CALL FOR PAPERS The graduate students of the Division of Critical Studies in USC’s School of Cinematic Arts announce the 4th annual ZdC Conference SPECTRUMS Saturday, February 27, 2010 USC School of Cinematic Arts The graduate students of the Division of Critical Studies in USC’s School of Cinematic Arts seek conference papers and creative presentations from graduate students addressing the theme of “Spectrums.” The conference is committed to furthering Cinema and Media Studies as a field that benefits immeasurably from the intersections of disciplines and an openness to the wide spectrum of visual media. In so doing, the Division of Critical Studies seeks to honor the life and work of the late Anne Friedberg, our department chair whose diverse research interests melded film and television scholarship with issues pertaining to visuality, proto-cinematic visual culture, and virtual environments. Inspired by Dr. Friedberg’s vision, we take the idea of *Spectrums* as an invitation to open research to a variety of discourses and to promote lively exchange between fields that too often remain isolated from one another. Architecture, Cultural Studies, Feminist Theory, American Studies, Ethnic Studies, Queer Theory, History, Art History, Mass Communications, Post Colonial Theory, Political Economy, Visual Studies, Performance Studies, and Comparative Literature—these and many more besides have intersected with Cinema and Media Studies and expanded its purview. This conference seeks to explore the widest implications of the interdisciplinarity of Dr. Friedberg’s work and beyond to present a spectrum of the current research carried out by graduate students on issues related to film, television, and new media. Appropriately, *Spectrums* lends itself to a variety of meanings. From a telecommunications standpoint, the term is essential in understanding the political economy of the media. The allocation of broadcast frequencies across the electromagnetic spectrum was a foundational concern in the development of television and radio networks—and the issues surrounding those limited resources remain pertinent in this moment of digital transition and new media proliferation. On a theoretical level, the visible spectrum provokes matters related to vibrations of light and the range of wavelengths intelligible to the human eye. It also engenders consideration of aspects not seen: the spectre, or the phantom; that which cannot be observed because it fringes, stalks, or haunts the camera’s field of view. In that vein, the spectre encompasses representations of marginalized groups whose screen absence should be brought to light. Confronted with these issues, *Spectrums* asks what remains outside our fields of disciplinary vision if we restrict our scholarship to a uniform or homogenous perspective. We encourage papers that embrace the encounter between different academic realms, but also welcome singularly themed panels that can productively reflect against other presentations. Graduate students can participate with completed projects or workshop papers that are still in progress and perhaps en route to other conferences. *Spectator*, USC’s Critical Studies film journal, will publish a special issue devoted to the conference. Anyone who participates in the conference can choose to have his or her paper considered for publication. Submission deadline: Friday, December 18, 2009. To propose a paper, e-mail a 250-word abstract, bibliography, and brief bio to James Crawford at [log in to unmask] Pre-constituted panels (minimum two different academic affiliations) are welcome, but not required. ---- Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite http://www.ScreenSite.org