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What do we think of when we talk about 'digital screen'?

• Film
• Television
• Games
• Animation
• Augmented and Virtual Reality
• Digital Storytelling
• Interactive Experiences

A convergence of technologies

The manner in which all of the above are becoming increasingly interconnected when it comes to the creation of new digital content is called convergence: a buword we'll hear a lot in relation to the creative media industries.

A popular example of convergence to date has been the production of The Mandalorian, which came together through Virtual Screen Production, a versatile innovation developed through Epic Games' .

It's also apparent in the acquisition of Aotearoa New Zealand's own , Microsoft's acquisition of , Netflix's move into  and TikTok's recent .

While the success of these developments are generating excitement, it's creating equal amounts of concern within a sector already crying out for skilled workers.

It's clear that digital screen convergence is happening, it's critical to the entertainment industry and there's a huge need to educate and develop the talent needed for these industries to grow. From cinema to streaming, games to cross-reality and everything in between, each of these sectors are slated for continued, massive growth over the next decade, with a shortage of highly skilled, technical and artistic talent.

, the Digital Screen initative is a form of convergence in itself, explains , Executive Dean of UC's Faculty of Arts and Senior Academic Lead for the University's Bachelor of Digital Screen with Honours.

"[It's convergence] of teaching and research, education and industry across the digital screen sectors with a view to empowering the next generation of storytellers."

Examples of Convergence in media

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