Cellphilms in Public Scholarship
Digital media offer new platforms for engagement and dissemination for public scholarship. Cellphilm method (cellphone + film production) is a participatory visual methodology that builds on the increasing ubiquity of cellphones and other mobile technology across the globe, and the uptake of cellphone video-making as a form of socially engaged visual practice. In this chapter the authors trace the development of cellphilm method in research. They present case studies of cellphilm research in Hong Kong, Mexico, and South Africa in order to provide concrete examples of cellphilm research in practice and nuance the methodological implications of integrating cellphones and visual media production into public scholarship. The chapter concludes by offering directions for future research on cellphilms as a public scholarship method and providing a critical perspective on the integration of cellphones in research for public scholarship.