Go to our Media Magazine archive and read the article on Netflix and the Cultural Industries(MM63 - page 45). Create a blogpost called 'The impact of new/digital media on TV' and answer the following questions:
1) What does the 'industry' concept in A Level Media Studies refer to?
The ‘industry’ concept refers to the companies that create and distribute media texts, the standard practices of media production, as well as the regulatory and legal frameworks in which the companies operate.
2) What does David Hesmondhalgh argue with regards to how the creative industries have changed since the 1980s?
Hesmondhalgh, broadly speaking, argues that since the 1980s there’s been a significant shift in cultural production.
3) Choose the three most significant points Hesmondhalgh makes regarding the changing cultural industries. Why are these the most significant in your view? Globalization has meant media texts can circulate more easily across borders reducing North American dominance.
This point is important because it allows texts to be distributed to other countries which means that other people from different countries and nationalities can watch other shows from other countries. This will allow them to appreciate the rise of foreign- language television. Media texts can circulate to other borders so foreign-language television will get a bigger audience.
Digitisation has allowed the technology sector to compete directly with traditional media companies.
This is an important point because this meant that media companies will have more competition and it will be harder for media companies to attract customers to watch their media texts because bigger and more powerful technology companies are coming into the industry such as Google, Apple and Amazon. Alphabet (Google’s parent company) and Facebook have become two of the biggest media companies in the world
on the back of advertising revenues. Because they can target niche audiences, advertisers
can be confident that their message is getting to their desired audience. At the same time, the global reach of the Internet can maximise their audience.
Niche audiences are increasingly targeted.
This point is important because it is showing the rise of Art house films in the last couple of years. Films have started targeting smaller audiences because it is more effective compared to when films used to attract large audiences. It is more effective and also it tells us that the the film will be different and the structure and narrative is different and every person won't like it but some people will appreciate the fact that the film is different
4) What is technological convergence?
In general, convergence is a coming together of two or more distinct entities or phenomena. Technological convergence is increasingly prevalent in the information technology world; in this context, the term refers to the combination of two or more different technologies in a single device.
5) How are technology companies challenging traditional broadcasters in the TV industry?
Although digitization’s first major impact was on the music industry, with the creation of CDs in the early 1980s, it was the growth of home computing and the creation of the World Wide Web, which led to increased technological convergence; digitization of media meant every media form could be accessed on computers. It was this that eventually enabled tech companies to compete directly with media companies and, arguably, even become media companies. Alphabet (Google’s parent company) and Facebook have become two of the biggest media companies in the world on the back of advertising revenues. Because they can micro-target niche audiences, advertisers can be confident that their message is getting to their desired audience. At the same time, the global reach of the Internet can maximize their audience.
6) What budgets will Netflix, Amazon and Apple spend on original programming next year?
Next year Netflix plans to spend $8bn on original material; Amazon’s budget is estimated at $4.5bn. Apple has recently joined the fray with a $1bn spend.
7) How many countries are Netflix and Amazon available in?
Netflix is available to 190 countries around the world and Amazon prime is available in 200 countries around the world.
8) The global nature of modern television means producers are having to consider international audiences when creating content. What example from Netflix does the article use to explain this?
Digitisation, and the ability to distribute texts via the Internet, meant that technology companies could
challenge traditional broadcasters. For example, Amazon (originally an online book seller) is now producing its own ‘television’ programmes. In doing this it followed Netflix, which began as a postal DVD service, in ‘liberating’ television programmes from broadcasters’ schedules with on-demand viewing. Netflix understood their business was distributing audiovisual texts and so realised that it needed to create its own online subscription service. Traditional distributors of DVDs, like the shop Blockbuster, went bust after broadband connections facilitated video streaming. Even more cannily Netflix
also understood that it would need to produce its own content because the traditional media companies would eventually realise that they could set up their own Internet distribution networks. Disney, for example, has withdrawn all its content from Netflix for distribution on its own channel.
9) Do you think technology companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon will increase their interest in the television industry?
I think technology companies such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon will increase their interest in the television industry because I think that all these companies are powerful businesses and they want to compete in the film industry and want to offer their customers as much as possible so that they don't go to a rival. Also, because they want to get other companies in the film industry out of business which means that the big companies like Facebook and Apple don't want to just dominate their field of expertise but they want to dominate other fields such as the film industry because they want to make more profit and become an even bigger company who will dominate the markets today.
10) How do changes in technology influence the creation of TV dramas such as Capital or Deutschland 83? How?
Changes in technology influence the creation of TV dramas such as Capital or Deutschland 83 because it will allow the producers to use more advanced cameras and lighting, which will allow them to go for more ambitious shots. Also, this means that more features will be available for when the editing takes place. Finally, the changes in technology will allow the producer to pick more advanced locations and also use props with the technology involved, Such as, in Capital they could have made London more of a technological city with drones and more advancements using different editing techniques.
