- Transmedial Storytelling, Branded Entertainment, Media Economics, U.S. Television Studies, Television Studies, Digital Media, and 21 moreTV Series, Branding, Fandom, Network Analysis, Business Strategy, Competitive strategy, Narrative Ecosystems, Seriality, Media and Cultural Studies, Media Studies, Popular Culture, New Media, Television, American serial television, Media Industries, Transmedia Storytelling, Series TV, Authorship, Digital Culture, One Direction, and Fan Studiesedit
- Paola Brembilla is a senior assistant professor at the University of Bologna - Department of Arts. In 2016, she earne... morePaola Brembilla is a senior assistant professor at the University of Bologna - Department of Arts. In 2016, she earned her PhD in Television Studies at the University of Bologna, where she continued to work as a research fellow for two projects: "Il Transmedia Storytelling nell'ecosistema aziendale" and "La circolazione internazionale del cinema italiano". She is a member of the research group that organizes the international conference Media Mutations. From 2017 to 2019, she was an adjunct professor at the University of Padova, where she taught Theories and Techniques of Radio and Television Languages.
She was a speaker at several international conferences and she is the author of numerous publications, including articles, chapters and two books: “Game of Strategy. Analisi strategica del settore delle serie TV nell'industria televisiva statunitense” (con Edoardo Mollona, Giappichelli 2015) and "It's All Connected. L'evoluzione delle serie TV statunitensi" (Franco Angeli, 2018). With Ilaria A. De Pascalis, she edited the colelction “Reading Contemporary Serial Television Universes. A Narrative Ecosystem Framework” (Routledge 2018).edit
Reading Contemporary Serial Television Universes provides a new framework—the metaphor of the narrative ecosystem—for the analysis of serial television narratives. Contributors use this metaphor to address the ever-expanding and evolving... more
Reading Contemporary Serial Television Universes provides a new framework—the metaphor of the narrative ecosystem—for the analysis of serial television narratives. Contributors use this metaphor to address the ever-expanding and evolving structure of narratives far beyond their usual spatial and temporal borders, in general and in reference to specific series. Other scholarly approaches consider each narrative as composed of modular elements, which combine to create a bigger picture. The narrative ecosystem approach, on the other hand, argues that each portion of the narrative world contains all of the main elements that characterize the world as a whole, such as narrative tensions, production structures, creative dynamics and functions. The volume details the implications of the narrative ecosystem for narrative theory and the study of seriality, audiences and fandoms, production, and the analysis of the products themselves.
The book is online until October 2018 at rdcu.be/4ftx.
The book is online until October 2018 at rdcu.be/4ftx.
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Le serie TV, oggi, sono fra i prodotti più remunerativi non solo della televisione, ma delle industrie dei media e dell'intrattenimento in generale. È tutto connesso: le serie passano dal televisore al web, entrano a far parte di... more
Le serie TV, oggi, sono fra i prodotti più remunerativi non solo della televisione, ma delle industrie dei media e dell'intrattenimento in generale. È tutto connesso: le serie passano dal televisore al web, entrano a far parte di franchise trans-mediali, danno vita a network di relazioni istituzionali, industriali, narrative. E in questo contesto le connessioni tra fattori economici, istituzionali, tecnologici e culturali, che da sempre agiscono sulle narrazioni e i formati delle serie TV, hanno riconfigurato ulteriormente industria, prodotti e consumo. Come funzionano queste connessioni? In che modo le diverse variabili economiche, istituzionali, tecnologiche, culturali hanno dato forma, e ancora lo stanno facendo, alle serie TV? Il volume le descrive e analizza in relazione al mediascape e alla cultura contemporanea, leggendole come il risultato di un lungo processo di evoluzione in corso dalla nascita del medium: l'evoluzione della televisione come tecnologia, come industria, come forma culturale. E quindi le conseguenze di queste evoluzioni su stile, storytelling, estetica e contenuto delle produzioni – portando così in primo piano le connessioni sistemiche fra aree apparentemente eterogenee (economia e studio delle narrazioni) e con una costante attenzione alla dialettica fra istanze commerciali e creative, fra industria e consumo.
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Paola Brembilla, Chiara Checcaglini, “'Iconic and Beyond Reproach': The Socio-Aesthetic Relevance of Riverdale" The purpose of this paper is to explore the aesthetic and narrative design of the TV series Riverdale (The CW, 2017-), where... more
Paola Brembilla, Chiara Checcaglini, “'Iconic and Beyond Reproach': The Socio-Aesthetic Relevance of Riverdale"
The purpose of this paper is to explore the aesthetic and narrative design of the TV series Riverdale (The CW, 2017-), where fashion, visual splendor and coolness do legitimate a seemingly nonsense narratives and ultimately contribute to produce cultural and social value. First, we contextualize Riverdale in the production ecosystem of the youth-geared network The CW. Second, we dwell on the concepts of retro and coolness to understand the mechanisms of Riverdale's timeless charm and cool attitude. Third, we exemplify these aesthetic strategies by focusing on the design of the three leading female characters. Fourth, we explore the interplay between onscreen representation and offscreen self-representation of the actresses. Finally, we argue that the visual surface of the show becomes a tool to express commercial appeal and empowering values, which are not mutually exclusive.
The purpose of this paper is to explore the aesthetic and narrative design of the TV series Riverdale (The CW, 2017-), where fashion, visual splendor and coolness do legitimate a seemingly nonsense narratives and ultimately contribute to produce cultural and social value. First, we contextualize Riverdale in the production ecosystem of the youth-geared network The CW. Second, we dwell on the concepts of retro and coolness to understand the mechanisms of Riverdale's timeless charm and cool attitude. Third, we exemplify these aesthetic strategies by focusing on the design of the three leading female characters. Fourth, we explore the interplay between onscreen representation and offscreen self-representation of the actresses. Finally, we argue that the visual surface of the show becomes a tool to express commercial appeal and empowering values, which are not mutually exclusive.
