Theory & the Media Professional Stephen Hill
Objectives AIM: To explore the ways that academic media theory can help the media professional understand the interactive potential of the audience in a digital age.
Overview Forms and Conventions Audience Institution Representation Five Institutional Models 1. Music Video Production (Foundation Degree Popular Music) 2. Multi-media Journalism (BA Hons Journalism and Communication) 3. Advertising and Marketing (BA Hons Marketing and Communication) 4. Television Production (BA Hons Media Production) 5. Computer Animation (BA Hons Computer Animation)
Music Video Forms and Conventions Audience Institution Representation Impact on professional: destabilised the relationship between producers and consumers. Foundation Degree - Popular Music Digital age: audience embracing cheap digital video editing software and YouTube Traditional view: Music videos are the ultimate example of the post-modern text. Prospects for future: reinstated some of the key conventions..
Multi-Media Journalism Forms and Conventions Audience Institution Representation BA Hons Journalism and Communication Digital age: Traditional journalism competing with blogs, message boards, Amazon reviews, forums etc. Impact on professional: boundaries blurred between current affairs and entertainment. Traditional view: press as the Fourth Estate Prospects for future: multi-platform branding of old- guard. High quality journalistic = niche market
Television Production Forms and Conventions Audience Institution Representation Traditional view: Concept of broadcasting. BA Hons Media Production Digital age: Narrow casting. Multi-channelling. Greater audience interactivity (pressing the red button) + convergence Impact on professional: More television being made more cheaply, less freedom about its content. Reality television placing greater emphasis on audience participation. Prospects for future: YouTube, reality television reinforce old conventions. More sophisticated audience more receptive to hybridity.
Computer Animation Forms and Conventions Audience Institution Representation Traditional view: animation discrete genre of film-making - 19 th Century (flip books and zoetropes). Barthes: Animation supposes authorial creativity on the part of the audience in the form of the willing suspension of disbelief. Hebdige: Animation is a discrete sub-culture of the film industry with its own sub-genres. Anderson: Proliferation of New Media technologies has opened new niche markets for software and animation based film. BA Hons Computer Animation Digital age: Proliferation of anime. Domestic packages like GIF Movie Gear allowing audiences to produce their own animation for broadcast on YouTube Impact on professional: Convergence of animation with special effects in mainstream film is opening up new cinematic possibilities. Prospects for future: Amateur productions e.g Anime pop music videos widening audiences for animation films.