New Media Technology and Motion Pictures

We wish to recognize the individuals who contributed to this body of work. First, we would like to thank the chapter authors for their thoughtful and timely research. Without the chapter authors’ contributions, this edited volume would not exist. Second, we would like to thank the staff at Peter Lang Publishing. We would like to recognize our Acquisitions Editor, Elizabeth Howard, and former Acquisitions Editor, Niall Kennedy. Without their support for this topic, the book’s concept may have taken a very different direction. We would also like to thank the Editorial and Production teams at Peter Lang for their assistance during the publishing process.

Throughout the book, there are interviews with practitioners working in the film industry or in film education. Their insight is part of what makes this book timely and relevant. Each person had to take time away from their professional work to offer their viewpoints, and their perspectives are invaluable. We would like to thank Dr. Christopher Clemens and Dr. Alec Tefertiller for reading an early draft and writing endorsements for this book. Similarly, we would like to thank the anonymous peer reviewers for helping shape the direction of this body of work. Brittany Severance was willing to provide her artwork for the cover of this book and we truly appreciate the stunning visual image she provided.

Personally, I would like to thank the administration at Worcester State University. The research that prompted this book project began during my sabbatical leave. Without the dedicated time to focus on a new area of research this book would not have been written. Finally, I would like to thank Karen and Joey Hunt for their constant love and support.

Daniel S. Hunt

Since the early days of motion pictures, watching movies has provided audiences with an escape from their daily lives. A film has the power to take audiences on a journey to a place they might never visit, learn about new cultures, or meet new and interesting characters. From the Golden Age ritual of going to the movie theater to the fragmented, personalized viewing that occurs today, motion pictures offer audiences a unique way of seeing the world. Like other communication industries, the motion picture industry is dependent on technology. Scholars of media technology analyze the ways in which technology influences the communication process. It is important for us to understand how audiences and practitioners engage with technology, and the ways in which technology can bring us together or divide us. A critical aspect of our work is to document and interpret these mechanisms as they occur and to provide a detailed understanding of how technology use is changing due to social, political, environmental, and cultural factors.

The media environment discussed throughout this book exemplifies what Henry Jenkins describes as convergence culture. A culture “where old and new media collide, where grassroots and corporate media intersect, where the power of media producer and the power of the media consumer interact in unpredictable ways” (Jenkins, 2006, p. 2). The chapters within this volume directly or indirectly reference Jenkins’s contributions to our understanding of technology culture. The social-technological relationship is the central theme explored throughout the chapters in this volume. Technology adoption is a social process (Rogers, 2003) and communication technology scholars need to investigate the social dimensions of diffusion (e.g., Karnowski et al., 2011). Original research examining the social dynamics related to motion picture technology is underexplored, and this volume addresses the impact of social technologies as they relate to filmmaking, film exhibition, and viewer reception.

An exhaustive examination of the global motion picture industry is well beyond the scope of this volume. Due to the impact of Hollywood, many of the chapters focus on filmmaking and the motion picture industry in North America. Furthermore, this collection considers the phases of motion picture adoption such as pre-production, production, distribution, exhibition, and viewer reception. The essays and research within this volume do not necessarily focus on just one phase, instead they investigate how these stages are related because of technological innovation. Today, communication between sender and receiver represents a dynamic process, such as when a filmmaker creates a film, uses online dissemination to exhibit their content, and obtains instant viewer feedback. Due to the social-technological relationship, these aspects of motion pictures are interrelated in ways that were not previously possible in the history of motion pictures.

In the field of media studies, philosophical and epistemological differences often create silos of research. We believe we can learn more by bridging theoretical and methodological approaches in our pursuit of understanding how technological and social dynamics influence motion pictures. Contributing authors base their original scholarship on theories of technology adoption, media language, rhetorical analysis, critical theory, narratology, and sociocultural theory. Technology theories inform our understanding of the adoption behaviors of filmmakers, film exhibiters, and viewers while deconstructing media language helps us understand the evolving nature of film production and content creation. Rhetorical theory helps answer questions about the value of discourse in a digitally-media society while narratology provides a framework for inquiring into the relationships between narrative structure and technology. Sociocultural theory offers insights into how our social interactions impact knowledge acquisition while critical theory exposes the inequities within the motion picture industry and society. Contributing authors synthesize scholarly writing, industry reports, and recent news stories to offer a contemporary view of filmmaking and the motion picture industry. Drawing from both scholarly sources and media accounts is necessary as emerging trends are too recent to have been published in the academic literature. By adopting this inclusive approach, a fully developed picture begins to emerge about the relationship between motion picture technology and society.

In Chapter 1, Hunt applies the integrated technology adoption paradigm (Atkin et al., 2015) to explore different aspects of filmmaking and the film industry. Through interviews with practitioners, the chapter reveals insight on disruptive technologies and evolving power dynamics in the motion picture industry. The interview subjects, representing a broad range of backgrounds in the motion picture industry, share their views on technology and how it impacts their work. Topics such as live digital effects, shifting geographic boundaries, social-mobile engagement, and DIY filmmaking are discussed. The chapter offers a reexamination of the transactional relationship between filmmakers and audiences.

In Chapter 2, Frechette provides a necessary update on the state of diversity and representation in Hollywood. The chapter examines current data about gender, race, and sexuality within the industry. By focusing on marginalized groups, Frechette emphasizes that inclusion and representation are basic human rights and therefore should be prioritized by the industry. The chapter connects historical perspectives to important social change initiatives that affect the motion picture industry today, such as the #MeToo, #TimesUp, and #OscarsSoWhite movements. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the cultural impact of representation on audiences.

In Chapter 3, Raesch provides an in-depth examination of vlogging as a form of content creation. The case study provides deep insight into the aesthetic and ethical choices of a filmmaker tailoring online video content to a specific audience. The chapter discusses the process of transitioning from professional production standards to vlogging. The case exemplifies the importance of ethical decision-making when a content creator produces and distributes their work online. Detailed analysis is offered to explain how a vlogger’s point-of-view, aesthetic choices, and technical abilities differ from those of traditional media content creators. The chapter explores how media language is evolving considering new media adoption and online viewing behaviors. The evolving nature of feedback loops for online content creators is compared with feedback for traditional film distribution. Finally, the case study highlights the importance of authenticity and online sponsorship in online content creation.

In Chapter 4, Sedman provides a detailed review of the exhibition technologies used by movie theaters to attract viewers. The chapter discusses the history of digital cinema technology and the current practices used to attract cinemagoers away from home viewing. Innovations discussed in this chapter include haptic seating, stereoscopic cinema, virtual reality viewing, and auditoriums outfitted for ultra-widescreen viewing. The movie theater chain adoption patterns and innovations are detailed and explained within the context of industry shifts. This evaluation of the adoption of exhibition technologies provides the scholarly community with a better contextual understanding of how discontinuance and pro-innovation impact both movie exhibitors and audiences.