Technology essay

“Digital technologies have transformed the way media is produced and distributed.” 

(Discuss with reference to the media area you have studied).

Digital technology has transformed the way media is produced and distributed throughout the years of well known media institutions. With the help of new digital equipment that are being introduced into the media industry by the years, this helps filmmakers with the distribution of their new films. Back in the day, prior to internet and online services, films could only be distributed through posters, magazines, adverts, newspaper articles, billboards, etc. Different aspects of these ways to promote films are still being used in films nowadays, but not as much as it was needed back then. In today’s day and age, ways of promoting films and distributing them are easier thanks to the internet and all kinds of social media platforms. Distributing a film now can be done just by a click of a few buttons, nothing too big or time consuming for the big media institutions today. Marketing/promotion campaigns can be started through today’s internet skills, nowadays film promotional materials are usually created through singular websites and advertisements. Famous well-known artists or actors that are involved with a new film can promote their role or the film itself on their own social media platforms, which takes a big part of helping out with the distribution of the new film. Through the time, posters and magazine adverts for films have changed into hashtags and social media groups to promote most new/upcoming films.

In the documentary “Side by side” directed and produced by actor Keanu Reeves, we are introduced and informed to pieces of gathered information on how certain directors, producers, editors and more feel about how new digital equipment is changing the whole world of media nowadays. There is a good split through the middle between different filmmakers that are for the ‘old ways’ or for the ‘new ways’ of doing media films. A few complications that some thought were important to know would be that film industries that want to take the next step with new equipment would have to really learn and understand how to work new cameras, new editing platforms, machines needed, etc. And with this new extent of knowledge in the media industry, some do find it time consuming to try to learn all this new updated knowledge about things they already know about.

Another great impact new technology has taken a part of within the media aspect of the world is the costs. Knowing that prior to a lot of the new digital technologies, costs for filming equipment back in the day was highly expensive. This did influence a lot of filmmakers to become independent with their work, and this was also where special effects were firstly introduced. Special effects did increase the budget of most film productions, even though it did add a lot of new improvements to a lot of films for their viewers and audiences as well.

In today’s generation, with the help of the internet, it has become a big time game changer for a lot of film institutions. Having it take a lot of weight off some filmmakers shoulders nowadays with distribution and promotion, it also helps a lot with editing. The initial way of editing was done by physically cutting the film piece and pasting it together for different bits of a scene for example. Now, editing has become easier from the time where filmmakers were still physically cutting films and pasting them together, advanced film editing softwares have made it very possible to create imaginable effects and combine certain footage or music together. Filmmakers and media institutions take this as a big advantage since it does help a lot. 

In conclusion, a lot of newly digital technologies have transformed and inspired the way media is produced and distributed now compared to how it used to be 20 plus years ago. New digital technologies take a lot of ‘weight’ off shoulders who work with a lot of filming work. The new ways also help audiences gather their favourite old or new films easier and quicker through the internet or multiple social media platforms.