Audiences & Institutions

LO: To understand the terms Technological Convergence Proliferation Synergy and Symbiosis and how they relate to the Film industry

Technological Convergence
Different technological systems merge to perform similar tasks. EG: Phone and Camera

Discuss with your partner and make a list of all the tasks that your phone can do

Technological Convergence & Film

Cinema Television VHS Tape DVD (Digital Video Disks) Web 2.0 (Download, Stream, You Tube) MP4, Wii, Playstation Smart TV (3D HD Quality, Download, Stream, You Tube, Play Games, catch up tv, illegal streaming

What does this mean for the consumer

Technological Convergence
Take notes and discuss in your group how institutions are using technological convergence to market films and how are audiences responding

Film Marketing & Technological Convergence

Trailers TV, DVD, YOU TUBE, WEBSITES Internet Ads Viral Marketing Smart phone Apps Film Website

Homework: Work in pairs to research and present a power point on

the marketing of specific film from Universal and Working Title including the 4 concepts discussed today

Proliferation
to increase or expand at a rapid rate Increase in the amount of hardware and content available to both audience and institution

Proliferation and Technological Convergence

The iphone is introduced and becomes very popular Other smart phones are introduced Loads of APPS are introduced Smart TVs are introduced

Exam Q2 2009 How important is technological convergence for institutions and audience within a media area you have studied

Synergy
Working together for mutual benefit

Symbiosis

Success Criteria
Example of; Technological Convergence Proliferation Synergy Symbiosis

Independents
Some producers work outside of the major studies. Often British productions are made by smaller outfits like Warp Films, working with Film 4 or the BBC to try to secure extra funding and help with distribution. Often films made this way struggle to get more than 1 or 2 million budgets and consider a success to break even, with DVD after-sales included. US independent film maker Orin Peli made Paranormal Activity for just $15,000. But he needed Paramount, a US major studio to distribute his film. In doing so he made over $190 milllion. This shows there are exceptions to the rule that big budge films always do best...

Q2 Exam (Institutions & Audiences)

You are expected to know what happens in each of these 4 stages of a films life:

1. Film Production
2. Film Distribution 3. Film Exhibition

Choose genre, director, stars, SFX, & film it!

1000 Film reels produced & sent to as many cinemas as possible

Get film into multiplexes & TV deals

4. Film Marketing

Advertise the film as widely as possible (Synergy?)

Synergy & Cross Media Convergence

An example of this: Vivendi Universal make a film in Universal Studios. It releases the films soundtrack on Polygram, one of its record labels. The tracks can be bought online at MP3.com, one of its internet companies. The film can be downloaded on Vivendi Telecom phones. The film is then shown in its Odeon cinema chain. Owning all of these assets makes it cheaper for the producer to make, distribute, market and exhibit the film, thus maximising profit, enabling the studio to keep making big budget films. A win-win scenario for Hollywood Studios...

Film & New Media Technology

HOME CINEMA? FILMS ON THE MOVE? OR IMAX 3D?
Advances in new media technology have made it possible for anyone to make films and showcase them on the internet on sites like YouTube. We can now also watch films on phones, games consoles, digital TV on demand. We can also see state of the art SFX on giant screens in Digital T.V 3D.

Satellite ( Sky)

Digital Terrestrial (Freeview)

Cable (NTL)

Technological Convergence
Gadgets to watch films on: Smart-phones (iPhone etc) MP4 players Portable Games Consoles (PSP etc) Laptops (Airbooks etc) Multimedia devices, films at home: Games Consoles (Xbox 360, PS3 etc) PC (via DVD, BluRay, il/legal downloads) Home Cinema (Plasma TV / Projector + digital TV)

Industry Overview
The main British success story, Working Title now has US cash to finance its films.
British Films, have low to Budgets average 1m modest budgets, make modest returns. British films stuck in a rut
Indie
(UK)

Budgets average $30m

Working Title
(UK/US)

Hollywood Studios
(US)
Budgets average $100m+

US films out of Hollywood have massive budgets, which generate massive profits - a cycle of self-sustaining profit.

Industry Overview - Examples

Small Independent Low Budget British Film: Genre: Social Realist Drama - This is England Budget 1.5m, takings 1.5m. Institutions: Warp Films + Film 4 + various small UK media companies.
Successful UK Studio: Working Title Genre: string of blockbuster Rom-Coms: Four Weddings & a Funeral budget $6m, takings $244m Post-Universal take-over Love Actually budget $30m, takings $244m. Produced 100 films, but several non Rom-Com flops. Successful US Blockbuster Film(s): Star Trek Genre: Science Fiction / Action Studio: Paramount: massive marketing campaign budget $140m, takings $280m+. Successful US Blockbuster Film(s): Avatar Genre: Science Fiction / Action / Romance Studio: 20th Century Fox: massive hype, digital, 3D, massive budget $300m, massive takings $2.7bn.

+ add your own case study films & studios.

NB: Paranormal Activity as Indie case study...

Essay Approaches.
The exam board want to know what you understand about: Media Institutions: Hollywood Studios (20th Century Fox etc.), British Studios (Working Title + Warp Films etc). Media Audiences: UK film viewers (either in cinemas, or via PC / TV / Phone etc) Media Technology: Digital filmmaking (CGI, 3D, Imax, DVCams), Online Films (LoveFilm, iTunes, YouTube, piracy), Convergence (gadgets to watch films on) Marketing Campaigns: How Studios advertise their films (Synergy, TV + Internet trailers, Print ads newspapers, magazines, posters, Premieres, junkets, word of mouth, USP, merchandising etc). ALL OF THE ABOVE NEED SPECIFIC EXAMPLES.

Past Questions for Q2.

Section B: Institutions and Audiences Answer the question below, making detailed reference to examples from your case study material to support points made in your answer. Discuss the issues raised by an institutions need to target specific audiences within a media industry which you have studied.

Past Questions for Q2.

Section B: Institutions and Audiences Answer the question below, making detailed reference to examples from your case study material to support points made in your answer. Discuss the ways in which media products are produced and distributed to audiences, within a media area, that you have studied.

Past Questions for Q2.

Section B: Institutions and Audiences Answer the question below, making detailed reference to examples from your case study material to support points made in your answer. Media production is dominated by global institutions, which sell their services and products, to national audiences. To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Past Questions for Q2

Section B: Institutions and Audiences Answer the question below, making detailed reference to examples from your case study material to support the points made in your answer. How important is technological convergence for institutions and audiences within a media area which you have studied?

Marking Grid for Qu2.

Band / Grade Level 1: U Low Level 2: E>D Upper Level 3: C>B Level 4 : A Argument Minimal understanding & reference to study (0-7) Basic understanding. Some relevant points. (8-11) Proficient argument, well supported. (12-15) Excellent, relevant, sustained argument (16-20) Examples Limited range and use of examples (0-7) Some relevant examples (8-11) Good range of examples (12-15) Frequent use of relevant examples (16-20) Terminology Minimal use of terms. Inaccuracies (0-3) Some terms used. Some inaccuracies (4-5) Mostly accurate terms (6-7) Relevant and accurate terms (8-10)

Media Conglomerates.
(Media Ownership)
Massive multinational media companies who own: Film Studios TV Stations Record Labels Magazines A conglomerate has a lot of money to put Newspapers into film production. They can also market Books their film through all of their subsidiary companies. Internet platforms This practice is known as SYNERGY.