Read this article about Clouds Over Sidra - an immersive film that aims to help audiences connect with refugees in Syria. The idea was that, by using 360 degree technology from the Oculus Rift, audiences experience life in a refugee camp first hand.
This is also available as a hard copy from Mr Halsey if you prefer.
Radio 4 programme: The Digital Human Perspective (start at 15:22)
Listen to this 30 minute programme from 15 mins 22 until the end. This is the creator of Clouds Over Sidra talking about the film.
Watch the 360 degree film discussed in the radio show
Answer these questions on your blog:
1) What does new Media such as 'Clouds over Sidra' offer audiences? Is there a target audience and how do you know?
'Clouds over Sidra' is able to offer audiences something that wouldn't normally be available to them - the opportunity to witness the harsh, everyday realities faced by thousands of refugees first-hand, things that edited documentaries or news reports wouldn't ordinarily include. It also gives us the opportunity to feel empathy for people far away, whereas we usually only tend to feel empathetic to the people around us and the people we know. By showing audiences things that are real enough to distress them, as is the filmmaker's aim, this could make them feel more obliged to make larger donations of 'humanitarian relief' as the Guardian article states, and this increases the chances of their problems coming to an end.
I think the target audience according to the article is people that have the potential to make a real difference in the lives of the refugees, which they clearly haven't been trying to do as much, so by showing them something that really highlights the realism of life in a refugee camp should compel them to do more than they already have been doing about it.
2) How have the new perspectives offered by the digital world changed the relationship between the audience (consumer) and the Media product (producer)?
Consider: Sensory overload / the role of empathy / Immersive media
One way the relationship between the consumer and the producer has changed - just like Clouds Over Sidra - is the use of virtual reality to relay current affairs to people and make them aware of some of the horrific situations happening in the world. This then makes the consumers feel empathetic towards the people who are suffering which encourages them to do similar things and do whatever they can to raise awareness of the same situations and before long, as more consumers become producers, the information has spread worldwide and people are beginning to raise large amounts of money towards the issues e.g. refugee camps.
I think another way the relationship between the consumer and the producer has changed (which is also mentioned by the maker of Clouds Over Sidra) is through the introduction of Facebook Live because this allows people to do both things - make live broadcasts for other people to watch and watch live broadcasts made by other people. This again is another efficient way of relaying information rapidly to people around the world in the hope of making a difference in massive global issues.
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