DIGITAL MEDIA PRODUCTION

Digital media production is the process in which digital files are created, enhanced, encoded, and
distributed using numerous methods of processing via computer hardware and software applications.
These files represent assorted media types, including audio, video, graphic, and written content as
seen on the Internet. These media types are most often specifically coded to function in a pre-
determined environment or platform. Digital media production exists as the primary discipline for the
creation of digital music, streaming video, and other content made available to a mass audience. This
industry makes it possible for the world to see and hear things differently and with more imagination.

Video editing falls under the umbrella of digital media production.

The definition of digital media production is constantly changing as the boundaries of technology
expand each day. In many cases, it refers to the production of visual media, as in digitally enhanced
animation; or new media creation, including website creation, multimedia authoring, and the creation
of computer games. Since digital media files are based on the binary numeral system, which refers to
the individual states of zero and one as a representation of data, the types and possibilities of creation
are endless as technology progresses. Logically, digital media production encompasses an area
responsible for multiple processes, which in turn has the potential to create media of numerous
genres and styles.

Before the approach of the 1980s, media outlets depended on print; tangible graphic art; and crude,
analog techniques, such as those used in broadcast television and radio, to communicate ideas and
entertain the world audience. As technology progressed, the face of media and the methods behind
its production transformed into a science. This science incorporates the use of one or more computer
workstations, specialized software applications, and creative technologists developing a constantly
changing art form.

When the face of media changed, so did the primary components within music, film, television,
advertising, journalism, and personal communication. The development and establishment of
standards of digital media production have also affected one of the oldest and most important
technological inventions in history. Even the printing press has been transformed by technology
through digital image manipulation and desktop publishing software which can effectively allow a
single computer workstation to function as the author, editor, publisher, and printer of its own
publication.
What Is Digital Media Production?

By: Steffani Cameron

Reviewed by: Jayne Thompson, LL.B., LL.M.
Updated September 04, 2019
Digital media production is the backbone of the internet. It’s the generation of everything from
video and audio to interactive online experiences. Harnessing media production skills for online
marketing and business promotion doesn’t take a four-year degree but instead can often be learned
through online resources and a whole lot of practice. In fact, this kind of media production is often
perceived as something at which only the big firms can succeed, but much media can be created in
a budget-friendly manner for small businesses.
Digital media is the same as multimedia. It's anything that happens online and through computer-
based technology.
Media Production Definition
Digital media encompasses any kind of media that is created in a machine-readable-only format, and
it includes everything from MP3 files and ebooks to videos and website design. No, you don’t need
to go to school to learn these skills, but digital media production degrees are now hotly sought after
and are offered in universities and technical institutions around the world.
From mom-and-pop shops to multinational companies, digital media is now at the fore of how a
business communicates with the public. Social media and websites have become almost mandatory
for companies looking to have strong consumer loyalty and a solid brand name. Having dated or
obsolete online properties can make companies seem as though they’re behind the times or
floundering financially.
Critical Multimedia for Businesses
Social Media: Beyond status updates and messaging, social media allows savvy companies an
ongoing focus group experience with their fans and potential customers. Content can be user
generated or brand created, but it must be compelling, engaging and shareable. Social media is not
just about broadcasting your message but rather about creating open dialogue and relationships
with your consumers.
Video: While many sites have pivoted to video only, the wisest companies have a balance of content
styles. Video can be used on websites, in tweets, on Facebook and beyond. Even Google reviews
allow video now, so the online format is a need-to-know. Video editing is a valuable skill for anyone
managing online properties.
Website and Mobile Development: A functional, fast-loading, easy-to-use website is still critical.
Many small businesses have taken the easy way out and deleted their websites in favor of using
Facebook company pages, but this is a dangerous venture because it puts control of house
marketing materials in the hands of a third party. WordPress and Squarespace offer simple web
platforms, but a wide range of designer solutions exist for a variety of budgets. Mobile-ready pages
and apps are now critical, as more than half of the world’s web activity happens on smartphones.
Other Media Production Skills
Multimedia isn’t just about video and audio and photos — it’s anything on the web. When you have
e-commerce on your site, that’s part of digital media production, and so are location-based services
and online games of all kinds as well as virtual reality and animation. If it’s online, it’s a digital media
production application.
These are not overnight skills to pick up and rock — people spend their entire careers learning to
excel in all of these. Hiring professionals to help for a small business is a smart plan, but there are
also plenty of small businesses that learn how to run their online identities through social media,
video and other accessible platforms while outsourcing some help in other areas, like website
maintenance.
For those looking for skills in everything from content creation to copy production to video editing
and even website designing, there are many great independent sites with helpful tips. Also look at
pay-to-play educational sites like Lynda.com, which offers year-long subscriptions, and digital
production is taught by experts in their fields via video and supporting text documents.
https://lcb-brand.com/all-you-need-to-know-about-digital-media-production-and-how-it-is-used/

