About Arts Alliance Media
Arts Alliance Media (AAM), based in London, is Europe's leading provider of digital film distribution services, dedicated to building a European digital network to deliver film to the cinema, to the home and between industry players. For digital cinema, AAM provides end-to-end digital cinema solutions encompassing equipment selection, financing and integration, operator training, installation and support, and content management and delivery. AAM provides a full range of encoding, print and key management services, including: encoding, encryption and packaging all to current DCI standards, print creation and delivery, key generation and delivery, and repackaging and versioning. All services carried out in our in house facilities – FACT and MPA approved, complete with full digital cinema for quality control. In February 2005, Arts Alliance Digital Cinema won the UK Film Council contract to install and operate 240 digital screens, the world’s first 2k digital cinema network. All screens will be installed and operating by the end of May 2007. AAM is participating in two digital cinema trials in Europe, one in the UK at the Odeon Surrey Quays multiplex, which began in February 2007, and the other in Norway, in various cinemas across the country, since April 2006.
taken from http://www.dcinematoday.com/dc/pr.aspx?newsID=698, Dcinema release website.
Friday, 4 May 2007
Friday, 27 April 2007
IBM
New multi-media products that are becoming more and more popular.
Cellular TV Other countries are crazy for TV on cellphones, but are Americans interested? Services such as Verizon Wireless's V Cast and Cingular's MobiTV deliver live TV feeds and on-demand clips. Unfortunately, the video on these services can be jerky and out of sync with the audio feed. But faster networks (such as mobile WiMAX or a satellite system like South Korea's) may deliver a smoother picture.
Dual-View Screens At this year's Consumer Electronics Show, Sharp Electronics demonstrated an LCD TV that offered different images at different viewing angles. Will two people in a room want to watch different shows at the same time? Maybe, but Sharp thinks the technology will reach its potential in cars, where passengers can watch video while the driver keeps his eyes on the nav system--and the road.
Taken from the website.
Cellular TV Other countries are crazy for TV on cellphones, but are Americans interested? Services such as Verizon Wireless's V Cast and Cingular's MobiTV deliver live TV feeds and on-demand clips. Unfortunately, the video on these services can be jerky and out of sync with the audio feed. But faster networks (such as mobile WiMAX or a satellite system like South Korea's) may deliver a smoother picture.
Dual-View Screens At this year's Consumer Electronics Show, Sharp Electronics demonstrated an LCD TV that offered different images at different viewing angles. Will two people in a room want to watch different shows at the same time? Maybe, but Sharp thinks the technology will reach its potential in cars, where passengers can watch video while the driver keeps his eyes on the nav system--and the road.
Taken from the website.
Statements relating to my case study
"the choice and flexibility offered by digital technology are simply too attractive to consumers. If people want something badly enough, digital technology enables them to get it – legally or illegally.” Lord Puttnam.
“If we don’t invest in the necessary talent, then we will see an outsourcing of digital work to territories that combine a far lower cost base with comparable or eventually even better skills" Lord Puttnam.
"It's taken so long because it's been a question of agreeing in advance," said David Hancock on the digital changeover.
"With a digital projector you can input virtually anything into it," said Steve Knibbs of Vue cinemas. "[We can screen] a DVD, a clip downloaded from YouTube, gaming from a digital projector with multiple players on the screen at the same time, a live feed from satellite, cable and whatever" Steve Knibbs
"It's not proved financially viable for some time," said Richard Boyd of the National Film Theatre.
“If we don’t invest in the necessary talent, then we will see an outsourcing of digital work to territories that combine a far lower cost base with comparable or eventually even better skills" Lord Puttnam.
"It's taken so long because it's been a question of agreeing in advance," said David Hancock on the digital changeover.
"With a digital projector you can input virtually anything into it," said Steve Knibbs of Vue cinemas. "[We can screen] a DVD, a clip downloaded from YouTube, gaming from a digital projector with multiple players on the screen at the same time, a live feed from satellite, cable and whatever" Steve Knibbs
"It's not proved financially viable for some time," said Richard Boyd of the National Film Theatre.
Thursday, 26 April 2007
Film statistics
Number of films produced manually has risen from:
1912- 2 (!)
2003- 103
......in the UK alone.
Cinema admissions have gone up and down but overall have fallen. In the forties when cinema was at its peak;
1946- 1,635.00
2003- 167.30
1912- 2 (!)
