Age

  Plan
Mise-en-scene

• Over the shoulder show- looking down on the boy
• boy looking down to floor, results in no eye contact- stereotype
• Judges costume- power
• in the box, guards around him, makes him look small
• crying- childlike
• looks to parents for help

Sound

• Judge well spoken
• boy mumbles, speaks slowly, one word answered
• judge answers quickly, trying to catch him out
• non diegetic music- sounds mysterious 

camera

• looking up to judge, down to boy
• other people level- shows their position

editing

• boy- longer, struggling to talk
• judge- quick, more powerful, controls the questions

denotation- what is seen
connotation- what is suggested from what is seen
realism- if the character seems that they could be real
verisimilitude- dose the storyline reflect what could be real
high production value- looks like it costs a lot
low production value- looks cheap 
narrative- the way the story is told 
parallel editing- two different actions happening at the same time shown by shots taken turns to be seen
shot reverse shot- can see relationship of people and contrasts between them 
continuity editing- flowing shot to shot 
montage editing- 




Mise-en-scene helps represent age in the clip in may ways. The first shot we see is an over the shoulder shot looking at the boy. This shows the judge as higher in power and has more status than the boy. The boy in only looking up to the judge when he has to answer a question, the rest of the time he is facing the floor and is hunched over which connotes that he does not have any power or any choice but to look up to the judge when he is meant to. This fact may fit the stereotype of a teenage as they are shown as young people who do not wish to talk much. When he answers 'yes' he nods clearly which could be seen as a child like thing to do. It is detonated that he is sitting in the box showing his volubility. This is backed up by the fact that he is surrounded by guards. The judge is wearing typical outfit for a judge showing that he has status and is could highlight the age difference between the boy and the judge as the judge is playing a role and understands what is going on whereas the boy is not as aware. We also see that during the clip we see adults looking down on him in the docks which could again highlight how young he is. During the clip he starts crying which fits the stereotype of a child. When the judge starts to ask him about university he looks at his parents, although this is because they are unaware that he quit, it could also be a sign that he is looking for help from them like a child would, . 


Another way in which age is represented within the clip is through sound. The judges voice is very clear and simple to understand which might connote that he is trying to highlight the fact that the boy is young so his understanding of the spoken language may not be as advanced as his is. The boy is almost different. He speaks very slowly and answers one word answers when he can, his voice is also slightly mumbled showing that he has much less power than the judge and it also follows the stereotype of a teenage boy as they do not get shown as well spoken. There are also some words used within the clip which shows how young the boy is. One of them are 'university'. When the judge asks how long has he been there he looks at two people who says is his 'mum and dad' which may represent him looking to them for help. There is also non-diegetic music playing towards the end of the clip when the boy is shown, it sounds quite mysterious which could show that he can not be trusted.


In the clip there are many over the shoulder shots from the judge showing the boy. This shows that he is looking down on him showing that he has more power. This is also a similar case with the boy looking up to the judge, it shows that he has lower power due to his position and age. There are some shots with some people in the docks, the camera is level with them showing that even they are seen as more powerful than the boy due to them being free and also due to them being older than him. Due to the shots used I feel it makes the clip look like it has a high production value. 


The editing made when showing the boy talking are quite long whereas the judge is only shown for a very short time, sometimes the camera stays on the boy whilst the judge is talking. This could show that the boy is finding it a lot harder to talk and answer the questions than the judge. This may be because of his age and weakness against the power of the judge. There are also very quick shots of the people in the docks, again this could show that due to their age they have more power but also to show how many of them there are compared to him alone. Overall the clip of the court case is verisimilitude and the characters that are involved in it are very real to what you would expect people in the same situation to be like. 

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

PLAN

TECHNOLOGICAL CONVERGENCE- it is the tendency that as technology changes, different technological systems sometimes evolve toward performing similar tasks. 
(it is when one device can do many things the other devices can do, for example, a smart phone can make and receive texts and calls, take photos, take videos, gain access to web 2.0, play games, watch videos, play music, have alarms and much more)

Examples of Technological convergence:

• Smart phones- makes calls and texts, access to web 2.0, can play games, can listen to music, can take photos, take videos
• Laptop- access to web 2.0, can play games, can listen to music, can make documents, can make video calls, some can take pictures, send and receive messages 

PRODUCTION 

• Devices such as smart phones has a video camera on it so it will allow people more people to film videos without buying more devices so will be cheaper
• Because more people will be able to film their own films there will be more competition for viewers
• Devices such as computers can now do more (edit clips, gain access to web 2.0, edit documents) so companies won't have to buy different devices to do these jobs, not only will it be quicker but it will also be cheaper 

