mediareform-ca

If there is media reform in this century worth remembering into the next one, it will be the unifying access to both the means of production and means of distribution across virtually all spectrums of society. When once only powerful studios had the tools and the money to make visual entertainment and share it to the masses, consumers are in an unprecedented position to get their content made and especially shown. "Free press for those who can afford one" used to be the maxim for news, which used to be the sole responsibility of media moguls with means to print and own radio and television airwaves. But this too is becoming an arena better fit for the amateur, with the advent of blogs, podcasts, and video streaming providing avenues that take the viewer right into the action of ongoing events.
But in the infancy of these more humbler means of getting the message to the people, articles of concern for mass appeal such as style and having a mind toward production value are lacking for the very obvious reason that there isn't enough money typically to splurge on these perks. Unfortunately though if the importance of making a good looking production that speaks to the audience in a modernized, refreshing way is not ultimately achieved in some capacity by these pioneers of grass roots media, the conglomerates are going to see an opportunity to step in and give those craving these outlets what they want.
You might think audiences seeking alternative networks of communications news and other information wouldn't mind bad lighting and poor audio and in fact cherish these as proud elements of their newfound news sources. But you have to remember that media corporations have incredibly clever people working for them. They'll orchestrate just the right about of production value to override the capabilities of their true-blue underground competitors while still convincing their audience it's legitimately what they want. All it will take is nice looking lights and an attractive face doing the talking, things you may or may not have depending on how nice the Universe was to you. Making sure your low to no-budget production gets the attention it deserves by sprucing up the look with some simple measures.
Number one, remember the rule of three when photographing or video recording an image. The theory is simple: imagine your image divided into nine squares ñ three rows of three. Keep the most interesting part of your image whether it's the face of someone speaking or something cinematographic like a car slowly making its way down a rainy street, somewhere near where these lines intersect. It's a technique any professional videographer or photographer worth their salt knows, and it makes homemade productions look ten times more legitimate practically instantly.
Number two, don't underestimate the importance of a studio space. Having somewhere where noise levels and commotion within a limited environment on a weekly basis are not issues is a challenge, but not impossible. A good start is a storage facility like StorageMart of Calgary. Most storage facilities are completely open to bands practicing or people using them as workshops. If you can keep the electricity down to a minimum to avoid blowing a fuse or two, I'm sure they'd be happy to accommodate someone looking for space to film a broadcast.
But above all it is the power of the mobile computer and with it the mobility and universal access to media by nearly everyone that your efforts will benefit the most from. A century from now they'll look back on media revolution the way we look back on media evolution; they'll see our formation of multiple independent sources of news and entertainment as necessary to their state of future media freedom in the same way we see the construct of corporate media as a source of inspiration, but if only to make it better through our own hands.

• TV Online Via Media Locker