"Media production is dominated by global institutions, which sell their services and products, to national audiences". To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Firstly, media production is dominated by the Big 6 Hollywood studios which consist of 6 huge film conglomerates that include Universal, Warner Brothers, 20^th Century Fox, Paramount, Columbia and Walt Disney Studios. These 6 main media conglomerates produce high budget and usually high quality films that tend to have commercial and critical success. However independent companies tend to fall behind these and are normally forgotten by the film industry.

To a certain extent, I do agree with the statement that media production is dominated by global institutions which sell their services and products to national audiences. This is since the majority of the films that we as an audience see in a cinema are usually produced by the Big 6. Films which are produced by the Big 6 like said in my first point are often very successful films that are watched by millions rather than thousands. This is probably because they spend much more than independent institutions since independent institutions simply do not have the capability to do so. For example, Frozen is the 53^rd animated Disney movie and has become a huge success over the last 4 years since its release in 2013. This is because Disney is able to target its audiences effectively due to the fact that it has the budget to do so. The budget for Frozen was $150M of which half was spent on marketing. This payed off since it grossed $1BN after just one year in the cinemas. This proves Disney has the right marketing strategy…but what is that? Well Disney is both vertically and horizontally integrated which means that it is able to control everything internally and through its subsidiary businesses. This has allowed for a large amount of synergy to take place in that Frozen was heavily marketed within Disney itself. This was effective in that people who watch Disney movies tend to also be interested in Disney as a whole. For instance it was advertised all over the Disney channel, website, in Theme Parks, in their own multiplexes etc. where ever they could really! Furthermore they were able to appeal to a national audience in the UK since they used synergy through product placements from cereal boxes and sweet snacks to advertisements on double decker busses in London where they would be in full sight to children who were the primary target audience for the film.

On the other hand, I think that smaller independent companies have their place in film production as well. Smaller independent films tend to still be largely successful with critics since they are usually not as ‘safe’ as what you may find with a big 6 produced film. However, these smaller institutions may struggle with the marketing for their films since marketing can be extremely expensive. An example of this can be seen with Bridget jones’s baby which was produced by Working Title in a cross Atlantic collaboration with Universal Pictures. Bridget jones’s Baby had already gained a huge hype from fans who had been awaiting its release since the last from the franchise Bridget Jones :  The Edge of Reason over 12 years ago. This means that thankfully for Working Title it didn’t need as much marketing as a film that was not part of a franchise or had already had previous success. However, this didn’t stop them from striking a brand deal with Aero chocolate which targets the national audience of British people and also the type of people who are able to identify with Bridget herself. This exemplifies how the film appeals on a national level since the single narrative story line is quintessentially British and easily identifiable with those who live in the UK however it also strikes international appeal due to the fact it has the American movie star and award winning actress Renee Zellweger playing the main character which not only appeals to audiences but also American. However, without Universal none of this would have been possible and the release may have only made an impact and commercial success in the UK if it weren’t for the collaboration with the US since the money is simply not available to small independent British film Production companies that allow for huge production and distribution budgets unlike Frozen which I discussed earlier. This could pose a threat to the independent film industry since if people are not watching then talent doesn’t get recognised and it doesn’t give others the platform to show off what they can do.

All in all, I do agree with the statement but I do believe that with the help of larger and more influential institutions it would be possible for smaller film producers to flourish and show off their talents too. However there is the question whether in the future large conglomerates like the Big 6 will aid the independent film producers or just become so saturated that independent films fade out of existence all together.

Discuss the ways in which media products are produced and distributed to audiences, within a media area, that you have studied.

Film production and distribution is dominated by the top Hollywood film institutions. These institutions are known as the Big 6 and they comprise of Disney, Paramount, Warner Brothers, 20^th century Fox, Columbia and Universal Studios. These big six are huge conglomerates which have control of most of the film industry and benefit from making High budget, commercially and most of the time critically successful films. In this essay I am going to discuss how film is produced and distributed to audiences and debate how they differ depending on the institution and the film.

