To what extent does digital distribution affect the marketing and consumption of media products in the media area you have studied?

To what extent does digital distribution affect the marketing and consumption of media products in the media area you have studied?

Basically how are films marketed and watched

Distribution-

1. cinema-films sent digitally
2. digital Streaming- Netflix etc
3. digitally bought-iTunes

Marketing-

1. Youtube
2. VoD shows, 4od- made to watch adverts
3. adverts for films before cinema screenings-digitally sent

Field in England- digital distribution- day and date release

Marketing and distribution-

1. 57% of under 35s said they heard about the film through social media
2. digital TV 367,000 views on film 4
3. film 4od accounted for 30% of viewings on the opening weekend

All cinemas apart from the independent picturehouse cinemas boycotted

Therefore the film was consumed completely digitally over the opening weekend  but the ability to distribute films digitally to the home could be seen to have effected cinemas

Prometheus-

Distributed in 3D, 2D and iMax which lead to a pre-sale of 8,827 tickets

It was distributed to 514 screens in the UK and 3,396 screens in the USA, this can only be achieved because the files are sent digitally

Therefore digital distribution has effected the profits of the film massively, opening weekend £6,234,812, $51,050,101

 

Stranger by the lake- Released on VOD and cinemas at the same time

 

 

 

 

Terminology to include-

Technological convergence- people have digital devices that can stream films- companies make them available for digital distribution

Targeted advertising- online searches influence what adverts you get online

Exhibition- showing films

 

 

Films can be marketed digitally through the internet on sites such as Facebook, youtube and twitter. This has revolutionised the way films can be advertised and therefore massively influenced the profit they can make. Now days almost every method of distribution is digital from cinema screenings to digital streaming this affects the profit of cinemas but, by making it easier for consumers to see their content, means more sales for film companies.

An example of digital distribution being utilised for marketing and distribution is the 2014 Film4 film A field in England. A Field in England was distributed as a day and date release through 17 independent cinemas, film 4, film 4od and other VoD rentals such as iTunes. In addition to this it was marketed through the popular social network Twitter. As this is online it is digital and proved to be a successful method of marketing as in a survey it was found that 57% of under 35 year olds heard about the film through social media. Due to new ways of digitally consuming films through the internet the VOD rentals where above what was expected, 2,000 rentals, and mostly through iTunes. Because the film was more accessible it encouraged more people to watch it that wouldn’t have made the effort to watch it at the cinema increasing sales in general.

Nearly all films are digitally sent and screened in cinemas now, this is a faster method. It also means the film can be sent to any cinema with internet connection in seconds, meaning it can be distributed more widely. This meant Prometheus could be sent to cinemas in 3D, 2D and imax. This range of viewing options due to the digital distribution of the films contributed to 8,827 resale tickets as customers wanted to ensure they could see it in 3D or imax. In addition to this the easier digital way of distributing made it possible for the film to be screened in 514 screens in the UK and 3,396 screens in the USA, allowing the film to make a massive total of £6,234,812 and $51,050,101 on its opening weekend; a sum that wouldn’t have been possible through any other method of distribution than digital.

The independant BFI-funded film Stranger On The Lake was released as a day and date release: on VOD and in cinemas at the same time for example at first Cineworld agreed to show the film as a one off special screening but then decided to boycott the film as it broke the established 17week window between cinema release and VOD This type of release prompted many cinemas to boycott the film as they are aware with technological convergence it is all to easy for most people to view the film on their tablets, phones etc rather than seeing it in the cinemas. Cinemas in general are threatened by this new method of digital distribution as it poses the question who would pay to see the film in cinemas when they can watch it at home on their multi-media device?

Digital distribution has affected the marketing and consumption of films in almost every aspect to the extent it is hard to think of a recent film that is not digitally distributed. This is a negative for cinemas as it reduces the amount of people paying them to watch the film but a positive for production companies as more people are willing to pay for films in the home than make the effort to pay for them in general, increasing sales.

 

 

 

Discuss the issues raised by media ownership in the production and exchange of media texts in the chosen media area

The big six earns 90% of the film box office revenue (2007) so they can heavily influence the distribution of films because of their money and ability to make money for other companies. Therefore smaller companies who have less ownership cannot compete and have to distribute their films in more creatively and cost effective ways. The big 6 earn so much money that they can spend millions on films and even expand the budget to make films successful. Smaller film companies have to find alternative sources of finance and accommodate to their budget.

