Project 1

Introduction

            The ever-evolving nature of technology is directly correlated as equal parts cause and effect of evolving media formats. Alongside the introduction of every new configuration through which media may be displayed and consumed is introduced desire to create some format which proves incrementally more effective – an inherently technological desire for innovation with intent of increased human benefit and interaction. For as long as wide-reaching media as it is currently concerned within a public sphere continues to gain attention, technological change will remain in tow.

The advent of mass media as it is commonly acknowledged today can be traced back to Gutenberg’s archaic machinery via printing press as revolutionized in 15^th Century Germany – a combination of machine and media with the intent of unaltered distribution to the people. (Dimnik, 240) With this invention recognized as a defined baseline enabling consumption of media en masse, it is with informed deduction that the latest global successor within this lineage of technology and media in a broader sense is the revelation of the internet. Through digital media globally interconnected discussion and individually visible freedom of expression can be consumed at unprecedented scale – that being theoretically unlimited with the exception of access. Naturally, constructs of interpretation change with time and cultural difference, thus the formats originating from any point in history including those which were implemented with the printing press of the 15^th century and those implemented in early video and film of the 20^th century have been subject to change, and the basic means by which information is communicated persist and are made recognizable simply by comparison. Technology changes with time however, and so the validity of historical formatting within film or any sort of media are subject to greater fundamental change with time in accordance with relevant technological advancement.

Relevant Technological Advancement

Smartphones are the general basis by which individuals in modern times receive most information, media, and nonphysical communication. Originally released as a product of the Apple corporation in 2007, the iPhone began a revolution of human interaction with the world. More than one in ten people in the U.S. own a smart phone according to a report by the Pew Research Center, and 98 percent of young people ages 18-29 use a smartphone on a daily basis. Powered by the technological advancements of smartphones, the latest form of media presented as a natural application of smart phones is short form content, videos no longer than a minute formatted vertically for intended viewing on smartphone screens. The largest proponents within the short form media space have only recently achieved popularity however, as the two largest applications for viewing these videos: TikTok and Reels were released by the ByteDance and Meta corporations in 2018 and 2020 respectively.

The success of these two companies in attaining U.S. userbases above 150 million users each, an unprecedentedly fast-obtained dominance in market share, can be largely attributed to world aspects out of the companies’ control. The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 forced many people to stay in their homes either out of general caution and abundance of safety or by government mandated requirement. This isolation combined with its combined effect of layoffs as companies reeled from a depressed market left many people with less productive outlet than usual, leading many to discover applications pushing short form content as a distraction.

In her journal, The Aesthetics of TikTok, author Liu described the allure and cultural pull of short form content, “TikTok’s exponential growth in 2020 was inseparable from the global lockdowns that forced people indoors and online.” (Liu, 47) Adding later that the lockdown combined with TikTok created spaces in which cultural texts could be easily produced and consumer in real time, the undeniable effects of societal lockdown on short form content applications including TikTok as a result of the pandemic contributed heavily to the media form’s cultural relevance and modern media’s obsession with being fast and relevant as a result of the digital age.

Short form media’s cultural grasp via emphasis on the speed at which videos can be produced and consumed is likely due to certain biological factors as a means of maintaining relevance. The simple and quick way in which a person is entertained by each video while scrolling on these platforms can and has had drastic effects on the human inclination towards the release of dopamine within the brain. The feeling resultant of the scroll is one of pleasure and a sense of reward, and scientists as well as related persons including parents have noticed the effects of this new product being constant short-term gratification. Montgomery describes via dissertation the effects of modern social media from a parent’s perspective, ““Parents consistently reported that their children displayed decreased patience for longer-form media and tasks, preferring instead the immediate gratification of short form clips.” (Montgomery, 78)

Preference for instant gratification in general is a worrying disposition, but stating specifically the preference of short form media over long form media also presents a broader historical change for media.

As technology has evolved in the 21^st century, other forms of media have shortened similarly because of digital availability to production and more specifically social media, with word count limits of apps like Twitter and Facebook causing similar – admittedly less extreme – decreases in general desire and audience for reading in longer form. As with the shift in text-based form and its effects on text-based media as a whole in nearly the last three decades, the same shift in media for video in light of booming success and infatuation with short form content is eminent and already underway. As introduced early on, established forms of media tend not to fade but rather evolve to the current climate of the people and technology, .

Adapting and Algorithms

The first issue which the proposition of adapting long form media for persistent relevancy must consider as a driving factor for modern success is the use of algorithms. “Algorithms not only recommend what we watch; they reshape how videos are edited, privileging immediate hooks, dense pacing, and retention-maximizing structures.” (Jordan, 88) This collectively insightful quote from Jordan’s The Rise of Algorithms introduces multiple key factors of employable video editing tactics used within short form video, and more importantly begins to define the importance of algorithms within a short form driven media sphere.

Algorithms as used in technology are complex systems which, in the instance of a personalized “for you page” of content, creates a specialized stream of content with the purpose of keeping a specific viewer engaged. And while short form algorithms do individually personalize a person’s video feed, they hold a great power and ability to influence what masses of users see. The algorithm is essentially a massive curator that can influence what people see, thus popularizing certain formats of videos above others in correlation to which videos statistically perform well, in turn forcing video creators to fit within the algorithms confines for what should be recommended in order to maximize their chance at being pushed by the algorithm. While this battle for viewership between creators and the algorithm can seem limiting through how it pushes certain trends and editing styles, effective use of these editing styles can help to push essentially any topic and allow niche subjects to grow in popularity through video.

