Converging Media PART ONE

1. Understand the use of the digital technology within the Creative Media sector


1.1 Describe the uses of digital technology within the Creative Media sector and the relationships this has created between industries in the sector.

Digital technology is now of the driving forces in the Creative Media sector helping revolutionise and streamline productions and realise artistic vision, The advancements in mass data storage, online sharing and software has taken the Creative Media sector and opened it up for anyone with an appetite for film, music, gaming or whatever media endeavour you wish and levelling the playing field between those starting out in the industry and the elite.

Some Examples!

Before the creation of websites like Blogger, Wordpress etc, having a website you would need extensive knowledge of code and your own web address to even have your own page let alone the know how to make a functioning website.

Before the invention and application of smart-phones, digital cameras and webcams and the data storage and transfer allowed by the advancement in SD cards and USB devices, the cost of having to record a video review at home would have you storing reels, bringing in one hell of an expensive camera to shoot it on before handing it over to a professional editor or mastering team to finish off your "production" as now the advancement in cheaper and easier to use editing software is widely available.

But how has this changed the relationships in the creative media sector I hear you ask? Before the these advancements simple in-house tasks like I encounter at the talent agency where my apprenticeship is based, would have been carted out to other companies. Say we needed a clients materials form their latest film edited together for use in their show reel to send to casting directors, you would need to ship that out to an editing company, paying them handsomely to do it as they had all the equipment and technology and the know how to take the footage you have and edit together seamlessly. The advancement and refinement of digital technology and the availability of free programs like Apples I-movie editing software or cheaper alternatives such as Final Cut Pro have allowed us to take this task in house and now we can edit our own reels reducing cost and speeding up the process considerably.

This sh*t just got reel.

Before the advancement of Data storage in digital technology previously entire rooms were dedicated in companies to the storage of footage in reel form. Sometimes requiring them to hire warehouses and keep storerooms of unused space to just keep a record of there own footage. Now with the Internet and the move to digital technology we can keep entire libraries of footage of reels and productions in a file format online like MobileMe.

This allows you to upload your home videos creating a library rather than having to keep them around the house! 

This has taken the need for them to outsource storage and conversion of media files to disc and video from other companies allowing them the cheaper option of doing it from the comfort of their own office/home.

Now the industries can intertwine much like how the Nation Theatre (see my national theatre post) has ventured into the online filming of their own productions to give them a wider library of content for avid theatre goers. the project is called NT live and essentially is filmed theatre productions streamed live in a pay-per-view like function which can be viewed online AT THE CINEMA or on your flashy mobile media device.

 It has allowed them to broaden the audience past their demographic of "those who can go to the theatre" to allow those with an interest in theatre to test the waters by viewing online. Those who live too far away from the National to go to cinemas nationwide and catch the latest production. Allowing them to spread the scope of their plays and move into industries the National had previously had never been involved with.

 The use of their in-house editor to create trailers for their website to promote it using  Macs and editing software like FCP where it is handed to their (also) in house web design team which uploads the finished article to their website. Usually this would need to be recorded by a film production team, sent out to an editor, edited, sent back to the company, sent to the company that deals with the website and finally uploaded to their website (created by a company that creates websites for other companies, confusing) All this including the productions on at the cinema and the distribution of content online have created a franchise that spreads throughout the industries rather than constricting them to just the "Theatre".