Audiovisual Industry Research Articles

The road to censorship: the case of digital audiovisual industries in India

ABSTRACT This article examines the influence of the Indian government on digital content creation, amidst growing concerns about freedom of expression due to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 (IT Rules). Introduced by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), these regulations have sparked debate over their impact on India’s vibrant digital audiovisual industry, which has been a bastion of diverse storytelling and production capabilities. The situation is complicated by threats from extremist groups affiliated with the BJP, and right-wing groups against platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, raising suspicions that these legislative measures serve ideological and political agendas under the guise of ‘digital welfare’. Through a mixed-method approach comprising qualitative content analysis of the IT Rules, discourse analysis of governmental communications, and interviews with practitioners and policy experts, the study explores the triangulated power dynamics between the state, global platforms, and content creators. It reveals how state intervention, presented as a nation-building effort, effectively legitimises digital and mob censorship, encourages self-censorship among creators due to policy ambiguity, and aligns digital content creation closely with the state’s ideological objectives.

Study of the use of special effects in cinema

In the context of the rapid development of the audiovisual industry, the search for new tools to attract audience attention becomes a key task for any creative project. Special effects used to enhance the entertainment of an audio visual work can act as such tools. Within the framework of the research, the expediency of applying them is considered in the context of cinema. Modern trends in cinema are aimed at individualising a creative project. Therefore, it is necessary to know which special effects are advisable to use when realising a film project depending on its features. As a result, a detailed analysis of the implemented special effects has been conducted in relation to different forms of film products in order to better understand the cost of applying them in a particular film project. Variants of special effects have been formed, based not only on paired technologies, but also on more numerous relationships between the first ones. Special effects are both combined and complement each other, thus forming a more efficient filmmaking, which allows you to fully use the techniques of impressive display of visual elements. When evaluating the effectiveness of the application of special effects, the authors have introduced such indicators as output of a special effect and intensity of a special effect.

Film festival coverage: an interview with journalists, critics, and event programmers of Latin American film festivals

Film festivals are meeting spaces where various players from the audiovisual industry, students, film enthusiasts, journalists, and the organizers themselves converge. This research aims to describe the experiences in journalistic coverage of film festivals for media outlets: generalist, specialized, and digital native in Ibero-America. To achieve this, a qualitative approach was applied through semi-structured interviews with film journalists and festival managers. The results reveal that each journalist applies their framebuilding to cover the event, which is subject to the informational agenda of the media commissioning them. New agents have also emerged who communicate about festivals, such as influencers; furthermore, festivals have created their own platforms to cover informational gaps that specialized press does not report on the festival. Therefore, it is concluded that festivals are media epicenters where different types of content generators currently converge, diversifying the informational offer thanks to the technological facilities offered by digitization, the internet, and social media.

RETRACTION NOTICE: Seals and codes of good sustainable practices in the audiovisual industry

RETRACTION NOTICE: Seals and codes of good sustainable practices in the audiovisual industry

From Versailles to No Man’s Land: French broadcasters and the new geopolitical reality of the audiovisual industry

ABSTRACT Based on the examples of Versailles, a series co-produced by Capa Drama with the Quebec company Incendo and Zodiak Fiction for Canal+, and No Man’s Land, a Franco-Belgian-Israeli co-production produced for Arte France and the US platform Hulu, this article aims to compare two different dimensions of the globalisation of the series market and the integration of French producers and broadcasters into this new transnational creative ecosystem. The challenge for the production of Versailles was to bring the French heritage series up to the standards of the English-speaking world while promoting French producers’ financial and artistic creativity in launching series with distinctive stories onto a global market. For No Man’s Land, however, the challenge was to produce a cosmopolitan series, featuring several cultural areas and a multilingual cast. Whether in terms of the broadcasters’ globalisation strategy or in terms of the creative or even cross-cultural challenges raised by the production process, both experiences are representative of the way series are emerging today as a laboratory of audiovisual ‘glocalisation’.