All You Need to Know about Digital Media Production and how it is used
March 5, 2018Johnny Jordan

What has come to be known as “digital media production” is the method in which digital files are
developed, enhanced, encoded, and distributed using different types of processing with computer
hardware and software applications.
• Files of this kind serve as assorted media types, which can include the likes of audio,
video, graphic, and written content as can be easily be looked at online.
The Future is now
These types of media are specially coded to operate in a pre-determined environment or platform.
The production of digital media dominates as the primary subject of interest for the establishment of
digital music, streaming video, and similar content which is made available to today’s mass audience.
• This field of industry makes it possible for the whole world to not only see, but also hear
things differently, and with a lot more imagination.
• Those seeking a top class production company in UAE, can find one with just a few
clicks of their mouse.
Matters of Definition
The definition of digital media production is an ever-changing arena as the frontiers of modern
technology expand by the day.
In many cases, it can refer to the development of video productions, as in digitally enhanced
animation; or those of new media creation, which involves website building and creation and
multimedia authoring to name just two.
Due to digital media files being based on the binary numeral system, (which applies to the individual
states of zeros and ones as a description of information), the types and potentialities of creation are
infinite as technology moves forward.
• Today’s digital media production has now come to incorporate an area which is
presently responsible for numerous processes, which then have the further possibility
of creating media of multiple genres, types and styles.
Technology and Science
Before the 1980s, media outlets depended on the likes of print; real graphic art and crude, analogue
techniques, like those used in television and radio broadcasts, to communicate ideas and entertain to
a world audience.
• As technology advanced during that time period, the face of the media and the system
behind its production converted it into a science.
This science combined the use of one or more computer workstations, special software applications,
and creative technicians who developed a continuously moving and changing art form.
A New Era of Media
When the media eventually changed, it changed forever, and so did the fundamental components
within:
• Music
• Film
• Television
• Advertising
• Journalism
• Personal communication
The creation and establishment of modern digital media production standards, have definitely
influenced one of the earliest and most prominent technological inventions in history.
And Even in the World of Ink
The printing press has also seen a profound transformation occur with technology by way of digital
image manipulation and computer publishing software.
This can effectively allow for a single operator at a workstation to work as the author, editor,
publisher, and printer of its very own publication.

