G322, The Film Industry, Study Topics and notes, key media concepts

1. AS Media Studies
Audiences & Institutions
Film Industry Revision

2. Q2 – The exam focus
• The questions are very broad and can focus on one of the
following areas:
1. Media Ownership (Media Conglomerates)
2. Synergy & Cross Media Convergence
3. New Media Technologies
4. The spread of technology
5. Technological Convergence (media gadgets)
6. Big industries targeting British audiences
7. Your media consumption

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

4. 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...

5. Synergy & Cross Media Convergence
• An example of this:
• Vivendi Universal make a film in Universal Studios.
• It releases the film’s 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...

6. Digital T.V
Satellite ( Sky) Digital Terrestrial (Freeview) Cable (NTL)
Film & New Media Technology
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
3D.
HOME CINEMA?
FILMS ON THE MOVE?
OR IMAX 3D?

7. Media Convergence - Film

8. 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,
Playstation)
• PC (via DVD, BluRay, il/legal
downloads)
• Home Cinema (Plasma TV /
Projector + digital TV)

9. Q2 – Overview: The Production Cycle
You are expected to know what happens
in each of these 4 stages of a film’s life:
1. Film Production
2. Film Distribution
3. Film Exhibition
4. Film Marketing
Choose genre, director, stars,
SFX, & film it!
£1000 Film reels produced &
sent to as many cinemas as
possible
Get film into multiplexes & TV
deals
Advertise the film as widely as
possible (Synergy?)

10. Industry Overview
Hollywood
Studios
(US)
Working
Title
(UK/US)
Indie
(UK)
Budgets
average $30m
Budgets average £1m
Budgets
average
$100m+
British Films, have low to
modest budgets, make
modest returns. British films -
stuck in a rut…
US films out of Hollywood have
massive budgets, which
generate massive profits - a
cycle of self-sustaining profit.
The main British success
story, Working Title now
has US cash to finance its
films.

11. 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...

12. 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, DV-
Cams), 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.

13. 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 institution’s
need to target specific audiences within a
media industry which you have studied.

14. 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.

15. 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?

16. 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?

17. Marking Grid for Qu2.
Band / Grade Argument Examples Terminology
Level 1:
U
Minimal understanding
& reference to study
(0-7)
Limited range and
use of examples
(0-7)
Minimal use of
terms. Inaccuracies
(0-3)
Low Level 2:
E > D
Basic understanding.
Some relevant points.
(8-11)
Some relevant
examples
(8-11)
Some terms used.
Some inaccuracies
(4-5)
Upper Level 3:
C > B
Proficient argument,
well supported.
(12-15)
Good range of
examples
(12-15)
Mostly accurate
terms
(6-7)
Level 4 :
A
Excellent, relevant,
sustained argument
(16-20)
Frequent use of
relevant examples
(16-20)
Relevant and
accurate terms
(8-10)