Film to HD - Revised

McLuhan’s Tetrad can be applied to many media examples but one in particular is the Film industry. There are many technological advances in the film industry, nothing more apparent the development of HD. The laws of media can be applied to film and its dominance until HD arrived on the market. This post attempts to apply the tetrad to the evolution of the film aesthetic. The tetrad gives a quadrant of questions that apply to existence of technology especially media technology. Enhance, retrieve, reverse and obsolesce are the components of the tetrad.

Film began in the late 1800’s and reached global dominance in the 20^th century. Movies were made with film; celluloid, and as time progressed film development grew. Film dominated the feature film and television market.

What did film enhance? It enhanced the lifestyles and cultures of those who could experience, still or moving, images captured on film. The development of the film camera allowed for moving images to create an industry that created jobs and other industries. Film enhanced or amplified humans’ ability to record history and explore human narratives. The film (moving images) created opportunities for education and arts entertainment culture to advance society as well as to document human existence and behavior.

Before the discovery of film and its ability to enhance social growth, there was print media as well as radio that reined as the keys to communicating news, education and entertainment and therefore advertising. But what would it obsolesce? Film would almost make news and radio obsolete. The film industry in its “figure” stage challenged print media and radio and would create a “ground” stage associated with print media and radio.

When film was developed and became a dominant tool to further the human narrative. What did this technology retrieve, renew or reactivate? Film retrieved the expression of the human narrative. Film would allow societies to retrieve history and reactivated the spirit of the human story. What might have been lost in the pages of books could now be explored in a more visceral way. “The motional picture industry has provided a window on the world, and the colonized nations have looked through that window and have seen the things of which they have been deprived” (McLuhan & Fiore, 1967).

“Reversal” is the final component of the tetrad that can be applied to the discovery of film. When film development is pushed to it limits, what happens? When film is regulated and accepted as the norm or becomes “ground” what is the result?

Digital and HD cameras were developed to challenge the extended and growing cost of film projects as well create another format that could offer that same or better visual experience for the independent filmmaker. It would be the cost of film production and the growing digital technology that would reverse the dominance of film in the television and film industry.

McLuhan’s tetrad, which expresses the laws of media, is a valuable discovery and can be applied to all technology. The tetrad should be used as way to encourage media literacy and forming new interest in the development of technology. In secondary and primary education, individuals learn to create and dissect the English language; the tetrad should be included. The tetrad would be a powerful source of education and is an effective tool. No different than mathematics or learning to structure a sentence, the tetrad benefits human learning experience by creating away individuals can really see technology in the “figure” stage.

Mcluhan’s Wake is My Wake to Media Literacy

This week the focus was on Marshall McLuhan. The wonderful film about his life, “McLuhan’s Wake”, was central to the focus. There are many outlets to discovering Marshall McLuhan and his work but it was not until the pursuit of my PhD in media psychology that I was introduced. The 4 laws of media resonated as a discussion topic.

McLuhan is a visionary, a man of great insight and critical thought. McLuhan’s work has affected how psychology is applied to media. Media psychology has a ground level or foundation in which it is built and McLuhan challenged society to change its frame of reference when discussing the future of technology.

Marshall McLuhan’s “4 laws of media” were introduced as an insight of the advertising industry and open the doors for the idea of a Global Village. Enhance, retrieve, reverse and obsolesce are described as the 4 laws of media. McLuhan created a tetrad to help examine the interlocking of these laws.

Humans are consumed with technology, especially new media technology that must be examined in ways that demonstrate what the benefits are and the understanding of what new possibilities that can result from new media. What is being enhanced? When the cell phone was introduced to society it allowed people to communicate more and basically made the home phone obsolete. Some people actually replace their home phone with the cell phone. But, the Internet technology required a phone line. Factors like, privacy, natural disasters and Internet and cable television gave reason for phone lines to return to its original use as a landline. The “reverse” law examines the idea of when pushed to the limit; can the new media reverse the original characteristics? This law applies to the cell phone and landline technology. Cell phone consumption has reversed the need of home phones. The “retrieve” law applies to the ability of the new media to reintroduce the benefits of media that was once lost, making the once obsolete essential again. Here again, the phone line is retrieved. Finally the “obsolesce” law refers to media, which is no longer essential because of the introduction of new media. These laws have proven to be consistently in motion whether individuals are aware of it or not.