DISTRIBUTION 

• Can advertise the film on many more platforms and those platforms can be accessed a lot more easily due to the fact that there are many more devices which can get access to web 2.0
• Due to technological convergence video cameras have been easy to get hold of (phones have good video cameras on them and many people have one) therefore there is more competition because there are more videos 
• Because many devices can gain access to web 2.0 people can share and upload videos easier therefore again there is more competition 

Case study- Ill manors had a small budget of only £100,000 so they used many free ways of marketing which largely involved web 2.0. They made a website, social media pages and a trailer to put on websites such as their own, their social media pages and YouTube. Due to technological convergence this way of marketing has had a big impact on the overall box office sales, which was £453,570 in the UK alone, as more people saw the advertising of the film. 

EXHIBITION 

• People can access the films on many devices
• Due to being able to access the film in more ways people are now free to watch the film when and where they want
• It may be harder for them to keep track of where (for example, on what website) they have allowed the film to be shown so it is easier for people to illegally watch the film, this will result in a loss of profit

Case study- Skyfall, which had a huge budget of an estimated £200,000,000, is accessible on websites such as Netflix, due to technological convergence many devices can gain access to web 2.0 so they can watch the film on many more devices other then just a computer or just on a TV through a DVD.

AUDIENCE

• It is easier for people to watch films because more devices allow them to
• They can gain access to web 2.0 on many devices so they can watch films on like also they are more likely to watch the trailer or see other marketing materials as a lot of it is online and their increased time online will mean they they see more 

Technological convergence is when device can do many different things that other devices can do. For example a smart phone can send and receive texts and calls, gain access to web 2.0 which a computer can do, take photos which a camera can do, play music, take videos and play games which a games console can do. Another example a games console can gain access to web 2.0. 

Production companies have benefited a lot from technological convergence. Computers can other devices such as tablets can now have editing software on them. This allows them to reduce the cost of buying other devices. However due to this and the fact that smart phones can now take videos and photos there is more competition. This is because there are many more accessible devices which people can buy that take videos and can have editing software on it because of technological convergence. 

Also, due to technological convergence companies now have more ways to market a film. For example, Ill manors had a small budget of only £100,000 so had to use cheap ways to market their film. They used web 2.0 to get more box office sales. This is by making their own website, social media page and by making a trailer and poster to put up on their website, social media page and other websites including YouTube. Because it has got easier to do this many more people are using methods like this. This is therefore creating more competition for the companies. 

Disability in A touch of Frost

Within this clip disability is shown in many different ways. The first time we see one of the main characters, named Billy, is when he is shown walking along a road which is in the forest by a tracking shot. Due to using this kind of shot it allows him to stay in the centre of the screen showing his significance in the clip. He is seen dusting himself down in quite a clumsy manor which may be down to his disability. The fact that he is by himself could show that his disability does not limit independence. This scene is directly followed by a scene involving police with dogs and with the added music the audience sees that he may not be someone to trust.

The shot then changes. The audience can see him walk out in front of the police. The police are shown by a long shot making them easy to see. When he finally does see them his reaction is shown by a close up. Both shots are quite quick which could show that he is put into a situation where the only thing he can think to do is run like he is guilty of something that he may not be clear on, it also shows him as childish. As he runs in the opposite direction it is clear that the police can easily catch up with him but he does not realise this until they catch him. This shot is over very quickly to show how easily they get him. The camera is uneven which could show that Billy does not know what is really going on and is just running any where he can to get away from who ever is chasing him. When they do catch him, he falls to the ground and tries to get away from them yet again it is clear that he is not going to get away from them due to the close up shot. It is then followed by a close up of him saying 'I didn't do anything' again and again even though he does not know what he is denying, this could be shown as childish as children associate the police which doing something bad and automatically assume that they are going to arrest them no matter what they done.

The clip then changes setting which is shown by an establishing shot of the house which also uses panning. The house is seen to be surrounded by people and police. This could show that due to his disability they see him as a threat as they are all interested in what he has potentially done wrong. When the camera goes inside the house the audience sees Frost talking to Billy's father by a two shot. Frost explains that he will have to go in with him due to him being disabled. This again relates to being a child because they are meant to have an adult with them when they have an interview. Frost describes Billy as 'Mentally subnormal' showing that he looks down on him. It also shows that peoples views on disability has changed a lot over the years and this is also backed up with Billy's father calling him 'handicapped' which today is seen as not appropriate. Billy's mother then joins in with the conversation which is shown in a three shot and suggests that she should clean him up before he talks to Frost. This could show that he has limited ability to look after himself which goes against what the audience is first led to believe when they see him walk home alone at night.