‘I Am they.’ Non-Binary Representation in Television Fiction as a Manifestation of Social Conceptions

ABSTRACT This qualitative research uses a case study to observe non-binary representation in TV fiction. The Dan character from the Spanish series HIT (RTVE, 2020–present), who is the first openly non-binary character in Spanish TV fiction, is analyzed through the lens of Queer Media Studies. The research applies a combination of content and discourse analysis. Qualitative content categories include a character’s visibility, identity, relevance, embodiment, and social interaction. Discourse analysis categories include character’s construction, lexicalization, propositional framing, and focus. Results show that Dan’s non-binary depiction revolves around three significant axes: dualism, confusion, and exceptional talent. These axes frame social attitudes toward non-binary people and are composed by a set of features identified in Dan’s case which also informs society’s mind-sets. These traits are proposed as an analytical-theoretical tool for further analyses of non-binary representation in different cultural contexts. The outcomes of this research may inform audiovisual industries, regulations and academia, and are useful to consolidate non-binary media studies.

Exploring the Development and Breakthrough of Online Variety Shows from the Perspective of Youth Subculture

Many program formats are shifting from traditional variety shows to online variety shows as internet technology continues to develop. Online video platforms, led by iQiyi, have focused their content creation on the market for online self-produced variety shows. In many fields, program teams and directors choose youth subculture as the core creative concept of the programs. Different audience groups can find organizations and be entertained within their respective niches. In this thesis, we will take two classic online subculture variety shows, U Can U BB and Street Dance of China, as examples to explore how the in-depth combination of youth subcultures and online variety shows has aroused attention and threatened mainstream culture. At the same time, mainstream ideology and capital have been incorporated into the subculture market, and the modern audiovisual industry needs to reap stable benefits from the transition. In addition, the research methods of case studies of Chinese internet variety shows and comparative analysis will be utilized, bringing new thoughts and inspiration to media practitioners and content creators.

Does Age Matter? Aging Masculinities in the Spanish Audiovisual Industry

The Spanish star system is witnessing the aging of its most acclaimed and awarded male actors from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and the first two decades of the 21st century: male actors belonging to the silent generation like José Sacristán (86), Emilio Gutiérrez Caba (81), Miguel Rellán (80), José María Pou (78), and Eusebio Poncela (76); actors belonging to the baby boomers such as Antonio Resines (69), Imanol Arias (67), José Coronado (66), Antonio Banderas (63), and Juan Echanove (62), to mention a few. Likewise, out of the 48 million people in Spain, 34.1% are individuals over 55, representing an important segment of Spanish society. Therefore, the aging of the star system mirrors the aging of Spanish moviegoers and TV spectators. Long-lasting TV series such as Cuéntame cómo pasó underscore the identification created across the years of the series between character, actor and viewer, and how they all experience and live time. This article also examines how aging Spanish male actors play, on the one hand, leading or secondary roles that do not deviate from the fit, tough, attractive, and sexually active profile often associated with the successful aging narrative in the American audiovisual industry of the geriaction subgenre, although in some instances they experience some sort of feminization attributed to aging, as is the case of the TV series Entrevías (2022) and El Príncipe (2014–2017). In these representations, the new roles assumed by aging masculinities when addressing social and family issues, ranging from the materiality of the body to moral obligations, are explored. On the other hand, series like Sentimos las molestias (Spain 2022) follow the path opened by The Kominsky Method (US 2018) by portraying aging as decline through the wide use of stereotypes.

Aging Men and Masculinities in Contemporary Spanish Cinemas and Audiovisual Industries

Aging Men and Masculinities in Contemporary Spanish Cinemas and Audiovisual Industries

El audiovisual como patrimonio: evolución histórica y situación actual del patrimonio cinematográfico y audiovisual español

The historical evolution of the Spanish Cinematographic and Audiovisual Heritage, since the creation of the Spanish Film Archive (formerly National) in 1953, has been conditioned by the constant transformation of the audiovisual industry and the successive legislative regulations since the Historical Heritage Law was passed in 1985. incorporated for the first time in Spain. Successive attempts to update and develop this regulation have been truncated for various reasons, including the lack of agreement between the central and regional administrations; which is intended to be solved with a new cinema law that incorporates all audiovisual heritage into the corpus of works to be protected. There is unanimity that it should be considered as part of this heritage, which has increased in recent years with new technologies and digital development.

