The End of Cinema

Anne Friedberg’s “The End of Cinema: Multimedia and Technological Change” discusses the progression of change amongst cinema due to the innovational developments within technology. As a result of advancements made in technology, cinema has become strikingly similar to various other forms of media such as television and computers. This idea is seen through the types of images incorporated into such movies, television shows, and computers. I find this lack of specificity between various forms of media fairly disappointing. While cinema was once one of the most popular and utilized forms of media amongst individuals, that is not the case today. The general lack of individualization between media platforms diminishes each of their unique qualities. As a result, Friedberg explains how almost all of individuals’ assumptions about the media have changed into a realm of digitized images alternatively to the individualized platforms prior to advancements in technology. Such advancements include the video cassette recorder, the revision remote control, and expansion of cable television.

McLuhan’s thoughts on the interrelatedness of media due to technology’s progression over time support Friedberg’s ideas as he states, “The content of any medium is always another medium.” Such media convergence incorporate the telephone and the computer’s affects on creating a converged multimedia stream. Furthermore, various other media apparatus such as the VCR, cable television, and the remote control have allowed individuals to become interactive as they changed the ways in which we engage with television. The VCR, for instance, allows viewers to watch films at their convenience, allowing them to watch from home rather than going out to the theater. Just as well, the remote control provides individuals the ability change the channel, volume, and various other settings by a simple click of a button. Moreover, viewers no longer need to get up and manually change the channels or volume, creating for a much easier viewing experience.