Digital media

Hard drives store information in binary form and so are considered a type of physical digital media.
Digital media means any media that are encoded in machine-readable formats. Digital media can be
created, viewed, distributed, modified, and preserved on digital electronics devices. Digital can be
defined as any data represented with a series of digits, and Media refers to a method of broadcasting
or communicating information. Together, digital media refers to any information that is broadcast to
us through a screen. This includes text, audio, video, and graphics that is transmitted over the internet,
for viewing on the internet.
Digital media
Examples of digital media include software, digital images, digital video, video games, web
pages and websites, social media, digital data and databases, digital audio such as MP3, electronic
documents and electronic books. Digital media often contrasts with print media, such as printed
books, newspapers and magazines, and other traditional or analog media, such as photographic
film, audio tapes or video tapes.
Digital media has had a significantly broad and complex impact on society and culture. Combined with
the Internet and personal computing, digital media has caused disruptive innovation in publishing,
journalism, public relations, entertainment, education, commerce and politics. Digital media has also
posed new challenges to copyright and intellectual property laws, fostering an open
content movement in which content creators voluntarily give up some or all of their legal rights to
their work. The ubiquity of digital media and its effects on society suggest that we are at the start of
a new era in industrial history, called the Information Age, perhaps leading to a paperless society in
which all media are produced and consumed on computers. However, challenges to a digital transition
remain, including outdated copyright laws, censorship, the digital divide, and the specter of a digital
dark age, in which older media becomes inaccessible to new or upgraded information systems. Digital
media has a significant, wide-ranging and complex impact on society and culture.
History
Codes and information by machines were first conceptualized by Charles Babbage in the early 1800s.
Babbage imagined that these codes would give him instructions for his Motor of Difference and
Analytical Engine, machines that Babbage had designed to solve the problem of error in calculations.
Between 1822 and 1823, Ada Lovelace, mathematics, wrote the first instructions for calculating
numbers on Babbage engines. Lovelace's instructions are now believed to be the first computer
program. Although the machines were designed to perform analysis tasks, Lovelace anticipated the
possible social impact of computers and programming, writing. "For in the distribution and
combination of truths and formulas of analysis, which may become easier and more quickly subjected
to the mechanical combinations of the engine, the relationships and the nature of many subjects in
which science necessarily relates in new subjects, and more deeply researched […] there are in all
extensions of human power or additions to human knowledge, various collateral influences, in
addition to the primary and primary object reached." Other old machine-readable media include
instructions for pianolas and weaving machines.
Binary Code shown here which can used to represent the whole alphabet
It is estimated that in the year 1986 less than 1% of the world's media storage capacity was digital and
in 2007 it was already 94%. The year 2002 is assumed to be the year when human kind was able to store
more information in digital than in analog media (the "beginning of the digital age").
Digital computers

Digital codes, like binary, can be changed without reconfiguring mechanical parts
Though they used machine-readable media, Babbage's engines, player pianos, jacquard looms and
many other early calculating machines were themselves analog computers, with physical, mechanical
parts. The first truly digital media came into existence with the rise of digital computers. Digital
computers use binary code and Boolean logic to store and process information, allowing one machine
in one configuration to perform many different tasks. The first modern, programmable, digital
computers, the Manchester Mark 1 and the EDSAC, were independently invented between 1948 and
1949. Though different in many ways from modern computers, these machines had digital software
controlling their logical operations. They were encoded in binary, a system of ones and zeroes that
are combined to make hundreds of characters. The 1s and 0s of binary are the "digits" of digital media.
In 1959, the metal–oxide–silicon field-effect transistor (MOSFET, or MOS transistor) was invented
by Mohamed Atalla and Dawon Kahng at Bell Labs. It was the first truly compact transistor that could
be miniaturised and mass-produced for a wide range of uses. The MOSFET led to the development
of microprocessors, memory chips, and digital telecommunication circuits. This led to the
development of the personal computer (PC) in the 1970s, and the beginning of the microcomputer
revolution and the Digital Revolution.
"As We May Think"
While digital media did not come into common use until the late 20th century,
the conceptual foundation of digital media is traced to the work of scientist and engineer Vannevar
Bush and his celebrated essay "As We May Think," published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1945. Bush
envisioned a system of devices that could be used to help scientists, doctors, historians and others,
store, analyze and communicate information. Calling this then-imaginary device a "memex", Bush
wrote:
The owner of the memex, let us say, is interested in the origin and properties of the bow and arrow.
Specifically, he is studying why the short Turkish bow was apparently superior to the English long bow
in the skirmishes of the Crusades. He has dozens of possibly pertinent books and articles in his memex.
First, he runs through an encyclopedia, finds an interesting but sketchy article, leaves it projected.
Next, in a history, he finds another pertinent item, and ties the two together. Thus, he goes, building
a trail of many items. Occasionally he inserts a comment of his own, either linking it into the main trail
or joining it by a side trail to a particular item. When it becomes evident that the elastic properties of
available materials had a great deal to do with the bow, he branches off on a side trail which takes him
through textbooks on elasticity and tables of physical constants. He inserts a page of longhand
analysis of his own. Thus, he builds a trail of his interest through the maze of materials available to
him.
Bush hoped that the creation of this memex would be the work of scientists after World War
II. Though the essay predated digital computers by several years, "As We May Think," anticipated the
potential social and intellectual benefits of digital media and provided the conceptual framework
for digital scholarship, the World Wide Web, wikis and even social media. It was recognized as a
significant work even at the time of its publication.
Digital multimedia
Practical digital multimedia distribution and streaming was made possible by advances in data
compression, due to the impractically high memory, storage and bandwidth requirements of
uncompressed media. The most important compression technique is the discrete cosine
transform (DCT), a lossy compression algorithm that was first proposed as an image
compression technique by Nasir Ahmed at Kansas State University in 1972. The DCT algorithm was the
basis for the first practical video coding format, H.261, in 1988. It was followed by more DCT-
based video coding standards, most notably the MPEG video formats from 1991
onwards. The JPEG image format, also based on the DCT algorithm, was introduced in 1992. The
development of the modified discrete cosine transform (MDCT) algorithm led to the MP3 audio
coding format in 1994,[26] and the Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) format in 1999.
Impact
The digital revolution

