Revision - Essay Plan

What significance does the continuing development of digital media technology have for media institutions and audiences?

Production

Advantages:
 - Cheaper to produce (Ill Manors, low budget - couldn't have been shot on film - £100,000 budget. Total revenue - £450,000) - no need for 35mm film reels when filming, digital filming = free
                     - Easier production - directors/cinematographers can easily watch footage back during         filming, whereas with 35mm film they would have to process it first.
                     - Editing is simpler, no film to digital conversions necessary.
                     - CGI (Disney - Avatar/Shrek) /special effects are easier to create
                     - Footage can be backed up

Disadvantages:
- More competition as digital technology is available to many film makers
- Quality of film is inferior to digital


Distribution:

Advantages:
(Marketing Ill Manors)
- Gives marketing teams better access to audience through online media (web 2.0) such as social networking allowing them to reach larger audiences, cheaply. Ill Manors used this method due to it's low budget, and focussed heavily on it's social media Facebook campaign (31,000 likes), where they published promotional material such as posters and other exclusive content.
- Use of other digital media to allow cross media convergence. Plan B's CD 'Ill Manors' raised awareness of the film and helped develop a fan base. The CD reached number 1 in the UK.
- Allows easy trailer distribution across the web. Films such as Ill Manors (small £100,000 budget) relied upon this extensively. Specifically using YouTube (a free platform) and their website 'illmanors.co.uk' as a medium to present these as well as providing an opportunity for consumers to buy the film. This wouldn't have been possible without digital.
- The cheap marketing of Ill Manors allowed them to allocate their budget to production areas.



- No physical storage necessary for 35mm film - Films can be distributed digitally rather than physically which is logistically simpler and cheaper/


Disadvantages:
- Files can easily be leaked/pirated as they are transferred digitally meaning that companies can be exploited
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Exhibition:

Advantages:

- Consistent projection quality - Film quality deteriorates after each viewing
- Automatic projection
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