RETINAL BURN

Retinal Burn is a proposed digital film zine from Hypnotic Crescendos. The plan is to create a focused, themed publication exploring visual culture through a small collection of essays and curated images.

Each issue will centre on a single concept. Rather than offering reviews or listicles, Retinal Burn will approach cinema, television, and adjacent media as ecosystems where aesthetics intersect with politics, geography, architecture, identity, and sound.

Proposed ideas range from domestic technology as horror, the instability of dream worlds in cinema, broadcast dread on the small screen, and the medicalisation of imagination. Each theme will be explored through two or three substantial essays and will sit alongside shorter companion pieces, and a considered visual spread.

Retinal Burn will launch initially as a digital publication, with the long-term ambition of producing a limited print edition if there’s sufficient interest to make it sustainable.

At this stage, I’m keen to gauge whether there’s a readership for something like this. If the concept appeals, if you’d read it, share it, or want to see it develop, I’d genuinely love to hear from you. Your interest will shape whether Retinal Burn moves from idea to issue.

As a first indication of what Retinal Burn might become, “With an Escape Clause: Incremental Suicide and the Civility of Despair in Chris Morris’ Jam” is now available to read. This is a preview of the proposed Broadcast Dread issue, which explores how small-screen media produces atmosphere, alienation, and dread. The preview essay is available on request. Register your interest via the button below and it will be sent to you.