Research Interests:
The purpose of this paper is to explore the aesthetic and narrative design of the TV series 'Riverdale' (The CW, 2017-), where fashion, visual splendor and coolness do legitimate a seemingly nonsense narrative and ultimately contribute to... more
The purpose of this paper is to explore the aesthetic and narrative design of the TV series 'Riverdale' (The CW, 2017-), where fashion, visual splendor and coolness do legitimate a seemingly nonsense narrative and ultimately contribute to produce cultural and social value.
First, we contextualize 'Riverdale' in the production ecosystem of the youth-geared network The CW. Second, we dwell on the concepts of 'rétro' and 'coolness' to understand the mechanisms of 'Riverdale's timeless charm and cool attitude. Third, we exemplify these aesthetic strategies by focusing on the design of the three leading female characters. Fourth, we explore the interplay between onscreen representation and offscreen self-representation of the actresses. Finally, we argue that the visual surface of the show becomes a tool to express commercial appeal and empowering values, which are not mutually exclusive.
First, we contextualize 'Riverdale' in the production ecosystem of the youth-geared network The CW. Second, we dwell on the concepts of 'rétro' and 'coolness' to understand the mechanisms of 'Riverdale's timeless charm and cool attitude. Third, we exemplify these aesthetic strategies by focusing on the design of the three leading female characters. Fourth, we explore the interplay between onscreen representation and offscreen self-representation of the actresses. Finally, we argue that the visual surface of the show becomes a tool to express commercial appeal and empowering values, which are not mutually exclusive.
Research Interests:
Negli ultimi anni, i network free hanno ridefinito i loro modelli di business in funzione di nuove variabili, con conseguenze anche sulle narrazioni seriali. Ma se la pay TV ha da sempre tratto vantaggio da condizioni favorevoli per... more
Negli ultimi anni, i network free hanno ridefinito i loro modelli di business in funzione di nuove variabili, con conseguenze anche sulle narrazioni seriali. Ma se la pay TV ha da sempre tratto vantaggio da condizioni favorevoli per creare produzioni innovative e distintive, i network hanno dovuto districarsi fra restrizioni sui contenuti, necessità pubblicitarie, ecc. Per restare competitivi, stanno quindi facendo appello a strategie che fanno leva su valore culturale ed economie della reputazione.
In questo saggio ragioniamo su tali strategie, tenendo presente che il valore culturale emerge da complesse interazioni fra istituzioni, comunità interpretative e idiosincrasie individuali, la cui analisi necessita la combinazione di misure economiche e indicatori qualitativi. Caso emblematico, in questo senso, è quello di The CW, che ha trasformato la sua reputazione grazie a una strategia di rebranding fondata sulla qualità narrativa e la rilevanza socio-politica della sua nuova programmazione originale. In particolare, ci concentriamo su "Jane The Virgin" (2014-19) per vedere come una serie, oggi, possa essere considerata “di successo” anche attraverso indicatori diversi da quelli tradizionalmente associati alle hit televisive.
In questo saggio ragioniamo su tali strategie, tenendo presente che il valore culturale emerge da complesse interazioni fra istituzioni, comunità interpretative e idiosincrasie individuali, la cui analisi necessita la combinazione di misure economiche e indicatori qualitativi. Caso emblematico, in questo senso, è quello di The CW, che ha trasformato la sua reputazione grazie a una strategia di rebranding fondata sulla qualità narrativa e la rilevanza socio-politica della sua nuova programmazione originale. In particolare, ci concentriamo su "Jane The Virgin" (2014-19) per vedere come una serie, oggi, possa essere considerata “di successo” anche attraverso indicatori diversi da quelli tradizionalmente associati alle hit televisive.
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Concentrandoci sul "genere" dei make-up tutorial, in questo saggio ragioniamo sui modi di rappresentazione del corpo e del viso in relazione al formato del video online, sulla costruzione di un’intimità fra Youtuber e utenti, sulla... more
Concentrandoci sul "genere" dei make-up tutorial, in questo saggio ragioniamo sui modi di rappresentazione del corpo e del viso in relazione al formato del video online, sulla costruzione di un’intimità fra Youtuber e utenti, sulla configurazione di figure pubbliche che integrano discorsi sulla soggettività con modelli imprenditoriali femminili. Vogliamo quindi approfondire le negoziazioni fra i processi neoliberisti, che secondo le teorie del postfemminismo tendono a costruire la femminilità secondo binari precostituiti, e le emergenze delle singole posizioni culturali e sociali.
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Faced with the technological, economic and cultural evolutions of the entertainment world, the music industry has to engage with new business models and consumption habits-suffice it to consider the drop in album sales and the rise of... more
Faced with the technological, economic and cultural evolutions of the entertainment world, the music industry has to engage with new business models and consumption habits-suffice it to consider the drop in album sales and the rise of subscription streaming services, such as Spotify. In the meantime, industrial and cultural convergence has opened up new creative and commercial possibilities, allowing single industries to become part of larger networks of synergies that can create value from multiple businesses, outlets and audiences by spreading one core idea, or concept, across different media. This is most evident in franchises based on audiovisual products, where the characters, along with the storytelling they generate, are the foundation of a transmedia storyworld. However, the music industry too has embraced not only cross-media distribution principles, but also world-building and transmedia storytelling models, mixing and remediating itself with other media languages in order to produce narratives and experiences that are centered on music. Thus, this chapter explores the ways the music industry can generate cultural and economic value through transmedia projects, and seek to assess the role of music in the diverse transmedia storyworlds that these projects generate.
