Radomír D. Kokeš (Douglas)
Born 18th September 1982, Brno, Czech Republic
Department of Film Studies and Audiovisual Culture
Masaryk University, Faculty of Arts
Arne Nováka 1, Brno 602 00, Czech Republic
DEGREES
2014: Ph.D., Theory and history of theatre, film and audio-visual culture studies, Masaryk University. Thesis: Walks across macroworlds: poetics of serial fiction. (Priced: The Dean´s Award for the best doctoral dissertation)
2011: M. A., Film and audio-visual culture studies, Masaryk University. Thesis: Theory of serial fiction. (Priced: Special award of Czech Society for Film Studies)
2009: B. A., Film and audio-visual culture studies, Masaryk University. Thesis: „Crime fiction investigation“: fictional semantics proposal of crime television series. (Priced: Film Studies Department’s Annual Award for the best B. A. Thesis)
POSITIONS
2022-present: Guarantor of the international study program Culture, Media and Performative Arts, Masaryk University
2018-present: Department vice-head, Department of film studies and audiovisual culture, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University
2014-present: Assistant Professor, Department of film studies and audiovisual culture, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University
2011-present: Head of the independent scholarly society Brno Narratological Circle
2013-2014: Student research assistant, Department of Film Studies and Audiovisual Culture
2012-2013: Visiting teacher, Faculty of Multimedia Communications, Tomas Bata University of Zlín
2011-2013: Teacher, High School of Arts and Management, ltd.
2010-2011: Visiting teacher, Film Studies Department, Faculty of Philosophy and Arts, Charles University
2008-2015: Film reviewer, Aktuálně.cz
2006-2009: Librarian, Department of Film Studies and Audiovisual Culture, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University (as Student research assistant)
2004-2006: Editor, Blokbaster, Slovak film magazine
2004-2006: Editor and proofreader, DVDMAG, film magazine
2003-2015: Editor, proofreader, and transcriber at DVD/Digital cinema authoring company UTD. BY CONTENT
2001-2007: Editor, FilmPub, website film magazine
COLLEGE LECTURE SERIES (in Czech)
Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno
2023-present: Analysis of Audiovisual Form (in English, S)
2020-present: Historical Poetics of Cinema (S)
2017-present: Worlds To Be Continued (S)
2012-present: Preparatory Lecture: Introduction to Film Theories and Film Analysis
2011-present: Introduction to Film Studies (A)
2022: Poetics of Czech pre-studio cinema (A)
2020-2021: Film Style Analysis (S)
2020-2021: Film Narrative Analysis (S)
2020: European Film Movements of Silent Era (in English, S)
2019: The Year 1939: The Annus Mirabilis of Hollywood Cinema? (A)
2019: Innovation in a Spiral: Groundhog Day, Christmas Day, and Narrative Schema Across Media Platforms (S)
2019: Film Noir as an Innovative Function in Classical and Post-Classical Hollywood Cinema (S)
2018: Pathfinding in Filmmaking: Changing of Poetics and Aesthetic Norms of Czech Cinema to 1922 (A)
2018: History of World Cinema till 1945 (S)
2018: Italian Film Neorealism (S)
2017: British Films of Alfred Hitchcock (A)
2017: Poetics of 1920s European Silent Cinema Avantgardes (S)
2016: History of Japanese Cinema till 1959 (S)
2016: Poetics of Woody Allen (A)
2015: Extraordinary Serial Worlds (A)
2015: History of World Cinema till 1945 (S)
2015: Modes of Cinema Storytelling (S)
2015-2016: David Bordwell’s Poetics of Cinema I-IV (S, A)
2014: Realistic Aspects of Fictional Worlds of Contemporary Czech Cinema (A)
2014: Concepts in Film Theories of Narrative (S)
2013: The Serial Fiction Poetics: I-II (S, A)
2013: Jaroslav Hašek: Enfant Terrible of the Czech Literature (A)
2012: Theory of Narrative in Cinema and Television (S)
2012: Techniques of Narrative Analysis (seminar) (S)
2011-2019: Seminar A: Basic Film Analysis Techniques (A)
2011-2016: Style and Narrative in Czech Silent Cinema (research seminar): I-X (A, S)
2009: Dostoyevsky´s Idiot (A)
Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague (visiting teacher)
2012-2013: History of American Cinema: I-III
