G322: Institutions and Audience

The questions are very broad and can focus on one of the following areas: Media Ownership (Media Conglomerates) Synergy & Cross Media Convergence New Media Technologies The spread of technology Technological Convergence (media gadgets) Big industries targeting British audiences Your media consumption Marketing Production

LO: To explore the issues raised by ownership

Our Case Study: Disney Revenue: $48 billion Operating income: $12 billion Its assets are believed to be worth $84 billion

Disney A MEDIA CONGLOMERATE

Disney A media conglomerate, media group or media institution is a company that owns large numbers of companies in various mass media such as television, radio, publishing, movies, and the Internet. Media conglomerates strive for policies that facilitate their control of the markets across the globe.

Institution/Media Ownership Disney’s Assets Walt Disney Studios Buena Vista Home Entertainment Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group: Touchstone Pictures Pixar Animation Studios Lucasfilm Animation ESPN ABC Entertainment Group Marvel Entertainment Disney Music Group

Institution/Media Ownership Media Conglomerates Massive multinational media companies who own: Film Studios TV Stations Record Labels Magazines Newspapers Books Internet platforms

The media industry is dominated by the big 6

In 1983, fifty corporations dominated most of every mass medium and the biggest media merger in history was a $340 million deal. … [I]n 1987, the fifty companies had shrunk to twenty-nine. … [I]n 1990, the twenty-nine had shrunk to twenty three. … [I]n 1997, the biggest firms numbered ten and involved the $19 billion Disney-ABC deal, at the time the biggest media merger ever. … [In 2000] AOL Time Warner’s $350 billion merged corporation [was] more than 1,000 times larger [than the biggest deal of 1983]. — Ben H. Bagdikian, The Media Monopoly, Sixth Edition, (Beacon Press, 2000),

Just how dominant are the big 6 studios? Have a look at the highest grossing films of all time – can you spot any independents?

Gladiator DreamWorks, Universal A Beautiful Mind DreamWorks, Universal, Imagine Entertainment Chicago Miramax The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King New Line Cinema, Wingnut Films Million Dollar Baby Warner Bros., Malpaso Crash LionsGate, The Departed Warner Bros. No Country for Old Men Miramax, Paramount Vantage Slumdog Millionaire[O] Fox Searchlight, Warner Bros., Celador, Film4 The Hurt Locker Summit Entertainment, Voltage Pictures, First Light Productions, Kingsgate Films The King's Speech The Weinstein Co., Momentum Pictures, UK Film Council, See-Saw Films, Bedlam Productions The Artist The Weinstein Co. (US/AUS), Warner Bros. (France),Entertainment Film Distributors (UK), La Petite Reine, ARP Sélection, Studio 37, La Class Americane, France 3 Cinema, U Film, Jouror Productions, JD Prod, Wild Bunch Argo Warner Bros., GK Films, Smokehouse Pictures 12 Years a Slave Fox Searchlight, Regency Enterprises, River Road Entertainment, Plan B Entertainment, New Regency,Film4 Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) Fox Searchlight, Regency Enterprises, Worldview Entertainment

Why might conglomerates be seen as a negative?

Global conglomerates can at times have a progressive impact on culture, especially when they enter nations that had been tightly controlled by corrupt crony media systems (as in much of Latin America) or nations that had significant state censorship over media (as in parts of Asia). The global commercial-media system is radical in that it will respect no tradition or custom, on balance, if it stands in the way of profits. But ultimately it is politically conservative, because the media giants are significant beneficiaries of the current social structure around the world, and any upheaval in property or social relations— particularly to the extent that it reduces the power of business—is not in their interest.— Robert W. McChesney, The New Global Media; It’s a Small World of Big Conglomerates, The Nation Magazine, November 29, 1999

Starter Homework due today.  New homework: Choose an independent film and compare its commercial success to your film

Starter You will be shown a term, take turns testing your partner on the meaning

Starter Conglomerate

Starter Monopoly

Starter Merger

Starter Dumbing down

Starter Diversity

Starter Cultural imperialism

Starter Answers?

It is useful to remind ourselves that free expression is threatened not just blatantly by authoritarian governments and all those in the private sector who fear public exposure, but also more subtly by the handful of global media conglomerates that have reduced meaningful diversity of expression in much of the globe. — Gerald Caplan, Advancing Free Media, Open Markets, Open Media forum, November 1997

As Michael Eisner, CEO of Walt Disney Co. said in an internal memo: We have no obligation to make history. We have no obligation to make art. We have no obligation to make a statement. To make money is our only objective. — Michael Eisner, CEO, The Walt Disney Co., (Internal Memo). Quoted from Mickey Mouse Monopoly-Disney, Childhood & Corporate Power

Mickey Mouse Monopoly: Disney Childhood Corporate Power https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byaMd_PNyIY Mickey Mouse Monopoly: Disney Childhood Corporate Power

Independent institutions

Institution/Media Ownership Independents Some producers work outside of the major studies. Often British productions are made by smaller outfits like Warp Films, working with Film 4 or the BBC to try to secure extra funding and help with distribution. Often films made this way struggle to get more than £1 or £2 million budgets and consider a success to break even, with DVD after-sales included.

