Technology changes in marketing & exchange

• In recent years there has been a big adaptation in devices and what is therefore accessible on them. The modern era uses their portable devices in order to access social media - a reliant platform for distributors, in order to market a film. Both 'Finding Dory' and 'Me Before You' do this. This could also be used by the term 'exchange' in recent years due to the easy access from social media to streaming links and piracy. 'The Blair Witch Project' was the first film in 1999 to use the Internet as its sole platform for marketing and the outcome was huge. Before Facebook, Youtube, Twitter even existed. 
• Use of hard drives have risen in terms of the exchange of films due to easily portable therefore quick transformation in exchange (for example) 

Changes in technology

Explore the changes in technology in production & distribution within the film industry. What issues have these changes brought to the industry?

• 1920s - sound was released. Before this, there was a 'golden age' of silent film which had narrative limitations. After this, sound and dialogue became a key component to the film making process which led to 'the talkies'. 
• 1939 - colour was introduced. This became a key element in which evoked emotion through colour - black and white films still can convey this and still to a modern day are released however the majority are in colour to portray significance. 
• 1940 - the green screen. It was called the ''travelling matte'' where actors could stand upon in order to have a different coloured background to which is available. It started off as the colour black and it has changed over time. Optical illusions are made with these for a much cheaper budget.
• 1950s and 60s - lightweight and portable equipment. Previous to this, Hollywood were known for big studios which contained heavy cameras and equipment. Since this revolution, film producers are able to ''explore'' more in terms of setting, action etc. Easier to get around more due to the portable technology. 
• 1907 (the dolly) and 1970s (the steadicam) - It would be difficult to find a movie without either of these, or both. Both are ways in which is more easier to capture the shots that are most effective for films. 
• 1970s - CGI (computer generated image) related back to the 70s due to the science-fiction films that were released at the time that included it. Improved over generations with the risen of technology adaptation. 
• 1990s - the internet. 
• 2009 - HD film - the Nikon D90 was the first ever DSLR camera that in which could film up to 24 frames per second with extreme high definition. 

Exam Question 2 'prep'

To what extent has the internet played a significant role in the marketing and the exchange of media products in the area you have studied?

Paragraph one: Marketing

Cross - media marketing: marketing over various platforms. 

Institutions/ Distributions:

• 20th Fox
• Disney
• Universal
• Warner Brothers
• Paramount 
• Columbia 

These are known as the 'big six' distributors they allow the movie to have global success as once it's featured with one of these its advertised everywhere. They have the rights to the movie and they own it when it is released therefore making the most money off of each movie they own.

High budget film. MAINSTREAM CINEMA!!!

When composing an independent film, you do not have the highest budget film - normally, targets one type of audience (English/American for example). There is no issue in the distribution company having the rights of the movie due to being independent, the rights belong to the production company still. 

Paragraph 2: Exchange

Audience accessing the film. 

• Cinemas
• Pirating (an issue) - can be accessed by social media playing a big role etc. 
• DVD 
• On demand (Sky cinema)
• Netflix / streaming - subscription 
• Tv for free???

Paragraph 3: Case studies (marketing)

Use examples from the case studies to answer the question, linking back to marketing throughout the paragraph. Include interviews, star appeal as marketing etc. 

Paragraph 4: Case studies (exchange)

Use examples from the case studies to answer the question, linking back to exchange throughout the paragraph.

Paragraph 5: Conclusion

How is the film going to end up, what's the ending for both films - how do you have to watch it, now? Current situation. Do you really need cinemas anymore? Print advertising is declining. 

Marketing terminology 

Production company - who make the film.

Distribution company - who promote and sell the film. 

Cross media marketing - more than one product.

'The Big Six' - biggest distribution companies.

Synergy - using other products to promote the film, indirectly (for example: merchandise).  

Media convergence - when technology comes together to then find everything on one device (for example: a mobile phone can access everything).