Faculty of Multimedia Communications, Tomas Bata University, Zlín (visiting teacher)
2010: Introduction to Film Studies and Film Analysis Techniques (A)
High School of Arts and Management, ltd., Brno
2011-2013: Theory and Evolution of Multimedia
2011-2012: Artistic Workshop (Film Theory and History)
INVITED LECTURES
2023: „The Transformative Year 1925 in Czech Cinema from the Perspective of (Writing) Historical Poetics“ (in English, the talk for „The Formation of a National Film Culture in the Balkans and East Central Europe between the Two World Wars“; Institute of Art Studies, Sofia, Bulgaria, 3rd May)
2022: „Principles of Hollywood narrative and its analysis“ (in Czech, Creative Hill College, Zlín, 28th November)
2022: „It’s a Wonderful Life on the background of (not only) Hollywood history“ (in Czech, „Summer Film School“, Uherské Hradiště, CR, 3rd August)
2021: „What does it mean (to write) historical poetics of Czech silent cinema?“ (in English, „Internationality in Film Heritage“, in cooperation with the Czech Embassy in Vilnius, 17th September)
2021: „Norm and Norma: Sunset Blvd. (1950) in the context of the traditions and principles of classical storytelling“ (in Czech, Creative Hill College, Zlín, 12 October)
2021: „Film expressionism and its traditions“ (in Czech, „Summer Film School“, Uherské Hradiště, CR, 8th August)
2021: „Louis Feuillade contra film serials“ (in Czech, „Summer Film School“, Uherské Hradiště, CR, 7th August)
2020: „Buster Keaton: Searching for Opportunities“ (in Czech, „Summer Film School“, Uherské Hradiště, CR, 9th August)
2019: „Narrative Seriality in Television“ (in Czech, „Summer Film School“, Uherské Hradiště, CR, 28th July)
2019: „Fictional Worlds of Spiral Narrative“ (in English, the talk for The „XIV. Prague Interpretation Colloquium. Thinking and Speaking about Fictional Worlds“; Department of Analytic Philosophy Institute of Philosophy, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, CR, 10th April)
2019: „The Classical (Hollywood) Film Narrative: Some Features and Principles“ (in English, as a part of a lecture on Classical and Post-Classical Narratologies, Department of Linguistics and Baltic Languages, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, CR, May)
2018: „Radúz and Mahulena: Stylistically Unmistakable Film Adaptation at the Intersection of Various Trajectories (Art Cinema, film Fairy Tale, Authorial Career)“ (in Czech, Department of Theatre Studies, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, CR, May)
2017: „Forms, Norms, and Functions of the Science Fiction in the Modern Hollywood Cinema“ (in Czech, Department of Czech Literature and Library Studies, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, CR, 5th December)
2017: „Storytelling in the Modern Hollywood Cinema: Aspects, Strategies, Tactics, and Possibilities of their Analysis“ (in Czech, four lectures, Department of Theatre, Film and Media Studies, Philosophical Faculty, Palacký University, Olomouc, CR, April-May)
2017: „Worlds to be Continued: Presentation of Serial Storytelling Research“ (in Czech, Brno Narratological Circle, Brno, CR, 25th January)
2016: „Aesthetic Norms of Classical Film Narrativity“ (In Czech, Department of Linguistics and Baltic Languages, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, CR, 30th November)
2016: „Classical Cinema as a Background for film storytelling analysis“ (in Czech, lecture for workshop „Analysis of Text“, Department of Philosophy – Faculty of Arts MU, Brno, CR, 15th November)
2016: „Fictional Worlds of Cinematic Storytelling“ (in Czech, Tomas Bata University, Zlín, CR, 11th April)
2016: „Tactics of Film Adaptations of Milan Kundera“ (In Czech, Department of Linguistics and Baltic Languages, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, CR, 27th April)
2016: „Understanding Film Style“ (Department of Czech Literature and Library Studies, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, CR, 29th February)
2015: „Layered Construction of Three Nuts for Cinderella: Space, Narrative and Historical Norms“ (in English, Nasjonalbiblioteket, Oslo, Norway, 15th December)
2015: „Issues of Film Analysis (Teaching)“ (in Czech, Department of Theatre Studies – Masaryk University/Theatrological Society, Brno, CR, 23rd November)
