by Neil Sieling

The independent media field has been following with interest
and perhaps some trepidation the rise of the DVD, and trying to image the
affect it will have on the production and distribution of independent films and
videos. Of course, each new technological innovation for the production and/or
distribution of media (videocassettes, interactive CD-ROMs, the Internet, DVDs)
carries the promise of helping independent media makers get their work out to
the world. Some of the promises of those older technologies were never realized
(e.g. the educational market suffered during the transition from film to VHS
tapes). Certainly, some of the promise of DVD will not play out in the very real,
very difficult world of independent media distribution. However, DVD has
definitely made itself a force in the field. Now seems a good moment to reflect
on the changes that came with DVD and what it portends for the future for
independent media makers, producers and distributors.

Executive Summary

For all of DVD�s many virtues, it is neither a market, nor a
field nor a movement by itself. Rather, it is a compendium of formats within a
new generation of optical disc storage technology. DVD needs to be examined in
relation to other media, social and economic systems in order to fully
understand its complexity. This study will provide a snapshot of where DVD and
related technologies are going, and the effect that will have on their
producers, distributors and audiences.

The independent media arts field has always wrestled with
how to make the best use of transitional technologies, whose development and
deployment almost always emanate from sources outside of the field. While the
independent media field often doesn�t have an effect on the initial deployment
of new technologies, much can be done to imbue those new technologies with the
values and insights of independent media culture. One argument in this study
will be the importance of creating an informed, interdependent and sustainable
movement to help makers, distributors and audiences adjust to the latest wave
of new technologies. Rather than using its considerable creative capacity
merely to react to the latest round of transitional technologies and aiming
only to hold its ground, the field needs to consider new partnerships. Digital interdependence
needs to succeed independence as a primary motivator in the field in order to
lay the groundwork for a better future.

For example, a great portion of independent media�s value
has been the quality of the work produced and the relationships forged between
makers and audiences. This �relationship capital,� so integral to independent
media culture, can be brought to bear using some of the new digital tools. The techniques
for finding and developing audiences and a perceived sense of �us� that have
been employed by �old media� practitioners can inform the development of
communities with new media hardware and software.

This paper will first look at the nuts and bolts of DVD
technology and its various iterations. It will also explore the economics of
DVD, from why companies are interested in distributing DVD to why consumers
(both individual and institutional) are interested in acquiring them. Although
the DVD has become the consumer media format of choice, many independent media
producers and distributors are struggling to determine whether DVD’s promise(s)
will be right for their films and videos. What are the technical considerations
for making a DVD? What are the costs? Does an enhanced DVD mean enhanced sales?
The digital terrain is vast and almost everyone is missing one or more pieces
of the puzzle. Examining both the technical and economic sides of DVD culture
should help independent media makers, distributors and conduits to audiences
(such as public libraries) make more informed distribution and purchasing
decisions.

This study will also look at the social forces driving DVD
culture and offer recommendations as to how DVD culture might achieve its full
potential. Throughout, we will use case studies and detailed sidebars to
illustrate some of the potential and the difficulties of DVD. Above all, this
study examines the real potential for the social, economic and technological
changes in the transition to DVD to help independent media get ahead instead of
just making do.

Read the full report online: Digital and Tangible: How DVDs Are Impacting Independent Media.

Download PDF version: dvdstudy.pdf.