How your experiences of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends?

How your experiences of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends?


"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," 

- More opportunities for audiences to consume due to proliferation of hardware and content and technological convergence - Smartphones, PCs, tablets.
- Decline in cinema attendance (1946 - 1.4bn, 2013 - 166m) CINEMA UK ASSOCIATION- Cinema was the only way to consume. Reach lowest point in 1984 - 54m (introduction of videos and TV) - Increased since then due to IMAX, D-Box, 4D etc.

- DVD - 1995 - Twister 1st film
- 4K 1080p Blue Ray - Sony 2013


- Rise of Web 2.0/Digital Distribution - Netflix record 4.9m subscribers in the first quarter of 2015, 100m hours of TV programmes and films. - Piracy. Kill Bill most pirated 

Group viewing - increase in people watching with friends etc.

Distribution

Marketing - Ill Manors - reliant upon social media etc. 30K likes, trailers, YouTube etc.
 MORE ACCESS TO CROSS MEDIA CONVERGENCE/SYNERGY - James Bond 

To what extent do you agree that synergy is an important process for film companies?

To what extent do you agree that synergy is an important process for film companies?


Introduction

synergy definition =  the interaction or cooperation of two or more organisations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects. In terms of the film industry, it is when multiple companies work together in order to create a film product that would appeal to the widest audience.

Conglomerate

- Easier for conglomerate companies because they are more BITG, more finance, better links to other companies (switch to horizontal integration from vertical integration means more subsidiary companies that produce other media products) 

SKYFALL SYNERGY ($200M)

1. - The only mission that is not on the game disc itself is the "Skyfall" mission, which was released on 20 November 2012 as free downloadable content, since 007 Legends was released one week before Skyfall was first released in theatres. (CMC)
   - Soundtrack release - Skyfall: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the 23rd James Bond film of the same name. Released by Sony Classical on October 29, 2012 in the United Kingdom and on 6 November 2012 in the United States, the music was composed by Thomas Newman. (Ancillary revenue) - The Skyfall song went to number one at the UK's iTunes online store less than ten hours after it was released, selling 84,000 copies in the first two days of release (CMC)
   - TV (Synergy) - SONY displays
   - Tie Ins - Heineken, Coca Cola, Tom Ford, Aston Martin etc. (More accessible for conglomerates)
   - SEQUELISATION 
   
   
   FROZEN SYNERGY ($150M)
    Disney released a variety of synergetic complimentary products, most notably merchandise. -  kids' toys and accessories
   Disney received increased sales on their merchandise, as children watching the film became interested in buying the products whilst children seeing the products would be more inclined to consume the film product. 
   - first quarter of the Walt Disney Company's 2015 financial year jumped 9% as sales of merchandise from the hit animated film Frozen dominated the holiday season 
   - Soundtracks - songs such as 'Let It Go', which received over 442,000,000 views on YouTube and made the number 1 on the US and UK Billboard charts. The 'viral' aspect of the soundtrack increased awareness of the film significantly, raising sales, whilst the film's release raised awareness of the soundtracks, increasing their iTunes sales. These soundtracks were released on Walt Disney's own record label and on Disney's own radio show - Disney Radio. (CMC)
   
   
   INDEPENDENT SYNERGY ILL MANORS (£100,000)
   ILL MANORS CDs a soundtrack album by British musician and rapper Plan B released on 23 July 2012 as the soundtrack to the film of the same name. Several songs were used in the film Ill Manors, although some of the recordings were completed after the release of the film - RELEASED 23 July 2012 - FILM RELEASED 23RD MAY 2012 (CMC) - not usually as easy for independent companies - but Plan B's profile helped this. For example, Ill Manors' YouTube upload, which included many actors from the main film production, such as Riz Ahmed, only received 6,800,000 views on YouTube, which allows us to notice the difference between the impact of an independent and conglomerate company such as Disney releasing a soundtrack, as Let it Go received 442,000,000.
   - synergy limited - film is niche - NOTa spectacle
   
   
   CONLUSION/COMPARISON
   SMALLER COMPANIES LESS ABLE TO UTILISE SYNERGY. (REVOLVER VS SONY - COLUMBIA) - LESS FINANCE, NICHE PRODUCTS - NOT A SEQUEL ETC.
   