2003- 103
......in the UK alone.
Cinema admissions have gone up and down but overall have fallen. In the forties when cinema was at its peak;
1946- 1,635.00
2003- 167.30
3D television
3D television is normally associated with lower standard horror films. However such companies as IBM, Mitsubishi and Philips are working on building 3D into 'next generation sets'. Sharp already sells computers compatible with 3D, while Philips wants a 3D effect without glasses by 2008.
10 digital effects of all time
The top digital effects can be found in the following films:
Star Wars (1977) Motion control photography in which a computer is used to control long camera sequences and movements (shown in spaceship battles). This saves time.
Tron (1982) Wasn't the first to use computer generated (CG) graphics, but was the first to create a 3D worlds with it; a pioneering CGI film.
Terminator 2- Judgement day (1991) Jaw dropping 'morphing' is used. The robots humanoid texture was frighteningly real.
Cliffhanger (1993) Wires were digitally removed from a shot (no need for green screens!)
Jurassic park (1993) The digital dinos were a revalation, introduced CGI live animals with muscle movement etc.
Forest Gump (1994) Using Kodak's cineon system they went back in time, compositing Tom Hanks into historical clips.
The Perfect storm (2000) The water of the sea was very difficult as it is organic- to make it look believable is a big thing.
Lord of the Rings (2001) Generated crowds of thousands of people for battle scenes; artificially intelligent individuals "who amke their own decisions based on thier behaviour patterns".
The Polar express (2004) Used a large motion capture stage with over 200 hundred cameras to capture Tom Hanks performance, along with other characters. This helped to create digital characters.
The day after tomorrow (2004) Took more than 50,000 photos of New york city and scanned them into a computer to provide a 3D model of the city, that they could destroy.
Star Wars (1977) Motion control photography in which a computer is used to control long camera sequences and movements (shown in spaceship battles). This saves time.
Tron (1982) Wasn't the first to use computer generated (CG) graphics, but was the first to create a 3D worlds with it; a pioneering CGI film.
Terminator 2- Judgement day (1991) Jaw dropping 'morphing' is used. The robots humanoid texture was frighteningly real.
Cliffhanger (1993) Wires were digitally removed from a shot (no need for green screens!)
Jurassic park (1993) The digital dinos were a revalation, introduced CGI live animals with muscle movement etc.
Forest Gump (1994) Using Kodak's cineon system they went back in time, compositing Tom Hanks into historical clips.
The Perfect storm (2000) The water of the sea was very difficult as it is organic- to make it look believable is a big thing.
Lord of the Rings (2001) Generated crowds of thousands of people for battle scenes; artificially intelligent individuals "who amke their own decisions based on thier behaviour patterns".
The Polar express (2004) Used a large motion capture stage with over 200 hundred cameras to capture Tom Hanks performance, along with other characters. This helped to create digital characters.
The day after tomorrow (2004) Took more than 50,000 photos of New york city and scanned them into a computer to provide a 3D model of the city, that they could destroy.
Extended question: how is digital distribution changing the way we consume other media?
It is allowing us access to other media aswell. For example you could screen a downloaded clip from Youtube, use the screens for gambling, gaming etc. To do this you would use multiple players all connected to the screen; a live feed from satellite, cable whatever.
What does digital projection offer in the way of the "future" for cinemas?
Digital film means a variety of movies being screened on the same screen on the same day, Tinseltowns films are set to get more showings too. Overall it will offer a whole new sense of reedom and amazing flexibilty not available before.
Why is 'Hollywood' driving this technological change?
The hollywood studios stand to make the most and the biggest savings which they can in turn pass on to thier cinemas to make them better. By the end of last year Hollywood confirmed that its number of screens last year (335) had almost trebled to 849. This is predicted to rise to a staggering 17,000 in a few years.
Why has there been a slow take-up?
The change over has been so slow for many reasons; concensus is very important.Alot of communication has been involved and practise to trust the model- this has taken longer than most people thought.
Plus....Although the digital film is much cheaper in the long run it is intially costly, as is any big change. The equipment used to run reels during a film will not work with digital therefore new equiptment will need to be brought on a large scale. Plus it is a little more complicated and this can be rather intimidating and offputting for those that have been in the industry for years. It is also a worry that cinema will lose its traditional values and the features that we love, maybe we should keep it as it is? The quality of film will not be much better with digital.
