The issue with technological convergence is the audience demand. As technologies advance and converge the end users demand more which can be shown by the advance of mobile phones, originally they could only call or text but now they can do a multitude of thins as more technologies have been added into the phone. The industries behind mobile phones have become ever more competitive to keep up the synergy of technology caused by audience demand. The British film industry is the same as the mobile companies, they are constantly improving the viewing of films by adding technologies such as 3D, and while mainstream films can afford to do this the independent ones cannot and so the digital technology for independent films keep the companies in competition with each other and also keeps up the audiences demand for technology convergence.
Vue and Cinema City are perfect examples of the competition between companies and how digital technology keeps the independent cinema in competition with the mainstream ones. Vue, the mainstream cinema, has the finances to converge technologies such as 3D more than Cinema City the independent, which causes Cinema City to lose out on profits. The digital technology that Cinema City can get because of its independent status makes the films cheaper to buy and exhibit and so the cinema can afford to buy other things with the money they normally would have used on buying the films such as 3D or other technology to make the cinema experience better of the audience.
An advantage of technological convergence from an institutional point of view is the ease of distribution, digital films can easily be formatted for DVDs and quality remains very high because the films are not converted from film reels to digital which costs more and reduces quality. Digital films can also be distributed easily by uploading straight onto the internet via the film rather than the DVD or illegal uploads which both cost the industry a lot of money so the industry themselves can upload good quality films on the internet which the audience can pay for which has the added benefit of a wider audience. Digital to digital conversions, film to DVD, cost less money to the industry and so increases the income. An advantage of technological conversions for the audience is cheaper costs of films in other formats such as DVDs. It is easier to convert digital films to DVD so the cost would be less thus saving the audience money. Another advantage for the audience, which would be a disadvantage for the industry is the internet, digital films would be much easier to upload onto the internet than film reels and although this can be an advantage for the industry if they did it themselves is can also be a disadvantage because of file sharing sites and illegal downloading. A disadvantage of technological convergence for audiences is the cost of non-convergent technology such as cassette tapes and videos which, like film reels, are more costly to format into digital and are fast becoming outdated because of the need to buy specialist machinery for them.
Sunday, 28 March 2010
Describe The Impact On The Production, Marketing, Distribution And Exhibition Of Working Title’s Films, Made By Universal
Before Universal took over Working Titles all area’s of film making were dealt with by the two producers, Time Bevan and Eric Fellner. The two partners spent most of their time making deals between the various companies needed to get a film into production. In production the directors and actors were generally new talent and unheard of by the wider film community, as such many of the films were independent with original storylines and interesting soundtracks. All companies that dealt with marketing, distribution and exhibition were hired on a film-to-film basis, for example in one film the distributer was Atlantic Releasing Corp, and in another it was Vestron. There was not a set distributer, marketer or exhibition company contracted with Working Titles and because of this Bevan and Fellner had to go around to companies and make deals to get their films out to the audience. The contracts for the areas of film making were so hard to deal with that Working Titles only got out one or two films a year and if those films didn’t do well it left the company in a bad situation, however if the films did well then the money could go towards the next production, it is said by the producers that this “stop and go” process of only putting out one or maybe two films a year left the company “virtually always bankrupt”.
After Universal took over, with 67% of the shares of the Working Title company, Fellner and Bevan said that they preferred it to how they were before because Universal took care of the distribution, marketing and exhibition which left the producers to work on the production without worrying about anything else, this new freedom to focus on their work gave a remarkable improvement of the films that were produced by the company. A company that is a part of Universal called Vivendi has exclusive distribution rights to Working Title films and both marketing and exhibition are also done by Vivendi in most films, this is because Vivendi is what is known as a vertically integrated, meaning they have a part in all the components of film making. Vivendi does what Fellner and Bevan used to do when they were independent producers but Vivendi has links and contracts with many other companies which make distribution, marketing and exhibition much easier for them than it was for Fellner and Bevan. Production for Working Titles is much better now the other aspects of film making has been dealt with, and because Universal is a huge company, it has many other companies working with it which means Fellner and Bevan get the benefits of the other companies help and have often co-produced films with other companies such as StudioCanal which lightens the workload for both teams and therefore gives the producers more time to work on the scripting, and editing to make the films the best they can be. Universal is a worldwide company and is linked to many agencies for actors and directors, because of this Working Title can get mainstream actors and the movie budgets are often much larger than the ones they used to have when they were independent. As such Working Titles has started making more mainstream films rather than the independent films they used to make, but because they do still like to make mainstream films a secondary company was made under Working Titles called Working Titles 2 which focuses solely on independent films and leaves Working Titles free to pursue the mainstream films that Universal prefer.
