Creative Space in Contemporary Swedish Moving Image Production

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Erikssona, Per Erik^; | Swenberga, Thorbjörn^;

Affiliations: Image Production Department, Dalarna University, Sweden | Innovation and Design Department, Mälardalen University, Sweden

Note: [] Corresponding author. E-mail: tsw@du.se

Abstract: Production of moving images is turning completely digital. This leads to new possibilities and new constraints for creativity within film and TV production chains. This paper describes professionals' current comprehension of the consequences of the shift from celluloid to digital technologies, within the Swedish Moving Image Industry. New technologies bring new workflows, new design processes and new constraints. We aim to illuminate factors that affect design creativity in digital moving image production by addressing questions about production related responses to the digital turn as well as the affects of such responses on creativity. Inspired by Ingar Brinck's creativity theories (1999, 2007) we view aesthetic problem solving as a cognitive process and suggest "creative space" to be the critical phenomenon to manage. We also use organization theories, particularly the work of Katherine Miller (2011) to explain why creativity ought to be a primary management concern. The empirical material used is semi-structured interviews with management personnel in Swedish moving image production companies. Outcomes include that the variety of digital formats available today is hard for crafts people to overview. This has brought costly workflow constraints that largely limit creativity. We suggest a pre-production file format check-list as a tool to support design management.

Keywords: technological shift, video file formats, workflow, creativity, design management

DOI: 10.3233/jid-2012-0003

Journal: Journal of Integrated Design & Process Science, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 55-72, 2012