Monday 4 January 2016

50 marker (2)


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



Film producers such as Universal and Working title face many issues in the production and exchange of their movies. It’s up to them to make things that are going to be popular to the public, within budget to produce and ultimately make money. However with the rise of technological convergence and the changing market it becomes increasingly challenging to get it right. Within the production of films the key aspects for companies such as Universal, Working title or Warner Brothers, is if they are going to have and make money. In order for them to be successful and make big bucks they have to be prepared to lay their trust in producers and directors and provide them with millions of pounds that they can’t guarantee they’ll get back. Such as with the film John Carter that was a box office flop, causing Disney to lose out about $80,000,000 and the Chairman Rich Ross to resign. Institutions have to be sure that the initial idea of a film is good. Such as with the film ‘Inception’, Warner Brothers took a real gamble as to if the complex and big scales ideas of Christopher Nolan were worth the risk. He himself wasn’t even sure and went on to direct ‘The Dark night’ to gather experience. Some of the key issues faced with a film like his were the drastic scale he had envisaged.$160,000,000 million dollars were spent on this film and it required a team of very talented and experienced professional to make sure the special effects and scenes were exquisite. Luckily their efforts paid off however they had to take the risk in order to reap the rewards. Many decisions are involved in the suitability of a film, from the choice of director, storyline to whether it will be 3-D/HD or digital. All of which can effects costs and the audiences response to the movie. Aspects such as the films format will also affect the exchange of a film. For example a film shot in digital is easily distributed to cinemas all over with the simple use of a memory stick. Whereas the traditional 35mmfilms reels are far larger and more awkward and expensive to distribute limiting the quantity of copies and also exhibition to audiences. The format also decides the fundamental quality of a feature and its overall appearance and appeal. A fundamental aspect that is affecting the film industry is with the rise of technology and the exchange of films via internet and the use of piracy. Some institutions will have lost thousands or even millions of pounds because audiences prefer to go and watch a film illegally at home for free rather than paying at the cinema.



It’s so easy for people to conceal a small camera when going to the cinema and pirate a film uploading it to the web. And the ease of carrying a copy of a film round on a smart phone or laptop is far more convenient and simple then having a DVD or Blu-ray. This means institutions have a challenge to compete and combat with this often illegal and growing trend, as they are not gaining the same from their productions and reduced successful means reduced further investment. Ways in which companies can try and reduce piracy and lowering audiences is with the use of copyright encryptions on DVDs and making movies seem so alluring and amazing with the use of marketing advertisement and stunning special effects, that people can’t wait to see it and want to view it at optimum quality.



 Offers and extras such as two for one cinema tickets and special features on DVDs also provide dedicated audiences and fans with little enticements that intrigue and encourage them to spend more money of films and move away from new age methods. Issues that small production companies may face is competing with the huge media institutions and the increase of concentration media ownership. Nowadays the major film companies, Universal, Disney, Working Title, Paramount and 20th Century dominant the market and reduce the possibility of small independent companies to make their name and ever compare to the scale of these blockbusters. Smaller production companies are less likely to get their work shown cinemas or be able to afford the fancy equipment or advertisement that would help them achieve a large audience. They will also have films that don’t contain the famous actors or directors that pull in a large fan base. However the rise of technology may actually have help small production companies, as with sites such as YouTube and Vimeo short films and clips can be easily and quickly shared to lots of people online. Although online as well they will still be up against the big movies and more developed companies. Overall I believe that the key issues for media ownership in the film industry, is a company being able to know its audience and truly understand what they want from a film. Although they also require funds and the technology to produce their ideas and share them with the world, with the example of Walt Disney’s ‘John Carter,’ merely having a large budget doesn’t determine its success.



With the increase of piracy and technological convergence, owners are faced with difficult decisions as to what films will do well and which techniques to use to produce them (e.g. special effects, Digital filming, and settings). Unfortunately institutions will never be able to truly predict what will be popular or not, and so they rely on experience and market research to establish preference of audiences and prevail.

Sunday 3 January 2016

50 marker (1)


To what extent does digital distribution affect the marketing and consumption of media products in the area of media you have studied? (50 marks)

Digital distribution is very important in the modern day. People rely on the internet nowadays to watch newly released films rather than going to the cinema. They would rather watch films from the comfort of their own home as they know that films are illegally put onto certain websites after 2-3 weeks of the film being released in cinemas. This is piracy and is illegal, for obvious reasons, however this is a rapidly growing problem that film production companies should take into consideration when in post-production phase. One of the main negative aspects of digital distribution is piracy. If an uncoded copy of the film is leaked then it can be copied and watched on multiple websites. It is then hard to take down the film or the websites. This ultimately means that the money that consumers would have paid in order to consume your product is now lost and not returned into the industry. Therefore, film institutions must be careful when distribution comes into play.

The majority of films are distributed digitally rather than film, in the recent years. This is because digital distribution is a lot cheaper than film. Digitally filming a media product is more accessible to production companies nowadays and it is easier to film and edit on. This saves the institution time and money. Depending on what type of Production Company this is, depends on how much profit affects them. A big company like ‘20th Century Fox’ , for example wouldn’t lose out as much as a smaller production company, like independent, British company ‘DNA Films’ that produced British sci-fi movie ‘Ex_Machina’.

Fortunately, thanks to new technologies available to us, advertisements can be distributed in many different ways. YouTube is a big social media website that gives a different mode of communication to the target audiences and more. YouTube also has the ability to be able to ‘share’ their videos on other social media sites that mass audiences from worldwide use.

