With the rapid development of information science, new technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence have gradually become popular, and new concepts such as integrated media and Internet+ have taken root in the hearts of the people. All aspects of social life have undergone profound changes. Current literary and artistic creation and production have also shown many new trends and new characteristics. How to grasp the changing laws of culture and art in the Internet era, adjust the production methods of literary and artistic creation with the times, build a healthy and prosperous cultural ecology, and meet the people's growing and diverse cultural needs at multiple levels are important issues that the culture and art industry should strive to answer in the context of new media.
Technological progress unleashes the potential of literary and artistic production
New media is an ever-changing concept. The current new media mainly refers to network applications based on digital technology and Internet technology, such as Weibo, WeChat, short videos, webcasts, etc. New media are often products of compatibility and perfection of old media, such as the telegraph to letters, the radio to phonographs, and television to movies. When all or part of the functions of one medium are compatible with other media, the difference between the old and the new becomes apparent. Of course, old media may not necessarily disappear as a result. For example, features such as large movie screens, simulated sound fields, and collective viewing are beyond the reach of TV. Movies and TV still coexist today.
Historically, artistic innovation and technological progress have always gone hand in hand. The advent of papermaking, the invention of printing, the use of cameras, the rise of film and television, and every media innovation driven by new technologies have contributed to the liberation of literary and artistic productivity. At present, the new media of the Internet have not only given birth to many new literary and artistic forms, but also greatly improved the ability of literary and artistic innovation. While breaking through communication barriers and broadening creative horizons, new media also profoundly affects the theory and practice of literary and artistic production by promoting the in-depth integration of art and technology, and promoting the interactive gain of aesthetics and science.
First of all, the efficient and convenient characteristics of new media that transcend time and space have greatly lowered the threshold for literary and artistic creation and greatly liberated literary and artistic productivity. Internet writers, online singers, digital painters and other "internet-born artists" have emerged in large numbers. The number and rapid rise of new media literary and artistic communities is unprecedented. The full release of the potential of literary and artistic production by new media has changed the literary and artistic landscape of mankind.
Secondly, new media technology updates rapidly, which effectively promotes the reshaping of art and has a profound and lasting impact on the thinking patterns and aesthetic habits of literary and art producers and consumers. For example, artificial intelligence technology has shown its talents in the fields of literature, painting, sculpture, architecture, music, dance and other fields, bringing surprises to literary and artistic aesthetic innovation time and time again. The concept of "media is art" has gained more and more widespread recognition, and literary and artistic creation has become a cross-disciplinary comprehensive behavior that draws on the strengths of others with the help of new media.
Thirdly, new media has created a new platform for the production and consumption of literature and art, where humans and machines can work together, and has reaped huge rewards in terms of improving the quality of literary and art consumption, enriching categories, and improving the reception experience. Taking reading as an example, various reading software "conquer cities and territories", interesting digital publishing audio and video harmony, online reading human-computer interaction features and automatic retrieval functions give users the initiative and creativity to accept and use information. A series of text and audio-visual platforms make reading far-reaching and interesting.
New media not only changes the production methods of literary and artistic creation, but also changes the basis for the existence of literature and art. New media provide new creative tools and methods, new storage carriers and distribution channels for works. For audiences, new media has become an important channel for accepting literature and art. It can be said that new media is not only an important historical condition for the survival and development of literature and art, but also the main support for literature and art to realize social value.
Literary and artistic creation uses new media to upgrade and iterate
The all-round reshaping and influence of new media on creation and production have given the current literature and art many new characteristics and trends.
New types and forms of literary and artistic creation continue to emerge. For example, online literature is a new category of literature and art spawned by new media. Tens of thousands of online writers are updating 200 million words a day, creating an unprecedented scale of novel creation and a spectacle of literary communication. Some researchers pointed out that Chinese online literature is expected to become a global cultural phenomenon. In the field of video, new forms such as short videos, vertical screen dramas, and interactive dramas are emerging one after another, enriching people's literary and artistic lives.
Creators have a more accurate grasp of audience needs, and literary and artistic creations are more targeted. With the help of big data technology, accurately positioned information "narrowcasting" improves communication efficiency in all aspects; thanks to timely online interaction, creators can grasp the user's mentality and understand the needs of fans. Therefore, whether it is the precise content classification of video websites or the creative types of online literature, they can accurately match their audiences. Cross-media art consumption enhances in-depth experience. An excellent series of works can tailor and distribute content according to different media, effectively attracting the support of different audience groups.
Literary and artistic creation has become a comprehensive behavior spanning multiple art categories. Digital technology facilitates various art categories to learn from each other's strengths and learn from each other, leading to more comprehensive integration and innovation. The interdependence and mutual assistance between media make the cultural and artistic industry chain continuously extend and become more complete. For example, an excellent online novel can extend the value of the industry chain such as film and television adaptation, animation production, game development, and audio dissemination. After the publication of the novel "Du Lala's Promotion", various versions of derivatives have emerged one after another. Dramas, movies, and TV series have become popular, and there are countless related game adaptations and video remixes. In the context of new media, the development of the entire industry chain has become a conventional path for literary and artistic production. Each new text makes a unique and valuable contribution to the entire story.
Literary and artistic audiences widely participate in literary and artistic creative activities. Digital, multimedia, and interactive online art communication not only allows the audience to freely choose artistic works, but also express opinions at any time. Through online novel comments and video website barrages, audience autonomy and creativity are fully brought into play. More autonomous “user-generated content” means that everyone can publish content through a convenient digital platform. Internet authors, video bloggers, Internet celebrity anchors, these emerging industries are injecting endless vitality into literary and artistic creation. This gradual integration of the dual identities of "production and marketing" is also common in new technological art. The large-scale interactive drama "Dream Mirror" uses holographic projection, somatosensory interaction and other technologies to allow the audience to enter a dreamlike and mysterious theater through the induction wall. The "high interaction" experience between the actors and the audience is refreshing.
New media literary and artistic creation has broad prospects
Some believe that new media can simulate all existing media through digitalization. This power of "controlling everything with nothing" is opening up infinite space for artistic production, and beauty and art are constantly being integrated into reality with the help of new media.
It can be seen that media technology is still undergoing rapid upgrades and iterations, and new media technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality are expected to reshape art. The novel writing program "Computer Writer 2008" created "True Love" based on Tolstoy's 18 works, with a writing style that resembles Tolstoy's reincarnation; virtual reality works such as "Goodbye, Expression" apply computer graphics and other technologies and new media narrative methods to artistic production, producing shocking visual effects. New media is not only an innovative factor that affects art production, but also a technological force that constantly changes artistic concepts and aesthetic ideals. The era of man-machine coexistence is quietly coming.
New media breaks through the traditional production and communication model of literature and art, opening up broad prospects for sustainable development for the prosperity of contemporary literature and art. With the rapid expansion of the cultural and artistic industry chain, a new cultural and artistic ecology is about to emerge. Literary and artistic creation and production under new media conditions are also expected to be "innovative", "high-quality" and "new peaks". From the new trend to the emergence of masterpieces, new media literature and art still have a long way to go. At the same time, literary and artistic creation and production are facing new situations and challenges in terms of value guidance and aesthetic guidance. Giving full play to the advantages of new media and enabling literature and art to truly fulfill the task of "raising the spiritual flag, establishing spiritual pillars, and building a spiritual home" is the historical mission entrusted to us by the times.
(This article was published on page 20 of "People's Daily" on May 15, 2020. The author is a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)
