Entertainment is a broad term that holds a viewer’s attention and interest in some form or other. It may be a commercial project or an artistic idea, but almost always is one of a kind and is more likely to be among the most interesting events or activities that have evolved over thousands of years primarily for the purpose of maintaining an entertained audience’s interest. For entertainment to truly work as intended, the goal of any event or performance must be to engage, excite and compel the audience to take a particular interest in whatever activity or program may then be presented. In order for that to happen, there needs to be some degree of planning, organization, materials and communications. This article will examine these elements in order to help the reader understand what it takes to effectively present entertainment to an audience.
The most common type of entertainment delivered in most venues, whether inside a school, church, city hall or other building, is that which is presented in a familiar form or format. This format may be a musical play, a long play or even a short play, but the point is to set up a framework within which the production itself can operate. The larger the venue, however, the more complex and diversified the range of options may be for entertainment received or staged within the structure.
One of the most influential fields in the development of modern entertainment and the eventual shaping of modern mass media entertainment include the areas of entertainment arts and sciences. Entertainers such as Marlon Brando, Milton Glaser, Richard Nixon, Andy Warhol, Walt Disney and the film industry have all been able to influence the evolution of entertainment and mass media entertainment in their respective fields. These individuals and groups of entertainers have made possible the innovative production systems that are now used to present live shows and dramatic presentations that would not have been possible or plausible without their presence. The invention of television has also made possible the production of entertainment that requires the use of large, often state-of-the-art and highly technical equipment and software. Without the innovations of such entertainers such as those mentioned above, modern entertainment would have remained static and boring.
Entertainers such as these have helped to give live entertainment a broader base and allowed it to develop into a much wider and diversified form than it originally was. The major influence of these performers and the innovative methods by which they made their performances can be observed in the major changes that took place in the nature of the live entertainment industry. Thanks to their pioneering efforts, the mass media entertainment industry has experienced profound changes that continue to influence the methods and production techniques that are used today.
Although we tend to focus on the development of live entertainment within the public and commercial arenas, it should be noted that there have been substantial changes to the ways in which entertainment is presented in other venues and areas. For example, the development of theme and amusement parks has contributed significantly to the growth of both the visual and performing arts. Theme and amusement parks are places that host events, concerts, parades and shows that are designed to attract a wide range of guests. In recent years this type of venue has become quite popular all over the world and these parks continue to develop and increase in size and number.
As previously mentioned, the development of amusement parks and theme and cultural centers has also changed the way that live entertainment is presented on a larger scale. In some instances, this has meant that live entertainment has been supplanted by video games and other forms of interactive media. While video games have certainly provided an important role in the development of modern entertainment, the fact remains that they do not provide a unique or comprehensive way of presenting live entertainment. In fact, many experts believe that the video game industry has developed in such a way as to threaten the existence of live performing arts theatres all over the world. The rapid advancement of computer technology means that the development of video games will continue to grow at an ever increasing rate and will soon displace the live performing arts altogether.