Since the internet came to prominence it has revolutionised all aspects of the media industry. The new technologies and opportunities introduced to us through the internet have transformed the way which media content is produced, but also the way in which audiences can view, listen to, and consume it.
Possibly the most influential new website which the internet and the web 2.0 era has produced is YouTube. After starting in 2005, YouTube's rise to popularity has seen it become the core of the internet's user-generated content. This website has revolutionised media sharing, and allowed audiences to at ease, view mainstream and amateur videos and music for free, while also giving audiences the opportunity to leave feedback and discuss the content in the comments section below each video. Wesch noted the way that audiences have formed online communities on YouTube, with the website providing them with a forum to communicate and exchange user-generated content as part of a participatory culture. This has also transformed audience culture as there is now an 'invisible audience'. This term refers to the fact that the audience for a video is not pre-determined and could potentially be viewed by anyone. YouTube has also had a massive effect on the way that music audiences consume media, providing users with the ability to find and listen to almost any song for free on YouTube.
YouTube is only one of many websites which has changed the way in which audiences consume music online. Myspace in the mid-2000's was also a big influence on the industry as many mainstream artists had a Myspace page to promote their music and offer samples, and many amateur artists used the website to get themselves noticed and signed. This has led to the creation of the 'long tail'. In this context, the long tail refers to how big labels can now supposedly make as much money by signing many genre-specific artists with niche audiences, rather than pouring all their effort and resources into a few major artists with mass audiences. Many still argue however that the latter strategy is more effective as artists with niche audiences do not benefit as much from aspects other than album sales, such as merchandise and tours.
Monday, 21 May 2012
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
1B: Discuss the use of media language in one of your media products (25)
As part of our advanced portfolios, my group and I created a music video for the song 'I'm 17' by Rizzle Kicks. This video was a debut for our artist and therefore required a strong performance on screen. The genre of our video was urban and could be specifically classified as a rap/indie hybrid due to the use of rap vocals but an indie instrumental.
For a debut record it is important for the artist to receive maximum exposure from the music video. This is so that their image can be established and they become recognisable in the future based on this piece. To establish our artist's image camera-work was important. Our artist was the focus of the majority of our shots, including many close-ups to give everyone a good look at him, and to improve the effectiveness of the lyrics through close-ups of lip syncing. Goodwin identified the use of close-ups as a vital convention in music videos, and it is especially important in our genre as the focus is all on one individual and his vocals, with there being no other band members and no instruments used. We also used many mid-shots in order to show a variety of performance rather than just lip syncing. This included shots of our artist bopping humorously, interacting with the camera, and dancing his way down the street. We also used a close-up shot of his feet as he danced to focus on the elaborate movement he was making with this part of his body. With the amount of movement involved in the performance we also decided that camera movement was important. This led to the use of many tracking shots, most notably when our artist is facing the camera head-on as he walks through the park, and when he is being tracked from the side walking down the street. We also used pan shots during the recording booth scenes in order to keep them exciting and spice them up. The camera movement here, metaphorically kept the video moving with the pace of the song.
Editing went hand-in-hand with filming techniques in creating an effective video. With the songs uptempo feel, it was important that the video reflected that and conveyed the fun, upbeat instrumental and lyrics. Therefore the technique of our editing in terms of pace, would have to be similarly fast. This meant we used many short cuts, and had many different scenes and settings interlinking and being re-visited rapidly in a sporadic and unpredictable order and fashion, which we felt conveyed and reflected the hectic feel of the song. One key editing technique we used was the use of jump-cuts from long to short distances as if to increase the anticipation, and build to an explosive climax of the video, similar to a sudden dramatic zoom effect. This shows how we broke continuity rules, similarly to how our artist could be seen as a rebellious rule-breaker for example in the shot where he kicks a can while walking down the street. We also used many effects on Final Cut Express in order to add to the messages in certain lyrics. For example when our artist refers to being drunk we use an overlapping/double-vision effect as if the viewer is watching through impaired 'drunk' eyes. This shows the language of our editing in full force as it aids the communication of the lyrics to the viewers. Hall (1980) cited the fact that producers always have an intended way for visuals to be read; a preferred reading. In this case the preferred reading was that our protagonist is maybe mischievous for drinking, but it is all good-humoured and light-hearted. However an oppositional reading could be that we are condoning 'binge' drinking, however we tried to avoid this by not showing any particularly negative effects or consequences of our protagonist's drinking.
Our video's narrative followed no particular structure, but also played a key role in backing up the lyrical content. We only used narrative where we felt it specifically related to a particular line or few in the song. To exemplify this; there is a line which reads "6 o'clock already? get the booze in!" therefore we showed our artist bursting through his front door with a box of beer.
Mise-en-scene was also a key area in our video. The mise-en-scene creates a diegetic world full of connotations. These denotations are a signifier, and the consequential connotations are what is signified, for example the use of an urban setting connotes the idea that our artist is from a grounded, working background. We also showed this through our artist's dress code which portrayed that he was 'cool' and in touch with his youth culture, but by no means rich or flashy, therefore making him easy for our audience to relate to. One definition regarding semiotics was by Fiske (1982), who stated "denotation is what is filmed, connotation is how it is filmed". An example of this was when we filmed our artist dancing but used a hand-held filming method, to connote the up-tempo and unorganised nature of the song.
Overall media language was very important in our video as it performed the function of letting the audience get a feeling of how we wanted our artist to be portrayed, and how we wanted the song to be interpreted in a light-hearted fashion.
For a debut record it is important for the artist to receive maximum exposure from the music video. This is so that their image can be established and they become recognisable in the future based on this piece. To establish our artist's image camera-work was important. Our artist was the focus of the majority of our shots, including many close-ups to give everyone a good look at him, and to improve the effectiveness of the lyrics through close-ups of lip syncing. Goodwin identified the use of close-ups as a vital convention in music videos, and it is especially important in our genre as the focus is all on one individual and his vocals, with there being no other band members and no instruments used. We also used many mid-shots in order to show a variety of performance rather than just lip syncing. This included shots of our artist bopping humorously, interacting with the camera, and dancing his way down the street. We also used a close-up shot of his feet as he danced to focus on the elaborate movement he was making with this part of his body. With the amount of movement involved in the performance we also decided that camera movement was important. This led to the use of many tracking shots, most notably when our artist is facing the camera head-on as he walks through the park, and when he is being tracked from the side walking down the street. We also used pan shots during the recording booth scenes in order to keep them exciting and spice them up. The camera movement here, metaphorically kept the video moving with the pace of the song.
Editing went hand-in-hand with filming techniques in creating an effective video. With the songs uptempo feel, it was important that the video reflected that and conveyed the fun, upbeat instrumental and lyrics. Therefore the technique of our editing in terms of pace, would have to be similarly fast. This meant we used many short cuts, and had many different scenes and settings interlinking and being re-visited rapidly in a sporadic and unpredictable order and fashion, which we felt conveyed and reflected the hectic feel of the song. One key editing technique we used was the use of jump-cuts from long to short distances as if to increase the anticipation, and build to an explosive climax of the video, similar to a sudden dramatic zoom effect. This shows how we broke continuity rules, similarly to how our artist could be seen as a rebellious rule-breaker for example in the shot where he kicks a can while walking down the street. We also used many effects on Final Cut Express in order to add to the messages in certain lyrics. For example when our artist refers to being drunk we use an overlapping/double-vision effect as if the viewer is watching through impaired 'drunk' eyes. This shows the language of our editing in full force as it aids the communication of the lyrics to the viewers. Hall (1980) cited the fact that producers always have an intended way for visuals to be read; a preferred reading. In this case the preferred reading was that our protagonist is maybe mischievous for drinking, but it is all good-humoured and light-hearted. However an oppositional reading could be that we are condoning 'binge' drinking, however we tried to avoid this by not showing any particularly negative effects or consequences of our protagonist's drinking.
