This document outlines the aims, objectives, and content for an exam lesson on cross media convergence and synergy in the contemporary film industry. It provides case study examples for students to research, such as A Field in England's multi-platform release. Key terms are defined, like cross media convergence being the ability to market and exhibit films across multiple devices. Students are assigned homework researching product placement examples and how film marketing utilizes social media. The impact of new media technologies on film consumption is discussed.

1. AS Media Studies –
Exam Lesson –
Cross Media Convergence
and
Synergy
Monday 4th November 2013
Unit G322: Key Concepts Exam

2. Aims & Objectives
• Re-cap prior learning of Media Ownership
within the Contemporary Film Industry.
• YOU WILL learn about the significance that
Cross Media Convergence and Synergy has on
the PDME of Film through Case Study examples.
• YOU WILL apply this new found knowledge and
understanding to your own Case Study examples
that YOU WILL research in and beyond the
lesson.
Key term: Cross Media Convergence and Synergy
• Review the learning and set homework for the
next Exam lesson.
Why?
So you can
succeed in the
exam!

3. YOU MUST refer to these Film Case Study examples in the exam in May 2014:

4. ✓

5. What is Cross Media Convergence?
Prove you have completed the homework by writing down your own definition.
Definition:
The ability to Market and/or Exhibit a film across multiple platforms and devices.
The Starter task provides a prime example of where this is beginning to develop in the
film industry.

6. STARTER – 5 Minutes
YOU MUST answer the following questions in relation to the Media Ownership topic we
have already covered.
Extension – YOU COULD give some of your own examples IF they are relevant to what you
have been asked to answer OR some other statistics.

7. What was the term used to describe Film Four’s release of ‘A Field in England’ (2013)?
“Multi-Platform Day and Date release”
YOU MUST research the examples (Exercise Book) of the different platforms Film Four
chose to release the film on.
YOU SHOULD support this understanding by writing down some statistics that relate to
these decisions.

8. What is the term used to describe Working Title and Universals relationship?
Co-Production deal
Can you remember any other Co-Production deals we have covered?

9. What is Synergy?
Prove you have completed the homework by writing down your own definition.
Definition:
The ability to promote a product (Film) through other products and services.

10. Key Term:
Product Placement
£28 million
£15 million
Why would these brands pay so much to the studios (‘Skyfall’ – Sony; ‘Man of Steel’ –
Warner Bros.) in order to appear on screen?

11. Research
• Go onto the Taken 2 Blog Page –
YOU MUST note down what examples of
Product Placement were used in Taken 2.
YOU COULD identify how much
were
willing to spend on appearing in ‘Mission
Impossible: Ghost Protocol’ (2011)

12. ‘Taken’ (2008) Production Budget:
‘Taken 2’ (2012) Production Budget:
$25 million
$45 million
WHO benefits from this synergy the most and WHY?

13. Over $100 million in Product Placement deals were secured by the films Producers
Warner Bros. prior to Production.

14. Synergy –
Low Budget Independents
The democratic (Free) marketing through social media is something smaller, indie films can
thrive on. This type of marketing has encouraged viral marketing for fans of Loach’s work as
well.
Ken Loach (Director and Chief of Sixteen Films) has different views on Product Placement
though:
“Oh, no. Not at all. There is no product placement, that would be unacceptable”,

15. Cross Media Convergence Marketing
Research –
YOU MUST research how many “hits” each trailer has had on
Youtube and then evaluate what this says about our Film
consumption habits.

16. Social Media – Impact on Film
Marketing
• WHY would the films Distributors (20th Century Fox) find this a vital form of marketing
the film?
• WHAT piece of information would they appreciate the most and WHY?

17. Cross Media Convergence Exhibition
DVD Sales, on average, account for up to 60% of a Film’s profits – on average only 20% of a
Production budget is recouped at the Box-Office.
VOD is emerging as an exciting market for Film
Institutions to tap into.

18. Cross Media Convergence –
Low Budget Independents
• Film 4OD and iTunes (VOD) – 1,200 Transactions –
Is this an example of a Co-production deal OR synergy
between two Media Institutions?

19. Cross Media Convergence –
Low Budget Independents
Why is this
significant for
Film viewers?
The studios symbiotic relationship with other Media Institutions in the VOD market
offers a sign of the changing role New Media technologies have in our exposure to
and consumption of film.

20. Plenary –
What have you learnt?
YOU MUST write down x3 key terms/facts you
have learnt today about any of the case study
examples we have covered.

21. Homework:
Section B –
Continue with your research into your chosen Event movie and Indie Movie
DUE:
The presentation Date will now take just before we break up for
Christmas – Monday 16th December.
2) Research HOW your chosen Case Study Studio examples have marketed their film across
different platforms and what success this has this lead to (or failire)
DUE:
Next lesson - Monday 11th November