Answering the question

Marketing plays a big role within the movie making process with the Internet being one of the easiest and most successful branches within this. When a film is produced, whether it has a big/low budget it should contain a distributer. Meaning, it has a company in charge of the marketing and promoting the film across various platforms, countries etc. A high budget, Hollywood film would stereotypically contain one of the 'Big Six' distribution company distributers - these are: Disney, Warner Bros, Universal, Columbia, Paramount and 20th Fox each one contains a global success issued with it's name. Therefore, before the movie is fully produced it would already be provided with the label of a 'success'. This mainstream cinema could also be known as an issue due to the distribution company then has the rights of the movie therefore making more money than other aspects of the iim (the production company, the person who created the idea etc.). However, with an independent film, the distribution company still plays the same role within the film but it doesn't withhold the rights of the movie. This type of film normally contains one category for it's demographic (for example: this could be just an English demographic or just an American one). They stereotypically have a low budget and this is why it contains an independent film term. Each distribution company allows various platforms to promote their movie allowing a wide audience to engage and entertain with it. 

From marketing, the internet then works in favour for the exchange of media products. There are various ways in which the movie is exchanged - simply meaning, that the audience are able to then be engaged and in contact with the movie. These ways are: through the cinema, pirating, on DVD, through On Demand (Sky cinema etc.), Netflix / streaming and eventually on TV. Each way can have the internet play a big role within promoting and accessing the content. Pirating is shown as a huge issue within the exchange process due to the illegal access to the film which could loose customers at the cinema - for example. Social media is the main platform in accessing pirating websites therefore showing the internet as a downfall on this category. The 'Big Six' are trying to fight the piracy websites by releasing their movies within 3D for example, so it then cannot provide this feature so the audience will not want to watch it - allowing the movie to have a unique selling point over privacy websites. Media convergence is a process in which helps assists the way in which the audience can exchange the movie. However, it also then helps audience in streaming through piracy websites so can therefore, be a positive and a negative. A media product can in fact go 'viral' - a high platform for this to happen is from the internet, for example: through YouTube and social media something can be shown worldwide within seconds. 

In Disney's 'Finding Dory' the Internet is used as a main platform for the marketing side of the movie. This high budget movie is produced and distributed by one of the 'Big Six' being Walt Disney allowing it to withhold global marketing and resulting in global success. Walt Disney is an umbrella company meaning that they have every part of the movie making process under their 'wing' and is argued in being the world's biggest platform for media texts due to the mass audience they consume. On youtube (internet source) the first ever 'exclusive' trailer was released by the main character's voice over Ellen Degeneres (a marketing point within the star appeal used) which had a total of over 29 million views - from this, the success of the movie can already be highlighted due to the audience watching the first ever 'hint' to the movie. From this, social media allows the 'Finding Dory' phenomenon to go viral across the world. Facebook, the world's largest social media site has a following of over 3 million people following the official page for 'Finding Dory' - having people interact every day with relatable posts from the movie - still to this date meaning that promotion and marketing is still happening after nearly a year of release. Similarly, Twitter has over 127 thousand people following the official 'Finding Dory' page which also has over a hundred other accounts on this platform of fan page's for the film. Due to this movie being a sequel from Disney's 'Finding Nemo' released in 2003 it provides itself with its own marketing due to the audience that watched that the first film and enjoyed it are more likely to watch the second. Both films being from the mainstream cinema category also, provides the film with a vast age-ranged audience due to how the target audience for the 2003 film would have been now grown therefore the younger target demographic for the 2016 film would have both the older and younger generations interested. Concluding, that the previous movie is clearly a form of marketing due to the continuation of the social media links that continue to arise from the first film. 'Finding Dory' also uses their benefits of being under the Disney brand to release large amounts of synergy through the merchandise and the toys for the audience. This then, indirectly promotes the film too. 
Similarly, the film 'Me Before You' has internet playing a significant role within the marketing branch of the movie. The low-budgeted 'MGM' film does in fact have Warner Bros - one of the 'Big Six' distribution companies supporting them. The official trailer, released on the Warner Bros youtube page had over 4 million views - however, the one released on the 'Movieclips Trailers' youtube got more than 19 million views! Both actors staring in the film (Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin) generating star appeal in order to have more attraction for the film. Emilia Clarke stars in 'Game of Thrones ' one of the biggest dramas within the industry therefore staring in this film attracts the British audience so is evident to be a strong marketing platform. Also, the movie itself is composed from originally being a book which can campaign as marketing within itself due to the book being a 'No.1 bestseller for the New York Times' so it therefore already has a mass audience without even releasing any trailer.
Unlike the 'Finding Dory' movie, 'Me Before You' does not have a range of 'unique' marketing platforms due to not having the target audience to develop merchandise. However, both films do contain the 'traditional' marketing platforms of: posters, trailers, adverts etc. Moreover, each films use the Internet as the strongest marketing point due to the prompts of each of the films that can be contained in websites, the trailer used as adverts within browsing and the streaming through media convergence - social media, is the overall biggest distributor to promote both movies. 

