袁支翔

Sam Tzu-Hsiang Yuan

中介理論、串流平臺、新媒介基礎設施、電影院、觀影實踐

mediation theory, streaming media, new media infrastructure, cinema, film viewing practices

影音串流技術的發展與新冠疫情的助燃，為傳統電影媒介的製作、發行、映演與消費帶來劇變。本研究援用中介理論的新媒介基礎設施觀點與相關電影研究進行對話，試圖探究串流平臺對既有電影基礎設施所帶來的影響。透過與十位資深電影工作者進行深度訪談，本研究初步歸納出三項串流平臺驅動的「再中介化」現象：一、串流平臺賦予觀眾時空上的便利性，但因演算法與推薦系統的中介，觀眾的自主性有消有長。二、串流平臺提高了觀眾對電影作品的要求，催生出經典電影、場域空間與特典文化等具體實踐，深刻指向電影的活動與社會性本質。三、串流平臺改變了電影的窗口期與發行結構，背後與利害關係人的權力運作與經濟利益密切相關。傳統和新興的中介者相互競逐，電影產業價值鏈變得更複雜，也逐步影響觀眾對於電影的認知與態度。
本研究認為電影文化的多樣性並不只見於觀影技術的推陳出新，更在於參與者基於這些技術所展現出的多元實踐方法，而「再中介」便體現了這些多元性，電影的基礎設施也透過這個過程持續建構與調整，形塑變動不居的電影文化景觀。

The development of streaming media, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has significantly changed the production, distribution, exhibition, and consumption of traditional film media. Indeed, the proportion of audiences watching films digitally has surpassed those watching in movie theaters in both the U.S. and Taiwan. The long-standing, theater-centric system of the film industry is undergoing substantial disassembly and reassembly (Mangematin et al., 2014). Baschiera and Fisher (2022) argue that 2020 appears to be a pivotal historical moment for the transition to streaming, as previously considered informal online viewing behaviors have now shifted toward formal and mainstream practices. Streaming platforms like Netflix are the new gatekeepers and significant beneficiaries of audiovisual content. Streaming media and the pandemic have together reshaped the contemporary film media landscape.

Faced with the rapid evolution of communication technologies, new research questions constantly emerge in media studies. British media scholar Roger Silverstone presents the mediation theory to expand communication research, broadening the definition of media. Building on this, Lievrouw and Livingstone (2006, 2009) advance the concept of mediation theory, defining new media as the infrastructure of communication behaviors and information, consisting of specific artifacts, practices, and social institutions. This present research draws upon the new media infrastructure perspective and engages with relevant film production and consumption studies in order to examine the impact of streaming media on existing film infrastructures through three dimensions: artifacts or devices, activities and practices, and social arrangements or organizational forms.

While the perspective of new media infrastructure demonstrates an ambitious attempt to revise the traditional framework of production, text, and audience classification in mass media literature, there remains a lack of empirical studies integrating these three dimensions to evaluate streaming media. Similarly, film studies tend to focus on production, text, audience, or technology from a singular perspective. In an exploratory manner, this research combines theoretical analysis and empirical evidence, reconnecting artifacts, practices, and social institutions to understand contemporary streaming phenomena comprehensively. To achieve this goal, it adopts a qualitative in-depth interview method, aligning with the core concepts of the new media infrastructure perspective that emphasizes the overall communication process. A diverse range of participants involved in the film communication process was selected for the interviews, including nine experienced Taiwanese film professionals and one industry observer. Their backgrounds are evenly distributed across the value chain of film production, distribution, and exhibition (including movie theaters and streaming platforms). With experience in both theatrical and streaming films, they offer valuable insights, sharing their personal viewing practices, industry observations, and interpretations of the significance of contemporary cinema.

Based on the interview results, this study identifies three re-mediation phenomena driven by streaming media as follows.

1.Audience Autonomy: Streaming media provide viewers with convenience regarding time and space, but algorithms and recommendation systems simultaneously mediate audience autonomy, resulting in gains and losses. Moreover, audience autonomy presents a rich contrast between movie theaters and streaming media.

2.The Eventization of Cinemas and the Sociality of Streaming Media: Streaming media have heightened audience expectations over film quality. In the local context, three specific re-mediation practices have emerged: the revival of classic films, the significance of spatial environments in movie theaters, and the development of a “special bonus” culture. These practices echo the ritualistic and event-based essence of theatrical viewing. Specifically, movie theaters and streaming media each present social aspects of viewing in distinct ways. In response to competition from streaming platforms, film distribution and exhibition systems have adopted strategies to enhance the event-driven nature of cinema to attract audiences. These practices are co-constructed by both viewers and industry stakeholders.

3.Transformations in the Film Industry’s Distribution System: The rise of streaming media has led to compressed theatrical release windows and changes in distribution structures. These challenges to existing social arrangements and institutional forms are closely tied to the power dynamics and economic interests of stakeholders. Additionally, structural shifts in the film industry have influenced audience attitudes toward cinema.

This study overall argues that the development of media technology is unceasing. Furthermore, the diversity of film culture is not only reflected in the advancement of viewing technologies, but also in the diverse practices exhibited by participants through these technologies. The re-mediation phenomena identified in this study exemplify this diversity, with the infrastructure of cinema continuously constructed and adjusted through this process, shaping an ever-evolving film media landscape. By analyzing the film media landscape in the streaming era through the lens of new media infrastructure perspective, this research provides a cyclical framework to address the interconnected roles of technology, participants, and social institutions, as well as their dynamic relationships. Participants’ media practices are shaped by material infrastructures and social institutions, which simultaneously influence the development of technology and institutions.

This study also proposes three future research directions. First, the diversity of viewing practices often manifests in subtle ways within everyday life. Future research could explore topics such as the relationship between “special bonus” and fan culture through more detailed ethnographic studies. Second, this study comparatively analyzes traditional and streaming film media, excluding other media forms such as TV series and video games. However, in the era of media convergence, the transmission models of film and other media content are increasingly intertwined. Cross-media comparisons of streaming media thus present an important avenue for further investigation. Third, the interviews touched on generational differences and individualization of viewing practices among younger audiences. Although these topics fall outside the scope of this study, future research could explore the relationship between individuals and structures through the mediation process, as suggested by Livingstone (2009), rather than solely targeting the media itself. The social changes brought about by streaming technology are worth further exploration.