   
   
   

Representation of Age

How is age represented in this clip?

Throughout this extract of TV Drama, Criminal Justice, we are presented with two main age groups - the first of which being young adults (represented by the male the offender in the court) and the other being middle aged people, represented by the listeners and barristers within the court. In this text, the contrasting age groups are presented very differently, and throughout this essay, i will be analysing the ways in which the producers of the drama have used camera work, mise-en-scene, editing and sound in order to do this.

Immediately, as the scene begins, from looking at the mise-en-scène in the opening frames, we can observe that the young adult male is being portrayed as a criminal offender. We can infer this from looking at his position on the set; sat at the witness box in a courtroom. In addition to this, a master shot allows us to see that there are two uniformed guards stood behind the young male on either side of him, allowing us to make associations of criminality and untrustworthiness with the youthful male character. This is further reinforced by the use of lower key lighting surrounding the character, which carries connotations of darkness and evil whilst a more intense light is used to focus on him as a subject, imitating the aesthetic of a spotlight interrogation procedure.

From looking at the costume of the other primary character in this scene, we can deduce that he is a barrister, due to his robes and wig. This conforms to the stereotype that this type of occupation is usually taken by older individuals, whilst also presenting him as a character that is lawful and righteous, which is also illustrated by the use of much softer, high key lighting. Furthermore, as would be expected, the barrister is shown to hold much more authority over the younger character, and acts dominant in the scene in contrast to the younger male who comes across more submissive. The use of low angle shots to present the barrister, and low angle shots to present the younger male illustrates this to us, as it makes the barrister to appear bigger (as though the audience is looking up to him), whilst the boy appears smaller (as though he is being looked down upon).

The older barrister also asserts his authority over the younger male offender in many other ways. One way he does this is through the use of dialogue. For example, he often speaks to him in a condescending manner, such as when he is asking him questions like 'do you want to change that answer?' followed by, 'are you sure?' in very quick succession, without allowing the boy to reflect upon what he is saying, in an attempt to provoke a quick and exploited response from him. The older barrister also comes across as intimidating when he says 'I can't hear you', again suggesting his dominance and authority.

Throughout this clip, the young male character is also shown as being nervous as well as emotionally unstable. A  series of mid shots of the boy allows us to observe his body language as he is being spoken to, showing that he often avoids making eye contact with the speaker in the court, he often holds his head low, showing his embarrassment and also that he is very restless in his seat . This is further reinforced by the slow zooming action of the camera within the mid shot that is frequently used, and the use of slow paced editing, that allows us to focus on his expressions whilst feeling the discomfort expressed by the boy. This slow zooming shot is used on multiple occasions throughout the scene, such as when the boy begins to cry and wipes tears from his eyes.

Later in the scene as it becomes more tense, an eerie, minor non-diegetic soundtrack is played to compliment one of the aforementioned zooming mid shots. The volume of this soundtrack slowly increases, as the character becomes more emotional and further reinforces the tension in the scene. Not only does this aid to exacerbate the audience's acknowledgement of the young boy's guilt but it also presents him as being emotionally distraught and again, unable to cope with his circumstances. Many of the ways that the boy is presented showing his emotion and guilt in this way gives a wider representation of the youth as often not thinking of the consequences of their actions. As the scene continues to progress, all shots that show the offending boy are much closer up, and the shot types change from mid shots, to close ups. The use of the close up shot type makes the scene feel much more intense and allows the audience to get an even clearer view of his facial expressions and his deteriorating emotional state, such as at 4:48, creating a further feeling of discomfort amongst the audience. This intensity in the scene is further illustrated as the editing in the becomes faster paced.

At the end of the scene, the stereotype that the occupations held within a court system belong to older and middle aged people is challenged, as a mid shot allows us to see a younger lawyer who appears to be defending the offender.

Issues raised with national and local audiences

What are the issues raised with national and local audiences?