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Time-shifted viewing e binge-watching: due pratiche di consumo di contenuti, soprattutto seriali, che possono essere considerate i motori di una riconfigurazione di gran parte dei sistemi televisivi nazionali, a partire da quello... more
Time-shifted viewing e binge-watching: due pratiche di consumo di contenuti, soprattutto seriali, che possono essere considerate i motori di una riconfigurazione di gran parte dei sistemi televisivi nazionali, a partire da quello statunitense. Concentrandoci su quest'ultimo, l'intento di questo capitolo è di verificare come tali pratiche, basate sulla personalizzazione dei tempi di fruizione da parte degli spettatori/utenti, abbiano stimolato delle evoluzioni negli standard produttivi e nei for-mati narrativi delle serie televisive. Nei primi due paragrafi contestualizzeremo l'analisi dal punto di vista istituzionale, economico e tecnologico, deline-ando il percorso che ha portato dal palinsesto alla library e dalla library alla playlist. Una volta definito questo quadro, ci concentreremo su due tendenze predominanti: da una parte, vedremo come la possibilità di guadagni derivanti dalle ritra-smissioni online abbia portato i broadcaster a dare una forma bingeable ai propri prodotti, contraendo i tempi del racconto e accentuandone la serializzazione. Dall'altra, vedremo quando la possibilità di utilizzare le piattaforme online come nuo-vi canali distributivi e la disponibilità costante dei contenuti online, abbiano ulteriormente allungato il ciclo di sfruttamen-to dei prodotti attraverso fenomeni quali i rescued shows e i revivals. Infine, vedremo come accanto a queste strategie di adattamento, i broadcaster cerchino di ristabilire una centra-lità ponendosi nelle vesti di agenti governativi di percorsi di consumo cross-mediali e personalizzabili.
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I cambiamenti sul piano delle tecnologie e dei dispositivi stimolati dalla digitalizzazione sono affiancati da una ridefinizione dei formati mediali, che devono andare incontro a esigenze spettato-riali sempre più peculiari, da riconfi... more
I cambiamenti sul piano delle tecnologie e dei dispositivi stimolati dalla digitalizzazione sono affiancati da una ridefinizione dei formati mediali, che devono andare incontro a esigenze spettato-riali sempre più peculiari, da riconfi gurare in termini di spazialità e di temporalità. I formati seriali, in particolare, hanno subito un processo di tra-sformazione profondo, che li ha resi sempre più permeabili alle nuove esigenze di chi produce, di chi distribuisce e infi ne di chi consuma, nonché delle reti economiche e sociali che le attività di tutti questi attori vanno poi a costituire. E poiché le modalità di produzione, distribuzione e fruizione del prodotto seriale sono profondamente cambiate negli ultimi anni, le dinamiche tra pro-getto della produzione e uso dei pubblici si sono fatte particolar-mente variegate. In questo capitolo, prendiamo spunto da queste considerazio-ni per indagare alcuni processi di convergenza e divergenza fra progetti industriali e pratiche di consumo all'interno di ambien-ti ecosistemici: da una parte, dal punto di vista tecnologico, con gli ecosistemi digitali. Dall'altra, dal punto di vista dei contenuti, con gli ecosistemi narrativi. Così facendo, intendiamo mostrare l'utilità del paradigma ecosistemico nell'analisi di ambienti d'uso eterogenei, inter-organizzativi e cross-mediali.
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This paper aims to present a first step in the investigation of the environment hosting narrative ecosystems through the tools offered by Social Network Analysis (SNA). The narrative ecosystem paradigm is a cross-disciplinary approach... more
This paper aims to present a first step in the investigation of the environment hosting narrative ecosystems through the tools offered by Social Network Analysis (SNA). The narrative ecosystem paradigm is a cross-disciplinary approach that considers vast narratives as the result of an ecosystemic design, where a general model is developed in advance as an evolutionary system. Consistently with this systemic view, our idea is to bring the relations among the components of the ecosystems and the environment that host them (i.e. the entertainment industry) to the fore through the implementation of SNA. In order to do so, we focused on the relational patterns characterizing a sample of 164 U.S. TV series aired between 1984 and 2013. For each one of them, we collected data on executive producers, broadcasters , production studios, actors and writers. Through the analysis of the networks we obtained by computing the data, we drew some conclusions regarding the effectiveness of the ecological and evolutionary paradigm, the non-rigid and opportunistic patterns of alliances and coalitions among competitive firms, the relevance of the strategies of capital implemented by the firms and the strategies of labor implemented by the people .
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Considering disco not only a music genre, but above all an expression of underground cultures as well as an iconic imaginary, this article examines the manifold ways the U.S. television industry has depicted disco culture. We analyse how... more
Considering disco not only a music genre, but above all an expression of underground cultures as well as an iconic imaginary, this article examines the manifold ways the U.S. television industry has depicted disco culture. We analyse how industrial practices have make use of its various aspects in relation to commercial and creative demands both in the Seventies and today, ultimately using disco culture as a representation of reality or as a narrative trope, according to need.
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In this paper, I use three case studies from U.S. prime time series ("The Good Wife", "Suits", "Scandal") as prisms to observe one type of relation between two industries – that of television and that of fashion – and how this relation... more
In this paper, I use three case studies from U.S. prime time series ("The Good Wife", "Suits", "Scandal") as prisms to observe one type of relation between two industries – that of television and that of fashion – and how this relation can produce value for both of them. In particular, I explore one of the processes unfolding in between the two ends of an imaginary fashion industry spectrum: high-end fashion on the one end, high street and fast-fashion on the other. I show that the lifespan of the power suits sported by some TV characters matches an economic cycle that goes from one end to the other and that encompasses a diversified range of practical and symbolic uses (and re-uses) of the original item.
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The notion of ‘quality television’ has undergone endless revisions over the last three decades. Given the technological, institutional, economic and aesthetic evolution of the medium, diverse scholars questioned and explored its forms of... more
The notion of ‘quality television’ has undergone endless revisions over the last three decades. Given the technological, institutional, economic and aesthetic evolution of the medium, diverse scholars questioned and explored its forms of quality, especially focusing on the US scenario, notably a forerunner and leader in the development and international distribution of TV shows.
Applied to the American industry, this ever-evolving definition bears some recurrent fea- tures that make it a sort of ‘super-genre’, a label for TV series that share some ‘prestige’ specifici- ties. Focusing on the US scenario, where nowadays ‘quality’ tends to maily label cable series, this paper aims to identify those prestige specificities and to answer the question: is there such thing as a quality network television in a cable-dominated market?