To conclude, Universal has had a positive impact on Working Title, it deals with the distribution, marketing and exhibition so that Fellner and Bevan can focus on the Production and even supply funds, help hire actors, actresses and directors and gives the producers a lot of freedom to make what ever film they like. Universal helps Working Title by supporting it and giving resources needed in film production. Working Titles has been more profitable and made many more films that are well received by the audience since the take over by Universal which proves that it has had a good effect on Working Titles and will continue to do so over the coming changes in Working Titles such as its expansion out of England and overall growth in power and wealth.
After Universal took over, with 67% of the shares of the Working Title company, Fellner and Bevan said that they preferred it to how they were before because Universal took care of the distribution, marketing and exhibition which left the producers to work on the production without worrying about anything else, this new freedom to focus on their work gave a remarkable improvement of the films that were produced by the company. A company that is a part of Universal called Vivendi has exclusive distribution rights to Working Title films and both marketing and exhibition are also done by Vivendi in most films, this is because Vivendi is what is known as a vertically integrated, meaning they have a part in all the components of film making. Vivendi does what Fellner and Bevan used to do when they were independent producers but Vivendi has links and contracts with many other companies which make distribution, marketing and exhibition much easier for them than it was for Fellner and Bevan. Production for Working Titles is much better now the other aspects of film making has been dealt with, and because Universal is a huge company, it has many other companies working with it which means Fellner and Bevan get the benefits of the other companies help and have often co-produced films with other companies such as StudioCanal which lightens the workload for both teams and therefore gives the producers more time to work on the scripting, and editing to make the films the best they can be. Universal is a worldwide company and is linked to many agencies for actors and directors, because of this Working Title can get mainstream actors and the movie budgets are often much larger than the ones they used to have when they were independent. As such Working Titles has started making more mainstream films rather than the independent films they used to make, but because they do still like to make mainstream films a secondary company was made under Working Titles called Working Titles 2 which focuses solely on independent films and leaves Working Titles free to pursue the mainstream films that Universal prefer.
To conclude, Universal has had a positive impact on Working Title, it deals with the distribution, marketing and exhibition so that Fellner and Bevan can focus on the Production and even supply funds, help hire actors, actresses and directors and gives the producers a lot of freedom to make what ever film they like. Universal helps Working Title by supporting it and giving resources needed in film production. Working Titles has been more profitable and made many more films that are well received by the audience since the take over by Universal which proves that it has had a good effect on Working Titles and will continue to do so over the coming changes in Working Titles such as its expansion out of England and overall growth in power and wealth.
Moving Image Production Has Always Been Led By The Audience’s Demand For New Sensation. Discuss
Since moving image production began there has been many technological improvements, the latest being improvements to CGI (computer generated images). CGI is often used to create action scenes that would otherwise be dangerous to actors and actresses but is used mostly to create scenes and effects that could not be made in real life. I believe films are led partly by audience demand but also by the new technologies themselves which are advertised in a way that makes the audience want to watch them; many storylines of successful films are remakes of older movies using newer technology. “Avatar”, “Transformers” and “Hancock” are all successful films that utilise CGI in some way but I do not believe that the reason all of them are successful is solely because of CGI.