Working Title Films - Subsidiary of conglomerate Universal (global appeal) (British)
Warp films - an independent film production company based in Sheffield & London, UK (British)


PRODUCTION

• Content - Films aimed at a larger audience might have to use less local contextual narratives/in order to appeal to a global audiences (conglomerate companies usually). Also, films aimed at global audiences must ensure to be politically correct/inoffensive. Films aimed at more niche local audiences can use more contextual narratives as they may be more relatable also locations and local themes. Social-realism films - This is England (Warp Films) Had little impact in America, only grossed $300,000 to £15,000,000 budget vs Theory of Everything (Working Title) - Global context - Based on a internationally known character
• Use of more well known actors to appeal to larger audiences - Working Title - The Theory of Everything (Eddie Redman) Warp - This is England (Thomas Turgoose - 1st time actor) 

DISTRIBUTION

• Marketing campaigns need to be stronger to reach a larger audiences. Conglomerate companies would be more often be able to afford using substantial marketing methods, which would be more costly.  The Theory of Everything - marketed using TV adverts etc, in contrast This is England - little marketing, low budget.

How New Technology Affects Institutions and Audiences

How New Technology Affects Institutions and Audiences

Production

- Digital Storyboards - better planning
- Increase in CGI (Toy Story one of first CGI films - Frozen - most successful)
   
Frozen

• Frozen was first released in December 2013 (in the UK) and is Disney’s 53rd animated feature. • The film’s budget was $150 million. 
• To date (Jan 2015) the film has made $1.274 billion worldwide – making it the highest-grossing animated film of all time, the fifth highest-grossing film of all time, the highest-grossing film of 2013.
• Frozen won two Academy Awards in 2014: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song ("Let It Go"). 
• The film will be followed by a short sequel ‘Frozen Fever’ in Spring 2015. 
• The film also managed to top the UK Box Office TWICE – firstly, on its initial release and then for it’s re-release to the cinema in December 2014.
 • First released on the 8th December 2014 on around 500 screens (a wide release). 
• The film made £4.7 million in it’s opening weekend and was top of the UK box-office. DVD/Blu-Ray 
• Released on 31st March 2014 – the film sold over 500,000 copies in the first few days and by the end of the first three weeks of its release had sold 1.45 million units. Frozen is the biggest selling video title of 2014.

- More people can make films - Tangerine (iPhone 5s)
- HD digital video - can review footage, cheaper - good quality

Distribution

- Digital distribution - cheaper and more efficient than physical distribution
- Online marketing (Ill Manors - Twitter, Facebook, Website)
- Animated posters (Skyfall) at train stations

Exhibition 

- New, more advanced, cinema facilities - D-Box seating, 3D, HD, 4DX, sound systems etc (better viewing experience)
- More technology = more sales = more attendance = more concessionary sales

Audience

- Improved experience such as IMAX - 10 times larger screen (76x94ft), 10 times resolution (18,000 pixels), 2 times brighter screen - "Most immersive  motion picture experience"
     The Dark Night Rises - used 70 mins of IMAX footage in he film
     Waterloo IMAX took £1m in advance booking
     Sales exceeded Avatar's - highest BFI IMAX record - highest first day sales (£409,838)
     People flew in from abroad to see it in IMAX cinemas
- More platforms for people to watch from - Smartphones etc, cheaper convenient (on the go)
- Prosumers
- Online reviews, trailers, interactive film websites, screensavers, ring tones
- involvement in viral marketing
- More variety of films due to more places to consume

Discuss the issues raised by media ownership in the production, distribution and exchange of media texts in your chosen media area.

Discuss the issues raised by media ownership in the production, distribution and exchange of media texts in your chosen media area.

Media Ownership is concerned with the types of media companies that produce and distribute products, relative to the company's size and wealth. The film market is oligopolistic in nature, meaning that it is dominated by a few large conglomerate companies, Warner Bros (19.8% market share), Universal (19.4%), 20th Century Fox (14.7%), Buena Vista (10.5%), Paramount (8.5% market share) and Colombia (12% market share), who together own approximately 90% of the industry. The idea that there are powerful corporations dominating the market in this way has many impacts upon independent companies, whilst also being in this position is mostly advantageous for the conglomerates in the film industry.

