What is Entertainment and What are the Forms of Entertainment?

Entertainment is described as a form of activity that gives delight and pleasure or holds the interest and attention of audiences. Entertainment can be a task or an idea. The activities or events associated with entertainment have the purpose of keeping audiences’ attention.

Most of the forms of entertainment are familiar and recognizable. Different people may pay attention to different things, as interest varies from person to person. But some common forms of entertainment are enjoyed by all regardless of age, sex, gender and culture. Forms of entertainment like storytelling, dance, drama, music, etc exist in every culture. These forms of entertainment even existed a long time back, even in the royal courts.

Entertainment Now Has Become a Source of Income

Now the forms are developing and becoming more sophisticated with time. The type of entertainment now has changed and over time they are becoming more and more available to the common people. Now it is becoming a source of income. They are earning money by making people satisfied and happy. Many of these forms of entertainment are recorded and sold by many industries. It has become so much important for modern people with their hectic schedules, that people nowadays are willing to pay and spend a whole lot of money for this. People are hiring persons for parties, stage shows, and many more, to provide enjoyment to the audiences and make the event successful.

6 Better Forms of Entertainment

1. Banquets Entertainment:

These forms of entertainment existed since ancient times. It was commonly used by the elite to extol their influence and wealth. For banquets, the entertainers had to sharpen their skills, nurturing their talents and helping the entertainment to flourish. Nowadays, the exact concept of banquets is not there rather they are replaced with some more specific celebrations like weddings, birthdays, religious obligations, political achievements and many more.

2. Music and Concerts:

It was mainly used to support other forms of entertainment, such as background music for drama and storytelling, dancing and singing, etc. Music has now become widely known and has separated from other forms of entertainment and has become a specific form. In any type of concert, music has become the only important thing that offers the desired forms of entertainment. Music and concerts involve live performances of genres ranging from classical to contemporary. They provide auditory stimulation and sensory resonance, providing communal experiences where musicians connect with listeners through the shared enjoyment of melody and rhythm.

3. Cinema and Film:

Cinema and film are now different forms of entertainment. Cinema and film are mediums for telling stories through motion pictures, which combine visual and auditory elements to create an immersive experience. The films entertain the audience with compelling narratives, stunning visuals, and impressive performances, which reflect social themes and cultural values ​​through a variety of genres and cinematic techniques.

4. Games and His Two Types of Entertainment:

It has now become a huge part of various forms of entertainment. During earlier times, games were just a way of passing time in various events and occasions. But nowadays, sports and spectator events encompass competitive games and athletic performances that captivate audiences worldwide. Now it has become a huge form of entertainment. From stadiums to arenas, these events showcase skill, teamwork, and athleticism, fostering community spirit and emotional connections among fans through thrilling competitions and memorable moments.

a) Indoor Recreation:

Indoor games use various equipment like using balls, dice, or boards. Among indoor games also video games have taken a special place in the entertainment industry. Video games provide immersive experiences that challenge cognitive abilities, and foster problem-solving skills and creativity. Outdoor recreation includes hiking, adventure sports, providing relaxation, exploration, physical challenges, and promoting better health and well-being.

b) Outdoor Recreation:

Outdoor games include activities such as hiking, camping and adventure sports. These activities immerse participants in nature and physical challenges. These experiences offer opportunities for relaxation, exploration and adrenaline-filled adventure. Engaging in these activities promotes good health and wellness and enhances appreciation for the environment and outdoor pursuits.

5. Digital and Online Media:

Digital and online media have changed the way we consume forms of entertainment. This includes an exciting mix of streaming platforms and social media, providing interactive and on-demand forms of entertainment. These platforms influence various content such as virtual worlds, user-generated creativity, and real-time social interaction. These platforms have shaped modern leisure activities and cultural trends worldwide.