They then enter the room and Billy's father explains what is going to happen in a very clear calm, reassuring voice, it sounds like the same manor to that of how you might speak to a child. Whilst he is talking he kneels down to Billy's level. Billy interrupts him saying yet again 'I didn't do anything'. This repetitiveness is again an example of how he could be described as 'childlike'. His father then moves back to allow Frost to sit in front of him and talk to him. Frost talks to him in the same manor and also lowers his head when talking to him which makes the audience feel that he is talking down to him like you would look down on a child. Him looking down on him could also show out of the two, even though they are both adults, Frost has the authority due to the fact that Billy has a disability. Their conversation is shown by using close ups. As each one of them talks the camera shows them and only them. This could show how different they are as people because one is able bodied and the other is disabled. Billy's father is always sitting in frame behind him through out the conversation which could show that Billy is often reliant on him. This point is backed up by the fact that sometimes he has the explain Billy's answers further. An example of this is when Billy explains that he came home from 'Workshop', the audience later find out this is where he works due to his father explaining this to Frost. He does not directly ask Billy what he means by 'workshop', instead he asks his father which could show Billy as untrustworthy or he may see him as childlike. When Frost finds this out he looks shocked, this could be because Billy is disabled and working. Billy also talks about 'the playground' with is a place where children go, yet he goes there regularly perhaps showing that he has the same mental capacity of that of a child. The clip ends with Billy repeating what he says again, this could again back up the point that he is seen as childlike, yet is may also show him as untrustworthy as due to him repeating himself it sounds like not only is he trying to persuade Frost that he did not see Trisha but it also sounds like he may be trying to persuade himself.

What is the significance of proliferation of hardware and content on institutions and audiences?

What is the significance of proliferation of hardware and content on institutions and audiences?

PLAN

Paragraph 1- Producers 
Advantages

• Digital video cameras have become cheaper therefore they can afford more on set so therefore they can get more shots making the overall film look better
• Due to computers becoming cheaper they can buy more meaning the film can be edited quicker 

Disadvantages

• Due to cameras being so cheap more people can get them, therefore more content is being made so there is more competition
• Computers are so cheap and so are other digital technologies which you can edit footage on so their will be more competition as more people can make professional looking videos 

Case study-  Skyfall has many scenes which includes different camera angles and this could not be possible without the cost of cameras decreasing even though the estimated budget for the film was $200,000,000.

Paragraph 2- Distributors
Advantages

• More people have access to Web 2.0 via technologies that include computers, laptops, smart phones, smart TVs and tablets so websites that are used to market the film will have more impact as more people will see it 
• Synergy can be used more effectively due to the proliferation of hardware and content as there are more platforms 
• Because the footage is made on digital cameras and can then be put on computers, the final film can be sent to exhibitors digitally which will be cheaper, easier and much quicker

Disadvantages 

• More people have access to Web 2.0 via technologies that include computers, laptops, smart phones, smart TVs and tablets so videos on websites such as YouTube will create more competitions for films

Case study- Due to the small budget of £100,000 Ill manors uses social media sites and has a web page due to the low cost. These ways of marketing would have much less impact if there was less ways of gang internet access.

Paragraph 3- Exhibitors

Advantages

• more ways to show films, this makes it easier for the audience to access the film so therefore the will get more profit
• Films can now be on viewed on websites such as Netfilx which means people can watch films without having to buy the DVD, as long as you have internet access you will be able to watch the films you want with only a monthly subscription fee 

Disadvantage

• Illegally downloading films will be easier so therefore they will lose more money 
• Due to TVs becoming cheaper and better quality and many other divides now being able to play videos less people are paying to go to the cinema 

Case study- As Skyfall has a higher budget and is better known due to more money going into marketing, it is more likely to be on websites such as Netflix. 

Paragraph 4- Audiences

Advantages

• More divides on which you can watch films on
• films are more accessible, you don't need to go and buy a DVD for the film you want to watch you can on online and watch the film
• If the audience use websites such as Netflix they can watch many films with only one monthly subscription fee which may work out cheaper than buying individual films 

Disadvantages

• Pirate DVDs or illegally uploaded films won't be as good quality which will directly effect the enjoyment of the film

To what extent does digital distribution affect the marketing and consumption of media products in the media area you have studied?

To what extent does digital distribution affect the marketing and consumption of media products in the media area you have studied?

