Main Papers by Massimo Scaglioni
This book maps the landscape of contemporary European premium television fiction, offering a deta... more This book maps the landscape of contemporary European premium television fiction, offering a detailed overview of both the changes in the digital production and distribution and the emergence of specific national and transnational case histories.
Combining a media-production approach with a textual and audience analysis, the volume offers a complex, stratified, systemic view of ongoing aesthetic, sociocultural and industrial developments in contemporary European TV. With contributions from leading experts in the field, the book first offers an overview of the industrial, policy and cultural context for the renaissance of European television drama over the past decade, based on original comparative research. This research is then supported by case study chapters from the key contexts within which quality European television is being produced, offering a complex and complete picture of the industry’s strengths and limitations, its traditions and trends, its constraints and future perspectives.
A European Television Fiction Renaissance is a must-read book for TV scholars working across Europe and beyond in the areas of media studies, international communications and television studies, media industries studies, production studies, European studies, and media policy studies as well as for those with an interest in television drama, Netflix, globalisation, pay TV and on demand.
Con il design e la moda, il cinema concorre in modo significativo alla creazione del “made in Ita... more Con il design e la moda, il cinema concorre in modo significativo alla creazione del “made in Italy”: da La grande bellezza di Paolo Sorrentino, vincitore dell’Oscar come miglior film in lingua straniera nel 2014, a Io sono l’amore e Chiamami col tuo nome – campione di incassi sui mercati internazionali – di Luca Guadagnino, fino ai lavori di Nanni Moretti, Matteo Garrone, Giuseppe Tornatore e Gianfranco Rosi, il cinema porta nel mondo non solo storie e ambienti, ma anche un’idea di italianità. La circolazione internazionale del film ha contribuito a mettere a fuoco l’identità del cinema nazionale, a evidenziarne punti di forza e debolezze. Il cinema italiano ha vissuto fasi alterne per quanto riguarda la sua capacità di essere esportato: quello contemporaneo, grazie anche a una serie di trasformazioni che hanno riguardato il sistema dei media negli anni Duemila, presenta elementi positivi, tratti ancora poco studiati, perduranti criticità industriali e aperture al futuro. Il libro, frutto di una ricerca pluriennale, ricostruisce per la prima volta gli avventurosi percorsi di circolazione dell’audiovisivo italiano, che oggi prende inedite strade anche grazie al recente successo della serialità nazionale.
Da mezzo secolo la televisione appartiene alla nostra vita e l'attraversa quotidianamente costrui... more Da mezzo secolo la televisione appartiene alla nostra vita e l'attraversa quotidianamente costruisce immaginari, riti e piaceri condivisi, contribuisce alla nostra conoscenza del mondo col suo "vedere lontano", ma al contempo definisce un'arena collettiva che ci comprende e ci chiama in causa. In questi cinquant'anni la televisione è stata temuta e deprecata per i mali che gli si sono attribuiti, o, più raramente, è stata apprezzata per la sua capacità di abbattere barriere e steccati, coinvolgere le persone e renderle più consapevoli, offrire loro intrattenimento, informazione e compagnia. In "Che cos'è la televisione" gli autori affrontano in maniera sistematica gli interrogativi più pressanti che hanno interessato il piccolo schermo.
IN APPENDICE SAGGI DI EDMONDO BERSELLI E CARLO FRECCERO.
L'ALTRO VIRUS COMUNICAZIONE E DISINFORMAZIONE AL TEMPO DEL COVID-19 , 2020
Ebook Gratuito, liberamente scaricabile. Nel corso delle drammatiche settimane dell’emergenza-Cor... more Ebook Gratuito, liberamente scaricabile. Nel corso delle drammatiche settimane dell’emergenza-Coronavirus la rilevanza della comunicazione e della sua gestione è apparsa chiarissima, a tutti i livelli, e cruciale per il contenimento dell’epidemia. Un gruppo di studiosi e di professionisti (che fanno riferimento al Centro di Ricerca sulla Televisione e gli Audiovisivi dell’Università Cattolica di Milano) ha analizzato i diversi profili della comunicazione avvenuta fino alla chiusura della fase 1: comunicazione politica, scientifica, social, disinformazione e fake news, privacy, ecc. Queste pagine aiutano a comprendere quello che ha funzionato e quello che di sbagliato o reticente si è verificato, nella prospettiva di meglio calibrare la comunicazione nella fase di ricostruzione del Paese.