Within this modern era, Disney's 'Finding Dory' relies greatly on the Internet to exchange the media text from the distributor to the audience. From previously mentioning, cinema is traditionally the first form of the exchange and on the release date, 19th June 2016 in USA alone 'Finding Dory' was shown in 4'305 screens in one day therefore clear evidence that the film is on popular demand on the first day! The movie is now available from February 2017 to stream on Netflix in the US meaning that the Internet is highly needed this exchange of the media production. To prevent piracy from this movie, the distribution company of Disney allowed it to be released in 3D meaning that the customer would not experience the whole features if pirated but this did not completely stop pirates due to easy access to the movie online either to download or stream due to the modern society that is within this current day. 'Sky cinema' have also played 'Finding Dory' on their on demand service however it has not reached the level of being a TV movie, yet. 
'Me Before You' also started its exchange in cinema with a total of 2'704 screens shown on its opening day in the US - smaller but still a success! The movie is now available to stream on Netflix (from March 2017) but also, pirates are able to find it on the internet and therefore stream or download it through there. The movie is accessible on both DVD and Blu-ray for a fee so is continuously making money. 
Both movies rely on media convergence as well, due to it then allowing Netflix (for example) to be streamed across every device - especially beneficial when able to be streamed on mobile phones due to the uprising of technology. From this, you hardly see people reading on train journeys anymore due to the easy exchange of media texts through media convergence. 

Overall, both films use the Internet as one of their main sources in order to market the movie and exchange it but low/high budget films have different aspects in which they use the Internet. From this research, it is clearly evident that the use of the Internet is becoming more easier to obtain and accessible meaning that eventually the use of Cinema's globally will be no longer needed. Similar to the fact that the buying of DVDs have died down completely due to the accessible movies out there to be streamed and downloaded from the Internet. Netflix is one of the biggest platforms for this due to the monthly subscription being affordable and easy to access hundreds of films/ TV programmes. Concluding, both films have the Internet play a significant role within their marketing and exchanging of media product processes. 

Exam Question 1 - gender

Margaret 

• The PM is seen as the traditional women due to having to listen to the man, seen as more powerful within this seen (head and shoulder shots being zoomed in; slowly (taking everything in as you should see from her traditional stereotype, focusing) Male gaze?? she could slightly be linked to this - leading to change? stereotypically found in dramas) 
• Head and shoulder shot the PM is making direct address with the audience - portraying intimidation, the odd silence from her represents this. 
• Traditional man (the man who is speaking) has power/voice - dominant and in control of himself - dressed in suits - the spotlight is focusing on him. 
• The laughter from all the men 
• Dramatic suspense music when Margaret is walking, in front of everyone - men, showing the change in stereotype which challenges the traditional one so promoting binary opposition - change in stereotype, 'lesbian' women now has power. Could be argued that this power from the women could be seen as 'sexy'. The camera angle is still low, fighting with the stereotype. How rigid she looks - in a form of a robot (performance) - walks from the shadows into the light.
• The cut-away to the bag could represent an iconography for the 'traditional' women where she is not paying much attention to the men however this challenges the traditional stereotype.
• Camera is hand-held - unsteady, fast paced - could relate to the 'gay' man - jittery. 
• The shot of her shoes promotes her elevated, higher up than everyone else - Male gaze normally focuses on these features 
• The quick pace in the cuts from each man in this scene - seen as gossip, change in stereotype 'gay' man.
• Offers escapism, entertainment and can be argued education. 