Over time there has been many examples of the laws in action. During our history we played music on records that then became 8 track tapes that lead to cassette tapes and then to the CD format. Today we have the ability to stream and download music from computers and smart phones. One media technology replacing another actually created a better music listening experience. Also today we see that as media progresses individuals have choices that they did not have previously.

Many people appreciate albums and have a record player that allows them to digitize that record (album). The creation of Hip Hop music allowed for albums to stay around long enough to still be prevalent in social use. Technology continues to work its way back to where it came from. This has been described as the “now, again” aesthetic. What used to be in the past or obsolete is “now” again.

There are many examples of “laws of media” and once an individual has the opportunity to absorb this information, possibly, a foundation for media literacy is defined. The challenge is to look for laws of media at work in individuals’ own life and media experience. The “laws of media” is a revelation. McLuhan continued with other theories that helped to explain, almost scientifically, the world today. With respect to readers, McLuhan is right and has given society more reason than ever to use history as way to carving a future.

Understanding Augmented Reality

Understanding Augmented Reality

This week I have had the pleasure of reading about augmented reality and was challenged to think about new technology that I might create. Our society today is inundated with technology that is intended to enhance the lively hoods of individuals. It becomes important to able to define technology beyond its intended use. Augmented Reality defines the current state of affairs associated with media presentation and media content.

Wikipedia defines augmented reality as a “live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real world environment whose elements are augmented by computer generated sensory input such as sound, video graphics or GPS data”. We live in a world where the reality is modified more often than we consciously understand.

The point of this blog is to bring attention to the importance of educating individuals about augmented reality as a conscious experience. The computer and components thereof (chips) is the common denominator in the definition of augmented reality. I had no idea that my reality was being augmented daily, that I have been participating in the process of augmentation when I started editing television and film projects in film school.

From the beginning of film, individual’s reality has been augmented. Electronics has augmented reality through radio and television. Computer technology has redefined or has generated a reason to establish a definition that directly relates to computer generated images. When I turn on a camera and look through the viewfinder time code numbers and information pop up on the viewer screen. I all ways thought that it was useful information not really looking at it as augmented reality. When filmmakers apply graphics and visual special affects to a film or television show they are augmenting realty through the use of computer electronics. Cell phone use today involves the process of augmented reality as smart phones continue to grow with the use of applications and other computer generated software.

Humans have been experiencing a form of augmented reality from the moment airwaves have been used to communicate. Telegraphs, telephones, radio, television, computers, cell phones are distribution outlets that augment reality. Television and film continue to expand the concept of augmented reality as narratives continue to include computer technology to create or recreate reality that affects viewers’ emotions. As an educator the idea of augmented reality is important to share and encourage. Individuals should have and keep a conscious understanding of augmented reality as way to motivate media literacy. When thinking about new technology that I might create, I can not escape the process of augmented reality and realize that even beyond media, augmented reality is all around me.

Digital Native- Digital Citizen

Each week, I make a blog entry that reflects new knowledge gainded from research and introspection of new technology, new media and its role in our social communication. I have found that understanding communication within the idea of community and the relationship community has with citizenship is key. This blog will further the discussion of community and citizenship while making a correlation to the ideas of digital immigrants and digital natives.

Jason Ohler, author of Digital Community Digital Citizen, introduced the discussion and explains the need to consider the relationship or connection of community and citizenship as society continues to be inundated with technology and media. Ohler (2010) says “as we consider technology as figure, and see clearly its pervasiveness and power, we realize there is very little we can effectively legislate in a free society that will prevent technology from running amok or us from misusing its power” (P. 18)

This concern is the basis of the importance of insuring that individuals have the opportunity to understand their community in a digital way. I believe a foundation that is built on understanding and critical thinking offers individuals the opportunity to process their responsibilities that we all share within the digital community.