After establishing a theoretical framework by tracing back the evolution of the notion of quality television, the article will focus on three contemporary case studies: CBS’ The Good Wife, The CW’s Jane the Virgin and FOX’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine. We will see how these three series share some aesthetic and narrative tropes that, making the best of broadcast television’s weaknesses and restrictions, aim to appeal to a certain upscale audience, resulting into critical acclaim and awards recognition.
In the end, we will argue that several characteristics of quality cable television can actually be applied to a wave of network television productions that, although based on the standard for- mats of broadcast storytelling, could be critically compared to more acclaimed shows, ultimately fitting into the prestige series super-genre.
Applied to the American industry, this ever-evolving definition bears some recurrent fea- tures that make it a sort of ‘super-genre’, a label for TV series that share some ‘prestige’ specifici- ties. Focusing on the US scenario, where nowadays ‘quality’ tends to maily label cable series, this paper aims to identify those prestige specificities and to answer the question: is there such thing as a quality network television in a cable-dominated market?
After establishing a theoretical framework by tracing back the evolution of the notion of quality television, the article will focus on three contemporary case studies: CBS’ The Good Wife, The CW’s Jane the Virgin and FOX’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine. We will see how these three series share some aesthetic and narrative tropes that, making the best of broadcast television’s weaknesses and restrictions, aim to appeal to a certain upscale audience, resulting into critical acclaim and awards recognition.
In the end, we will argue that several characteristics of quality cable television can actually be applied to a wave of network television productions that, although based on the standard for- mats of broadcast storytelling, could be critically compared to more acclaimed shows, ultimately fitting into the prestige series super-genre.
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Research Interests: Television Studies, Series TV, Slasher films, MTV, Horror, and 3 moreTelevisione, TV Series, and Scream
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The aim of this paper is to investigate audiovisual vast narratives according to a new theoretical perspective named narrative ecosystem, a paradigm that encompasses crossdisciplinary perspective on TV series studies. The narrative... more
The aim of this paper is to investigate audiovisual vast narratives according to a new theoretical perspective named narrative ecosystem, a paradigm that encompasses crossdisciplinary perspective on TV series studies. The narrative ecosystem model is a good response to the need for a dynamic model to represent vast narratives, accounting for the interactions of agents, changes and evolutions. What is still lacking, though, is a computational method to make forecasts in the field of TV serial narratives. Through this analysis we will present some theoretical basis drawing on ecological selection and evolution patterns that might be helpful in building a computational method of narrative
prediction in our field of interest.
prediction in our field of interest.
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In the last few years, Netflix has set itself as a true player in U.S. television industry, fostering new competitive dynamics that have contributed to redefine television's production and distribution models. This paper aims to discuss... more
In the last few years, Netflix has set itself as a true player in U.S. television industry, fostering new competitive dynamics that have contributed to redefine television's production and distribution models. This paper aims to discuss one of the effects of this competition: the rethinking of the pilot process in favour of the straight-to-series commitment in broadcast television.
The analysis will unfold along three main directions:
1. Causes: we will argue that Netflix, through its high financial commitments, has launched a speculative bubble that has shaken up the traditional structure of competitive forces, pushing competitors to outbid its offers to hit-producers.
2. Issues: we will see whether the straight-to-series model could prove economically viable for broadcast television.
3. Consequences: we will ultimately analyse the consequences on narrative forms of network series, focusing in particular on writing processes and modes of storytelling.
The analysis will unfold along three main directions:
1. Causes: we will argue that Netflix, through its high financial commitments, has launched a speculative bubble that has shaken up the traditional structure of competitive forces, pushing competitors to outbid its offers to hit-producers.
2. Issues: we will see whether the straight-to-series model could prove economically viable for broadcast television.
3. Consequences: we will ultimately analyse the consequences on narrative forms of network series, focusing in particular on writing processes and modes of storytelling.
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This chapter delves into the intricate dynamics of American television seriality, emphasizing how economic models, market trends, and broadcast policies significantly influence not only programming choices and production methods but also... more
This chapter delves into the intricate dynamics of American television seriality, emphasizing how economic models, market trends, and broadcast policies significantly influence not only programming choices and production methods but also content types and aesthetic forms. It outlines the distinct transmission modes in the U.S., namely broadcast television, basic cable, and premium cable, each with unique operational, financial, and regulatory frameworks. The chapter discusses the dominance of major media conglomerates and the impact of federal regulations on content and audience targeting, focusing on the crucial role of audience measurements in programming decisions. The evolution of cable television, especially its hybrid funding model and lesser FCC regulations, is highlighted as a catalyst for creative and productive innovation in broadcast television.
The transition from the first to the second Golden Age of television marks a shift towards complex narrative structures, blending serial and episodic elements, and emphasizing creative personalities. This transformation leads to the emergence of quality television, aligning more with cinematic styles than traditional TV formats. The chapter also explores the high-concept production model, which prioritizes marketability, distinct visual styles, and modular narratives adaptable across multiple media platforms. Finally, it reflects on the ongoing changes in the television landscape, including the blurring of distinctions between various types of television through practices like syndication and over-the-top streaming, and the growing emphasis on user experience and consumption modalities in the digital era.
The transition from the first to the second Golden Age of television marks a shift towards complex narrative structures, blending serial and episodic elements, and emphasizing creative personalities. This transformation leads to the emergence of quality television, aligning more with cinematic styles than traditional TV formats. The chapter also explores the high-concept production model, which prioritizes marketability, distinct visual styles, and modular narratives adaptable across multiple media platforms. Finally, it reflects on the ongoing changes in the television landscape, including the blurring of distinctions between various types of television through practices like syndication and over-the-top streaming, and the growing emphasis on user experience and consumption modalities in the digital era.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This paper discusses the case of the Van Der Memes, Internet memes based on close-ups of actor James Van Der Beek emoting feelings which, born as user-generated content (UGC), end up working as marketing tools for a rebranding campaign of... more
This paper discusses the case of the Van Der Memes, Internet memes based on close-ups of actor James Van Der Beek emoting feelings which, born as user-generated content (UGC), end up working as marketing tools for a rebranding campaign of the actor.