In Margaret there are various different stereotypes used to represent the different genders used in the clip.

Camera is a key element in proposing these stereotypes due to the different shots, angles and movement types it has to offer in order to create the visual representation of these stereotypes for the audience. At the beginning, when the man MP is relaying his resignation, the camera shots him in a 'head and shoulder shot' near enough throughout. This is to then capture the pure emotion from the man but also, his selfishness for neglecting the rest of the governing party. From this, you can relate this character into the 'traditional' man stereotype due to the dominance he has over the rest of the people within this scene and the camera shot generates his personality of not being intimidated by the large crowd and the spotlight that is focusing on him - another feature for this stereotype. However, the Prime Minister in this scene is promoted parallel to the other character by also falling into the 'traditional' stereotype but for a woman. She withholds a close-up shot for the majority of her scene, with the camera slightly zooming in - steadily, this connotes the stereotype perfectly due to listening to the man and taking everything he says in without interruption. Consequently, demonstrating that currently the man has more power over her. On the other hand, when the close-ups are taking place the Prime Minister is in fact making direct address with the audience with a stern look upon her face - promoting aggravation. A cut-away to her hands also suggests this emotion due to the clench of her fists when the MP is speaking. Meaning, the 'traditional' women element of her character could also be run alongside the 'lesbian' woman stereotype due to the fiery side that looks like it is about to combust. After this scene, the PM bursts out of the House of Commons storming to an office - the camera angle looks down on her challenging her power within the scene but also comes with a 'tracking shot' which allows a fast-paced movement to happen. At this moment, there is another cut-away shot to her shoes which are in fact high-heels allowing her to be elevated (a sign of power) this could then be a weak link to the Laura Mulvey Male Gaze theory due to heels having the connotation of being 'sexy' but through her dominant role within this clip only allows it to be a weakened suggestion. Another use of camera to promote gender is the final scene of the clip, the hand-held camera allows the fast-paced frantic surrounding to be enforced. The other MPs (all men) are having array of quick cut shots to each other when they speak - this promotes a 'bitchy' tone for the scene therefore allowing a change within their stereotype going from the 'traditional' man to now showing elements of the 'gay' man. This change in stereotype could allow the audience to seek both entertainment but also, escapism from reality from the Uses and Gratification theory released by Katz and Blumler in 1959. 

Exam Question 1 'prep' - gender

Game of Thrones

The women 
In the clip, the main women can be categorised under different sub-categories of a women - such as: the 'sexy' women, the 'traditional' women and the 'lesbian' women. This has been portrayed through many features such as: camera, sound, mies-en-scene, performance etc. 

I believe that through the camera shots and movement the women is represented under the 'sexy' women category - this is because, when she was walking towards her just announced army the camera was looking up at her. This shot allows the audience to be placed underneath her meaning she stereotypically has the most power which is a connotation of being sexy. The track camera movement ensured that this analysation continued throughout this scene. This also had a 'head and shoulder' shot which allows the audience to see that she is clearly not intimidated whereas a 'traditional' women may feel under pressure in front of that many people, nerves in fact due to the timid conventions it withholds but this character is the complete opposite. By being the most powerful in this scene, above the men clearly denotes her as a dominant character whether this is good or bad she falls within the 'sexy' women category. In the last scene, the camera moves away from the action into a birds-eye view shot of all of the army and the women. This is significant due to the fact that there are hundreds of people there and she is the leader clearly showing the amount of power she has over these people. Coincidentally, each character in this shot are moving to the right in which is stereotypically used to announce the 'future' and this clip is used to announce the 'new beginning' for the army rather than stay as slaves. 

The sound used in the scene could be argued to let the women fall within both the 'sexy' women and the 'lesbian' women category. Firstly, the diegetic chain sound in the scene at the beginning can imply power and authority due to the masculine connotations it comes with (masculine being the stereotypical gender for power therefore challenging this stereotype through using a women associated with this). Also, the sound motif that the women is represented with - the pulsing sounds when she is approaching her new army and then the final scene when she is walking with her army off into the distance creates tension within the scene. This tension builds the audience's awareness of the power she withholds. This characteristic falls into both the 'lesbian' and 'sexy' women's category however, does not fall within the 'traditional' women's one due to the fact women are stereotypically known to be the one following the man's orders which is not the case within the scene. Therefore, allowing the audience to seek entertainment, identification and also, escapism from the traditional reality through the Blumler and Katz 1959 uses and gratification theory. 

