New Technologies: Essay Plan

June 2014: “The increase in hardware and content in media industries has been significant in recent years. Discuss the effect this has had on institutions and audiences in the media area you have studies.”

Plan:

BOLD= content | normal= hardware

Introduction:

• Hardware refers to devices that you can physically touch-for example iPads, laptops, phones.
• The increase in hardware- more devices that can access VOD sites and you can watch films on these devices.
• However, can be bad because it means that iPads can also be used for playing games and not watching films so this can be distracted.
• Content refers to the software itself- VOD sites, games, film, social media etc
• The increase in content- more sites are being created to watch films so it can be easily accessible to people who don’t for example have Netflix but do have Amazon Prime. Also new films are coming out now and people can watch them.
• However this can again be bad because even though there are more films being released but also more games and so this is again distracting.

Prometheus:

• Prometheus proves this point that the increase in hardware/software affect insitutions and audiences in a positive way, as it was prominently marketed via the internet and on different software platforms that can be accessed on many devices.
• The first full Prometheus trailer at the AMC Downtown Disney during WonderCon in Anaheim, California; streamed live via Facebook, Twitter, and the AMC Theatre website, trailer was posted on AMC’s YouTube channel immediately after its debut. Reactions on Twitter, were generally positive, and received nearly three million views in the three days following its release-the increase in content (social media) improved the promotion of the film.
• 1. TED Talk 2023
  2. Happy Birthday David
  3. Quiet Eye
  4. Thus Spoke Zarathustra
  5. #5
  6. Weyland Industries Testimonial Viral Video were the six viral videos that were released on YouTube and shared on social media. The increase in content made it possible for these videos to be shared onto different sites and so could be seen by more people and also the increase in hardware meant that people with tablets and phones have social media apps that contribute to watching these videos.
• The Weyland Industries website- the website was a dedicated website for the film- the increase in content, the website, means that the film can be advertised through this and also can be accessed on loads of devices.
• The film was released for downloading and streaming through platforms including Amazon, iTunes three weeks after the film release- the increase in platforms people can watch the film on give a broader choice and they can access these sites on their iPads, phones and laptops so it’s easier for people to watch the film anywhere-on the train or in bed etc.

The Hobbit:

• The marketing campaign began back in 2011 on Facebook with a series of video journals from Jackson’s POV, engaging fans throughout the year by taking them into the production activity leading up to the announcement trailer at the beginning of 2012- posting on popular social media sites meant that more people saw it.
• An online media blitz kicked off in early November with an advanced ticketing campaign across YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to drive early ticket sales.
• Warner Bros UK and Warner Bro Pictures posted trailers and teaser trailers of the film which could be watched and shared on many social media apps.
• The official twitter page has 449k followers- the increase in content means that people can access updates about the film and allows people to know about release dates and production diaries etc.

Nymphomaniac:

• Largely based on advertising the film through posters, trailers and the video appetisers.
• The appetisers were uploaded on YouTube, Vimeo and the film’s official website- example of increasing software and it helped the marketing of the film.
• There were 8 appetisers in total which were able to be shared onto different sites using different devices.

A Field In England:

• Online Digital Masterclass- increase in content that could be accessed easily and it contained all the information about the film’s production/ pre production/ post production etc and got 80,000 views with 54,000 visits.
• Social media- 54% of under 35’s said social media was the primary source of awareness and so the increase in software and social media means that films can be advertised easier and to a larger audience.
• Channel 4 has it’s own DVD label which distributes to transactional VOD platforms such as iTunes so the film could be bought/rented by those who have iTunes on any apple device.
• VOD rental figures- iTunes (3,133), Virgin Media (1,746), Film4 (714)= More VOD platforms and so this allows people to access it easier and also watch it on other devices that can access the VOD platforms.
• The increase in content meant that A Field In England companies and cast could manipulate this and market the film on many platforms and gain publicity on it on the internet.

Special Correspondents:

• Creative release-meant it was only released on Netflix. This meant that anyone who had Netflix would be able to watch the film and on any device such as laptops, game consoles, phones, computers, and tablets. This made it much easier for people who had Netflix to access the film anywhere.

Conclusion:

• I agree with the statement because the increase in both things increase the number of people who see the film or the advertising of the film.
• From personal experience, I watch films on my phone and my laptop and I use Putlocker and Netflix and I can access film trailers on both devices and also watch them on different websites which pushes me to know more about the film.

Essay Version 1:

Hardware refers to devices that you can physically touch with your hands. For example this could be iPads, smart phones and laptops etc. The increase in technological convergence can mean that people can watch/ do things on many devices, therefore you can watch a film on many different devices in different places as well, so not just at home on the sofa but whilst travelling on a train or in a cafe. However, this can also be a negative because if there are more devices being able to do many tasks, you can get distracted from watching films and instead play games. The increase in content also links to this by the fact that if there is more content, there is more to get distracted by. Content refers to the software itself, like social media apps, VOD sites and games. The increase of this can lead to more people being able to access more sites to watch films on like amazon Prime or Netflix. Again, there is also a negative to this because there isn’t just more film content being introduced, there are new games/apps to be played on as well.