To start off, High budgeted films such as Frozen (2013) and The Hunger Games (2012) tend to be filmed and produced mainly in a studio setting opposed to location. For Frozen, it is the 53^rd animated Disney film meaning that it was only produced in a studio with zero filming on location. Animation uses a large amount of expensive and time consuming software which a company outside the big 6 would not be able to afford nor have the knowledge how to use. Furthermore, The Hunger Games was filmed mostly on a set/ in a studio since a large amount of the film utilises CGI (computer generated images) that is only really available to and used by large film conglomerates like the big six or movies that are highly budgeted.  This allows films to be more high quality and thus more impressive which is highly attractive to any audience. Some film institutions are vertically and horizontally integrated like Disney and are able to produce, exhibit, distribute and market their films all in house. Frozen for example was filmed in Walt Disney studios and then distributed to all of it cinemas and was then sold in Disney stores and could be viewed on the Disney website. This is a huge positive for huge conglomerates as it means that they are able to do everything independently which allows them to keep rights and keep everything internalised. In continuation, huge film conglomerates had always filmed on rolls of film, however this is expensive and time consuming to duplicate during the distribution process. This has lead to digital filming and distribution in recent years which has changed the way in which cinemas showcase films. On the other hand, this is an issue for distributors since film can be much more easily duplicated fraudulently when they are distributed digitally as this is usually done via a large memory stick almost. If criminals get hold of this it could damage the film industry and increase the amount of online film piracy.

On the flip side, low budget movies are usually unable to produce AND distribute their films. For instance, take Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016) which was a low budget film ($35M) produced by Working Title. The film was part of a US-UK collaboration between Working Title and Universal Studios which lead to the film becoming a commercially and critically successful film across Europe and the USA with the highest concentration of success being in the United Kingdom. Without this collaboration the film would never have been so successful. This is because Universal is a huge film conglomerate and part of the Big 6 and Working Title a medium sized British production company. Without investment form the US, Bridget Jones’s Baby would never have been possible. The issues would have arisen with the distribution. Whilst it had been produced well by the independent production company Working Title, it would not have been distributed effectively since Working Title like many other independent companies simply does not have the range nor capability which Universal does and thus it would never have become a success in countries like the USA or across Europe. Furthermore, the ‘Americanisation’ of the film also contributed to the success in production. The way it was produced was very American in that it looked like a high budget film when in reality it was not and also the fact that it had the American star appeal in the very popular actress Renee Zellweger. Overall, film distribution and production is a challenge for independent institutions and low budget film producers since the money is simply not there to make it a huge success and to spread it to the right audience.

Overall, film production and distribution will always be dominated by the big 6 because they are a force which cannot be reckoned with. From production through to the distribution they are far superior to an other film institutions across the globe which in turn just makes it harder for lower budget independent films to get recognition since they simply do not have the budget for it.  

How important is technological convergence for institutions and audiences within a media area you have studied?

Technological convergence is the way in which media products are becoming available throughout many different forms of technological mediums and platforms. This an important and quintessential part of the exhibition, distribution and marketing stages of film production. In a world where technology is continuously developing, the film industry has had to adapt to this change in order to appeal their audiences.

For example, with Low budget films such as Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016) and Moonlight (2016). Effective marketing of their media products was needed in order to get them recognised. This would mean a lot of money which low budget films simply do not have the means of obtaining. Furthermore, this would mean that institutions which produce and distribute lower budget films have to adapt to the ways of the technological world. This is because in the modern world it is a lot easier to market films at lower budgets due to the success of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter which provide a useful platform to advertise films for free effectively. By advertising in this way it becomes easier for the film institution and the film to connect with its audience which is essential to the success of the film. For example, Bridget Jones’s Baby was heavily marketed on social media, this created a hype among fans which had been waiting since the last movie Bridget Jones : The Edge Of Reason released over 12 years ago. This was followed by Working Title and Universal (The producers and distributers) releasing a large amount of pre-release material like teaser trailers and short clips from the movie on YouTube, which gained a huge following by fans of the Franchise. Arguably however, with films like Bridget Jones’s baby, technological convergence may not be as important due to the fact it already had a large fan following and a followed a single narrative storyline and had a safe genre (Rom-com). However a film like Moonlight which was the first film focusing on Black LGBTQ+ issues, may have relied on technological convergence more so since it is a controversial topic and quite a risky genre.