Firstly, in terms of production, conglomerate companies such as Sony that own subsidiary company Colombia Pictures, are able to budget their films highly and have a higher financial capital, allowing them to achieve films with higher production values by using more renowned actors for example, in turn allowing them to reach a larger audience and therefore receive greater revenues. In contrast, independent companies such as BBC Films may find it difficult to compete with these conglomerate companies as their budget restrictions due to their relatively low retained capital. This often means that their production values may be considerably lower. Ill Manors is an example of a film that had a relatively low production value due to it being produced by an independent production company - BBC Films,and was therefore only budgeted at £100,000. In contrast, films such as Skyfall that were produced by large companies MGM and EON and was partly funded by SONY, could invest much more money in their film, in turn creating a product with a higher production value which then would often generate greater sales and a high return upon the initial investment. A second advantage to large conglomerate production companies is that they are more likely to have an audience for their film product, as often their brand is associated with successful past film releases, creating a sense of trust from the audience. On the other hand, it may be argued that large conglomerate companies are able to take less creative risks when producing a film product. This is because large budget films have to generate a significant amount of revenue by ensuring that their film is a success at the box office in order to make a satisfactory return on their investment, meaning that producers will often use narratives and different visual elements within the product that are considered 'safe' and that the audience is likely to react positively. On the other hand, smaller independent companies are able to take more creative risks, as the initial investment in their product is often smaller, meaning that there is less return needed, although it is important that the company at least breaks even in order to ensure that it can cover the costs of running. It may be considered that Ill Manors was 'risky' due to its very specific target audience, social context and somewhat taboo subject matter, highlighting issues with poverty, drug use, murder and anti-social behaviour. Larger companies such as Columbia may not be able to produce such a film due to it's niche nature making it a financial risk as there may not be a guaranteed audience to consume the product.

Conglomerate distribution companies would also benefit from the large size and established nature of the business. Firstly, they would be able to use more costly marketing techniques in order to reach a larger audience. Again, Skyfall, which was distributed by MGM and Columbia (Sony) used marketing methods such as synergy and tie ins within their film to help raise awareness of the film. For example, they collaborated with Coca Cola to produce a specialised Skyfall-themed vending machine in a popular train station in London and also used the opportunity of 2012 London olympics to perform a Skyfall stunt in the opening ceremony. Many independent companies would not have the opportunity to collaborate with such companies to raise awareness of their product due to their comparatively small reputation and also lack of available finance for marketing. In addition, Skyfall's marketing companies had the funds available to advertise their film product on large billboards and posters in prime areas both within the UK and also internationally such as as in Central New York City. It is very expensive to rent spaces such as these for promotion, and independent companies such as Revolver, who distributed Ill Manors simply wouldn't be able to afford this, and instead have to rely on much cheaper forms of marketing and promotion such as on Social Media and through the use of web 2.0, using websites for example, which was still very successful, with them receiving 30,000 likes on their dedicated Facebook page. Finally, in terms of distribution, conglomerate companies such as Sony would find it easier to sell their film product to exhibitors. This is because exhibitors will often consider showing films from well established companies such as this rather than independent ones, as there would be less risk associated with showing the product, as the company are more likely to bring in a larger audience than what many Independent companies' products might. This is exemplified as MGM's Skyfall was shown in 587 cinemas across the United Kingdom, whilst Revolver's Ill Manors was only shown in 191 across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

As aforementioned, cinemas are more likely to screen films from large Hollywood films in comparison to smaller independent British films. This is because as an exhibitor, there is much less risk associated with these products from reliable producers as they are more likely to generate a larger audience. As a result of this the exhibitor will generate a greater turnover. However, most cinemas only receive approximately 40% of their total revenue from ticket sales, whilst the other 60% is made from concessionary items, such as food and beverages. As a result of the cinema receiving higher attendance rates due to the screening of popular film products (often from renowned film companies), sales of concessions are likely to increase simultaneously, meaning that the cinema can be a more profitable concern. In contrast, exhibitors are less likely to screen smaller films from independent companies such as Ill Manors, as they are less likely to receive high admission figures, and therefore will sell less concessionary products as a result of the smaller footfall within the cinema.