The Digital Paradigm Shift: A Tidal Force in Arts and Entertainment

The human being is an inherent story teller. From drawing on cave walls to sharing fireside tales and singing the bard’s histories through village squares, we have striven to pass on our experiences and the truths beyond their facts for as long as we could communicate one to another. Today, in this tradition, those compelled to tell, draw, paint, film, or sing the human tale have found new hope in the digital age.

In or about 1440 Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. His goal was simple: to spread the gospels of the Holy Roman Empire throughout Europe. By 1500, more than 20 million volumes were said to have been published and distributed throughout the Continent.

This invention did much more, though. It brought the written word into the lives of millions previously unable to read, and ushered in a new way for storytellers to spread their work. It created a new industry, in printing and distributing the written word. The invention had one draw back, however, it was limited in it’s ownership, and writers and story tellers were rarely the owners, so publishers with access to the technology controlled exactly what was produced and marketed to the masses.

Visual art began as early as human beings could gather in small tribes, and arguably before they formed villages or communities on any large scale. By the middle ages, however, like the written word, art was oft paid for and limited to the aristocracy. Art patrons commissioned work, attended to artists and more often than not, enjoyed the art that was created as a perk of their investments. A similar history of music runs parallel to that of art. Once created at the fire side, by the time people gathered into cities under the rule of some aristocrat or another, great musicians, like artists were few and their work was distributed to only those with means.

The modern filmmaking can be traced to the 1890’s. Revolutionary in it’s early day, creators flocked to be a part of the new story telling medium. Equipment costs, filming locations and distribution, though, took a hold in the early 20th century and again removed the art from the artist and firmly embedded it in the hands of the business interests most able to afford the production and distribution of the art.

None of this is bad. Under the guidance of those with a vested interest in the arts and entertainment industry, the arts flourished, making its way into the hearts and minds of nearly every human being on planet Earth.

The invention of the television in the late 1920’s and its mainstreaming in the 1960’s, brought storytellers and artists into people’s living rooms. As before, however, the cost of doing so with such a new technology was high, and exactly what was produced and broadcasted depended on those industry professionals at the top of their fields and not always the artists who were creating the content.

It’s been 30 years since the mainstreaming of the internet. Beginning with such home services like AOL, and later ISPs, the internet, created in the 1960’s for scientists and engineers, the shift toward the masses has made the nebulous internet a commercial boom, and has had one seemingly open ended side effect, as well. It has given the arts and entertainment community a cost effective and accessible way to share, distribute and even create their various art forms.

The advent of "print-on-demand" publishing has put an accessible printing press within arms reach of writers. Music platforms such as Soundcloud™ and Reverb have put recording and editing tools at the fingertips of musicians. Youtube™, Vimeo™ and a host of others has given independent filmmakers access to distribution for movie and film projects.  All of these and so many more have had another welcomed effect. Each of these platforms, as well as the growing social media community platforms like Facebook™, GooglePlus™, Twitter™ and countless others from Instagram™ to Reddit™, give content creators and artists access to global audiences in a way never before imaginable.

As a journalist and a creator, while Amazon™ has become the world's largest retail distributor, and the number of Facebook users has toppled the 1 billion mark, it is impossible to dismiss or ignore this shift in the arts and entertainment paradigm.

Today, there are more than 50 million internet based content creators worldwide. Authors, artists, Filmmakers, special effects designers, artisans and creators of all kinds are flocking to the internet to share their hard work with an audience that seems hungry for greater and greater quantities of artistic media content, with no signs of their appetites slowing in the foreseeable future.

It doesn’t matter what one’s tastes are. It doesn’t matter if a creator is experienced, at the top or bottom of their profession, or if a type of art or literary genre is too obscure or fringe. There is an audience for nearly every kind of creative output.

No longer do existing matrixes for distribution and competition speak to the creative desires of the masses. The advent of “binge watching” TV shows and movies via streaming services such as Netflix™, Hulu™, Amazon™ and others, or via production company or personal “Apps,” has meant that one time competitors for attention can share the light on center stage. E-readers mean that writers aren’t competing for that $20 dollar bill for a hardcover book, but instead, 20 can share it through online e-book services. Artists no longer have to compete for limited gallery wall space to be discovered, but can post via social media or websites and be seen by a mass audience.

Of course, these shifts are not without drawbacks. To be seen in the growing seas of creative content on the internet, an artist or creator must learn new skills. These skills are those that were traditionally only known by insider industry professionals, and are essential to success. Production skills like layout and design, film and photo editing, copy and content editing for authors, and the daunting skills of marketing managers to help attract and grow audiences, must be acquired. As it has shifted the way art is made and distributed, so to the Internet has also become a kind of online school for arts and entertainment creators. One can find DYI videos on almost any subject to assist in acquiring the skills to succeed, or even target audiences with one’s work.

In the new millennium, the edges and boundaries of success have been pushed back and away from creative minds in ways never before possible. Today, it is most reasonable to tell a child to work hard and become any thing they desire to be, and it is becoming more possible than ever before in human history.

In the 21st century, it IS possible. Anything is possible. If you desire a creative career, outlet, hobby or a legacy captured in the increasingly digital record, don’t just dream, but do!

Create, Aspire and Inspire!