Furthermore, High Budgeted films like Frozen (2013) and The hunger Games (2012) may not have relied so much on technological convergence since they already had a lot of hype and people would have gone to the Cinema to see them whether they were marketed across 200 media platforms or just one since people buy into the institution which produces it and for the case of high budgeted films this would be one of the Big Six Hollywood Studios (Disney, Paramount, Warner Brothers, Columbia, Universal & 20^th Century Fox). This being said I think that most highly budgeted films do rely on technological convergence. For instance, Frozen is a high budgeted film which cost over $150M to produce. However, it has grossed over $1BN one year after its release. I believe that this is partly due to technical convergence. This is because films like Frozen are largely available on a range of different media platforms. In the case of frozen it can be viewed at a cinema, on the Disney channel, via Disney life, short clips on you tube, Netflix, Amazon etc. and the list goes on! Due to this Frozen was both critically and highly, highly commercially successful. The was in which people view films is hugely influential on the way it is received by the audience and being able to watch a movie like frozen in the comfort of your own home is just so much more convenient for people. However, this has lead to Illegal streaming and downloads from fraudulent websites becoming more and more popular. This is highly concerning for the film industry as this not only is not earning them money, but it also foreshadows the death of cinema.

In conclusion, even though technological convergence arises the issue of the death of cinema I believe that this will not happen since going to the cinema is a socially gratifying activity which people enjoy to do and shall continue to do for the conceivable future. I feel that technological convergence by far is more helpful to any institution than it is a sin. If low budget movies could not get their movies out there would they be noticed? The answer is yes, but not with the huge success like films like Bridget Jones’s Baby.

What impact does media ownership have upon the range of products available to audiences in the media area you have studied?

To a certain extent, media ownership largely impacts the range of media products which are available to audiences of film. For one, film ownership is mainly dominated by ‘The Big Six Hollywood Film Companies’ which comprise of Paramount, Fox, Walt Disney, Columbia, Universal Studios and Warner Brothers. These 6 institutions are all huge conglomerates which control a substantial proportion of the film industry and usually produce high budget and commercially successful films such as Frozen (Disney) made for over $150M and is now making over $1bn in its first year after release and The Avengers Assemble (Paramount) made for $220M and is now grossing over $600M in its first year after release.

This being said, films made by the big 6 tend to have high production budgets which means in order for the company who had made the film to make any sort of profit they must distribute their film effectively. This is where Synergy comes into play. Large film conglomerates tend to be internally and horizontally integrated which means that the entire film making process is controlled by them and is in house. Not only does this almost guarantee success for the film and great coverage but it also allows synergy to take place through its subsidiary businesses. Synergy is when the company is able to advertise their media product far and wide to reach every corner of the globe. A real life example of this is the hugely successful Disney film Frozen (2013). As you may know Walt Disney is a huge media conglomerate and probably the most well known globally too. Frozen was produced, Distributed, Exhibited and Marketed all by Disney through its own production company’s, in its own studios which then got distributed and exhibited to its own cinemas and was marketed on its own television programmes and websites. It was then sold in its own stores (The Disney Store) and shown on its own TV channel (Disney Channel). Furthermore, Disney was able to exploit its subsidiary businesses in order to gain benefits from Cross media convergence through its mobile App, website, cinemas and own TV channel. This internalisation and clever use of synergy and cross media convergence has guaranteed success for all Disney films, thus enabling Disney to produce even more films thanks to a huge gross profit. This exemplifies that to a large extent the ownership of film does effect the range of films that a film company can produce and also the range that they are available through, (i.e. on a tablet, on TV, In the cinema etc).  

On the flip side, however, it could also be said that it doesn’t matter what type of ownership you have, you will still be able to produce a range of different media products. For example , while small, the British film industry is growing. Most films do not reach anywhere near the colossal budgets that can be seen from large Hollywood studios and ‘The Big Six’. This however has not stopped British films gaining critical and commercial success. An example of this is the movie Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016) produced by Working Title Pictures and distributed by Universal Studios . This film was a collaboration between America and The United Kingdom and a continuation of the popular Bridget Jones Franchise. Although Budgets were low at only a mere $35M, the film gained a respectable amount of critical and commercial success making over $170M in its first year after release which is a lot for a British made film. However, the distribution of the fil and the production of the film are  carried out by two different businesses which arise the issue that the distributors, being Universal, get the rights to any revenue from the movie for the first 10 years. This means Film companies will not start making money till after 10 years after its release meaning that smaller independent companies do not have the capability to produce and create as many movies as large media conglomerates such as the big six as they must rely on other companies to distribute their films in order for it to get recognised. The danger of not using a large media conglomerate is that the film would not have the coverage needed to become successful. This said, without coverage, there will be no profits from the film which means the production company would not be able to make enough money back after the films release to cover production costs. This would mean that they would not be able to produce a large range of films or distribute to a large range of different media devices.

