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.