Our video's narrative followed no particular structure, but also played a key role in backing up the lyrical content. We only used narrative where we felt it specifically related to a particular line or few in the song. To exemplify this; there is a line which reads "6 o'clock already? get the booze in!" therefore we showed our artist bursting through his front door with a box of beer.
Mise-en-scene was also a key area in our video. The mise-en-scene creates a diegetic world full of connotations. These denotations are a signifier, and the consequential connotations are what is signified, for example the use of an urban setting connotes the idea that our artist is from a grounded, working background. We also showed this through our artist's dress code which portrayed that he was 'cool' and in touch with his youth culture, but by no means rich or flashy, therefore making him easy for our audience to relate to. One definition regarding semiotics was by Fiske (1982), who stated "denotation is what is filmed, connotation is how it is filmed". An example of this was when we filmed our artist dancing but used a hand-held filming method, to connote the up-tempo and unorganised nature of the song.
Overall media language was very important in our video as it performed the function of letting the audience get a feeling of how we wanted our artist to be portrayed, and how we wanted the song to be interpreted in a light-hearted fashion.
Monday, 30 April 2012
Henry Jenkins
1. What are Henry Jenkins’ ideas about how the media landscape is changing?
Spectatorial culture is giving way to participatory culture. Average citizens now have the tools to tell their own stories, rather than just the big bosses having the apparatus to produce media and tell stories. This is also apparent as tales which in the 20th Century were just told by big industries who had the rights to them, whereas now tales are re-told by anyone who can create videos on YouTube and other such websites.
2. What is ‘convergence culture’?
This refers to how media can be played across numerous channels and platforms now such as the internet and different websites, and all the different tools for viewing such as a phone, tablet or computer. The Wikinomics idea that we all contribute to create information rather than just using an individual source.
3. How are Jenkins’ ideas similar to those of David Gauntlett and Michael Wesch?
Jenkins' ideas are similar to Gauntlett's as they both note how citizens have the power to tell their own stories now and to contribute to a collective source of news, rather than just 'media Gods' contributing. Wesch's ideas could also be seen as similar to Jenkins' as he notes how the internet can be a forum for everyone to contribute and re-create tales with their own videos.
4. How might we disagree with Jenkins’ utopian ideas about the media? (Answering this question may require some independent thought – be very afraid.)
It could be argued that although everyone now has the power to produce and tell stories, it is still only the major industries who have a wide enough audience to have their views heard and taken notice of, because they are still seen as the dominating and most reliable providers of news and entertainment.
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Discuss the extent to which the distribution and consumption of media has been transformed by the internet (50)
The internet has played a major role in revolutionising the music and entertainment industry since coming to prominence, and continues to change the way products are consumed and distributed.
The long tail theory suggests that the internet has significantly changed consumer habits as there is a more fragmented audience now whom are actively choosing what they want to listen to. This creates more niche markets and means that labels can now benefit more from signing many artists of different genres, than focusing on one mainstream artist and the coinciding mass audience. This means that the soncumer market is no longer dominated by only a few major artists as it was before the internet.
The internet has not only altered consumption, but distribution as well. Web 2.0 has offered a new forum for people to share and listen to music, through websites such as YouTube and Soundcloud. Gauntlett would note how anyone has the power to produce and share music for free now, whereas before it was only 'media Gods' such as labels whom held distribution power. This also gives the audience power to dictate the sound and direction of musical content rather than just established musicians. Wesch used the term 'prosumer' to describe consumers who also produce their own material on websites such as YouTube where everyone can take part in the two-way activity of producing and listening. This shows how the industry has transformed as it is not simply a case of there being producers and consumers, but there is now a middle ground where people can do both. Some people however suggest that this activity is exaggerated as in actual fact, some statistics suggest that 80% of the videos are produced by the same 20% of people, rather than it being a case of everyone equally contributing and consuming in a kind of 'Wikinomics' culture.
The term 'Wikinomics' was used by Tapscott and Williams to describe the culture of everyone contributing to build something completely (in this case a website such as YouTube, or indeed Wikipedia; the site which inspired the term). Not only do online communities help to create websites and forums, but also they can guide the direction of the consumer market. This is seen with YouTube features such as 'recommended videos'; a section which suggests more videos a user might like, based on what they have already watched. Curators also perform a similar function, as they wade through all the amateur to professional material which crops up online, and provide reviews and suggestions of which ones have real talent; as an obvious weakness of the simple nature of producing music now, is that even un-talented people have the same resources to upload their material. This is a more advanced version of the consumer industry we saw pre-internet when only mainstream professional music was reviewed, mostly in magazines which consumers had to pay for.
The internet has clearly aided distribution as it has become easy for people to consume music without even leaving their house, thanks to inventions such as online downloading on services such as iTunes. Although this is very practical there are negative implications; such as the fact that this has lead to high-street music shops losing profits, and some becoming extinct. The more high profile negative issue which has arisen here however is the way that music can be illegally distributed through torrents and other illegal downloading methods; which evade any method of payment to the creators or distributors of the music. This online piracy is the main reason cited for decreasing profits being made by artists, and is rapidly transforming the way artists make profits; with much more emphasis now on touring and other promotions rather than album sales.
Overall the internet has revolutionised the industry in every way possible in terms of consumption and distribution. Some of this revolution has had a negative affect on the industry; such as piracy, whereas some areas such as the easy nature of uploading material, has had a positive impact, as it is now much easier for amateur talent to be scouted, recognised or even signed. A recent example of a band being signed due to their online performances is the carribean band; Cover Drive.
The long tail theory suggests that the internet has significantly changed consumer habits as there is a more fragmented audience now whom are actively choosing what they want to listen to. This creates more niche markets and means that labels can now benefit more from signing many artists of different genres, than focusing on one mainstream artist and the coinciding mass audience. This means that the soncumer market is no longer dominated by only a few major artists as it was before the internet.
The internet has not only altered consumption, but distribution as well. Web 2.0 has offered a new forum for people to share and listen to music, through websites such as YouTube and Soundcloud. Gauntlett would note how anyone has the power to produce and share music for free now, whereas before it was only 'media Gods' such as labels whom held distribution power. This also gives the audience power to dictate the sound and direction of musical content rather than just established musicians. Wesch used the term 'prosumer' to describe consumers who also produce their own material on websites such as YouTube where everyone can take part in the two-way activity of producing and listening. This shows how the industry has transformed as it is not simply a case of there being producers and consumers, but there is now a middle ground where people can do both. Some people however suggest that this activity is exaggerated as in actual fact, some statistics suggest that 80% of the videos are produced by the same 20% of people, rather than it being a case of everyone equally contributing and consuming in a kind of 'Wikinomics' culture.
