"The coming of mechanical sound to the movies constituted the first major technological change in the history of film."

(Douglas Gomery)

Television eventually became a household fixture that threatened to keep theater-going audiences at home, thus TV became the main competitor and the main reason theater sound companies engineered to create a richer and more immersive theater sound experience that TV could not replicate.

"The movies did indeed attain the zenith of their popularity and influence in the 1930s and 1940s, culminating in 1946, when motion-picture attendance reached its all-time peak; but at the same time the industry became more enmeshed in the struggles over power and purpose in American society than ever before. The form that movie culture assumed grew out of interrelations with other social and economic institutions and with the state." (Robert Sklar)

Definition: Film Gives Way to Video
In a Nutshell: Film is the mother of video. Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion. Source

Film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are made up of a series of individual images called frames. When these images are shown rapidly in succession, a viewer has the illusion that motion is occurring. The viewer cannot see the flickering between frames due to an effect known as persistence of vision, whereby the eye retains a visual image for a fraction of a second after the source has been removed. A common name for film in the United States is movie, while in Europe the term cinema is preferred. Additional terms for the field in general include the big screen, the silver screen, the cinema and the movies. Source

History of Film & Video...And the Rise of YouTube

Video technology was first developed for cathode ray tube television systems, but several new technologies for video display devices have since been invented. Standards for television sets and computer monitors have tended to evolve independently, but advances in computer performance and digital television broadcasting and recording are resulting in a convergence of standards and use of content. Computers can now display television and film-style video clips and streaming media, encouraged by increased processor speed, storage capacity, and broadband access to the Internet. Source

YouTube is a video sharing website on which users can upload and share videos. YouTube uses Adobe Flash Video technology to display a wide variety of user-generated video content, including movie clips, TV clips, and music videos, as well as amateur content such as video blogging and short original videos. Most of the content on YouTube has been uploaded by individuals, although media corporations including CBS, the BBC, UMG and other organizations offer some of their material via the site, as part of the YouTube partnership program.

 
Examples of Online Video (YouTube)
Here is an example of one of the many music videos on YouTube:
 
The Benefits of Online Video
  • The advent of YouTube has connected families who are scattered all over the globe.
  • Military families benefit from YouTube videos of family events, in which they are not physically able to attend.
  • Because it is public and free, people can view "viral videos" that produce popular cultural references. Those who have viewed these popular videos can openly discuss the references and relate to others who have seen it.
  • President Obama's 2008 campaign used new media, and specifically online video, to discuss his points and further his campaign. No president before him had utilized the Internet in such a way as to connect to the people.
  • Video can be combined with a blogging format to create vlogging = video + blogging to connect to a niche audience.
  • A salient form of self-expression, videos can be produced and uploaded with little technical expertise.
  • With YouTube, the site is searchable. For example, if a person is interested in viewing videos of skydiving, all one need do is enter in the search term.
  • The remixing and repurposing of (non-copywritten) content makes for amusing and creative projects for school or home.
  • Familiarity with both viewing and creation of online video allows one to become exposed to the terminology and technical jargon which one can come to understand through practice.
  • Demonstration videos and product demonstrations for business or practical purposes can be educational.
The Negatives
  • One has to be careful what type of videos one records for online publishing as embarrassment or humilation can ensue.
  • YouTube will not accept pornography. While this is not necessarily a negative, there are other forums where pornographic videos are accepted.
  • If one works wishes to create an extensive video of high production value, the programs and time involved can be expensive and time-consuming.
  • On YouTube, one's video (if chosen to be open to the public) can be the unintended target of scrutiny and criticism as people are allowed to comment on each video.
  • One must sign up for an account with a username and password to upload videos.
  • A plethora of inscrutable, amateur or random videos with little viewing value saturate YouTube. One may have to "dig" to find videos in which they find value.

The Basics of Creating Your Own Video

 

The Basics of Uploading Your Own Video to YouTube
  • Use a digital camera or video recorder with a memory card plugs into the USB port of your computer to shoot your video.
  • How to Upload a Video to YouTube

 
Source

More Resources

Go to Top

Sarah McNabb - CMNS 545: Communication & Technology - 2010