Part 1 of the video Everything is a Remix, term remix is defined as “To combine or edit existing materials to produce something new.” Moreover, this term was originally used regarding music. Also, the narrator mentions that remixing is an art of the folk; meaning that anybody can do it. Furthermore, he explains that no set of tools or expensive equipment is required to make a remix. Hence, a baseline that was original at one point has been continuously used by other, or “remixed”. Lyrics and melodies have been used repeatedly between different music artists. Part two of the video discusses the term legal remixing which consists of covers (performances of other people’s materials) and knock-offs (copies that stay within legal boundaries).
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Part 2 of Everything is a Remix discusses films and movies and the way in which films are built from other films or other precedents. Hollywood has consistently transformed the old into the new. This occurs with sequels, and very often time the original film was a copy of some other work. This creates a never-ending cycle of remixing in the film industry. Some movies have been inspired from a book, a musical, or even from lines of toys. Sequels, remixes, and adaptations have become increasingly common. Furthermore, there are genre movies which have subgenres with standard elements each. Then there are also films that manage to reshape pop culture, such as Star Wars. Its plot may seem very original; however, it is the product many individual components from other works. Hence, Star Wars is product of a remix of other works and ideas. For example, many scenes from Star Wars were inspired by war western films, such as The Searchers (1956) and The good, the bad and the ugly (1966). Creation requires influence.
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Part 3 explores the act of creation and the many myths of creativity. Creativity is often assimilated with inspiration; however, it occurs when tools of thought are applied to existing materials. Hence, believe it or not, creativity is the result of copying. For example, most artists emulate their own work or other’s works. When you copy, you learn and understand the foundation of how a certain field works. Once there is an understanding of a certain work, one can create an original version of it. Furthermore, there are three basic elements of creativity: copy, transform and combine. For example, the personal computer revolution, which started with Xerox. Then, Apple used the Xerox’s work as a precedent and were able to release two computers with graphical interfaces, the Lisa, and the Macintosh. Furthermore, Mac also copied every icon that had been created by Xerox. However, Mac combined them all which led to their successful path.
Part 4 discusses evolution, which goes through three stages: copy, transform and combine. Then there is another term called social evolution, which who we are as humans and how we create. Ideas lead to creation; and new ideas evolve from old ones. Moreover, ideas are tangled and a confrontation between the ideas and reality lead to system failure. In the past, ideas used to be free; however, the growing dominance of the market economy includes costs of the product and its production. Hence, original creations have lower prices than that of their copies which include the manufacturing costs. As a result, the United States created copyrights and patents, to promote new ideas during a limited period in which no one can copy your work or idea. People have become very possessive when it comes to their ideas. Which has resulted in people justifying themselves whenever they are the ones who copies; however, when it is one’s work who was copied, we vilify. For example, Steve Jobs copied earlier work, however he got very territorial when Android stole his product. Trade agreements have also been established providing creation protection. However, treating ideas as property becomes a problem and the belief in intellectual property has become incredibly dominant. Social evolution depends on the people; the common good is a meme that must continue to spread and prosper in order for our society to transform and evolve.
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