The term 'Wikinomics' was used by Tapscott and Williams to describe the culture of everyone contributing to build something completely (in this case a website such as YouTube, or indeed Wikipedia; the site which inspired the term). Not only do online communities help to create websites and forums, but also they can guide the direction of the consumer market. This is seen with YouTube features such as 'recommended videos'; a section which suggests more videos a user might like, based on what they have already watched. Curators also perform a similar function, as they wade through all the amateur to professional material which crops up online, and provide reviews and suggestions of which ones have real talent; as an obvious weakness of the simple nature of producing music now, is that even un-talented people have the same resources to upload their material. This is a more advanced version of the consumer industry we saw pre-internet when only mainstream professional music was reviewed, mostly in magazines which consumers had to pay for.
The internet has clearly aided distribution as it has become easy for people to consume music without even leaving their house, thanks to inventions such as online downloading on services such as iTunes. Although this is very practical there are negative implications; such as the fact that this has lead to high-street music shops losing profits, and some becoming extinct. The more high profile negative issue which has arisen here however is the way that music can be illegally distributed through torrents and other illegal downloading methods; which evade any method of payment to the creators or distributors of the music. This online piracy is the main reason cited for decreasing profits being made by artists, and is rapidly transforming the way artists make profits; with much more emphasis now on touring and other promotions rather than album sales.
Overall the internet has revolutionised the industry in every way possible in terms of consumption and distribution. Some of this revolution has had a negative affect on the industry; such as piracy, whereas some areas such as the easy nature of uploading material, has had a positive impact, as it is now much easier for amateur talent to be scouted, recognised or even signed. A recent example of a band being signed due to their online performances is the carribean band; Cover Drive.
Thursday, 26 April 2012
1B Audience Essay (Improved)
For my advanced portfolio, my group and I created a music video for the
song 'I'm 17' by Rizzle Kicks. Our video is designed to appeal to a
niche audience, of a specific age (late teens) and a stereotypically
rebellious subculture. Musically, our video is designed to attract
indie audiences as well as urban audiences as the song is a rap over an
indie instrumental (originally by Arctic Monkeys). In terms of gender, our video is more orientated towards males, as they can better relate to the role and behaviour of the protagonist, as well as the fact that the music is sung by a male.
In the planning stages of our video we took inspiration from acts we consider to be similar to Rizzle Kicks. These included Ed Sheeran, The Streets and Wretch 32 as they are urban UK acts with a more alternative, fun and less agressive twist than most. We found that these artists managed to produce creative videos on low budgets, shot in similarly suburban settings, such as The Streets' 'Fit But You Know It' video and Wretch 32's 'Unorthodox' video. Similar settings to these which we used included the shots of our artist dancing and bopping as he goes down the street, and sitting outside a row of shops while rapping and looking away from the camera. We inferred that using similar settings would clearly define the genre and attract the desired audience as they relate to the visuals for being similar to visuals associated with other artists in this genre. Ang (1991) and Hartley (1987) noted that the audience is in the interest of the institution and it is therefore important for them to be able to visualise and cater for this audience when researching and planning.
Our audience not only played a key part in the pre-production but also during production. We used our audience as a reference for how well we were performing our task of appealing to them with our video. We did this by gaining feedback from our peers after creating our initial rough cut of our video. This allowed our audience to have an input on what they liked about the video, what they felt did not work, and what else they would like to see. We kept note of feedback on our blogs and then edited and reworked our video to fit the criteria of the feedback received, making the changes clear with each new version of the video we posted. An example of something we changed based on audience feedback at the halfway stage, is we included more camera interaction in the second half of the video, as the audience felt it added personality.
Another important element to think about is how the audience will interpret and react to what our video portrays. In our video we used shots of the artist underage drinking as we believe that teenagers will relate to this, and others will find it humorous. However this was a risk as if viewers have an oppositional reading they will see this as a message which encourages and condones underage drinking. To try and restrict the extent that the message could be interpreted in this way we limited the number of shots featuring this behaviour and tried to make them more humorous than serious and realistic. This humour is also a key gratification of our video, as it adds to the repeatability of the video, with our audience being more likely to watch it again in order to see the one or two specific humorous moments again, rather than if there were not any funny scenes included, or if the video was a strict narrative. These aforementioned more humorous and light-hearted scenes include the ones of our artist interacting with the camera, and the ones of him appearing drunk in the house while drinking beer.
It would be fair to say in hindsight that our video was built around our audience, and they were therefore an active audience, as their stereotypes and needs were catered for by our media, rather than us creating messages and feeding them to a specific audience.
In the planning stages of our video we took inspiration from acts we consider to be similar to Rizzle Kicks. These included Ed Sheeran, The Streets and Wretch 32 as they are urban UK acts with a more alternative, fun and less agressive twist than most. We found that these artists managed to produce creative videos on low budgets, shot in similarly suburban settings, such as The Streets' 'Fit But You Know It' video and Wretch 32's 'Unorthodox' video. Similar settings to these which we used included the shots of our artist dancing and bopping as he goes down the street, and sitting outside a row of shops while rapping and looking away from the camera. We inferred that using similar settings would clearly define the genre and attract the desired audience as they relate to the visuals for being similar to visuals associated with other artists in this genre. Ang (1991) and Hartley (1987) noted that the audience is in the interest of the institution and it is therefore important for them to be able to visualise and cater for this audience when researching and planning.
Our audience not only played a key part in the pre-production but also during production. We used our audience as a reference for how well we were performing our task of appealing to them with our video. We did this by gaining feedback from our peers after creating our initial rough cut of our video. This allowed our audience to have an input on what they liked about the video, what they felt did not work, and what else they would like to see. We kept note of feedback on our blogs and then edited and reworked our video to fit the criteria of the feedback received, making the changes clear with each new version of the video we posted. An example of something we changed based on audience feedback at the halfway stage, is we included more camera interaction in the second half of the video, as the audience felt it added personality.
Another important element to think about is how the audience will interpret and react to what our video portrays. In our video we used shots of the artist underage drinking as we believe that teenagers will relate to this, and others will find it humorous. However this was a risk as if viewers have an oppositional reading they will see this as a message which encourages and condones underage drinking. To try and restrict the extent that the message could be interpreted in this way we limited the number of shots featuring this behaviour and tried to make them more humorous than serious and realistic. This humour is also a key gratification of our video, as it adds to the repeatability of the video, with our audience being more likely to watch it again in order to see the one or two specific humorous moments again, rather than if there were not any funny scenes included, or if the video was a strict narrative. These aforementioned more humorous and light-hearted scenes include the ones of our artist interacting with the camera, and the ones of him appearing drunk in the house while drinking beer.
It would be fair to say in hindsight that our video was built around our audience, and they were therefore an active audience, as their stereotypes and needs were catered for by our media, rather than us creating messages and feeding them to a specific audience.
Sunday, 22 April 2012
Curation Video
1. According to this video, what was the music industry like in the 90s and how has it changed more recently?
In the 90's companies such as MTV and radio stations were extremely influential. Range of music was increasing and the industry was very competitive. The industry now allows more small independent labels to be successful and more acts to be found; mainly through the internet. The web allows musicians to take their careers into their own destiny.