6. Literature and Reading:

Literature includes novels, poems, and essays that transport readers to imaginative worlds and provoke thought. Authors create narratives and ideas through language, inviting exploration of different themes and perspectives. Reading also is a very reliable forms of entertainment. Reading can be used when the process of writing literature becomes too boring. They are not too costly. People can reread a book again and again. Not only entertainment, but reading also has some other uses, such as getting information, recording local folklore, passing the time, or gaining a form of distraction. 

Different forms of entertainment in the 1960s

The 1960s was one of the most important decades in forms of cultural activities and entertainment. Some of the most popular forms of entertainment in the 1960s are mentioned below:

1. Music:

Several forms of music came into the mainstream in the 1960s. If you were a teen in the 1960s, what forms of entertainment would you have? The answer being simple, music.

Let us now understand about the different types of music, which were the popular forms of entertainment in that are:

a) Rock n Roll: This genre of music was one of the most popular forms of entertainment. This music was a combination of many styles of music including folk, country, gospel, jazz and blues.

b) Folk Rock: Bob Dylan, one of the most popular musician that existed during 1960s tried a new form of music. He combined folk songs and rock n roll songs together to create new forms of entertainment called the folk rock.

c) Motown: This is the hybrid style of rhythm and blues, vocal jazz, soul and gospel. This was quite famous in the early 1960s. 

d) Antiwar Music: One of the most important genres in the 1960s to promote peace. It has become quite famous in the 1960s.

e) Surf music: These kind of music are purely instrumental, with heavy guitar playings. Some of the popular surf rock bands being The Ventures, The Beach Boys and The Surfaris. 

2. Movie:

In 1960s, during depression most people were able to enjoy which two popular forms of entertainment? One is obviously music, which has already being discussed. Another one is movies. Hence attention movie lovers, just tie your seatbelt to get to know some of the legendary movies which can be considered as the best gifts for movie lovers. This is one of those forms of entertainment, which are enjoyed with friends and family during any situation.

Let us check out some of the important genres in this section:

a) Spy Fiction: These types of movies were quite popular in the 1960s. These are those genres which became popular forms of entertainment in the late 1800s.

b) Psychological Horror: One of the best horror movies in these genres. During this time only it shifted from typical monster based film like Dracula to variations and included more twists like in the movie Psycho, released in the year 1960.

c) Thriller: Thriller movies along with spy-based and horror movies, has become quite demanding during that time. Out of so many different forms of entertainment thriller movies has left a mark on people’s brain and heart, and became quite popular.

d) Romantic Comedy: Quite popular among adults of movies like “Some Like It Hot Pillow Talk” slowly turned into sex comedies, and started gaining success.

e) Historical Drama: People used to show love and till now people do appreciate any kind of historical drama. Dramas like Cleopatra (1963) and Spartacus (1960) has really stolen all the hearts of the people of that generation. Best part is they are being loved by today’s generation’s people.

3. Other forms of entertainment:

What are forms of entertainment that made people engrossed other than those entertainments related to television or theatres? Well, these may vary from sports to reading books even comics.

Let us know about them in detail:

a) Sports: Football, baseball and basketball were all gained popularity during 1960s. Spectators were happy to see such matches.

b) Books: Some of the bestselling novels were sold during this era only. Authors like J.R.R. Tolkein and Harper Lee had published their some of the renowned and bestselling novels during 1960s.

c) Comics: Comicsare those which enjoyed reading by any age group people. You will find superheroes like Superman and Batman, which were very popular among young kids, till today.

The Final Note

Entertainment was previously used to hand down lessons and stories generation-wise. Now it has become the favorite way to pass the time. Entertainment has evolved a lot. Previously, it was used for storytelling, but now it serves a variety of purposes like sharing traveling stories, watching movies at multiplexes, and shopping.

Entertainment is closely intertwined with people’s lives. Nowadays, even the smallest incidents are viewed as entertainment, and its advancement is so rapid that the future will be obsessed or crazy with it.

What is an Award? What is an Awards Ceremony?

An award is a certification of honor given to a recipient or a token of recognition of excellence in a particular field. The token may be a medal decorated by a ribbon or other design-based item. It may be any substance of use.

