ABSTRACT
The aim of this book is to examine global media ecologies, which are at the center of dramatic changes in worldwide fi lm and television production. Global Media Ecologies: Networked Production in Film and Television therefore highlights vital interconnections between production networks and the development of co-productions and format franchises, as well as the shift from audiences to users of interactive media such as the Internet and video cell phones. The focus of the analysis is on the current situations in North America and Europe, but due to the global nature of media and their contexts (e.g., cultural policies, international trade and the global reach of the Internet), references to other markets-such as Australia-are included. These comparisons highlight the extent to which production is facilitated through networks of media and cultural agents. At the same time, they reveal the limitations media ecologies impose on public interest content, cultural diversity and, ultimately, a viable public sphere. Global Media Ecologies therefore challenges the assumption that international fi lm and television production results in greater media plurality. On the contrary, interdependencies in policy regimes, center-periphery relations based on format licensing, prioritization of genres (i.e., in reality TV) and exploitation of audience creativity epitomize how networked ecologies refl ect broader trends in cultural and economic globalization.