Remember to answer this from the point of view of the institution and the audience involved.

You absolutely must use case study material in your answer.

PLAN

MARKETING-

·      Social media- different target audience, cheap to use, worldwide, popular, can be shown on different platforms, many different forms (websites) of SM, easy to use. Can comment, like, rate, recommend. CASE STUDY- ill manors: low budget, SM main marketing

·      Websites- cheap to run, can get to a wide range of audiences, can link SM to page, worldwide, can use different format on it (videos, images etc.)

·      Posters

·      Trailers

·       

DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION AND CONSUMPTION

·      Cinemas- needing to get better quality as TVs are caching up (2D, 3D, IMAX, D box seats)

·      DVDs- now becoming cheaper, good quality, no need to re-wind etc., portable players, a lot of profit for film companies comes from DVD sales

·      Websites (YouTube, Netflix)- on the internet so easily accessible from home, gets film out there to the public easier, easier to commit piracy, can watch it on smart TVs, computers, laptops, smart phones, small screen means viewer may lose enjoyment of the film

There is no doubt that the digital distribution of a film does affect the way it is marketed and consumed. There are also many other factors.

One way in which a film could be marketed is by using different forms of social media. Social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are free to use meaning that films with all budgets can use these as a platform to market their film. Ill manors is a good example of how social media can be used in a effective way to market a film. Its Facebook site has 29,740 ‘likes’ it has 3,619 ‘followers’ on its Twitter page. This shows that also of the target audience have seen the pages. The target audience of your film may affect the impact of social media as although social media is becoming more popular with a rage of ages no everyone has a social media page. Social media sites also allows you to comment your thoughts about your film which can either work in favour or against the film itself because people will be able to express their views even if they are bad and you cannot control it.  One of the reasons why ill manors has used social media as a marketing platform is that it is free as its budget was only £100,000, this compared to the James Bond film Skyfall’s estimated budget of $200,000,000 is tiny.

Film websites are also another good marketing platform for films of all genre. Ill manors website has many things on it including its logo, trailer, poster, links to its social media page, images, videos, links to buy the film, reactions and a link to buy the album of the film. Again, it is very good for films with low budgets as it can be done for free yet it can be accessible around the world. Because many things in different formats can be put on it the viewer will not be aware of the costs so therefor may see the film as more professional. 

Trailors for both Ill manors and Skyfall have been put on websites sch as YouTube. YouTube itself is very well known making it the perfect platform for advertisement for any film. The ill manors tailor has 43,799 views and skyfall has 18,173,621 views. This shows that even though there is a big different in the amounts of viewers, they still get watched and is there for a way of getting people to watch the film.

Other internet platform that work to help the film industry in getting people to watch the films made include Netflix and lovefilm. They buy the film so they can then put it on their website. They then charge a subscription fee. It allows people to watch films in their own home on many devices as long as they have internet access, for example, smart phone, laptops, tables and computers. This may bring in more money for the film makers as it means that people can access the film without having to go out to buy the film. Internet shopping also has the same effect. However having the film on so many websites has made it harder to stop people from illegally downloading or uploading the film, it will result in a loss of profit or the film makers. 

Because of the easy access to films cinemas are having to make different ways to try and get people interested in paying for a ticket. Therefore they have made more ways to watch the film other than 2D including 3D, IMAX and D- box seating which moves along with the film. This has made it a little hard for the distributors as they have to turn it in to different formats however it does in most cases increase their profit along with the cinema profits as people hard to pay a little more for the tickets. 

Synergy- Disney and Independent British companies

Using Disney as a good example, do a post about SYNERGY and how it is easier for a media conglomerate than a smaller independent British company.

Make sure you are clear what synergy is and include a definition, and examples of how it has actually worked in the past.

State why smaller independent companies find it harder with examples.

Synergy-  The interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other 

agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.

(When different companies make different items for a film to promote it)

Conglomerate- A media conglomerate, media group or media institution is a company that 

owns large numbers of companies in various mass media such as television, radio, 

publishing, movies, and the Internet.

(When a big company own lots of smaller companies that specialise in different forms of 

media)

Some of the smaller companies which Disney owns-

• Disney music 
• Disney publishing
• Disneyland resort
• Disney channel
• Marvel entertainment
• Disney interactive studios 
• Disney online
• Hollywood records
• Pixar animations
• Touchstone pictures 
• ABC television network

Disney is a conglomerate because it owns these smaller companies which work in different forms of media for example, the ABC television network uses the media form television and Pixar animations uses the media form film.

