I’m sure everyone has seen or at least heard of Euphoria. If not, in short, it’s a teen psychological drama about a group of teens who struggle with drugs, love, money, and family as they try to figure out their identity. From that description, it may sound like any other typical teen drama, but what made this series so special was the hyper-stylized digital aesthetics and nonlinear storytelling. These are a few aspects of Post Cinematic Affect, developed by Steven Shaviro.

One of the main features of this series that heightened the experience of watching it and overall enhanced the plot is the hyper-stylized and digital aesthetics. Shaviro discusses how post-cinematic media reflects the disorientation and hyper-stimulation of the environment. For example, there was one scene where Rue, played by Zendaya, was high on a drug and experienced the sensation of feeling nothing. The cinematography was beautifully crafted, taking us along with her as she reaches that feeling. The scene starts by presenting disorientation with flashing lights, different lighting and camera angles, and her breath aligning with the music playing. It then starts to slow down and die down as she reaches her high and the sensation of feeling nothing. The hyper-mediated environment enhances the audience’s experience as they are bombarded with all types of stimuli, allowing them to feel almost as if they are there with the characters.

Euphoria also often follows a nonlinear format, where flashbacks, sudden jumps in time, daydreams, and unreliable narrations occur. This adds to themes of disorientation and confusion in the characters. Thus, Euphoria is a great example of Post Cinematic Affect and how modern media evokes emotions while critiquing the socio-cultural impacts of the digital media era.

Shaviro, Steven. Post Cinematic Affect. John Hunt Publishing, 12 Oct. 2010.

“Euphoria (HBO) – Two Seconds of Nothing Scene [HD] | Spotlight.” YouTube, 3 July 2019, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmk1aHU0768.

Brenda Tanu – 33740103