July 17,2008

The Web Culture of Remake and Remix

recently consumed

video: To School We Go (1998 version and 2008 version)

tasting notes

From the digital age came the web age. From the web age came the social web age. Each of these movements in recent history have supported and propelled the growth of something known as the Remix Culture. We have taken entertainment out of the hands of studio executives. We have taken broadcast channels away from the hands of networks. The social web represents a platform based on “letting go of control, sharing ideas and code, building on what others have built, and freeing your data”. Something that the copyright establishment sees as derivative work.

For those still clinging to their traditional ideas, they see a copyright infringement epidemic brought on by big bad Web 2.0. For many it is an issue of money and for others an issue of pride. It takes a lot to create an original work, and it is up to the eyes of the originator whether they see a remake or a remix as flattery or a threat.

But for those of us on the internet bottom, those who run low traffic blogs serving our closest friends and family, those of us who create silly videos perhaps seen only by a few hundred people… this remake/remix culture is a wonderful thing. It allows us to get our few minutes of glory remixing a famous movie trailer, make our fan music videos to famous and obscure songs, and even to compliment/ridicule each other’s work.

And so without further ado, I present my personal case for the value of the Remix Culture. If it weren’t for the internet, if it weren’t for YouTube, if it weren’t for the ever growing engagement of the social web, if it weren’t for Generation Y’s total disregard for copyright and original works… THIS WOULD NEVER EXIST:

“To School We Go” 1998 Version