Plus....Although the digital film is much cheaper in the long run it is intially costly, as is any big change. The equipment used to run reels during a film will not work with digital therefore new equiptment will need to be brought on a large scale. Plus it is a little more complicated and this can be rather intimidating and offputting for those that have been in the industry for years. It is also a worry that cinema will lose its traditional values and the features that we love, maybe we should keep it as it is? The quality of film will not be much better with digital.
What are the advantages of digital projection for the consumers?
Digital film is an easier form of film. Once clipped into place it is simply uploaded to a server and is one click away from being projected. Scratches, fluff, smudges etc will not be seen; so a higher quality finish and a lower chance of small blemishes being shown. However the main advantage is that digital film is so much cheaper in the long run. Printing costs are astronomical and with these eliminated budding directors have more of a chance to get their work out there. Another cost saving factor is that it would be cheaper to protect from piracy as the indusrty spends about £3.2 billion trying to tackle it. Going digital means films can be encrypted before hand and therefore be harder to copy.
Testing out my case study
General terms related to new media technology:
Push technology-Producers choose our technology for us. For example in the same way that cinema pushes new releases at us.
Pull technology- this offers us more choice. We can pull the content we want from the media. Satellite television is a good example of this, we can flick between programmes and settle on something we want to watch.
Hot media- those that do a good job of extending to our senses (cinema with its high definition).
Cold media- those that have a lower quality of extending to our senses, like telephones (not brilliant quality of sound and no facial interaction).
Key terminology related to my choosen technology:
CGI- computer generated imagery-used for visual effects a to obtain a higher quality.
Push technology-Producers choose our technology for us. For example in the same way that cinema pushes new releases at us.
Pull technology- this offers us more choice. We can pull the content we want from the media. Satellite television is a good example of this, we can flick between programmes and settle on something we want to watch.
Hot media- those that do a good job of extending to our senses (cinema with its high definition).
Cold media- those that have a lower quality of extending to our senses, like telephones (not brilliant quality of sound and no facial interaction).
Key terminology related to my choosen technology:
CGI- computer generated imagery-used for visual effects a to obtain a higher quality.
Why do media industries need to continue to update new media technologies?
Why do media industries need to continue to update new media technologies? [45marks]
New media technology is an area of extreme competition and rivalry. In order to stay on top a media needs to continually be adapting their products and improving them to grab new consumers attention and to maintain their current consumers. These days there is opportunity for allsorts of new ideas and products to find their way onto the market, including cheaper brands etc that can make a name for themselves on the web for example, It is important that the media in question , for example music takes these into account and tries to provide or match them. This can be seen with the Ipod. When first introduced it had dominance in the market and was the best now lots of other companies (Philips, sony etc) have introduced their own, very similar devices. Ipod has had to upgrade itself and become multimedia to maintain its reputation, It now plays music and movies.
The fact that Ipod has done this has almost started a trend ; everything has gone multimedia. It has many advantages, For example it has brilliant marketing potential and increases profits for both parties. Antoher example of this is with sony's new dame 3.0. The game combines gaming with the internet to create a game which can be played live, with a stranger or your friends if they own the game. It is like a chat room.
Also a product is a product, in order to continue to make money on top of the intial product you will need to make new versions, bigger, better versions that the consumers want to go out and buy. Your target being to create an irresistable new product everytim, ensuring you won't go bust. If a new product is not possible attachments and accessories are another idea.
New media technology is an area of extreme competition and rivalry. In order to stay on top a media needs to continually be adapting their products and improving them to grab new consumers attention and to maintain their current consumers. These days there is opportunity for allsorts of new ideas and products to find their way onto the market, including cheaper brands etc that can make a name for themselves on the web for example, It is important that the media in question , for example music takes these into account and tries to provide or match them. This can be seen with the Ipod. When first introduced it had dominance in the market and was the best now lots of other companies (Philips, sony etc) have introduced their own, very similar devices. Ipod has had to upgrade itself and become multimedia to maintain its reputation, It now plays music and movies.
The fact that Ipod has done this has almost started a trend ; everything has gone multimedia. It has many advantages, For example it has brilliant marketing potential and increases profits for both parties. Antoher example of this is with sony's new dame 3.0. The game combines gaming with the internet to create a game which can be played live, with a stranger or your friends if they own the game. It is like a chat room.
