These portable media devices may be viewed as part of a convergence culture (Jenkins) whereby individuals engage in the production of user-generated media content that can be disseminated across communications networks via social media applications (Vine, Instagram, Facebook), posted to online platforms (Vimeo, Youtube) or screened in one of the growing number of international mobile film festivals.

Video has arguably become an important mode of everyday communications and self-expression and portable digital media devices, in particular smartphones, with an array of media production apps, are perhaps ideally placed to provide individuals with greater levels of digital and visual literacy, and therefore a higher degree of agency in a growing ‘screen production’ culture. Whereas once video production may have been perceived as a specialized field limited to industry professionals, the advent of relatively inexpensive and accessible video capture devices, editing software and social media applications presents opportunities for a wide range of individuals to engage in the making and sharing of screen-based media. From Barbie dolls capable of recording video through to tablet computers and smartphones with cameras, portable digital media devices are arguably changing our relationship with technology and providing new and innovative means to produce a wide range of video content.

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