In the modern day, there are a number of ways that film can be both consumed and produced due to the plethora of technology available today that allows easy viewing of existing films as well as provides a simple medium to produce them, in comparison to fifty years ago, for example. Technological convergence, the combining or merging of more than one piece of technology into a single device, is one way that technology has advanced in order to allow this. For example, the adaption of a mobile telephone to contain a camera. As technology continues to advances, such as in this way, we have more and more platforms available to us allowing for a more convenient and accessible means to watch and create media such as film. This is known as Proliferation of Hardware (The rapid increase in the number of available technology.) Steven Spielberg suggests that "at some point, a slew of mega-productions will flop all at once and Hollywood will be forced into a dramatic change. Including movie-going becoming, rarer and a more expensive occasion, and most movies coming to us via online services,".
Firstly, a proliferation of hardware means that viewers can consume film in a number of different ways in the modern day. This contrasts with how society would respond to the release of films in the pre-digital age. Previously, audiences would not have instant and convenient access to new and even past film productions. Instead, they would have to wait until the release of the film, when it was shown in the cinema. This not only meant that their viewing of the film couldn't be revolved around their own lives, but also that the film could only be watched once and the experience couldn't be repeated. Although this is partly true for new releases today, as cinemas are still an important exhibitor in today's society, there are now a huge array of devices that allow instant and repeated access to films. This is reflected by DVD sales being responsible for 85% of movie sales. The DVD was introduced in 1995, allowing repeated acess to films. Over time, more and more devices were introduced that allowed DVD's to be played, beginning with the DVD player and then advancing to games consoles and PC's, allowing further availability to consumers. Following this, the blu-ray disc was created a year later. The principle of this technology was the same as the DVD, however, Blu-ray's allow for a higher quality viewing, now encoding films in 1080p and 4K resolution, with surround sound and generally stronger detailing. This made for a better viewing experience for the consumer. However, the main constraint with both of these technologies is that although films can be watched repeatedly and at a high quality, there is still a period of time between a cinema release of a film and the DVD or Blu-Ray being released, allowing maximum profit to be obtained by exhibition companies.
Following this, films began to be made available through internet devices. This became increasingly popular as the internet expanded and and so many devices became capable of accessing the internet. Nowadays, many technologies have internet access, such as Smart TV's, smartphones, games consoles, PC's and tablets. This means that consumers are usually never far away from a device that they can watch films through, rendering these forms of consumption some of the most convenient, as the viewer can watch when it suits them, or even 'on-the-go' with many portable devices, and with the rise of 3 and 4G - a mobile communications standard that allows mobile phones, computers and other electronic devices to access the internet wirelessly. There are many different platforms available on the internet that show films, whether they may be at a price or free for the user. The first of these platforms are streaming networks. These are sites that allow users to view films through internet websites limitlessly, usually for a small cost. The most popular of these are Netflix, the world’s leading Internet television network with over 57 million members in nearly 50 countries enjoying more than two billion hours of TV shows and movies per month, and Amazon Prime, which offers is a similar service and was previously known as LoveFilm. The total market for these on Demand sites was £243m in 2012 and now the figure far exceeds this. These sites usually offer a wide variety of films, including documentaries and series. However, often, new releases are slow to be shown on these sites. In addition, these sites can often exploit production companies, as they will not be paid per viewing as they would with the box office, instead they will be paid a one off fee for rights to the film. Meaning that the distribution of the film on these sites is no longer as controlled. There are many benefits of online streaming for the consumer. Firstly, due to the proliferation of hardware, as aforementioned, there are many devices that are capable of streaming these films through their internet access. Due to the convenience that this allows, streaming websites have proven to be one of the largest platforms for film consumption in the modern day, as users can watch unlimited films when and wherever they please.
Also, there are many networks available that allow consumers to buy one off films, rather than using the internet for films on a subscription basis. An example of this is iTunes, Apple's digital store, which sells a wide range of movies, priced cheaper than DVD retail prices. However, these are only mostly only rentals and can only be watched within a 24-hour period, before the movie expires. Although this is a big negative, an advantage is that the movie can be transferred across all of the consumers devices within this 24 period, meaning that the movie can be watched on a computer, smartphone, tablet or smart tv etc. If the film is wanted permanently, the store offers this at a slightly higher cost. Other online services also offer similar services such as SkyGo and YouTube, which sells films officially as well as allowing uploads of independent users.