Example of synergy in Disney is Toy Story 3-

• 3D re-releases of Toy story and Toy story 2 featuring a trailer of Toy story 3
• Combo releases of the films on DVD and Blu-ray which featured extras, for example 'The making of Toy story 3'
• Disney interactive studios released 'Toy story 3: the video game'
• Before release of the film Disney channel held a Toy story film day showing the past two films and sneak peeks of the third film 

Example of synergy in Disney is High school musical- 

High school now have the following things made because of it:

• DVD
• CD of soundtrack
• Dolls have been made
• Video game 

Example of synergy in Disney is The Avengers- 

There has been synergy between Disney's divisions such as:

• Disney stores 
• Marvel publishing
• Retail and creative services 

Because there has been many films within The Avengers storyline they have all helped to permute each other. There for anything made for a film (for example, a game) will not only permute that film but also others with in the series of films. 

DISNEY SYNERGY

Why is it so difficult for smaller independent British companies to have synergy?

• Disney do not have to get other companies involved as they own such a range of companies, this means they will save money and because they control them they then can have control over what they make and what they don't  Smaller companies do not have this so it is made a lot harder for them to have synergy as they have to persuade companies to make things based around the film.
• British independent companies also generally have a smaller budget for example Toy story 3 had an estimated budget of $200,000,000 and Ill manors which was made by an independent company had a budget of only £100,00

Example of synergy in a small independent company is Ill manors (main production company- BBC films)-

There is:

• A DVD 
• CD (album promotes the film and vice versa)

The CD was from Ben Drew or otherwise known as Plan B and so was the film. The film includes his music from the album and it also describes a little of what is going on in the film. On the website of Ill manors there are links to buy both the DVD and CD so it is clear that they both play a very important role in promoting each other yet they were still being seen as two totally different items in their own right.  

Shaun of the dead (main production company- Working title films)-

Shaun of the dead had a low budget so didn't have money for synergy. This is the case for many films made by a small independent companies. 

Shaun of the dead is now part of a collection of three films. The other two are called Hot Fuzz and The worlds end, they now all are a way of publishing each other because if someone sees one film they are more likely to watch the others so even without synergy other films are still advertising each other. 

Plan

Introduction

• film companies: production, distribution, exhibition
• audience 
• case studies: 
• 
  

Production 
Advantages 

• Cheaper to film as film clips can be deleted and therefore the memory space can be re-used 
• Quicker to edit from digital
• quicker to make film as director can review the clip there and then
• it is now possible to use CGI and is cheaper, more accessible to other people
• due to cheaper cameras there can be more shots 

Disadvantages 

• Because of cameras being more amiable to buy more people can make their own films, means more competition, less money
• Editing software and CGI have become more accessible so more competition from other companies 

Case study:

Distribution
Advantages

• Blu-ray is also available 
• Social media sites can be used as a advertisement method, became more popular as you can gain access to the from different platforms (technological convergence)
• youtube and other sites like it can have clips or trailers from the film as an advertisement method 
• Easier to export to exhibitors as there is more ways to do so, it also takes less time 

Disadvantages 

• Full effect of blu-ray cannot be seen fully unless played on a blu-ray player 
• people can leak the film easier- loss of money 

Case study:

Exhibition
Advantages

• More platforms to show the film on so can reach more people 
• Examples of internet platforms: Netflix, Film 4
• Cinemas have more ways to show films- 2D, 3D, IMAX, D box seating 
• The high quality of digital won't change or decrease the more it is played 
• more platforms to watch films  (technological convergence) 
• 
  

Disadvantages 

• Higher price of better seats (3D, IMAX)
• Easier for people to put films up on the internet illegally due to it being easier to get hold of, loss of money- worse quality 
• cinemas will be effected because more platform to watch films and they need to keep making cinema experience better to keep up with the rising quality of TVs to keep people paying to come 

case study:

Audiences 

Advantages 

• More ways in which you can view the film
• cheaper to view the film by dvd ect.
• digital quality will not decrease
• easier to gain access to the film (through the internet)
• easier to make films as high quality cameras are easier to get hold of 
• more of a range of platforms to watch films on 

Disadvantages

• more expensive to by seats such as 3D and IMAX at the cinema 
• illegally downloaded films, worse quality 
• technological convergence on items such as phones may decrease the quality of the film and therefore may affect the enjoyment of the film experience 

Case study:

Conclusion 

• Most things have got more accessible to all people which has both positive and negative effects to all film areas and the audience of the film
• internet websites have had a huge effect (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Netflix)