Finally, I believe that ownership plays a quintessential role upon the range of films which a film company can produce. Essentially, the more money and coverage a film company has the more films, it can produce and distribute which is exactly why the big 6 are the big 6!

Sexuality

At first we are introduced to two male characters through a shot reverse shot sequence. The taller male character is very masculine. He has all the traits of the stereotypicall heterosexual male jock. Through mise en scene this is emphasised due to the fact he is wearing a football jersey which is key to understanding that he is straight as football is perceived to me a very masculine sport. Also he is muscular and tall which reinforces the straight masculine stereotype that the traditional hetero man is powerful and strong. On the other hand, when it cuts to the other male character we are greeted with this short, thin, almost female looking boy. This alone gives us an indication that he is not as masculine as the other character in the shot. When we start to hear the contrast in tone in their voices through the diegetic dialogue we can almost be certain that the shorter character acts a lot more feminine that of the other. through the way in which he positions himself and the flirty tone towards the other man we get the idea that he is gay and possibly hinting they are together. However this idea is quickly destroyed when he remarks that he "already has a date to prom". This could possibly cause a rejected reading from the viewer as the way ion which he says this is sarcastic and almost rude. However, it could also portray realistic aspects of a gay persons high school experience. .

Furthermore, when it cuts to the next scene we can see a Birdseye shot over a field of football players who are in training. The speed of the cut sequence indicates that there is urgency in what they are doing however , along with their fast and energetic movements and loud drum music used as a sound bridge between the two scenes, create this idea of male masculinity which reinforces the heterosexual stereotype of the straight guy and his friends. during this scene there is a lot of sport equipment which again link to the idea of male masculinity and love for sports and the heterosexual stereotype. The camera then pans down to the same two men that were seen in the first scene. This time the gay guy stands with his hand on his hip. This type of posture is commonly how we would expect a woman to stand which thus reinforces the idea of there being a strong link between femininity and the gay stereotype. The diegetic dialogue between the two characters reveals the straight guy being controlling and calm but the gay guy being bitchy and sassy when he makes remarks like "I'm like a rum chocolate soufflé, if I don't warm up I wont rise" which we can link to the idea that the media perceive gay people to be outrageous and funny and different to the 'normal heterosexual'. To this we can apply the idea of binary opposites which define that two characters are the complete opposite of each other, one being ultra masculine and straight and the other coming across as being very stereotypically feminine and gay. These two opposites almost form an unlikely bond which in a way breaks the stereotype that a gay person and a heterosexual person are different, yet there still is the underlying tone that the heterosexual character is embarrassed to be with the other character due to the way he is constantly looking anywhere but at the other character and is more aware of how he is coming across to his other heterosexual friends.

Later on in the clip it cuts to a scene where we see the two characters once again about to warm up in front of the football team. At first we see a slow motion sequence of the gay character which gives the impression that something big is about to happen as he stretches and turns on his stereo. However when he turns it on we quickly get the idea that the suspense was introduced to almost mock the gay character. it then cuts to a scene where he is dancing to diegetic music coming from the stereo a Beyoncé song which is perceived to be a gay icon. This music also reinforces the fact that there is a link between femininity and sexuality when it comes to gay men. The movements of his body emphasise his weakness amongst such a large group of jocks. A long shot has been used to establish the reaction of all of the football players who are laughing and mocking the gay guy. This emphasises the fact that he is totally out of place and doesn't belong here which again can be said to highlight the reality for a young gay teen in high school. This also reinforces the stereotype that the typical heterosexual male will dismiss homosexuality because if they agreed with it may possibly harm their heterosexualness and how they come across to other straight guys. All in all this creates a rejected reading of the Jocks because they mock the gay guy and appear to be mean, however some may agree with the jocks in ridiculing the gay character but this can depend on a number of factors.

