Digital What?? - Week 1

          What is Digital Media? Well before I was familiar with specifics about what we were learning in class, I heard the term Digital Media and immediately thought computers. Media is a means of mass communication, whether it’s through posters, newspapers, magazines, or any other number of ways to get a statement across to a large number of people. To me, Digital Media was the same idea, but solely focussed on electronic ways to get this message across (i.e. computers, televisions, etc). I thought that this would mainly focus on making commercials to target a certain age group and online advertising by use of websites such as Facebook. Though I was right in the sense that we would be exploring things such as this, I did not realize that there was so much more involved. When watching the clip that was played to demonstrate how a simple change in music could alter ones’ perception of a video, I came to the realization that Digital Media was much more than just using computers. Subtleties that I never even thought were a part of Digital Media were brought to my attention and showed me a completely different point of view. I now realize that it is not only using computers to make a video and putting simple clips together; it’s using your imagination and creative side to engage anyone who watches it.

At first I was fairly intimidated by this new technology and equipment and I was worried that it would be overwhelming. I wasn’t sure if we would be expected to know certain computer programs – but in our first lecture I soon learned that everything would be taught step by step. When I saw all of the videos and examples of what we would be doing throughout the semester it surpassed my expectations and I knew that this would be a very useful and fascinating class.

In the lecture I learned that this course would expose me to many different aspects of media and teach me how to put everything I learn to use in an effective manner, which is why it is so important to be exposed to a course like this in my first semester as a Radio and Television Arts student. Digital Media is a very effective means of communicating, especially when we rely so heavily on media in this day and age. It is very important to understand how our society is evolving in regards to technology, and it is crucial to be aware of how we connect as a social community. Without this knowledge, and without being exposed to this aspect of media, we would be holding ourselves back and not allowing ourselves to grow. If one wants to be successful in this field, being able to understand Digital Media and put it to use in an effective manner is critical.

Marshall McLuhan was spot on when he said “media is the message”. Media is how we communicate today, and media is the future. We rely day to day on all the technology that has been integrated in society, and this technology has in turn become a part of us. It is everywhere we go – whether it’s a poster that you see when you walk down the street or a commercial you see advertising a product on TV.  It is our Facebook updates that we check every day, and it is the new time filler. Music, movies, and even books are now available to us with the push of a button. It is exciting and scary at the same time, but yet we all wait to see what new idea comes out next. I am so excited that I have the opportunity to be at the forefront of technology in such an amazing program, and cannot wait to see what we learn next!