Section B Homework

What significance does the continuing development of digital media technology have for media institutions and audiences? You should focus on FILM but you may make reference to other media such as

Music, Newspapers, Radio, Magazines or Video games

Digital technology has effected 3 areas of film, this concerns digital production, digital distribution and digital exhibition. Digital technology can range from digital cameras, to the internet which is now accessible via phones, ipods, tablets, computers, TVs etc. 

Firstly, there is digital production in which the creation of the media product (film in this retrospect) is made via digital technologies such as a digital camera, such hardware is beneficial due to the ability to watch something back immediately and decide to shoot it again due to problems such as incorrect lighting or incorrect acting, this saves from having to re shoot the same scene a different day, when the prints have processed. Digital production is also considerably cheaper as the producers don't have to keep paying for prints, instead the video is recorded via memory card which you pay one up front piece. This saves the production companies money. With new technologies producers can create films with the use of CGI and special effects, e.g. a green screen or animation. This appeals to audiences and therefore brings in more of an audience at cinema release and home release. Shrek (released in 2001, DreamWorks Animation) profited a major $441,812,794 as an animation movie which was created completely through the use of CGI and only included famous actors/actresses voice over e.g. Eddie Murphy as Donkey. Harry Potter (released in 2001, Warner Bros) used a green screen to create a moment in which a character flies on a broomstick, creating a surreal effect of actual magic within the film (which the film is based on) the first film in this series made a profit of $849,755,371. Furthermore producers are able to digitally create films with a 3D/ 4D effect or even through the use of IMAX, this then profits cinemas in the exhibition phase as a minority of people own 3D TV's, therefore it becoming cheaper in the long run to consume the media product through the cinema, this also increases the producers profit intake e.g. Titanic 3D (released initially in 1997 bur rereleased in 3D in 2012, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) set a profit record in China when it was re-released. The IMAX creates its film through the use of digital hardware and digital software, the prints for such a large screen (20 metres high 26 metres wide) would be too big to make, and also the quality would degrade after a while, forcing the producers to create more large prints, being astonishingly expensive.

Then there is digital distribution, which is the process of launching a film into the market place and maintaining the public's interest at the same time, distribution handles the jobs of the positioning of the film, the circulation and the marketing (advertising). Digital distribution makes the marketing much for viral, for example, the film can be advertised via social networking sites e.g. like pages on facebook or dedicated twitter pages, this keeps the audiences informed on the launching on the film and inform them of its existence. For example, The Hunger Games (released in 2012, Lionsgate) facebook like page alerts the audience of home releases, significant parts of the film and competitions concerning the media product etc, this preparing them for cinema release and home release. Concerning the circulation of the film, this process is made a lot cheaper, thus becoming cheaper for the production company however reducing the jobs available in the distribution companies. The digital technologies improve the circulation and make it cheaper as the film can be send via a private, locked file which is then sent to the exhibitors or can be sent via hard drive, the producers no longer have to pay for the distributors to send the prints of the film across the globe. Digital distribution also minimises piracy through the ability to create a common release day across the globe, this is done by sending the file via the same day, this minimises piracy as everyone can watch it at the same time, this benefits the distribution companies and production companies as they earn more profit through cinema release as people who are impatient don't have to wait for the film and don't result to piracy instead of waiting. The exhibitors also profit from this as they earn more money through popcorn and drink sales as more people then consume at the cinema. The marketing of a film is more accessible to an audience due to technological convergence in which audiences are able to view the marketing of a film via tablets, smart phones, ipods, TVs and computers via websites like youtube, twitter, IMDB, etc. This benefits the audience as they become intrigued in the media product and therefore go and see it, however this mainly benefits the distributors as it is free to advertise their product how they wish as they use free applications to do this (like youtube and twitter). 

Lastly comes digital exhibition where the film is consumed, this comes in 2 stages, cinema release and home release. The issue with digital screening in cinemas is that a digital projector must be purchased and also the digital copy quality isn't as good as the printed copy, however a printed copy can only be used a certain amount of times and will degrade in quality and soon enough the digital copy will be of better quality, concluding in better screening quality for the audience. For home release, digital exhibition also becomes a lot easier and more accessible for the audience e.g. VOD's such as Netflix allow an audience to consume a film via tablet, computer, phone or TV, thus the audience benefits from technological convergence. This is also cheaper for an audience as they pay a small subscription for unlimited viewings of films as opposed to buying numerous copies of DVDs/ videos, this saving money in a long term effect. As of April 2013, Netflix hit 36.3 million subscribers which is statistical proof of the increase of home consumption via new technologies (statistics from wikipedia). Returning back to the IMAX, this form of exhibition brings in a large profit for the exhibition companies (The London IMAX owned by odeon) as audiences flee to this exhibition format to consume films in an immaculate format as the screen (London Screen) is measure to be 20 metres high and 26 metres wider, making the resolution and quality of the media product brilliant, in the London IMAX, with a seating of 485, the exhibitors profit from popcorn and drink sales, the audience benefit due to a better screening which is available in 2D and 3D. 

Statistics are from www.the-numbers.com , unless stated otherwise.