Mar 26, 2008
the evolution of video
In his manifesto, Vernacular Video, Sherman is passionate about video and its development as a medium. I had never really considered it this way.
Not only accessible to more receivers than ever before (and increasing), video can transmit a message more efficiently than any other communication system – instant playback of recorded events viewable almost immediately. More than stop, start and rewind, this is upload, download, edit, alter, define, contribute and dispersion of a medium and communication system like never before. And everyone can use it.
‘The technology of video is now as common as a pencil for the middle classes. People who never even considered working seriously in video find themselves with digital camcorders and non-linear video-editing software on their personal computers. They can set up their own television stations with video streaming via the Web without much trouble. The revolution in video-display technologies is creating massive, under-utilized screen space and time, as virtually all architecture and surfaces become potential screens.’
All surfaces? I like that. The world is your whiteboard.
It’s actually all pretty incredible, really. 25 years ago you would be lucky to borrow a friends home camcorder that was size of a house for dubious ‘wedding video’, now every person at the wedding will be recording it.
Of course, these are not examples of video in its most artistic and literary form. But as Sherman notes, the change in the technology is altering the form of video itself, and this in turn will affect video as art. The evolution of the technology offers development in video art that is unprecedented among other media. the possibilities are endless, in terms of customisation, collaboration, experimentation, creation. it’s exciting, whether perceived from an artistic, cultural or informative sense.
‘…the twenty-first century will be remembered as the video age’, and it’s available on your mobile phone, right now.
(n.b: a rambling first reflection. excuse me)
[...] [From the evolution of video] [...]