And an award ceremony serves the purpose of evaluating and recognizing people’s work. It shows approval and appreciation for individuals’ efforts, while also highlighting that exceptional work will be recognized and rewarded. Additionally, it informs a wider audience, including the general public and other staff members, that outstanding achievements are being recognized. Awards can be provided in various awards ceremony organized by various event organizers. Let’s take a designed bag, flower bouquet, or a written frame that has corroboration of his excellence or contribution to the field engraved on it.

How is an Awards Ceremony Planned?

When planning an awards ceremony, it’s crucial to be well-organized and pay attention to detail. The process typically starts by establishing clear objectives for the event, such as the type of award, the audience, and the desired atmosphere. Next, a suitable venue is chosen based on the expected number of attendees and the event’s formality. After that, the planning team selects a date, sends out invitations, and handles logistics, including catering, audiovisual equipment, and decorations. The program schedule is carefully designed to balance lectures, entertainment, and award presentations.

Additionally, a host or MC is chosen to conduct the event smoothly and rehearsed to ensure the event runs smoothly. Attention is also paid to awards, ensuring they are meaningful and well-presented. Finally, to ensure a successful and memorable event, contingency plans are made to deal with any unexpected problems.

Aspects of Awards:

An award during an awards ceremony has got three aspects 1) who is given, 2) what is given, 3) given by whom, all varying according to the purpose. The recipient may be a single person or a representative of a group of people, be it an organization, a sports team, a whole country, a cast, or a clan. The award item may be a symbol suitable for wearing, such as a badge, medal (order), pin, or ribbon. It can be a token object such as a trophy, prize, or commemorative plaque. The award may also be accompanied by a certificate, title, diploma, as well as something of direct value such as scholarship money.

Moreover, an honorable mention is an award given, typically in education that does not confer the recipient a higher rank but is considered worth mentioning. A state may also be endowed with an award during an award ceremony as a state decoration by a sovereign state, dynasty, public authority, or a private organization or individual. The latter may also include ecclesiastical authorities, such as in the case of ministerial awards.

Notable Award:

1^st Nobel Award,1901, December

For example, the Nobel Prize recognizes contributions to society, while the Pulitzer Prize honors literary achievements. An award may also be a public acknowledgment of excellence, without any tangible token or prize.

Typically in Sports or a tournament usually, Cups are given as an award to the players or the participants, during the post-match award ceremony. In contrast, during the Greek or Roman era, the awards were usually in the form of leaves or crystal pieces or plaques. Monetary prizes or awards were in Vague from the beginning. Many organizations started employee recognitions with the help of award ceremony. These recognitions may vary from monetary benefit to on-stage recognition during awards ceremony to incentives or Promotions.

Awards Ceremony and Their 3 Categories:

Awards in an award ceremony follow a variety of categories, which may include – Finance, medicine, music, fine arts, sports, community engagement and many more. But the major award ceremony categories are as follows:

Gallantry Award:

wards like Param Vir Chakra, Kirti Chakra, and Maha Vir Chakra are the awards given by the Government of India, to recognize daring, bravery and self-sacrifice for the country. They are usually announced on National Days like Republic Day and Independence Day.

National Sports Award:

The six categories of national sports award ceremony are the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Award, Dronacharya Award, Major Dhyan Chand Award, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy and Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar.  These awards are administered by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India to recognize excellence in sports and promote qualities like commitment, leadership, teamwork, discipline, and a passion for fitness and health.

Civilian Awards:

Awards like Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhusan and Padma Shri are given by the Government of India, to the people who have done outstanding achievements in their respective fields of work. Bharat Ratna is considered as the highest civilian award in India.

Award Towards Employees and Workers:

Companies like Accenture, and IBM are some of the companies who are very proud to have been recognized as a global leader across financial indices,  our brand value, and our reputation within and across our industries. Our leadership is often acknowledged by leading financial publications, professional and government organizations, and other institutions worldwide and during various awards ceremony.

Peer rewards are a way of encouraging employees to recognize each other’s work; those things workers know that managers might not realize. E.g., at Google, any employee can nominate another employee for $175 rewards.

