Interview - 11/9/18 - Gilly

An interview about you - with my friend Daman

James (me): Firstly, what’s your favourite form of media?
Daman: Newspapers 

James: Why? 

Daman: I like that newspapers cannot be altered, whereas a news site on the internet can be changed. You’re aware of the publisher and it’s in print so it’s more reliable. Something interactive cannot always be as reliable

James: Interesting, but do you genuinely think newspapers are reliable? Because many would disagree and say newspapers are just ‘sources of propaganda’ and a way to push a certain agenda

Daman: But isn’t everything ever written to push a certain agenda? Even authors of books only write something they believe strongly in. Their themes and ideas are always something they think is important, and know that when the consumer reads their material, they will automatically be influenced by what they wanted them to take from it. I just think that newspapers are set apart from other forms of modern news media as it is in print and cannot be altered by a third party. Although an article always be someone's viewpoint, it still gets the news out there and will always be more reliable than something online due to the dangers of hackers etc. I also think it depends on the type of newspaper, because you wouldn’t expect something ‘false’ from a paper like The Guardian. So if you’re careful with what you read, you’re most likely going to be getting more reliable information from a print paper than something online

James: Speaking of online, what do you think the impact of modern media has had on the more ‘older’ forms of media, such as newspapers?

Daman: I think modern forms of media have overtaken older forms because they are much more accessible and people don’t need to go out and buy a paper or wait for someone to deliver it. Going online is much more convenient for people living in this ‘fast’ era where everything is already at their fingertips. And because of everything being at their fingertips people have abandoned the older forms of media such as newspapers and radio, to fit into the rush of modern society. Personally, I also think that the online world is so diverse and there’s something out there for everyone that people have a tendency to skip past those things that don’t necessarily apply to them. Whereas if they were to consume information from a newspaper or radio, they’d most likely have to process information about things they’re not interested in. Going online to find specific things relating to specific people seems to be a lot more satisfying for most people. However, it puts other forms at risk of no longer existing in the future. If there’s no longer a demand for something, in the future it’ll most likely no longer exist, because you can’t supply an unwanted demand. This is an unfortunate reality of modern media as the old ways are slowly becoming methods of the past

James: This is true, people would rather Google something they can find within a few seconds rather than something they need to flick through pages and pages for. Speaking of other forms of media, what’s your opinion on movies and shows?

Daman: I mean, I love them. I think they’re another form of art. It’s a great way for a writer, director, actor, costume designer, producer, composer ecetera to come together and create one big masterpiece. If done right, I think movies and TV shows bring lots of forms of media such as books, songs and visuals together and it shows how different forms of media can be combined to make something great

James: Considering movies/shows are forms of art, what’s your favourite movie or show? And why? 

Daman: My current favourite show is Peaky Blinders as it does a great job in representing my favourite era (currently the 1920s) and encapsulates the differing experiences of people after the Great War. In terms of the different forms of media it celebrates – the script is very well written and develops the characters appropriately. The attention to detail is very satisfying, and the writers have been able to take a real-life story and make it into something artistic. The majority of the show is historically accurate and deals with the important issues as well as being a good watch. If people aren’t too keen on reading or using other forms of media then the show is the perfect way to learn about the era of that time without having to read. It puts into perspective what effect the great war had on smaller, overlooked parts of England and it starts important conversations about our government and its handling of affairs, also the cinematography and soundtrack also go very well with the story and these three forms of media being exceptional on their own come together to make a masterpiece, the acting is spot on and the cast couldn’t have been better. I think the show represents what modern media should be doing – using historical fact and educating people whilst also making it entertaining for the consumer too.

James: Do you believe the majority of shows could be considered social commentaries too? Trying to convey a message?

Daman: I think they should all have an objective. Otherwise there isn’t a point in creating something that you don’t believe in or want to change. An underlying message with an entertainment factor.

James: I agree but, in some cases, the only goal is to entertain, so I suppose every single show does have an objective they just all differ in importance, which links into my next question: which movie/show has had the biggest impact on you personally? 

Daman: I would say Dunkirk. I think Christopher Nolan is able to put together a war movie, like any other, but adds a sense of intimacy. The focus on a very specific event has allowed me to research further into something that was always talked about in school, but not necessarily in depth which doesn’t allow us to understand the importance of the actions of civilians. Unlike most war movies, it shows the impact that ordinary civilians had on getting our troops back home safely. And for many viewers of the film, it’d have been alienated to them that people just like themselves had such a big impact on the war itself. The film pans out of the obvious war movie stereotypes of war-like atmosphere and it shows the impact of civilians had on getting the troops back home safely. And for many viewers of the film it wouldn’t been strange to see that normal people just like them had such a huge impact on the war itself and that is how the movie doesn’t focus on just the physical war, armies shooting each other but the individuals who each had a role to play in the eventual victory of the allies in the war. And like Peaky Blinders it creates a conversation about war, Dunkirk shows the gritty and harsh reality of war. And I feel it’s a very important movie as with the world today anything can happen, but people need to see this, people need to know how much war can change a whole nation, and the whole world for that matter. I was very proud that a movie that actually got hype actually lived up to said hype and hopefully it creates conversation for years to come, although the movie deserved an Oscar and it was a bit of a kick in the teeth that The Shape of Water won one and Dunkirk didn’t, but the film is a hit regardless.