How Important is Technological Convergence for Institutions and Audiences?

Production:

• Smart phones allow for people to film content using their phone (Modern Family)
• Computers allow for audiences to edit content with software such as Premiere Pro
• People can use websites in order to fundraise their film
• Easier for independent film makers to start projects
• More competition for institutions to make films 

Distribution:

• Can upload content from multiple devices such as phones and computers
• Hours of content as a result
• More competition due to increased amount of content
• More places for institutions to advertise such as websites and social media
• Example case study, Ill Manors, small budget (£100,000) with a focus on cheap advertising

Exhibition:

• Films can be bought over a number of different platforms such as DVD, Blu-ray, and streaming services
• More people have the option to watch films from home by streaming legally and illegally (Kick-Ass 2 suffered)
• To confront the issues raised by streaming, cinemas now offer IMAX ad 3D screenings of films
• Removes the need to go out and buy standard DVD's so Blu-ray created to bring cinema experience to home
• Blu-ray costs more so if the film is a flop the institutions could lose a profit

Audience:

• There are cheaper alternatives for audiences to create their own content (music video, short film)
• May not want to watch the more expensive alternatives such as Blu-ray or IMAX
• More free content available for audiences in places such as YouTube
• Streaming sites such as Netflix (Skyfall) allow for the audience to watch content wherever they want for a cheaper price
• Have to watch content on a smaller screen with worse audio

Disability

Camera Work:

The long shot of billy walking in the woods with the contrast of the dark background gives the audience an association of loneliness with disability. This shot causes Billy to appear lost and confused in a strange world and makes him seem vulnerable. The calm tracking shot shows how naive Billy is to the danger he is in. A tilt is used to reveal the tracks that Billy has left behind on the ground due to his clumsy nature. The use of a tracking shot makes the audience realise that Billy is completely oblivious to the danger that he is in due to the pace of the camera movement. This gives the impression that Billy is very innocent like a child combined with a close-up reaction shot of his face he is easily startled and frightened. This shows that disability has been represented to audiences in a way that reflects child like mannerisms. A high angle is used during the scenes where Billy is being captured in order to further represent how disability has rendered him powerless in comparison to the danger that he is in. The use of a panning shot with a collection of neighbours show give the effect that disability is being seen as a threat by the locals. The use of a high angle shot shows that Billy is like a child in comparison to the characters without disability and he is in a lower position of authority. The use of a two-shot with Billy and his father shows that he requires adult supervision like a child would; again showing how disability is reflected with an effect of child-like innocence.

Editing:

We are thrust back into a past scene with the use of a quick cutaway, this allows the audience to experience what it is like to be thrust into an unusual environment. The speed of editing increases as the tensions within the scene rise.

Mise-En-Scene:

The use of a dark forest setting gives an empty look to the shot that reflects how disability is being reflected as something out of the ordinary and gives the effect of loneliness. The use of police dogs give the effect that he is being hunted down like an animal and it further shows how disability is being treated as a lower class. The way that the police are using Billy's tracks to track him down show that he is clumsy due to his disability. The way that the police are being shown wearing high-visability clothing reflect the prominent threats that Billy sees them as they are hunting him. The use of his mother holding a washing bowl shows that billy cannot clean his room and is totally dependent on his mother and father. Billy is shown in a shot with his father, the use of Billy's father in a higher position than him shows that Billy is like a child and needs to be supervised by his father who is in a higher position of power. Billy's face is covered in cuts and bruises, this shows how he cannot cope independently in the real world and has become injured as a result of his disability and wring treatment by others.

Sound:

When we are first introduced to Billy, ominous music begins to play suggesting that there is something unusual with his character and something dangerous is about to happen. The tension in the music begins to rise throughout the scene but then cuts completely, only leaving the diegetic sounds of dogs and police to be heard. This enhances the way that Billy feels that everything in the scene is aggressively pursuing him and his disability causes him to be extremely vulnerable. Dialog in the scene reflects the differences between Billy and the other characters by using simplistic language and light tones in the voice to speak to Billy as if he were a child and to compensate for his lower intelligence. Billy's tone of voice is very similar to that of a child as it contains a lot of high pitches and pleading tones to show that he is in a lower position of authority.

