The Hobbit official website uses convergence in several ways to increase audience awareness and participation: 1) It provides direct links to the film's six social media pages to share updates and promote word-of-mouth advertising. 2) It allows users to download the film's soundtrack to relive memorable moments and maintain interest in the franchise. 3) It includes online games for fans to interact with memorable scenes and engage potential viewers. 4) It enables users to find showtimes at their local cinema and book tickets directly on the site.

1. By Catherine May

3. The Anchorman 2 website has used convergence to increase audience awareness in
many ways. The target audience for this comedy is 15+ and therefore on their
website have utilised that their potential audience are a generation that are strong
users of social networking sites in order to create awareness for the film. This is
indicated in the top right corner of the home screen, by direct links to the film’s official
pages on the most popular social networking sites; Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
This allows viewers or potential viewers to follow their posts, links and videos on the
film which will be consistently up to date, keeping them aware of promotional efforts
and film information. “Friends” of the followers of the official Anchorman 2 website
will also be able to see posts and retweets that are made, and therefore this will
promote the film to all audiences and create a word of mouth advertising technique,
as if people see interesting information posted on social networking sites they are
likely to tell their friends and family. This will promote the film dramatically as it is one
of the best forms of advertisement in the industry, as friends put faith in friends to
recommend a film they will enjoy and be interested in, not producers.

4. Convergence is also used by incorporating online games into the official website of
Anchorman 2 in order to increase audience participation in order to promote the film, and
to sustain audience interest in it. All the games are specifically related to the humour of
both sequels of the Anchorman films, and therefore the games aid memory and promote
future potential of the humour of the iconic Anchorman films, so as the audience
participate and endure in these online games they have a memorable and fun
experience whilst doing so. This results in audience members who have seen the film
sustaining the hype and interest in its release, and allows them to remember and relive
particularly humorous parts within it. This will also keep the audience’s interest and
encourage them to follow the film through to the DVD release. For potential audience
members who have not yet seen either the second film or neither of the films, this ability
to participate within the games will allow them to feel engaged in the film’s plot and
familiar with its characters. This involvement of potential audience members could
influence them to go and see the film, therefore the online games act as an extremely
good promotional method for the film. If individuals partake in a fun game, they are likely
to tell friends and family members who may have a go on the game to and be influenced

5. Downloadable files such as moving images with quotes on them are placed on the official Anchorman 2
website as a method of convergence in order to increase audience awareness and participation. Due to
the excessive use of internet sites and messengers such as MSN, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and
What’sApp these downloadable pictures could be posted by fan members of the film on the sites and
blogs, or sent as a picture to their friends. This will allow customers that have already seen the film them
to sustain interest in Anchorman 2 and its franchise, as they can relive and quote memorable humorous
quotes and moments in the film, and share these memories with other people who have seen it. This
means that talk of the film will be continuously experienced and people can connect through the humour
of the film, also maintaining interest in the franchise.
For individuals who have not seen the film but see posts of these downloadable images on social
networking sites, it could increase their awareness of the film and some of the humour it contains. Posts
of these images and comments from people that have seen the film could influence those who haven’t
to go and watch the film, and partake in the hype about it. This therefore increases interest and includes
the audience in the film and its franchise successfully. In the corner of each image there is also
“#Anchorman2” in order to try and create a trend for the movie on social networking sites such as twitter
and Facebook. This means that people will see it everywhere all over sites or posts, and therefore can
become connected and engaged in the movie and what it has to offer. This will also enable individuals
to see and understand people’s views and opinions on it, furthermore creating awareness and audience
participation in the film.

6. On the Anchorman 2 official website, there is also an option to read a brief story
outline of the plot of the film. This creates audience awareness, as it enables
people who have seen the trailer and have little understanding about its plot to
discover what the film is about. This could be the final factor that persuades
potential viewers to go and watch the film, as this increase of awareness of the
film and its characteristics will promote the film, and the audience are more
likely to be motivated to buy tickets for the film.

7. The website has also used convergence to increase audience awareness and
participation by placing videos, trailers and an interactive trailer on the site. This
encourages people not just to watch the trailer but to partake in the action,
forcing the experience to be more memorable and for the audience to become
more engaged in the action being presented. This prevents audiences from
missing out any information and feeling more motivated and encouraged to pay
attention to the trailer and all it includes. This could result in an increase of
awareness of the film, as more individuals will have a higher understanding of
the film’s plot.

9. The Hobbit website has used convergence to increase audience awareness in many
ways. Due to the inevitable increase in use of technology and dramatic rise in the number
of users and variations of social networking sites, The Hobbit have put links to six
variations of official pages on different social networking sites. This is indicated in the
bottom left corner of the homepage, on a black background to stand out and attract the
audience to these well known icons of their favourite social networking sites. This allows
viewers or potential viewers to follow their posts, links and videos on the film which will be
consistently up to date, keeping them aware of promotional efforts and film information.
“Friends” of the followers of the official Hobbit website will also be able to see posts and
retweets that are made, and therefore this will promote the film to all audiences and create
a word of mouth advertising technique, as if people see interesting information posted on
social networking sites they are likely to tell their friends and family. This will create and
maintain interest in the film dramatically as it is one of the best forms of advertisement in
the industry, as friends put faith in friends to recommend a film they will enjoy and be
interested in, not producers.

10. The Hobbit official website uses
convergence by placing direct links to the
official soundtrack which is presented in a
downloadable, purchasable and mp3
playable form on the website. This allows
audience participation to be achieved, as
after enduring the film the audience can
relive moments of the film and associate
soundtracks with these specific moments,
allowing them to become a part in the film
itself.
Having the soundtrack ready and
available in this form on the official
website will also allow the audience to
maintain interest in the film and its
franchise, as once the music is
transferred onto phones and iPod’s it is
something they will never forget or
become unaware of.

11. Convergence is also used by incorporating online games into the official website of The
Hobbit in order to increase audience participation in order to promote the film, and also to
sustain audience interest. The games included on the website such as the Barrel escape
game allows the audience to partake in memorable and relatable experiences endured
with the film, and therefore fans and potential viewers will feel more involved and related
to the action packed within the film. The game is also fun and therefore a memorable and
iconic way for especially younger audience members to remember the film by and
maintain interest in it.
For potential audience members who have not yet seen either the second film or neither
of the films, this ability to participate within the games will allow them to feel engaged in
the film’s plot and familiar with its characters. This involvement of potential audience
members could influence them to go and see the film, therefore the online games act as
an extremely good promotional method for the film. If individuals partake in a fun game,
they are likely to tell friends and family members who may have a go on the game to and
be influenced by the film in a similar way.

12. The Official Hobbit website has also used convergence by having the option to find tickets
on the official website in order to see it in the nearest cinema to you. When the viewer of
the website clicks on the “Get Tickets” link, the website uses GPS to find your location
and then furthermore find the nearest VUE cinema to you in which one could find out
times of 2D and 3D times of screenings and book seats there and then.
This allows the audience not only to gain information on the films plot, but actual
information about when and where they can preview it. On the website it also has the
option to re-watch the trailer before you finally book the tickets, or to send a reminder to
your computer or phone to buy tickets at a later date.

13. The Hobbit official website has also used convergence in
increase the amount of audience interest and participation by
incorporating the use of webcams to make “yourself and elf”.
This is extremely effective, as potential audiences will gain
excitement and humour out of this experience and will feel
included in the entire production. This could influence individuals
to go and see the film, as they have partaken in some of the
action it contains and will feel like they have lived the
experience. It is also memorable and will allow the film to be
promoted if individuals post pictures of themselves as an elf from
the movie, increasing the awareness and interest of it’s name.