Industry Overview Institution/Media Ownership Budgets average $100m+ British Films, have low to modest budgets, make modest returns. British films - stuck in a rut… Hollywood Studios (US) Working Title (UK/US) Indie (UK) The main British success story, Working Title now has US cash to finance its films. Budgets average £1m Budgets average $30m Budgets average $100m+ US films out of Hollywood have massive budgets, which generate massive profits - a cycle of self-sustaining profit.

Some commercial independent successes

1. 'THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST‘ $611. 9 million worldwide 1. 'THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST‘ $611.9 million worldwide. Financed by Mel Gibson himself, without the safety net of a distributor in place, the film went on to become the highest-grossing indie of all time and the second-highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.   2. 'SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE' $377.9 million worldwide. Danny Boyle's eclectic adaptation of Vikas Swarup's novel Q & A garnered widespread critical acclaim, and went on to take home best picture, best director and best adapted screenplay at the 2009 Academy Awards. 3.  'MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING' $368.7 million worldwide. Despite the fact that it never held the No. 1 spot on the box office charts, the Joel Zwick-directed romantic comedy, which reportedly cost $6 million to make, proved to be one of the most profitable films of all time and the second-highest- grossing romantic comedy of all time.  4. 'SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE‘ $289.3 million worldwide. Preproduction started way back in 1991 when the project was under the Universal banner, but when rising star Julia Roberts dropped out of the lead role of Juliet, Uni balked and dropped the project. Once in turnaround the other majors didn't touch it, but Harvey Weinstein's Miramax swooped in, bankrolled it, and ended up with the best picture statuette at the 71st Academy Awards. 5. 'THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT‘ $248.6 million worldwide. Perhaps the most profitable film of all time, with a reported budget of $25,000, The Blair Witch Project popularized the now ubiquitous and hyperprofitable genre of "found footage" films.

The reality facing indie filmmakers… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tg1zT_2pyo

Independents The American Film Industry

Institution/Media Ownership Dreamworks – an independent success story 31 feature films, including the franchises of Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, Monsters vs. Aliens and The Croods. As of November 2014, its feature films have grossed $12.9 billion worldwide, with a $419 million average gross per film Distribution: Paramount 20th Century Fox

The problem of being an independent: Read the article and make notes: Independents The problem of being an independent: Read the article and make notes: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/19/business/media/19dreamworks.html?_r=0

Institution/Media Ownership – U.S.A Independents https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_UxLEqd074 ‘Paranormal Activity’

Institution/Media Ownership Independents US independent film maker Orin Peli made ‘Paranormal Activity’ for just $15,000. But he needed Paramount, a US major studio to distribute and remarket his film ($20 million). In doing so the film made over $190 million. It does show though that there are exceptions to the rule that big budget films usually do best...

Independents The UK Film Industry

Institution/Media Ownership Working Title Films

Aardman: British animation Aardman was founded in 1972 as a low-budget project Creature Comforts, was the first Aardman production to win an Oscar December 1997, Aardman and DreaWorks (later DreamWorks Animation) announced that their companies were teaming up to co-finance and distribute Chicken Run The deal was officially terminated on 30 January 2007 April 2007, Aardman signed and in 2010 renewed a three-year deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment to finance, co-produce and distribute feature films Kickstarter: The campaign has a target of £75,000 which will be used to fund 12 new one-minute episodes of Morph. https://www.youtube.com/user/aardman

Institution/Media Ownership Independents Some producers work outside of the major studies. Often British productions are made by smaller outfits like Warp Films, working in synergy with Film 4 or the BBC to try to secure extra funding and help with distribution. Often films made this way struggle to get more than £1 or £2 million budgets and consider a success to break even, with DVD after-sales included. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGk2TojOd-4

Institution/Media Ownership Independents: Four Lions Theatrical Performance Domestic Box Office $310,007 International Box Office $2,126,104 Worldwide Box Office $2,436,111 The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Short-listed for the festival's World Cinema Narrative prize. RELEASE: The UK première took place at the National Media Museum as part of Bradford International Film Festival as part of Bradford International Film Festival on 25 March 2010] Nationwide release on 7 May. DISTRIBUTION: Despite its acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival, Four Lions failed to find a distributor in the US for nine months, until the newly formed Drafthouse Films picked it up. U.S RELEASE The film had a limited release in the US on 5 November 2010.

PRACTICE

Why might conglomerates be seen as a negative? DISCUSS

What are the advantages of am indie film company? DISCUSS

H/W Find out about the institutions involved with the production, distribution, exhibition and marketing. What role did they play? Who spent what?

Types of questions you might encounter…

Discuss the issues raised by media ownership in the production and exchange of media texts in your chosen area

“Media production is dominated by global companies, which sell their products to national audiences”. To what extent do you agree with this statement?

