Media Journal What does Marshall McLuhan mean when

he says that “the medium is the message”?

AestheticsBroadcast and Video Production I

Specific Messages In everyday life, you exert considerable

influence on how a specific message is received. Ex. Smile/Frown

Marshall McLuhan A well-known communications scholar who

said over 40 years ago that “the medium is the message” (or the massage).

What he meant by this was that the media occupy as an important position not only in distributing the message but also in shaping the message.

Aesthetics A branch of philosophy that deals with the

perception of beauty and ugliness. It deals with the question of whether such qualities actually exist or just exist in the mind of the person viewing them.

Applied Media Aesthetics How media, specifically television and film,

shape the message for a specific viewer response.

The branch of aesthetics that deals with sense perception and how to influence them through image elements, such as light, space, time/motion, and sound. Focuses on TV, film, and other electronic audiovisual media.

Purpose of Applied Media Aesthetics

Clarify Intensify Interpret events for a large audience

Shaping the Message Applied media aesthetics places great importance

on the influence of the medium on the message. The medium itself acts as an integral structural agent.

The process of clarification, intensification, and interpretation of events is based on selection and a specific use of aesthetic elements, the recipient’s perceptions are indirectly, and more often, directly manipulated.

Real-Life Application When you create a simple commercial, you

are essentially manipulating the feelings, emotions, and behaviors of your recipients.

Ford Car Commercial Example.mpg

Manipulation We may be aware of manipulation when

watching blatantly biased editing, but most viewers remain largely unsuspecting when manipulated through subtle means such as lens distortions or specific lighting effects.

This is why you must make all your decisions as a producer of media within a sound ethical context.

Objectives for our Study of Aesthetics Recognize, isolate, and evaluate the principles of

media aesthetics within any given audiovisual text.

Sharpen our ability to think critically about aesthetic choices used in media production.

Master the knowledge necessary to make informed aesthetic choices and detailed production plans for our own audiovisual projects.

Articulate informed opinions regarding the relationship between media aesthetics and the culture in which we live.

Inductive Visual Approach When you go from details of the event to a

general overview. You begin a shot sequence with a close-up of a

significant detail. This approach is suited to the small screen (TV).

On TV, a close-up usually carries more aesthetic energy than the long shot. This approach allows the viewer to not only see important event details but also to feel the full impact of the event.

Deductive Visual Approach Moving from the general to the specific or from

an overview to event detail.

Reflection Which approach did you use in your Stolen Box

Project? How you could change and use the other

approach? What impact would it have on the viewer?