What Is New Media?

Manovich Manovich Manovich I wish we could be in a version of Being Lev Manovich and go on a trip into his head, but reading The Language of New Media will have to suffice. I love the Prologue, that dips into the book to pull out pieces about Vertov, long an interest/obsession of mine. Our responses to watching Man with a Movie Camera last Thursday reinforced the importance of Vertov's work, and I am looking forward to bringing in my virtual kino-eye material next week as we connect cinema to virtual worlds and gaming.

In defining new media, let's consider this. Manovich writes:

PRINCIPLES OF NEW MEDIA (pages 19-61 of LNM)

1) Numerical Representation

2) Modularity

3) Automation

4) Variability

5) Transcoding

Let's look at Manovich's section on the myth of interactivity (page 55).

On Thursday, we will meet at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Please look at the museum website, because we will discuss and analyze it, and use it as an example of interface, database, transcoding, the use of digital narrative and forms in traditional spaces and contexts, etc. MFA