Questions from Symposium 03

1. Whey has reality TV become so popular? Why is it that we are so interested in seeing ‘real’ lives on TB as well as stories?

• we are voyeuristic
• we like to witness a struggle
• media has become so hybridized that we are going to do our heads in if we think it is going to stay the same
• Big Brother – combination of all different types of media: SMS texting, websites, television etc
• Reality TV is a hybrid… computer games meet television. Most reality TV shows are a quest.
• We live and die by our constraints

2. Have we lost Habermas’ notion of the ‘public sphere’ with the widespread use of mobile technologies?

• Conversations on trains aren’t private
• Authenticity
• The desire to see always trumps the technical quality. If we want the content, we want to see it.
• We move through public spaces listening to our own individual soundtracks
• The use of ‘i’ in Apple is individualized. It has changed the idea of the public space
• Amateur aesthetic… out of focus shots… skewered angles = has shaped some sort of cinema in a way (mock-umentary).

3. Is there a chance that the accessibility of media nowadays ruins film making instead of liberating it from the old?

• If you know how to film and you know good composition, it shouldn’t matter if you’re filming on your phone or the best camera ever, you should still be able to create a good shot. It shouldn’t ruin film making.

DIDN’T GET TO THE REST OF THE QUESTIONS BUT WE MIGHT GET HIT BY A BUS TONIGHT AND DIE.

4. Most of the content uploaded online is never, or rarely, viewed, and receives little recognition. How effective are online sharing sites such as YouTube as a distribution network?

5. What does Sorenssen mean by the ‘democratic potential of these media? How can media be democratised?

6. What is the key factor for emerging media to become as monetised or popular in that it will become the norm for all society? What is its appeal?

7. Why does the corporate dollar constantly contribute to the swaying of new media towards the ‘elite’?

8. Why does Astruc matter to interactive documentary?

9. What does Sorenssen mean by partial public spheres? How does the public sphere fall victim to a dominating media structure?