New Media Study Task 6

New Media Study Task 6

To tie in with our understanding of the digital age and new media and to add relevance to our research for the web design project we were asked to Read, Analyze & Review a theory on new media. It needs to be an academic source and when reviewing the theory mention how I can learn from this theory and how it can feed into and inform my creative practice. 

Definition 
New Media is a generic term that describes all forms of electronic communication that make use of computer technology. The term contrasts with old media like printed newspapers and magazines that are physical examples of a collation of text and graphics. Examples of new media are:

Websites
Audio & Video streaming
Chat Rooms
E-mail
Forums
Web advertising 
DVD - CD-ROM
Digital Cameras
Mobile computing and mobile phone internet 

Looking through the "Media Semiotics - An introduction by Jonathan Bignell" will help me find a specific theory I can learn from and analyse and review. 

Interactive Media - Interactive Television

Looking through the book I found interesting points made on the advancement of communication and interactions through Television systems

(Bignell J (2002). Media Semiotics An Introduction . 2nd ed. Manchester UK: Manchester University Press. 211-216.)

Main points I gathered from reading this section of text combined with my personal views were:

How it allows the viewer to make decisions about which film they want to watch and when. Whenever they want it, its there from a huge library of TV series and movies. 

Used to be a specialized thing but through the "digital revolution" both television, computers and other digital media are beginning to take onboard these interactive on demand media viewing options.

Channels like Sky Sports allow the viewer to change the camera angle of the game and allow pop ups of text based media to run alongside there video media to inform them of other sports events scores and outcomes. A personal recognition of mine is that some media providers even allow an option to watch multiple live events/games through the same screen. 

The rise of interactive live betting channels has risen since 2001 giving TV and network providers a huge income from an unethical source. 

The rise of reality TV shows, not interactive as in the way the program is viewed but an interaction with some one else's lives, really creepy if you ask me but the voting feature gives the general public control of peoples actions (I'm a celebrity get me out of here) and progression within competitive TV shows like Xfactor. I also feel like it influences peoples decisions, people re-invent themselves on reality TV shows like Big Brother to gain public popularity to avoid been voted off. It really shows how new media changes peoples attitudes completely based on there opportunity for fame and financial reward.

Taking this interactive TV show into even more new media outputs channel 4's sister site E4 created E4.com with the release of an animated TV series called Office Romance were web viewers can bet and vote on characters actions, a merging of gambling and interactivity again giving society a feeling of control over peoples actions. 

This multi screen viewing brings me onto how Jonathan Bignell talks about the uprising of e-commerce and the integration of TV shopping channels within these multi screen options of interactive television. A classic example of how we live in a society driven by wants and needs of the latest things and fads falsely presented through TV medias. Salesman make it out to be the new best thing and because people see it on TV they instantly believe it. 

Bignell rounds his section of text off mentioning how the reduction of viewing of standard planned and timetabled videos and texts has produced a rise in the interaction with customizable TV, on demand TV, online/TV gambling and voting based reality TV shows. This type of media has began to shape a new type of media interaction which will continue to expand into other media outputs as it is at the moment with the main focus on merging TV with the internet. 

Thoughts & Potential points to take

Makes me think of customizable and interactive website systems, how the user can suit the layout and the appearance of the website to suit there current wants and needs. 

Reading this text has made me consider the ethical elements of a design concept, a lot of media these days is all revolved around a big financial income from every aspect of digital media be it online or TV broadcast. I don't think theres an entertainment factor anymore, so producing an outcome that has no intention of profitability will create more meaningful and ethical design that doesn't manipulate social and cultural trends to suit a brand, product or media. 

Shows how we live in an impatient society, everyone wants things there and then with no waiting about. It also shows how people merge many aspects of daily life into each other through these interactive medias, the news can be accessed while watching a film. People can place a bet while watching the morning news, all aspects of life that needed to be carried out separately are starting to merge together.

This idea of news feeds within standard TV viewing makes me think about how I can present live content within future web work, like a live blog that works alongside the standard informative website. 

This type of interactive new media likes people to feel in control, a though on this to feed into my design practice is to really take into account the target markets wants and needs when analyzing a project. A website, print or digital outcome that people feel reflects them would suggest a successful final result. 

The obvious mention of the rise of E-commerce input over different media's suggests that I need to think about including online shopping features within websites if theres any products that are available within what I am producing the website for. A thought for the future as I don't have any products to sell right now. 

The link between TV media and web media suggests the obvious consideration that I need to look into how I can cross my digital & web based outcomes across these different output devices. Further investigation into how a concept can be carried out over other devices like iPads and smart phones is an obvious consideration too. 

The final thought stems from the cross overs of all digital medias like iPads, smartphones, TV, digital apps etc. This leaves print media out completely, creating an interactivity between print based media and digital media is something I want to consider as I feel printed material has a much more tactile and feel and has more exploration possibilities for use of materials, techniques and process's. Linking digital and print media can be done by QR codes on printed media, or promotions of a digital media in print outcomes.