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Age

Firstly, Age is represented in the clip in a number of ways. One way in which age can be represented through the clip is through the sound used in the clip. For example, during the first scene we can see that there is a conversation between an older, possibly middle-aged,  teacher and two teenage students over a broken camcorder. The diegetic dialogue between the students and the teacher suggests that the teacher is scolding them, even mocking them through a sarcastic tone in his voice. This reinforces the idea that teenagers do not have power over the teacher and due to their age it makes it easier for the older teacher to discipline them. This reaction almost suggests that the two teenage students are stupid almost as he is speaking to them in a tone which you may expect people to talk to children in. furthermore, another teacher (this one being in the 20-30 age bracket) then comes to scould the two teenage boys as well, however, it is reinforce that she is also still young and can be diciplined since when the older teacher asks her "you did take out insurance? right?" and then proceeded to make a "tut-tut" sound, this represents that overall the older, middle aged teacher has authority over both which naturally forms a hierarchy that starts at the top with the Middle aged teacher and then ends with the younger, less experienced and possibly more naieve teenage students. this concept does not challenge the stereotypes of age as we would expect the younger people in society to respect their elders which in turn could possibly lead to the stereotypical teenager rejecting this construct. 

How important is technological convergence for institutions and audiences within a media area you have studied?

Technological convergence is a relatively new concept in the world of film which has only become relevant in recent years. What is meant by technological convergence is the spread of media across different devices on which the film can be viewed on. For example, many years ago film could only be viewed in cinemas and then on television. However, nowadays film can be viewed across a number of media platforms such as on tablets and smart phones. This is a form of technical convergence is one that is carried out by a number of different film distributors.

It could be argued that technical convergence is extremely important for institutions and audiences within the film industry since people consume media differently compared to the golden age of hollywood. Nowadays going to the cinema is not seen as such an 'event'. People who are more tech savvy may prefer to watch movies on their tablets and smartphones in the comfort of their own home. This is true for most younger people who simply cannot find the time nor money to go to the cinema to view a film. Watching films on tablets and smartphones, although quite a while after the films initial release, can be a lot cheaper than going to the cinema to see the film. furthermore, people are able to watch films through online streaming services such as Netflix in their home, whilst being out and about or in fact anywhere with an internet connection which makes viewing films much more convenient to people who are regularly on the go. An example of how technical convergence has been used can be seeing the disney hit movie 'Frozen'. The way in which viewers are able to access the film is incredible. You are able to watch it on your tablet, on your laptop, on your phone, on your tv and every other conceivable piece of tech you could possibly get your hands on. This convergence of tech has allowed Frozen to target specific audiences of people and has contributed greatly to the success of the film. For instance, children as young as 3 or 4 are able to watch it through their child safe tablets without their parents even having to say they can. This endorse them to buy merchandise and other such accessories related to Frozen and immediately they are hooked! This is just one of the example of how media convergence has had and impact on the success of a movie.     

However, it could be said that technological convergence can be seen as a negative thing since there are a number of issues that arise due to this new format film distribution and consumption. For example, as film distribution companies start to use technological convergence, films become much more easier to clone and pirate. This is beaches films are suddenly on the internet which means people can hack into streaming services such as Netflix and steal/ pirate the movies. This means that the film company can lose out on money as people are able to watch it illegal online. In addition, although people would not have the restraints of a cinema, such as the fact that if they stream online they can pause the movie in any place they want to and are able to rewind it, they would not be getting the same experience as that at a movie theatre. The audience would miss out on the sound and picture capability of a cinema if viewing a movie at home or illegal online and if the internet is not the best, then films can lag and become quite an annoyance to watch in the end which creates the issue of quality.  

in conclusion, I believe that even though considering the risks that are associated with technological convergence of film, technological convergence is quintessential to the success of films that are produced nowadays. This is due to the fact that nowadays technology changes so much that it would be bizarre not to cater to the demands of modern day technological advancements such as the smartphone or the tablet since film companies would be missing out on something which they could make a lot of money out of. furthermore, distributing film in different ways other than film via the cinema are a lot cheaper to distribute. Even though this creates a security issue for the cinema and also the movie distributors, there has always been an issue of piracy which isn't going to dissolve no matter what you do. People still go into cinemas and record films and sell them, this is not due to the fact that they use film to distribute but more of an issue of people copywriting illegally. In addition, it is much easier for the film companies to distribute as nowadays films can be streamed which is a far cry from the amount of film needed for one movie at a cinema. 