“Avatar” is currently the number one highest grossing film, edging out “Titanic” within two months of its release. The film was made of 60% CGI and many of the landscape scenes were completely CGI which made for some spectacular scenes that had never been seen before by the audience. “Never mind the inadequacies of the story, just savour the spectacle and what can be achieved with the appliance of science” was a review of a critic on the well-known film review site ‘Rotten Tomatoes’. The film is very similar in plot to “Dances with Wolves” but the use of CGI and other fantasy elements such as the new planet ‘Pandora’ and its humanoid species of Na’vi gave it the top spot in the highest grossing films. The trailer (see source 1) heavily exploits the CGI elements of the film to capture audience interest but the director is also shamelessly used to capture audience attention by showing what other popular films he has directed to imply that the film will be as good as, if not better than, his previous films. The poster advertisements (see source 2) show a CGI image of the main character along with his human self as well as some of the planets scenery in the background. “Avatar” is also out in the cinema in 3D which heightens the experience for the audience and has attracted the interest of the audience by combining the CGI elements of the film with the little used 3D technology to draw interest (3D is becoming popular in the world at the moment but there still aren’t many films that are making use of this renewed interest). The film uses the most recent CGI technologies; the fact that it uses an old narrative proves that this particular film is successful mostly because of its use of new technology which supports the theory that the film industry is led by the audience demand for new sensation.
“Transformers” is the 36th highest grossing film. Most of the films effects are a mix of live action and CGI, although the fight scenes between the robots are completely computer generated. The narrative is a variation of the well used ‘doomsday’ and ‘alien invasion’ storylines but uses alien robots that can hide as cars. Many Hollywood movies reuse old narratives but use technology to make them different, the basic storylines under all the CGI and other effects is nearly always from other movies and book or complied from an array of other movies all put together in one film. The trailer (see source 3) focuses a great deal on the CGI and action, but mentions the director and producer who are very well known and respected which helps attract the audience. The advertisement poster (see source 4) similarly spotlights the CGI and the action by using the word “war” which implies action and fighting. “The effects are jaw-droppingly good” was a review from ‘Rotten Tomatoes’, the effects were very well received by many of the critics however the storyline was not as well accepted, many of the reviewers found the storyline dwarfed by the action and fight scenes. This film did very well, reaching the 5th highest grossing film in the year of its debut (2007), although this film has a very well used storyline it still became successful which can only be because of its use of action integrated with the CGI that makes it appealing to an audience.
“Hancock” is the 45th highest grossing film. This films uses some CGI, although not as much as “Avatar” and “Transformers”, the narrative was the main focus of the film as it tried to portray the main character (Will Smith) as an disliked superhero who tries to win the publics affection. The CGI is used mostly to depict the characters superpowers and to enhance the actions scenes. The trailer (see source 5) draws the audiences’ attention to the main character, inserting a little CGI to make him look more impressive, the trailer is very focused on Will Smith as the main character to draw in his fans. The director isn’t mentioned as directly as in the other film trailers; Will Smith brings in his own audience because he is a well liked actor. Similarly the poster advertisement (see source 6) brings attention to Will Smith rather than the CGI used. “With Will Smith's admittedly impressive performance certainly ranking high on the movie's list of positive attributes” was one of the positive reviews from ‘Rotten Tomatoes’ although the reviews were very mixed. This film did fairly well which I believe is more attributed to Will Smiths role rather than the CGI, most of the reviews were about the storyline and portrayal of Hancock and despite how mixed they were it seems that Smith was the reason most people went to watch the film unlike with films such as “Avatar” that rely heavily on its CGI to draw in the audience.
In Conclusion I think that in many cases films are advertised to audiences showing their new technologies such as CGI to draw them in because they storylines are reused time and time again but the use of CGI makes it more interesting for the audience. Films such as “Hancock” that have a new narrative don’t need as much technology like CGI to make it good so it seems that CGI is often used to cover up storylines. I think the reason “Avatar” is the number one highest grossing film is because of the amazing special effects it uses, most audience members don’t realise that they storyline is very similar to “Dances with Wolves” because the effects make it look like an entirely different story. The audience don’t seem to mind that the storyline is not original because the CGI is so well done that many people watch the film just to see CGI world that was created for the film. If “Avatar” had been done without the CGI, using just the basic storyline I don’t think that it would have done as well. “Avatar” also had the 3D option which is an old technology that is becoming popular and it is only of the only films showing at the cinema which uses both of these technologies to such an extent. Therefore I agree that film production is led by audience’s demand for new technologies in most case, although there are some films where it is the narrative and not the CGI that makes the film successful.