Another production company that helped produce British sci-fi film ‘Ex_Machina’ was ‘Film 4 Productions’. This company is a British film production institution that is owned by ‘Channel 4 Television Corporation’. The company have been responsible for backing a large number of films made in the UK. However, they’re British based and do not own as much money as the production company, ‘Warner Bros’ that produced and distributed Hollywood blockbuster, ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’. ‘Mad Max: Fury Road reached a total gross of $300 million, whereas ‘Ex_Machina’ met a gross of $38 million.

Due to digital distribution audiences can also consume media products in more ways than they previously could. For example, through the use of sites such as Netflix, Love Film and Sky Go users can consume media whenever and wherever they are for just a limited monthly subscription, for example a minimum of £5.99 for Netflix or a little more if you wish to view content in higher quality. Films can also be distributed to services such as iTunes where they can be purchased for a small price and digitally stored and kept permanently. Consumers can also watch films at home through the use of tablets, smart TV's and smartphones as they all support subscription services such as those mentioned previously. Also, cable services such as Sky offer users the ability to download media content that can be stored digitally and viewed 24/7. Consumers can therefore also consume media in high quality that will not deteriorate over time, unlike film will, meaning that the overall long term consumer experience is more pleasing. 


What is distribution?

Distribution


What is it?
Distribution is the action of sharing something out among a number of recipients.

What part of the supply chain is distribution?
Distribution is the third part of the supply chain, it is often referred to as 'the invisible art', a process known only to those within the industry , barely written about and almost imperceptible to everyone else. 

What is distribution often referred to as?
'The invisible art'.

What does 'vertical integration' mean in terms of distribution?
Vertical integration means the 3 stages of production, distribution and exhibition are seen as working as a whole large process under the control of one institution. 

Why isn't 'vertical integration' so common in the independent sector?
In the independent film sector, vertical integration does not operate so commonly. Producers tend not to have long-term economic links with distributors, who likewise have no formal connections with exhibitors. Here, as the pig-in-the-middle, distribution is necessarily a collaborative process, requiring the materials and rights of the producer and the cooperation of the exhibitor to promote and show the film in the best way possible.


What three stages are involved in the independent sector? 
In this sector, distribution can be divided into three stages - licensing, marketing and logistics.



Licencing

What is licencing?
Licensing is the process by which a distributor acquires the legal right to exploit a film. In distribution, licensing itself can take place on two levels.

What are the two levels to licencing?
'International' distribution and 'Local' distribution. International distribution ensures that the films find their way to the 90+ market 'territories' around the world. Local distribution involved the distributor acquiring the licence to release and exploit the film in a particular country. The distributor will usually pay the producer a minimum guarantee for the licence. This fee will vary depending on the status and perceived commercial potential of the film, and on the range of rights that the distributor chooses to exploit.

What is the advantage of being a major US studio?
The major US studios generally have their own distribution offices in all the major territories.

What three different types of rights can you acquire on a local level?
The distributor will usually pay the producer a minimum guarantee for the licence. This fee will vary depending on the status and perceived commercial potential of the film, and on the range of rights that the distributor chooses to exploit. A distributor will usually be offered theatrical rights, for showing the film in cinemas; video rights, for video and DVD exploitation; and TV rights, if the distributor is able to sell the film to a broadcaster.

What are royalties?
In addition to paying a fee to secure the film, the licence will stipulate that the distributor will also pay royalties to the producer, taken from the profits that the film generates. A local distributor will conventionally share profits equally with the producer for the theatrical leg, pay back higher royalties for broadcast rights, and lower for video/DVD.

What is the most effective way to increase interest in a film?
Once the licence has been agreed, it is then the distributor's job to launch the film. In the UK, feature films are released initially theatrically (in cinemas). A theatrical opening is seen as the most effective way to create interest in a new film. The big screen is still the optimum setting for a film for both audiences and the filmmakers.

How long does it take for a film to reach 'free to air' TV?
Some months following the theatrical release, a film will be packaged and released on DVD and VHS video, then on various forms of pay television and eventually, two years after opening in cinemas, on free-to-air television.

Marketing

What are the two key questions surrounding the marketing of a film?
The marketing of a film release revolves around two key questions: 'When?' and 'How?'

What day are films typically released on?
In the UK, Fridays.

What will a distributor look at before releasing a film on a Friday?
A distributor will assess this schedule to identify a Friday release date where there are only a few films scheduled for release. 

What is a 'light' week in terms of distribution?
Finding a 'light' week will ensure that there will be both screen space and adequate review column inches in the press allocated to any potential release. A further consideration for scheduling a release is the seasonality of the film. For example, it is widely assumed within the industry that specialised films have the greatest potential to reach audiences during the academic year.

What does it mean to 'position' a film distinctively?
Finally, the distributor will try to position the film distinctively and avoid a release date occupied by other films with similar traits (story, subject, country of origin). In recent years in the UK, these two aspects of release planning have become increasingly difficult, as the release schedule has regularly featured over 10 new releases in a week.
After setting a release date, the distributor works towards the theatrical release, investing in the materials and the marketing campaign to support it.

Why has this become increasingly difficult in the UK?
In recent years in the UK, these two aspects of release planning have become increasingly difficult, as the release schedule has regularly featured over 10 new releases in a week.
After setting a release date, the distributor works towards the theatrical release, investing in the materials and the marketing campaign to support it.

What are P&A?
The costs of theatrical distribution, met by local distributors, are often referred to as 'P&A', or Prints and Advertising. P&A are the nuts and bolts of marketing and distributing films into cinemas, the tools used by the distributor to create a public for its film.

How much can P&A cost?
Less than £1,000, but up to £1 million, depending on the quality.