comm 345 exam 3
What are some examples of both "creative" and "craft or non-creative" practices?
the roles of individuals workers in the industries creative: more artistic writing scripts, directing, with the vision of the show, creating the vision and the content directors, actors, set designers..aka above the line workers→ come with fixed cost (pay upfront) craft: names in the credits construction, gaffers, crew managers (variable costs: paid for each job they do on set)
What can musical artists do now in their creative process that they no longer need record labels for?
they can do everything on a macbook pro, plus it's cheaper Home studios/Garageband/Pro Tools (easier on a musician to record music) BUT it's still nice to have a record label backing it
What are the "standards and practices" people responsible for?
group of industry execs responsive for evaluating and assessing media determine if a particular show is "safe" for airing "safe" for the network responsible for saying what can be said and done and what can't be done or said
What does copyright law protect?
intangible products - music, the words in a book/movies, original property (music, poetry, books, video, ect) life of creator/plus 70 years fair use: an exception of copyright, limited use of copyright as long as it is used for teaching, research, criticism/commentary, news reporting & Parodies
How has digitization affected the music industry?
"Divorcing the sale of recorded music from physical form..." Not buying physical music in hand Media Conglomerates are keeping up with the times with iPod nanos (2005) Easier to carry around (it can store a thousand songs on, that you can carry in your pocket music industry did suffer though: file sharing, mp3 sharing, napster
What is a "citizen journalist"? What are the pros and cons to "average" people reporting on serious news stories?
"citizen journalist": regular folks scooping stories. All you need to be a "journalist" is a phone and social media. Pros: Create your own content people may ask for the video, Widely shared and news organizations might pick it up, and it could go viral Cons: video may not be credible, Journalist ask what happen at accident scenes or talk to the police (credible and ethical journalist get a more complete picture of the story) "journalistic ethics"
Who are the aggregators? What is their primary role?
Aggregators engage in "selection" Choosing which media products to carry (look at next question/answer) Also lead us from one product to another (EX) Amazon suggesting other books based on what we've purchased in the past Aggregators also make decisions for selection and display based on what they believe the consumer will want
What are Bollywood and Nollywood?
Bollywood- Indian movie industry Nollywood- Nigeria's film industry
According to Wolff, how did YouTube evolve into television through the failures of professionally-produced YouTube channels, and the successes of the advertising model and "home-grown" YouTube stars?
Basically, he had the equation video = television Even if that video is watched on Youtube, Facebook or any other platform Eventually, Youtube, like T.V. started being supported by ads The curriculum of Youtube Youtube was 'idiosyncratic' and 'anarchic' unlike old media Now following the advertising formats of old media to make it profitable Google needed YT to make money The Youtube audience also wanted Youtube stars & chance of becoming stars themselves
What has been the digitization effect on aggregation and distribution?
Before Digitization: more reliance on over producing a physical product (analog age was wasteful) also, more reliance on "brick and mortar" stores to display those products (aggregation) Now.. no more physical copies, movies can premier in limited runs, watch on streaming services
How has digitization made movies less expensive to produce and distribute?
Before digitization, making physical, analog prints of films ran in the millions (cost a lot of money)$$$ Putting a film on DVD= approximately 1/20th of the cost of the analog (it was cheaper to copy a movie on a DVD opposed to to a VHS tape) NOW it's even less expensive if the movie is not in physical form- meaning giving/selling it to netflix, amazon, hulu, ect!!!! With each year in the digital era it is becoming cheaper and cheaper to create and share movies... which means studios are okay if their movie doesn't have a 6 month long run in the theatres, they can just offer it to netflix or prime & get paid a lot of money$$$
What's the difference between "conglomerates" and "consolidations"?
Conglomerates: a media company that owns other media company (example: disney owns everything and bunch of other small media companies) Globally, large media conglomerates include Bertelsmann, National Amusements (ViacomCBS), Sony Corporation, News Corp, Comcast, The Walt Disney Company, AT&T Inc., Fox Corporation, and more Consolidations: small group of companies owning much of the worlds media when a specific/ particular media industry is only run by a small handful of companies. Example: The video game industry "sony, microsoft, nintendo rule gaming industry")
How has "outsourcing" affected local newspapers?
Downside is it costs people their jobs in the states by outsourcing to other individuals in different countries Written by foreign journalists (who earn less than American writers) Some newspapers and local content Problem is everybody can see your content!
What is the digital divide? What are some of the debates about "narrowing" this divide or "bridging the gap"?
