"If the medium is the message,"

"And it doesn't matter what we say on TV,"

"Why are we all here tonight, and why am I asking this question?"

"There's a huge technology involved in TV, which surrounds you, physically."

"And the effect of that huge service environment on you, personally, is vast."

"The effect of the program is incidental."

[soft music]

"The effect of the program is incidental."

"The effect of the program is incidental."

"The effect of the program is incidental."

Marshall McLuhan's famous saying, "The medium is the message," poses interesting questions

for the age of online video.

He gets to the basic point in that clip. New forms of media actually reorganize our consciousness.

In McLuhan's time, the great shift in media was from print to electronic media;

Radio and, more importantly, television.

Where the printed book was what he called, "Hot Media," an intense, one-way off-loading

of high definition information into your mind, the TV was "cool", it was low definition,

on in a busy house, interrupted by commercials, playing to all the senses.

In other words, it demanded your participation to fill in the gaps.

Every kind of media, from print, to radio, to music, to television, to the Internet creates a kind of

invisible environment around us. When you're watching TV, you may be aware of the particular show,

of how funny or engaging it is, of how relatable the characters are, but rarely do we perceive

or step back to understand what it actually means to watch TV, what it means to be

in that audiovisual immersive sensory environment.

It's no surprise that the great triumph of television is the triumph of advertising.

And what could possibly be more attune to the medium of television than commercials?

In 30 seconds or a minute, they invite or require participation while triggering each and every

one of the senses.

This is not to say that advertisements are good for us, just good for TV.

Just as early television took its cues from print, radio and film before coming into its own,

online video has taken its cues from TV.

But like TV, online video is a wholly new medium, operating in its own environment,

reshaping our consciousness, again.

I mean, just the way we watch is different. We're close up to the screen, transfixed,

but the screens are small, often the size of a phone. Whereas my hand is rarely on the remote control,

it's nearly always on the mouse, inviting different kinds of agencies, like the ease at which

you can scan through something.

All these things and, I'm sure many more you can identify, have effects on the styles that become

widely viewed and adopted. But I think the largest ingredient of online video is the awareness

that every consumer is a potential creator. The appeal of lo-fi, of making something that anyone

could potentially produce is extremely important to the culture of online video,

so much so, I'm tempted to say that what's considered flawed and imperfect videography

in the eyes of other media is actually essential to online video.

McLuhan was fond of saying that radio was more suited to packages, to completed products,

while TV had a preoccupation with processes, seeing how things were done.

And I think this extends even further with online video. Just take a look at daily vlogs,

perhaps the form that's most tailored to the medium of online video.

The process of filming your day, of how the camera moves, is vital to the concept.

And there are certainly a number of other styles that have proven to be highly compatible with online video.

One that comes to mind is animated explainers. Let's try to make a list of some more in the comments below.

I don't completely agree with McLuhan when he says, "The effect of the program is incidental."

But I do think that great, valuable content for online video has to be matched with the style

that fits the medium. Of course, it's still really early in the history of this medium.

In ten or twenty years, with a better perspective, we'll be able to look back at all this work

and point to the first true masterpieces of the medium.

But what's exciting now is that those of us who are working in online video are, in effect,

creating the form. We're writing the language of this new medium. And for that reason, experimentation

and innovation have to continue to be a top priority. And even for those who just watch, it's essential to study

this medium as it grows, to be aware of its message in the unique environment it creates,

Because all aspects of the media,

"Have an irresistible force when invisible."

Hey guys, some exciting news! I have twenty more Nerdwriter mugs available on my Patreon page.

I learned a lot from the first batch, but god, they came out so great. So, they're $5.00, and in order to make

the price work, you'll get them after five videos and I'll be watching that.

So, I do a video a week now, so it shouldn't be too long. I basically break even.

I just want you guys to have them because I think they're so cool.

Click here, anywhere on the mug, and you can claim them while they last. The first batch went pretty fast.

Thanks again for watching. A new video will be out next Wednesday, and I'll be in comments

to talk about this because I want to talk about this a lot more, so find me down there, and I'll see you next time.