This week’s reading by Bjørn Sørenssen looks at the predictions made by French film maker and critic, Alexandre Astruc, in his 1948 essay in which he “envisioned a new breakthrough for film as a medium, no longer only as an entertainment medium, but as a fundamental tool for human communication” (Sørenssen 2008, p. 47) and compares them to the realisation of the contemporary world.

Sørenssen highlights the foresight Astruc demonstrated when discussing the fundamental changes to the medium’s production and distribution. Astruc’s prediction that everyone will possess a projector was remarkably accurate with the introduction of DVD players and even more recently, computers and smart phones.

Sørenssen summarises Astruc’s conclusions into three main points:

1. New technology provides new means of expression. As a result of this film medium (i.e. forms of audio- visual expression) develops from being exclusive and privileged to a common and publicly available form of expression (Sørenssen 2008, p. 49).
2. This, in turn, opens space for a more democratic use of the medium (Sørenssen 2008, p. 49).
3. It also opens up new possibilities for modern (contemporary) and different forms and usages (avant-garde) (Sørenssen 2008, p. 49).

The article then goes on to discuss the introduction of new and expensive technology used for creating, editing and distributing media developed into more ‘consumer-friendly’ versions that became more readily available (Sørenssen 2008, p. 51). Examples cited in the text include Apple iMovie, the internet and mobile phones.

Sørenssen summarises the rise of user participation within the audio-visual culture into three points:

1. Economic availability: The gap in costs and quality between production and editing equipment and software for professional and mass consumers has closed up considerably (Sørenssen 2008, p. 51).
2. Miniaturization: Equipment that previously demanded considerable resources in terms of logistics has been replaced with equipment that is lightweight, does not occupy much space and is well adapted for individual operation (Sørenssen 2008, p. 51)
3. New and alternative forms of distribution: From being forced to circulate in a very restricted public sphere, the establishment of distribution sites on the World Wide Web has opened up possibilities for mass medial distribution for alternative for alternative audio-visual products (Sørenssen 2008, p. 52).

Sørenssen discusses the correlation between the developments of new media, in particular the Internet, and the impact it has had on the public sphere. It is discussed that these technologies provide users with opportunities for people to communicate, access information and comment on social and political issues. Although their characteristics are different to classical approaches and issues arise in regards to accessibility and commodification, new media provides users with a platform to accomplish change by communicative actions.

The internet has successfully invaded the private sphere and opened with websites such as YouTube providing a platform for free video uploads and sharing capabilities. Sørenssen attributes YouTube’s enormous success to “the fact that it operates as an open channel for the teeming millions of prospective content producers who, thanks to the technological and economic developments of digital media production equipment, now have the possibilities to exchange meanings, experiences and – perhaps most importantly – ways of expression through the film medium” (Sørenssen 2008, p. 54).

The text concludes by using an elderly YouTube user ‘Geriatric 1927; also referred to as Peter to support Alaxandre Astruc’s vision that “the perceived new media situation would open up alternative ways and means of audio-visual expressions, hence his insistence of connecting the new technology with the aesthetics of the avant-garde (Sørenssen 2008, p. 58)