Also a product is a product, in order to continue to make money on top of the intial product you will need to make new versions, bigger, better versions that the consumers want to go out and buy. Your target being to create an irresistable new product everytim, ensuring you won't go bust. If a new product is not possible attachments and accessories are another idea.
Friday, 20 April 2007
Digital film- opportunity or threat?
Taken from a lecture by Lord Puttnam.
Lord Puttnam thinks the music industry took the digital change badly with a 'head in the sand approach'. Not dealing with the change has meant that are less processes in place to deal with illegal activity. He thinks the film industry should learn from this and make sure it doesn't end up with a similar fate .
“One of the lessons of digital technology is this; once the genie is out of the bottle, no matter how hard you try, you can’t get it to go back in. You can hire the most expensive lawyers, you can create the best anti-copying mechanisms you can lay your hands on, but the choice and flexibility offered by digital technology are simply too attractive to consumers. If people want something badly enough, digital technology enables them to get it – legally or illegally.”
The best way to tackle this is to offer consumers a range of products they want at a price they want. Illegal copying will never be completely eliminated but it can be reduced and avoided if the industry deal with the problem head on. If not they may end up like the music industry and their response to competition like napster.
The development of broadband could also be aided by the online distribution of films (promoted by the goverment).
“Movies could act as a locomotive which pulls other services behind it, services which offer significant and lasting benefits to society as a whole.”
As said in my previous post Lord Puttnam mentioned that digital distribution would dramatically decrease distribution costs , in terms of prints etc. E.g the blockbuster 'Troy' cost £16 million to screen across the world.
However digital film has not quite caught on yet, there are only a handfull of digital screens in the Uk it is more of an American thing at the moment. The problem is, who pays for this significant change? As honestly it isnt going to change the viewers enjoyment or produce a much higher quality?
CGI is also set to lose in this change:
“Computer Generated Imaging is tremendously skills dependent. And it is here that the UK excels. At present, UK-based post-production companies such as Framestore and Cinesite are among the world leaders in digital effects – it is precisely because of their expertise in ‘digital effects’ that the Hollywood studios often choose to place the whole of the post-production phase of their movies in this country, even when they are actually shot on far cheaper locations, such as Romania, Hungary or Morocco.
This is why the UK training strategy (involving the UK film council) is so important. So long as a significant cost saving can be offered and a high level of skill we can expect big films to be continued.
I understand that the digital effects sector already has to import people to meet the demand for skills. In the long-term that is simply not sustainable.
“If we don’t invest in the necessary talent, then we will see an outsourcing of digital work to territories that combine a far lower cost base with comparable or eventually even better skills. Think of the way India has invested in the ICT sector and gained a comparative advantage – you don’t need that much imagination to see the same thing happening in digital effects."
Click here to see relevant links
Lord Puttnam thinks the music industry took the digital change badly with a 'head in the sand approach'. Not dealing with the change has meant that are less processes in place to deal with illegal activity. He thinks the film industry should learn from this and make sure it doesn't end up with a similar fate .
“One of the lessons of digital technology is this; once the genie is out of the bottle, no matter how hard you try, you can’t get it to go back in. You can hire the most expensive lawyers, you can create the best anti-copying mechanisms you can lay your hands on, but the choice and flexibility offered by digital technology are simply too attractive to consumers. If people want something badly enough, digital technology enables them to get it – legally or illegally.”
The best way to tackle this is to offer consumers a range of products they want at a price they want. Illegal copying will never be completely eliminated but it can be reduced and avoided if the industry deal with the problem head on. If not they may end up like the music industry and their response to competition like napster.
The development of broadband could also be aided by the online distribution of films (promoted by the goverment).
“Movies could act as a locomotive which pulls other services behind it, services which offer significant and lasting benefits to society as a whole.”
As said in my previous post Lord Puttnam mentioned that digital distribution would dramatically decrease distribution costs , in terms of prints etc. E.g the blockbuster 'Troy' cost £16 million to screen across the world.
However digital film has not quite caught on yet, there are only a handfull of digital screens in the Uk it is more of an American thing at the moment. The problem is, who pays for this significant change? As honestly it isnt going to change the viewers enjoyment or produce a much higher quality?
