In-Class Group Discussion: What is Television

What is Television?

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·       Form of entertainment.

o   Not something that’s necessary for you; but everybody wants it. What we look  forward to when we’re done working.

o   Entertainment is a pretty interesting thing.

o   Best fitting for today’s busy lifestyle.

o   It’s a way to connect to something else.

o   What is it as a medium? It has no clearly defined edges.

§  Starts as radio with pictures. Many shows came over from radio.

§  “Every new medium contains old media within it”

§  Container for movies.

§  Intersection/blurring of information and entertainment.

·       Shows deal with same problems society faces

§  “This is a news story”. Events put into the shape of a story. Elements of a story: relatable characters, rising action, crisis, ect.

§  Truth takes more of a backseat to story.

§  One possible definition: It’s a storytelling medium.

§  ‘Broadcast’ something put out over a wide area.

§  Channels: Where certain content is broadcast expectedly over a certain area. Preformatted and programmed for you.

o   Split into 2 sections: poor people’s TV with commercials,  or more expensive without.

o   “You are what you behold”, as much as ‘you are what you eat.’

o   Term ‘escape from reality’ a possible typical description.

o   Interesting to think of tv as consistency during changing life.

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·       What is TV as a medium?

·       Streaming is a form of new tv.

·       They’re playing a catch-up game with whatever is online.

·       Similar to newspaper and magazines. Nobody buys the physical. We can go online and select the article you want.

·       CD stores are closing down.

·       Still spend so much time selecting the film vs. watching it.

How is long form television different that the tv that precedes it? And what are the effects of long term television?

We get attached; more relationship with character.

Heavy cultural effect.

                  Gives us something to connect to with others.

We can learn about another area or culture. (Crime shows or law and order)

Kardashians sell product. It was cool to be skinny, but changed beauty standard now. Even face.

Selfie. Pop culture.

They just entertain people without a background. We just watch them live and they get richer.

More opportunity for business.

Commercials within the show.

Draw you along, keep you watching. Stories within larger stories. Trends to keep you watching.

Fandoms.

More expensive. Start stronger, then trail off in quality. But people are already hooked.

Quantity over quality. 12 episodes vs  24 per season.

                  Starts like a trap; starts really good and then you don’t want out. When it gets broad, you can’t help seeing it and talking about it. It becomes a part of culture. If you don’t know it, you don’t fit in.

Stories:

                  Avatar: 1 story per episode, and then you move on.

TV series have taken over movies; people are more invested in Tv. Have stories that last.

Even actors and producers that used to be feature film are moving over to TV. (Anthony Hopkins)

Netflix has become a powerhouse making their own tv series. And YouTube.

Long term series work because we can watch them at any time. If it was older way, we’d have to watch it at the same time every day. We wouldn’t be able to keep up.

Seriality: Story unfolds in serial components.

Binge watch

Doesn’t have to be the same length every time.

                  One week can be a special 120 minute episode, another week can be 40 min.

Not enough money to make 200-million dollar films. More room for 50 million. Reasonable chance to make it back. In TV, you get a lot more screen time for the budget.

There’s a dynamic between length and content that can be explored.

There is also a fan dynamic governing more and more of the production decisions.

                  Crowd sourced judgement.