Prometheus is an example of a film that was solely dependent on using hardware and content to advertise their film and draw attention to them. The film’s marketing campaign was mostly, if not all, on the internet which can be accessed by almost every device. The first trailer was streamed live on Facebook, Twitter and the AMC theatre website. These social media websites is popular content that many people have and so they can easily see the premiere of the trailer. The trailer was then uploaded onto the AMC Theatres YouTube account and as YouTube can be downloaded onto many different devices, it makes it easier for people to watch the trailer. The increase in content and the areas of the internet people can access improved the first promotion of the film.

Prometheus also had 6 viral videos that were uploaded on YouTube and shared on other areas of social media. The increase in content made it possible for the videos to be shared and spread around for people to watch.  The website created also had a large impact on the audience as it was new content and so it intrigued people to look at it and it encouraged them to see the film with the innovative activities that replicated the life of the film.

The Hobbit’s marketing campaign began in 2011 with the release of Jackson’s POV video journals on the Facebook page. This meant that people could watch these easily as it is an increasingly popular app/website to use. An online media blitz kicked off in early November with an advanced ticketing campaign across YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to drive early ticket sales which also allowed people to know about the film if they have accounts on these apps.

For the Hobbit’s trailer, the Warner Bros UK and the Warner Bros Pictures YouTube account uploaded the teaser trailers and trailers for the film which for people already following the channel, could get notifications about the trailer or see it on the YouTube news feed.

Similarly to Prometheus and The Hobbit, Nymphomaniac was largely based on advertising through the internet. YouTube, Vimeo and the film’s official website were the main sites for showing the trailers and the 8 appetisers of the film. The new software created to showing short clips that are easily accessible make it more straightforward for the public to watch, especially since most of these websites do not involve making an account to watch the clips.

For smaller companies, it is not as likely for them to get their films noticed. However, for the film A Field In England directed by Ben Wheatley, this was not the case. There was an online Digital Masterclass was newly created for the purpose of the film and it could be accessed easily. It contained all the information about the film’s production/ pre production/ post production and got 80,000 views with 54,000 visits. The benefit of creating new websites for the sole objective of the film meant that people could be drawn to the website and so it spread the word of the film.

The VOD rental figures exceeded the predicted 2000 with 3,133 on iTunes, 1,746 on Virgin Media and 714 on Film4. More VOD platforms allows people to access these apps/websites easier and to what suits them best.

The increase in content meant that the ‘A Field In England’ companies and cast could manipulate this and market the film on many platforms and gain publicity on it on the internet. This was extremely important to the releasing of the film and because it was distributed by smaller companies, they needed to gain attention in different ways to The Big Six who can gain an audience more easily.

Prometheus, a film released by one of The Big Six proves the point that the increase in hardware affects institutions and audiences in a positive way, as it was prominently marketed via the internet and on different software platforms that can be accessed on many devices such as laptops, smart phones and even game consoles. The Weyland Industries website was a dedicated website for the film. The fact that it was easily accessible and didn’t require an account to go onto it meant that the film can be advertised through this and also can be accessed on loads of devices.

Prometheus was released for downloading and streaming through platforms including Amazon, iTunes three weeks after the film release. The increase in platforms people can watch the film on give a broader choice that they can access on their iPads, phones and laptops so it’s easier for people to watch the film or trailers anytime, anywhere.

For A Field In England, 54% of under 35’s said social media was the primary source of awareness and so the increase in hardware meant that the film could be advertised easier and to a larger audience who have devices that do different things and can access plenty of apps. Channel 4 also has its own DVD label which distributes to transactional VOD platforms such as iTunes so the film could be bought/rented by those who have iTunes on any apple device.

Special Correspondents had a creative release which meant it was only released on Netflix. This meant that anyone who had Netflix would be able to watch the film and on any device such as laptops, game consoles, phones, computers, and tablets. This made it much easier for people who had Netflix to access the film anywhere.

To conclude, I agree with the statement because the increase in both things increase the number of people who see the film or the advertising of the film. The Big Six obviously have an advantage as they are much larger companies and so they can lobby companies into showing their films or advertising their films. However, smaller companies can still get their films noticed and can promote their films on plenty of different platforms which spreads the word about the film and makes it a larger release. From personal experience, I watch films on my phone and my laptop and I watch things on YouTube and Netflix. I can access film trailers and information about films on both devices and also watch them on different websites and read articles which pushes me to know more about the film.