Motorola phones in their first generation of production

Since the 1960s, computing power and storage capacity have increased exponentially, largely as a
result of MOSFET scaling which enables MOS transistor counts to increase at a rapid pace predicted
by Moore's law. Personal computers and smartphones put the ability to access, modify, store and
share digital media in the hands of billions of people. Many electronic devices, from digital
cameras to drones have the ability to create, transmit and view digital media. Combined with
the World Wide Web and the Internet, digital media has transformed 21st century society in a way that
is frequently compared to the cultural, economic and social impact of the printing press. The change
has been so rapid and so widespread that it has launched an economic transition from an industrial
economy to an information-based economy, creating a new period in human history known as
the Information Age or the digital revolution.
The transition has created some uncertainty about definitions. Digital media, new media, multimedia,
and similar terms all have a relationship to both the engineering innovations and cultural impact of
digital media. The blending of digital media with other media, and with cultural and social factors, is
sometimes known as new media or "the new media." Similarly, digital media seems to demand a new
set of communications skills, called transliteracy, media literacy, or digital literacy. These skills include
not only the ability to read and write—traditional literacy—but the ability to navigate the Internet,
evaluate sources, and create digital content. The idea that we are moving toward a fully digital,
paperless society is accompanied by the fear that we may soon—or currently—be facing a digital dark
age, in which older media are no longer accessible on modern devices or using modern methods of
scholarship. Digital media has a significant, wide-ranging and complex effect on society and culture.
A senior engineer at Motorola named Martin Cooper was the first person to make a phone call on April
3, 1973. He decided the first phone call should be to a rival telecommunications company saying "I'm
speaking via a mobile phone". However the first commercial mobile phone was released in 1983
by Motorola. In the early 1990s Nokia came into succession, with their Nokia 1011 being the first mass-
produced mobile phone. The Nokia Communicator 9000 became the first smartphone as it was
inputed with an Intel 24 MHz CPU and had 8 MB of RAM. Smartphone users have increased by a lot
over the years currently the highest countries with users include China with over 850 million users,
India with over 350 million users, and in third place The United States with about 260 million users as
of 2019. While Android and iOS both dominate the smartphone market. A study by Gartner found that
in 2016 about 88% of the worldwide smartphones were Android while iOS had a market share of about
12%. About 85% of the mobile market revenue came from the mobile games.
The impact of the digital revolution can also be assessed by exploring the amount of worldwide mobile
smart device users there are. This can be split into 2 categories; smart phone users and smart tablet
users. Worldwide there are currently 2.32 billion smartphone users across the world. This figure is to
exceed 2.87 billion by 2020. Smart tablet users reached a total of 1 billion in 2015, 15% of the world's
population.
The statistics evidence the impact of digital media communications today. What is also of relevance is
the fact that the numbers of smart device users is rising rapidly yet the amount of functional uses
increase daily. A smartphone or tablet can be used for hundreds of daily needs. There are currently
over 1 million apps on the Apple App store. These are all opportunities for digital marketing efforts. A
smartphone user is impacted with digital advertising every second they open their Apple or Android
device. This further evidences the digital revolution and the impact of revolution. This has resulted in
a total of 13 billion dollars being paid out to the various app developers over the years. This growth
has fueled the development of millions of software applications. Most of these apps are able to
generate income via in app advertising. Gross revenue for 2020 is projected to be about $189 million.
Disruption in industry
Compared with print media, the mass media, and other analog technologies, digital media are easy to
copy, store, share and modify. This quality of digital media has led to significant changes in many
industries, especially journalism, publishing, education, entertainment, and the music business. The
overall effect of these changes is so far-reaching that it is difficult to quantify. For example, in movie-
making, the transition from analog film cameras to digital cameras is nearly complete. The transition
has economic benefits to Hollywood, making distribution easier and making it possible to add high-
quality digital effects to films. At the same time, it has affected the analog special effects, stunt, and
animation industries in Hollywood. It has imposed painful costs on small movie theaters, some of
which did not or will not survive the transition to digital. The effect of digital media on other media
industries is similarly sweeping and complex.
Between 2000–2015, the print newspaper advertising revenue has fallen from $60 billion to a nearly
$20 billion. Even one of the most popular days for papers, Sunday, has seen a 9% circulation decrease
the lowest since 1945.
In journalism, digital media and citizen journalism have led to the loss of thousands of jobs in print
media and the bankruptcy of many major newspapers.[48] But the rise of digital journalism has also
created thousands of new jobs and specializations.[49] E-books and self-publishing are changing the
book industry, and digital textbooks and other media-inclusive curricula are changing primary and
secondary education.
In academia, digital media has led to a new form of scholarship, also called digital scholarship,
making open access and open science possible thanks to the low cost of distribution. New fields of
study have grown, such as digital humanities and digital history. It has changed the way libraries are
used and their role in society. Every major media, communications and academic endeavor is facing a
period of transition and uncertainty related to digital media.
Often time the magazine or publisher have a Digital edition which can be referred to an electronic
formatted version identical to the print version. There is a huge benefit to the publisher here and it's
the cost, avoiding the expense to print and deliver brings an additional benefit for the company