The Walking Dead - Contagio culturale e politica postapocalittica, 2017
A study (in Italian) of the AMC series The Walking Dead, with chapters on:
1. the production of ... more A study (in Italian) of the AMC series The Walking Dead, with chapters on:
1. the production of the series
2. the political allegories in its representation of the zombie apocalypse
3. the series' fandom, digital communities and creative activity
4. the marketing, distribution and consumption of the series
Comunicazioni Sociali (CS Journal), Dec 31, 2018
This article begins with the observation that, in the era of media convergence and abundance, the... more This article begins with the observation that, in the era of media convergence and abundance, the consumption of audiovisual media occurs in such a fragmentary and 'informal' way that to speak simply of 'distribution' is no longer sufficient. Though it remains relevant-as demonstrated by the continued centrality of the box office-this term implies a vertical, closed economic process which overshadows other viewing processes (institutional and non-). The article thus proposes adopting the term 'circulation', which instead would allow scholars to map out the movement of audiovisual products in various (geographic, technological) contexts, in order then to question cinema's cultural impact in a broader and more exhaustive way. Following a theoretical reflection on circulation and the conception of national cinema, the article reflects on the case of Italy. The discussion then presents the results of a quantitative analysis of box-office data-which is justified as a fundamental starting point for reflections on circulation. The second and third parts illustrates the shortcomings of Italian cinema in particular from a comparative perspective, identifying the potential successful circulation models, and national cinemas within the European Union. The fourth examines the European markets where Italian cinema finds the most significant audiences, thus signalling its various strategic circulation patterns.
In the long history of the enduring connection between Italian cinema and national television, re... more In the long history of the enduring connection between Italian cinema and national television, recent years have brought several new developments. Due to the economic crisis, and hence a quest for creative and production methods to achieve greater return at lower cost, the ‘border’ between film and TV has become the arena for several textual and productive experiments, with varying degrees of success, contributing to the foundations of a new model. On the one hand, television is ‘serializing’ stories that were successes at the cinema presenting them as sequels or reinterpreting the original story in a different way. This trend is exemplified by several premium fictions associated with pay operator Sky Italia, as Romanzo criminale and Gomorra/Gomorrah, or the Netflix project Suburra. On the other hand, forms of actual ‘joint production’ for both film and TV are starting to emerge, representing not merely a desire to spread content over several TV slots, but also the wish (and need) to envisage a dual outlet for a text right from the time of writing and production. Two separate objects are planned and prepared from the outset, as in the case of Tutta colpa di Freud or Chiamatemi Francesco/Call Me Francesco, forcing the writing and production routines to adapt and take due account of the specific traits of the two media, and of their target audiences. Through interviews with professionals, viewing figures and promotional materials, it is possible to identify the motives behind these projects, the modifications in their production routines, and how concepts like taste, success and quality are being reformulated in such a scenario.
Convergenza. Dopo Cultura convergente di Henry Jenkins, è una delle parole centrali degli ultimi ... more Convergenza. Dopo Cultura convergente di Henry Jenkins, è una delle parole centrali degli ultimi anni. Se ne è parlato molto, ma poco è stato fatto (e scritto) per capire cosa vuol dire davvero e quali sono le sue reali implicazioni. "Televisione convergente" - frutto di un lungo lavoro di ricerca del Ce.R.T.A., guidato da Aldo Grasso - cerca di colmare questa lacuna, raccontando i cambiamenti nel modo di fare e di vedere la Tv attraverso esempi concreti. Il volume parte da tre termini chiave: estensione, accesso e brand. Concetti che stanno modificando sia la produzione televisiva - costretta a fare i conti con la rete e con utenti sempre più smaliziati - sia le pratiche del suo consumo quotidiano. Seguendo numerosi casi di studio - dal Grande fratello a X Factor, da I Cesaroni a Romanzo criminale, da CSI a Mad Men - e proponendo metodi di analisi innovativi, il libro approfondisce i "punti caldi" della televisione di oggi. Nazionale e internazionale. Senza facili entusiasmi, ma con lo sguardo attento di chi sa che la storia del mezzo è a una svolta: con il web e la convergenza, i confini del piccolo schermo sono tutti ancora da scrivere.