In the 90's companies such as MTV and radio stations were extremely influential. Range of music was increasing and the industry was very competitive. The industry now allows more small independent labels to be successful and more acts to be found; mainly through the internet. The web allows musicians to take their careers into their own destiny.
2. What are curators (such as Pitchfork and Hypemachine)? What is their role? Why are they important?
Curators review music and their aim is to sort through the vast quantities of music and differentiate the good from the bad. Curators are important to guide consumers and let them know what is good and what is real.
3. How can you link what this video says about creativity (in
video-making, in particular) to David Gauntlett's ideas and to the
theory of the long tail?
Young amateurs have more creative freedom creating their videos as the ideas are their own and not influenced by others. The fact that they work in small groups help this as there are less range of ideas to incorporate, making the video more radical and less mainstream. This relates to the idea of the long tail as there are more radical individual acts appealing to niche audiences, rather than acts which are designed to appeal to a mass audience. There is now more room on the shelf with the new forms of distribution and creation; and more choice as a result.
Friday, 13 April 2012
1B Essay: Audience
For my advanced portfolio, my group and I created a music video for the song 'I'm 17' by Rizzle Kicks. Our video is designed to appeal to a niche audience, of a specific age (late teens) and a stereotypically rebellious subculture. Musically, our video is designed to attract indie audiences as well as urban audiences as the song is a rap over an indie instrumental (originally by Arctic Monkeys).
In the planning stages of our video we took inspiration from acts we consider to be similar to Rizzle Kicks. These included Ed Sheeran, The Streets and Wretch 32 as they are urban UK acts with a more alternative, fun and less agressive twist than most. We found that these artists managed to produce creative videos on low budgets, shot in similarly suburban settings, such as The Streets' 'Fit But You Know It' video and Wretch 32's 'Unorthodox' video. We inferred that using similar settings would clearly define the genre and attract the desired audience as they relate to the visuals for being similar to visuals associated with other artists in this genre. Ang (1991) and Hartley (1987) noted that the audience is in the interest of the institution and it is therefore important for them to be able to visualise and cater for this audience when researching and planning.
Our audience not only played a key part in the pre-production but also during production. We used our audience as a reference for how well we were performing our task of appealing to them with our video. We did this by gaining feedback from our peers after creating our initial rough cut of our video. This allowed our audience to have an input on what they liked about the video, what they felt did not work, and what else they would like to see. We kept note of feedback on our blogs and then edited and reworked our video to fit the criteria of the feedback recieved, making the changes clear with each new version of the video we posted.
Another important element to think about is how the audience will interpret and react to what our video portrays. In our video we used shots of the artist underage drinking as we believe that teenagers will relate to this, and others will find it humorous. However this was a risk as if viewers have an oppositional reading they will see this as a message which encourages and condones underage drinking. To try and restrict the extent that the message could be interpreted in this way we limited the number of shots featuring this behaviour and tried to make them more humorous than serious and realistic. This humour is also a key gratification of our video, as it adds to the repeatability of the video, with our audience being more likely to watch it again in order to see the one or two specific humorous moments again, rather than if there were not any funny scenes included, or if the video was a strict narrative.
It would be fair to say in hindsight that our video was built around our audience, and they were therefore an active audience, as their stereotypes and needs were catered for by our media, rather than us creating messages and feeding them to a specific audience.
In the planning stages of our video we took inspiration from acts we consider to be similar to Rizzle Kicks. These included Ed Sheeran, The Streets and Wretch 32 as they are urban UK acts with a more alternative, fun and less agressive twist than most. We found that these artists managed to produce creative videos on low budgets, shot in similarly suburban settings, such as The Streets' 'Fit But You Know It' video and Wretch 32's 'Unorthodox' video. We inferred that using similar settings would clearly define the genre and attract the desired audience as they relate to the visuals for being similar to visuals associated with other artists in this genre. Ang (1991) and Hartley (1987) noted that the audience is in the interest of the institution and it is therefore important for them to be able to visualise and cater for this audience when researching and planning.
Our audience not only played a key part in the pre-production but also during production. We used our audience as a reference for how well we were performing our task of appealing to them with our video. We did this by gaining feedback from our peers after creating our initial rough cut of our video. This allowed our audience to have an input on what they liked about the video, what they felt did not work, and what else they would like to see. We kept note of feedback on our blogs and then edited and reworked our video to fit the criteria of the feedback recieved, making the changes clear with each new version of the video we posted.
Another important element to think about is how the audience will interpret and react to what our video portrays. In our video we used shots of the artist underage drinking as we believe that teenagers will relate to this, and others will find it humorous. However this was a risk as if viewers have an oppositional reading they will see this as a message which encourages and condones underage drinking. To try and restrict the extent that the message could be interpreted in this way we limited the number of shots featuring this behaviour and tried to make them more humorous than serious and realistic. This humour is also a key gratification of our video, as it adds to the repeatability of the video, with our audience being more likely to watch it again in order to see the one or two specific humorous moments again, rather than if there were not any funny scenes included, or if the video was a strict narrative.
It would be fair to say in hindsight that our video was built around our audience, and they were therefore an active audience, as their stereotypes and needs were catered for by our media, rather than us creating messages and feeding them to a specific audience.
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Peer Assessment of Khushel's Narrative Essay
Positives
- I think the essay was very good overall and clearly a lot of effort went into it judging by how long it was.
- Good range of theorists used.
- Good use of quotation in reference to Todorov's theory.
- Impressive linguistic skills and explanation of points.
- Great use of examples.
- "I am certainly pleased with the final product and it could not have been achieved without Khushel or me and our own creative decisions and knowledge of real media texts fitting the genre of R&B." you mean "Yasmin or me" right?...
- Slightly random structure.
Thursday, 22 March 2012
Discuss how you used genre in one of your products
For our advanced portfolio, my group and I created a music video for the song 'I'm 17' by Rizzle Kicks. The genre of our music video was a hybrid rap/indie video, but could mainly be recognised as an urban video.
We took inspiration for our video from similar UK based artists, and many comparisons can be drawn between their videos and our one. Artists such as The Streets and Ed Sheeran use similar low budget settings, typical of the grey streets of London. Their videos are far from glamorous but the audience relate to them as it helps the artist come across as genuine and part of their crowd. We also connected with the 'realness' of the audience by featuring home footage in our video such as the amateur-looking shot of our artist drinking a beer while relaxing in a lounge chair.
Although our video was more urban aesthetically to reflect our key inspirations, we also had to consider the fact that we had a dual audience, with the fact that as well as featuring rap lyrics and structure, the song featured an Arctic Monkeys indie/rock instrumental. We therefore did not conform too much to any urban stereotypes which could alienate our audience, instead portraying our artist as the most stereotypical teenager one could imagine; being a young man who appears rather rebellious with his drinking and partying habits which were mentioned in the lyrics. These activities were also portrayed in the video with the shot of the empty beer bottles at the end of the night in the house. We did recognise in hindsight however that we perhaps could have shown more narrative in terms of activities in various locations, rather than just the scene in the house with the alcohol.
