Collaborative modes of audiovisual media: literature review and conceptual proposal

Abstract

ABSTRACT There is no consensus on the definition of participatory or collaborative practices in relation to audiovisual media. The same term has been used to name a range of similar practices although they have important differences that should be described. Moreover, different terms have been used to refer to the same practice. The present article provides a conceptual proposal for this mode of creation, which originated and has been essentially developed in the field of non-fiction. We first conducted a systematic review of the literature, which corroborated the starting premise and allowed us to propose the concept ‘collaborative modes of audiovisual media’ compared with other terms that are currently employed. We then explored the characterisation of the object of study and the historical uses of the different concepts that are applied to this type of audiovisual creation. The definition obtained recognises the plurality of the concept and reveals its basic characteristics. Then, we have compared this notion with recent contributions on collaborative creation in the context of digital communication. In conclusion, this article offers a theoretical model to further research this object of study, acknowledging the differences among practices and facilitating a deeper insight into the productive connections that they share.