An interesting phenomenon has occurred over the past 10 – 15 years around the birth of digital media. It’s something that also occurred in the music world somewhat earlier. Basically, it’s the concept of desktop media creation via electronic tools. In the music world, 1983 brought some significant changes to music creation and reproduction. The debut of MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) and the debut of the Compact Disc introduced digital technology to music in a huge way. MIDI was unique in that it allowed one person to create a reasonable facsimile of an entire band or orchestra, assuming they had the talent and equipment to do so. CDs introduced high quality sound and perfect digital copying (ushering in the eventual war of the music industry toward technology in general). Digital audio editing and CD burning became affordable and common to desktop computing in the mid 1990’s.
Still, it wasn’t until the late 90’s that desktop computer video editing became possible and affordable to the masses, in the form of digital video cameras and digital editing software such as Adobe Premiere, Apple’s Final Cut Pro, and a few others. The general progression of technology toward this was fairly predictable in terms of computers, processor power and the like. But what has really changed is the accessibility of such tools to the masses.
When I went to college in the mid 80’s, I went into the Telecommunications department at Ball State University, the former university home of David Letterman. They had what was considered to be an excellent Radio and Television program there. (BSU still has one of the the best Media programs available.) But, one of the most significant things about the school at that time is that there were few other ways to gain access to A/V equipment used in broadcast media (other than working at a television station). Handheld portable cameras were still way out of the price range for most students to be able to afford, and video editing equipment was even more out of range, into the thousands of dollars. There was no way for a student to learn the fundamental techniques of video production and post-production (unless they had wealthy parents) other than going to a school that had the equipment. All of these factors combined meant that media was a trade learned either on the job, or through a school of higher learning. There are positive and negative aspects to this.
The positive aspects of limited availability and access were that when you decided to do a media project, you were much more careful and cautious about what you were actually going to do. You planned. You wrote a script. You chose the people to help you. You knew that you were not going to have unlimited access or time to experiment with editing. If you made a mistake, it meant you might not be able to have the time or resources to fix it later. An environment such as this forces you to be creative with the tools you have, and not to waste valuable time and effort on mediocrity.
The negative aspects are obvious – not enough time to do what you wanted, not enough equipment to go around, and the very real aspect of having to compete with other students to get your fair share of time on the equipment. It can be tough for some who have difficulty standing up for themselves or asserting their rights to have access to the facilities to learn and experiment. However, that same problem can also help build character and confidence, helping you to learn to stand up for yourself and for the value of your work in order to gain the needed help and materials.
From my perspective as a media professional, I have seen both sides now. I have lived and worked in an era where only trained professionals were creating and editing audio, video and film. I have also witnessed during this time an explosion of desktop media creation tools – to the point where these tools can be used by anyone, and are affordable to most everyone – at least the basic tools – camera, video editing, and duplication/distribution via the web. What once was the exclusive privilege of people trained in the media field is now available to your average 10-year old kid with a Flipcam and Windows Movie Maker. It seems they’ve made it so easy that “anyone” can do it, right?
This brings up some interesting questions about the future of media education and what the future should hold for institutions who teach media as a degree offering. Obviously the technology has progressed to the point where kids are fairly well-versed in media creation at a basic level in a way that has never happened before. They know how to use a video camera, they know how to edit shots together, and they know how to publish their finished work to YouTube. Given this, you might ask what can a professional media education provide that they can’t already get with their laptop and a good digital camera?
First, let’s make clear right away that just having access to equipment does not make someone a professional in ANY field. Just because kids have a basketball in their garage and a goal in their driveway does not make them Larry Byrd or Magic Johnson. Also, there are accepted standards for any profession that are not necessarily learned by doing homegrown projects. There are, in fact, lots of reasons why just having access to the raw materials for just about any endeavor does not necessarily mean that the end result will be considered professional quality.
In regards to professional media and media creation, one of the first things that professionally trained graduates have over self-taught individuals is the experience of being part of group learning and team efforts, coordinated by a professional who is experienced in teaching the most effective techniques. There is no electronic substitute for this. Being able to share ideas, concepts and resources between members of a group in an educational setting is invaluable. It promotes teamwork, planning and growth opportunities when things go wrong and unexpected challenges occur. How you handle yourself in a professional media situation with other professionals is more important than how fast you are at Final Cut, Avid, or Adobe Premiere. Additionally, most (if not all) broadcast media projects are definitely not one-man shows. They are team efforts, led by experienced pros who know how to handle the problems and challenges inherent in shooting and post production situations.
In both the audio and video media world I’ve witnessed many young gunslingers who are a whiz at editing or at computer-based software, but yet have no clue how to troubleshoot technical problems or know how to handle unexpected situations related to locations, lighting, or any number of other myriad challenges that come up that are routinely covered in educational settings. That kind of experience can only be gained by working in the field with teams, and there is no substitute. With technical problems, the only cure is experience and time – years, in some cases – to be able to understand all of the issues involved and be able to diagnose and correct them. In the “real world” knowing how to handle these issues can mean the difference between wasting hundreds or thousands of dollars. Just knowing a piece of software or a particular camera is not going to be enough to make that difference.
In an educational setting you may not get to work with the latest/greatest hardware and software. You may not be shooting with the best lighting, in a state-of-the-art studio. But you will get experience that will prepare you to handle what will come in the future – mainly the opportunity to collaborate with others and take many projects from start to finish. After the projects are over, you have the chance to be critiqued on them without the threat of losing a client or losing your job. You have the precious opportunity to make real-world mistakes in a much more forgiving setting than the real world. And, your interaction with others can teach you things about yourself that you could never learn just sitting at home with your laptop.
While there are definitely significant benefits to having access to all of these media creation tools at our fingertips and on our desktops, I sincerely believe there is still no substitute for great education in the fundamentals of ANY profession, along with the opportunity for group learning and instructor-led training. What having these tools so readily available does for the student is that it gives them more opportunities to experiment on their own. They can now become even better because they have the tools to work with independently of the learning environment, and can learn on their own. But, it is certainly not a replacement for what a good educational environment can provide.
So kids – have fun with your Flipcams, laptops and iMovie. Learn how to tell good stories. Learn the basics of editing and learn how pace and timing are vital to good media presentations. Learn all you can from working with your own stuff. These skills will benefit you as you progress on your professional journey. And when you are ready, invest in yourself by investing in your professional education. The things you learn, the people you meet, and the opportunities you have will be priceless, and you can’t get any of that from the latest version of your software.
Thanks. You’re right on the money. Here at Ball State we’ve wondered, at times, what we’ll teach when every student walking in the door can already shoot and edit. We’ve wondered if video and audio skills are merely commodities now – like typing and PowerPoint. We’ve wondered if we’ll see the end of the Telecommunications Department as we know it, since all departments seem to be in the audio/video business. After all, you don’t see a Typing Department, do you?
But then we hear stories from Hollywood director- turned-professor Roger Young about directing Magnum PI or HBO’s Rome, or stories from foreign correspondent-turned-professor Phil Bremen about what it was like interviewing Yasser Arafat and then we remember that a college education is bigger than skill development. It’s about relationships. It’s about connecting the liberal arts to today’s headlines and pop culture. It’s about becoming an educated person, not just a job-holder. An education at our institution is not something anyone can get anywhere else. It is unique to Ball State because of the people who are here to guide the students to greatness, not mediocrity. So I guess we’ll stay in the business and be ready to teach the “next big thing.”