Another popular means of film consumption is through illegal file downloads. This means that a film that would usually be paid for is downloaded and then watched at no cost, from an illegal website or torrent host. For consumers, this is extremely cost-effective (as it's free) and also relatively easy. Once the file has been downloaded, they can be spread across all of their modern smart devices also, meaning that the actual film viewing can be viewed across a variety of platforms, due to the proliferation of hardware, making it once again hugely convenient for the consumer. However, people that are partaking in this activity are running a risk, as the process in illegal, and can result in prosecution, although this is uncommon. All producers, distributors and exhibitors will suffer from customers illegally downloading film, as none of them are generating any revenue from the consumer, making it harder for them to generate a profit when their costs are accounted for.
A common misconception is that cinema is in a strong decline due to the proliferation of hardware and content. Figures from the box office contradict this however, suggesting that over the past years, cinema admissions have been rising, with figures from 2011 to 2012 increasing by 24%. The cinema is still a huge market, as the number of cinemas is also increasing. There are many possible reasons as to why there is still a big demand for cinema viewings. Firstly, modern day cinemas offer an unrivalled viewing experience. This is due to the large high-resolution screen and good quality sound system that is available. These make the audience feel more involved in the film, as it appears more realistic. Furthermore, some cinemas now even offer VIP and premium seats, where customers can enjoy more comfortable seating at a higher cost. Also, some cinemas are beginning to introduce a '3-D' and even a '4-Dimensional' viewing experience, where audience members are seated in chairs that move, vibrate and provide physical effects to match onscreen visuals and audio. This further enhances the images onscreen, one again making for a better quality film viewing experience for the consumer. Although, each of these are priced higher than regular tickets, consumers are able to experience films that they are unable to view in an at all the same way that they are in these types of cinemas, making the extra value added worthwhile. As discussed earlier however, there are disadvantages to attending the cinema to see a movie. Firstly, prices can be very high when coupled with food prices, and also, viewers can only view the film once and at the time suited to the cinema, not to their own lifestyles, contrasting to many internet-based alternatives.
Proliferation of hardware and content and technological convergence also means that producers and prosumers can create media with relative ease. The wide range of technology that can aid in media production such as film encourages creative use of these products and can inspire anyone to create films, usually on a small scale, due to the ease of production that new technology offer. Firstly, due to technological convergence many modern devices offer applications that can see a media piece from pre-production to exhibition. Many devices will have a camera built in for example, that allows videoing. This means that anybody with one of these possessions can create a video piece. Also the fact that so many of them are portable means that producers can be opportunistic and can also shoot 'on-the-go'. Some examples of devices that would be capable of this would be smartphones, tablets and laptops.
In the modern day, more advanced or specialist technologies are also available to the wider population. Digital cameras or handheld video cameras are priced relatively cheaply and offer a better visual and audio quality than most smartphones. For slightly higher price still, producers can buy DSLR's (digital single-lens reflex cameras). These will offer a better quality visual and audio still. At the top end of this range of cameras, a similar quality picture may be obtainable to many cinema productions, shooting in 4K and 1080p resolution. This means that a professional level of film can be acquired by new or amateur producers. Many of these devices allow easy file transfer, through the use of Wi-Fi for example, increasing the convenience for the user. After file transfer, the producer can complete their media product post-production. This is also hugely accessible due to the technologies that are made readily available to the public. For example, many free applications offer editing devices and can be used on a multitude of devices, including computers and even smartphones and tablets. Furthermore, industry standard editing software is still obtainable to the public for relatively small prices, in comparison to in the past, where industry standard software was hard to come by and amateur users would not have the technology required to use it.
Finally, film makers can also use technology to distribute their films after completing the production process. The internet hosts a wide array of video sharing websites such as YouTube, and Vimeo. Furthermore, many social networking platforms also allow video uploading. This is a particularly good method for small scale producers to use to distribute their films, as they can easily appeal to a vast audience and get many people interested in their project. However, a disadvantage is that by doing this they are less likely to earn money from their film as they will be showcasing it for free viewing.
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