Framing the case study into the complexity of contemporary mediascape, a digital environment where corporate branding strategies progress alongside remix culture, the analysis will unfold along two main directions: on the one hand, we will see how the same content undertakes constant reworks and repurposes, as the duration and circulation of the media objects involved gets inevitably altered. On the other, we shall see how the case of the Van Der Memes calls into question the conflict between bottom/up and top/down productions, as it exemplifies a profitable relation between the notoriously unruly world of UGC and the institutional environment of television industry.
Framing the case study into the complexity of contemporary mediascape, a digital environment where corporate branding strategies progress alongside remix culture, the analysis will unfold along two main directions: on the one hand, we will see how the same content undertakes constant reworks and repurposes, as the duration and circulation of the media objects involved gets inevitably altered. On the other, we shall see how the case of the Van Der Memes calls into question the conflict between bottom/up and top/down productions, as it exemplifies a profitable relation between the notoriously unruly world of UGC and the institutional environment of television industry.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
"In recent years, we have witnessed a breakdown of the media value chain. Given new spaces and ways of production, distribution and consumption, the linear chain seems to have turned into a reticular network of strategic synergies,... more
"In recent years, we have witnessed a breakdown of the media value chain. Given new spaces and ways of production, distribution and consumption, the linear chain seems to have turned into a reticular network of strategic synergies, branching out to multiple channels and incorporating different agents. In turn, audiovisual products have evolved as well. Contemporary American TV series perfeclty exemplify this situation since, more than ever, their contents and aesthetic forms reflect this networked complexity.
In order to examine how the aesthetics of TV programs adapt and modulate themselves according to the needs of contemporary media-scape, I will focus on the case of MTV series "Teen Wolf", a show designed as a pervasive architecture for users rather than as a traditional text for viewers. Through the analysis of its branding strategies, engaging online campaigns and transmedia storytelling practices, we will see how the pervasive architecture of "Teen Wolf" sets itself as a middle-ground between industry and consumers, apparently breaking down the traditional and linear media value chain. But, at the same time, we will also see how all of these ramifications, expansions and bottom/up participation incentives ultimately lead back to the industry itself, which “domesticates” the participation practices it fosters, setting the boundaries for audience engagement and thus mantaining its central role of policy-maker.
On a broader frame, just like the television industry preserves its centrality over its transmedia extensions, the media value chain keeps on being the “backbone” of its wide array of ramifications."
In order to examine how the aesthetics of TV programs adapt and modulate themselves according to the needs of contemporary media-scape, I will focus on the case of MTV series "Teen Wolf", a show designed as a pervasive architecture for users rather than as a traditional text for viewers. Through the analysis of its branding strategies, engaging online campaigns and transmedia storytelling practices, we will see how the pervasive architecture of "Teen Wolf" sets itself as a middle-ground between industry and consumers, apparently breaking down the traditional and linear media value chain. But, at the same time, we will also see how all of these ramifications, expansions and bottom/up participation incentives ultimately lead back to the industry itself, which “domesticates” the participation practices it fosters, setting the boundaries for audience engagement and thus mantaining its central role of policy-maker.
On a broader frame, just like the television industry preserves its centrality over its transmedia extensions, the media value chain keeps on being the “backbone” of its wide array of ramifications."
Research Interests:
TV series have been a market driver for quite sometime now, especially the super-genre of quality television, mainly linked to cable and OTT players. We also know that factors such as content abundance, hightened competition and new... more
TV series have been a market driver for quite sometime now, especially the super-genre of quality television, mainly linked to cable and OTT players. We also know that factors such as content abundance, hightened competition and new distribution/consumption opportunities have pushed traditional broadcasters to adjust their business models and up their competitive strategies. In this context, Broadcast networks are struggling the most to reshape their business models, to adjust their differentiation strategies and to up their content standards, while complying to the free-to-air limits – notably, advertisers' meddlings, FCC restrictions, budgetary limits and outworn narrative structures. However, it seems that this struggle between ordinary TV vocation and a quality aspiration is resulting into a wave of innovative network series with quality TV features, like sophisticated narrative, social and cultural relevance, etc. Think about the critically appraised and audience-loved sitcom "Black-Ish" or drama "This is Us" – championing diversity and high quality narrative. However, this paper is about is why certain network quality shows are still on the air (or managed to stay on the air for some seasons), even though they are not as high-rated as the ones I just mentioned - think of "Hannibal", "The Good Wife", "Crazy-Ex Girlfriend", "Jane the Virgin". So my main questioni is: how are networks making money out of these shows? How can they afford to keep them on air for quite some time? I answer this question by analyzing the case of "Jane the Virgin" and ultimately turning to the economics of cultural prestige.
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Comics and audiovisual media like cinema and television, share codes that naturally ease the translation from one medium to the other. In fact, comic books have always been a bottomless draw-well for films and television alike –... more
Comics and audiovisual media like cinema and television, share codes that naturally ease the translation from one medium to the other. In fact, comic books have always been a bottomless draw-well for films and television alike – specifically, such adaptations are into place since the inception of television, already showing some rudiments of transmedia and cross-marketing strategies. So what's the difference between then and now? Clearly, a Marvel or DC series in the 50s, is not industrially and aesthetically comparable to a contemporary Marvel or DC series. In this presentation we analyze how the relation between comics and TV changed over time, through evolving practices of adaptation and exchanges of narrative materials. We are going to examine the two-way relations between Comics and TV, both from an historical and from a contemporary perspective, to see how the adapation processes evolved along with the industries involved and their audiences.