This shows how our narrative was very fragmented and very limited, at the expense of more close up shots of our artist, such as the booth shots. We felt these shots were important again to make our artist feel genuine, but also because this genre consists much of performance. Most urban videos very much revolve around the artist and showing them confidently perform. We also thought about repeatability (would people want to watch our video more than once?) and therefore added some humorous shots every here and there such as shots of our artist dancing and the shot at the end of him running up the stairs like Rocky. This would keep people hooked to the end just to watch a particularly funny part they like. We looked into Goodwin's theory that music videos are an extension of the lyrics, which applies to our video in some aspects as we made some shots correspond to lyrics, such as the shot of our artist walking in with a box of beer when it says "6 o'clock already? Get the booze in!".
Our video mainly used the hybrid indie/rap genre as a way to appeal to both indie and rap audiences, however our video still mainly fits into the UK contemporary urban genre, as we used the convention as revolving our video around the artist and their performance. We also used many conventional 'street' shots such as those which can be seen in Jme's 'Sidetracked' video and The Streets' 'Fit But You Know It' video.
We took inspiration for our video from similar UK based artists, and many comparisons can be drawn between their videos and our one. Artists such as The Streets and Ed Sheeran use similar low budget settings, typical of the grey streets of London. Their videos are far from glamorous but the audience relate to them as it helps the artist come across as genuine and part of their crowd. We also connected with the 'realness' of the audience by featuring home footage in our video such as the amateur-looking shot of our artist drinking a beer while relaxing in a lounge chair.
Although our video was more urban aesthetically to reflect our key inspirations, we also had to consider the fact that we had a dual audience, with the fact that as well as featuring rap lyrics and structure, the song featured an Arctic Monkeys indie/rock instrumental. We therefore did not conform too much to any urban stereotypes which could alienate our audience, instead portraying our artist as the most stereotypical teenager one could imagine; being a young man who appears rather rebellious with his drinking and partying habits which were mentioned in the lyrics. These activities were also portrayed in the video with the shot of the empty beer bottles at the end of the night in the house. We did recognise in hindsight however that we perhaps could have shown more narrative in terms of activities in various locations, rather than just the scene in the house with the alcohol.
This shows how our narrative was very fragmented and very limited, at the expense of more close up shots of our artist, such as the booth shots. We felt these shots were important again to make our artist feel genuine, but also because this genre consists much of performance. Most urban videos very much revolve around the artist and showing them confidently perform. We also thought about repeatability (would people want to watch our video more than once?) and therefore added some humorous shots every here and there such as shots of our artist dancing and the shot at the end of him running up the stairs like Rocky. This would keep people hooked to the end just to watch a particularly funny part they like. We looked into Goodwin's theory that music videos are an extension of the lyrics, which applies to our video in some aspects as we made some shots correspond to lyrics, such as the shot of our artist walking in with a box of beer when it says "6 o'clock already? Get the booze in!".
Our video mainly used the hybrid indie/rap genre as a way to appeal to both indie and rap audiences, however our video still mainly fits into the UK contemporary urban genre, as we used the convention as revolving our video around the artist and their performance. We also used many conventional 'street' shots such as those which can be seen in Jme's 'Sidetracked' video and The Streets' 'Fit But You Know It' video.
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
‘Media text rely on cultural experiences in order for audiences to easily make sense of narratives’ Explain how you used conventional or experimental narrative approaches in one of your production pieces.
As part of our work for our foundation portfolio, my group and I produced an opening sequence for a thriller movie; a piece which involved a combination of both conventional and experimental narrative approaches.
The first step was deciding which sub-genre of the thriller category we wanted our work to fit into. After researching the different sub-genres and discussing which ones would be appropriate, we narrowed our choices down and went with the 'man on the run' thriller idea. The narrative of these movies revolve around a person whom is on the run from other people (usually the law) and follows their journey as they try to escape, resolve the situation, or prove their innocence.
This fits in with Todorov's theory, that a narrative consists of an equilibrium being established at the start, before a disequilibrium occurs to prompt the main storyline (in this case the man going on the run) before the equilibrium is restored at the end. We slightly differed from this conventional approach as our opening sequence starts right in the thick of the action; the disequilibrium, as our thriller begins with the man on the run being chased.
However by beginning the movie in the middle of the action with an exhilerating chase, we support Barthes' enigma code theory, which refers to the idea that all narratives involve some kind of enigma (mystery) to keep the audience hooked and intrigued. This is very important to keep the audience guessing and keep them watching so that they can find out the information behind the events which are not explained from the start. The enigma in the case of our thriller is the fact that with the film starting in the middle of the action, the audience does not know why the man is on the run, who he is, or who is chasers are. By using no close ups of the man on the run, assured that the audience did not get a good look at the man, and therefore kept him as a strong enigma. This however could withdraw from our audience's ability to recognise the genre as they may not even note that he is a key character or is going to be the main man on the run. Another experimental approach is apparent through the way the narrative is set up, as it seems to follow the pursuers rather than the man on the run, with the camera work focusing especially on the menacing man with the weapon, and following his conversations and actions.
The fact that the chasers are also an enigma portrays another experimental approach we took. Whereas, as aforementioned, the norm in a man on the run thriller is for the law to be involved as the chasers, however in our sequence the chasers are plain clothed young men, one armed with a weapon, suggesting that they are infact most likely not even law-abiding citizens, let alone law enforcers. However although we did take creative risks, one of the few conventions we stuck by was having a hero and a villain, as the man on the run is the protagonist, although we do not see much of him in the opening sequence. The identity of the antagonists was more clear in our sequence however due to the lethal weapon possessed by one of the chasers, and his intent to use it.
Overall it could be argued that we used more of an experimental approach than a conventional one as our sequence goes against Todorov's narrative theory as we started in the disequilibrium stage, however we did stick by some conventions so that the piece could still be easily recognised as a man on the run thriller; most vital was the fact that we kept an enigma, as Barthes' theory suggests a narrative should.
Monday, 12 March 2012
Online Television - Match of the Day 3
Match of the Day 3 is a spin-off online television program of Match of the Day 2, which airs on Sunday evenings on BBC 2. The show consists of the Match of the Day pundits providing extra analysis and views on the weekends action and also features quizzes for the pundits. It began airing in August 2011, at the start of the 11-12 Premier League football season as a fresh feature of BBC's coverage.
The history of BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer went live on 25th December 2007. It is an online service which offers users the opportunity to watch BBC television shows at their own discretion and on their own schedule. If a viewer has a TV license they can also use the website to stream live BBC television. In December 2011, iPlayer received its highest number of program requests in a month; at 187 million.
BBC iPlayer can be accessed on many platforms including via web, Xbox, PS3, Nintendo Wii, Android, iOS devices, Nokias, Blackberries and other mobile devices. Since it started the screen size has expanded and it has become accessible on more platforms both via devices connected to the internet, and television services such as Sky and Virgin.
The iPlayer has had a big impact on revolutionising viewing habits as it allows viewers to watch TV on their own schedule rather than on the schedule assigned by the broadcasters.
BBC iPlayer can be accessed on many platforms including via web, Xbox, PS3, Nintendo Wii, Android, iOS devices, Nokias, Blackberries and other mobile devices. Since it started the screen size has expanded and it has become accessible on more platforms both via devices connected to the internet, and television services such as Sky and Virgin.