Explore the changes in technology in production and distribution within the film industry

Distribution

The process of film distribution had changed considerably in recent years from physical copies to the majority of film being distributed digitally online and through streaming websites. Distribution through youtube has been extremely popular in that big budget movies and indie movies alike are promoting their movies through the same platform. This has proved successful in that movies are now able to earn money and gain a sense of gratification from the audience through trailers and other promotional material. These samples of the movie help to gauge the reaction of the targeted audience which would alert the film producers if the movie would be a success or a fail. Without Youtube, distribution companies would most likely struggle nowadays to get sufficient exposure in order to become a success. However the issue with this form of distribution is that the quality of the film is significantly compramised due to the restraints of internet streaming and the devices on which people will consume the films which are mainly smaller digital devices such as tablets and smartphones. 

Before the digital revolution of media, film distributors distributed the film through trailers at cinemas, movie posters, tv trailers and other such forms of dated media. Tv trailers and cinema trailers, whilst still popular choices for film distributors may, become obsolete as more and more people consume films from their own homes and the culture of going out to view a movie becomes less and less popular. This form of distribution however also poses risks to the film industry in that people are now able to copyright and pirate the films a lot easier which means cinemas and film distributors and producers lose out on the sale of their films.     

Production

The production of movies have changed significantly since the golden age of hollywood in that the business has become a lot more digitalised and also has become a lot more lazy in how they shoot and put together film. The introduction of special effects and improved film quality means there is little need to film 'on location'. For instance avatar was filmed mainly using special effects and back grounds that were computer generated (CGI) meaning that none of the background or the skins on the actors were real, however it was extremely convincing. Avatar is a prime example of the sheer change in how we film things as compared to how we did in the past. The potential danger with this is that costs can become higher as new technology evolves daily and it disconnects us from reality in that we are creating these perfect worlds and places which simply do not exist which can make a film look extremely fake or can work the other way and capture the imagination of the audience. 

Section B - Audiences and Institutions

To what extent has the internet played a significant role in the marketing and exchange of media products in the area you have studied?

To a large extent marketing plays a key role in the exchange of film. When we talk about marketing we are referring to how film is distributed to it audience and how the audience gains awareness of it. There are 6 main film distributors 20th century fox, Columbia, Universal, Disney, Paramount and and Warner Brothers (These are usually referred to as 'The Big 6'). These companies are the leading distribution companies in the world and control how the film industry markets films. Most importantly, these companies are so big that they're able to distribute their films all across the globe which almost guarantees the success of the movie. However, in return for distributing a movie the, these distribution companies have the rights to the film for around 10 years whilst the movie is still current and relevant meaning that the producers of the movie do not immediately make any money out of the movie. This means that after 10 years of the film being out, the producers start making money which of the movie is not a global success such as 'Star Wars' the producers are likely to make very little out of the production of the movie which can be a huge issue for the producers as distributors take advantage of the producers ideas in order to make money. on the flip side of this if the production company decides to go independent and not use a mainstream distributor then they may find it extremely hard to promote and market their movie as they will simply not haver the resources not the stretch of a big 6 distributor like universal which distributes movies across the globe.

Furthermore, what is meant by exchange of media is the way in which people access the film. People can access a film in a number of ways however the first way that people can access a movie is by visiting a cinema. This is then followed up closely by people pirating movies which get put online for anyone to see. Film pirating is a huge issue for both producers and distributors as it means that people are not spending money on the film which will decrease the amount of profit they end up making as people do not need to spend money to visit a cinema or to buy a physical copy. After this the movie will then be released to the public in the forms of DVDs, On Demand (e.g. Sky Cinema) and then subscription services and online streaming services such as Netflix. All of these exchanges of media cost the audience money to view (except pirating which is free and also illegal). Once the movie has lost its 'spark' then the movie will be released to TV on programmes like Film 4, Movies 4 Men and Horror Channel where they are viewed at no charge to the audience.