Research Interests:
In the last couple of years, Netflix and Amazon have set themeselves as true players in the U.S. television industry, either as further distribution channels, as well as competitors when it comes to original programming. While Netflix... more
In the last couple of years, Netflix and Amazon have set themeselves as true players in the U.S. television industry, either as further distribution channels, as well as competitors when it comes to original programming. While Netflix established its position through the launch of House of Cards in 2013, Amazon seemed to be struggling in the background to find its own brand-identity. But recently, the game-changers: the 2014 deal with HBO to stream the premium network's back-catalogue, along with the launch of the critical-acclaimed original series Transparent. This work aims to make sense of Amazon's strategic moves in the field of TV series by framing them into its system-thinking and multi-layered businnes strategies. After a contextual overview on the commercial evolution of Amazon Prime and Amazon Instant Video, I will analyse how licensing deals are shaping Amazon's role as an expansion of traditional television. Then I will explore how its original programming contribute to position the company into the " quality television " market, as it aims to create that high-production value that targets the " premium " audience willing to pay more for content. Finally, I will argue that these strategies are deeply connected to the hybrid nature of Amazon's business and aim to turn TV series into an add-on value of the overall Amazon Prime
Research Interests:
Questo lavoro propone un'analisi di come le evoluzioni istituzionali, economiche e tecnologiche dell'industria televisiva statunitense abbiano influenzato forme e formati delle serie TV dal secondo Dopoguerra a oggi. Data la struttura... more
Questo lavoro propone un'analisi di come le evoluzioni istituzionali, economiche e tecnologiche dell'industria televisiva statunitense abbiano influenzato forme e formati delle serie TV dal secondo Dopoguerra a oggi. Data la struttura oligopolistica del settore, quindi l'alto tasso di competizione combinato alla dinamicità dell'ambiente (economico, mediale, socio-culturale) in cui opera, la tesi si concentra sulle reazioni dei leader di settore ai ciclici cambiamenti istituzionali, industriali e tecnologici e su come queste reazioni hanno poi agito sul livello formale e testuale delle serie TV, rinegoziandone i fattori di generazione di valore simbolico e monetario. La tesi si compone di cinque capitoli che delineano un percorso co-evolutivo fra industria e produzioni. Nei primi due, di tipo storico-ricognitivo, si indagano le pratiche competitive dell'industria dall'inizio delle trasmissioni all'affermazione degli OTT. Negli altri tre, ci si concentra sul contemporaneo e sulle pratiche che stanno nuovamente ridefinendo il settore e i prodotti, analizzando gli effetti (economici, culturali, estetici) dell'invasione dei player online nel mercato televisivo, con particolare attenzione alla costruzione di ecosistemi digitali e narrativi. Coniugando teorie di television e media studies a strumenti dell'economia e dell'analisi strategica, il lavoro si serve di un approccio sistemico che evidenzia le proprietà dinamiche del settore e dei suoi prodotti, portando così in primo piano la co-evoluzione fra forze di mercato e proprietà formali delle serie TV.
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This thesis examines how the U.S. television industry's institutional, economic and technological evolutions shaped the styles, aesthetics and formats of scripted TV series, from the mid-Forties to today. Being the U.S. TV industry a highly competitive oligopoly, closely related to the fluctuations of the outer environment (national and global economy, mediascape, society and culture), the thesis focuses on how the market leaders responded to cyclical institutional, technological, and industrial changes, along with how these adaptive reactions shaped the forms and texts of TV series, constantly renegotiating their symbolic and financial values. The thesis is composed of five chapters that trace co-evolutionary paths between TV institutions and TV products. The first two chapters provide an historical account of the main industrial practices of the network era and the multichannel transition, highlighting the competition between broadcast TV and cable and outlining some main product groups sharing some aesthetic and narrative features. It then introduces the post-network era and digitization, along with the entrance of OTT players into the TV market. The following three chapters problematize this entrance and examines the manifold ways broadcasters reacted to the new scenario, focusing on corporate strategies, business strategies, formal strategies and the construction of digital and narrative ecosystems. Bringing together television and media studies and strategy analysis, the work uses a sistemic approach that highlights the dynamic features of the industry and its products, eventually bringing to the fore the co-evolutionary patterns of market forces and formal properties of TV series.
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This thesis examines how the U.S. television industry's institutional, economic and technological evolutions shaped the styles, aesthetics and formats of scripted TV series, from the mid-Forties to today. Being the U.S. TV industry a highly competitive oligopoly, closely related to the fluctuations of the outer environment (national and global economy, mediascape, society and culture), the thesis focuses on how the market leaders responded to cyclical institutional, technological, and industrial changes, along with how these adaptive reactions shaped the forms and texts of TV series, constantly renegotiating their symbolic and financial values. The thesis is composed of five chapters that trace co-evolutionary paths between TV institutions and TV products. The first two chapters provide an historical account of the main industrial practices of the network era and the multichannel transition, highlighting the competition between broadcast TV and cable and outlining some main product groups sharing some aesthetic and narrative features. It then introduces the post-network era and digitization, along with the entrance of OTT players into the TV market. The following three chapters problematize this entrance and examines the manifold ways broadcasters reacted to the new scenario, focusing on corporate strategies, business strategies, formal strategies and the construction of digital and narrative ecosystems. Bringing together television and media studies and strategy analysis, the work uses a sistemic approach that highlights the dynamic features of the industry and its products, eventually bringing to the fore the co-evolutionary patterns of market forces and formal properties of TV series.
Research Interests:
Questa tesi nasce con l'intento di indagare l'autorialità televisiva da un punto di vista che si distacchi dalle tradizionali Auteur Theories per adottare invece un approccio sistemico ed economico. Quando parliamo di industria... more
Questa tesi nasce con l'intento di indagare l'autorialità televisiva da un punto di vista che si distacchi dalle tradizionali Auteur Theories per adottare invece un approccio sistemico ed economico.
Quando parliamo di industria televisiva americana, infatti, parliamo di un'entità complessa composta da vari livelli: regolamentazioni, modelli di finanziamento e di distribuzione, strategie competitive, policies. In una prospettiva più ampia, poi, tutti questi livelli interagiscono con lo scenario mediale contemporaneo, che permette sinergie e convergenze senza precedenti. Ciò dà vita a contenuti e testi altrettanto complessi, che richiedono dunque una semplificazione allo scopo di raggiungere e “colpire” velocemente il target audience e, cosa più importante, guadagnarsi la sua fedeltà durevole. Questa strategia è detta Branding.
