1. DISTRIBUTION
STARTER
To identify the process of film distribution and
examine changes to the process over time.
The issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice.
• Before digital distribution of films, how would a
Hollywood production company have distributed films
to a Bristol cinema?
2.
3. Exam info
• Look at the information on question 2 of your
OCR Media exam.
• Discuss the way in which media products are
produced and distributed to audiences, within
a media area which you have studied.
• Think of how you could answer this question
for your case study films during these lessons.
4. Refers to the ‘coming together’ (convergence)
of previously separate industries (e.g. film,
publishing, computing, audio, interactive media,
etc), which increasingly use the same or related
technology and skilled workers. It is a feature
of the contemporary media environment and is
a product of mergers between companies in
different business sectors. It is a logical
outcome of technological development, e.g.
the digital revolution.
Key Concept: Convergence
Write your own definition of Convergence in your
book. Add these terms and their definitions to your Glossary.
5. Key Concept: Convergence
In OCR Media Studies for AS (2008), the following
definition is offered:
‘Convergence describes two phenomena: First, technologies
coming together, for example, a mobile phone you can use
as a still and moving image camera, download and watch
moving images on, use as an MP3 player and recorder and
access the internet with. Second, media industries are
diversifying so they produce and distribute across several
media – for example, a newspaper with an online version
and audio podcasts, or the coming together of videogames
and films.’
Can you think of any other examples of Convergence?
6. Examples from our case study
• Try to find examples of convergence in the
distribution and marketing of our two case
study films.
7. Key Concept: Synergy
Describes the process by which large corporations
develop, produce and market media products (and
associated merchandising) across a range of media
platforms – through film, music, toys, interactive
media, TV programmes, etc – and the benefits of
this process for these corporations, e.g. sharing
costs and maximising profits. The
‘interconnectedness’ of these products produces
more than the sum of their parts.
Write your own definition of Synergy in your
book. Add this term and its definition to your Glossary.
8. Key Concept: Synergy
In OCR Media Studies for AS (2008), the
following definition is offered:
‘Synergy is the interconnected marketing and
distribution of media products across a range of
platforms and sectors.’
Can you think of any examples of Synergy?
25. The film premieres
• Read the description of the UK film premieres
for ‘Iron Man 3’ and ‘Mrs Brown’s Boys
D’Movie’.
• Who or what are the big ‘draws’ at these
premieres?
• How have the institutions influenced the
‘buzz’ around the film premieres?
