fessional producers and companies in movie theatres and video rental stores. Now with new forms of technology such as digital camcorders and the internet, the way films are made and distributed and the rule as to who will be able to make films are changing. Currently, a person can log on to the Internet, search through a database of digital movies and films, and instantly download the movie of their choice and watch it on their computer using viewing technologies such as QuickTime and RealPlayer. One example of this technology is through the website of the Digital Film Festival.1 At this site, a number of independent filmmakers who use inexpensive digital video technology are showcased and users can view their work in a matter of seconds with a click of a button. This opportunity is great because first, artists who have the talent but not the big budgets of Hollywood studios can make good quality films with new and affordable equipment that wasn’t available for artists outside the film industry a few years ago. Second, artists, who are again lacking in funds for major promotion and distribution by big companies, are given the opportunity to showcase their work inexpensively for the whole world to be seen. Another advantage of this new technology is that it extends to people who are not considered “filmmakers.” In Bart Cheever’s lecture, he showed two videos done by hip-hop DJ Q-Bert. Both were incredibly entertaining packed with sound, editing, and special effects. It showed that even a person in the music industry can express creativity and use the new technologies to do what once took an entire team to do: write, shoot, mix sound, edit, create graphics, and visual effects. Another example is from Adriene Jenik’s lecture, where she showed a web chat room called “Palace”(?), with the addition of avatars that users could create and adorn to represent themselves in a chat room. Again,...