CGI is also set to lose in this change:
“Computer Generated Imaging is tremendously skills dependent. And it is here that the UK excels. At present, UK-based post-production companies such as Framestore and Cinesite are among the world leaders in digital effects – it is precisely because of their expertise in ‘digital effects’ that the Hollywood studios often choose to place the whole of the post-production phase of their movies in this country, even when they are actually shot on far cheaper locations, such as Romania, Hungary or Morocco.
This is why the UK training strategy (involving the UK film council) is so important. So long as a significant cost saving can be offered and a high level of skill we can expect big films to be continued.
I understand that the digital effects sector already has to import people to meet the demand for skills. In the long-term that is simply not sustainable.
“If we don’t invest in the necessary talent, then we will see an outsourcing of digital work to territories that combine a far lower cost base with comparable or eventually even better skills. Think of the way India has invested in the ICT sector and gained a comparative advantage – you don’t need that much imagination to see the same thing happening in digital effects."
Click here to see relevant links
Thursday, 19 April 2007
Digital film: the future of film
Digital film seems to be taking over. It allows directors to realize their wildest ideas and it is set to change the ways films are distributed.
'Rain europe', a brazilian company that offers worldwide digital distributions. Run by Ernesto Herrmann says their are four players in the market, producers, sales agents, distributers and exhibitioners.
Film distribution is expensive, it can cost £700 per print. A film shown in 10 cinemas would cost £7000- just for the prints ( there are 3000 screens in the uk!). Prints only last so long, six weeks would not be unusual, showing a film for a couple of months therefore involves costly reprinting. Those that don't have the promotion money ( a large proportion, especially new producers) will end up in small cinemas and is then likely to be a 'flop'.
Digital means making as many copies as you want ( much like a computer file) this in principle is cheap although some costs come from running effecient computers. It is much cheaper for exaple if you wanted to screen your movie in 100 screens it is the difference between £70,000 and £600. This means it makes sense to give allsorts of new names and work a try, offering opportunities.
However one pitfall is that all the cinemas will need digital projectors- who will pay for all of this? Also the financial return on them is slow. Some companies are trying to solve this problem, 'Rain' being one of them, the have over 150 screens in brazil alone. Their software 'kinocast' is constantly being updated. It is a web- based portal type of software and any encoded films alreay on the system can be screened ( the cost of encoding can be split between distributers and equals virtually nothing).
Some areas are experiencing piracy, such as hollywood, this worries them and they are beggining to worry about controlling the new market. They decided to use their power to create rules involving an organisation called 'DCI' (digital cinema initiatives). It is very strict and has rules on resolution; films should have a resolution of 4k ( eighty to one hundred times bigger than our tv screens). The quality of the prints must also be high. It has been recently said thought that the resolution is too high and 2k is now seen as acceptable (This is what we use in europe).
In the UK cinema is funded by the national lottery, they put in around £12-13 million to equip cinemas around the country. We have a differnt digital company too called the DSN (digital screen network). The DCI and DSN are very similar even though the DCI have admitted to have slightly poorer quality. these two companies plan to work together in the future and will make 'Rain UK'.
In europe we use this 2k
'Rain europe', a brazilian company that offers worldwide digital distributions. Run by Ernesto Herrmann says their are four players in the market, producers, sales agents, distributers and exhibitioners.
Film distribution is expensive, it can cost £700 per print. A film shown in 10 cinemas would cost £7000- just for the prints ( there are 3000 screens in the uk!). Prints only last so long, six weeks would not be unusual, showing a film for a couple of months therefore involves costly reprinting. Those that don't have the promotion money ( a large proportion, especially new producers) will end up in small cinemas and is then likely to be a 'flop'.
Digital means making as many copies as you want ( much like a computer file) this in principle is cheap although some costs come from running effecient computers. It is much cheaper for exaple if you wanted to screen your movie in 100 screens it is the difference between £70,000 and £600. This means it makes sense to give allsorts of new names and work a try, offering opportunities.
However one pitfall is that all the cinemas will need digital projectors- who will pay for all of this? Also the financial return on them is slow. Some companies are trying to solve this problem, 'Rain' being one of them, the have over 150 screens in brazil alone. Their software 'kinocast' is constantly being updated. It is a web- based portal type of software and any encoded films alreay on the system can be screened ( the cost of encoding can be split between distributers and equals virtually nothing).
