Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Conversation
The Conversation
Science
Gabriel Menotti, Associate professor, Film and Media Department, Queen's University, Ontario

Screenshots have generated new forms of storytelling, from Twitter fan fiction to desktop film

Will Twitter’s future still involve fictional narratives created by fan communities in the spirit of old epistolary novels? (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Screenshots are as banal as they are ubiquitous. Nowadays, virtually all computer and digital mobile devices can generate a screenshot with a quick pair of key presses. Maybe that’s why they have remained largely underappreciated as a creative practice.

Yet, a closer look at the screenshot tells us interesting stories about not only how media transforms over time, but also how even the humblest technical operation may give rise to sophisticated cultural forms.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.