Digital Divide: the gap between those who have access to high speed broadband internet and those who don't could include the technology necessary to use the internet and the skills necessary to use the technology, could be because of where you live or can't afford it Community debate: allocate tax money for public internet or... Continue with commercial ISPs (internet service providers) & make a deal with ISPs by saying we won't make the internet a public utility & hope they won't create a system, where it charges people for faster internet and punish people who can't afford it.
How has digitization affected the video industry, especially video games?
Digital effects on television: "Televisuality"= television producers concerned with the aesthetic quality of television Trying to making it more like a film because movies were exciting, more graphic images, & TV shows were relying on worlds created by computers (ex: game of thrones & Lost) Digital effects on video games: much more realistic environments & recreating real towns and landmarks
Define "digitization". How is it different from "analog" media?
Digitization is digital media content that is translated into digital code or binary numbers Binary: 1s and 0s As opposed to analog media, it stores an exact copy of a piece of media content on a physical storage device. these storage devices need a decoding machine (one that can read the analog language) Analog you need something to store the content on, so the storage device could be the album itself and the decoding machine would be the record player.
How are online newspapers capturing a "dual revenue" stream?
Dual- revenue streams: a mixture of advertising, direct payment, & subscriptions receiving funding from both advertisers and viewers/readers... but usually depend more on advertising dollars digitization is changing this model..... NOW some online publications make more in subscriptions than from ads
What do the FCC and FTC (Federal Trade Commission) regulate?
FTC: regulates ads and the validity of them FCC: federal communications commission the FCC "regulates interstate and international communications by radio, tv, wire, satellite, and cable in all 50 states, the district of columbia and us territories" (fcc.gov) 5 person committee appointed by president no more than 3 from on political party FTC: federal trade commission regulates advertising and certain aspects of the internet making sure that what companies are advertising are truthful
What is formatting? How do the media industries use "known talent", "known products", and "known formats" to minimize risks?
Formatting: a type of ownership strategy when companies emphasize media features that have succeeded in the past. Can include..... Known Talent: Media stick with familiar faces to avoid risk "once worked should work again"- if you have success in the past as an actor/actress then they will hire you Known Product: A familiar brand (why spin offs & sequels are so popular) Example: private practice is a spin off of Grey's anatomy. It may be popular since the original was such a success Known formats: Media tend to reproduce general, already existing formats "content creators and distributors are keeping it safe and similar". Popular movies become video games, popular books become movies....
Be able to differentiate between some of the other types of non-commercial mandates: DIY; Mixed; Government
Government: created to serve the needs of the government in power/ total government control of the messages that get out of the public, certainly with news broadcast, Tv & radio stations. * Not necessarily to serve the people, Authoritarian governments. financed by taxes, government surplus, or even money seized from the public. Mixed: A mix of both public (non- commercial) and commercial taxes but also supported by ads often times target their message to those undeserved by community, small ethnic communities in large cities DIY: Serve neighborhoods or smaller groups mostly survive on donations (might be some government help) local access cable channels, low fi radio stations, Fanzines, Blogs, even youtube in its early days.....
Be able to explain Wolff's argument that Netflix is bringing elements of TV to digital, not destroying TV.
He said netflix was bringing elements of TV (programming and passive watching) to digital media (namely PC screens) He says we aren't killing but expanding the T.V. industry Difference is how we watch it even if we are watching netflix, we are still watching TV
What is the "Global South"?
How do media operate in these less developed parts of the world (Central/South America) Wealth Life-expectancy Technology (the digital divide)
Know some of the ways media industries are overcoming these barriers to globalization
International co-production Production and creative staff from more than one country work on the same media project Dubbing/Subtitles (a type of localization) More of an art than a skill Pepsi ad was promoting in China which was supposed to be... "Come alive with the Pepsi" Instead it came out as... "Pepsi brings your ancestors back to life"
What was unique about the way the rock band Radiohead distributed their 2007 album (CD) In Rainbows?
It was a "pay-what-you-want" download on the bands website ("Honesty Box" model) and also released an $80 boxset you could pre order. That wasn't the normal business model and Gene Simmons from KISS was not happy
How will "day and date" release replace "artificial scarcity"?
Less "artificial scarcity" replaced by "day and date release" because.... distribution windows are becoming smaller (less time between finishing a project and releasing it/ not waiting a whole year or two to release it) movies get released everywhere on the same day
What's the difference between "mass" media and "niche" media?
Mass media is for a large, undifferentiated audience. Niche media targets narrow, more specific audiences. Ex. TV had a few channels for mass audiences until cable came along for niche audiences like ESPN, CNN, MTV, Nickelodeon, etc. Problem with cable though is that there are too many channels, and people end up paying for more than they watch.
