Digital Film and Media Technologies - Essay Example

Digital film and media technologies Name Course Date Introduction The nature and function of media today has immensely been altered. These alterations are as a result of introduction of digital technologies which have challenged the gatekeeper’s role of traditional media and public communication of entertainment and news. Old media practices have reinvented and circumvented resulting to technologies that keep the public drawn in on matters relevant to them. Digital innovations include television, radio and satellite digitization, on-demand entertainment, podcasting file sharing through peer-to-peer. The emergence of digital began in the 1940s and 1950s. However, digital film and media technologies surfaced in the late 20th century. Prior to digital technologies invention by Alan Turing, films were in analogue form. However, digital technologies introduction resulted to digitization as films and media shifted from analogue to digital form. The digital age is in media and films brought about interactivity or relations with audiences, multimedia or new languages, and hypertext or new grammar. In this case, film, broadcast and new media form a critical aspect of creative industries1. The use of digital computing in filmmaking began in the 1990s when film editing machines took up the use of digital machines. The digitization of film and media resulted to important media concepts that have resulted to the acceptance and use of digital film and media. These concepts include digitization, interoperability, media diversity, diversity devices, and convergence and remediation among others. This paper discusses digital media concepts of digitization, convergence and remediation and their interrelationship. Digitization Digitization concept involves the use of digital computing through the use of zeros and ones. This concept is used in the process of read and write. On audio and visual media, zeros and ones represent numerous input and outputs. Digital films use the concept of digital computing to produce numerous images on the screen. In addition, conversion of data into high resolution color pixel on TV screen uses zeros and ones. According to the National Library of France, digitization process is a set of activities that result to the production of material in digital form. The process of digitization involves numerous technical and logistic steps whose complexity depends on the volume, heritage and diversity value. In digital form, information is organized into bits or discrete data units. These units can be addressed separately in bytes or multiple-bit groups. When data is stored in bytes, computers and devices with computing ability can process. In the film industry, audio and video digitization applies one of the analog-to-digital conversion processes. In this case, a continuous analog signal is digitized without the alteration of the critical contents in the signal. The resultant signal is a digital or multi-level signal. During analog signal conversion, the signal’s amplitude or strength is measured at positions that are evenly spaced2. The resulting signal samples are then represented as numerical values for input digital data. When information is digitized, it is easy to preserve, share and access. This means that digital technology is designed to satisfy markets other than people who visit location to access information. The establishment of markets results to the reference of technological determinism as a driver to convergence. Convergence Convergence is the process through which numerous forms of media combine onto a single platform. The notion combination or coming together is the principle concept of convergence. Today, single device is a phone, TV and internet among others3. This makes convergence as the mutual remediation of computer, Television and Telephone and this results to a path of immediacy that arise from a hybrid of social, economic and technical practice. With the telephone, there is immediacy of voice or voices interchange in real time. In addition, television offers immediacy of point –of-view technology that offers insistent world monitoring of the world. On its part, computer introduces the combination of graphics in three dimension, programmed or automated action, and interactivity not possible through televisions. In the 21st century, convergence is better understood than it was in the 20th century. Today, convergence results to a connected world that delivers more affluent communication, efficiency, and entertainment. Such an experience is possible through embracing of new media, new devices, and new technology among others. Media and film technological changes are affected by changing desire for immediate, transparent and direct interactions. These desires result to user looking for and adapting media technology with the most desirable elements or features4. One example of media convergence is online video conversion. The goal of this process is to provide interaction and communication with real people through television-ensque video screen on computer. This screen provides navigation tools such that on navigates to the appropriate location and play with other users’ videos. Originally, media communication had specific time and date delivery. This could not be updated. In addition, media communication were distinct such a print, film and television. In this case, media communication was unidirectional from the broadcaster or publisher to the audience. This meant that the audience had no power as the broadcaster or publisher controlled what was delivered to the audience. They had all the power. With media and film convergence, five convergence types are implemented. These convergences include convergence of form, content, audience and content procedures, media organizations and within media organizations. Convergence of form involves merging of several communication platforms like radio and TV into a single platform. One integrated platform is the iPhone through digital information. Convergence of content involves hyperlinks that link contents with each other. The web provides unlimited access of information on the web since every content is made searchable. Audience and content producers’ convergence is enabled through the use of intractability5. In this