Hollywoodization

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQTYk4A3_WVE76wN0HSqA5EiDhwq2FwKO3MdA_z8J7G0z2BE1af

This week looked at the influence of American film upon the Asian film industry, in the form of 'Hollywoodization' but also the return effect of 'Asianization.' (Klein, 2004)
Klein looks at the ways in which the separate industries are becoming more and more integrated and have come to feature and include aspects of the other in increasing numbers, such as martial arts fight scenes in action films.

With an increase in cross-cultural exchange, both consumer preferences have increased as well as the exchange of aesthetic and material dimensions of the films themselves, as foreign stars are 'imported,' such as Jackie Chan, screen writes from south Koran and Japan are used in American stories, and even using sets or shooting in Asian countries and allowing the local producers to learn of American techniques and technologies which they can in turn use to produce their own films (Klein, 2004).

With big USA films making majority of their money outside of the USA it is important for these films to have a global appeal, and incorporating other elements, such as those traditionally found in Asian film, they open their consumer market up to a much larger audience (Klein, 2004).

However, over time and the increasing effects of globalisation, these cross-cultural exchanges can be found almost everywhere, from food to music and everything in between. I remember reading work by Gramsci explaining cultural hegemony, in which the diversities of nations become less and the dominant power seems to override them all, or to include them all to have a type of singular global culture. I believe this covers the idea of 'Americanization' with America as the dominant power, having huge impacts upon the Asian film industry and the way that it operates.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNJdcTXQlQc

Resource; Klein, C 2004,'Martial arts and globalisation of US and Asian film industries', Comparative America Studies, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 360-384.

Specular Economy

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The 'specular economy' refers to a type of two way mirror in which every day people are becoming more involved in developing social media 'persona's' the way in which celebrities do (Marshall, 2010).

We are becoming more and more concerned with how people judge us, or how they speculate.

With the growth of new technology, in particular social media via the Internet, we are becoming ever more obsessed with sharing our private lives and intimate details with the public sphere (Marshall, 2010). The first part of the "mirror" is that which we project outwards, the things we say, photos we post and the overall image we present. However, unlike television and film, social media allows for the audience to respond and interact with the media in a way like never before. This is the second half of the mirror (Marshall, 2010).

For many years print media has controlled the 'gossip' of celebrity life, but with outlets like Facebook and Twitter, this gate-keeping is circumvented and we are even more able to see into the private lives of individuals, even more able to stalk, lurk and follow the people of interest to us.

As being part of this generation myself and establishing social media outlets, such as MySpace, Facebook and Instagram, just to name a few, I have often thought about how people might perceive the things I post. Whether I'm coming off 'too depressed' or 'too fake' or 'too weird,' I have often shaped my 'mediated version' of myself to how I want to be best represented. 

I have often seen friends post very private information, usually often to do with relationships for example, that really shouldn't be in the public domain. I have other friends who appear to have the most perfect life, happy relationship, great job, great friends, everything is great. But it is all simply by what they choose to share, and what they choose to keep private. These types of things emphasize the shift from private and intimate boundaries to the public world where you are put on show.
We are in a society where there is a constant surveillance, not just by CCTV cameras on the streets, but where our social interactions and representations are constantly monitored by the cyber-world which we engage in.

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4027/4470486685_448425a880.jpg

Resource; Marshal, P.D 2010, ‘The Specular Economy’, Society, vol. 47, no. 6, pp. 498-502

Computer Games as Participatory Media Culture

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgZ4ph3dSmY

The theme this week of participatory culture, with a particular focus on games, involves many elements which act to engage an audience in a way that is not passive, such as for film or TV; but elements that cause the audience to be involved in the interpretation, configuration and construction of the game itself. (RAESSENS)

In recent years games have changed from a simple item you buy, to an experience in which you take part. I myself have spent many hours in my teenage years playing the game 'The Sims.' I have played every update and every expansion as they come out. One element that stands out in terms of participation in playing The Sims, is the ability to construct the way the game is played and the results from such actions.

In the latest version of the game, from the very initial moment of game play, I can customize my character in any way I wish, I can make them rich or poor, fat or thin, black or white, smart or dumb, male, female, adult, child, the list goes on.

I choose how their house is built, what furniture they have, even the patterns of material.

I choose their career, education, friendships, romances, enemies and skills to work on.

In having played every 'new generation' of The Sims, I can reflect on how the developers have increased the interactivity of players over the years. Gamers are increasingly given more and more options in order to construct their virtual world exactly how they want it, making it near life-like in many of the options available.

You can see in the below clips just how much freedom, especially in the last clip, a gamer is given in constructing their virtual Sim life. You can re-create people and experiences from real life, or simply make it up as you go, but the main point is; you choose.

Sims 1;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6UHmDPZ3eQ

Sims 2;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h7cLEtSdlY

Sims 3 ;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRrJGVod0ag&list=PLD8AF08EBDBE4E876&index=51

Sims 4;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjPPjU8OARg

Resource; Raessens, J. 2005, ‘Computer games as participatory media culture’, Handbook of

Computer Game Studies, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass, pp. 373-388