The iPlayer has had a big impact on revolutionising viewing habits as it allows viewers to watch TV on their own schedule rather than on the schedule assigned by the broadcasters.
Monday, 5 March 2012
Wesch on Youtube
1. Sum up Michael Wesch's main point about the web (or Youtube in particular) in one paragraph.
Michael Wesch holds a utopian view of web 2.0 and YouTube. He believes it has revolutionised the way he can socialise and connect with each other, and praises the way that YouTube can create online communities and bring people together. He describes the web as an ‘integrated mediascape’ of social media and networking sites, with us in the middle of the sphere. Wesch also notes the speed at which videos can spread over the web and become viral in a matter of days or even hours.
2. Write down your understanding of the following terms used by Wesch: "networked individualism", "the invisible audience phenomenon", "context collapse", and "connection without constraint".
networked individualism - This refers to how an individual can be alone yet connect socially with a network of other people through the internet.
the invisible audience phenomenon - This refers to the idea that one does not know who their audience will be when they are filming a video, and in the case of webcam videos are talking to no one, yet their video will later be viewed by an uncontrolled audience; ergo the invisible audience.
context collapse -This refers to the idea that videos can be taken out of their original context and put into new contexts online.
connection without constraint - This refers to how people can connect via the web and there is no restriction to who can view their material, who they can connect with, and how they can behave.
3. On the whole, do you agree or disagree with Wesch's ideas? Why?
I agree with Wesch because I believe the internet and web 2.0 can be a superb outlet for people to socialise, create communities, make friends, and share their views and ideas with like-minded people. YouTube is a great forum for this communication in my opinion.
4. How might Wesch's ideas be applied to the music industry (or, at least, the production of music)?
Wesch's idea that one can perform to an online audience comes into play when talking about the music industry, as YouTube has allowed many artists who would not get exposure or audiences to perform their music on camera, to be uploaded and viewed by audiences on the web. YouTube was the start for many artists including Justin Bieber and more recently the Bajan band; Cover Drive.
Michael Wesch holds a utopian view of web 2.0 and YouTube. He believes it has revolutionised the way he can socialise and connect with each other, and praises the way that YouTube can create online communities and bring people together. He describes the web as an ‘integrated mediascape’ of social media and networking sites, with us in the middle of the sphere. Wesch also notes the speed at which videos can spread over the web and become viral in a matter of days or even hours.
2. Write down your understanding of the following terms used by Wesch: "networked individualism", "the invisible audience phenomenon", "context collapse", and "connection without constraint".
networked individualism - This refers to how an individual can be alone yet connect socially with a network of other people through the internet.
the invisible audience phenomenon - This refers to the idea that one does not know who their audience will be when they are filming a video, and in the case of webcam videos are talking to no one, yet their video will later be viewed by an uncontrolled audience; ergo the invisible audience.
context collapse -This refers to the idea that videos can be taken out of their original context and put into new contexts online.
connection without constraint - This refers to how people can connect via the web and there is no restriction to who can view their material, who they can connect with, and how they can behave.
3. On the whole, do you agree or disagree with Wesch's ideas? Why?
I agree with Wesch because I believe the internet and web 2.0 can be a superb outlet for people to socialise, create communities, make friends, and share their views and ideas with like-minded people. YouTube is a great forum for this communication in my opinion.
4. How might Wesch's ideas be applied to the music industry (or, at least, the production of music)?
Wesch's idea that one can perform to an online audience comes into play when talking about the music industry, as YouTube has allowed many artists who would not get exposure or audiences to perform their music on camera, to be uploaded and viewed by audiences on the web. YouTube was the start for many artists including Justin Bieber and more recently the Bajan band; Cover Drive.
Sunday, 4 March 2012
How might the influence of new media be said to strengthen or weaken the public sphere?
Web technology has the capacity for re-establishing the public sphere, giving the global public the possibility to freely and equally debate various issues. This new technology, including social networks, can provide a thriving forum for democracy through the new choice, plurality and freedom of speech. This social media was vital in the recent Syrian uprising, however some people still do not see this new social media in a utopian light, and do not believe this rechnology really strengthens the public sphere.
During the Syrian uprising, camerphones and other media tools were used during protests to offer a first hand, ground level view of the unrest, including angry people chanting outside a government buildings. Photos and videos of these protests could then be uploaded, shared and spread fast to other viewers. By recording the protests, the raw footage could be shared with those unaware due to censorship of protests by the government, whom did not want news of the protests broadcasted across Syria for fear of copycat behaviour. The internet was used as an outlet to share this suppressed information. Skype was also used to avoid monitored phonelines, again avoiding the surveillance of the repressive state. However censorship was continually used to counteract these breaches for example they shut down the internet across most of the country one day to stop Syrians from viewing videos of protesting, on websites such as Facebook. The speed of distribution through the web however did weaken censorship and the state's power, as it was practically impossible to hide evidence of the protests while everyone was getting hold of it so fast online. This citizen journalism conveys Gauntlett's idea that citizens now have similar powers to the traditional media 'Gods' in terms of their ability to decide what they publish and how it is interpreted.
The internet could again be seen as dangerous in this situation however, as people recording videos and uploading them could be tracked through the powers of the internet. Despite this clear risk, people still used the social media as a tool of freedom to express views and divulge information. Out of these issues arises the debate over whether the internet is more dangerous than it is democratic, as although it can be used for the aforementioned good causes, people with a dystopian view of the web would argue that it can be used as a dangerous tool, and also a superb tool for government surveillance. One example of the internet being exploited for deviance is the story of a man in Scotland posing as a gay Muslim girl on a blog before revealing his identity when the blog came to light. This shows how easy it is to create and distribute false information or profiles via the web. Although this particular case could be seen as some form of peace activism, it does show a danger of the web in the way that we can be fed lies through blogs or sites such as Wikipedia which anyone can edit. Although it shows democracy it also shows the web is misused often and these democratic tools present in web 2.0 can be taken advantage of. This weakens the public sphere as the reality and legitimacy of people and debates comes into question when the online medium is used.
Contrary to this negative aspect, there are also cases of citizen journalists disproving the legitimacy of the traditional media. For example; the Ian Tomlinson case, where the aforementioned man died during protests in London. The police and the media reported that attempts to revive the man were stopped by protesters pelting medics with bottles. However, one American citizen captured footage on his handheld device which proved that Tomlinson was in fact attacked (seemingly unprovoked) by the riot officers, which lead to his fatal injury. Therefore, from a utopian standpoint, this suggests that the internet and the coinciding democratic input from citizens, does strengthen the public sphere in our society.
Before the internet the public sphere could be seen as weak, as Habermas noted, because there was no forum which everyone could use for discussion. Opinions were formed based on what was fed to the people on television and what people discussed in small groups. The internet however has offered access to different realms of belief, and opinions which would not be heard as widely without web 2.0. This online discussion element therefore strengthens the public sphere despite coming with its downsides such as the issue of false identity. As the web continues to develop it is likely to become flooded with a wider range of views, values and issues than ever; and one wonders whether legislation will be enforced to censor or restrict access to who can publish what on this world spectrum. The case of Ryan Giggs' super injunction being broken by around 70,000 Twitter users, exemplifies the power the web gives people to expose whatever they want, completely uncensored. Putting the web on a leash could demolish the strength it has added to the public sphere through its new democracy, however putting no limitations on it could lead to the web's power becoming out of control.