How is synergy easier for a media conglomerate than a smaller independent British company

Synergy: 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.

Conglomerate: a thing consisting of a number of different and distinct parts or items that are grouped together.

Disney and Pixar:

• Disney has managed to purchased the rights to studios such as Marvel, LucasFilm and Pixar, creating films such as The Avengers, Star Wars and Toy Story.
• Disney's Tron Legacy used synergy through different media outlets. The soundtrack was created by Daft Punk and released on Hollywood records, and the film was promoted through Disney world attractions such as the Tronorail, ElecTRONica dance parties, and early previews of the film.
• Toy Story 3 used synergy through blu-ray and DVD combo releases of the films, including a making of featurette. Disney Interactive Studios released Toy Story 3 the game prior to the films release. ABC's dancing with the stars featured a scene from the film. The Disney channel began air a Toy Story day prior to the film's release, showing the previous films, including sneak peaks of the third instalment of the franchise.
• The Avengers featured examples of synergy over a long period. Films that have been the build up to The Avengers have spread across multiple studios. ABC and Netflix have featured television series that feature in the world of the Avengers in the form of Agents of Shield and Daredevil. Disney XD has even featured an Avengers Assemble animated series.
• Disney's Frozen featured examples of synergy across multiple platforms. The song 'Let it go' was released as a single. Merchandise from the film such as toys and clothing were sold in Disney stores. Disney interactive created a mobile game called Frozen free fall.

Disney Conglomerate: 

• Disney Interactive
• Walt Disney Pictures
• Walt Disney Theatrical Productions
• Walt Disney Records
• The Disney Channel
• Walt Disney Company Book Publishing
• Radio Disney
• Disney Land
• Disney World

Easy for American Companies:

• Disney has control over companies across multiple platforms. This allows for promotion of any media product that Disney release to reach a large audience. Disney can successfully create games, albums and merchandise to promote their product.

Independent British Companies:

• It is difficult for British companies to replicate the level of synergy that can be seen in American companies such as Disney. Low budget, British films such as Shaun of the Dead would not be able to use synergy to make a video game, or merchandise based on the film due to the extremely low budget.
• Ill Manors had to rely on the director, Ben Drew, to score the film with his album, and could not bring in another media institution like Disney did with Tron and Daft Punk.
• Ill Manors was able to use some form of synergy by releasing the film's soundtrack in order to promote and raise awareness for the film.

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

Digital distribution has had an enormous impact on the ways in which audiences and institutions view and distribute media products. The advancement of digital distribution affects production, distribution and exhibition companies in positive and negative ways.

Production companies have been affected in a number of ways by digital distribution. More content is able to be created due to the availability of high quality equipment to a wider audience for a cheaper price, free filming on digital instead of costly film. Using film offers a clearer quality image upon first showings, while digital film allows for a constant quality of image over multiple showings. The increase in the amount of content being created, institutions have begun to become affected as there is more competition for films. This increase in content can prevent audiences from going to watch more professionally made films by offering more free content on places such as YouTube and Vimeo.

Plan

Para 1: Production

• High quality equipment more accessible for a larger audience at cheaper prices
• Digital filming is free compared to filming on reel
• Film is better quality than digital but eventually deteriorates
• Editing software available for larger audience
• More competition for institutions
• CGI cheaper than practical effects, more accessible for public on editing software
• Digital cheaper due to proliferation of hardware

Para 2: Distribution

• Twitter and Facebook used for free publicity (Ill Mannors)
• YouTube used for cheap promotion (trailers, ads)
• Digital Files easy to transport to exhibitors
• Files more at risk of being leaked
• DVD's used less due to digital downloads, Netflix
• Blu-ray offer cinema quality experience from home
• Netflix leads to smaller screen

