To be completely honest, I have never really thought about the distinct differences between television programing and film. I understand the technology is different, but it has only been very recently that I realized how very different they are in terms of communication and messages spread.
As Arthur Asa Berger explains in his text, “Seeing is Believing,” watching television is considerably different than watching film. He says,
“The film image is like a discrete photograph, loaded with information and very high in resolution. When we watch film, we see twenty-four of these frames per second, each of which appears very briefly and then is followed by another…The television image is different. It is best described as a mosaic, made up of a large quantity of dots (pixels) that are constantly changing (Berger, 2008).”
Because of the vast differences in the technology utilized in the two mediums, the very nature of the messages they spread is significantly different. In his text, Berger cites the work of Marshall McLuhan by stating that television is more involving than film, as is requires more effort from viewers. McLuhan found this to be be very profound because he believed that the medium of television has effectively altered our entire culture’s patterns of perception (Berger, 2008).
This made sense to me as I think about the difference between my viewing experiences when watching a film and a television sitcom. When I watch a film, especially when watching it for the first time, it has my undivided attention. I am typically sitting in a dark movie theater or it is in the evening in my home, with all the lights turned out. I do not look at my phone, my children are either absent or asleep, and I do not talk. While I’m watching television, however, I am multi-tasking. I am doing homework, or playing with my kids, or even having a discussion about the sitcom while it’s going on. But this is not to say that television is not as effective at communicating than a film is. I watch much more television than I do films. Television also reaches a world-wide audience, which is diversified to focus on specific audiences (Beggs, 2012).
Overall, I believe that television is a much more effective tool at spreading messages than film. Moreover, the potential that television has to do good in this world cannot be ignored. Former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, said:
“Television can be a tremendous force for good. It can educate great numbers of people about the world around them. It can show us how much we have in common with our neighbors, near and far. And, it can shed light on the dark corners, where ignorance and hatred fester. The television industry is also in a unique position to promote mutual understanding and tolerance -– with content that tells the stories not just about the powerful, but about the powerless, and not just about life in the world’s richest pockets, but also in the developing countries that are home to the majority of the world’s population (Annan, 2003).”
Because of things like product placement, sponsorships, and commercials, television will always be the primary mean by which advertisers reach out to us. Even today, as internet-based services like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube start to make an impact on the entertainment industry, we are seeing these online options start to incorporate commercials and ads into their programming. It is my hope that the television medium can be used for positive, wholesome communication, rather than just entertainment.
References
Annan, K. (2003, November 13). WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION CAN BE TREMENDOUS FORCE FOR GOOD, SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS IN WORLD TELEVISION DAY MESSAGE | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases. Retrieved March 31, 2016, from http://www.un.org/press/en/2003/sgsm9007.doc.htm
Beggs, S. (2012, April 05). Please Stop Comparing Movies to Television. Retrieved March 31, 2016, from http://filmschoolrejects.com/opinions/please-stop-comparing-movies-to-television-shows.php
Berger, A. A. (2008). Seeing is believing: An introduction to visual communication (3rd ed.). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Pub.
Levine, S., & McLuhan, M. (1964). Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. American Quarterly, 16(4), 646. doi:10.2307/2711172
Hayden Coombs 