2015: „When Art is Film?“ (in Czech, Věra Jirousová Award, INI Gallery, Prague, CR, 9th October)
2015: „Changing Functions of Superhero Comics Cinema: From Superman and Batman to… Superman with Batman” (in Czech, Moravian Library, Brno, CR, 9th February)
2014: „Narrative Dynamics in Serial Fictional Worlds“ (in Czech, Department of Bohemian Studies, Philosophical Faculty, Palacký University, Olomouc, CR, 1st December)
2014: „Bonnie, Clyde and the Paradox: Revolution as well as Tradition“ (in Czech, Moravian Library, Brno, CR, 3rd November)
2014: „Narrative in Cinema: Classical Cinema and its Norms“ (in Czech, Academy of Fine Arts, Intermedia III, Prague, CR, November)
2014: „Filmic Worlds of Historical Fictions: Questions of Propriety for Teaching History“ (in Czech, Seminar for history teachers, National Gallery, Lidice Gallery, Prague, CR, October)
2014: „David Fincher: Approaches to Film Art and Literary Patterns“ (in Czech, Film Festival FokusFest, Semily, CR, October)
2014: „Issues of Applicability of Fictional Worlds Theory in Film Analysis“ (in Czech, Film Studies Department, Faculty of Philosophy and Arts, Charles University, Prague, CR, May)
2014: „Comic Techniques in Television Series“ (in Czech, University of the Third Age, Masaryk University, Brno, CR, April)
2014: „Crime Television Seriality: Traditions and Present“ (in Czech, University of the Third Age, Masaryk University, Brno, CR, 6th March)
2014: „Serial Fiction Poetics: How to understand Types of (television) Seriality and Particularities of their Fictional Worlds“ (in Czech, Student Science Club MUNI, Brno, CR, 19th February)
2013: „Issues of Film Criticism“ (in Czech, University of the third age, Masaryk University, Brno, CR)
2013: „Issues of Film Analysis and Practical Film Criticism“ (in Czech, Cinema Studies, Prague, CR, May)
2012: „Storytelling and Film Medium“ (in Czech, Department of Czech Literature and Library Studies, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, CR, November)
2011: „Road Show Theatrical Release: History, Contexts, and Parallels“ (in Czech, 70mm Cinema Seminar: KRRR!, Krnov, CR)
2009: „Changing of Style and Narrative in Hollywood Cinema History“ (in Czech, P. Křížkovský’s gymnasium with artistic profile, Brno, CR)
CONFERENCE PAPERS
2022: „Narrative construction in Czech silent cinema storytelling: National and international tendencies“ (Globalizing Screenwriting: 14th Screenwriting Research Network International Conference, 23rd September, Wien, Austria)
2022: „Lying as a device of defamiliarization in film fiction: games with deception in Domino (2005)“ (Online colloquium, Brno, 26 January, organized by the Institute of Czech Literature of the CAS)
2019: „The Spiral Narrative and the Sequel: How to Innovate an Innovative Schema?“ (in English, international film studies conference NECS – European Network for Cinema and Media Studies, 14th June, Gdansk, Poland)
2017: „More than three hours…? Research of (Hollywood’s) narrative principles in very long films“ (ENN – The 5th International Conference of the European Narratology Network. Narrative and Narratology: Metamorphosing the Structures, 13th September, Prague, CR)
2017: „Do It Again, Again… and Again: ‚Loop Narrative‘ as a Tactic of Popular Storytelling“ (in English, international conference Fast, Slow & Reverse. Faces of Contemporary Film Narration, 24th May, Gdaňsk, Poland)
2016: „Directed by Jan Svěrák: Film Poetics In-Between Czech Traditions and International Ambitions“ (in English, Sixth Annual Screen Industries in East-Central Europe Conference: The Long 1990s, Prague, CR)
2015: „Švejk in Cinema: Three Movies, Three Aspects, Three Concepts“ (in Czech, Jaroslav Hašek’s Fictions – International Colloquium”, January, Brno, CR, Brno Narratological Circle – Institute of Czech Literature)
2014: „Poetics of Cinema in Czech Lands (1911-1922): Resources and goals of the poetics of Czech Cinema as result of intensive seminar work” (in Czech, Student conference FAV, Vyhlídka, CR)
2014: „Poetics Notes about the Killing of Jessie” (in Czech, colloquium Czech comics (and visual culture) from 60’ to 80’, 26th April, Olomouc, CR, Center for Comics Studies).
