How has technology changed
the entertainment industry?
Three short interviews
1. Stephen Tobolowsky, Actor – Writer: Technology has
changed the way movies and TV shows are produced
Technology's changed everything. In just a physical sense, there is the
possibility of a lot more, and a lot less being done. You take cameras. It
used to take four men to operate a camera. Now, with high def, one man.
That means 75 percent of the workforce is looking for a job. The medium
has changed. The type of entertainments people seek have changed.
You could almost see the focal point of where the truth is changing. For
example, back in my heyday film was the thing. That was the cauldron
where ideas and great performances were created. Now, film is kind of
recycling '60s and '70s television shows -- for movies based on video games.
It's not really the cauldron of great ideas anymore. Now, in a way, the
cauldron of great ideas is cable TV. Who would have thunk it? That you can
actually come the closest to creating a novel -- something like "Six Feet
Under," or "Deadwood," or "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
The changes in technology have made it inexpensive enough to create
novels in this novel way. That has been a huge change. I think the Internet
is going to continue to change what the actor's role is. That's why, for me,
it's always important to know not just what project you're working on, but
what story you're telling. Because that is going to guide your path.
And that's going to inform the people you meet; in a way, the old Marshall
McLuhan thing -- that the medium being the message -- is the truth. We are
in a realm now, where we're meeting geniuses from fields that we never
would have encountered as actors doing plays on Broadway. Now, you
encounter people from so many different fields and other disciplines; it's
mind blowing. And you have to be a student again.
I always think you have a choice in life of either being the student or being
the master. And I found that life is so much better if you're the student. You
just have to always remember to keep asking the questions.
Stephen Tobolowsky is one of the leading character actors in film today. USA Today
listed him as the 9th most frequently seen actor in movies and he has appeared in over
200 movies and television shows.
He's best known for playing Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day, Sammy Jankis in
Memento, Werner Brandes in Sneakers, Happy Chapman in Garfield and Mr. Bates in
Freaky Friday.
On television, he has played Tor Ekland on Seinfeld, Hugo Jarry on Deadwood, Bob
Bishop on Heroes, and is currently seen as Sandy Ryerson on Glee and Stu Beggs on
Californication.
2. Chris Jordan, Writer , Curiosity.com: Digital Music has
changed the way music can be profitably marketed
Technology has become the great equalizer of the entertainment industry.
Creative tools that were once way too expensive for average folks are now
dirt-cheap. And that means anybody can be the next Scorsese or Madonna
given the right talent and know-how. While the entire entertainment
landscape has been transformed by the spread of technology, it's the music
industry that's been most profoundly affected -- for better or worse.
In the music business, CDs used to be king. In 1999, the average CD cost
$14, and CD sales accounted for billions of dollars in revenue. But no more.
When illegal download site Napster made music available for free that
same year, CD sales plummeted. And they've never recovered. Even after
illegal file sharing sites were shut down and pay-per-purchase sites like
iTunes became popular, sales still suffered. Digital music sales have yet to
replace CDs in terms of moneymaking power. While music lovers may
enjoy instant access to downloads, digital music has been a thorn in the
recording business's side; its music has been devalued.
Digital downloads also create copyright problems. Since anyone can get his
hands on digital music, it's hard for the music business to police how the
public uses its product. If a DJ wants to create his own mash-up and then
post it on online, there's really no one to stop him. That's exactly what DJ
Danger Mouse did in 2004 when he combined the Beatles' "White Album"
with JAY-Z's "Black Album." The illegal mash-up went viral and garnered a
lot of publicity. While JAY-Z's record company didn't seem to mind, EMI, the
owner of the Beatles' catalogue, sure did. It sent Danger Mouse a ceaseand-desist letter, but it didn't matter. Danger Mouse gained fame and went
on to high-paying projects. His "Grey Album" is still available.
While digital technology has clearly had a negative impact on musicians, it's
had positive side effects too. Not only is it cheaper to make music, but it's
easier to find fans through social media tools. Technology has also made it
possible for bands to diversify. In addition to music, bands now sell ring
tones, a major moneymaker, and other products online. Metallica even
offers fans the chance to download live concert recordings from every stop
on a tour -- what mega-fan wouldn't want the recording from a concert he
saw? The early 2000s may have been bleak the music industry, but the
possibilities of digital technology promise big bucks for smart
entrepreneurs.
Chris Jordan writes for Curiosity.com. Chris is a hula dancing, Chihuahua loving, Dexter obsessed
donut enthusiast. She is also an Emmy winning writer and producer who really loves having the
kind of job that allows her to learn interesting new fun facts every single day.
3. Elizabeth Blackwell, Writer , Curiosity.co: Technology has
changed the delivery of entertainment
Technology has brought sweeping changes to the look and form of modern
entertainment. Computer-generated imagery (CGI) has vastly improved the
quality of special effects, allowing climactic movie battle scenes and
superhero stunts to look more realistic than ever. Movies such as “Avatar”
have pushed the limits of what a film looks like by showing the artistic
possibilities of 3-D projection.
New technology has also generated a huge expansion in entertainment
options. Just as the advent of cable brought an explosion in the number of
TV channels and programs, videogame systems such as Nintendo’s Wii and
Microsoft’s X-Box have created a boon in at-home gaming. With the
growing popularity of smartphone applications, games can now be played
almost anywhere.
The upside for consumers? They get easy, convenient access to an
enormous variety of entertainment, all available whenever they want it.
Movie lovers can rent a movie for $1 from their local Redbox during a trip
to the grocery store or stream a movie directly through their TV using
Netflix or Apple TV. Music fans can listen to their favorite band’s album
online while trading digital files of songs with friends.
While all these new choices are great for consumers, the rapid changes in
how audiences receive their programming have threatened the underlying
economic structure of the entertainment business. Traditionally, the
industry relied on a top-down structure, with large media companies
wielding the power. Studios created programming for movie theaters and
TV networks, then generated additional income when shows sold on DVD
and in foreign markets. Record companies paid star performers huge
contracts, then recouped the investment through album sales.
Now, thanks to innovations such as streaming video, those business models
are breaking down. The digitization of music -- which makes it easy for
music to be copied and shared -- has decimated the recording industry,
with album sales falling steadily. While major artists used to sell tens of
millions of albums, only 13 albums in 2010 sold more than 1 million units
(that's the lowest since the electronic sales data system SoundScan began).
Although movie-studio revenue has gotten a boost from higher ticket prices
for 3-D films, overall attendance is down at movie theaters. There are
continual threats of copyright infringement, including pirated DVDs and
illegal online streaming of films. Meanwhile, the costs to market a major
studio film continue to skyrocket. Reaching today’s potential movie-goers
means buying ads not only on the major network channels, but also cable
shows, entertainment Web sites and movie-centric blogs. It takes more
money than ever to cut through all the noise.
Technology can be credited with ushering in a golden age of choices for
movie and music lovers. But for companies in the entertainment business,
only those who think creatively about how to sell and deliver content -such as Apple and Netflix -- will reap the benefits.
Elizabeth Blackwell writes for Curiosity.com. Elizabeth is a writer and former magazine editor
who works from her home in the Chicago suburbs, covering everything from small-business
issues to home design. As the author of Frommer’s Chicago guidebook, she also keeps busy
tracking down the latest museum exhibits and new restaurants with her husband and three
children.
From: http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/how-technology-changed-entertainmentindustry