Each Medium Has a Unique Aesthetic Form

An educational video that starts with a white clock on a blue background, with the clock’s hand on 12; the clock spins and the phrase ‘Media Minute’ appears, set against a blue background. The video tells us, ‘Each medium has a unique artistic form.’ The video shows us groups of kids and adults using computers, watching TV, and listening to radios.

The narrator lists ‘internet, television, radio, and print,’ stating that each medium has its strengths and weaknesses, and each medium has a unique way of communicating reality. The narrator tells us the differences affect how stories are told, and the creative choices media creators make.

A cut-out of a boy holding colored pencils and a blank canvas appears.

The canvas depicts the scene of adults and children using computers, watching TV, and listening to the radio as shown previously. The scene shifts to a cut-out of a movie theater showing a movie about that boy with the canvas. Then the scene shows a newspaper, with the same movie theater, and the text around it in a column format. Then a TV screen appears, showing a house, then a boy with a magnifying glass in front of that house.

The next scene shows a boy with glasses, reading a book, and the content of that book floats around him.

The scene shifts to a video game screen and controllers, then to a laptop, then to a woman on a tablet, then to a man on top of planet Earth, also using a tablet, then back to a girl walking.

The items in front of her depict an iPhone, an Android phone, video game controllers, TV, radio, and a magazine. The scene goes back to the ‘Media Minute’ clock, followed by the ‘Media Minute’ phrase. The words ‘Your Assignment’ appear on a green background. The text says, ‘Think of a message you want to communicate to a specific audience. Choose the media (or combinations of media) that will help get the best results.’ The scene reverts to the video game.