A Qualitative Study of Work Motivation Among the Media and Creative Workers in Malaysia

The creative industry is a booming sector in the contribution to the gross domestic product in a country especially towards the gig economy. Among the pillars within the creative industry is those from the film and drama sectors. Terms such as above-the-line and below-the-line are segregated to identify their nature of work and how it contributes to the audio-visual industry. Therefore, the creative industry practitioners are facing challenges in maintaining their status quo for better economic gains and protecting their well-fare due to the nature of the creative industries as freelancers. This study’s objective is to understand the problems that are faced by the creative industry stakeholders in generating their income and also to study the possible effects of inefficiency of well-fare protection in Malaysia's creative industry. This study also uses qualitative study and thematic analysis to analyse the data gained from focus group discussion of five (5) participants where four (4) of them are creative creators and one (1) of them was from the legislative office of copyright protection in Malaysia. The interviews were recorded into audio files and transcribed verbatim. The data acquired were later on analysed using ATLAS.ti and have managed to discover three (3) emergent themes that reflects the whole purpose of the study. The impact of this study is to understand what could possibly be done to improvise the economic and welfare well-being of the creative industry practitioners.

How to promote social innovation within Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): The case of the Audiovisual Industry in Navarre

This article examines the situation of social innovation in the audiovisual industry, which is a gap in the field of media management regarding the promotion of innovation with social impact. The main objective of this paper is to conduct a study in order to promote social innovation in the audiovisual industry at regional level. By collaborating through an action research case with the audiovisual cluster in Navarra (CLAVNA) this research focuses on specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to gender equality, decent work and economic growth, and industry, innovation, and infrastructure. Three are the main findings of this study: 1) Technological innovations are crucial to promote social innovation; 2) the need for public-private co-creation for the development of the focused industry; 3) the relevance of focusing efforts on social innovation in firms based on animation and video games.to attract development and investments.

How to promote social innovation within Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): The case of the Audiovisual Industry in Navarre

How to promote social innovation within Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): The case of the Audiovisual Industry in Navarre

Online could dubbing:

The audiovisual industry has undergone a transformative shift with the rise of home recording and cloud dubbing, challenging traditional dubbing norms. This transformation is fuelled by technological advancements that make recording accessible and affordable worldwide. Moreover, this transition was further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns. This article examines the impact of online audiovisual translation and voice localization agencies and provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of dubbing technology, from analogue to digital recording. It emphasises the irruption of online voice talents and the advantages of remote recording and cloud-based dubbing software, which facilitate collaboration regardless of location. In addition, this article showcases effective translations in audiovisual productions achieved through these cutting-edge technologies.

Strategy and performance of audiovisual streaming platforms

Purpose: This work aims to analyze and classify the competitive strategies of 37 streaming platforms and identify which strategic groups perform better globally. Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on the structure-conduct-performance paradigm and uses Porter's typology to reach its goal. It classified the 37 platforms into their respective strategic groups based on eight strategic variables using k-means cluster analysis. Then, group performances were compared using ANOVA to test the mean differences of two performance variables. Originality/relevance: The audiovisual industry is experiencing a radical change in content consumption, distribution, and production. Streaming technology, which delivers content over the internet without downloads, increased flexibility and sparked a wave of adoption of audiovisual streaming platforms that destabilized other sectors, such as home video. Consequently, this phenomenon left a gap in studies about the strategy and performance of the industry, which this paper intends to fill. Main findings: As a result, 14% of the platforms studied were allocated to the Differentiation strategic group, 30% to Cost Leadership, 19% to Differentiation Focus, 8% to Cost Focus, and 30% were considered Stuck-In-The-Middle. We identified that the strategic groups present significant differences in performance, validating the applicability of Porter's typology. Theoretical contributions: The study found that broad-spectrum strategies such as Cost Leadership and Differentiation promote better performance than focus strategies at this industry stage. Surprisingly, Stuck-In-The-Middle companies also perform well, similar to companies with broad-spectrum strategies.