The big 6 film companies are the top 6 film companies in terms of money and power, they have the most influence on the industry. An example of a big 6 company that were able to enforce their power to insure a successful distribution of their film are Disney. For the release of the recent Star Wars film Disney were accused of extortion by Quentin Tarentino after his premier of The Hateful 8 was pushed out of the Arclight Cinerama Dome in Hollywood to make way for the film’s premier instead. They were able to do this by threatening to deny all Arclight cinemas of the film, which would have lost the company their cut of the $247,966,675 made on the opening weekend. This is something only a member of the big 6 could do because only they produce films capable of making such large amounts of money.

With the power of the big 6 comes the respect of other companies through the recognition of their brand. This makes it possible to have synergy with other large and influential companies which helps to ensure the films success. For example McDonalds feature toys in their happy meals, these are often of characters in newly released children films. This works to promote both companies as children want to see the film because they have the toy or the children want to collect the toys because they have seen the film. Only a company in the big six have the influential to make such a deal.

Smaller companies with less money and influence have to be more creative in distribution. A effective way for a independent film company to promote a film is by utilising existing platforms such as social media sites. The 2014 film ‘A Field in England’ was produced by Film4 and utilised the social media site twitter to advertise the film. The director Ben Wheatley has *** twitter followers, Ben Wheatley used his twitter to encourage interest in the film. This is shown to have work as 57% of under 35 year olds that watched the film said they knew about it through social media.

Because the big 6 have such influence and power they are able to Produce and distribute on a larger scale than other companies. The biggest issue raised by this is the fact that smaller companies stand little to no chance competing with these large companies.

Discuss the issues raised by media ownership in the production and exchange of media texts in the chosen media area

Essay plan: Discuss the issues raised by media ownership in the production and exchange of media texts in the chosen media area

Because the big 6 own so much it effects how the smaller companies distribute and produce films. A field in England played into independent cinemas because it was an independent film. Big film companies can heavily influence the cinemas buy threatening to boycott.

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Introduction:

Distribution-The big 6 own 90% of the film box office so they can heavily influence the distribution of films, therefore smaller companies who have less ownership cannot compete and have to distribute films more creatively. 

Production- The big 6 have so much money that they can spend millions on a film and even expand the film budget massively to make the production successful. Smaller film companies have to find different sources of finance or accommodate to their budget.

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Paragraph 1: Disney were accused of extortion by Quentin Tarentino after to premiere of The Hateful 8 was shifted from the ArcLight Cinerama Dome in Hollywood to accommodate for the release of the new star wars film when Disney threatened to pull the film from all Arclight cinemas. Disney has enough power through money to have this influence.

Paragraph 2: World War z expanded the budget of the film in production from 000 to 000, only the big 6 would have the resources/money to do this.

Paragraph 3:

Another example of how the Big 6 can spend lots of money to insure a film’s success through marketing – Prometheus 20th Century Fox

1. able to spend loads on developing a website to promote the film- engrossed people in the world of the film before it even came out which encouraged people to watch it- the website was worked on by a large team and therefore cost a lot of money
2. Paid Michael Fassbender to play his character, David, in the advert for the film. Ridley Scott said ‘The advertisement is part of the picture’ using the marketing to enhance the experience of the film.

Paragraph 4: A field in England was exhibited in independent cinemas because they shared a common interest in independent films. Released on 4od because cinemas wouldn’t show it.

Conclusion:

To What Extent Does Media Ownership Have An Impact On The Successful Distribution Of A Media Product?

To What Extent Does Media Ownership Have An Impact On The Successful Distribution Of A Media Product

Intro: Media Ownership: The big 6 media companies earn 90% of the USA’s Box Office revenue- Therefore they have the money to distribute and market their film in a way that almost guarantees the successfulness of a film

They are Warner Bros, Paramount, Disney, Columbia Pictures, Universal studios and 20th century fox

It is impossible for smaller companies to compete through traditional methods therefore they have to do something different in terms of marketing and distribution to make their film successful. They have less money than the big 6 so need to be more creative.

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Paragraph 1: An example to prove that one company in the big 6 spends all it can to guarantee success- World War Z Paramount

The film had negative speculations at first after Brad Pitt feuded with the director Marc forster. The marketing of the film convinced the target audience to have a positive view of the film.

1. They payed the NYTimes for a attention grabbing online ad- When entering the NYTimes website a fake news article pops up in the style of the NYTimes titled “Population Loss projected at 4.6 Billion’- actually an advert for the film. Costs a lot of money to do a big publicity stunt like this.
2. Many posters released of the most dramatic scenes in the film (zombies hanging off helicopters etc) attention grabbing and spectacular- Hints towards the sheer scale of the film.
3. Adverts everywhere: Big, press covered premiere, exclusive TV interviews, bus/train/taxi adverts, TV/Youtube adverts- near impossible not to know about this film and to forget the name of the film.

