Courting Supporters for Independent Media

Introduction

This chapter focuses on the web’s impact on the media marketplace, and the construction of alternative systems for the circulation of media texts. Demonstrating the different relationships between producers and audiences, alternative genres of content, and new modes of media production. Most commonly found in independent or “alternative” filmmakers, video game designers, comic book creators, and artists. They are developing and experimenting with new ways have widespread distribution of their work without the traditional infrastructure. Their experiments are over a long range of media platforms and collaborative production.

Creating Spreadable Business Models

This section of chapter six explains how there is a new media landscape for commercial media. The new media landscape is characterized by different groups. Some grassroots and amateurs, civic, educational, and commercial. Nowadays, it seems better to deliver free and open sharing of content over social media platforms that can provide valuable research to the producer so that they can build a business model around the people that are interested. Spreadability can help transform the system for independent creators by relying in the support of enthusiastic fans over social media. As spreadability expands cultural diversity becomes more apparent. A greater number of people have access to works which before may have only been available in urban areas.

Reinventing Comics

This section examines comics and its new digital era. Scott McCloud made a point to emphasize the web as an open space for writers to express and explore. He felt that by publishing comics to an online source, the readers would expand greatly and the writers would, in turn, receive much more exposure. As many writers are beginning to publish their works online, they test their success before they spend the money on printing and “going pro.” The best thing about publishing online is that there is more of an equal ground when it comes to writing. All works are posted in a similar setting, amateur writers alongside more established ones, and this is a really powerful thing. Finally, extremely talented amateurs have the opportunity to be discovered by different fan bases and eventually become successful. These comic sharing sites have become a type of social media site where readers can socialize about the subjects at hand and express their reactions towards the writings. When it comes to these writers making a profit, they often resort to other things such as merchandise sales as opposed selling their work. When the writers expose their work without initial compensation, the readers are more likely to become fans of the work and permanent interest. This is very risky yet very beneficial to writers who have serious potential.

How Long is the Long Tail?

This section talks how media has a different demand and meaning to many individuals, but eventually they will all be used and it all will generate a profit. It demonstrates how the high demand of media is at the “front end” of the tail and has a larger audience, whereas the “back end” media that appeals to smaller audiences is the media that is not as popular. They examine 2 extremely different analyses done by Anderson and Elberse.  Anderson talks about how individuals are exposed to the standardized content that is serving the needs to what people like. Individuals are going for the popular media that is being shown and broadcasted everywhere. Elberse argues that the media we call “popular” is because they represent higher quality and seen more often. While looking at both of these arguments and seeing how different they are they are both missing something. They are missing the argument of simple reality that people use media to differentiate themselves from the popular taste and individuals also use it to enjoy shared media products.

Curating Independent Games

Two very different models for independent game creators exist, Manifesto and Apple are both straying away from the traditional “on the shelf” way that video games used to be showcased. Manifesto follows this curating model as creating an online platform to showcase video games that never made it to the shelves and offering a place where game creators could share their games and receive audience feedback. Apple offers a place where independent game makers can create their games with a new platform “Apps” leading to new innovations, however there is specific criteria that must be met for an App to reach the app store. Both forms of curation offer an alternative model to video games.

Collaborative “Sourcing”, “Funding”, and “Surfing”

This section explains how collaborative sourcing, funding, and surfing basically pertains to the excitement and energy that the fan bases posses that ultimately help to fund, promote, and sustain projects. An example of this would be how film-makers use participatory culture by releasing their DVD via iTunes, MySpace, and YouTube in return for promotion of their product. This section also examines how using online platforms can gage interest in a product, which results in getting the product out to more and more people. This enables online sharing through multiple online sources. Companies are now figuring out ways to use online social networking to expand and create from fans and other people that are involved in social networking.

Making a Joyful Noise

This section is about how online technologies have amplified the exposure of different materials, but did not necessarily create it. The most prominent example of this is the religious media activities and Christian social networks. They use these sites to discuss the struggles and hardships that they have faced throughout the years. These media sites are also responsible for the church’s collaboration with different publishing companies, bookstores, and gospel music groups. But as some music groups became more concerned with fame and money, which was not something that the church focused on. Geoff Boucher recognizes this clash and analyzes the concept of making the music available for free. While some artists argue the it should be for free, others argue that it is a piece of art and should be sold for a small profit. There also stands the conflict of Christian bands becoming too popular and non-christian people enjoying the music. But it’s all about spreading the word and creating a more diverse media environment, which is why things will continue to spread without further conflict.

Conclusion

After analyzing this chapter it is apparent that social media platforms have helped to encourage growth using alternative ways to promote, advertise, and get the word out. It is evident that old ways of communicating are changing and new collaborative platforms are taking effect. This chapter aims to show the fundamental changes that are being implemented in our contemporary media environment. Ultimately this chapter helps readers to understand that independent producers can operate with limited promotional budgets, but with the strong impact of collaborative social media sites anything is possible. Creators are now depending on collaboration and grassroots circulation to achieve success.

5 Important Quotes

1. “ There is strong evidence that the public has access to much more diverse array of media texts in the digital era than ever before.” (239)

2.” …[curation] is new business models in which the aggregation of alternative media texts is combined with the creation of online communities engaged in discussing and evaluating shared works” (243).

3."These producers do not have the promotional budgets and platforms to compete with the majors but have created spreadable business models by building on the reciprocity of gift-economy logic and by targeting communities that are likely to find their content appealing” (233)

4. “While online technologies might have amplified and proliferated the ways material circulates throughout culture, the existence of alternative forms of media production and circulation is hardly new” (254)

5. “People are typically interested in more than one example of a given category, seeking not only “quality” but diversity.” (241)

Online Element

http://www.starwarsuncut.com/newhope

Star wars uncut is a website where audience members can claim a 15 second clip to create however they want, and is put together with thousands of others to recreate a Star Wars movie.