2014: „Narrative Structures and Creative Choices in Czech Silent Cinema: A Case for Comparative Analysis“ (in English, international film studies conference NECS – European Network for Cinema and Media Studies, Milano, Italy)
2013: „Style Norms of Czech Silent Cinema: between international film style tendencies“ (in English, Poster-paper, international film studies conference NECS – European Network for Cinema and Media Studies, Prague, CR)
2013: „Karel Lamač et al.: the Classical Style as a Minor Tendency in the Czech Silent Cinema“ (in English, Conference SIECE III: Industrial Authorship, Olomouc, CR)
2012: „Vítězslav Nezval’s Thinking on Cinema“ (in Czech, international conference Invisible Nezval, Brno, CR, Institute of Czech Literature, AV ČR)
2012: „Theses of the Historical Poetics of Czech cinema“ (in Czech, Student conference FAV, Vyhlídka, CR)
2012: „Historical Poetics of Czech Cinema: Style and Narrative from 1911 to 1915“ (in Czech, Brno Narratological Circle, November, Brno, CR)
2012: „Historical Poetics of Czech Cinema: Poster Presentation“ (in English, Conference SIECE II, Brno, CR)
2011: „Serial Fiction Theory: Issue of Narrative Dynamics in Fictional Worlds” (in Czech, international Doctoral Conference of film studies, Brno, CR)
2011: „Prague School, Film and Influence Problem” (in Czech, international conference Jan Mukařovský Today: Traditions and Perspective of the Czech Structuralism, Institute of Czech Literature – Prague Linguistic Circle, Prague, CR)
2010: „Singular and Plural Facts: Fictional Encyclopedia in Serial Possible Worlds” (in Czech, Student conference FAV, Cikháj, CR)
2010: „Possible Worlds of a (Serial) Crime Fiction (in Czech, international seminar French Detective Novel, Jiří Mahen Library, Brno, CR)
2010: „To Analyze Television Serial Fiction: Move from Narrative Modes to the Semantic Macrostructure” (in Czech, Student (Literary Studies) Conference, Institute of Czech Literature, Prague, CR; Priced Vladimír Macura award for the most inspiring paper)
2009: „Possibilities of Narratological Analysis of (Crime) Serial as Set of Fictional Subworlds, Worlds and Macroworld” (in Czech, Student conference FAV, Cikháj, CR)
2007: „Issues of Media Autonomy of Digitally Animated Live Action Feature Films“ (in Czech, Student conference FAV, Telč, CR)
2006: „Intensification of Narrative Mechanisms in ‘24’” (in Czech, Czech-Slovak Film Studies Conference: Film Audience, Poněšice, CR)
2006: „Czech IMAX: Promotion Strategies and Critical Reflection“ (in Czech, Student conference FAV, Telč, CR)
BOOKS
2015: Rozbor filmu [Film Analysis]. Brno: Masaryk University. In Czech, but an English summary is here.
2016: The book was priced by the Special Jury’s Award of ARAS – Association of Film Directors and Screenwriters for extraordinary creative, organizational, or producer achievement in audiovision.
2016: Czech Society for Film Studies‘ Special Award for Contribution to film literacy in the Czech Republic
2016: Světy na pokračování. Rozbor možností seriálového vyprávění. [Worlds To Be Continued. Analysing Possibilities of Serial Narrativity], Praha: Akropolis. In Czech, but an English summary is here. An extensive interview with Colin Burnett about my research for this book can be found here.
THE MAIN RESEARCH INTERESTS AND PROJECTS
– Historical Poetics of Czech Cinema: History of Narrative and Style (esp. 1919-1933) / now realized as the three-year research project Before Barrandov: The Narrative and Stylistic Poetics of Czech Film until 1933, funded by the Czech Science Foundation
– Spiral Narrative as an Innovative Schema of Contemporary Popular Storytelling
– Serial Fiction Poetics: Narrative and Fictional Worlds of Seriality
Other research interests:
o Possibilities of quantitative analysis of cinema
o Narrative and stylistic tendencies of contemporary Hollywood cinema
o History of film analysis techniques
o Aspects of defamiliarization in style and narrative of James Bond films, 1962-1969
PROFESSIONAL STAYS ABROAD
2015: Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, England
2013: University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
2007: University of Udine, Udine, Italy
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE (selection)
2019-present: Curator of silent film sections at the Summer Film School (Film Festival), including lecturer introductions, catalog texts, and public lectures
2014-present: Czech member (with Lucie Česálková and Pavel Skopal) of World Hobbit Project, coordinated by Ernest Mathijs and Martin Barker.
