Youtube as alternative media for digital activism in documentary film creative industry

Abstract

The development of the digital world provides ample scope to activists who are also engaged in Documentary Film Industry. In line with the democratic and deliberative spirit, YouTube, one of the social media platforms, has become an alternative media with a strategic positioning to be used by film activists to distribute their works. This research applied literature review and descriptive quantitative content analysis as a methodology. Based on alternative media theory, YouTube is alternative media that filmmakers utilise in the documentary film creative industry. Documentary films are products of the film industry and aspiration, identity struggle, and artistic expression. As a media representation of communication technology, YouTube provides ample opportunities for art activists to convey their critical ideas to voicing marginal groups’ aspirations. Based on reviewing the Watchdoc YouTube account, this research findings that YouTube supports filmmakers to develop interactive documentary and collaborative actions with other strategic stakeholders, such as Production House, NGO, individual activists, social communities, and educational institutions. According to the practising of digital activism, this phenomenon gives another perspective about building an activist network. Activism through the creative documentary industry is not reflected as people mobilisations but building engagement through the product (documentary film).

Technologization of Discourse Indonesia’s Food Estate in Documentary

“…WatchdoC practices a new form of digital activism that presents collaborations between art, creativity, activism, and advocacy. YouTube supports filmmakers in developing collaborative action and interactive documentaries with other strategic stakeholders, such as production houses, NGOs, individual activists, social communities, and educational institutions [25]. Without realizing it, greed, exploitation of labor, and competition (between people, businesses, and nations) are understandable and considered suitable for society because they contribute to an efficient economy [11].…”

Untitled

“…Film seringkali dianggap sebagai media komunikasi yang ampuh terhadap massa yang menjadi sasarannya. Melalui film, cerita interaktif dikembangkan (Fatina & Irwansyah, 2020), dan salah satu platform media sosial, menjadi media alternatif yang digunakan para pegiat film misalnya seperti Youtube (Rospitasari, 2021). Hal ini karena dengan durasi tertentu dan media berupa audio visual film mampu bercerita banyak dalam waktu singkat.…”

Chinese Indonesians Stand-Up Comedians on YouTube: Laughing with or Laughing at

“…The four Chinese Indonesian komika are chosen as case studies because they are representing Chinese Indonesian youth that utilizes humor to challenge hegemonic discourses. In Indonesia, YouTube is used for "citizen participation" with the potential to make socio-political change [5] by building awareness, for example, to gain support from society, confront hegemonic control by the authorities, or igniting action or reaction from the viewers that will eventually lead to change and transformation. As individuals or collectively, young people in Indonesia recognize the imbalanced power relation in their everyday lives [6] and through creativity, they try to transform these officious conditions dialectically in many forms of digital media, such as YouTube, and through many forms of creative content, such as stand-up comedy.…”