Decline of Print ads over the years of 2008 US economic problem

Since 2004, there has been a decrease in newspaper industry employment, with only about 40,000
people working in the workforce currently. Alliance of Audited Media & Publishers information during
the 2008 recession, over 10% of print sales are diminished for certain magazines, with a hardship
coming from only 75% of the sales advertisements as before. However, in 2018, major newspapers
advertising revenue was 35% from digital ads.
In contrast, mobile versions of newspapers and magazines came in second with a huge growth of
135%. The New York Times has noted a 47% year of year rise in their digital subscriptions. 43% of adults
get news often from news websites or social media, compared with 49% for television. Pew
Research also asked respondents if they got news from a streaming device on their TV – 9% of U.S.
adults said that they do so often.

Individual as content creator

Average camera of a YouTube blogger, a Canon EOS
Digital media has also allowed individuals to be much more active in content creation.[54] Anyone with
access to computers and the Internet can participate in social media and contribute their own writing,
art, videos, photography and commentary to the Internet, as well as conduct business online. The
dramatic reduction in the costs required to create and share content have led to a democratization of
content creation as well as the creation of new types of content, like blogs, memes and video essays.
Some of these activities have also been labelled citizen journalism. This spike in user created content
is due to the development of the internet as well as the way in which users interact with media today.
The release of technologies such mobile devices allow for easier and quicker access to all things
media. Many media creation tools that were once available to only a few are now free and easy to use.
The cost of devices that can access the Internet is steadily falling, and personal ownership of multiple
digital devices is now becoming the standard. These elements have significantly affected political
participation. Digital media is seen by many scholars as having a role in Arab Spring, and crackdowns
on the use of digital and social media by embattled governments are increasingly common. Many
governments restrict access to digital media in some way, either to prevent obscenity or in a broader
form of political censorship.
Over the years YouTube has grown to become a website with user generated media. This content is
oftentimes not mediated by any company or agency, leading to a wide array of personalities and
opinions online. Over the years YouTube and other platforms have also shown their monetary gains,
as the top 10 YouTube performers generating over 10 million dollars each year. Many of these YouTube
profiles over the years have a multi camera set up as we would see on TV. Many of these creators also
creating their own digital companies as their personalities grow. Personal devices have also seen an
increase over the years. Over 1.5 billion users of tablets exist in this world right now and that is
expected to slowly grow. About 20% of people in the world regularly watch their content using tablets
in 2018.
User-generated content raises issues of privacy, credibility, civility and compensation for cultural,
intellectual and artistic contributions. The spread of digital media, and the wide range of literacy and
communications skills necessary to use it effectively, have deepened the digital divide between those
who have access to digital media and those who don't.
The rising of digital media has made the consumer's audio collection more precise and personalized.
It is no longer necessary to purchase an entire album if the consumer is ultimately interested in only a
few audio files.
Web-only news
US Philips TV Controller with built in Netflix Streaming button
The rise of streaming services has led to a decrease of cable TV services to about 59%, while streaming
services are growing at around 29%, and 9% are still users of the digital antenna. TV Controllers now
incorporate designated buttons for streaming platforms. Users are spending an average of 1:55 with
digital video each day, and only 1:44 on social networks. 6 out of 10 people report viewing their