During the last television seasons (2015-2016), after several years of success, Italian political... more During the last television seasons (2015-2016), after several years of success, Italian political talk shows have suffered a period of exhaustion. Adopting the perspective of television studies, this essay investigates the structural and strategic reasons accompanying such crisis. Through a careful analysis of television schedules, audience ratings and running orders for a series of prime time talk shows, we detect the role of networks’ and broadcasters’ editorial policies in defining, shaping and modifying Italian TV programs devoted to political debate. Indeed, in talk shows exquisitely televisual goals often prevail on political communication logics.
I rapporti tra il mezzo televisivo e le webseries, come quelli tra le rispettive audiences, sono ... more I rapporti tra il mezzo televisivo e le webseries, come quelli tra le rispettive audiences, sono complessi e – dopo una prima fase di prova ed errore – si stanno assestando su un nuovo equilibrio. Da una parte, un percorso di “andata” prevede la presenza di estensioni online, anche in forma di webseries, della fiction televisiva tradizionale, per rispondere ai bisogni di un pubblico attivo e curioso. Dall’altra, un opposto “ritorno” al piccolo schermo è implicito nell’approdo di alcune webseries tra i palinsesti delle reti, per giustificarne i costi ma anche per incontrare un’audience più ampia.
In questi ultimi anni, le serie tv sono diventate un importante oggetto di indagine da parte dei ... more In questi ultimi anni, le serie tv sono diventate un importante oggetto di indagine da parte dei Media e Television Studies. Obiettivo di questo articolo è sviluppare e illustrare un approccio olistico alle narrative seriali televisive, una prospettiva che tiene conto della complessità di fattori che le definiscono. Difatti, le serie tv sono stati analizzate in modi differenti e da vari punti di vista. Prima di tutto, i formati seriali costituiscono un largo corpo di prodotti – prodotti e distribuiti sia a livello nazionale che internazionale – che sono stati investigati rispettivamente in relazione alla loro estetica, alla propria rappresentazione e alle istanze culturali e sociali, nel loro rapporto con la politica, nelle proprie forme di consumo e fandom. In secondo luogo, una particolare attenzione è stata dedicata al meccanismo testuale della narrazione seriale, così come alla sua capacità di costruire mondi vasti ed elaborati che si espandono oltre i confini dei testi e dei media. Inquadrando la serialità come pratica, l'autore vuole mostrare le connessioni strutturali che collegano le strategie industriali e le produzioni culturale con le tattiche della visione e le culture dei consumi, così come i modi in cui queste connessioni sono negoziate attraverso i testi, le loro estensioni e la loro circolazione sociale e culturale. Terreno di prova di tale approccio sarà il caso della fiction TV italiana contemporanea, che presenta tre diversi modelli in accordo con i corrispettivi obiettivi ed esigenze del servizio pubblico, della televisione commerciale, e della Pay TV. Ricorrendo ad uno studio articolato sulle politiche editoriali, le strategie di produzione/distribuzione/promozione, i valori di consumo e le pratiche di visione delle serie TV italiane, questa discussione illustrerà il processo per " tentativi ed errori " che ha condotto alla nascita di nuovo modello di serialità lunga, in grado di generare narrative innovative come, ad esempio, i franchise Romanzo Criminale. La serie, Gomorra. La serie e 1992. In finale, l'autore dimostrerà come sebbene questo esempio sia parzialmente differente da quelli tradizionali e nazionali, e più vicino a quelli Americani ampiamente industrializzati, l'operatore pay-tv Sky Italia ha nondimeno fallito, fino ad adesso, nel realizzare un modello di Complex Tv, come ad esempio una produzione multi-stagione, che gli permetterebbe di poter sfruttare appieno un franchising TV di successo. In recent years, television series have become an important object of scrutiny for Media and Television Studies. The aim of this article is to develop and illustrate an holistic approach to TV serial narratives, a perspective that could account for the complexity of factors that define them. Indeed, TV series have been analyzed in different ways and from various points of view. First of all, TV serials and series form a large corpus of products – both nationally and internationally produced and distributed – that has been investigated respectively in relation to its aesthetics, its representation of social and cultural issues, its relationship with politics, and its forms of consumption and fandom. Second, specific attention has been devoted to the textual mechanism of serial narration, as well as to its capacity to build vast and elaborate story-worlds that expand beyond the boundaries of texts and media. By framing seriality as a practice, I aim to show the structural connections that link (and cross) industrial strategies and production cultures with viewing tactics and consumption cultures, as well as the ways in which these connections are negotiated through texts, their extensions, and their social and cultural circulation. My testing ground for this approach will be the case of contemporary Italian TV fiction, which presents three different models according to the corresponding goals and needs of public service broadcasting, commercial television, and pay TV. With recourse to an articulated study of the editorial policies, production/distribution/promotion strategies, consumption figures and viewing