Some areas are experiencing piracy, such as hollywood, this worries them and they are beggining to worry about controlling the new market. They decided to use their power to create rules involving an organisation called 'DCI' (digital cinema initiatives). It is very strict and has rules on resolution; films should have a resolution of 4k ( eighty to one hundred times bigger than our tv screens). The quality of the prints must also be high. It has been recently said thought that the resolution is too high and 2k is now seen as acceptable (This is what we use in europe).
In the UK cinema is funded by the national lottery, they put in around £12-13 million to equip cinemas around the country. We have a differnt digital company too called the DSN (digital screen network). The DCI and DSN are very similar even though the DCI have admitted to have slightly poorer quality. these two companies plan to work together in the future and will make 'Rain UK'.
In europe we use this 2k
Wednesday, 18 April 2007
Useful definitions for FILM TECHNOLOGIES
Film-Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording actual people and objects with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects.
CGI-Computer-generated imagery (often abbreviated to CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics (or more specifically, 3D computer graphics) to special effects in films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media. Video games usually use real-time computer graphics (rarely referred to as CGI), but may also include pre-rendered "cut scenes" and intro movies that would be typical CGI applications. These are referred to as FMV.
CGI is used for visual effects because the quality is often higher and effects are more controllable than other more physically based processes, such as constructing miniatures for effects shots or hiring extras for crowd scenes, and because it allows the creation of images that would not be feasible using any other technology. It can also allow a single artist to produce content without the use of actors, expensive set pieces, or props.
Digital film-Digital film refers to cinema production and performance systems which work by using a digital representation of the brightness and colour of each pixel of the image.
This allows much more flexible post-production in the digital domain than would be possible using analogue techniques such as traditional film opticals.
Imax-IMAX (for Image Maximum) is a film format created by Canada's IMAX Corporation that has the capacity to display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film display systems. A standard IMAX screen is 22 m wide and 16 m high (72.6 x 52.8 ft), but can be larger. Currently, IMAX is the most widely-used system for large-format, special-venue film presentations. As of March 2007, there were 280 IMAX theatres in 38 countries (60 percent of these are located in the United States and Canada). Half of these are commercial theatres and half are in educational venues.(wikipedia)
CGI-Computer-generated imagery (often abbreviated to CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics (or more specifically, 3D computer graphics) to special effects in films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media. Video games usually use real-time computer graphics (rarely referred to as CGI), but may also include pre-rendered "cut scenes" and intro movies that would be typical CGI applications. These are referred to as FMV.
CGI is used for visual effects because the quality is often higher and effects are more controllable than other more physically based processes, such as constructing miniatures for effects shots or hiring extras for crowd scenes, and because it allows the creation of images that would not be feasible using any other technology. It can also allow a single artist to produce content without the use of actors, expensive set pieces, or props.
Digital film-Digital film refers to cinema production and performance systems which work by using a digital representation of the brightness and colour of each pixel of the image.
This allows much more flexible post-production in the digital domain than would be possible using analogue techniques such as traditional film opticals.
Imax-IMAX (for Image Maximum) is a film format created by Canada's IMAX Corporation that has the capacity to display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film display systems. A standard IMAX screen is 22 m wide and 16 m high (72.6 x 52.8 ft), but can be larger. Currently, IMAX is the most widely-used system for large-format, special-venue film presentations. As of March 2007, there were 280 IMAX theatres in 38 countries (60 percent of these are located in the United States and Canada). Half of these are commercial theatres and half are in educational venues.(wikipedia)
Gaming research : MMO chat room
A Massive Multiplayer Online Game (also called MMOG or MMO) is a computer game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously, and is played on the Internet. Typically, this type of game is played in a giant persistent world. Many argue why small player count games with 200 and under players online are called massive multiplayer online games.
MMOs can enable players to compete with and against each other on a grand scale, and sometimes to interact meaningfully with people around the world. Most MMOs require players to invest large amounts of their time into the game. Most MMOs require a monthly subscription fee, but some can be played for free.(wikipedia)
MMOs can enable players to compete with and against each other on a grand scale, and sometimes to interact meaningfully with people around the world. Most MMOs require players to invest large amounts of their time into the game. Most MMOs require a monthly subscription fee, but some can be played for free.(wikipedia)
Gaming research: Myspace
The "MySpace Phenomenon"
by Nancy E. Willard
MySpace is an example of a new online phenomenon, which is more appropriately called "online social networking." In online social networking environments, users register and establish a profile that provides personal information and photos. Then the user makes connections or links with other users who share interests or connections. Users engage in a variety of forms of communication and information sharing, which can include personal Web pages, blogs, and discussion groups.