During the Syrian uprising, camerphones and other media tools were used during protests to offer a first hand, ground level view of the unrest, including angry people chanting outside a government buildings. Photos and videos of these protests could then be uploaded, shared and spread fast to other viewers. By recording the protests, the raw footage could be shared with those unaware due to censorship of protests by the government, whom did not want news of the protests broadcasted across Syria for fear of copycat behaviour. The internet was used as an outlet to share this suppressed information. Skype was also used to avoid monitored phonelines, again avoiding the surveillance of the repressive state. However censorship was continually used to counteract these breaches for example they shut down the internet across most of the country one day to stop Syrians from viewing videos of protesting, on websites such as Facebook. The speed of distribution through the web however did weaken censorship and the state's power, as it was practically impossible to hide evidence of the protests while everyone was getting hold of it so fast online. This citizen journalism conveys Gauntlett's idea that citizens now have similar powers to the traditional media 'Gods' in terms of their ability to decide what they publish and how it is interpreted.
The internet could again be seen as dangerous in this situation however, as people recording videos and uploading them could be tracked through the powers of the internet. Despite this clear risk, people still used the social media as a tool of freedom to express views and divulge information. Out of these issues arises the debate over whether the internet is more dangerous than it is democratic, as although it can be used for the aforementioned good causes, people with a dystopian view of the web would argue that it can be used as a dangerous tool, and also a superb tool for government surveillance. One example of the internet being exploited for deviance is the story of a man in Scotland posing as a gay Muslim girl on a blog before revealing his identity when the blog came to light. This shows how easy it is to create and distribute false information or profiles via the web. Although this particular case could be seen as some form of peace activism, it does show a danger of the web in the way that we can be fed lies through blogs or sites such as Wikipedia which anyone can edit. Although it shows democracy it also shows the web is misused often and these democratic tools present in web 2.0 can be taken advantage of. This weakens the public sphere as the reality and legitimacy of people and debates comes into question when the online medium is used.
Contrary to this negative aspect, there are also cases of citizen journalists disproving the legitimacy of the traditional media. For example; the Ian Tomlinson case, where the aforementioned man died during protests in London. The police and the media reported that attempts to revive the man were stopped by protesters pelting medics with bottles. However, one American citizen captured footage on his handheld device which proved that Tomlinson was in fact attacked (seemingly unprovoked) by the riot officers, which lead to his fatal injury. Therefore, from a utopian standpoint, this suggests that the internet and the coinciding democratic input from citizens, does strengthen the public sphere in our society.
Before the internet the public sphere could be seen as weak, as Habermas noted, because there was no forum which everyone could use for discussion. Opinions were formed based on what was fed to the people on television and what people discussed in small groups. The internet however has offered access to different realms of belief, and opinions which would not be heard as widely without web 2.0. This online discussion element therefore strengthens the public sphere despite coming with its downsides such as the issue of false identity. As the web continues to develop it is likely to become flooded with a wider range of views, values and issues than ever; and one wonders whether legislation will be enforced to censor or restrict access to who can publish what on this world spectrum. The case of Ryan Giggs' super injunction being broken by around 70,000 Twitter users, exemplifies the power the web gives people to expose whatever they want, completely uncensored. Putting the web on a leash could demolish the strength it has added to the public sphere through its new democracy, however putting no limitations on it could lead to the web's power becoming out of control.
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
The Long Tail and Wikinomics
1. What is Chris Anderson’s theory of ‘the long tail’?
The long tail theory refers to the idea that more profit can now be made from more fragmented audiences consuming different, smaller 'niche' products, rather than a mass audience all buying into a few extremely popular products.
2. What does the theory of ‘the long tail’ mean for the music industry and to other areas of the media such as online television?
In regards to the music industry, the long tail theory means that labels can now make just as much money, if not more money, from signing a collection of distinct artists with small fanbases, rather than simply holding a few artists with bigger audiences. The variety and choice of music available now means that there is a very fragmented audience all buying into different artists and genres, whereas in the older days when there was less choice and variety, pretty much everyone would buy the same few genres of music from a few artists who hold mass audiences.
3. What is Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams’ theory of Wikinomics?
The theory of wikinomics describes how people can come together and collaborate in order to create products or in the case of Wikipedia; a website. This user participation is revolutionary as there is no one person or company pulling all the strings, it is simply everyone coming together and doing their part which means it is less effort for everyone and the profits and benefits of the creations do not all go to one or a small selected number of people.
4. What are the four big ideas of Wikinomics and how might these ideas be applied to the music industry?
The four big ideas of Wikinomics are peering, sharing, thinking globally and openness. Peering is the idea that content can now be shared between peers easily through websites such as Facebook; in the case of music one can easily upload a link to Facebook which leads to a YouTube video of a song. This song being uploaded to YouTube is the sharing.
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Arab Spring
The Arab Spring refers to the Tunisian and Syrian revolutions. We looked at how social media and web 2.0 influenced and effected these events.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoRspCp5Xn0&feature=youtube_gdata_player
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoRspCp5Xn0&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Are The Media Becoming More Democratic?
The last two decades has seen remarkable technological advancements in the world, including the introduction of web 2.0. This refers to the new social networking, sharing and publishing websites which have turned the internet into a database which anyone can contribute to, and a community that anyone can be a part of.
David Gauntlett argued that the traditional media were not democratic because they had all the power over censorship and could decide what news and content the general population were exposed to. The traditional media Gods (newspapers, broadcasters) now share this power with the general population. Citizen journalism can now be carried out and published in seconds via web 2.0, meaning that no longer does one have to work for a newspaper or broadcaster to find out and spread news to millions of people. This citizen power was portrayed perfectly in Tunisia in 2010 when the government censored protests due to fear that they would be seen and spread and copycat behaviour could take place. However the footage of protests, and the reasons behind it were exposed via video sharing online. Facebook was uncontrolled by the government and many Tunisians used their mobile phones to record the protests and share the recordings and information they had online. This shows another of David Gauntlett's points; that special broadcasting equipment is not needed as it would have been 30 years ago, instead anyone with camera phone and internet connection can share these vital pieces of information of footage. This would suggest that the media is becoming more democratic as there is no longer an elite force of traditional media holding all the cards, it is now just as easy for regular people to share information. It could be argued however that people still do not trust citizen journalists as much as more established sources as they are less reliable; as easy as it is for people to post a story quickly, it is just as easy for them to make one up quickly.
Mozorov agrees that the web can be used as a democratic tool, especially through social networking websites such as Twitter. An example of this is when an injunction taken out by Ryan Giggs was broken by around 70,000 Twitter users, however the law could not punish all these people, therefore they all got away with their 'crime' and the information was let out from the clasp of the courts and higher forces. However one negative point which Mozorov draws from this is that the internet can make it easier for the government to track people and monitor them. An example of this is when police in the UK discovered messages sent via Blackberry Messenger which aimed to instigate riots. Although in this case it was for the greater good, it does not hide the fact that the government can still track our personal messaging and calls (an issue recently brought to light during the News of the World phone hacking scandal).