Book Reviews by Massimo Scaglioni
Conference Presentations by Massimo Scaglioni
In recent years particularly, television series have become an important object of scrutiny for M... more In recent years particularly, television series have become an important object of scrutiny for Media and Television Studies. The aim of my paper is to develop and illustrate an holistic approach to TV serial narratives, a perspective that could account for the complexity of factors that define them. Indeed, TV series have been analyzed in different ways and from various points of view. First of all, TV serials and series form a large corpus of products – both nationally and internationally produced and distributed – that has been investigated respectively in relation to its aesthetics, its way of representing social and cultural issues, its relationship with politics, and its forms of consumption and fandom. Second, specific attention has been devoted to the textual mechanism of serial narration, as well as to its capacity to build vast and elaborate story-worlds that expand beyond the boundaries of texts and media. By framing seriality as a practice, I aim to show the structural connections that link (and cross) industrial strategies and production cultures with viewing tactics and consumption cultures; as well as the ways in which these connections are negotiated through texts, their extensions, and their social and cultural circulation. My testing ground for this approach will be the case of contemporary Italian TV fiction, which presents three different models according to the corresponding goals and needs of public service broadcasting, commercial television, and pay TV. On the base of an articulated study of the editorial policies, production/distribution/promotion strategies, consumption figures and viewing practices of Italian pay-TV series, my paper will illustrate the “trial and error” process that has led to the birth of a new model of long seriality that is capable of generating innovative narratives such as, for example, the franchises Romanzo Criminale. La serie, Gomorra. La serie and 1992. Finally, I will demonstrate that though this new model is partially different from the traditional, national ones and instead closer to the fully industrialized American one, the pay TV operator Sky Italia has nevertheless failed, so far, to adopt comprehensively a “complex TV” serial design, such as a multi-season production, that could rapidly and fully exploit a successful TV franchise.
Since the very early stage of Italian television, the arts have represented a crucial topic withi... more Since the very early stage of Italian television, the arts have represented a crucial topic within the cultural and pedagogic project of the public service broadcaster. In fact, on 3th January 1954, the inaugural day of regular programming, Rai aired the first documentary on figurative art, Avventure dell’arte: Il Tiepolo, produced by art historian Antonio Morassi. Together with literature and theatre, the arts rapidly became a content used by the public service in order to “legitimate” the new medium in the era of its institutionalization, and to assure it a cultural relevance as a carrier of humanistic knowledge for its wide and popular audience.
Aim of the paper is to reflect on some of the main problems concerning the representation of the arts in the first period of “black and white” Italian television, starting from an archival dig intended to bring back to the light the most important programs on the arts produced in the Fifties and the Sixties (colour TV was established in Italy only in 1977).
The paper will present some of the main “formats” used by public service to deal with the topic of art, all destined to start a long tradition, afterwards continued (with very few changes) by commercial TV in the Eighties and then by contemporary thematic TV. A first format was ideally aimed to piece together an “imaginary museum” composed by the masterpieces of figurative art (with programs such as Intervallo, Avventure di capolavori, Arti e scienze, L’approdo). It was strictly educative and expression of an academic approach to “televised art”. Another format presented instead art in a more oblique way, trying to find a medium specificity beyond a mere educational approach. It can be observed in some auteur documentaries (such as Caccia al quadro by Ugo Gregoretti) and also in some experiments of the advertising anthology Carosello.
Also considering the two conferences that, in 1978 and in 1981, Rai dedicated to the topic, the paper will address the main issues involved by the presence of arts in early Italian schedules: the technology (with the productive problems that stem from low definition, black and white and the very small screens that characterized the first TV sets); the ideal of “art” that inspired these programs; and finally the role played by academic specialists in shaping the languages of this first “TV of Arts” (such as the critic Giulio Carlo Argan, the philosopher Emilio Garroni, and many others).