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Paragraph 2: Another example of how the Big 6 can spend lots of money to insure a film’s success- Prometheus 20th Century Fox

1. able to spend loads on developing a website to promote the film- engrossed people in the world of the film before it even came out which encouraged people to watch it- the website was worked on by a large team and therefore cost a lot of money
2. Paid Michael Fassbender to play his character, David, in the advert for the film. Ridley Scott said ‘The advertisement is part of the picture’ using the marketing to enhance the experience of the film.
3. Adverts on TV, only large media companies like 20th century fox can afford to advertise on major TV channels.

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Paragraph 3: A smaller film company who cannot compete through traditional marketing methods so must be creative in order to make the film successful- A field in England Film4

1. Platforms that gain publicity in ways similar to the scale of TV campaigns but are low cost: twitter, Followers of Ben Wheatley, Julian Baratt etc
2. Film 4’s power- Channel 4 advertisement BUT- There are restrictions about advertising on your own channel and therefore Film4 being associated with Channel 4 is not enough to compete with the power of the big 6 as the need more money to reach the amount of people the one of the Big 6 could
3. Website: Ben Wheatley doing courses on film making, promotes the film to an audience which will be particularly interested in independent films such as a field in England

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Conclusion: Even films which have bad publicity such as World War Z can be turned around by money being spent on the marketing of the film. For a film like A field in England to be successful there needs to be more cost efficient, inventive and creative ways of promoting the film.

To What Extent Does Media Ownership Have An Impact On The Successful Distribution Of A Media Product?

The ‘Big Six’ are a group of film companies that earn 90% (2007) of the USA’s box office revenue, therefore they have immense power and influence in the industry. Because they own so much they earn so much and therefore are able to ensure the successful distribution of a film through money. The companies are: Warner Bros, Paramount, Disney, Columbia picture, Universal studios and 20th Century Fox.

The first example of this is the 2013 Zombie apocalypse film ‘World War Z’ produced by one of the ‘Big Six’ Paramount Pictures. With a estimated budget of $190,000,000 the film is on a monumental scale and Paramount were willing to spend whatever they needed in order to make this film successful. This film was a tentpole release so the success of the film was paramount to Paramount.

At first the film had negative speculations after starring actor Brad Pitt feuded with director Marc Forster however the money spent on marketing the film changed the public opinion. Firstly they had an advert on the NYTimes advert. This opened as soon as you clicked on the NYTimes page meaning everyone that viewed the page saw the advert. This is something only a large film company could afford to do. The piece was titled ‘Population loss at 4.6 billion’ which immediately grabbed the readers attention and in-sighted interest in the film.

Secondly they spent lots of money on as many small scale adverts as they could such as posters in bus stops, trains, taxi’s and billboards in England as well as across the world. This made sure the maximum amount of people were aware of the film and the advertisement reached all possible markets.

Another film that demonstrated this was was the 2012 sci-fi film Prometheus produced by 20th century fox. Similar to World War Z with a budget of $130,000,000 the marketing of the film was on a scale only one of the big six could afford. An extravagant website, set in the world of the film, was made to promote the film. In particular there was a video of Guy Pearce making a speech in the character peter weyland set in 2023. The video presented a futuristic vision of a TED conference.

In addition to this the sheer scale of the film meant it could be distributed in 2D, 3D and imax. This made the film more intising for the audience and many people were persuaded to watch the film because of this. A smaller company could not distribute a film in this way and therefore this makes it a unique selling point.

A smaller film company who cannot compete with the big six is Film4. In 2013 Film 4 released ‘A Field in England’ as a day in date release. Because the company had limited money for a marketing campaign they had to utilise other, more creative ways of advertising. Firstly there was a website set up featuring videos from the director, Ben Wheatley, teaching a video masterclass. This is useful as many of the people whop would be interested in A field in England are people interested in independent film some of which will be film makers interested in the masterclass, this advertises the film to that target market. The website had 80,000 views and the videos 23,000 views.

Secondly the company utilised the free platform, Twitter. This is shown to have worked as 54% of under 35 year olds claimed it was online advertisements through social media that influenced them to see the film. Ben Wheatley was the most prominent force in this as he had a large following of 27.1K people. This was a very effective way of marketing the film without the influence of media ownership that the big six have.

Media ownership has a massive impact on how a film is distributed as the big six force smaller, less influential companies to market creatively and cheaply whereas they can market in a less direct and large way.

