Brianna Hodder A2

Bandersnatch:   Black Mirror's 'choose your own adventure' story provides many hidden endings and fun surprises. The fifth Black Mirror season - made up of a single episode called Bandersnatch - represents the latest mainstream offering in interactive storytelling. Released in December 2018 by Netflix in a choose-your-own-adventure format, Bandersnatch allows viewers to make decisions at various junctures, theses choices then determine the story path down which the episode proceeds The result of a network of "five endings and one trillion story combos", including some scenes that nobody can find "The TV of tomorrow is now here"   However this format isn't actually a new idea. Netflix presented similar interactive episodes in its 2017 children's shows 'Puss in Books" and "Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile" This is a way "to make TV shows even more addictive" What Bandersnatch really shows is how Netflix's algorit...

David Gauntlett:   Older vs Newer Representations His beliefs: Audiences get a sense of their own identity from the media products they consume -e.g. (1960s) Women's Realm magazine, women got ideas of what was socially acceptable, e.g what products to buy as a housewife and what person they needed to be Past = stereotypical, straightforward, simple, binary gender representations of identity -e.g. men = strong and brave, take care of their wives, and go to work -e.g. women = housewives, caring, emotional, little independence Now = Diverse, complex representations (particularly of gender) -e.g. if you're studying online media, watching vlogs on YT etc.

"The medium is (more important than) the message" Thanks to the internet, millions of people can have their say Information is everywhere e.g. blogs, videos, websites etc. New ideas usually come through conversation, so since the web is a mass of conversation it creates mass innovation 21st Century = Mass production for mass consumption 21st Century = Mass innovation - more ideas being shared by more people 'We think, therefore we are'   Good for democracy, equality, freedom (supposedly) You were what you owned, now you are what you share The power of the internet = infinite information Information is crucially shared, and interpreted (YouTube is a vehicle for this) Democracy through collaboration, less corporation control - role of YT Online media - more people have a voice Free content, open access, e.g. YouTube Audiences express themselves, no constraints from controlling media producers e.g. UGC Power to the people - upholding  traditions of free speech e.g. twitt...

  Globalisation and mass media:   The mass media are today seen as playing a key role in enhancing globalization, and facilitating cultural exchange and multiple flows of information and images between countries through international news broadcasts, TV programming, new technologies, film and music. Since the 1990s, most communications of media have become increasingly global, extending their reach beyond the nation-state to conquer audiences worldwide. International flows of information have been assisted by the development of global capitalism, new technologies, and the increasing commercialization of global TV, which has occurred as a consequence of the deregulation policies adopted by various countries in order to permit the proliferation of cable and satellite channels. Aspects of Globalization:   Celebrity culture Fandoms Global releases of films/media content Political causes which transcend national barriers (e.g. BLM and Trump-haters in USA, riots/marches in othe...

"It's not TV, it's HBO:"   HBO is planning on bringing its brand and content in a meaningful and permanent way to NZ The newly merged Warner Bros Discovery announced it would be combining its streaming services - HBO Max and Discovery+ - and taking those brands global (right now they aren't accessible in NZ though) It is reported that the new, as-yet-untitled streaming service will launch in the US next year, followed by Latin America, Europe, and in mid-2024, all Asia-Pacific countries The new service will include all Warner Bros movies, plus every piece of content from Sony Pictures, DC and Discovery+ Disadvantages:   Despite this being good for TV fans, it could be very bad for the streaming service Sky. For years, Sky has had exclusive NZ streaming rights to HBO's content, and has built several channels, including SoHo and Neon, around them Because of this, it is hard to see that Sky TV will be allowed to continue streaming any of those shows

Netflix plans to expand beyond films into video games Netflix is making its first big move beyond TV shows and films, planning an expansion into video games and has hired a former Electronic Arts and Facebook executive to lead the effort. Mike Verdu, previous vice president of Facebook and now of game development, is in charge of working with developers to bring games and other content to virtual-reality headsets. The games will appear alongside current fare as a new programming genre, similar to what Netflix did with documentaries or stand-up specials, and is currently not planning to charge extra for the content. Netflix has been seeking ways to keep growing, especially in more saturated markets such as the US. This included building out its kids' programming, opening an online shop to sell merchandise, and making a deal with Steven Spielberg to bring more prestigious movies to its lineup. Video games give Netflix another way to lure new customers and also offer something none of...

What is film distribution?   Film distribution is the commercial process that makes a feature film available to the general public. It usually also includes determining a marketing strategy. In the older days, major film distributing companies put a movie in theaters, it ran there for about a year, and then it was gone. However, now they stay in theaters for shorter amounts of time but get put on streaming devices so people can watch them at home on their mobile devices Simultaneous Releases:   Movies are now doing simultaneous releases, as data shows people are more likely to watch films at home that are under 'recently released in theaters' categories, boosting the on-demand sales by people at home VOD:   Allows for distribution to bypass theater releases altogether Included in simultaneous releases Immediately accessible Netflix:   Now is taking over cinematic distribution by exclusively premiering movies released on the same day the film debuts in select IMAX the...