1) What does the 'industry' concept in A Level Media Studies refer to?
The ‘industry’ concept refers to the companies that create and distribute media texts, the standard practices of media production, as well as the regulatory and legal frameworks in which the companies operate.
2) What does David Hesmondhalgh argue with regards to how the creative industries have changed since the 1980s?
Hesmondhalgh, broadly speaking, argues that since the 1980s there’s been a significant shift in cultural production.
3) Choose the three most significant points Hesmondhalgh makes regarding the changing cultural industries. Why are these the most significant in your view? Globalization has meant media texts can circulate more easily across borders reducing North American dominance.
This point is important because it allows texts to be distributed to other countries which means that other people from different countries and nationalities can watch other shows from other countries. This will allow them to appreciate the rise of foreign- language television. Media texts can circulate to other borders so foreign-language television will get a bigger audience.
Digitisation has allowed the technology sector to compete directly with traditional media companies.
This is an important point because this meant that media companies will have more competition and it will be harder for media companies to attract customers to watch their media texts because bigger and more powerful technology companies are coming into the industry such as Google, Apple and Amazon. Alphabet (Google’s parent company) and Facebook have become two of the biggest media companies in the world
on the back of advertising revenues. Because they can target niche audiences, advertisers
can be confident that their message is getting to their desired audience. At the same time, the global reach of the Internet can maximise their audience.
Niche audiences are increasingly targeted.
This point is important because it is showing the rise of Art house films in the last couple of years. Films have started targeting smaller audiences because it is more effective compared to when films used to attract large audiences. It is more effective and also it tells us that the the film will be different and the structure and narrative is different and every person won't like it but some people will appreciate the fact that the film is different
4) What is technological convergence?
In general, convergence is a coming together of two or more distinct entities or phenomena. Technological convergence is increasingly prevalent in the information technology world; in this context, the term refers to the combination of two or more different technologies in a single device.
5) How are technology companies challenging traditional broadcasters in the TV industry?
Although digitization’s first major impact was on the music industry, with the creation of CDs in the early 1980s, it was the growth of home computing and the creation of the World Wide Web, which led to increased technological convergence; digitization of media meant every media form could be accessed on computers. It was this that eventually enabled tech companies to compete directly with media companies and, arguably, even become media companies. Alphabet (Google’s parent company) and Facebook have become two of the biggest media companies in the world on the back of advertising revenues. Because they can micro-target niche audiences, advertisers can be confident that their message is getting to their desired audience. At the same time, the global reach of the Internet can maximize their audience.
6) What budgets will Netflix, Amazon and Apple spend on original programming next year?
Next year Netflix plans to spend $8bn on original material; Amazon’s budget is estimated at $4.5bn. Apple has recently joined the fray with a $1bn spend.
7) How many countries are Netflix and Amazon available in?
Netflix is available to 190 countries around the world and Amazon prime is available in 200 countries around the world.
8) The global nature of modern television means producers are having to consider international audiences when creating content. What example from Netflix does the article use to explain this?
Digitisation, and the ability to distribute texts via the Internet, meant that technology companies could
challenge traditional broadcasters. For example, Amazon (originally an online book seller) is now producing its own ‘television’ programmes. In doing this it followed Netflix, which began as a postal DVD service, in ‘liberating’ television programmes from broadcasters’ schedules with on-demand viewing. Netflix understood their business was distributing audiovisual texts and so realised that it needed to create its own online subscription service. Traditional distributors of DVDs, like the shop Blockbuster, went bust after broadband connections facilitated video streaming. Even more cannily Netflix
also understood that it would need to produce its own content because the traditional media companies would eventually realise that they could set up their own Internet distribution networks. Disney, for example, has withdrawn all its content from Netflix for distribution on its own channel.
9) Do you think technology companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon will increase their interest in the television industry?
I think technology companies such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon will increase their interest in the television industry because I think that all these companies are powerful businesses and they want to compete in the film industry and want to offer their customers as much as possible so that they don't go to a rival. Also, because they want to get other companies in the film industry out of business which means that the big companies like Facebook and Apple don't want to just dominate their field of expertise but they want to dominate other fields such as the film industry because they want to make more profit and become an even bigger company who will dominate the markets today.
10) How do changes in technology influence the creation of TV dramas such as Capital or Deutschland 83? How?
Changes in technology influence the creation of TV dramas such as Capital or Deutschland 83 because it will allow the producers to use more advanced cameras and lighting, which will allow them to go for more ambitious shots. Also, this means that more features will be available for when the editing takes place. Finally, the changes in technology will allow the producer to pick more advanced locations and also use props with the technology involved, Such as, in Capital they could have made London more of a technological city with drones and more advancements using different editing techniques.