Mise-en-scene also offers factors in which determines how to categorise the women. Her costume is an element of mine-en-scene, this could be argued to fall within the 'traditional' women category due to the 'girlyness' the outfit withholds due to being a dress but the colour of this clothing offers something opposite. Blue stereotypically is related with men therefore for her to be wearing such colour allows her to again, withhold the power to defeat and challenge original stereotypes. It can also have the connotations of hope and calmness which she defiantly portrays within her character. The calmness she has is lined parallel with her confidence (a 'sexy' women characteristic). The colour of her hair being white is very significant. White has the connotations of purity which relates to the 'traditional' women category however, this bold colour to have as a hair is significant to showing the confidence she has within herself, which is stereotypically a 'sexy' trait. 
The lighting (another aspect of mine-en-scene) when the battle is over is low-key lighting surrounding her but where her silhouette stands there is chiaroscuro lighting which has the connotations of authority. By not needing her whole body shown to know who it is can conclude the potency she withholds. The Laura Mulvey 'Male Gaze' theory can be closely linked to this scene due to the use of the women's body to offer the male demographic a sexualised women for their entertainment. Therefore, this theory allows the women to be categorised under the 'sexy' stereotype. 

Her performance and characterisation, I believe is completed in a way to show the 'sexy' female stereotype. Throughout, she presents herself with a 'bitchy' tone, especially when she is declaring the army to kill. The stern manner allows her to gain this convention of the stereotype amazingly. Also, the way she holds herself with the poised posture is a clear relation to confidence falling back into this category - the 'traditional' women would look fragile whereas this contradicts that. 

Overall, throughout the clip there are different aspects that you could relate the main character,  "the women" into the different stereotypes. She falls into all three: "sexy", "lesbian" and "traditional" women. 

Notes

• She could be categorised as a 'sexy' because the role she plays allows her to have power over a vast amount of people, mostly men which is a clear connotation 
• The white she is wearing could also be a connotation of a 'sexy women' however hints at the purity she might withhold due to this being the colour to represent purity. This could portray the woman as sexy due to being able to wear it with confidence - this characteristic is a stereotypical convention of this role. 
• The 'bitchy' convention could be seen through the fact that she is continuously named one. Also, through her action within the scene allowing her 'army' to kill right in front of her so she therefore has a stern manner about her - again, seen as sexy.
• sound of the chains - diegetic - power and authority
• camera looks up to her when she's walking towards the army POWER
• pulsing sound (non-diegetic) building tension 
• the low-key lighting surrounding her silhouette shadow shows she doesn't need light to promote power
• Blue connotes hope - white is our (hair - physical representation)

Exam Question 1 'prep' - disability

50 marks: 
20 - examples you use, 
20 - analysation and 
10 - terminology. 

Plan:
ONLY ONE EXAMPLE IN THE CLIP

• Man in the wheelchair, physically disabled.
• Dialogue - Diegetic "when I get my carer" sound evidence. Use of sarcasm "do you want to get me a straw to use" not wanting help too, in denial but then actually does need it in the end. 
• Mise en Scene - props: wheelchair, the phone (how he can't properly catch it), facial expressions and body language. 
• Camera angle is mostly looking down on him stereotypically placing the audience higher than him, looking up at the women in the shop, slightly - shot reverse shot (over the shoulder shots looking up into a mid shot) - portraying a clear difference (showing weakness due to having to look up on someone).
• Use 'uses and gratifications'.

In the scene from Casualty it promotes disability through various platforms: camera, sound, mise en scene and editing all in which have different aspects of disability they focus on. 