Marketing of a movie through the internet is vital to the film industry as the internet plays such a large role in our day to day lives in the modern world. One reason for this is because the internet is unbelievably versatile which makes it a perfect medium of communication between distributor and audience. The internet has been used by film distributors in recent years through You Tube as You Tube allows producers to advertise and market their movies for free and also even allows them to make money out of the amounts of views which their Trailers, Sneak Peeks, Extras and interviews get. This is extremely relevant in the case of frozen which heavily utilised youtube to promote its movie which was successful as they targeted a younger audience who had an interest in watching youtube and whom had been bought up in the modern day world which is so internet savvy. Videos which Disney released to promote frozen such as the 'Let it go' music video , went viral within hours of their release on youtube with the 'Let it go' music video today having over 1 billion views! This has allowed Disney to make money even before the movie was released and they are even still making money from it today as more and more people watch it. However, the idea that over 1 billion people viewed just that one video and disney released multiple other videos related to frozen, each with over 1 million views puts into perspective as to how powerful the internet has been in the success of Frozen with a world population of 7 billion this means that 1 in 7 people across the globe have watched that one music video! Additionally, Disney has benefited from Synergy in that as soon as the movie was released Disney bought out tonnes of merchandise which relate to Frozen. This allowed people to get hyped up about the movie and also prolongs people interest in the movie. For instance if someone buys a Frozen plush toy they're much less likely to loose interest in the movie.  

On the other hand, this contrast, other movies such as Bridget Jones's Baby which is a cheaper, British made film compared to Frozen which is an expensive Hollywood movie are less likely to have as much exposure.    

Representation of Gender (Margaret)

The first shot sees a man addressing the cabinet, making use of an opening shot which introduces the audience to the situation. in the opening shot a lot is revealed about the relationship between the man and Margaret. There is an orb of light to the left and the man addressing the cabinet to the right of the shot who is in the dark. this creates the idea that he possess some sort of evil or is trying to place that upon Margaret who is the bright, innocent, female. This raises the idea that he is almost corrupting her in a way. It is only possible for him to do so due to the fact that he is portrayed as the 'Traditional Man' and Margaret as the 'Traditional Woman' and thus he has power over her to corrupt her. furthermore, the idea of the man being a traditional man is emphasised due to the clever use of mine en scene in that he and all the other men in the room are wearing suits. Suits play a key role in portraying the 'Traditional Man' as suits often refer to wealth and power which are both traits of the stereotypical 'Traditional Man' that is portrayed by the media. later on in the clip, the camera begins to cut back and forth to Margaret. With each cut the camera zooms further into her face which remains completely still and emotionless which creates a sense of anger towards the man speaking. It could be argued that this performance and camera movement demonstrates aspects of the 'Traditional Woman' because even though Margaret is assumed to be angry, she can't speak up for herself and instead stays silent and lets the men tear her political views to shreds. In addition, during one of the shots we see an extreme close up to Margarets hands. On her fingers she wears two rings, a wedding band and a large cut diamond engagement ring which is significant as it shows she is married which is a defining trait of the 'Traditional woman' . She also shifts her hands slightly indicating tension, however she still refuses to go against the stereotype and remains silent during the entirety of the speech. This is made even more significant as after the man speaking the men in the cabinet all collectively laugh, except from Margaret. This, in turn, emphasises the men's masculinity as they can all relate to one another and almost makes them feel massive; a force which Margaret wouldn't dare reckon with.    

Representation of Gender (Game of Thrones)

In this clip Gender is represented through the main character being a female. She is represented as being a mix between the 'Sexy Woman' as she uses men to get what she wants and the 'Lesbian Woman' in that she hates men and takes up the masculine role of leading an army. At the very beginning the camera looks down on the woman which could represent how she is being suppressed by men and reveals aspects of the traditional woman however this is soon shattered when she gains control of the army. once she has gained control she appears a lot more powerful than what she ever did before. One could argue that through the use of mise en scene it gives the impression that the woman is powerful and courageous through the use of the colours white and blue. These two colours can be found throughout the clip in a number of places, most notably however on the woman dress, the flags in the background and the horse that she rides on. the colour blue could have also been used in order to create an image of regality which links to the role of her leading an army. White has been used to show purity in the woman but also represents surrender which links to the fact that men are surrendering to her and are now under her control. Both women in the shot look stereotypically feminine and differ from the men in that they are wearing colourful clothing and do not have weapons. we could argue that these characters have been shaped in order to appeal to the male gaze as they appear weak and small. On the other hand, aspects of the main characters appearance such as her hair being tied back which indicates she may be ready to fight and may represent her being slightly more masculine than the other woman. This is evidence of how the woman shows aspects of the 'Lesbian Woman' in that she has taken up masculine features and masculine roles. This is furthered by the use of a birds-eye shot of the army which makes her look as if she is dominant over the men which also shows aspects of the 'Sexy Woman' as she is using me to get what she wants which is power. Her power can also be seen as she is about to address the army of men. She shows no signs of fear or being nervous which backs up the idea that she is courageous and brave. as a result of being portrayed this way she is creating a new style of woman who has more in common almost with that of the 'Traditional man' which breaks the codes and conventions of how a woman should be portrayed. This idea is supported as there is a shot-reverse-shot between the woman and a group of men as she makes her speech which has been used to represent and emphasise the shock that a woman can be powerful and take up a masculine role.

