Media convergence and “Hive Minds”

Jenkins talks about media convergence, or the overlap of content into several different forms of media, as a major corporate strategy of today.  How does the ever-evolving world of fan fiction affect this system, and how does it influence what new content is professionally produced?

Parodies and fan-made films are popping up everywhere. Based on this, as well as the fact that almost anyone can pick up the technology needed to produce a film, how do you think amateurism will affect the future of digital cinema and the film industry in general?

Lanier’s take on the “hive mind” that Web 2.0 and technology are creating is pretty unsettling and cynical. While his opinions are over-the-top, he makes some decent points throughout. One the stuck out for me was his stance on music, and how nothing original has been created since the 90s.  He claims that all we do now is steal from previous artists.  How accurate do you think his statement on music is, and how is amateurism affecting the production of music today?

Tags: amateurism, framing, hive mind, Jenkins, Lanier