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Audience and Institutions Film You need to know what the exam board specification for this exam

m is (Exam Board Wording) and you need to understand what each of the seven areas you are asked to focus on requires you to do (see Translation). You could be asked a question on one of the first six areas. Candidates should be familiar with: Exam Board Wording 1. The issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice. Translation How the ownership of the production, distribution and exhibition companies affects the type of films that are made. Understand how all aspects of the media (websites, newspapers, television etc) are used to market a film and show you understand how companies work together to produce and distribute (and market) films. Show you are aware of how new technology has been used to improve the making, distributing, marketing and exhibition on film. Show you understand how the increase and improvements made in technology are affecting the ways that films are made and distributed today. Also, be able to assess how technological improvements have impacted the viewing experience, at home and in the cinema. Examples
Research independent and mainstream production companies as case studies, use Working Title (owned by Universal) and Warp Film compare the types of films that these companies make and how they make sure they reach their target audience. Research independent and mainstream production companies Working Title (owned by Universal) and Warp Film compare how their films are marketed through other aspects of the media. Find out who distributes their films. Look at specific examples eg. This is England, Le Donk and Scour-Zay-Zee (Warp Film) and The Boat That Rocked, Avatar (20th Century Fox) Find out about filming in HD, SPFX and how they are added at the editing stage of film production, how the internet influences the ways films are marketed and distributed, digital distribution of film (research DSN -Digital Screen Network) and digital exhibition of film. Refer to case studies. You need to be able to explore how the affordability of new technology has impacted on the making, distribution and exhibition of film e.g why is that anyone has the potential to be a film maker? (think about equipment and online distribution). The DSN is relevant to this area too how has it improved our access to film? What about Bluray and the affordability of DVDs? Piracy? Refer to case studies. Information researched for point 3 is relevant here too.

2. The importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing.

3. The technologies that have been produced in recent years at the levels of production, distribution, marketing and exchange.

4. The significance of the proliferation of hardware and content for institutions and audiences.

5. The importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences.

Understand how new technologies can combine to produce, market, distribute and exhibit a film successfully.

6. The issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically British) by international or global institutions 7. The ways in which the candidates own experience of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends in audience behaviour.

Show you know how international and global institutions target a national and local British audience. Include reference to how your own experience of the media shows how an audience may behave.

Information from points 3 and 4 relevant here too but you need to have specific examples of how technologies can combine to reach a target audience (Eg, The Boat that Rocked soundtrack was advertised on mp3.com. Vivendi own Universal and mp3.com. This is England - Greenroom digital (marketing agency) approached Britfilm.tv to launch a site take-over to market the film to target audience. Avatar using social networking) Working Title is owned by Universal, why is it in Universals interest to have a subsidiary such as WT. Compare WTs films to blockbusting movies such as Avatar. How do films, such as this, target such massive audiences? You will not be asked a question on this however you will need to incorporate this element in each one of the six potential areas above.

Key Terms Understand and be able to apply these terms in your exam: Vertical Integration Above the line marketing Below the line marketing Synergy marketing Merchandising Viral marketing Budget (Low, mid range, big) Conglomerate Subsidiary DSN Digital Screen Network HD High definition Blu ray i-pods Digital Distribution 35mm reels Independent cinema Mainstream cinema Piracy Niche audience CGI Consumer/ Prosumer Convergence

Useful Websites UK Film Council - http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/ Internet Movie Database - http://www.imdb.com/ British Film Council - http://www.britfilms.com/ Marketing and distribution of film http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/distribution/distribution1.html Warp Film - http://warp.net/films Working Title - http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/ Avatar website - http://www.avatar-movie.co.uk/

Create a table and input key points about the films See the one Ive started here

Useful Case studies Warp Film (Production company) Shane Meadows (Director) Working Title (Production company) th Avatar 20 Century Fox

As background for your research you must know the various stages of film production, distribution and exhibition. Pre production

Production

Production (Principal Photography) Post Production

Licensing Marketing

Distributio n

Prints and Advertising Logistics Digital Distribution

Independent cinema

Exhibition

Mainstream Cinema DVD/Bluray Internet downloading

Look back at the exam questions, can you answer them now?

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