Convergence media, participation culture and the digital vernacular: towards the democratization of documentary

This paper discusses the convergence of media technologies, participation culture and the new vernacular of smart device photography. The author and Lincoln School of Media colleague, James Field, are developing a participatory interactive documentary project entitled 24-hours.in (www.24-hours.in), exploring new opportunities for participation, collaboration and the potential democratization of documentary production. The aim of the project is to have an open and collaborative platform that anyone can contribute to, for the audience as ‘user-producers’ to document their city or location, the people that live there and their daily lives. Building on Vertovian concepts, the project explores the potential that the ubiquitous camera phone ‘eye’ may offer for a unique and cumulative vision to emerge. By exploring a model of participation we have moved away from the authorship of a single person towards mass authorship and a collaborative montage, and in doing so revisit Vertov’s aspirations for the democratization not just of technology but also of creativity.