Prometheus

Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox, Dune Entertainment, Scott Free Productions

 

Budget
$130,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend
$51,050,101 (USA) (10 June 2012) (3,396 Screens)
£6,234,812 (UK) (3 June 2012) (514 Screens)

Prometheus was distributed by 20th century fox which is one of the big 6 media companies. Scott free production owned by director Ridley Scott and Brandywine productions (produced all the alien film franchise films) co produced Prometheus. It wouldn’t have been successful if 20th century fox hadn’t distributed it as they are a trustworthy brand. The film was released in 3D, 2D and IMAX, this helped in selling 18,827 presale tickets as people wanted to ensure spaces in 3D and IMAX cinemas. It was released on DVD and blu-ray on the 9th of October 2012 in addition to being available to stream through Amazon, iTunes, Playstation network and Xbox live

With the use of social media increasing prometheus developed a strong viral marketing campaign. In particular a video of Guy Pearce making a speech in the character of peter weyland. Set in 2023 the video presents a futuristic vision of a TED conference. Posters were released across social media and a Weyland Industries website was launched as part of the campaign.

Minimising the risk of the film: The director Ridley Scott had previously directed Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, Hannibal, Kingdom of Heaven and American Gangster. The investors trust Scott to direct a high budget film as he has done previously, he has a large fan base as do all the starring actors in the film. He is known for doing science fiction classics such as Blade Runner, so him making another film and returning to the industry is a big deal for dedicated fans.

20th century fox allowed audiences to immerse themselves in the world of ‘Prometheus’ long before the film was released through project prometheus to play games, read secret material, create I.D cards and many other things.

The international launch trailer debuted in the UK on the 29th April 2012 on channel 4, during the advertising break from Homeland. Viewers were encouraged to tweet their thoughts and opinions using the hashtag ‘#areyouseeingthis’ which prompted an online conversation that promoted the film.

The promoters transformed a 190,000 square foot warehouse in central London into a futuristic spaceship with props from the actual films. Ticket holders were encouraged to come dressed like workers from various scientific professions, met at a secret spot and were led to a secret screening by actors. The actors did various scenes from the film before it was played which was followed by a message from Riley Scott.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Media Ownership

The Big Six

The Big Six are the top six film companies, between them they earn 90% of the USA’s box-office revenue. It is very hard for other smaller film companies to compete with these companies as they are able to do deals with cinemas and are the only companies with the amount of money available to produce such massive films that draw equally massive audiences.

The first of the big six is the leading film company owning the rights to films such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, Superman, Batman and The matrix is Warner Bros. pictures. In 2007 they had a 19.7 percent share of the US market making them number one in the business.

The second, following closely behind, is Paramount Pictures. With a 15.5 percent share of the market in 20. Paramount Pictures have produced equally iconic films as Warner Bros such Star Trek, War of the Worlds, the Mission Impossible series, Transformers and Tropic Thunder.

Arguably the most iconic company of the big six is Walt Disney made famous by cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse and its many Disney land theme parks. Disney is the largest producer of children films such as Pirates of the Caribbean, inside out and frozen as well as some of the most influential films in history such as Snow white and the seven dwarves, being the first fully coloured animated film, and Who framed Roger Rabbit which incorporated live actors and animation. In 2007 Disney shared 15.3 percent of the US market.

Columbia Pictures is an American film production and distribution studio of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. Some of the companies biggest releases include The Da Vinci Code, The spider man series, Men in Black and 21/22 Jump street.  

Universal Studios is another easily recognisable company due to its theme parks and iconic ident. It is also the producer of some of the most iconic films from all genres spanning from children to thrillers However its most memorable films include: Frankenstein, Dracula, Jurassic world, Jaws, Dispicatble me, The Grinch, E.T and King Kong. Universal studios is owned by Comcast through its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal.

20th Century Fox. Also known as “Twentieth Century Fox,” this highly successful movie production company makes up 11.9 percent of the US/Canadian market share in 2007. Some of the biggest and most successful movies from this empire include  Avatar, Titanic and home alone.

Global conglomerates 

A global conglomerate is a company that owns numerous companies in various mass media; i.e. television, radio, publishing, motion picture, and the Internet globally. This allows them to have more control and effectively cuts out the middle man. Companies can earn more money by earning similar companies in mass media as the money results in being passed around areas of the company for example if a company produced a film and owned a radio company and publishing company they effectively would not have to pay to advertise on them both as they would be paying themselves in the larger scale of the company as a whole.
Synergy

Synergy means that the whole is greater than the components which in media studies can be used to describe two or more business’ collaborating in order to produce a better outcome. For example Channel 4 distributed Slumdog Millionaire through Pathé, a collaboration that ultimately made the film more successful.

symbiosis

Symbiosis is similar to synergy, it involves companies working together for mutual benefit. The most recognisable example being McDonalds, every month McDonalds releases a themed happy meal specifically aimed at kids, these happy meals contain toys usually being merchandise from the a newly released film. This works for both companies as by seeing the film a child wants to by the happy meal to get the merchandise and by buying the happy meal the child wants to see the film that correlates with their toy. Both companies are equally benefited by the deal.
Vertical and horizontal integration

Absorption into a single firm of several firms involved in all aspects of a product’s manufacture from raw materials to distribution.