case, passive audiences become active and have the ability to create, share or distribute content. Media organizations convergence arises from the merging of industries and companies through form and content convergence. In the media organizations, media practitioners need to be multi-skilled in numerous areas. This results to improved content quality6. Convergence on media is affected by pervasive rise of mobile technologies that are emerging functionalities. In addition, new geo-location applications affect knowledge of digital technology. Mobile and GPS devices also yield reversed version of content from the internet. Originally, such content was developed for audiences using computers. However, reversioning has made it possible for larger market accessibility through mobile devices or multiple language market. Remediation Remediation should not be taken for reversioning. Remediation involves the representation of on medium in another. The main reason for remediation is the incorporation of new media into older and existing media. Traditionally, cinema was founded on existing theatrical conventions. People understand TV, Cinema, and printed page7. Computer games remediate cinema. With remediation, one media does not completely replace the other. On the contrary, remediation is mutual. For instance, internet mediates television while television remediates the internet. In this case, the remediated internet television has a landscape like that of a television but looks more like new media8. In this case, the resulting television is only affected to some extent. In addition, resulting media is new but altered. Today, remediation occurs in different forms and can easily be identified on YouTube or Facebook. In YouTube, music clips are created from previous media like film. Remediation and repurposing associates with DADA art movement ideas of re-use of borrowed artifacts. Through remediation, each of the technologies that are converged produces various practices and devices through various ways and in various ratios. As a result, convergence should not be perceived as a means of single solution. Today, films remediate previously printed stories. The film may not offer any reference to the original book or recognize its adaptation. In this case, the new media adapting the old medium does not present any connection to the original source. Conversely, film or movie clips can be torn out of context to incorporate music or other new medium. In such a case, the individual pieces are visible and a viewer immediately becomes aware of them9. In remediation, the viewer should only be represented with immediacy beyond the mediation. The new media must justify itself in remediation of old media through constant interaction with other media by reproducing, replacing and making changes. Remediation should avoid abstract representation such that viewers receive intended meaning immediately. This implies that the viewer can ignore the medium’s presence. However, hypermediacy contradicts immediacy logic through proliferation of multiplying media where media presence is made apparent. With immediacy, there is a provision of a window through to live event (Bolter and Grusin, 1999). Hypermediacy offers concern with multiple media that reveals to the viewer the various windows used to achieve mediated experiences. There are different forms of remediation. First, remediation may not seek immediacy and transparency (Daub, 2011). For instance, borrowing or repurposing can take content from previous medium as well as incorporate the earlier medium into new digital medium. In addition, remediation can be aggressive especially with music video refashioning an older live version. Remediation typology has cases where video games try to re-absorb reorder medium like cinema. In the video games, cinema characters become cinematic interactive narrative (Dobsons, 2012). Conclusion Digital media is completely different from ancient media. In addition, digital media is better than traditional media. Digital media is characterized with liveliness where time is more emphasized and there is high likelihood of connection to shared social realities. On the other hand, immediacy in digital media is achieved through simultaneous reception and broadcast of an event. Immediacy in digital media can be achieved through hypermediacy and immediacy. Convergence is relevant in digital media as it allows for the transfer of analog media with negligible information loss. However, digital media involves no information losses and the transferred files are identical to original file. In addition, convergence introduces the concept of two way communication and information timeliness. In addition, there is interactivity as people can react accordingly. Remediation and convergence are common in smart TVs10. Bibliography Ahlers, Douglas and Hessen John. “Traditional media in the digital age”, Nieman Reports, Fall, 2005. URL http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/article/100642/Traditional-Media-in-the-Digital-Age.aspx Daubs, Micheal. Immediacy and Aesthetic remediation in television and digital media: Mass media challenge to the democratization of media production. London: university of Western Ontaria. 2011. David, Bolter and Richard, Grusin. Remediation: understanding new media. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1999. Stephen, Dobson, Remediation-understanding new media revisiting a classic. Seminar.net, Lillehammer University College. http://seminar.net/index.php/reviews-hovedmeny-110/68-remediation-understanding-new-media-revisiting-a-classic The Ivan, “Convergence and remediation”, ivantech-runningman, June 11 2012. http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.com/2012/06/convergence-and-remediation.html Leo, Kelion. “CES postscript: smart TVs get ready for prime time”. BBC, January 15 2012, accessed 25 November 2012, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16552665 Pavli, John. Media in digital age. Columbia: Columbia university press. 2008. Susan, Lake and Karen, May. Digital media: concepts and applications. Ohio: Cengage learning. 2006. “Digitalization.” Techtarget.com. last modified April 2007. Barrow Time, “Convergence”, TimeBarrow.com, 16th August, 2010. URL http://blog.timebarrow.com/2010/08/convergence/ Read More