Nell'ambito delle serie TV statunitensi, un brand è ciò che il pubblico riconosce come un'identità peculiare dello show e può essere incarnato da differenti agenti: creatore/i, cast, personaggi, un certo stile iconico, il broadcaster stesso. In altre parole, il brand è ciò che dona unità e riconoscibilità istantanea a quello che altrimenti sarebbe un testo primariamente plurale, un testo generato da un'industria altamente stratificata e competitiva. Questa nozione potrebbe richiamare alla mente, anche se in modo molto sommario, proprio l'idea che sta alla base dell'Auteur Theory: il regista di un film come unico autore, vale a dire la personalità creativa che dona unità a un testo prodotto da un'industria necessariamente desoggettivizzata. L'elevazione di un singolo ruolo su tutti gli altri finisce con il soddisfare un bisogno antropologico dello spettatore, quello di isolare nomi e volti dalla complessità di un testo e del suo processo produttivo. Nomi e volti che diventano così l'incarnazione, l'identità umana di quel testo. Nel caso delle serie televisive, quello che abbiamo è lo stesso bisogno di volti, nomi, personalità preponderanti. Solo che la risposta a questo bisogno è diversa rispetto al cinema ed è chiamata brand. Come abbiamo detto all'inizio, molti ruoli possono incarnare l'identità di uno show: il creatore, un membro del cast, ma anche l'estetica complessiva dello show, nonché l'editore televisivo stesso. In altre parole, ogni show, ogni produzione fa del suo meglio per trovare la propria “autor(ial)ità”, facendo delle scelte che sono il risultato della storia dell'industria televisiva, delle sue policies, delle sue strategie e dei suoi modelli economici. Il tutto per raggiungere un pubblico finale che, oggi più che mai, può diventare esso stesso una parte in gioco, attiva e “autoriale” – si pensi all'influenza dei fan sul “vertice della piramide” attraverso il Web ma anche alla pratica della Fanfiction.
L'autorialità, all'interno della complessità dell'industria televisiva e del mediascape contemporaneo, diventa allora un'estetica complessiva, un brand iconico frutto dell'interazione di innumerevoli forze e soggetti.
Quando parliamo di industria televisiva americana, infatti, parliamo di un'entità complessa composta da vari livelli: regolamentazioni, modelli di finanziamento e di distribuzione, strategie competitive, policies. In una prospettiva più ampia, poi, tutti questi livelli interagiscono con lo scenario mediale contemporaneo, che permette sinergie e convergenze senza precedenti. Ciò dà vita a contenuti e testi altrettanto complessi, che richiedono dunque una semplificazione allo scopo di raggiungere e “colpire” velocemente il target audience e, cosa più importante, guadagnarsi la sua fedeltà durevole. Questa strategia è detta Branding.
Nell'ambito delle serie TV statunitensi, un brand è ciò che il pubblico riconosce come un'identità peculiare dello show e può essere incarnato da differenti agenti: creatore/i, cast, personaggi, un certo stile iconico, il broadcaster stesso. In altre parole, il brand è ciò che dona unità e riconoscibilità istantanea a quello che altrimenti sarebbe un testo primariamente plurale, un testo generato da un'industria altamente stratificata e competitiva. Questa nozione potrebbe richiamare alla mente, anche se in modo molto sommario, proprio l'idea che sta alla base dell'Auteur Theory: il regista di un film come unico autore, vale a dire la personalità creativa che dona unità a un testo prodotto da un'industria necessariamente desoggettivizzata. L'elevazione di un singolo ruolo su tutti gli altri finisce con il soddisfare un bisogno antropologico dello spettatore, quello di isolare nomi e volti dalla complessità di un testo e del suo processo produttivo. Nomi e volti che diventano così l'incarnazione, l'identità umana di quel testo. Nel caso delle serie televisive, quello che abbiamo è lo stesso bisogno di volti, nomi, personalità preponderanti. Solo che la risposta a questo bisogno è diversa rispetto al cinema ed è chiamata brand. Come abbiamo detto all'inizio, molti ruoli possono incarnare l'identità di uno show: il creatore, un membro del cast, ma anche l'estetica complessiva dello show, nonché l'editore televisivo stesso. In altre parole, ogni show, ogni produzione fa del suo meglio per trovare la propria “autor(ial)ità”, facendo delle scelte che sono il risultato della storia dell'industria televisiva, delle sue policies, delle sue strategie e dei suoi modelli economici. Il tutto per raggiungere un pubblico finale che, oggi più che mai, può diventare esso stesso una parte in gioco, attiva e “autoriale” – si pensi all'influenza dei fan sul “vertice della piramide” attraverso il Web ma anche alla pratica della Fanfiction.
L'autorialità, all'interno della complessità dell'industria televisiva e del mediascape contemporaneo, diventa allora un'estetica complessiva, un brand iconico frutto dell'interazione di innumerevoli forze e soggetti.
Research Interests:
Media Mutations, the international conference of studies on audiovisual media hosted by Dipartimento delle Arti of Università di Bologna, comes to its tenth edition. This conference’s theme is the impact of entertainment logics across... more
Media Mutations, the international conference of studies on audiovisual media hosted by Dipartimento delle Arti of Università di Bologna, comes to its tenth edition. This conference’s theme is the impact of entertainment logics across different media, at a professional, cultural and social level.
Entertainment cultures seem to be spreading widely across contemporary media, from press to fashion, from music to television, from videogames to politics, from sports to museums. Audiovisual and digital media ease the connection between entertainment and a wide range of realms in everyday life (information, politics, education, emotions, and many others), both at a global and local level; yet processes of hybridization and narrativization permeate and transform their logics, strategies and imageries through forms of performance, amusement and divertissement. This is not a new phenomenon, but the result of a long history of interwoven developments and connections. Simultaneously, the strength and depth of this transformation has increased dramatically, if not multiplied, in recent decades. After having been long accused of corrupting the masses, or dismissed as minor and banal, the cultures and practices of entertainment are now widely studied and thoroughly researched, with interdisciplinary approaches accounting for their complex and mixed nature.
The conference aims to expand the academic knowledge of this fundamental trend, establish new transmedial and multidisciplinary research perspectives in the field, and strengthen the understanding about how entertainment has shaped (and is still shaping) media sectors, how it is defined, produced and perceived, and with what outcomes.
