter IV | the Billy Wilder noir films Sunset Boulevard or Double Indemnity | the Billy Wilder noir films <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> or <em>Double Indemnity</em> | film titles italic |
| chapter IV | author of Film as Social Practice, defines | author of <em>Film as Social Practice</em>, defines | book title italic |
| chapter IV | These first two roles are most present in the initial steps of my process which include the searching of particular stills | These first two roles are most present in the initial steps of my process, which include the searching of particular stills | comma |
| typography | In the preproduction phase of the film making process, film makers utilize a storyboarding process to block out each scene. Comparatively, as I began the process of making these narrative sequences, I assume the roles of director of photography, lighting design and editing. These first two roles are most present in the initial steps of my process, which include the searching of particular stills and the manipulation of lighting. Assuming these roles, I apply my `noir filter’ and concern myself with what is called mise-en-scene. Film theorist Graeme Turner, author of <em>Film as Social Practice</em>, defines mise-en-scene as the arrangements of elements within a shot (42.) These elements often foreshadow events or provide additional information about characters. With the use of this filter I am able to remove elements, obscure identifiable characters and manipulate settings, thus determining what is important or significant. As editor, with completed shot and lighting established, I determine image placement in each sequence by linking subject matter, camera shots and value schemes. | In the preproduction phase of the film making process, film makers utilize a storyboarding process to block out each scene. Comparatively, as I began the process of making these narrative sequences, I assume the roles of director of photography, lighting design and editing. These first two roles are most present in the initial steps of my process, which include the searching of particular stills and the manipulation of lighting. Assuming these roles, I apply my `noir filter’ and concern myself with what is called mise-en-scene. Film theorist Graeme Turner, author of <em>Film as Social Practice</em>, defines mise-en-scene as the arrangements of elements within a shot (42). These elements often foreshadow events or provide additional information about characters. With the use of this filter I am able to remove elements, obscure identifiable characters and manipulate settings, thus determining what is important or significant. As editor, with completed shot and lighting established, I determine image placement in each sequence by linking subject matter, camera shots and value schemes. | citation punctuation moved outside the parenthesis; en dash for page ranges |
| chapter IV | Carroll suggests that one can not think | Carroll suggests that one cannot think | can not → cannot |
| chapter IV | explanation of sequencing in The Philosophy of Motion Picture. | explanation of sequencing in <em>The Philosophy of Motion Picture</em>. | book title italic |
| chapter IV | on an ipod or small television | on an iPod or small television | product name |
| chapter IV | the hall of mirror scene in Lady from Shanghai | the hall of mirrors scene in <em>The Lady from Shanghai</em> | plural; film title (as in the references) |
| chapter IV | Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil | Orson Welles’ <em>Touch of Evil</em> | film title italic |
| chapter IV | Appropriated from the film The Usual Suspects | Appropriated from the film <em>The Usual Suspects</em> | film title italic |
| chapter IV | In The Simple Art of Murder Raymond Chandler wrote | In <em>The Simple Art of Murder</em> Raymond Chandler wrote | essay title italic |
| chapter IV | Appropriated from Mr. Brooks, the image contains a refection | Appropriated from <em>Mr. Brooks</em>, the image contains a reflection | refection → reflection; title italic |
| chapter V | pinnacle of German Expressionist film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. | pinnacle of German Expressionist film, <em>The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari</em>. | film title italic |
| chapter V | distorted world of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. | distorted world of <em>The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari</em>. | film title italic |
| chapter V | author of German Expressionist Film, the film’s | author of <em>German Expressionist Film</em>, the film’s | book title italic |