For example Vivendi Universal have integrated film, music, web and distribution technology into the company, including owning big stakes in cables and wires that deliver these services. Therefore they are vertically integrated because they own all the different companies involved in film, from production to distribution to exhibition. They are also horizontally integrated because they have all the expertise for producing media content under one roof – films, TV, magazines, books, music, games thus being able to produce all the related media content for one film under the same roof.

An introduction to ‘A Field In England’

A Field In England is a 2013 Horror/Drama that was funded and distributed by Film 4. It was directed by Ben Wheatley and written by Amy  Jump. Ben Wheatley is a director who is notorious for making films of the same style so therefore has a niche but loyal following who want to see all is films and therefore were supportive of A Field In England.

The plot involves deserters of the civil war traveling through a field to get away from the war were they trip on magic mushrooms with an alchemist and fight each other proving not to be cowards.

This film is relevant because it was distributed  in an alternative way to other films in the way that it was distributed by film 4 and only shown in independent cinemas. In addition to this the way in which it was broadcast was alternative to most films as it was made available on all platforms at exactly the same time, this was somewhat experimental as it aimed to see whether this was an effective way of releasing a film rather than the traditional method.

Section B Overview

Section B of the exam is called institutions and audiences which is focused around film. You have to answer one question about your case studies, these are of three topics:

Media ownership:

June, 2015:To what extent does media ownership have an impact on the successful distribution of media products in the media area that you have studied?

June, 2012:“Cross-media convergence and synergy are vital processes in the successful marketing of media products to audiences.”

To what extent do you agree with this statement in relation to your chosen media area?

January, 2012:To what extent does digital distribution affect the marketing and consumption of media products in the media area you have studied?

January, 2011:Discuss the issues raised by media ownership in the production and exchange of media texts in your chosen media area.

June, 2010:What significance does the continuing development of digital media technology have for media institutions and audiences?

New technologies

June, 2014:The increase in hardware and content in media industries has been significant in recent years. Discuss the effect this has had on institutions and audiences in the media area you have studied.

What impact does media ownership have upon the range of products available to audiences in the media area you have studied?

June, 2013:Evaluate the role of digital technologies in the marketing and consumption of products in the media area you have studied.

June, 2009:How important is technological convergence for institutions and audiences within a media area which you have studied?

Digital distribution:

June, 2014:The increase in hardware and content in media industries has been significant in recent years. Discuss the effect this has had on institutions and audiences in the media area you have studied.

June, 2013:Evaluate the role of digital technologies in the marketing and consumption of products in the media area you have studied.

January, 2012:To what extent does digital distribution affect the marketing and consumption of media products in the media area you have studied?

June, 2011:“Successful media products depend as much upon marketing and distribution to a specific audience as they do upon good production practices.”

To what extent would you agree with this statement, within the media area you have studied?

January, 2010:“Media production is dominated by global institutions, which sell their products and services to national audiences.”

To what extent do you agree with this statement?

January, 2009: Discuss the ways in which media products are produced and distributed to audiences, within the media area, which you have studied

Essay Plan

Evaluate the role of digital technologies in the marketing and consumption of products in the media area you have studied 

new technologies in the distribution of a field in England- twitter, Ben wheatley has many followers all with common interest in his film

VOD- 2,000 VOD views mostly from iTunes, 54% of under 35 year olds said they saw the film because of advertisement online on social media.

Online digital masterclass promoted the film as it encouraged people to learn from Ben Wheatley whilst inciting interest in the film as he is referring to it. By October it had achieved 80,000 views and the video views were 23,000.

new technologies in the distribution of Prometheus- With the use of social media increasing prometheus developed a strong viral marketing campaign. In particular a video of Guy Pearce making a speech in the character of peter weyland. Set in 2023 the video presents a futuristic vision of a TED conference.

Released in 3D and iMax this helped in selling 18,827 presale tickets as people wanted to ensure spaces in 3D and IMAX cinemas.

Posters were released across social media and a Weyland Industries website was launched as part of the campaign. As each poster is released it creates more anticipation of the film and leads to the climax of the film being released prompting people to go see it.