When information is digitized, it is easy to preserve, share and access. This means that digital technology is designed to satisfy markets other than people who visit location to access information. The establishment of markets results to the reference of technological determinism as a driver to convergence. Convergence Convergence is the process through which numerous forms of media combine onto a single platform. The notion combination or coming together is the principle concept of convergence.

Today, single device is a phone, TV and internet among others3. This makes convergence as the mutual remediation of computer, Television and Telephone and this results to a path of immediacy that arise from a hybrid of social, economic and technical practice. With the telephone, there is immediacy of voice or voices interchange in real time. In addition, television offers immediacy of point –of-view technology that offers insistent world monitoring of the world. On its part, computer introduces the combination of graphics in three dimension, programmed or automated action, and interactivity not possible through televisions.

In the 21st century, convergence is better understood than it was in the 20th century. Today, convergence results to a connected world that delivers more affluent communication, efficiency, and entertainment. Such an experience is possible through embracing of new media, new devices, and new technology among others. Media and film technological changes are affected by changing desire for immediate, transparent and direct interactions. These desires result to user looking for and adapting media technology with the most desirable elements or features4.

One example of media convergence is online video conversion. The goal of this process is to provide interaction and communication with real people through television-ensque video screen on computer. This screen provides navigation tools such that on navigates to the appropriate location and play with other users’ videos. Originally, media communication had specific time and date delivery. This could not be updated. In addition, media communication were distinct such a print, film and television.

In this case, media communication was unidirectional from the broadcaster or publisher to the audience. This meant that the audience had no power as the broadcaster or publisher controlled what was delivered to the audience. They had all the power. With media and film convergence, five convergence types are implemented. These convergences include convergence of form, content, audience and content procedures, media organizations and within media organizations. Convergence of form involves merging of several communication platforms like radio and TV into a single platform.

One integrated platform is the iPhone through digital information. Convergence of content involves hyperlinks that link contents with each other. The web provides unlimited access of information on the web since every content is made searchable. Audience and content producers’ convergence is enabled through the use of intractability5. In this case, passive audiences become active and have the ability to create, share or distribute content. Media organizations convergence arises from the merging of industries and companies through form and content convergence.

In the media organizations, media practitioners need to be multi-skilled in numerous areas. This results to improved content quality6. Convergence on media is affected by pervasive rise of mobile technologies that are emerging functionalities. In addition, new geo-location applications affect knowledge of digital technology. Mobile and GPS devices also yield reversed version of content from the internet. Originally, such content was developed for audiences using computers. However, reversioning has made it possible for larger market accessibility through mobile devices or multiple language market.

Remediation Remediation should not be taken for reversioning.

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