The Impact of Hollywood in Asian Films

Hollywood has ultimately reinvented the production, consumption and distribution of films. Hollywood has dominated the global market since its massive development during the First World War. With the massive impact of globalisation, it has seen the mass distribution of Hollywood films across the world. Of course it would not take long for other countries to link in to this cultural phenomenon.  Klein discusses how globalization is affecting film industries in the USA and Asia and feels that these industries are imitating and ultimately ‘regurgitating’ each other’s material. 

  This in turn creates the denationalization of ‘individual films and film industries on both sides of the pacific’ (Klein 2004, p.360).  Many Hollywood films have become so infatuated within the martial arts spectacle and therefore, have really incorporated this phenomenon into Hollywood films.  So many recognisable films like the Matrix, Mission Impossible, and The Last Sumarai

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all incorporate these activities from Asian cultures and in turn have caused it to become a global phenomenon.

Hollywoodization, as Klein tries to simply put, is a concept developed in understanding the mass impact Hollywood has on other film industries. Bollywood is a perfect example to see how closely these industries are to one another. We have films such as Pride and Prejudice, reinvented within the frameworks of Asian culture. Klein discuses that ‘it looked like the overwhelming domination of local markets by Hollywood films might be a stage rather than the end point of globalisation’ (Klein 2004 p.369).

 It has really opened up the doors for local film industries to become active publics in this cultural phenomenon.  I think its fantastic that the Asian film industry has really created a name for themselves in recent years. The local industry has really put their foot down as being strong contributors in the film industry.  The movie Swades: We, the people, was a successful Indian movie and was a box office smash.  The Indian hit was filmed in the USA, and it really shows the comparison between Indian and western cultures

The western and Asian cultures, in my opinion, have both complimented each other with their vast cultural distinctions, and have in someway mused together to create a unique and relatable conception of the success on what constitutes a great movie. 

Reference list

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Klein, C 2004, 'Martial arts and the globalisation of US and Asian film industries', Comparative American Studies, SAGE Publications, London, p.360.

Imbd,2013,’Swades’, Retrieved 24 September 2013, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367110/

Specular Mirror Effect

David Marshall defines the concept of the specular mirror as ‘a two way mirror of projection onto the screen and the circulation of and interaction with those images and texts into the wider world’ (2010, p.499). This, as Marshall articulates, has erupted in to a specular economy where the use of online channels drives the way for the production of the surveillance of society. However, due to the development of the celebrity culture, and its impact it has on many societies, the notion of surveillance as become somewhat of a comfortable idea caused by the repercussions of this phenomenon.  The celebrity culture, which I do care to admit, has utterly influenced the way people, such as my self interact and present our selves. Especially in today’s modernistic society where you would think people would rationally make their own decisions without the influence of other entities. The concept of the ‘specular economy’ has collectively shaped the way people present themselves and furthermore shaped the foundations of our ‘knowledge economy’ (Marshall, 2010, p.499). The concept of the ‘mirror’ that Marshall exemplifies is a perfect example to describe the way people want to further better themselves. When you gaze into the mirror in the gym, you’re envisaging a better version of yourself. 

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The myriad of online channels like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are perfect examples on how people mediatize themselves. There is a ‘frisson of fame where the self in its reconstruction as an image enters into what we have grown to imagine as a media landscape that constructs notoriety’ (Marshall 2010,p.499). I am consistently posting and sharing my opinions and my thoughts, and simultaneously placing myself into the frameworks of the simple technology of the mirror ‘into the picture and onto the screen’ (Marshall 2010, p.499). I have always been interested into the divine cultures celebrities indulge themselves in. I knew that I would never be able to experience this lifestyle, but I could try and replicate their social media use for my own sense of connection with this celebrity culture. Instagram enables its users to kind of feel like super stars. I of course made sure that I would take the most perfect shot before I would even consider sharing it, and giving people the opportunity to watch my every move. Like Marshall had described, I have found comfortability with the notion of surveillance because I have become so inhabited with the concept of the celebrity culture where celebrities are constantly under the microscope, and I kind of figured it was somewhat of a normative concept.

Reference List

 Courtesy of Google Images

Marshall D, 2010, The Specular Economy, Springer Science and Business Media, pp.499.

Participatory Media Culture

Raessens (2005) defines the concept of participation as a way to "characterize not only the specificity of computer games but also the media culture that has formed around them"(p.380). This quote directly correlates with such a large platform of alternative game activity. These can include Facebook games, phone apps and much more. In our Globalization and the media tutorial, we were put into groups to generate an online game and to discuss and analyze what types of participatory media cultures it would promote. By closely analyzing Foost Raessens article Computer Games As Participatory Media Culture, I was able to understand the concepts of the domains of participation; interpretation, reconfiguration, and construction into the consumption and production of our game. 

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The Game we formatted was called The Wizard Of Aus, which depicts Dorothy as an ass kicker who is the main protagonist trying to help save the pathetic, lion, tin man and scarecrow as well as defeating the evil witch. This Game will use reconfiguration as it will give the player the opportunity to ‘make strategic choices about alternative paths and, in the case of adventure games, alternative actions’ (Aarseth 1997 in Raessens 2010, p.380). This is a vital component for the games consumption as it allows players to control and manipulate the character in the way in which they desire their outcomes to be.  To make this game a commercial success, the use of construction is needed. This helps the gamer to change the environment of the game and allows the gamer to work with ‘game modes or game patches, editing tools and source codes (Raessens 2010, p.381).  This is an essential component provided within the games elements as it gives the gamers a sense of control, and power.  

The interpretation of our games participatory media culture can be defined as a ‘focus on cultural practices that fall outside of the high culture/ low culture dichotomy by studying how we, as subjects, are constructed by the everyday and the ordinary’ (Raasens 2010, p.374). As a child, when playing games like Mario, it felt like somewhat of a norm to see peaches as the vulnerable and unlikely heroin or protagonist in the game, but instead be rescued over and over again because she was incapable of saving herself without the assistance of a man. Societal norms are in some way integrated into media cultures, however the cultural normative is shifting.  Therefore the decision to make Dorothy as a violent and heroic character was inevitable. 

Reference List

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Raessens, J. 2005, ‘Computer games as participatory media culture’, Handbook of

Computer Game Studies, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass, pp. 373-388