In a historic event, on December 28, 1895, a train “entered” a Parisian café in France through a silent black and white footage. Despite its silent nature, the audience present was so startled that they scattered in fear. This incident has become a classic footnote in the history of the video industry.
The development of audio and video technologies has progressed hand in hand. From phonographs to magnetic tapes, record players, telephones, and more, videos have evolved from silent films to sound, black and white to color, and blurry to ultra-high definition. These technological advancements have paved the way for an entirely new audio-visual industry.
Major pillars of the American media industry, such as cable television (streaming media), Universal Pictures (founded in 1916), 20th Century Fox (founded in 1915), Warner Bros. (founded in 1923), MGM (founded in 1924), and Columbia Pictures (founded in 1924), were established during that era, establishing Hollywood’s dominance over the industry.
Some argue that Hollywood’s strength lies in creating an industrialized process for content production, encompassing ideation, scripting, production, post-production, and distribution. On the other hand, China only managed to catch up with the rhythm of the American audio-video industry in the 4G era. Today, platforms like iQiyi have largely emulated Netflix and YouTube.
Audio-visual production has shifted towards scale and industrialization, relying not only on creativity but also on establishing a systematic industrial production process. However, the industry currently lacks a comprehensive set of tools and practices.
Simultaneously, an underlying effect surrounding audio-visual technology and industry is gradually emerging. Previously, audio and video, which served as final consumer products, have now become the foundation for creating new consumer goods. This shift has been the driving force for the industry’s continuous advancement, and it is reshaping audio-visual technology and industry.
With the widespread adoption of audio and video and the revival of the industry, there is a vast consumer space for audio-visual products. The unexpected pandemic has further accelerated the demand, with short videos, online conferences, virtual classrooms, live streaming, and even the future concept of the metaverse, all relying on the development of the audio-visual industry.
Defining Audio-Visual: A Confluence of Technology and Industry
Is audio-visual a technology or an industry? In reality, neither term fully encapsulates its current state. From my perspective, audio-visual today leans more towards an industry. The down-flow effect of technology and industry is not uncommon; in fact, it is a path that any large-scale industry must traverse.
Industrialization of audio-visual technology can be divided into three stages. Firstly, the technology emerges and continually improves under various scenarios, demonstrating its maturity. At this point, audio-visual technology has achieved relative maturity.
Secondly, from the perspective of technology commercialization or industrialization, audio-visual technology still faces many challenges that need to be addressed. This is the stage where audio-visual technology needs to scale up to become an industrial asset, extending beyond the realms of consumer internet to the broader realm of industrial internet.
The third stage involves significantly enhancing productivity and efficiency across various industries by leveraging audio-visual technology. This will stimulate economic growth and innovation.
In conclusion, the audio-visual industry is undergoing a transformative phase, moving towards large-scale industrial production. As technology continues to evolve, the industry’s potential remains boundless, and it promises to be a cornerstone of the future digital landscape.
Post time: Jul-29-2023