Papers by Massimo Scaglioni
Comunicazioni Sociali, Apr 2015
In his recent book, Jerome Bourdon has clearly showed that the ideal type of the “public service”... more In his recent book, Jerome Bourdon has clearly showed that the ideal type of the “public service” is underlain by different conceptions, perspectives and visions. To understand how this concept, and more generally the “idea of television”, manifests itself in Italy, it is essential to start from the cultures that have a vision of “public service”, and of television itself, and that seek to turn this vision into something concrete. Looking at the first four decades of Italian television history, we can identify two driving forces, that also offer two ways to interpret and relate to the television medium. I refer to them as “control” and “project”. “Control” (control over television) is a continuous attitude that permeates the historical cultures in their approach to television. By “project”, I mean the development of a vision that is broader and richer than the simple concern for “control” but that shares with it the need to “channel” the explosive power of TV to reflect ideal or “ideological” needs, in line with the cultures that these projects have articulated. The essay looks at the period from the 1950s (with the advent of television) to the late 80s and early 90s, pointing out how the different historical cultures have tried both to exert influence and control and to develop
specific projects on television.
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Main Papers by Massimo Scaglioni
Combining a media-production approach with a textual and audience analysis, the volume offers a complex, stratified, systemic view of ongoing aesthetic, sociocultural and industrial developments in contemporary European TV. With contributions from leading experts in the field, the book first offers an overview of the industrial, policy and cultural context for the renaissance of European television drama over the past decade, based on original comparative research. This research is then supported by case study chapters from the key contexts within which quality European television is being produced, offering a complex and complete picture of the industry’s strengths and limitations, its traditions and trends, its constraints and future perspectives.
A European Television Fiction Renaissance is a must-read book for TV scholars working across Europe and beyond in the areas of media studies, international communications and television studies, media industries studies, production studies, European studies, and media policy studies as well as for those with an interest in television drama, Netflix, globalisation, pay TV and on demand.
IN APPENDICE SAGGI DI EDMONDO BERSELLI E CARLO FRECCERO.
1. the production of the series
2. the political allegories in its representation of the zombie apocalypse
3. the series' fandom, digital communities and creative activity
4. the marketing, distribution and consumption of the series
Book Reviews by Massimo Scaglioni
http://www.necsus-ejms.org/television-studies-reloaded-from-history-to-text/
Conference Presentations by Massimo Scaglioni
Aim of the paper is to reflect on some of the main problems concerning the representation of the arts in the first period of “black and white” Italian television, starting from an archival dig intended to bring back to the light the most important programs on the arts produced in the Fifties and the Sixties (colour TV was established in Italy only in 1977).
The paper will present some of the main “formats” used by public service to deal with the topic of art, all destined to start a long tradition, afterwards continued (with very few changes) by commercial TV in the Eighties and then by contemporary thematic TV. A first format was ideally aimed to piece together an “imaginary museum” composed by the masterpieces of figurative art (with programs such as Intervallo, Avventure di capolavori, Arti e scienze, L’approdo). It was strictly educative and expression of an academic approach to “televised art”. Another format presented instead art in a more oblique way, trying to find a medium specificity beyond a mere educational approach. It can be observed in some auteur documentaries (such as Caccia al quadro by Ugo Gregoretti) and also in some experiments of the advertising anthology Carosello.
Also considering the two conferences that, in 1978 and in 1981, Rai dedicated to the topic, the paper will address the main issues involved by the presence of arts in early Italian schedules: the technology (with the productive problems that stem from low definition, black and white and the very small screens that characterized the first TV sets); the ideal of “art” that inspired these programs; and finally the role played by academic specialists in shaping the languages of this first “TV of Arts” (such as the critic Giulio Carlo Argan, the philosopher Emilio Garroni, and many others).
Papers by Massimo Scaglioni
specific projects on television.
Combining a media-production approach with a textual and audience analysis, the volume offers a complex, stratified, systemic view of ongoing aesthetic, sociocultural and industrial developments in contemporary European TV. With contributions from leading experts in the field, the book first offers an overview of the industrial, policy and cultural context for the renaissance of European television drama over the past decade, based on original comparative research. This research is then supported by case study chapters from the key contexts within which quality European television is being produced, offering a complex and complete picture of the industry’s strengths and limitations, its traditions and trends, its constraints and future perspectives.