The camera participates in portraying disability through this clip in a big way. This is because, each camera shot type and movement is clearly thought out in order to bring a vast impact for the audience. In the beginning of the clip, when the man in the wheelchair is shopping with his brother, the camera angle is looking down on him and on eye-level with his brother. Stereotypically, this camera angle is to present weakness within a character therefore with this camera angle and the physically disabled man - the audience then can consume empathy for this character and what he is going through. The sales assistant has the camera slightly looking up to her, this is when a 'shot, reverse, shot' is in place between both her and the man in the wheelchair. The continued looking down to the man and then the reverse in conversation and then the looking up to the women allows the audience to depict a clear change and evidently pick out the weaker character. The man is seen to be looking up at the women which challenges the original gender stereotype that this tends to be the other way round. 

Sound is another key factor of the clip, that promotes disability. Diegetic sound is used throughout the clip through conversation. The man in the wheelchair says "when I get my carer" which is clear evidence for his disability due to the fact he is no longer able to take care of himself. He also says, "do you want to get me a straw to use" with the use of this sarcastic comment offers that he is in denial about his disability which leads to him not wanting the help he needs. This is a stereotypical aspect found with disability which then results in needing help after all. Which is followed, when his brother then assists him to drink his coffee. 

Another factor to promote disability is through mise-en-scene. There are sub-categories in this, such as: props, colour, facial expressions, body language etc. Props have been used efficiently in this clip to portray disability through the man in the wheelchair. The wheelchair being one of them: the physical representation allows the audience to have instant interpretation that he is in fact disabled without even having to label the character. Another, being the tube he has to use when he needs to go to the toilet - this plays the same role as the wheelchair. Finally, the phone in the last part of the clip, when his brother throws him the phone to ring an ambulance he cannot hold it properly therefore showing his incapability to complete simple tasks - using the audience again, to feel empathy for him. 
Facial expressions and body language have been used throughout too. The constant 'sad' emotion portrayed from the man in the wheelchair shows the consistent discomfort he is in fact having could imply the mental impact he is having from having a physical disability. Body language is also shown through the scene when he is a thrown the phone - clear interpretation that he is unable. 

Finally from this clip, the audience can seek identification of disability through the uses and gratifications theory. 

Terminology

Camera
Type of shot & movement of camera.

Establishing shot/master shot - shows all of the action & location. 
Canted Angle - a shot to one angle, often used to then promote disorientation. 

Crab shot - shot within a confined space ( in a cupboard, to catch the shot of someone opening it).

Deep focus - allowing objects both near and far to appear in the same shot for emphasis. 

Pull focus - only allowing one object in focus out of two, this shot then switches so the other object then becomes in focus (portraying the importance of a certain person/object).

Shallow focus - when the front object is in focus and everything around it is not (again, showing when something has more importance).

Soft focus - when an image has a hazy surrounding (promoting a romantic scene as the characters are shown to be in their 'own world').

Loose frame - when there is a lot of space around an object/person (portraying independence/ loneliness).

Pan shot - 180 degree move around an object in a horizontal plane.

Subjective filming - when the camera is positioned in a way so it is from the characters view, also known as: point of view shot.

Sound
Dialogue, music and sound effects.

Diegetic (if you see the sound it becomes diegetic) or non - diegetic (normally tends to be not real) 

Sound bridges - a continuation onto the next scene. 

Atmospheric sound/ ambience - creating the scene and atmosphere.

Contrapuntal sound - sound that looks odd within the scene, often found in horror films. 

Sound motif - often used to represent a certain character, short clip of sound that plays every time a moment in the video is associated with that certain character. 

Synchronous/parallel shot - sound that matches the action, either filmed directly with the action or put purposely to enforce this belief. 

Mise en Scene

The key aspects to a scene which have deeper layers of meaning - can include: lighting, colour, characters, costume, facial expression, body language etc. 

High-key lighting (bright lighting, often representing a happy emotion), low-key lighting (low lights, in order to portray a daunting/scary atmosphere).

Chiaroscuro lighting - very bright lighting, followed with many shadows (used to portray 'oddness' in a certain character).

Direct address (breaking the fourth wall) - allowing the character to make contact with the audience either that be through question or just knowledge that the audience is there through positioning and speech. Found continuously in pantomime.