television shows and news via a streaming service. Platforms such as Netflix have gained attraction
due to their adorability, accessibility, and for its original content. Companies such as Netflix have even
bought previously cancelled shows such as Designated Survivor, Lucifer, and Arrested Development. As
the internet becomes more and more prevalent, more companies are beginning to distribute content
through internet only means. With the loss of viewers, there is a loss of revenue but not as bad as
what would be expected.
Copyright challenges
Digital media pose several challenges to the current copyright and intellectual property laws. The
ease of creating, modifying and sharing digital media makes copyright enforcement a challenge, and
copyright laws are widely seen as outdated. For example, under current copyright law,
common Internet memes are probably illegal to share in many countries. Legal rights are at least
unclear for many common Internet activities, such as posting a picture that belongs to someone else
to a social media account, covering a popular song on a YouTube video, or writing fanfiction. Over the
last decade the concept of fair use has been applied to many online medias.
Copyright challenges have gotten to all parts of digital media. Even as a personal content creator on
YouTube, they must be careful and follow the guidelines set by copyright and IP laws. As YouTube
creators very easily get demonetized for their content. Oftentimes we see digital creators lose
monetization in their content, get their content deleted, or get criticized for their content. Most times
this has to do with accidentally using a copyrighted audio track or background scenes that are
copyright by another company.
To resolve some of these issues, content creators can voluntarily adopt open or copyleft licenses,
giving up some of their legal rights, or they can release their work to the public domain. Among the
most common open licenses are Creative Commons licenses and the GNU Free Documentation
License, both of which are in use on Wikipedia. Open licenses are part of a broader open
content movement that pushes for the reduction or removal of copyright restrictions from software,
data and other digital media. To facilitate the collection and consumption of such licensing
information and availability status, tools have been developed like the Creative Commons Search
engine (mostly for images on the web) and Unpaywall (for scholarly communication).
Additional software has been developed in order to restrict access to digital media. digital rights
management (DRM) is used to lock material and allows users to use that media for specific cases. For
example, DRM allows a movie producer to rent a movie at a lower price than selling the movie,
restricting the movie rental license length, rather than only selling the movie at full price. Additionally,
DRM can prevent unauthorized sharing or modification of media.
Digital Media is numerical, networked and interactive system of links and databases that allows us to
navigate from one bit of content or webpage to another.
One form of digital media that is becoming a phenomenon is in the form of an online magazine or
digital magazine. What exactly is a digital magazine? Due to the economic importance of digital
magazines, the Audit Bureau of Circulations integrated the definition of this medium in its latest report
(March 2011): a digital magazine involves the distribution of a magazine content by electronic means;
it may be a replica. This is an outdated definition of what a digital magazine is. A digital magazine
should not be, in fact, a replica of the print magazine in PDF, as was common practice in recent years.
It should, rather, be a magazine that is, in essence, interactive and created from scratch to a digital
platform (Internet, mobile phones, private networks, iPad or another device). The barriers for digital
magazine distribution are thus decreasing. At the same time digitizing platforms are broadening the
scope of where digital magazines can be published, such as within websites and on smartphones. With
the improvements of tablets and digital magazines are becoming visually enticing and readable
magazines with its graphic arts.