Unimedia Composers

Unimedia composers create digital compositions on the web that employ the widest possible range of media. In order to move unimedia to new levels of quality, composers of this genre are encouraged to share their thinking and their work.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Multimedia Crossovers


It's 2007. Do you know where your mass media has gone? Traditional mass media companies, from radio to TV to newspapers, are diversifying their "mass" and all competing in each other's traditional markets. The Internet has served as giant mixer and blender for their interests.

Each uses their primary market to attract more customers to their new ventures. For example, can you find a television channel that does not have a web site that supports it broadcasts with text stories and pictures? (a leader: Discovery Channel ) How many newspapers do not have a web site that supports its text stories with vibrant color photographs, animation, audio and sometimes video? (a leader: NYTimes) Can you find a radio station that does not have a web site that supports its live broadcasts with text stories, pictures, broacast lineup and more? (a leader: WCU radio). The advertisers support all of this by varying their advertisements to every media. An interesting research study would be to compare these different media and weigh how far leaders in each area have gone in diversifying their forms of communication? One wonders why there is not a merger of a television station, radio station and newspaper into one brand?

And that's just the traditional media. Cell phone companies and computer companies have heavily invested in multimedia devices. Can you find a cell phone company or a cell phone maker that does not support multimedia? Anyone can have a phone that goes beyond voice and transmits pictures and video and text messaging. Computer companies have even changed their names to better address these new markets. Apple Computer is no longer; they've dropped computer from their name, becoming Apple Inc. Why? They announced a new form of multimedia cell phone, no buttons, all touch screen, as much a pocket computer as a radio station and a video player.

If curriculum derives its direction from what the real world is doing, where is the instruction in our schools and universities that supports this kind of composition?