2014-present: Film Mondays, Moravian Library, Brno: introduction of the movies
2014-present: Member of SVK: Student Science Club, Masaryk University
2013-present: Member, Editorial Board, Iluminace: the Journal of Film Theory, History, and Aesthetics
2011-present: Founder member and head of Brno Narratological Circle
2011-present: Member of CEFS: Czech Society for Film Studies
2010-present: Member of ENN: European Narrative Network
2009-present: Interviewee for radio and television broadcasts on film and my research
2008-present: 70mm film Festival – KRRR!, Krnov: introductions of the movies; interviewer for the festival; editor, proofreader, and contributor for the festival catalog
2007-present: Academic blog Douglas’ Remarks: Poetics of Fiction (Archived by Czech national library)
2007-present: Member of NECS: European Network for Cinema and Media
2006-present: Summer Film School, Uherské Hradiště: contributor to the catalog
2005-2016: Visions of Light, Brno: introductions of the movies
2001-present: Essays, analyses, and reviews in scholar and popular press: more than three thousand articles. For example, A2, Aktuálně.cz, Ateliér, Blokbaster, Bohemica Litteraria, Boomerang Publishing, Business World, Centrum.cz, Cinema, Cinepur, DVDMAG, Domácí kino, Dotyk, DVDMAG Film a doba, FilmPub, FilmWeb, Filmové listy, Filmstage, FlashArt, Home Cinema, Hospodářské noviny, Ikarie, Iluminace, Kino-Ikon, Komiksárium, Kulturní noviny, Moviezone, MUNI, Obrazor, Pandora, Plav, Pulsy, Renault Revue, Svět DVD, TOP, Thalie na labuti, Theatralia / Yorick.
2019: Film introductions and Q&A sessions for Kino Art (Brno, October, November)
2019: Film Introductions for Film Festival Meeting Brno (Moravian Gallery, Brno, May, June)
2019: Film introductions and Q&A sessions for cultural events MUNIfesto and Meeting Brno
2019: Member, the Choice Committee and the Jury (MUNIfesto, Brno)
2017: Film introductions for Hayao Miyazaki Seminar (Cinema Scala, Brno, 26-28th January)
2016-2019: Q&A discussions after films for FUTURE GATE Film Fest (2016/Brno, 2017/Prague, 2019/Prague)
2016: Series of eight video introductions to films for Letní Kino Brno Střed
2016: Interviewee in Q&A: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Cinema Scala, Brno)
2015: Interviewer in Q&A: Jan Bušta, Petr Kubica, and film Televise bude! (Cinema Scala, Brno)
2014: Scholar interviewee for two episodes of a television documentary cycle about Czech cinema Arsenal (Česká televize/Czech Television, telecast 23rd September 2016, 21st October 2016)
2014: Interviewer in Q&A: Pavel Horáček and film Frankenweenie! (Cinema Scala, Brno)
2014: Interviewee in Q&A: Inside Llewyn Davis (Cinema Scala, Brno)
2014: Guest editor, together with Aleš Merenus, thematic section “Perspectives of Narrative Theory in Drama, Theatre and Film” (Theatralia/Yorick, 1/2014)
2013-2014: Columnist for Bulletin of the Cinema Art, Brno
2013: Lecturer, dramaturg, and administrator of “Small Film Seminar: Hollywood Departures – Anarchy, Comics, and Spirituality” (four lectures and introductions of the movies, Salesko, Brno)
2013: Lecture: “The Ninth, Narrative Structure and Re/Establishing of Doctor Who’s Fictional Macroworld” (Whocon, Brno)
2013: Le Giornate del Cinema Muto, Pordenone: contributor for the catalog
2012: Seminar on film analysis (with Kamil Fila, Cinema Studies, Prague)
2012: Lecture „Style and Storytelling of Steven Spielberg’s films” (Zoom, film seminar, Třebíč)
2011: Lecture „The New Hollywood” (Zoom, film seminar, Třebíč)
2011: Foreman of Jury (film festival Cinema Mundi, Brno)
2011: Scholar editor and co-author of the Foreword (Czech edition of David Bordwell’s and Kristin Thompson’s Film Art: An Introduction; as Umění filmu, Praha: AMU; Revision of dictionary in the second Czech edition of the Kristin Thompson’s and David Bordwell’s Film History: An Introduction; as Dějiny filmu, Praha: AMU-NLN)
2010: AniFest, Teplice: contributor for the catalog, administrator, and lecturer of Georges Meliés’ films program, introductions of the movies
2010: Film Festival Zlín, Zlín: contributor for the catalog
2010: Festival upon the River, Písek: contributor for bulletin
2009: Summer School of Slavonic Studies, Masaryk University, Brno: introductions of the movies
2008-2009: AFO Olomouc, Olomouc: contributor for the catalog
2008: Lecturer, dramaturg, and administrator of “Small Film Seminar: A History of Hollywood Cinema” (seven lectures and introductions of the movies, Salesko, Brno)
2008: Cinepur Choice, Praha-Brno: contributor for the catalog
2007: Lecture “Hollywood Cinema: Classic and Post-classic” (Film Weekend)
2006: Lecture „Promotion Strategies of Film Noir’s Trailer Campaign” (Foršpanfest, Olomouc)
2006: Lecture „Film Noir: History and Contexts“; introductions of the movies (Film meetings)
2005: Lecture „History of Hollywood cinema” (Film seminar And man created the film in his own image…)
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