Bibliography
Source 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeh2KILn7O4
Source 2: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b0/Avatar-Teaser-Poster.jpg
Source 3 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8EKXLwmV7o
Source 4 : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/66/Transformers07.jpg
Source 5 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD8qSmkdqJM
Source 6 : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c9/Hancockposter.jpg
Grossing Film List: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_films
“Avatar” is currently the number one highest grossing film, edging out “Titanic” within two months of its release. The film was made of 60% CGI and many of the landscape scenes were completely CGI which made for some spectacular scenes that had never been seen before by the audience. “Never mind the inadequacies of the story, just savour the spectacle and what can be achieved with the appliance of science” was a review of a critic on the well-known film review site ‘Rotten Tomatoes’. The film is very similar in plot to “Dances with Wolves” but the use of CGI and other fantasy elements such as the new planet ‘Pandora’ and its humanoid species of Na’vi gave it the top spot in the highest grossing films. The trailer (see source 1) heavily exploits the CGI elements of the film to capture audience interest but the director is also shamelessly used to capture audience attention by showing what other popular films he has directed to imply that the film will be as good as, if not better than, his previous films. The poster advertisements (see source 2) show a CGI image of the main character along with his human self as well as some of the planets scenery in the background. “Avatar” is also out in the cinema in 3D which heightens the experience for the audience and has attracted the interest of the audience by combining the CGI elements of the film with the little used 3D technology to draw interest (3D is becoming popular in the world at the moment but there still aren’t many films that are making use of this renewed interest). The film uses the most recent CGI technologies; the fact that it uses an old narrative proves that this particular film is successful mostly because of its use of new technology which supports the theory that the film industry is led by the audience demand for new sensation.
“Transformers” is the 36th highest grossing film. Most of the films effects are a mix of live action and CGI, although the fight scenes between the robots are completely computer generated. The narrative is a variation of the well used ‘doomsday’ and ‘alien invasion’ storylines but uses alien robots that can hide as cars. Many Hollywood movies reuse old narratives but use technology to make them different, the basic storylines under all the CGI and other effects is nearly always from other movies and book or complied from an array of other movies all put together in one film. The trailer (see source 3) focuses a great deal on the CGI and action, but mentions the director and producer who are very well known and respected which helps attract the audience. The advertisement poster (see source 4) similarly spotlights the CGI and the action by using the word “war” which implies action and fighting. “The effects are jaw-droppingly good” was a review from ‘Rotten Tomatoes’, the effects were very well received by many of the critics however the storyline was not as well accepted, many of the reviewers found the storyline dwarfed by the action and fight scenes. This film did very well, reaching the 5th highest grossing film in the year of its debut (2007), although this film has a very well used storyline it still became successful which can only be because of its use of action integrated with the CGI that makes it appealing to an audience.
“Hancock” is the 45th highest grossing film. This films uses some CGI, although not as much as “Avatar” and “Transformers”, the narrative was the main focus of the film as it tried to portray the main character (Will Smith) as an disliked superhero who tries to win the publics affection. The CGI is used mostly to depict the characters superpowers and to enhance the actions scenes. The trailer (see source 5) draws the audiences’ attention to the main character, inserting a little CGI to make him look more impressive, the trailer is very focused on Will Smith as the main character to draw in his fans. The director isn’t mentioned as directly as in the other film trailers; Will Smith brings in his own audience because he is a well liked actor. Similarly the poster advertisement (see source 6) brings attention to Will Smith rather than the CGI used. “With Will Smith's admittedly impressive performance certainly ranking high on the movie's list of positive attributes” was one of the positive reviews from ‘Rotten Tomatoes’ although the reviews were very mixed. This film did fairly well which I believe is more attributed to Will Smiths role rather than the CGI, most of the reviews were about the storyline and portrayal of Hancock and despite how mixed they were it seems that Smith was the reason most people went to watch the film unlike with films such as “Avatar” that rely heavily on its CGI to draw in the audience.
