From a pedagogic point of view..
when teaching film and media students "Theory As Practice" (I teach a mandatory 2nd year unit titled this), I find students are indeed resistent to the 'scratch' of theory. [nice figure]
But through example, the tutors make the 'theory' practice driven, as William B was describing, for example letting the work lead the description, discussion and theorisation of the topic. [rant on!]
In this unit we try to describe the ways that 'theory' is itself a practice - a practice of writing, reading, organising, critiquing, making, that, like other praxes, incorporates multiple histories, forms, and methods of working.
The question, as Warren B. and William highlight, is the 'how' of practice - leading to where theory and philosophy seek to characterize in often general terms, or historicize according to certain types and styles of practice - just as film style use certain recognizable tropes and use generalities to place and position their practice. The technicalities or physics of how something works is also a specific argument - not all directors know (or need to) how their camera works or how to push the colour process in 35mm film stock development; not all film-philosophers know the details of film theory, or vice-versa, for example. [neutrino, anyone?]
I guess the frustration is when the practice does not match up with the requirements or expectations of the user, who is also specific. [alas, film is not a timeless medium]
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