Digital Media Production
Discuss the phenomenon of
digital media convergence in relation to one of the following: Advertising
& New Media or Music Video Online.
Media Convergence is a phenomenon that is forever changing the
ways in which media is created, distributed and consumed in the public sphere.
It is a process of adaptation, a merging and intersection of media that is
loosely defined by Dwyer as “the process whereby new technologies are
accommodated by existing media and communications industries and culture”
(Dwyer 2010). Such existing media include television broadcasting, print media,
advertising and music. This essay will focus on the latter, more specifically
the world of the music video and the ways in which is has been transformed by
new technologies.
The online development of the music video can be considered a
“technological determinist” account, in which the dynamic technological world
that is the Internet welcomes the development of various forms of media,
particularly those with a digital focus (Meikle & Young 2012). When the
music video was first injected into popular culture, it allowed for a whole new
world of exposure- the television was instrumental in airing a great deal of
artists to a society in which the radio was fast becoming redundant (in other
words, “video killed the radio star”). The music video was born to suit a new
visual society, and corporations soon emerged to accommodate it. Today, MTV, V
and Rage have emerged as media giants in music video broadcasting, and also now
stretch their influence to become deeply engrained within the live music scene
as well as the recording industry.
In much the same way that the television gave rise to the music
video and music video companies, emerging technologies still give rise to new avenues
of exposure and revenue. The online music video is now the most prominent media
with which to view music videos, with the television fast going the way of the
radio in terms of convenience and availability. YouTube is undoubtedly the
world’s leading provider of online music video, and there is now not a signed
artist who cannot be found in some level of legitimacy on YouTube. This not
only gives an artist thousands and thousands of times more publicity through
wider audience reach, instant sharing and unlimited airplay, but also allows
companies such as VEVO to seize the opportunity.
According
to their website, VEVO is “the world’s leading all-premium music video and
entertainment platform” (VEVO 2012). VEVO works as a kind of booking agent for record
labels, who pay to have their artist’s video featured by the worldwide company.
While this is a highly commercial method of exposure many artists choose to
reject, with this and advertising VEVO produced $150 million in 2011, and has
projected $1 billion revenue in 2012 (Shaw 2012). VEVO is the media convergence
personified, what is achieved with the fusion of the music video and modern
technology.
With the growth of YouTube, the very definition of a music video
has changed. While more established and wealthy artists such as Lady Gaga
represent themselves with lavish short films conveying the story the song
intends to portray, the online format has allowed the birth of another type of
music video- that is the deliberately under-produced and amateur videos posted
by unsigned or independent artists. Hey Rosetta!’s ‘There’s An Arc” is an
example of a self-composed video not traditionally worthy of television airplay
but suited perfectly to the online format. This video serves the same purpose
as those seen on MTV but are directed towards a different audience,
deliberately taking advantage of what is offered by the internet.
The
relationship between online music video and social media is another example of
media convergence. Facebook offers an avenue of continual
advertisement or ‘plugging’ of an artist’s profile, which can include any
material the artist wishes to supply. Behind the scenes footage, acoustic
versions, music videos and ‘making of’ videos are used to develop an audience
by impeaching upon a continuous aspect of their lives. Green Day is an example
of a band that recently used social media to develop a following for their
upcoming album and subsequent music videos. The following is a teaser trailer
used as part of this campaign, created specifically for
YouTube and Facebook and is an example of the convergence of social media and
the music video.
Yet another branch of the developing world of online music video
is the impact it has on the creation of new technologies, that is cultural
determinist factors, where a culture affects the technology that is produced
(Meikle & Young 2012). All new phones are now advertised based on download
units, with YouTube held as priority in their design. Apps have been developed
for smartphones for even easier access to YouTube, VEVO, and Vimeo as well
social networking sites Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. This has made closer the
relationship between the computer and the handheld device, with the adaption of
technologies designed for the computer to suit other devices. The music video
is now available absolutely anywhere.
As technologies have developed further and further, music videos
have in fact become more relevant. It is now more important than ever for an
artist to have a visual presence somewhere on the Internet. Above are two
examples of this presence being achieved through YouTube in conjunction with
social media. The music video is now being developed specifically for online
purposes, with the opportunity to appear on television now seemingly just one
of the perks. As media convergence has seen the television become dominated by
the computer, and the computer by the phone or tablet, music videos have only
become simper to access and upload, and therefore successfully adapted to suit
this technological convergence.
References:
Britannica 2012, Media convergence, Encyclopedia Britannica, viewed August 23 2012
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1425043/media-convergence>
Dwyer, T 2010, Media Convergence, McGraw Hill, Berkshire,
pp 1-23.
Jenkins, H 2006, Convergence Culture, New York, New York
University Press, pp 1-24.
Meikle, G & Young, S 2012, Media Convergence:
Networked Digital Media in Everyday Life, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 75-85.
Shaw, L 2012, CEO of VEVO (hulu
for music videos) projects $1B in revenue, Media Alley, New York,
viewed August 26 2012, <http://www.thewrap.com/media/column-post/ceo-vevo-hulu-music-videos-projects-1b-revenue-34972>
VEVO 2012, viewed August 10 2012 http://www.vevo.com/aboutx
White, A 2007, Official history of music video, New York Press, viewed August 19
2012 <http://nypress.com/official-history-of-music-video/>
