Contested Mediality

he ongoing negotiation and conflict over a medium's specific properties, standards, and 'correct' usage. In editing, this manifests as a struggle between established commercial standards (like the 16:9 horizontal frame) and aesthetic experiments or new technologies (like vertical video) that challenge those norms. The editor often works at the flashpoint of this conflict, either reinforcing standards or deliberately breaking them for artistic effect. The tension between vertical and horizontal aspect ratios serves as a prime example of contested mediality. It demonstrates how media standards are not inherent properties but are constantly negotiated between commercial pressures (e.g., broadcast standards), technological affordances (e.g., smartphone orientation), and artistic experimentation (e.g., video art). This can manifest as 'cinematic graffiti,' where collectives like Racer Trash rework existing films without permission, asserting a transformative, non-profit use right that challenges traditional copyright and authorship.