"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.