Studio and New Visual Media
To understand the third social change catalyst the New Visual Media, let’s take a brief look at history.
Since the beginning of humankind, an essential element of survival and development has been the passing of knowledge from one generation to the next. The method of passing on knowledge has changed along with the development of technology. This method of passing on knowledge will be referred to as a tradition.
In history, there are three apparent traditions that have ebbed and flowed depending on the time period:
- Oral Tradition: Stories and information are passed on by word of mouth. Considerable effort is spent memorizing material, so it can be passed on to the next generation. While the oral tradition still plays a role in society at large, there are cultures in which the oral tradition still plays a major role such as in some Native American Tribes.
- Written Tradition: This tradition began with the invention of writing; however, literacy was a rarity until the invention of the printing press when written materials became more widely available in the form of books. But books were only the beginning. Soon other mediums entered the stage such as newspapers and magazines. One of the highest forms of the written tradition culminated in the creation of the Constitution of the United States of America. Eventually the internet joined in which extended the reach and availability of printed materials to computers, tablets and smartphones as well as expanded source of written material from organizations or businesses such as the New York Times to anyone who wants to write a blog.
- Visual Tradition: While this tradition has its roots anciently in such mediums as plays and art, it really began to take root and grow in influence with the invention of the camera, television, and internet. In our modern world, its influence has grown as visual content has been made available on social media, in movie databases, and video conferences. The Visual Tradition shares many commonalities with the Written Tradition as both share the same information while differing on the method of delivery.
The Visual Tradition has come with its own unique challenges ranging from distraction from face-to-face interactions to inauthentic representations of personal lives. However, there is great potential in the Visual Tradition to catalyze social change if it is used properly.
We want to contribute to a New Visual Media, or the Visual Tradition as it should be. Instead of distracting and entertaining, the New Visual Tradition will be focused on sharing ideas that lead to social change and divert attention from media to face-to-face interaction where change actually occurs best and holds lasting intrinsic results.
This shift in perspective will be facilitated by the Social Change Studio Inc.
The main method the Social Change Studio Inc. will utilize to facilitate this shift is by assisting social entrepreneurs to spread their ideas. Social change can only travel as fast as information can be spread to individuals, families and neighborhoods. This is often a roadblock to social entrepreneurs who may have solutions to societal problems but lack the expertise to distribute their ideas broadly and effectively.
The Social Change Studio Inc. will primarily be a production studio. It will employ all the latest technology and expertise to harness communication technology in all its forms to spread principles and ideas of social entrepreneurs to communities seeking to make positive change. In the process, the Social Change Studio Inc. will connect social entrepreneurs with 3D Learning Inc. and the Simulation Center Inc. who will help the entrepreneur implement social change principles into their content to maximize social impact and take advantage of the emerging New Visual Media. Read the corresponding chapter of the book.