What is "alternative globalization"?
Media not controlled by global media conglomerates How has piracy helped media industries in the Global South? "Alternative" media often spread through informal or sometimes, illegal means The "alternative" markets for these movies helps with global publicity for these individuals
Do Havens & Lotz believe the digital era will bring about more or less fragmentation? Why or why not?
More fragmentation The death of the TV channel as we know it- not the death of the television but the TV CHANNEL more "on demand" More of the "Netflix" model where the entire seasons of a show are released at once
Who are the distributors? What is their primary role?
Predictable distribution markets - distributions have more control over what an audience can choose Complex distribution Markets - the Audience has more control over the material media they consume Indep. Distributors and re-distributors will be able to meet the needs of niche audiences
How has the "nobody knows" principle changed because of globalization?
Producing material for distribution in different countries used to help manage risk of media creation If a product is translated incorrectly or culturally offensive, then targeting a global audience can backfire on a media industry minimize the risk by hiring a well-known and famous actor
What is "media globalization"?
Refers to the coordination of media, production distribution and aggregation across the world (selection can be different in other countries) i.e. Netflix across the world It's easier and quicker in the aspect of digital capacity and content, you can send digital content just about anywhere in the world. Worldwide communication infrastructures (anywhere in the world)
How has digitization affected American imports of TV shows?
The U.S. used to export much more media than it is imported Originated elsewhere American Idol (originally British) The Office (originally British) Iron Chef (originally Japanese)
What is "selection"? How is limiting a consumer's options good for the aggregators?
Selection is Choosing which products to carry Can be limited b/c of physical space and cost Important for 2 reasons: Selling - more predictable, therefore more profitable (limiting options - good for aggregation) Helps consumer make easy choices in crowded media marketplace
What's the difference between a single media good and a continuous media good?
Single media good: (one time buy) marketed on the 'distinctive merits' of each product films, albums, games, books purchased by one transaction Continuous media good: (subscription based) radio, newspaper, magazine steady flow of regularly refreshed content usually supported by advertising
How has TV used predictable "formats" to respond to globalization?
So, it can be replicated across different cultures "If one format/formula works than it should work other places around the world" They take a formula and produce it with a little change, it'll work across the world Ex. Big Brother, British Millionaire, Jeopardy
Explain TV's "bifurcation" as described by Wolff?
Split into "reality" and "scripted" (TV) =more segmented, better educated audience /// breaking bad or keeping up with the kardashians Movies were once high-brow and they're more oriented towards teenagers TV is now high-brow Change in demographics Digital Media (internet/social media)- home for stringent values Calling people out for running counter to specific cultural norms
How do "secondary markets" help a studio make up for the money it loses in the production of a TV show?
Studios can recover deficits by selling successful shows to these secondary markets Secondary markets= Local Tv stations cable channels network outside of the US DVDs streaming services like netflix
Why are reruns and remakes of TV shows more popular thanks to globalization?
TV tends to stick to "predictable formats" that can be replicated across cultures "what works in England allows TV producers in the states to think now it will work in the US" example: Who wants to be a millionaire- was successful in Britain and then became successful in the US as well as India. If one format/formula works then it should work in other places around the world.
How did digitization affect the print industry?
TV, especially 24 hour cable news could break news stories instantly & update quickly before newspapers. Radio could "scoop" printed news as well. NOW online versions of newspapers can keep up with radio and TV & break news stories before other media can BUT the economic system changed..... consumers had no problem paying for print newspapers and magazines, but now they expect online content information to be free
Why did cable TV reach "critical mass" in the 1990s? What made it so much more popular than broadcast TV? Was it just the greater number of channels available to consumers?
TVs were in more homes, better broadcasting, fewer fuzzy images, more sophisticated/edgy material you wouldn't normally see on broadcast TV.
What is "localization"?
The "unmooring" of a media text from its natural cultural surroundings Placing and securing that media text in a different culture languages, settings, narrative techniques, etc. example: in video games " A winner is you" "i feel asleep" instead of "I fell asleep"
How has the film industry responded to globalization?
They HAD to take advantage of global markets Many theaters would release movies at the same time around the world, so it could cut down on piracy They rely on overseas box office numbers (can't rely on DVD sales anymore)
Why are broadcast radio and TV regulated more harshly than cable, satellite, or streaming services?
They are 'public airwaves' and as well, the companies "borrow" space on the spectrum form the FCC so in return, the broadcasting companies must serve the "public interest"
What do media industries do?
They create content (aka intellectual property: result of work/invention must be claimed via copy right, patent, ect.) however they are not distributors of the content.