"The relationship between media and its audience has changed rapidly" Introduction:   Media ecology aims to describe ways in which diverse media environments shape today's society and our everyday lives, relating to the theoretical framework that deals with the multifaceted relationship between media and society (agree) The phrase was officially introduced and coined in  1968  by the media theorist Neil Postman, however it was based upon Marshall McLuhan theory written in his 1964 book: 'Understanding Media' At the most basic level, audiences are vital in communication. It is for the audience that the media are constructing and conveying information, and, if it were not for the audiences, the media would not exist Body:   Paragraph 1: Topic: Increase in the use of technology to expand audiences and mediums With the proliferation of technology and Web 2.0, there is now a clear distinction between old and new media and the introduction of the idea that audiences c...

Task 1: What is it? Media ecology aims to describe ways in which diverse media environments shape today's society and our everyday lives. It relates to the theoretical framework that deals with the multifaceted relationship between media and society The central premise of this is that the communication content doesn't exert nearly as much influence as the medium of communication itself does. Origins: The phrase was officially introduced and coined in 1968 by the media theorist Neil Postman However, what initially inspired the phrase was Marshall McLuhan 's theory proposed in his 1964 book, 'Understanding Media' McLuhan was the first to suggest that the focus of the study should be media and not the content it communicates Media as Environments: Postman, Nystrom and Strate have defined media ecology in quite similar ways. They suggest that media, or rather, a medium in a technological context; the environment that consists of communication systems within which we li...

"Should social media companies and big tech have the right or the power to silence voices on their platforms?" Twitter's suspension of Trump, and the shuttering of Parler, a free speech social media platform, are just the latest issues that highlight the very deep divide plaguing our country and it is unlikely to change soon. "Internet censorship is an incredibly divisive topic right now," and many Americans felt that social media companies may have a moral obligation to censor content. A study found that more than one in four people believe there should be more censorship on the Internet, while nearly one in three believe there should be less censorship, but despite varying opinions, a majority of people are in agreement that social media platforms should have the right to censor content within their platforms. The issue with this is what type of content is being discussed, with many people wanting more censorship for things like violence. One significant issue...

YouTube: 1) How much content is created every day? 300-500 hours of videos get uploaded every single minute 30,000 videos uploaded every hour 720,000 hours of video are uploaded every day 2) Who acquired YouTube and how much was spent? Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion in 2006 3) How was allowing people to monetize channels a major shift in the industry? In 2007, YouTube introduced the YouTube partnership program, allowing users to monetize their videos, 'giving birth' to new careers that originally didn't exist 4) How were the  algorithms used to YouTube's advantage with subscribers? The reason why YouTube became so successful was because of the rise of the algorithm. Because of this you could discover content you were interested, and the recommendation engine gave you other videos to watch based on what you'd seen The platform basically anticipates your needs based on who you subscribe to and what you watch regularly It also introduces you to videos that you...

Task 1: How has technology development made media regulation harder? (Livingstone and Lunt) Regulation sets limits to freedom, and is motivated by a desire to control or mitigate against negative consequences In the film industry (UK) the BBFC is the regulatory body responsible for censorship and regulation Since media regulation no longer applies to just films, but also internet and newer forms of media, regulation is harder as there is more to filter, and what rules should be put in place in different media industries to protect the audiences from harm Since these are mainly made in regards to protect younger audiences, it also causes problems for adults, since they feel once they are 18 they feel they can make the choices on what movies they watch and what video games they play There is a fine line between protecting the audience and giving them the choice and freedom to choose what they watch Regulators have to try balance protecting people with offering choice

Social Media Regulation: The world's richest man, Elon Musk has bought Twitter in late April this year, and since, there has been a division between those who advocate for unfettered free speech - such as Elon himself - and those who believe some platforms hold too much power and influence However the ultimate outcome for Twitter may depend heavily on social media regulation Chris Philp, the UK minister for technology and digital economy, gave a speech about the government's plan for digital regulation through its proposed online safety bill which supports a thriving democracy. Now the government has warned Musk that Twitter will have to comply with the new UK legislation After Facebook and Twitter removed Russian state media from their sites at the end of February, the Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor blocked access to the platforms, citing discrimination With concerns mounting about state influence on media and information, we need to understand what democratic s...

Task 1: History of Censorship by Brianna Hodder Task 2: Censorship in NZ by Brianna Hodder Task 3: New Chief Censor by Brianna Hodder Task 4: Content regulatory review by Brianna Hodder