The idea of censorship can also be applied to the music industry with there being many legal situations surrounding music on YouTube now. Sony are one of a number of companies who often withdraw audio tracks from YouTube videos for fear that people will just use the website to listen to the aforementioned music for free. David Gauntlett's ideas over the democracy of media can be related positively to the modern music industry. As he said in regards to journalism, expensive equipment is no longer needed to create or publish a story; everyday common equipment works just as well. In the modern day, it is easy to rent out a studio to record a song, promote it via YouTube or Myspace, and distribute it online via iTunes and similar websites or companies. This of course improves the democracy of the media as it gives power and control to the people to compete with big label artists, or even get signed by a big label, as stars such as Soulja Boy and Justin Bieber were after their big breaks on Myspace and YouTube respectively.
Overall it does seem that as technology advances and becomes more available to the general public, the opportunity for citizens to contribute to the online database and discussion increases, which would suggest that the media is indeed becoming more democratic, although it is also becoming more controversial and it should be remembered that these technologies can be used in negative ways as well as positive or democratic ways.
David Gauntlett argued that the traditional media were not democratic because they had all the power over censorship and could decide what news and content the general population were exposed to. The traditional media Gods (newspapers, broadcasters) now share this power with the general population. Citizen journalism can now be carried out and published in seconds via web 2.0, meaning that no longer does one have to work for a newspaper or broadcaster to find out and spread news to millions of people. This citizen power was portrayed perfectly in Tunisia in 2010 when the government censored protests due to fear that they would be seen and spread and copycat behaviour could take place. However the footage of protests, and the reasons behind it were exposed via video sharing online. Facebook was uncontrolled by the government and many Tunisians used their mobile phones to record the protests and share the recordings and information they had online. This shows another of David Gauntlett's points; that special broadcasting equipment is not needed as it would have been 30 years ago, instead anyone with camera phone and internet connection can share these vital pieces of information of footage. This would suggest that the media is becoming more democratic as there is no longer an elite force of traditional media holding all the cards, it is now just as easy for regular people to share information. It could be argued however that people still do not trust citizen journalists as much as more established sources as they are less reliable; as easy as it is for people to post a story quickly, it is just as easy for them to make one up quickly.
Mozorov agrees that the web can be used as a democratic tool, especially through social networking websites such as Twitter. An example of this is when an injunction taken out by Ryan Giggs was broken by around 70,000 Twitter users, however the law could not punish all these people, therefore they all got away with their 'crime' and the information was let out from the clasp of the courts and higher forces. However one negative point which Mozorov draws from this is that the internet can make it easier for the government to track people and monitor them. An example of this is when police in the UK discovered messages sent via Blackberry Messenger which aimed to instigate riots. Although in this case it was for the greater good, it does not hide the fact that the government can still track our personal messaging and calls (an issue recently brought to light during the News of the World phone hacking scandal).
The idea of censorship can also be applied to the music industry with there being many legal situations surrounding music on YouTube now. Sony are one of a number of companies who often withdraw audio tracks from YouTube videos for fear that people will just use the website to listen to the aforementioned music for free. David Gauntlett's ideas over the democracy of media can be related positively to the modern music industry. As he said in regards to journalism, expensive equipment is no longer needed to create or publish a story; everyday common equipment works just as well. In the modern day, it is easy to rent out a studio to record a song, promote it via YouTube or Myspace, and distribute it online via iTunes and similar websites or companies. This of course improves the democracy of the media as it gives power and control to the people to compete with big label artists, or even get signed by a big label, as stars such as Soulja Boy and Justin Bieber were after their big breaks on Myspace and YouTube respectively.
Overall it does seem that as technology advances and becomes more available to the general public, the opportunity for citizens to contribute to the online database and discussion increases, which would suggest that the media is indeed becoming more democratic, although it is also becoming more controversial and it should be remembered that these technologies can be used in negative ways as well as positive or democratic ways.
Monday, 6 February 2012
According to Gauntlett, what was "the media" like in the past and what changes have now occurred?
David Gauntlett suggests that in the past the media was headed by big corporations (he referred to them as media Gods) e.g broadcasting corporations and newspapers. These media Gods fed news, information and entertainment down to the people, and therefore these corporations had all the input and could decide what to expose us to and what to censor effectively.
How far do you agree with Gauntlett?
I would say that I agree with Gauntlett on this issue, as the people had no input in media therefore the population had to completely trust the higher media powers and their stories. However this issue may not be solved by citizen journalism and input of the general population as Gauntlett suggests, because the problem with these citizen sources is they have no credibility unless they have hard evidence e.g recordings.
How might Gauntlett's ideas be applied to the music industry?
David Gauntlett's ideas suggest that the general population can contribute to the news now as they have the equipment, and this revolution can be applied to the music industry as music can also be made by anyone now. No longer is it difficult or expensive to get hold of recording equipment to produce and record music. It is also easy now for anyone to distribute their music. The big labels no longer control what music is put out, as anyone can upload whatever kind of music they want on the internet, which can earn them fans and even a recording contract. Websites such as Myspace and YouTube have been instrumental in helping young musicians find fame in recent years, thanks to the technological advancements brought to us by the internet and web 2.0.
David Gauntlett suggests that in the past the media was headed by big corporations (he referred to them as media Gods) e.g broadcasting corporations and newspapers. These media Gods fed news, information and entertainment down to the people, and therefore these corporations had all the input and could decide what to expose us to and what to censor effectively.
How far do you agree with Gauntlett?
I would say that I agree with Gauntlett on this issue, as the people had no input in media therefore the population had to completely trust the higher media powers and their stories. However this issue may not be solved by citizen journalism and input of the general population as Gauntlett suggests, because the problem with these citizen sources is they have no credibility unless they have hard evidence e.g recordings.
How might Gauntlett's ideas be applied to the music industry?
David Gauntlett's ideas suggest that the general population can contribute to the news now as they have the equipment, and this revolution can be applied to the music industry as music can also be made by anyone now. No longer is it difficult or expensive to get hold of recording equipment to produce and record music. It is also easy now for anyone to distribute their music. The big labels no longer control what music is put out, as anyone can upload whatever kind of music they want on the internet, which can earn them fans and even a recording contract. Websites such as Myspace and YouTube have been instrumental in helping young musicians find fame in recent years, thanks to the technological advancements brought to us by the internet and web 2.0.
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Citizen Journalism - My Tram Experience
In this video David and I discuss the citizen journalism aspect of the controversial viral video; 'My Tram Experience', whether it has had a positive or negative impact, and how much this citizen journalism is a tool of democracy in the new age. Citizen journalism refers to the idea that in the 'We media' age, anyone can record and upload footage of anything, whereas in the past the traditional media powers (e.g newspapers, broadcasters) were in control of what we were exposed to and what was censored from the population's viewing.
Thursday, 19 January 2012
Twitter Citizen Journalism
Some may argue that this type of media is detrimental because it is unreliable and anything can be made up and become viral. This can also lead to many people getting into trouble, for example around 70,000 twitter users were rumoured to have broken the super injunction regarding Ryan Giggs' personal affairs.
However this media could be seen as positive because it is unbias, raw news. Also it makes citizen lawmanship possible as citizens with information or evidence can help the police find criminals or expose the truth, for example a rioter with basmati rice was exposed by his picture being made viral on twitter.
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