2. • Question will ask you to discuss the processes of production,
distribution and exhibition in British Film
• A study of a specific studio or production company within a
contemporary film industry that targets a British audience (eg
Hollywood, Bollywood, UK film), including its patterns of
production, distribution, exhibition and consumption by
audiences. This should be accompanied by study of
contemporary film distribution practices (digital cinemas, DVD,
HD-DVD, downloads, etc) and their impact upon production,
marketing and consumption.
3. • You need to be able to discuss issues of production,
marketing, distribution, and consumption in the film industry
in relation to the following topics:
• • Media ownership
• • Cross-media convergence and synergy
• • Technology
• • Proliferation of hardware and content
• • Technological convergence
• • Marketing
• • Consumption
4. 45 mins
• • Develop a clear argument about the benefits and
disadvantages to film institutions and audiences of recent
developments effecting the film industry
• • Include detailed reference to case study material
• • Make sure you use relevant and accurate factual
information
• • Use terminology consistently and accurately
• • Refer to your own experience as a consumer
5. • 1. Link your response to the question:
It is true, to some extent, that media production is dominated by global
institutions, who sell and distribute their services to national audiences, however
it is imperative that a media audience is aware of more localised institutions;
often their products can resonate more effectively as contemporary cultural
issues can be better explored by institutions that orignate from the same culture
that they are presenting to a specific audience. In addition to this, it is often
benefical for a global audience to experience the true culture, in an 'honest' and
informed light - one could argue that this can only be done by a less global
institution.
2. Debate & weigh up both sides of the argument:
e.g. ‘However’, ‘having said this’, ‘an exception to this is the film……..released
in……..’
3. Explain which industries/ institutions you are going to discuss:
e.g. ‘Issues faced by the British film production company Thin Man Films, set up
in…….. by …………., are that it………’
6. Discuss the issues raised by media
ownership in contemporary media
practice within a media practice you
have studied
• Hollywood’s dominance (horizontal & vertical integration, synergy &
cross media convergence)
• Loss of UK Film Council – how do we compete.
• Piracy
• How does ownership impact on Production for Hollywood and Uk?
• How does ownership impact on Distribution for Hollywood and UK?
• How does ownership impact on Exhibition/Exchange & Audience for
Hollywood and UK
• Your own experience
7. Discussthe issuesraisedby an institution’s
need to target specificaudienceswithina
mediaindustry whichyouhavestudied
• Does Hollywood try and target a specific audience, do
conglomerates target a wide audience and create films for the
masses rather than ‘specific’?
• What happens at Production stage for Hollywood and UK in
terms of audience planning?
• What happens at Distribution stage for Hollywood and UK in
terms of audience planning?
• What happens at Exhibition/Exchange for Hollywood and UK
in terms of audience?
• What is your experience of film?
8. Discussthe waysin whichmedia productsare
produced,and distributedto audiences,
withina media area, whichyouhavestudied
• What are the differences in practice with Hollywood and UK?
• What happens at Production stage for Hollywood in
comparison with UK link to Audience planning?
• What happens at Distribution stage for Hollywood in
comparison with UK – link to Audience planning?
• What happens at Exhibition/Exchange & Audience stage for
Hollywood in comparison with UK?
• What is your experience of film
9. How importantis technologicalconvergence
for institutionsand audienceswithina media
area whichyouhavestudied?
• What is technological convergence??
• Technological convergence refers to the process where new technology
is moving towards single platforms delivering multiple media outputs
that can be used to reach audiences, for example, a PS4's primary
function is video gaming but you can download and watch movies from
Lovefilm.com on it and also watch catch up TV and music videos.
• Convergent technology is technology that allows an audience to
consume more than one type of media from a single platform.
• Lots of aspects of the internet e.g. social networking, YouTube, online
editions of newspapers and magazines are convergent but candidates
cannot quote the internet as the sole aspect of their answer
• Digital projection is convergent technology because films that are
produced digitally have moved away from the physical film medium and
can be supplied to theatres in digital format (lower costs for distribution
versus higher start up costs for theatres switching to digital technology).
As the film is in digital format there are also cost savings as potentially
less work needs to be done on the film to get it onto Blu-Ray, DVD,
internet trailers etc as no physical conversion needs to take place
because the film is already in digital format.
10. How importantis technologicalconvergence
for institutionsand audienceswithina media
area whichyouhavestudied?
• How has digital technology changed the film industry and
what types of technologies are there? How does technology
impact on audiences? Consider piracy also
• Technology involved at Production stage for Hollywood & UK
(link to institutions & audience)?
• Technology involved at Distribution stage for Hollywood & UK
(link to institutions & audience)?
• Technology involved at Exhibition/Exchange stage for
Hollywood & UK (link to institutions & audience)?
• What is your own experience of film?
11. “Media productionisdominatedbyglobalinstitutions,which
selltheirproductsandservicestonationalaudiences.”Towhat
extentdoyouagreewiththisstatement?
• You either agree that the Big 6 dominated the box office sales in the
UK or not.
• What happens at Production stage in comparison with Hollywood to
UK - $$$$$$$$$ ££ wide audience/niche audience
• What happens at Distribution stage in comparison with Hollywood
to UK - $$$$$$$$$ ££ wide audience/niche audience
• What happens at Exhibition/Exchange stage in comparison with
Hollywood to UK - $$$$$$$$$ ££ wide audience/niche audience
• What is your own experience?
12. What significancedoesthe continuing
developmentof digital media technologyhave
for media institutionsand audiences?
• What is digital technology and how does it impact on the film
industry and viewing experience? Consider piracy also
• Production Hollywood vs UK £$ link to audience also
• Distribution Hollywood vs UK £$ link to audience also
• Exhibition/Exchange Hollywood vs UK £$ audience experience
• What is your own experience?
13. Discussthe issuesraisedby mediaownership
in the productionand exchangeof mediatexts
in yourchosenarea.
• How does Hollywood dominate the box office sales compared
to UK?
• What happens in Hollywood practice compared to UK at
production?
• Still mention distribution in terms of marketing and identifying
exhibition venues. Compared to Hollywood and UK
• What happens in Hollywood compared to British Film for
Exhibition of a film? Community cinema, Independent cinema
and box office sales dominated by the Big 6.
• What is your experience of film?
14. “Successfulmediaproductsdependasmuchuponmarketing
anddistributiontoaspecificaudienceastheydoupongood
productionpractices.”Towhatextentwouldyouagreewith
thisstatement,withinthemediaareayouhavestudied?
• To make a successful film you need to have carefully planned the
production stage and considered the other two stages also. Does
Hollywood try and reach a ‘specific audience’?
• John Carter was heavily marketed and carefully planned for in
production and distribution but was still a flop.
• What does Hollywood consider at Production stage in order to make
a film successful and what does British Film do? Link to audience
• What does Hollywood consider at Production stage in order to make
a film successful and what does British Film do? Link to audience
• Still mention Exhibition/Exchange as its relates to distribution and
‘specific audience’.
• What is your experience?
15. To what extent doesdigital distributionaffect
the marketingand consumptionof media
productsin the media are youhavestudied?
What digital technology can be used for distribution and marketing? It
affects money and audience – how? Consider also piracy.
Compare & contrast marketing campaigns of Hollywood, indie US, UK
and indie UK.
Compare & contrast marketing distribution of Hollywood, indie US, UK
and indie UK.
Compare & contrast consumption, i.e. Exhibition/Exchange of
Hollywood, indie US, UK and indie UK.
What is your experience of film?