How have multinational teams helped the video game industry ease into globalization?
They've helped cut down on some of the cultural errors Coke & pepsi translated a different message Japanese companies designed games to be released all around the world (never local)
Since digitization, media content creators and distributors have focused more on the "long tail"? What does this mean?
This is when big major conglomerate media companies own smaller niche cable stations (cable stations that reach a niche audience) The big media conglomerates are more interested in the niche/market audiences "the long tail" now because even though that station may not be popular, it still draws enough viewers to make enough sum money for these conglomerates
According to Wolff, how did the TV/Internet model become flipped as it relates to how both practiced advertising?
Tv execs in the cable age became less worries about ads /more concerned with subscriptions SO, the TV/internet model was becoming flipped Internet was now a cost and ad supported////Tv was becoming less dependent on advertising Wolf Argues: As cable companies started to control internet service, they started to advertise their service in a particular way The promise that broadband would be faster than DSL cable companies were also able to introduce bundling as we know it today/// instead of paying for one service you get all three major services at a discounted price: internet, phone, cable
What is the difference between vertical and horizontal integration?
Vertical integration: Industries purchasing companies responsible for a products manufacturer and distribution. "a company owns most if not all aspects of a media industry" Example: disney makes a movie and they hire all the actors, they distribute it, ALL things are done by disney (controlling actors, directors, and distributors) Horizontal Integration: industries buying companies at the same value level- those that do the same thinking Think of cable companies (sudden link), comcast before they merged with nbc tend to be monopolistic & Cox. Game industries do this (sony, microsoft & nintendo= horizontal integration)
Be able to discuss some possible downsides to globalization
We don't just export media, but we export values Cultural Imperialism Concerns that the values of a wealthy countries like the U.S. might come to dominate the value systems of less-developed countries that consume American media Fast food culture, Disney, Statue of Liberty Who's culture gets shared more?
How did cable companies and phone companies compete over Internet service in the 90s and early 2000s?
Wireless won out. Fiber connection were to expensive fiber service prices are regulated in the same way phone service is not the same type of price regulations for wireless
Why does Michael Wolff refer to digital media as the "new wasteland"?
Wolf says Digital media is the new waste land and Newton meno said before wolf in the 60s that TV was the wasteland (tv was a stupid comedy) BUT they switched places... TV is no longer the wasteland, digital social media is From lecture: "Internet/digital media is the wasteland because it is just the continuation of sharing similar memes over and over again (nothing really new/exciting) everyone has a clear cut moral on things, either right or wrong, no ambiguity. Whereas tv has become a much more cultural experience: much more interesting entertainment, flawed characters with ambiguity.
How does Wolff argue that the early Internet was a "continuation" of mass media up to that point in the early 90s?
claims that most media was already free (accessible via phone line) 'Mass' media was supposed to be cheap so more people could enjoy it
What are the differences between commercial and non-commercial mandates?
commercial mandate: (main mandate) main goal is to earn profit, either selling directly to consumers or advertiser supported, WE PAY for commercial mandates according to Havens and Lotz (ads/commercials on tv) Non commercial mandate: value something other than profit, serving the informational and educational needs of citizens, rely on donations and tax money (could be supported through citizens) example: NPR & PBS, citizens in return support PBS through taxes or contributions
What is the difference between cultural determinism and technological determinism?
culture determinism: people (we) determine how technology develops, our "cultural uses" determine the influence technology has over us, Technology as a "inert force" shaped by other powerful forces Technological determinism: the idea that technology controls the people and societies that use them, not the other way around humans are rather helpless in the face of increasing technologies we are controlled by the technology we use
Be able to define what "regulations" are.
laws, guidelines and policies that govern how media industries produce distribute exhibit products
What are the "new economics of content producers"?
media had to be: cheaper more plentiful appeal to wider audience (sounds like how it was in the 50s)
Be able to describe in greater detail the 4 costs associated with single media goods: developmental, production, marketing/distribution, and overhead?
see doc
Be able to discuss in detail the 5 processes in the Circuit of Cultural Production.
see doc
Explain digitization in terms of the following:
see doc
What type of content is regulated?
see doc
Why does Wolff call current TV a "cultural event"?
tv is a much more cultural experience, interesting, flawed, and ambiguity
How has digitization affected the practice of vertical integration, especially in the music industry?
vertical integration: a company owns most if not all aspects of a media industry This is becoming more difficult in the music industry because... It is becoming easier & cheaper for musicians to become known/discovered on their own and record and distribute their own music & even create their own websites. Musicians really just need a macbook to record and play music in a studio to prosper!