What Are the Audiovisual Arts and Media Studies PhD Students Up To?

 

Sten Kauber  
Sten’s research explores how different conceptualizations of the audience shape both the practices of audience and industry, thus illuminating Estonia's film sphere from the focal point of the notion of audience.

Madis Järvekülg
Madis’s PhD research examines the critical discourse on music in the new digital media networks and its effect on the system of music production in Estonia. Combining perspectives from sociology, cultural studies and innovation system theory, he aims to shed light on the complex ways how music culture is mediated in contemporary networked music industries in the context of a small country. Madis holds a MA degree in journalism from the University of Tartu and has studied sociology of music and aesthetics of music in the University of Leeds. He has previously worked as an editor and music critic for Estonian Public Broadcasting.  

Katri Horma
Katri’s research aims to link media availability, execution of creative solution and consumer behavior - in the same complex view in the context of Estonian media channels through the prism of advertising effectiveness. 
Existing studies, which are practiced in daily life – concentrate mostly on recognition. Consumer behavior is very often viewed separately and in the context of results, creativity in advertising acts as the constant source of controversy as variable factor "x". At the same time advertising media expenditures grow year by year, raising in 2017 over 100 mill euros. Understanding of media advertising effectiveness on the other hand hasn’t increased.
Ad Efficiency Measurements in Interaction with Recognition, Understanding and Impact in Campaigns of High-Involvement and Low-Involvement Consumer Decisions and in Campaigns of Social Messages in Major Media Channels of Estonia in 2018-2020.

Arko Olesk
Arko studies the mediatization of scientists: the process, indicators and impact.
Scientists are increasingly expected to communicate their research to the public, also via media. The adaptations that scientists and research institutions undergo in the expectation to increase their public visibility in the media-saturated society are conceptualized in the theory of mediatization. Olesk’s PhD project investigates this process and its impact on the scientific practices based on example of EstCube-1, the first Estonian satellite.

Ermo Säks
Ermo is studying the universal elements and format structure of the national selections for Eurovision Song Contest.

Berit Renser
Berit’s topic is The (social)mediatization of esoterics: the communicative figurations of esoteric counselling in Estonia 

Mart Sander
Mart’s topic is Soundtrack of Life: diegetic music as a synoptical metanarrative

Elen Lotman
Elen’s topic is Formalistic film theory joined with neurocinematic methods: the effect on the usage of formal aspects of film on the audience’s perceived sense of empathy and sympathy