A European Television Fiction Renaissance is a must-read book for TV scholars working across Europe and beyond in the areas of media studies, international communications and television studies, media industries studies, production studies, European studies, and media policy studies as well as for those with an interest in television drama, Netflix, globalisation, pay TV and on demand.
IN APPENDICE SAGGI DI EDMONDO BERSELLI E CARLO FRECCERO.
1. the production of the series
2. the political allegories in its representation of the zombie apocalypse
3. the series' fandom, digital communities and creative activity
4. the marketing, distribution and consumption of the series
http://www.necsus-ejms.org/television-studies-reloaded-from-history-to-text/
Aim of the paper is to reflect on some of the main problems concerning the representation of the arts in the first period of “black and white” Italian television, starting from an archival dig intended to bring back to the light the most important programs on the arts produced in the Fifties and the Sixties (colour TV was established in Italy only in 1977).
The paper will present some of the main “formats” used by public service to deal with the topic of art, all destined to start a long tradition, afterwards continued (with very few changes) by commercial TV in the Eighties and then by contemporary thematic TV. A first format was ideally aimed to piece together an “imaginary museum” composed by the masterpieces of figurative art (with programs such as Intervallo, Avventure di capolavori, Arti e scienze, L’approdo). It was strictly educative and expression of an academic approach to “televised art”. Another format presented instead art in a more oblique way, trying to find a medium specificity beyond a mere educational approach. It can be observed in some auteur documentaries (such as Caccia al quadro by Ugo Gregoretti) and also in some experiments of the advertising anthology Carosello.
Also considering the two conferences that, in 1978 and in 1981, Rai dedicated to the topic, the paper will address the main issues involved by the presence of arts in early Italian schedules: the technology (with the productive problems that stem from low definition, black and white and the very small screens that characterized the first TV sets); the ideal of “art” that inspired these programs; and finally the role played by academic specialists in shaping the languages of this first “TV of Arts” (such as the critic Giulio Carlo Argan, the philosopher Emilio Garroni, and many others).
specific projects on television.
Keywords: convergence, social TV, second screen, social media, television industry, Italian television
si fa più radicale...
In this paper, Massimo Scaglioni presents the final results of a qualitative study of Italian convergent television. The paper not only focuses on approaches to TV and media convergence, but also on broadcasters’ production strategies and viewers’ consumption habits for several products across different genres (Italian and European fiction, US TV series, reality and talent shows, talk shows, information, etc.). In dialogue with the literature on media cultural convergence, and with Henry Jenkins’s definitions of spreadability and drillability, Scaglioni presents an original ‘pyramid’ model of ‘weak’ and ‘strong’ engagement that seeks to represent the relationships between TV narratives and their audience. Taking a longitudinal perspective also demonstrates recent trends found in the industry and consumption of television in Italy and other territories: the transition from a ‘trial and error’ approach to media convergence, to a tailor-made focus on each operation; the polarization of different viewing time patterns; the current trend of social TV and implications of second screen use; and the double-edged role of TV promotion.
This issue of VIEW tries to deal with this complex and polysemic concept from different points of view, adopting several theoretical and methodological frameworks. It attempts to counteract some of the aforementioned taken-for-granted ideas, analyzing TV convergence from a historical and long-term perspective, considering symmetrical case studies of success and failures, concentrating on the European dimension through the lens of transnational, comparative, and national contributions.
See the special issue here: http://journal.euscreen.eu/index.php/view/issue/view/6/showToc
Nel contesto italiano, Sky Cinema Mobile è un caso quasi unico, e perciò particolarmente interessante: [...]
Come si ridefinisce il ruolo del broadcaster televisivo nell’epoca della convergenza mediale? Soprattutto, come cambia il suo raggio di azione, a fronte della transizione che investe tutti gli aspetti del sistema, dalle tecnologie produttive e distributive alle caratteristiche dei testi e alle pratiche degli spettatori? [...]
Come ha chiaramente mostrato Adrian Johns nel suo dettagliato studio sul tema, la pirateria non solo può essere correttamente compresa all’interno del contesto complessivo della circolazione culturale di beni e valori, entro specifici e definiti ambiti geografici, sociali e temporali, ma riguarda in ugual misura l’ambito della produzione e quello della ricezione .
