Here are some links to articles that will help you to construct a case study about a global 'tent-pole' blockbuster made by a media conglomerate.
This article on the BBC web-iste explains the history of the Marvel super-hero genre and how it has become commercially successful from inauspicious beginnings. So much so that the franchise is more successful than Bond, Lord of the Rings or Star Wars on current box office takings. Keep an eye on the box office returns as the film opens and see if it smashes any records. The recent release of FAst and Furious 7 showed the public appetite for these global products as it went through the billion dollar barrier in less than two weeks for global cinema box office sales. It also has some useful figures about box office receipts for the 11 films in the franchise so far.
Use the hand-out to help you to understand the film in relation to the media conglomerate 'Time Warner' focusing on;
production
marketing
distribution
exhibition
Show understanding of key terms and use this case study to structure your own analysis of a big budget film.
Convergence
The film can be consumed in a variety of ways now that technologies have converged.
Cinema exhibition
Celluloid prints of the film projected onto a big screen.
This required costly prints of the film to be developed and shipped around the world
Digital exhibition is becoming more porpular with higher quality picture and sound in new theatres
The investment is large initially but then savings are made as the film comes on a hard drive. It is easier to project 3D and new developments in cinematic quality
Home Entertainment
Video player and then DVD connected up to an analogue television was the norm.
Higher quality DVD players such as Blu-ray allow HD vision although digital television has allowed internet enabled services such as streaming and Netflix to begin to dominate.
Televisions were analogue with cathode ray technology
Now they are internet ready with up to 4K resolution
Games Consoles
Originally a console that plugged into your television e.g. Atari
Convergence means it now has online capability and plays blu-ray discs.
What is the future for the games consoles?
Mobile gaming is increasing and convergence may damage this market.
Mobile technology
Mobile phones have much more capability and mobile technology is the future
Tablets - ipad, Kindle Fire
Phones - can now watch films, live TV, stream, store films on memory
Phablets - new generation phones are combining the two in an attempt to converge technology
The consumer demands functionality and there is pressure on tech companies to respond rather than protect their interests as they have done in the past. Why not have a tablet that can be used as a phone rather than two separate devices ?
This is the second teaser trailer released to much fan-fare and discussion on the internet last week.
We will de-construct the teaser trailers.
This one was released first in November 2015
This one was released in April 2015
Who is the institution behind the film?
Lucas Film was set up by George Lucas in 1971 and was sold to Walt Disney in 2012. Disney is a global media conglomerate with five business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive. It is worth £45 billion.
What is the film?
Star Wars is a franchise started in 1977 and after 3 classic films the franchise was relaunched with the first chronological Star Wars film 'Enemy of the Clones'.This will be the seventh film in the franchise.
Who is the audience for the film?
It has a huge cult following and this is the seventh film and is almost a
guaranteed financial success due to the global profile of the Star Wars
franchise. The film is aimed primarily at a young audience but it is popular with age groups who have grown with the films and also fans of science fiction. Therefore several audiences can be identified. the key is that its characters and the narrative appel to a global audience.
How might Disney market this film?
Merchandise, trailers online, conventions, television interviews...
How will audiences consume this film?
Digital distribution will allow simultaneous global release
CHristmas 2015 will allow it to be the family blockbuster
It will be made in prints for IMAX 3D and 3D exhibition and traditional cinema projection
It will be available on DVD two months after release
Available to download and then stream on Disney subscription services
Cyber-security will be tight to avoid leakage and piracy and increase expectation and online discussion
You can choose this film or create a presentation for your own film answering these five key questions
Big Media companies are not neccessarily benevolent and have a lot of information about us these comapnies are 'nudging' or manipulating our lifetsyle and cultural choices
Cyber security is an concern as Western intelligences trade in cyber intelligence with rogue states
The Arab Spring and revolutions cannot be attributed solely to the pwere of the internet
The idea of a sharing economy is flawed as everyone is out to make money even if it is free to begin with. Human nature means we all have an angle or an ulterior purpose..
In creating an internet identity or persona we are becoming increasingly narcissistic and obsessed with the cult of the self
You can balance your essay by structuring a response with an opposition.
Remember Levi - Strauss and his theory of binary oppositions theory of narrative..
Utopia vs Dystopia
Make a list of reasons why 'media in the online age' could be described as either of these.
We came up with these for the dystopian vision of the internet;
Sharing can lead to fanatics building support and influencingyoug people
Self-esteem can be damaged by the cult of the self developed by a narcissistic web
Piracy
Scamming
Anonymity can allow users to escape accountability
Trolling
Pornography
Snooping\Stalking
Cyber bullying
Digital footprints cannot be erased
Surveillance
Hacking
Censorship still operates
Big Media still have hegemony they may just be new companies
This link will take you to an article in The Guardian about a new subscription service launched by Jay Z TIDAL.
This article will allow an insight into the success of SPOTIFY and the comments are worth reading for the opinions of a range of people.
For instance, this comment is pertinent for us, 'Exactly but I'll even include Katie Perry in the equation. Sell direct
as musicians. F**k off talentless middlemen gobshites. It really is that
simple if you actually have musical talent. How much should a video,
promotion, production & distribution cost in these internet days?'
How easy is this and isn't the problem that consumers will go to these streaming sites rather than the artists own site? How will artists make money in the future? Is live music and a closer relationship to the fan-base the answer? What will happen to the 'gatekeepers' the behemoths of the muisc industry like Universal, Time Warner and Sony?
Conduct wider research and use these sources to discuss the future of the music industry.
With all the election coverage you will probably be exhausted with all the messages selling you things but here are a few for TIDAL. Try to work out what they are suggesting about their music service and their unique selling points.
