Syngergy And Cross Media Convergence

 

Sightseers Research Task

The issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice

StudioCanal

What was StudioCanal's original purpose?

• The original function was to focus on French and European productions, but later made strategic deals with American production companies.

Which big 6 company has connections with StudioCanal?

• It has strong links to Universal Studios (StudioCanal and Universal Studios were owned by the same company between 2000 and 2004, hence StudioCanal co-produced a fair number of Universal's films).

How large is StudioCanal's film library?

• StudioCanal acquired film libraries from studios that either went defunct or had merged with it over the years. As a result, the company's library is the third-largest in the world.

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


Big Talk Productions


What has been the total gross of ALL Big Talk Films?

• Shaun Of The Dead = $30,039,392
• Hot Fuzz = $80,736,656
• Scott Pilgrim vs. The World = $47,664,560
• Paul = $98,000,000
• Attack The Block = $5,824,175
• Sightseers = $2,102,166
• The Worlds End = $46,000,000
• In Fear =
• Cuban Fury = £3,286,786

What type of film does Big Talk specialise in?

• Big Talk specialises in British Comedies

Who founded Big Talk?

• Big Talk was founded by Nira Park in 1995

Other films directed by Ben Wheatley:

• Kill List
• A Field in England
• Down Terrance
• The ABC’s of Death

Film4 Productions

Who owns Film4 Productions?

• Channel  Four Television Cooperation

When was it 're-established'?

• 2004

Which TV chanel is it connected to?

• Film 4

Bfi Film Fund

What is the purpose of the Bfi Film Fund?

• To support film development, production and distribution activity in the UK

What is its budget pa?

• $26,000,000

Rook Films

• Founded by Andy Stark and Ben Wetly

Where did the idea for the film come from?

• The stories based on their common background and childhood holiday experiences

How does the film qualify as 'British'?

• It was filmed in Britain (Lakes District), It used solely British actors, it made reference to British culture  “Report that to the National Trust!”  “He's not a person, he's a Daily Mail reader!”

Distribution (how many screens in the UK and how long was it at cinemas for?)

$8,377 (USA) (2 June 2013) (10 Screens)
$2,321 (USA) (26 May 2013) (2 Screens)
$8,101 (USA) (19 May 2013) (5 Screens)
$7,384 (USA) (12 May 2013) (2 Screens)
 

Films reception (how did critics receive the film? What is a BIFA and how many nominations and awards did the film receive?)

• British Independent Film Award for Best Screenplay
• Empire Award for Best British Film

Box Office (opening weekend, domestic and worldwide)

• $7,384 (USA) (10 May 2013)
  

The significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and audiences

 Which formats is the film available on?

• 2D HD
• DVD
• Blu-Ray

How was it released in the US? (formats and release pattern)

• Released on DVD

How was it marketed how did StudioCanal help?

• Very little marketing, due to films low budget

How was Twitter and Facebook used to market the film? 

• Created various accounts on the social media sites which wrote tweets/statuses behalf of the movie 

How was Stella Artois involved? What is a Stella Artois bursary?

• Sponsored the premiere of the film.

Class And Status Work - Working Class

Working Class:

The working class are often represented in TV dramas, whether it be as a main character or as a minor part. They are generally stereotyped as being less wealthy and intelligent than the upper classes.

• UK: This is England ’86 conforms to this to a degree with the representation of Woody, who works in a factory.



• UK: Call the Midwife is a period drama set in 1950s london, focusing on a  group of midwives. The location, however, makes the programme based mostly on the working class people in the region. They can be seen as shows as the majority, and generally as slightly uncouth yet able to be related to.

• 

  UK: Silk is a British television drama with a plot that centres around a defence barrister named Martha Costello. Martha is from a working class background, emphasised by her strong Northern accent. Her occupation goes against the 'less intelligent' stereotype as she is a very good contender against another character Clive Reader. Clive is upper class.
  

• US: Jimmy Darmody from Boardwalk Empire lives in the house of his ‘fiancée’, Angela Lanotti, whom he got pregnant when they barely knew each other and just before he left, and with their 4-year old son Tommy, who grew up without him. This conforms to the stereotype of fathers leaving in a working class family. He is also not in a power like Nucky Thompson, who practically raised him as a son, but is disappointed when he discovers that Nucky only plans to make him assistant and keeps him working class until he later ascends the social ladder.

• US: The Riot of King's Landing was an event during the War of the Five Kings. After seeing of Princess Myrcella Baratheon at the docks on a ship bound for Dorne, the royal procession including King Joffrey is subjected to the jeers of the starving crowds of the capital city, culminating in Joffrey foolishly ordering his outnumbered personal guard to execute the entire crowd, sparking off a city-wide riot. This goes against the stereotype of the working class not being powerful enough to fight the upper class.

Convergence and Synergy Essay

"Cross media convergence and synergy are vital processes in the successful marketing of media products to audiences."

To what extent do you agree with this statement in relation to your media area?

I agree with the statement due to the fact that cross media convergence and synergy are vital to a successful marketing campaign for media products such as various movies, TV shows and other media products that capitalise on convergence to promote their media products. For example movies will use YouTube to post trailers, interviews, soundtracks and behind the scenes footage to promote their film. Another example of films using convergence to their advantage is using social media to promote their product. Social networking sites are used by millions of people a day and are a vital part in companies reaching out to people and trying to selling their product. The company that is making the product will make a Twitter page, Facebook page etc. Another example of cross media convergence is celebrity's social networking pages. Most 'famous' people now have social networking page in which they talk about the film/ TV show they are starring in, for example a celebrity's twitter page such as Tom Cruise is not verified, meaning it isn't ran by him, it is run by representatives that don't post updates on his personal life, but promote either his career of his upcoming films.

Synergy is where a film works with a company to promote their film. Sometimes a film company can work with a magazine to publish an article about the film. Doing this inevitably shows anyone who buys the magazine, information or an advertisement of the film, this occurred when Dawn of The Planet of The Apes was in a 5 page spread in a magazine.

Another example is The Woman In Black, which made deals with Social media sites Twitter and Facebook, this is due to the fact that Twitter and Facebook are currently the largest social networking sites. This means that the 1 Billion Facebook and Twitter users will see advertisements for the film which will inevitably expand the films reach. However, due to the fact that Daniel Radcliffe is the antagonist, this may make Harry Potter fans who enjoy his acting watch the film, meaning synergy and convergence isn't vital as there is a possibility that the A list star will create enough publicity. To further argue, this means that the fans of Daniel Radcliffe will see his social networking pages and see his involvement in the film which may indicate that the actor is an aspect that makes synergy and media convergence a success.

Synergy is most often used by bigger companies as the different elements of them (Often a media conglomerate) work together to promote linked products across different media. For example, The Walt Disney Company owns many companies in numerous places: Film, Internet, Music, Broadcasting, Publishing and Recreation and can use the ownership of these companies to their advantage. The ownership of the ABC network (One of America's largest network) allows them to show as many adverts for their media project as they want. Which extends their reach. The radio company 'Disney Radio' and the ownership of Hollywood records, helps promotion further. For example when Disney released High School Musical they later released a soundtrack for this film, by doing this they are able to widen their platforms of what to sell due to them now having a movie and a CD, both based on one thing.