Discussing the concept of quality in relation to the entertainment industry is difficult. Whereas a business has a clear aim; it must make money and as long as it does so, then it is fulfilling the demands of quality. In the medical profession as long as the patient gets better, then, the demands of quality have been similarly fulfilled. But what is quality in the entertainment industry? There are so many different directions that quality can go in. Is entertainment a business? Of course it is, but does that mean that its ability to make a profit is the sole criterion on which to assess its quality. Artistic value that enriches the recipient is an equally valid a way to judge quality, as is empowerment.
Profitability is an important aspect of any business and the entertainment industry is no exception. Here the quality can be clearly measured by how many jobs it manages to generate, either in relation or in the wake of a project. During the project there is work for designers of various kinds, carpenters, electrical engineers, builders, and very often specialist advisors or stunt people. Following the project there are the international repercussions as theaters throughout the world make a profit on presenting the work. But with every advantage there is a disadvantage; and the disadvantage of profit is that it very often kills initiative. If profit is the measure of quality then there will be many repeats. After all if they made money the first time round, then, why not continue with a successful formula; and hence the films "Terminator 2," "Lethal Weapon 2 & 3" etc. But never ending sequels are only part of the problem. A serious dilemma is that art cannot be measured by how much money it makes and hence artistic productions will decline if this is the measure of quality. Creativity is based on inspiration and thinking out of the box. Non-formulaic projects do not always succeed financially and hence if the profit motive is supreme they will be abandoned for the most part.
Quality can also be measured via enrichment. However, this is a somewhat difficult concept to define. The majority of material that is brought out by the entertainment industry is clearly not enriching. Shakespeare on the other hand is clearly enriching and so one way of reaching a definition is to decide what components are in Shakespeare's plays that are lacking in popular movies. If one looks at the timelessness of these plays, it is because they depict the painful responses to dilemmas we can all recognize in spirit if not in reality. So enrichment means a play or movie that makes us think, makes us wonder what would we do in these circumstances? But we should not underestimate the ability of some modern movies to do just that.
Popular entertainment is enriching when it makes us think about our lives and reassess how we regard the world. Films such as "The Fisher King" or "Awakening" show us people struggling with real problems. The issues are often painful and do not involve the prescribed fairy tale ending where everyone lives happily ever after. On the contrary instead of standing up and dusting off the trauma and grief with a wry smile or a funny comment, which are the typical responses in the superficial popular movies, we see characters struggle to come to terms with life-changing events and that struggle is not always successful.
Yet another aspect that could pertain to quality in the entertainment industry is empowerment, but the instances where this is seen are only just starting to increase. Empowerment is when the public is involved and asked to become an active part of a societal problem. "America's Most Wanted" is an example of a show that empowers. Instead of just reporting the news in a way that leaves people feeling fear but no control, people are actively involved. They are asked to help find the "bad guys" and are given a number where they can phone so that they can participate. There was a similar moment of empowerment during the coverage of September 11, 2001. The constant reporting led to volunteers coming forward to help the emergency services or provide blood or food. These positive and participating actions were an empowering experience in the face of a disaster where no one felt they had any control. The gathering together of mourners, victims and volunteers comforting each other spontaneously, gave power and hope to all who watched all over the globe.
So what does quality depend upon? We the viewers have of course a different idea to the entertainment executives. Their bottom line is always going to be money, but the viewers also have a great deal of power. They can choose to use this power and make it part of the quality equation. They can choose to be active in ensuring that there will be more enriching and empowering programs by consciously supporting them and in so doing they will also be enriching and empowering their own lives.
Copyright: Academic Reading
Profitability is an important aspect of any business and the entertainment industry is no exception. Here the quality can be clearly measured by how many jobs it manages to generate, either in relation or in the wake of a project. During the project there is work for designers of various kinds, carpenters, electrical engineers, builders, and very often specialist advisors or stunt people. Following the project there are the international repercussions as theaters throughout the world make a profit on presenting the work. But with every advantage there is a disadvantage; and the disadvantage of profit is that it very often kills initiative. If profit is the measure of quality then there will be many repeats. After all if they made money the first time round, then, why not continue with a successful formula; and hence the films "Terminator 2," "Lethal Weapon 2 & 3" etc. But never ending sequels are only part of the problem. A serious dilemma is that art cannot be measured by how much money it makes and hence artistic productions will decline if this is the measure of quality. Creativity is based on inspiration and thinking out of the box. Non-formulaic projects do not always succeed financially and hence if the profit motive is supreme they will be abandoned for the most part.
Quality can also be measured via enrichment. However, this is a somewhat difficult concept to define. The majority of material that is brought out by the entertainment industry is clearly not enriching. Shakespeare on the other hand is clearly enriching and so one way of reaching a definition is to decide what components are in Shakespeare's plays that are lacking in popular movies. If one looks at the timelessness of these plays, it is because they depict the painful responses to dilemmas we can all recognize in spirit if not in reality. So enrichment means a play or movie that makes us think, makes us wonder what would we do in these circumstances? But we should not underestimate the ability of some modern movies to do just that.
Popular entertainment is enriching when it makes us think about our lives and reassess how we regard the world. Films such as "The Fisher King" or "Awakening" show us people struggling with real problems. The issues are often painful and do not involve the prescribed fairy tale ending where everyone lives happily ever after. On the contrary instead of standing up and dusting off the trauma and grief with a wry smile or a funny comment, which are the typical responses in the superficial popular movies, we see characters struggle to come to terms with life-changing events and that struggle is not always successful.
Yet another aspect that could pertain to quality in the entertainment industry is empowerment, but the instances where this is seen are only just starting to increase. Empowerment is when the public is involved and asked to become an active part of a societal problem. "America's Most Wanted" is an example of a show that empowers. Instead of just reporting the news in a way that leaves people feeling fear but no control, people are actively involved. They are asked to help find the "bad guys" and are given a number where they can phone so that they can participate. There was a similar moment of empowerment during the coverage of September 11, 2001. The constant reporting led to volunteers coming forward to help the emergency services or provide blood or food. These positive and participating actions were an empowering experience in the face of a disaster where no one felt they had any control. The gathering together of mourners, victims and volunteers comforting each other spontaneously, gave power and hope to all who watched all over the globe.
So what does quality depend upon? We the viewers have of course a different idea to the entertainment executives. Their bottom line is always going to be money, but the viewers also have a great deal of power. They can choose to use this power and make it part of the quality equation. They can choose to be active in ensuring that there will be more enriching and empowering programs by consciously supporting them and in so doing they will also be enriching and empowering their own lives.
Copyright: Academic Reading
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