La storia dei rapporti fra ricezione e pirateria non è, dunque, limitabile alle conseguenze della “rivoluzione digitale”, ma affonda le sue radici in diverse tappe evolutive del “sistema dei media” occidentale: le vicende della riproduzione sonora, che coinvolge per primi gli appassionati di jazz e di musica, e che diventa fenomeno socialmente diffuso con la commercializzazione del nastro magnetico, costituiscono un primo momento significativo di quella pirateria domestica che ha generato energiche reazioni e panico nell’industria mediale. L’abitudine alla duplicazione casalinga ha poi investito, dopo la popular music, l’ambito dell’audiovisivo, con la diffusione del videoregistratore e il suo ampio utilizzo sia in funzione di “time-shifting”, visione ritardata, sia in funzione di “librarying” , conservazione. [...]
A fronte di questa idealizzazione, che è anche una banalizzazione del consumo convergente, si rivela opportuna una duplice mossa, sul piano del quadro teorico e su quello dell’impostazione metodologica. [...]
Il fenomeno non è nuovo, se si allarga lo sguardo allo scenario internazionale: le cable americane hanno progressivamente rivoluzionato le caratteristiche della serialità, entrando nel campo della produzione di una fiction alternativa – per temi, linguaggio e pubblici di riferimento – a quella dei network ; in Europa, evoluzioni analoghe riguardano tutti i mercati maggiori, pur con livelli di maturazione disomogenei .
Ovviamente, ogni caso nazionale è profondamente diverso. In Italia l’affermazione della pay tv avviene in due tempi: dopo una “preistoria analogica”, Sky Italia, parte del gruppo multinazionale NewsCorp., diventa l’operatore dominante, fra il 2003 e il 2007, raggiungendo una massa critica di 4 milioni e mezzo di abbonamenti , soprattutto grazie ai generi premium per definizione: lo sport (in particolare il calcio) e il cinema. La seconda fase inizia nel 2008, quando il novero dei generi pay inizia ad ampliarsi grazie alla produzione di contenuti originali, sia scripted sia unscripted. [...]
This special issue of "Comunicazioni sociali" analyzes the gradual diffusion of several models of commercial TV throughout the decades into different nations across Europe. It aims to provide readers with an outline of the implications of commercialization at the social, cultural, institutional, political, textual and technological level, through case studies of individual nations or regions, comparative studies or theoretical analyses.
Tutta un’altra fiction affronta, affidandosi a una pluralità di voci e punti di vista, il modello seguito da Sky Italia nella produzione seriale mettendolo a confronto con quanto accaduto negli Stati Uniti con Hbo (Home box office) e in altri paesi europei come Francia, Gran bretagna, Spagna e Germania.
Con il concetto di “genere” focalizziamo la nostra attenzione sulla relazione fra un testo e altri testi, a partire, per esempio, dalla tradizionale distinzione aristotelica fra “tragedia” e “commedia” o dall’idea degli “archetipi universali” elaborata da Northrop Frye. In che senso un testo mediale (un racconto, un film, un programma televisivo…) è simile o diverso rispetto ad altri testi? Perché questa somiglianza o questa differenza sono importanti? Che senso ha elaborare delle “categorie” - come quelle dei “generi” - che raccolgono al loro interno testi affini? E in cosa consiste, precisamente, questa affinità? Rispondere a queste domande significa affrontare una serie di snodi centrali nelle produzione, nella distribuzione e nel consumo di prodotti mediali. Questo numero monografico di Comunicazioni Sociali è dedicato al tema dei generi nel medium televisivo. La televisione contemporanea ha attraversato, nell’ultimo decennio, un periodo di grandi trasformazioni che l’hanno traghettata verso quella che John Ellis ha definito “età dell’ abbondanza”. Il tentativo di questo numero monografico consiste nello sviluppare degli strumenti per comprendere l’evoluzione e la rilevanza dei “generi” nell’epoca della digitalizzazione, della convergenza e, appunto, dell’abbondanza. Quando dunque riflettiamo sui generi televisivi nell’età dell’abbondanza dobbiamo in primo luogo considerare la crescente complessità del mezzo, dei suoi meccanismi comunicativi, della sua filiera. Attraverso specifici casi d’analisi, approcci metodologici variegati e differenti framework teorici il numero prova ad affrontare – lungo il filo rosso dell’evoluzione contemporanea dei generi – la complessità dei prodotti televisivi che circola a livello nazionale e globale, il cambiamento tecnologico e istituzionale, le nuove modalità di consumo, cercando di aprire nuove ed utili strade di ricerca.