| typography | According to John D. Barlow, author of <em>German Expressionist Film</em>, the film’s lighting effect in combination with the angular set designs intensifies the uneasiness of the distorted world of <em>The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari</em>. Barlow also notes that these elements distort the viewer’s perspective and three-dimensionality depriving them of spatial relations (38-39.) The set design for this film is angular in nature, lacking horizontal and vertical lines which enhance the disorder. This was the precursor technique to oblique camera angles later used in classic film noir. The sets of this film were painted in manner of expressionist artists, incorporating broad gestural lines. In the film, Dr. Caligari goes to the city office to obtain a carnival booth permit. The worker in the office is sitting on an elevated stool to demonstrate a position of power over the Doctor. Similarly, the police officers in the film are depicted in the same position to demonstrate authority or domination. Prior to modern effects, the film makers consciously designed the set and props in this manner in order to achieve what was later accomplished by tilting the camera. These elements founded the high, low, and oblique angled camera shots which were used in order to achieve a subliminal psychological impact on the viewer. | According to John D. Barlow, author of <em>German Expressionist Film</em>, the film’s lighting effect in combination with the angular set designs intensifies the uneasiness of the distorted world of <em>The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari</em>. Barlow also notes that these elements distort the viewer’s perspective and three-dimensionality depriving them of spatial relations (38–39). The set design for this film is angular in nature, lacking horizontal and vertical lines which enhance the disorder. This was the precursor technique to oblique camera angles later used in classic film noir. The sets of this film were painted in manner of expressionist artists, incorporating broad gestural lines. In the film, Dr. Caligari goes to the city office to obtain a carnival booth permit. The worker in the office is sitting on an elevated stool to demonstrate a position of power over the Doctor. Similarly, the police officers in the film are depicted in the same position to demonstrate authority or domination. Prior to modern effects, the film makers consciously designed the set and props in this manner in order to achieve what was later accomplished by tilting the camera. These elements founded the high, low, and oblique angled camera shots which were used in order to achieve a subliminal psychological impact on the viewer. | citation punctuation moved outside the parenthesis; en dash for page ranges |
| chapter V | Smith is referencing Pynchon’s text while I am recalling movies | Smith is referencing Pynchon’s text, while I am recalling movies | comma |
| references | Decla-Bioscop,1920 | Decla-Bioscop, 1920 | spacing |
| references | Portand: Tin House | Portland: Tin House | spelling of the publisher’s city |
| references | Paul Ducan editor | Paul Duncan, editor | editor’s name (Taschen Film Noir, ed. Paul Duncan) |
| references | Poly Gram, 1995 | PolyGram, 1995 | company name |
| references heading | REFRENCES | References | spelling |
Rejected change
“Comparably, just as Smith compresses a text into drawings, I am simplifying a cinematic experience.” — ‘simplifying’ was considered for ‘compressing’ to mirror the sentence, but that would alter the author’s meaning; the 2008 wording stands.
Figure provenance
| Figure | Caption | Source used |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Untitled Frame from “Revenge”, inkjet wet print on paper, 4.25”x10”, 2007 | Frame identified as Revenge b05 by image comparison with the 2008 masters. |
| 1.2 | Untitled Frame from “Revenge”, inkjet wet print on paper, 4.25”x10”, 2007 | Frame identified as Revenge c12 by image comparison with the 2008 masters. |
| 2.1 | Remember (installation), ink on paper, 22.25”x204.75”, 2008 | Installation photograph, 2008 masters. |
| 3.1 | Touch of Evil, 1958 | Film still reproduced as it appears in the 2008 thesis (Universal-International, 1958). Quoted for scholarly comparison; not the artist’s work. |
| 3.2 | The Lady from Shanghai, 1948 | Film still reproduced as it appears in the 2008 thesis (Columbia, 1947). Quoted for scholarly comparison; not the artist’s work. |
| 4.1 | Untitled (long shot), ink on paper, 24”x55”, 2007 | 2008 master (edited/Images/008.jpg), hash-matched to the thesis page. |
| 5.1 | Untitled (High-long), ink on paper, 24”x55”, 2007 | 2008 master (edited/Images/007.jpg). |
| 6.1 | Untitled (mise-en-scene), ink on paper, 24”x55”, 2008 | 2008 master (edited/Images/009.jpg). |
| 7.1 | Untitled (two-shot), ink on paper, 24”x55”, 2008 | 2008 master (edited/Images/010.jpg). |
| 8.1 | Untitled (shoot-thru), ink on paper, 24”x55”, 2008 | 2008 master (edited/Images/005.jpg). |
| 9.1 | Untitled (oblique), ink on paper, 24”x55”, 2008 | 2008 master (edited/Images/006.jpg). |
| 10.1 | Businessmen for Murder (installation), ink on paper, 16”x167”, 2008 | Installation photograph, 2008 masters. |
| 11.1 | Businessmen for Murder (detail 1) | 2008 master. |
| 12.1 | Businessmen for Murder (detail 2) | 2008 master. |
| 13.1 | Businessmen for Murder (detail 3) | 2008 master. |
| 14.1 | Businessmen for Murder (detail 4) | 2008 master. |
| 15.1 | Businessmen for Murder (detail 5) | 2008 master. |
| 16.1 | Remember (detail 1) | 2008 master. |
| 17.1 | Remember (detail 2) | 2008 master. |
| 18.1 | Remember (detail 3) | 2008 master. |
| 19.1 | Revenge (installation), ink on paper, 22.5”x225.25”, 2007 | Installation photograph, 2008 masters. |
| 20.1 | Revenge (detail 1) | 2008 master. |
| 21.1 | Revenge (detail 2) | 2008 master. |
| 22.1 | Revenge (detail 3) | 2008 master. |
| 23.1 | Revenge (detail 4) | 2008 master. |
Source
Dew, Patrick. SEQUENCE. Master’s thesis, Kent State University, 2008. OhioLINK ETD Center, accession kent1209001693: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1209001693. The deposited PDF is also served from this site: download the original PDF.