B018674 - WORKSHOP: MULTIMEDIA PUBLISHING

Italian

The course provides an overview of multimedia publishing in terms of systems, products, services and processes, highlighting the specificities with respect to the traditional publishing paradigm. Will be discussed with concrete examples the digital book ecosystem (marketplaces, devices, formats), new forms of reading and writing, the evolution of supply and demand and emerging types of content, with particular reference to mobile systems and social interaction on the net.

- Gabriele Balbi, Paolo Magaudda, "Storia dei media digitali", Laterza 2014

- D. Cardon, "Cosa sognano gli algoritmi. Le nostre vite ai tempi dei Big Data", Mondadori Education 2016

- Paolo Costa, "Il futuro della lettura. L’esperienza del testo nell’era postmediale", Egea 2016

- Robert Darnton, "Il futuro del libro", Adelphi 2011

- Alessandro Gazoia, "Come finisce il libro. Contro la falsa democrazia dell'editoria digitale", Minimum Fax, 2015

- Henry Jenkins, "Cultura Convergente", Apogeo 2014

- Massimo Mantellini, "Bassa risoluzione", Einaudi 2017

- Gino Roncaglia, "L'età della frammentazione. Cultura del libro e scuola digitale", Laterza 2018

Further bibliography, articulated by topic, will be discussed during lessons and provided within the slides distributed to students.

1. Knowledge and understanding of the factors of crisis and transition from the traditional to the nes digital model, interpreting them in the light of the current development of the "two publishing models".
2. Knowledge and understanding of the main changes brought about by digital technology in different areas (productive, commercial, economic, social, communication).
3. Knowledge and understanding of the reference framework on new systems, products, services and processes, new ways of publication.
4. Knowledge and ability to use the main coding formats and protection systems and their fields of application.
5. Knowledge and understanding of the main characteristics and issues related to digital production processes.
6. Knowledge and ability to analyse the development of digital publishing in the light of the changes taking place both in the specific editorial and web environment (autonomy of judgement).
7. Ability to build an autonomous course of study and specific issues addressed during the course (ability to learn).
8. Knowledge and ability to use specific terminology in digital publishing.
9. Skills in order to design and create a digital book in ePub2 format using the standard software and platforms.

Course intended for students of the second year of the Master of Science in Communication Theories.

Lessons with projection and discussion of online and offline content. Support for self-creation of an an eBook using a platform presented during the lessons.

For the preparation for the exam, students will be provided with slides and other materials used during the lessons.

The exam consists in the realization and oral discussion of a digital work (eBook, video, animated presentation) on one of the topics discussed during the workshop, referring to one or more texts (books or articles) suggested during the lessons. It is desirable that the chosen theme be consistent with the student's personal and/or professional path.
The work should be agreed before the end of the lessons and shared at least one week before the oral exam.
Students can also work in small groups.

• What is a book, what is an eBook (phases of development and status of the digital book).
• The “Digital revolution”: main stages, characters, perspectives, reference scenarios, key concepts (hot and cool media, lean back and lean forward, remediation, media convergence, immediacy and hypermediation etc.)
• The book market: discussion on the most up-to-date national and international data about the traditional and digital book industry. Role of the main market players: Amazon, Apple, Google etc. Digital legislation. The two models of publishing.
• Reading devices (eBook Reader, Tablet, Smartphone etc.). Technical characteristics and market performance.
• Distribution and e-store platforms (typologies and practical examples).
• Digital book formats (products derived from pdf,"basic" products, enhanced products: characteristics and limitations, production tools, development costs, practical examples. The creation of an ePub. Fixed and reflowable layout. Metadata. Content protection models and evolution of the copyright concept. EBook and privacy).
• The value chain in classical publishing and digital publishing (characteristics and comparison) and approaches to production (digital first and digital last).
• Scenarios of change (the long queue principle, changes in sales patterns, pricing strategies, package subscriptions, streaming books, digital shelves, print on demand etc.).
• Self publishing in Italy and abroad.
• New typologies of digital narrative (mobile first reading, serialised fiction, social literature, chat stories, fan fiction, interactive fiction, social writing and short writings, audiobooks, new forms of interactive books, etc.).
• E-lending and online digital libraries.
• Online newspapers and changes in the periodical publishing (crisis of display advertising, end of homepages, the role of Facebook, Twitter, immersive journalism etc.).
• A glance at the school digital publishing sector (actors at stake, digital legislation, digital education for BES and DSA, examples of the mixed digital book).