Para 3: Exhibition

• Netflix and streaming services preventing people from going cinema
• Have to wait for films to feature on Netflix
• Illegal downloads becoming more prominent (Kick Ass 2 most downloaded film)
• Illegal downloads mean worse quality audio and image quality
• IMAX and 3D used to offer an experience that you could not get from home
• IMAX and 3D premium price
• 4k televisions and surround sound for high-quality experience from home
• Technological convergence smart TV
• Digital downloads remove the need to go out and purchase films (Blockbuster)

Para 4: Audiences

• Easy access to hundreds of hours of free content on websites such as YouTube
• Can watch Netflix on a number of devices from most locations
• Illegally watch/download content on devices
• Audiences have to pay more for higher quality experience
• Digitally rent or buy films instead of going out to purchase

Conclusion:

Advantages:

• More people can make high-quality films at affordable prices
• Cheap promotion using social media
• Low cost distribution
• More digital content available from home
• Blu-ray and 4k televisions for cinema experience

Disadvantages:

• More competition for professional institutions
• Lower quality
• Less people going to cinemas
• Removes need for DVD

Representation Notes

Editing:

• Shot reverse shot

• Minimal cuts

• Pass by effect to sudden zoom when Terry first appears in the frame

• Editing becomes more frequently cut

• Match on action makes scene seem more natural

• Sudden cut surprise

Mise-en-scene:

• High-class location

• Ben suit clothing

• Benjamin polite

• Terry hunched over

• Body language-shoulders back, confident stride (high work role)

• Short hair/long hair

• Jewelry, tattoos, dreadlocks

Camerawork:

• Long dolly right (Tracking shot)

• Over the shoulder shot

• Reaction shot

• Benjamin filmed in a smooth, locked down camera movement

• Conversation filmed handheld to show Benjamin uncomfortable

• Shots show discomfort of characters

• 180 rule not broken and seems more natural

• Both framed in a MCU until Benjamin tries to leave Medium but other character brings him to his level again

• As scene builds the camera gradually moves closer 

• Zoom, tension build

Sound:

• Music changes when Benjamin talks to Terry (change in tempo)

• Diegetic sound of getting out the water

• Non diegetic background music

• Benjamin continues voiding eye contact

Accent, dialect (Well spoken/Slang words) “blud” and “bruv”



Editing:

• Opens with slow paced editing
• Cuts become more frequent as tensions build
• When pace of the scene reaches climax the character breaks stereotype

Mise-en-scene:

• Two French women
• Chinese man extreme sexual fantasies and rich
• Location expensive hotel suite
• Lower level jobs
• Traditional made attire
• Maids looking down and an looking up (Power)
• Money is the incentive
• Inappropriate costume, laid back, power
• Black lingerie suggests she was prepared
• Contrasts of black and white first maid more pure
• Heels vs flats. Heels have more sex appeal
• Body language, shy and awkward, relaxed
• Eye contact, not looking at the man




Camerawork:

• Close up reaction shots (excitement)
• Cutaway to money
• Two shot at beginning to show same level
• Facial expressions
• Close ups to show one character feels confident and the other feels uncomfortable



Sound:

• Accent and dialect of the maids
• Diegetic sound of music
• “Monsieur” shows regional identity and ethnicity
• Music builds with the tension of the scene
• “Plenty more fish in the sea” more people who will strip


Editing:

• Fast paced editing, tensions between characters and atmosphere of the busy kitchen
• No cuts when managers walking

Mise-en-scene:

• Contrast, Italian dressed in black and English in white
• Stereotypical hand gestures
• Kitchen knife to show stereotype of Italians and violence


Camerawork:

• Managers followed by continuous dolly shot


Sound:

• Thick Italian accent
• “Pig ugly” “Pratt”
• Diegetic sound of knife shows danger