In Conclusion I think that in many cases films are advertised to audiences showing their new technologies such as CGI to draw them in because they storylines are reused time and time again but the use of CGI makes it more interesting for the audience. Films such as “Hancock” that have a new narrative don’t need as much technology like CGI to make it good so it seems that CGI is often used to cover up storylines. I think the reason “Avatar” is the number one highest grossing film is because of the amazing special effects it uses, most audience members don’t realise that they storyline is very similar to “Dances with Wolves” because the effects make it look like an entirely different story. The audience don’t seem to mind that the storyline is not original because the CGI is so well done that many people watch the film just to see CGI world that was created for the film. If “Avatar” had been done without the CGI, using just the basic storyline I don’t think that it would have done as well. “Avatar” also had the 3D option which is an old technology that is becoming popular and it is only of the only films showing at the cinema which uses both of these technologies to such an extent. Therefore I agree that film production is led by audience’s demand for new technologies in most case, although there are some films where it is the narrative and not the CGI that makes the film successful.
Bibliography
Source 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeh2KILn7O4
Source 2: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b0/Avatar-Teaser-Poster.jpg
Source 3 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8EKXLwmV7o
Source 4 : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/66/Transformers07.jpg
Source 5 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD8qSmkdqJM
Source 6 : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c9/Hancockposter.jpg
Grossing Film List: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_films
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Digital Screen Network Questions
What is the Digital Screen Network?
A digital screen network was created by the UK Film Council and Arts Council England; it supplies many independent cinemas with digital projection technology which costs much less than the film reels. There are some provisions that the cinemas with the new technology have to adhere to, such as providing more screening time for more independent films to help the UK audience see more independent films.
How can it help independent producers and exhibitors like Cinema City?
It helps independent producers because they can afford more digital copies than film reels and therefore show a more diverse range of films.
What will it mean for audiences?
The Digital Screen Network gives the audience more chance to view the independent films that are normally harder to come by because of the mainstream films everywhere. The DSN is hoping to increase the audiences viewing of independent films and increase cinema ratings; they want audiences to see a more diverse range of films which gives the audience more of a choice in what they see.
How does your local area benefit?
Norwich is getting two digital ready screens from the DNS which means that the Norwich audience will get to see more diverse independent films in two separate cinemas, this will give audience more choice in what they see and the cinemas can find out what sort of films the Norwich audience likes.
How does it impact your film consumption?
It gives me a greater selection of films to choose from and means that lesser known independent films will be shown which I may want to see.
What will this technology also provide cinemas?
This technology will provide cinemas more chance to diversify their films and attract more viewers to their cinemas as well as the added benefit of finding out which type of film the audience prefers.
What can you suggest this might mean for other technologies?
Digital technology is easier to put out onto the internet and TV than film reels which mean that the cinemas can advertise on the internet or television and even show films on them which increases the potential amount of the viewers.
A digital screen network was created by the UK Film Council and Arts Council England; it supplies many independent cinemas with digital projection technology which costs much less than the film reels. There are some provisions that the cinemas with the new technology have to adhere to, such as providing more screening time for more independent films to help the UK audience see more independent films.
How can it help independent producers and exhibitors like Cinema City?
It helps independent producers because they can afford more digital copies than film reels and therefore show a more diverse range of films.
What will it mean for audiences?
The Digital Screen Network gives the audience more chance to view the independent films that are normally harder to come by because of the mainstream films everywhere. The DSN is hoping to increase the audiences viewing of independent films and increase cinema ratings; they want audiences to see a more diverse range of films which gives the audience more of a choice in what they see.
How does your local area benefit?
Norwich is getting two digital ready screens from the DNS which means that the Norwich audience will get to see more diverse independent films in two separate cinemas, this will give audience more choice in what they see and the cinemas can find out what sort of films the Norwich audience likes.
How does it impact your film consumption?
It gives me a greater selection of films to choose from and means that lesser known independent films will be shown which I may want to see.
What will this technology also provide cinemas?
This technology will provide cinemas more chance to diversify their films and attract more viewers to their cinemas as well as the added benefit of finding out which type of film the audience prefers.
What can you suggest this might mean for other technologies?
Digital technology is easier to put out onto the internet and TV than film reels which mean that the cinemas can advertise on the internet or television and even show films on them which increases the potential amount of the viewers.
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