Trends have consistently played into the market of entertainment media, as movies and television tend to focus on relevant subjects or conversation in hopes of creating some sort of message with the goal of creating discussion. And now more than ever, being as topical as possible to fit within the standards of short-form minded people in collaboration with the algorithm checks the box of commenting on relevant information which people so desire.

Jordan’s further foray into precise editing styles which have been popularized by and become staples of short form content are qualities of speed and density. Short form content generally provides about a minutes worth of content for a viewer, however the need to hook an individual is significantly more important as the sole action standing between the viewer and their desire to watch to the end is a single scroll. An uninteresting video without the maintenance of attention or ability to entertain can be scrolled away in less than a second as the viewer takes the chance that the next video will be more engaging. People are less likely to sit through media as a result of the effects of short form content and interest can be lost much faster now, making vital the means in which content is arranged.

Under Jordan’s position a fast-paced editing style drives interest, as each shot of video is only on screen long enough to make a point to the viewer without becoming stale. The greater emphasis and use of multiple camera angles, colors, and simply faster dialogue within films and TV that can be quickly cut between greatly channel societal expectation for media. Editing has shifted throughout the last century, as the process which once included the physical cutting and splicing of film reels now only requires a button click within a digital workspace, so an increased use and abundance of edits is only natural with the digital age and has been propelled by short form media as a digital exclusive medium.

Film and television isn’t always as translatable with the filmed product sometimes taking time to make a story arc more meaningful or emphasizing simplicity as film is originally based. This makes the argument of Cultural Production of Hallyu in the Digital Platform Era notable in its philosophy that, “Producers design dramas with moments that can be clipped and circulated on TikTok, ensuring visibility in a global attention economy.” (Jin, 147) The implementation of short form-like content as a supplement to long form content is a much more approachable concept which allows both sides of the coin to create content without the other in mind, only intending that modularity be the root of content for purposes of marketing.

Faster cuts of film and TV have been around for decades in the form of commercials – bite sized anecdotes which persuade potential viewers to watch with plot synopses and iconic visual moments. And these same strategies are employed on short form platforms, in addition to more relatedly modular content. Through following the trends but relating them to the marketed movie, hiring influencers to promote on these platforms, and many other avenues. While modularity is and has existed within movies and television now and for decades, the employment of marketing strategies and remixing content in styles that cater to the algorithm have become what truly drive long form.

The term of vidding or, “condensing sprawling narratives into bite sized, affectively intense clips.” (Coppa, 180) is a video editing style that has become one of the most popular across short form platforms, that see older movies and shows being condensed into short and simple to understand recaps of themselves and are being shared online either as nostalgia or to those people who never got to experience these pieces of media in their prime. Long form content as it turns out has always fit into the brackets of being modular and the proof of such is in the numbers. Shows like Breaking Bad, Bridgerton, and Young Sheldon have seen regained popularity even years after airing due to online remixing and vidding which repackages these shows as interesting hooks, leading those interested to find and watch the shows in their entirety. (Jones)

The key to long-form entertainment media maintaining its edge in the modern sphere alongside short form media is through supplementation by modularity, and because stories can be inherently modular with film and television already having modularity in mind, the need for change in style and presentation of contents is far from threat of outdated form. Rather, the advent of these new technologies help to revitalize this content and present it in new ways, fueling fandoms and increasing traction and viewership through known or unbeknownst marketing tactics.

Works Cited

Dimnik, Tilen. “The Power of TikTok: A Platform’s Influence on Media Consumption.” Journal of Media Studies, vol. 34, no. 2, 2022, pp. 112–128. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/48693210. Accessed 14 Sept. 2025.

Liu, X. “Video Content Marketing: The Making of Clips.” Journal of Marketing Communications, vol. 24, no. 1, 2018, pp. 27–45. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/44878197. Accessed 14 Sept. 2025.

Kendall, Tina. “From Binge-Watching to Binge-Scrolling: TikTok and the Rhythms of #LockdownLife.” Film Quarterly, vol. 75, no. 1, 2021, pp. 41–46. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/48743742. Accessed 4 Sept. 2025.

Montgomery, Bridgette N., et al. Digital Immigrants Raising Digital Natives: Social Media’s Influence on Youth’s Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Development from the Parent’s Perspective. 2022. Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects. Millersville University of Pennsylvania, JSTOR, https://jstor.org/stable/community.39483145. Accessed 4 Sept. 2025.

Jordan, John M. The Rise of the Algorithms: How YouTube and TikTok Conquered the World. Penn State University Press, 2024. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.5325/jj.13167857. Accessed 4 Sept. 2025.

Jin, Dal Yong. Cultural Production of Hallyu in the Digital Platform Era: Industry Perspectives. University of Michigan Press, 2025. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.14416305. Accessed 4 Sept. 2025.

Coppa, Francesca. “Re/Evolutions: Vidding Culture(s) Online.” Vidding: A History, University of Michigan Press, 2022, pp. 173–214. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3998/mpub.10069132.11. Accessed 4 Sept. 2025. Accessed 8 Sept. 2025.

“How TikTok Brought Back ‘Ugly Betty’.” Rolling Stone, 15 Sept. 2023, https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/tiktok-tv-shows-clips-popular-parts-1234825971/. Accessed 8 Sept. 2025.