Serwisy streamingowe a lokalna branża audiowizualna – mapowanie wpływu Netflixa na polski sektor produkcji


 
 
 As a company, Netflix is currently demonstrating an unprecedented impact on audiovisual markets around the world. As a part of the global media dynamic, Poland is susceptible to changes resulting from the streaming platforms’ increasing intrusion into local audiovisual markets. While Anglo-American researchers have analyzed in depth the repercussions of Netflix’s involvement in local markets, in Poland the consequences of this media giant’s activities remain neglected in media studies. This article is an attempt to identify areas where Netflix’s impact on the Polish industry is significant and leads to visible changes in the industry’s existing practices and work system. As such, this article contributes to the emerging body of academic work, namely the platformization of the cultural sector, to which we can certainly assign audiovisual production. Based on in-depth interviews with industry practitioners and an analysis of the content produced for Netflix and its institutional positioning in Poland, the article maps the changes in the Polish audiovisual industry that are occurring here and now.
 
 

Managing Competition Between Legacy Television Services and Video Streaming Platforms in Hungary in the Early 2020s – a Case Study

ABSTRACT The year 2022 was a turbulent one for the audiovisual industry worldwide. In Hungary, two global streaming platforms, HBO Max and Disney+, launched their services, joining Netflix and some less popular streamers already on the scene. The content offered by these global streaming platforms has a lot in common compared to legacy television’s supply in large markets. However, few studies have focused on small markets or “digital peripheries” where the inevitable global reach of new technologies and service providers mixes with more complicated local market realities. Our study aims to extend this body of knowledge to another small, “odd market,” namely Hungary. It investigates how professionals perceive the television market in the wake of the advent of streaming in their current practice and from a strategic perspective on a small and specific national market such as Hungary. Using in-depth interviews (n = 9) with managers across organizations in the Hungarian audiovisual industry complemented by an analysis of publicly available secondary sources, our findings reveal three main clash areas in the market: established market presence, power within the supply chain, and content offering adding a potential framework for competitive analysis to studies of small media markets and the dynamics between legacy and streaming players.

Relocating video cultures

This special issue ‘relocates’ video cultures by focusing on the specific industrial dynamics and practices of six different countries. It is in conversation with scholarship that challenges the conceptualization of streaming as a universal force, and instead foregrounds the importance of location. The emergence of streaming and its disruptive influences on audiovisual industries have mostly been approached in relation to US-based multinational streaming services, and the articles in this issue demonstrate how the implications of streaming vary significantly depending on national contexts. Each contribution traces the trajectory of pre-digital cultures that led to the nation-specific consumption patterns of streaming video to date. We hope this special issue helps advance approaches that are attentive to locality and diversity beyond the US streaming culture.

The Phygital Evolution

This contribution examines the results of a research project on collaborations between the audiovisual industry and the textile and fashion sector in the city of Prato, experimenting with new relationships between the physical and digital dimensions. The main purpose of the project was the production of content for the textile manufacturing industry using innovative media production technologies such as 3D, animation, etc., transmitted through 5G network infrastructure. Specifically, the project focused on significant archives of the Prato textile district through a process of digitizing fabrics using productive reverse engineering techniques. This allowed for obtaining a digital representation of existing fabrics, preserving and enhancing the traditional textile heritage in a digital format. The use of advanced techniques enabled the accurate capture of fabric characteristics and properties, facilitating the creation of 3D models and their manipulation through media production technologies.

Envisioning the future of virtual production in filmmaking: A remote co-design study

AbstractVirtual Production is a new process in the audiovisual industry, taking advantage of emerging technologies and attracting a significant degree of interest in academic and industrial research. This article documents a research process focusing on co-design of innovative solutions for Virtual Production relying on immersive technologies. Two remote collaborative workshops were organized involving audiovisual professionals covering different roles in different phases of the making process of audiovisual production. A range of innovative design concepts was generated as part of the research following group-based iterative discussion and evaluation. The study has contributed a set of innovative design solutions in relation to applications of immersive technologies in the audiovisual industry. The authors argue that the methods adopted have the potential to serve as a blueprint for design and implementation of future remote collaborative co-design processes in relation to audiovisual studies and, more generally, across disciplinary boundaries.