Furthermore, it could be said that she is portrayed in a way this she is almost mythical. this is due to the use of the white horse that she is riding on and the colours which she is wearing. She creates such a contrast to the dull dusty backdrop that she emits a glow which could be argued to look almost saint like. The idea of her being saint like furthers the point that she is different to anything that we already know and understand about women and almost emphasises her power over the army that surrounds her whilst also linking back to the idea of her being a 'Sexy woman' as men would worship her and bow down to her needs. Another way in which camera work has been used to show gender is because the camera is almost angled slightly upwards at her which could symbolise the fact that she is so respected that people look up to her and she is 'bigger' than everyone else which is a stark contrast to the beginning of the clip when she appears much smaller and obsolete compared to the men. This contrast shapes the clip as without the main character challenging the codes and conventions of how we we would expect a woman to be portrayed in the media, people may loose interest in it as it would be just like everything they have already seen and thus providing nothing new or innovative to the audience. It could be argued, this demonstrates one of the goals of media which is to escape real life situations as the clip itself goes against what we understand about how women should be represented according to the media which is 'Traditional Woman'. Equally Laura Mulvey's male gaze could also be applied to the clip when the woman is shown as a silhouette rising above those around her. This is due to fact that because of the contrast in colours between her (the silhouette) and the dusty back ground, it highlights her figure, Which may have been aded in order to appeal to a passive male audience. However, on closer inspection the way in echo she is rising above others creates the idea of power and dominance over those around her in a way that may not be immediately obvious.

In contrast, men have been represented in a very different way throughout this clip in that they appear to be strong and dominant in the beginning but appear much weaker towards the end of the clip. for example, at the beginning of the clip we see a bald headed man snatch a dragon out of the woman hand. through his performance we get the idea that he is angry and possibly primitive in that he would snatch from a woman. furthermore, his appearance goes with his character as h has a beard and ho hair on his head. this implies that he cares little for his appearance and further emphasises his masculinity. The spiteful tone in his dialogue and the digetic rattling of the chains create a harsh
image of him to the audience which is further developed by him swearing and using derogatory terms such as "bitch" towards the woman. These are evidence that he is represented as the traditional man who would have power over women and appear very strong and masculine. 

Representation of Disability (Casuality)

The representation of disability is clear to see throughout the clip. There are 4 separate example of how disabled people have been portrayed through the use of different media techniques. The first representation of disability that I will focus on is a man in a wheelchair. This man is physically disabled which is portrayed by the use of a wheelchair (prop) throughout the entirety of the clip. As the clip progresses his disability is made much clearer in a number of other ways such as when he cannot use the toilet without the help of his brother and when he struggles to make a call with a mobile phone due to the fact that it is too small for him to handle, which are both made possible by his performance. furthermore, it could be said that the way he is represented is some what negative towards disabled people in that in every scene, the man in the wheelchair has the camera angled slightly downwards. This creates the impression of the man being small and weak and others having some sort of advantage over him, which is how society as a whole may look upon people who have a disability. In addition, the dialogue which is used is key to the portrayal of the man in the wheelchair. There is a moment when the man in the wheelchair says "quit pushing me around" in quite an aggressive manner which may lead an audience to believe that this man is possibly using his anger in order to appear bigger than what he is, possibly because he lacks control over himself as he constantly needs assistance. This idea is furthered when in the dialogue he states "I'm going to have to start looking for a career" this again makes us aware of just how physically disabled he is as he cannot do even the simplest of things independently like care for himself.