Group rewards encourage bonding among team members getting one team to work together as one benefits the entire organization. Just like the Society for Human Resource Management points out, “Successful organizations are extremely innovative, and innovation requires teamwork.” Team-based bonuses create and emphasize the need for collaboration among all employees across the globe.

Awards Ceremony and Its Importance:

Awards are an integral part of our life. Receiving awards in an award ceremony in front of many general public is a matter of pride and prestige for the recipient. It helps people understand that they or their work is valued. Some of the importance of awards is being depicted below:

Recognizing Achievements:

Award ceremony are organized mainly to recognize outstanding achievements and celebrate excellence. This also promotes the visibility of the recipients. Awards do symbolize ingenuity, hard work, commitment and success.

Connection Development:

Award ceremony are the gateway to provide opportunities for building connections and networking. For example, awards ceremonies in many organizations help employees get to know about each other. These employees can be onsite colleagues as well as remote colleagues either for a specific period of time or permanently. Employees’ recognition becomes very easy due to these award ceremonies.

Source of Inspiration:

Award ceremony are generally used as a tool to motivate people to bring the best in them. These also help in inspiring others. Others can get motivated will do hard work to achieve this success.

Setting Standards:

An award ceremony can set standards for participation and excellence. Not only this, it also promotes best practices along with that promoting the sweetness of success and transformation.

Final Note:

An award ceremony is an integral part of our lives and is very crucial for talent recognition and creating a healthier environment. It can leave recipients with a sense of pride and success. This can further lead to a positive and healthier environment and helps to grow enthusiasm in many people. Awards ceremonies are a way to boost up the morals of many people and encourage people to do the right thing and find the right path.

From sexy and sleek smartphones to PCs that are lightning-fast, it’s well-nigh impossible to imagine life without the influence of technology. But do all the new tools and gadgets make our lives more and more complicated? Before there were electronic gadgets, people found out simpler and easier ways of entertaining themselves; they either curled up with a book or knitted something or listened to the radio or played cards. But time has changed and we have several forms of entertainment available at our fingertips. The ultimate question is whether technology is disrupting entertainment and the way people try to entertain themselves.

The journey from DVDs to streaming

Broadly speaking, experts identify the biggest technological changes being the advent of DVDs as the turn of the century. It was in 2000 that DVDs exploded and too many people went out and bought lots and lots of them. People used to dim their lights at home, hook up the player and pretended that they enjoyed a theatrical experience.

However, the next big thing came in with what is called streaming. YouTube and its likes have acclimatized the masses to the general concept of on-demand video. There were scourges of people who started uploading their clips of full episodes of TV shows and this gradually garnered the attention of people. Meanwhile Netflix made sure they didn’t suffer the same fate as Kodak and they too started embracing emerging technologies. Netflix too shifted its core to streaming in the year 2007 and started doing it since then. Eventually, streaming exploded around the year 2010 and the entire industry shifted to a pure experience economy.

Did that mean ‘RIP’ cinemas?

Although expert analysts say that the technology disruptions aren’t going to destroy the theatrical movie industry but they are definitely going to set a huge impact. Nowadays audiences already decide, before the release of a cinema, whether they’re going to visit the theatre of watch it at home. While there are few kinds of movies which people usually love to watch at home, there are some others which are preferred at the theatre. Comedies are a great example of movie which people enjoy outside their home and in a group. On the other hand, documentaries are enjoyed at home.

Profitability and patterns

In spite of what you may have been forced to believe, it still seems that movie studios are rather performing too well. They have taken good stock of the situation and the profitability will continue through a number of years. Studios are currently too lucrative and they will continue to remain so for the next few years too. Nevertheless, after 5-6 years, the profitability of studios will plummet and there will be new things around to entertain the audience. This will also be a disruptive invasion to the entertainment industry.

There was a time when people didn’t realize that technology was disrupting entertainment. But with time, after the several changes brought about by technology, people now understand how it sets an impact on the entertainment industry.