Apologies for cross-posting. *This one-day symposium will take place at the University of Worcester on 23rd May 2015. A limited number of seats are still available. **Please email [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> if you wish to book a place. Attendance is free of charge, but registration is necessary to confirm seats and numbers. Drinks will be made available, but not lunch. Please email if you have any queries.* *The event will be live-tweeted - please follow #dddhmr2015.* The rationale behind the event can be found below, as can details of the event itself: Distribution is often been seen as the “invisible link” in the media industry, in terms of facilitating how films, television shows and other texts reach audiences. The rise of digital platforms, such as online rental services and bit torrents, recently changed this view and digital distribution is the focus of several recent publications. However, there has not been a mass shift towards purely digital media, and physical media releases are still sought out by fans and consumers. Special editions and box-sets for DVDs and Blu-Rays are frequently hyped up on social media, and from many countries around the world. Past formats also make for collectible items, such as VHS, Laserdisc, and HD-DVD. Terminology related to physical media hugely affects perceptions of exhibition and consumption, such as ‘box-sets’, ‘binge-watching’, and ‘marathon’. Distributors have been recognised as the ones making all this possible. Media distribution labels often promote their own actions; or their actions are reported on by critics and journalists; or fans and consumers directly respond to their releases and related activities. Such activity takes place within a variety of contexts – from film festivals to conventions and Q&A sessions; from social media, to dedicated websites and themed public attractions. This also occurs in relation to a variety of media texts – from newer releases to older titles; from films previously unavailable, to those regularly watched and celebrated by many. The result of the raising of the profile of distributors has been a Home Media Renaissance. This exists not only as an alternative to online digital media exhibition options, but as one that occurs alongside them. In addition to the recent academic study of legitimate and illegitimate methods of online downloading and streaming, the simultaneous desire to own physical media is prevalent. The aim of this symposium is to discuss and debate how and why distributors are becoming so prolific in an increasingly digital age. Is this activity a reaction to shifts towards downloading and streaming? Are consumers increasingly attracted to these forms of media, or are distributors desperate to maintain their interest? Can it last? Please use the following links to find further details and information about the symposium, including the schedule and transport information: https://jlwroot.wordpress.com/2015/03/08/distributors-discs-and-disciples-exploring-the-home-media-renaissance/ https://www.academia.edu/11327202/Distributors_Discs_and_Disciples_Exploring_The_Home_Media_Renaissance Dr Jonathan Wroot Sessional Lecturer, Film Studies, Institute of Humanities and Creative Arts, University of Worcester. PhD awarded by UEA Email: [log in to unmask] http://worc.academia.edu/JonathanWroot ---- For past messages, visit the Screen-L Archives: https://listserv.ua.edu/archives/screen-l.html