MySpace is currently the most popular of several dozen online social networking communities. Social sites are attractive environments for teens, as well as adults. Such sites present opportunities for self-expression and friendship building. Youth "playtime" in such environments is building skills that will be a foundation for career success in the 21 st century. Many teens are safely and responsibly engaged in such communities.
by Nancy E. Willard
MySpace is an example of a new online phenomenon, which is more appropriately called "online social networking." In online social networking environments, users register and establish a profile that provides personal information and photos. Then the user makes connections or links with other users who share interests or connections. Users engage in a variety of forms of communication and information sharing, which can include personal Web pages, blogs, and discussion groups.
MySpace is currently the most popular of several dozen online social networking communities. Social sites are attractive environments for teens, as well as adults. Such sites present opportunities for self-expression and friendship building. Youth "playtime" in such environments is building skills that will be a foundation for career success in the 21 st century. Many teens are safely and responsibly engaged in such communities.
Friday, 6 April 2007
'The age of permanant net revoloution' article notes
*Writer- John Naughton (tv reviewer turned internet guru).
*The world wide web took off 1993.
*Today nobody knows how big the web is.
*Web is growing by approx 25,000 pages an hour.
*John Seely Brown- 'ENDISM', new technologies replacing old ones. E.g the arrival of cd-rom sees the demise of books.
*Not all of these preditions are correct.
*Interactions between old and new media are complex.
*Cultural critic, Neil Postman proposed notion of media ecology.
*The organisms in our media ecosystem include broadcast and narrowcast.
*For most of our lives the dominant organism was TV.
Case study areas
In my chosen subject: Film technologies:production and exhibition; i will need to research in the following five areas:
Technology- What does the technology allow its audience and institution to do that they couldn't do before?
The future- What could happen as a result of the media being extended.
Technology- What does the technology allow its audience and institution to do that they couldn't do before?
- What is my chosen technology?
- How is it marketed? who to?
- Which companies provide it? How much does it cost?
- Is it hot/ cold media? is it pull or push technology?
- Is it a new media that is undergoing a transformation or an old media?
- Who has been responsible for its development, and why?
- How are they marketing these new products?
- Are they reaching the audience demands or actually having to educate users?
- Look at statistics.
- How is the technology consumed?
- Who consumes it?
- Advantages and disadvantages for consumer.
- Primary research and audience research ( questionaire)
The future- What could happen as a result of the media being extended.
- How could media practises be different in the future based on the potential of current technologies.
Tuesday, 27 March 2007
'Googlezon'
'Googlezon' is a short film discussing the future of news reporting online. There are several ideas presented in the film. These are mainly concerning evolvement of personalisation and user generated content.
The film proposes that by 2014 all internet users will have unlimited access to information and news. Google will join with amazon (googlezon), microsoft follows suit and buys friendster, Tivo is brought by google...
This change has been brought about by successful programmes setting the standard for new programmes therefore increasing the standard more and more each time.
The new programmes e.g 'Epic' will aim to cater for absolutely everyone. They will do ths by offering them personal news stories that concern them and their interests. They will present them how we like to read them etc. They will be able to do this through having access to our personal details. This is not such an obsene idea considering most of us already have a profile as such, for example my space, bebo. These profiles can be really detailed, displaying information on our personal lives, right down to what we like to eat.
By having access to our personal details companies can advertise products to us (via email) that they know we have an interest in and/or would like.
The system will in short: filter, order and deliver information to us.
This idea of 'Epic' sounds fantastic to most of us. A programme designed to cater for us individually and efficiently. However it will most definetly be sensationalist and the majority of it trivial. We must ask ourselves is this what we wanted? As we are able to create our own stories (written from our perspective) there will be alot of bias and inaccurate information. It will be alot harder to get to the 'bottom' of a story. Newspaper circulation figures will decrease and become less popular. This in turn will lead to a loss of jobs in the industry. An example of this is The New york times. If The New york times were to take google to court it would undoubtably be beaten and be forced to down size, producing short news letters to an elite and the elderly.
We understand that technology will move forward and is always developing but it is not always definate that something will become popular and accepted by the public. For example when 3D television was first developed everyone thought it would take over 2D television, however we only really see it as a novelty e.g. imax cinema.
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