Natalie Milidoni

Influenced by the introduction of the revolutionary 16mm film technology; 1948 French Filmmaker and critic Alexandre Astruc predicted a breakthrough in patterns of production and distribution in the moving picture. He envisaged the birth of new cinema aesthetics drawing on experiences of the avant-garde. His ideas were published in an essay where he discussed the cinema aesthetics used by Orson Welles and Jean Renoir and compared them to recent 16mm technology and television. He predicted that everybody would have a projector in their house, hire films (of any topic) from the bookstore and that there would be many more cinemas.

He believed that cinema is just like literature; not just a particular art but a language which can express any thought. He had a vision that educational audio-visual media would be prominent, however this isn’t the case today as entertainment content is overwhelming. He successfully predicted that television would pose a threat to the cinema. Astruc believed that the dominating film industry didn’t make the most of the opportunity they had in distributing media products to millions of people daily as the content lacked film language and culture.

Astruc came to these conlcusions:

1. New technology provides new means of expression. Film medium develops from being exclusive and privileged to a common and publicly available form of expression.
2. Opens space for a more democratic use of the medium.
3. Opens up new possibilities for modern (contemporary) and different forms and usages (avant-garde).

The evolution of technology has allowed amateur filmmakers to purchase and use high-quality equipment and distribute their content to wide audiences. However, this wasn’t always the case. Video production technology was only available to those in the industry as it was so expensive, bulky and also was made of a highly flammable nitrate base which limited production and distribution. The introduction of VHS-VCR technology and videotape recorders allowed amateur filmmakers to create their own content. However, there was still a quality gap between ‘real’ film and television productions and family home videos created by amateurs. At this time, amateur videos weren’t shown in the public space, rather being shown to family and friends. In the 1980’s, broadcasters began using amateur videos (eg; Funniest Home Videos) but not open access media.

The most recent developments between amateur and professionals was the transition from analogue to digital format and the emergence of the Internet. Digital recording technology became available for the consumer and was even packaged with personal computers, for example, Apple iMovie was bundled with the OS X operating system, giving consumers access to advanced editing technology. The Internet and broadband access across the world gave the everyday person the opportunity to distribute their content online from their personal computer.

The concept of the public sphere was discussed by Habermas in 1962. The development of the relationship between society and the individual in the 20th century has been actualized with the introduction of the Internet as a communication channel. The public spheres which first emerged in Germany and Austria during inter-war years were organized in response and opposition to the dominating public space. The American avant-garde movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s used this concept however it was marginalized to small audiences. The 1950’s British free cinema documentary movement was only shown on six occasions to small audiences but influenced public debate about documentary and feature in Britain.

Online audio-visual culture has inspired a new public sphere dubbed by Kellner (2000) as the “site of informations, discussion, contestation, political struggle, and organisation that includes broadcasting media and cyberspaces as well as face-to-face interaction of everyday life”. The invention of YouTube which allows users to upload videos for free gave the everyday person the ability to produce content for a mass audience. It allows networks to be established with viewers subscribing to particular users and watching their videos as soon as they become available. The problem with YouTube is that there is so much content that it is hard to compete so that your video is seen by the largest amount of people possible. This illustrates Habermas’ worry of the public sphere having a loss of focus in the sea of individual content.

The case study of YouTube user ‘geriatric1927′ – a 79 year old British man using a single camera to deliver monologues about his life experiences to a mass audience shows how technology has allowed the everyday user to produce audio-visual media content. It also demonstrates how the community that YouTube provides allows for content producers to use viewers’ feedback to make their content better. This collective support and individual presentation contrasts with Astruc’s idea of individual driven content without collaborative feedback.

i-Docs use interactive digital technology to document real life. Unlike traditional documentary filmmaking which only allows users to view a perception of reality from the outside, i-Docs allow users to participate and construct their own version of reality. 

i-Docs have evolved and are being used widely by all different types of authors and for different purposes. TV networks are incorporating them more to allow their audiences to be a part of their programs and feel involved. i-Docs are being produced for mainstream audiences and are no longer considered a niche form. They are being used in independent productions, in the gamine world and even in university research.

There are four main types of i-Docs; conversational, hypertext, participative, and experiential.

Conversational i-Docs use 3D technology to give users the illusion of navigating freely through a documented world, for example; gaming worlds.

Hypertext i-Docs (like K-films), use exploratory links that lead users to various clips which construct a perception of reality.

Participative i-Docs involve users in the production process. For example; they may edit the i-Docs online, shoot video to be used in the i-Doc or be a part of the distribution process.

Experiential i-Docs use mobile media and GPS to record testimonials in a particular location which can then be accessed by users who visit the same location. It brings the users into physical space and challenges their perceptions.

Audiences consider these aspects as being important to their i-Docs experience; they should appeal to their emotions, personal gain (should feel benefited from the experience), limitless self-expression, and should appeal to the greater good.

While audiences want to be active in the creation of i-Docs, a problem may arise if it inhibits the author’s artistry. While a user may want to be involved in the process at an early stage as it would benefit their experience in participation, the author will then have less control over their i-Doc which may in turn affect their experience.