What impact does media ownership have upon the range of products available to audiences in the media area you have studied?

L/O: To explore the production process of Disney films

Homework: Research the production of the film – what problems were there? What technology was used? Was there any synergy between institutions?

Production Walt Disney Animation: History

Overview: The Production Cycle You are expected to know what happens in each of these 4 stages of a film’s life: Choose genre, director, stars, SFX, & film it! £1000 Film reels produced & sent to as many cinemas as possible Get film into multiplexes & TV deals Advertise the film as widely as possible (Synergy?) Film Production Film Distribution Film Exhibition Film Marketing

The Production Cycle What issues might film producers face during the production cycle?

Production Walt Disney Animation For a long time, Walt Disney was seen as the most innovative and successful animation institution. 1970s and 80s – downturn 1990s – renaissance thanks to new technology, A list actors, use of music and engaging narratives (for both adults and children)

Production The Importance of Innovation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKUWli76KRc The Little Mermaid (1989) was also the first to feature the use of Disney's Computer Animation Production System (CAPS). Developed for Disney by Pixar

Production Little Mermaid (1989) Fact File Budget $40,000,000 (estimated) Box office: $211,343,479 (worldwide) Rentals: $40,227,000 (USA)

Computer Animation Production System https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDjPziJl778

Production The Lion King (1994) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmcJthJmF98 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqRHdH_4PK0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkb0r2-vYK0 Soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3o7eBeTQo0

Production The Lion King Fact File Budget $45,000,000 (estimated) Following a 3D re-release in 2011, with earnings of over US $987 million worldwide as of 2011, the film is the highest-grossing hand-drawn film in history, The film has led to many derived works such as a Broadway show, two straight to video follow ups and two TV spin offs.

Film & New Media Technology HOME CINEMA? FILMS ON THE MOVE? OR IMAX 3D? Advances in new media technology have made it possible for anyone to make films and showcase them on the internet on sites like YouTube. We can now also watch films on phones, games consoles, digital TV on demand. We can also see state of the art SFX on giant screens in 3D. Digital T.V Satellite ( Sky) Digital Terrestrial (Freeview) Cable (NTL)

Media Convergence - Film

Technological Convergence Gadgets to watch films on: Smart-phones (iPhone etc) MP4 players Portable Games Consoles (PSP etc) Laptops (Airbooks etc) Multimedia devices, films at home: Games Consoles (Xbox 360, PS3 etc) PC (via DVD, BluRay, il/legal downloads) Home Cinema (Plasma TV / Projector + digital TV)

Frozen (2013) Produced by Walt Disney Animation Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures A summary: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/frozen-at-christmas/on-demand

Production https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UZRqjUXbSM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H1gRQ6S7gg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szJ9Ohi2FNo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-4c3JSLVww

ALL OF THE ABOVE NEED SPECIFIC EXAMPLES. Essay Approaches. The exam board want to know what you understand about: Media Institutions: Hollywood Studios (20th Century Fox etc.), British Studios (Working Title + Warp Films etc). Media Audiences: UK film viewers (either in cinemas, or via PC / TV / Phone etc) Media Technology: Digital filmmaking (CGI, 3D, Imax, DV- Cams), Online Films (LoveFilm, iTunes, YouTube, piracy), Convergence (gadgets to watch films on) Marketing Campaigns: How Studios advertise their films (Synergy, TV + Internet trailers, Print ads – newspapers, magazines, posters, Premieres, junkets, word of mouth, USP, merchandising etc). ALL OF THE ABOVE NEED SPECIFIC EXAMPLES.

Past Questions for Q2. Section B: Institutions and Audiences Answer the question below, making detailed reference to examples from your case study material to support points made in your answer. Discuss the issues raised by an institution’s need to target specific audiences within a media industry which you have studied.

Past Questions for Q2. Section B: Institutions and Audiences Answer the question below, making detailed reference to examples from your case study material to support points made in your answer. Discuss the ways in which media products are produced and distributed to audiences, within a media area, that you have studied.

Past Questions for Q2. Section B: Institutions and Audiences Answer the question below, making detailed reference to examples from your case study material to support points made in your answer. “Media production is dominated by global institutions, which sell their services and products, to national audiences.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Past Questions for Q2 Section B: Institutions and Audiences Answer the question below, making detailed reference to examples from your case study material to support the points made in your answer. How important is technological convergence for institutions and audiences within a media area which you have studied?

Marking Grid for Qu2. Band / Grade Argument Examples Terminology Level 1: U Minimal understanding & reference to study (0-7) Limited range and use of examples Minimal use of terms. Inaccuracies (0-3) Low Level 2: E > D Basic understanding. Some relevant points. (8-11) Some relevant examples Some terms used. Some inaccuracies (4-5) Upper Level 3: C > B Proficient argument, well supported. (12-15) Good range of examples Mostly accurate terms (6-7) Level 4 : A Excellent, relevant, sustained argument (16-20) Frequent use of relevant examples Relevant and accurate terms (8-10)