Digital community does lead to citizenship. My approach to this process is first understanding how a community is defined. The idea of a place where humans connect, communicate and survive describes the basis of a community. Within that community, the ability to project a universal mind set that allows for the growth of families and culture within that community is key. Naturally, the people of a community usually develop boundaries associated with behavior that defines what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. Citizenship involves protocol, rules and laws. Citizenship is sometimes looked at as being separate than community. Ohler (2010) shares, “the result is that your community and the basis for your legal, geographically defined citizenship could be completely separate” (p. 38). A community consciously and subconsciously creates these boundaries that allow for a community to thrive and therefore form citizenship. Digital citizenship requires individuals to be responsible. Ohler (2010) introduced the ISTE (International Society For Education) as an example of the responsibility necessary in a digital community.

“Citizenship is tied to community. It is an expression of our understanding of what our community expects of us and we expect of it” (Ohler, 2010, p. 36). I found it interesting that citizenship historically was meant only for those of a higher status. Dr. Jason Ohler explains in is book, “citizenship as most of us would recognize it is based on the efforts of philosophers, writers, and politicians living during the age of enlightenment”(Ohler, 2010). Citizenship suggested entitlements then and continues to suggest entitlements today. Entitlements are universal. Everyone can feel entitled in today’s media driven, social networking society by creating digital personalities within a digital community. Within that community citizenship evolves.

Digital community-digital citizen can be correlated to digital immigrant-digital native concepts. Within a digital community that evolves a digital citizenship, suggest that there is a conscious process that is a result of the community. Within the community, a collective mindset is to survive and communicate. The digital immigrant wants to do the same. As the digital immigrant develops communication and survival skills amidst the overwhelming amount of technology and media access, the process of becoming a digital native has begun. In affect digital immigrants exist within a community and as they develop so does the process of citizenship. The goal, in my mind, is to be digital natives completely aware of your digital and media space. This is a responsible act and holds a level of responsibility to the community. In my opinion, the responsibility discussed defines citizenship.

Digital Native-Digital Immigrant

Media literacy is at the forefront of my life’s journey today. Every bit of media that I read or watch appeals to me in some form or fashion. Because of this, I continue to search for my way to be an effective media psychologist in society today. The fact that I am as much of a consumer as everyone else motivates the goal to understand all that I can about media and its romantic and persuasive ways.

I am no different than any other human who strives to develop the best quality of life they can. Communication is a key an element to the idea of “quality of life”. Our individual narratives are only worthy if they can be communicated. As Ohler and Isbouts (2011) states communication is “a basic human desire that dates back to our earliest ancestors” (p. 30). Communication is a major common thread of developing or existing with in a community.

The digital world has given us greater opportunity to communicate whether it’s through the use of smart phones, computers or the Internet. Humans need to communicate. As the communication landscape changes so should the approach to media. That communication line is vital to the sustainability of a community. Here is where the concept of digital native and digital immigrant comes into play.

In our society today exist a gap or disconnect between generations. One generation is born into the digital community that exists and has a ready-made mindset for accepting and using the digital technology in our culture. These individuals consciously or subconsciously grasp the digital world and create their own expression of narratives that create a new kind of independence. This is the space of the digital native. Digital natives, use, understand and progress the digital landscape and the younger generation seem to be more apt for the infusion and continue to add to the growing culture.

The other generation is a more traditional minded generation relying on their past experience more than their future. They seem frightened or skeptical about the use of new media. Individuals become numbed by the pervasiveness of technology in our lives and the overwhelming amount of media that individuals consume. I believe it is the clutter factor that helps to create a numbed community. This is the barrier that exists within the world of digital natives and digital immigrants. There must be a considerably amount of time spent on creating ways to bridge the gap between natives and immigrants in order for media literacy to grow. The objective is to share the importance of not allowing the technology to control you but you control it. We must not get rid of the clutter, we can’t, and we must strive to understand how media works and why media works in our culture in order to create a healthier media society today.

reference:

Isbouts, J.P. & Ohler, J. (2011), Storytelling and Media: Narrative Models From Aristotle to Augmented Reality, Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, Ca.