Intensified Play: Cinematic study of TikTok mobile app

In 2018, my fascination with TikTok, a nascent social media video platform at the time, led me to explore it through the lens of film theory and culture. I began my investigation by interviewing content creators and influencers, and analyzing their videos. My resulting article explores the role of play and dynamic editing on TikTok. Imagine TikTok as a virtual playground: the rapid-fire editing and remix culture become the slide, the sandbox, the seesaw, and the swing. The article is structured around the critical concepts of TikTok and their parallels to classic playground equipment. This analysis leverages media scholar David Bordwell’s theory of an “intensification of established [cinematic] techniques” alongside sociologist Roger Caillois’ study of play and games to unpack the new format of short-form video creation.

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