MAS110 Sem 2 2012 - Lab 10: Digital Media Convergence

http://www.flinders.edu.au/science_engineering/fms/School-CSEM/csem_image_files/Courses/Computing/digital_media.jpg

Image One

Digital media convergence in terms of Music Videos and other content has become a phenomenon of the twenty-first century. This article will attempt to discuss issues of this particular topic with regards to how Music Video developed into a mainstream form of digital media and whether this phenomenon of convergence should be considered "positive" or "negative". Furthermore, we shall discuss the concept of YouTube and how this internet-based website has completely altered the media landscape, with particular use and reference to the Music Video.

To begin, first one must understand the concept of convergence. In a modern world, with the introduction of the internet, multimedia on numerous platforms can be brought into one particular media medium. An example of this would be YouTube. To reinforce this point, this essay will use particular YouTube videos throughout its process. Convergence of digital media, or in particular music video, can be seen quite obviously in the format of a YouTube video, with the introduction of VEVO, a YouTube channel that brings music and music video to the forefront of mass exposure, often attracting millions of views in numerous music videos. This approach to music videos may very well be interpreted as a way by which media marketers have attempted to adapt to the changing consumer values of this century (Chen & Granitz 2010, 1219).

According to Chen and Granitz, the use of the internet (and in particular YouTube), has evolved from a utilization role to something far more complex and versatile (Chen & Granitz 2010, 1219). As we look at the history of music video we can see a rebirth of the music video industry through this new medium, and one can argue that although YouTube has "replaced" much of what is now considered "old technology", it still uses and recycles old media. We can see this is apparent in the video clip below, which allows us to view AC/DC in Melbourne in 1976 in an episode of "RAGE" that has been uploaded to the internet.

This example allows us to state that although new technology has made much "old technology" redundant, the tenacity of media has been apparent through convergence, which in turn has allowed us to retain "old media" that was previously viewed through an outdated medium (Chen & Granitz 2010, 1220).

http://images.library.uiuc.edu/projects/gcm/memories.jpg

Image Two

This now allows us to diverge into the next issue, the concept of cultural memory as stated by Lucas Hilderbrand (Hilderbrand 2007, 50). This concept is a way of understanding the current media convergence situation, whereby one may simply type a song into YouTube they enjoyed as a child and the site would bring back fond memories and emotions that were from a previous era. This convergence has been stated a "portal" by which we can actively and quite easily retrieve information or media forms that have a positive use throughout the community and furthermore for the media and artists themselves (Hilderbrand 2007, 51). This greater exposure should very well be considered useful for any media form in the attempt to create more cultural awareness, simultaneously gaining more support as it grows in popularity.

On this note, we can now look into the issue of cultural awareness in relation to music videos. This huge phenomenon has allowed culture to leap across to another culture. Arjun Appadurai argues that the creation of media disjoints culture but with the creation of the internet and YouTube, it allows for this culture to be interpreted in new and creative ways (Appadurai 1990, 3). This can be seen quite apparently in the music video "Thriller", by Michael Jackson that has been re-created and reinterpreted in a Filipino context. This interesting take has become "viral" and shows us how old media can be re-interpreted in both a new social context and a new time period. Ironically enough, however, both music videos can now be found on YouTube.

Again, Appadurai makes an interesting point of these interpretations, by which they are quite "hyper-real", and his example of the Elvis impersonators that are more forcibly real than their American counterparts allows us to understand that although new technological advances allows us to put forwards our cultural values, they are still subject to the medium of interpretation, which in itself is defined by different societal values. Relating this back to music video, we can see in the video above how this is relevant.

Image Three

In essence, convergence has severely impacted the modern media landscape, and with it music videos. Forcing these media mediums to adapt to this new landscape has allowed for many media industries to create new and creative ways for us to view their material. The most abundant and popular way of course, is YouTube. Through YouTube we have been able to see how media convergence has positively affected the way in which music video gains exposure to huge audiences on a global scale as well as how media has been interpreted through this exposure to new and different cultural diversities. This article has attempted to address the issues of convergence and YouTube's role in creating this new global media landscape, in an attempt to comprehend the enormous potential that modern media now represents.

Image Four

Bibliography (Chicago-author date)

Appadurai, Arjun. 1990. "Disjuncture and difference in the global cultural economy." Public Culture 2 (2): 1–24.

Chen, Steven and Niel Granitz. 2010. "Adoption, rejection, or convergence: Consumer attitudes toward book digitization." Journal of Business Research 65 (2012): 1219-1225.

Hilderbrand, Lucas. 2007. "Youtube: Where Cultural Memory and Copyright Converge." Film Quarterly 61 (1): 48-57.