Entertainment cultures seem to be spreading widely across contemporary media, from press to fashion, from music to television, from videogames to politics, from sports to museums. Audiovisual and digital media ease the connection between entertainment and a wide range of realms in everyday life (information, politics, education, emotions, and many others), both at a global and local level; yet processes of hybridization and narrativization permeate and transform their logics, strategies and imageries through forms of performance, amusement and divertissement. This is not a new phenomenon, but the result of a long history of interwoven developments and connections. Simultaneously, the strength and depth of this transformation has increased dramatically, if not multiplied, in recent decades. After having been long accused of corrupting the masses, or dismissed as minor and banal, the cultures and practices of entertainment are now widely studied and thoroughly researched, with interdisciplinary approaches accounting for their complex and mixed nature.
The conference aims to expand the academic knowledge of this fundamental trend, establish new transmedial and multidisciplinary research perspectives in the field, and strengthen the understanding about how entertainment has shaped (and is still shaping) media sectors, how it is defined, produced and perceived, and with what outcomes.
Research Interests:
Media Mutations, the international conference on audiovisual media, comes to its ninth edition. This year's theme is the cultural and industrial role of global formats in television production, distribution and viewing practices. In the... more
Media Mutations, the international conference on audiovisual media, comes to its ninth edition. This year's theme is the cultural and industrial role of global formats in television production, distribution and viewing practices.
In the last fifteen years, following a long history that already started in the early years of the medium, television around the world has been constantly and successfully broadcasting global formats. Beginning with Big Brother, Survivor and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and later with The X Factor, Masterchef, Peking Express, In Treatment, The Bridge, Pulseras Rojas and many others, formatted shows have contributed to the creation of a shared television aesthetics, spreading best practices in production, distribution and marketing, and increasing genre proximity across the world. At the same time, differences and national specificities are still at work, and the success of global formats in individual national markets depends on their successful localization. The process of formatization is now used in both TV fiction and entertainment production, and it is relentlessly expanding, both at the economic and cultural level, and in a convergent media scenario.
The conference aims to expand academic knowledge on this phenomenon, establish new research perspectives in the field, and strengthen our understanding of national and transnational distribution and reception practices. The focus will be on cultural and linguistic format issues, on legal, economic and productive aspects of format development and format trade, and on the different genres and types of formatted audiovisual products.
In the last fifteen years, following a long history that already started in the early years of the medium, television around the world has been constantly and successfully broadcasting global formats. Beginning with Big Brother, Survivor and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and later with The X Factor, Masterchef, Peking Express, In Treatment, The Bridge, Pulseras Rojas and many others, formatted shows have contributed to the creation of a shared television aesthetics, spreading best practices in production, distribution and marketing, and increasing genre proximity across the world. At the same time, differences and national specificities are still at work, and the success of global formats in individual national markets depends on their successful localization. The process of formatization is now used in both TV fiction and entertainment production, and it is relentlessly expanding, both at the economic and cultural level, and in a convergent media scenario.
The conference aims to expand academic knowledge on this phenomenon, establish new research perspectives in the field, and strengthen our understanding of national and transnational distribution and reception practices. The focus will be on cultural and linguistic format issues, on legal, economic and productive aspects of format development and format trade, and on the different genres and types of formatted audiovisual products.
Research Interests:
Confirmed keynote speakers: Jérôme Bourdon, Jean Chalaby. Organized by Luca Barra and Paola Brembilla, in collaboration with Andrea Esser, the Media Across Borders network and the ECREA Television Studies section. Media Mutations, the... more
Confirmed keynote speakers: Jérôme Bourdon, Jean Chalaby.
Organized by Luca Barra and Paola Brembilla, in collaboration with Andrea Esser, the Media Across Borders network and the ECREA Television Studies section.
Media Mutations, the international conference of studies on audiovisual media hosted by Dipartimento delle Arti of Università di Bologna, comes to its ninth edition. This year’s theme is the cultural and industrial role of global formats in television production, distribution and viewing practices.
In the last fifteen years, following a long history that already started in the early years of the medium, television all around the world has been constantly and successfully broadcasting global formats: big brands and franchises, with a codified set of rules, sold at international audiovisual markets, distributed in many countries and on numerous networks and channels, and adapted and remade according to the tastes and needs of local audiences. Beginning with Big Brother, Survivor and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and later with The X Factor, Masterchef, Peking Express, In Treatment, The Bridge, Pulseras Rojas and many others, formatted shows have contributed to creating a shared television aesthetics, spreading best practice in production, distribution and marketing, and establishing similar consumption habits. At the same time, differences and national specificities are still at work, and the success of global formats in individual national markets depends on successful localization. The process of formatization is now used in both TV fiction and entertainment productions, and it is relentlessly expanding, both at the economic and cultural level, and in a convergent media scenario. [...]
Organized by Luca Barra and Paola Brembilla, in collaboration with Andrea Esser, the Media Across Borders network and the ECREA Television Studies section.
Media Mutations, the international conference of studies on audiovisual media hosted by Dipartimento delle Arti of Università di Bologna, comes to its ninth edition. This year’s theme is the cultural and industrial role of global formats in television production, distribution and viewing practices.
In the last fifteen years, following a long history that already started in the early years of the medium, television all around the world has been constantly and successfully broadcasting global formats: big brands and franchises, with a codified set of rules, sold at international audiovisual markets, distributed in many countries and on numerous networks and channels, and adapted and remade according to the tastes and needs of local audiences. Beginning with Big Brother, Survivor and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and later with The X Factor, Masterchef, Peking Express, In Treatment, The Bridge, Pulseras Rojas and many others, formatted shows have contributed to creating a shared television aesthetics, spreading best practice in production, distribution and marketing, and establishing similar consumption habits. At the same time, differences and national specificities are still at work, and the success of global formats in individual national markets depends on successful localization. The process of formatization is now used in both TV fiction and entertainment productions, and it is relentlessly expanding, both at the economic and cultural level, and in a convergent media scenario. [...]