TECHNOLOGICAL CONVERGENCE for Institutions & Audiences The Importance of TECHNOLOGICAL CONVERGENCE for Institutions & Audiences

VIDEO ACTIVITY Watch this creative video on the topic of: TECHNOLOGICAL CONVERGENCE. The video is from 2009, so facts will have changed. however, you can still use them to back up your points, just put the date!

VIDEO ACTIVITY – Q’s Note down the answers to the following questions, you will be tested! 1. How many iPhone apps can an American access? 2. How many TVs in the US? How many in bathrooms? 3. The decrease in newspaper circulation over the last 25 years? 4. The number of unique readers of online news articles? 5. Percentage increase in smartphone advertising? 6. Number of Wiki articles and languages? 7. Time taken to move this by Cisco’s ‘Nexus Data Switch’? 8. Average texts sent monthly by a US teenager? 9. What percentage of daily emails sent are spam? EXTENSION. One other statistic or point!

VIDEO ACTIVITY – A’s 1. How many iPhone apps can American’s access? 65,000 2. How many TVs in the US? How many in bathrooms? 240m/2m 3. The decrease in newspaper circulation over the last 25 years? 7m 4. The number of unique readers of online news articles? 30m 5. Percentage increase in smartphone advertising? 18.1 6. Number of Wiki articles and languages? 13m/200 7. Time taken to move this by Cisco’s ‘Nexus Data Switch’? 0.001s 8. Average texts sent monthly by a US teenager? 2272 9. What percentage of daily emails sent are spam? 90% EXTENSION. One other statistic or point! ...

1) Convergence’s effect on Film Studios Definition: What is the significance, for film companies & their audiences, of film related technologies coming together? Discuss: 1) Convergence’s effect on Film Studios 2) Convergence’s effect on Audiences KEY TERMS Technology + Convergence + Web 2.0 + Smart Phones + Digital + Projectors + Consoles KEY POINT: TC refers to the trend of different tech merging into new ones, linking a range of media. TC is significant as it opens up new markets for film. Today, audiences are able to watch films in more ways than ever before. Why is this good? Why may it be bad?

WHAT WOULD THE QUESTION MARK LOOK LIKE/DO IN 2020? IMAGE ACTIVITY WHAT WOULD THE QUESTION MARK LOOK LIKE/DO IN 2020? DISCUSS + DRAW

OLD TECHNOLOGIES Historically, technology has only handled one medium, or accomplished 1/2 tasks. Meaning devices were limited in purpose. Communication Music Film Internet TV A telecommunications device was ONLY designed as a point-to-point communication system to transmit & receive sound (human voice). Gramophones- Record Players – Tape Decks – CD Players – are numerous devices specifically designed for projecting music ONLY. A television set was ONLY designed to broadcast (transmit & receive) moving images & sound through analogue station signals.

How can film Institutions use convergence to their benefit using: -QUESTION- How can film Institutions use convergence to their benefit using: GAMES CONSOLES?

Consumers don’t just play games on a PS3, you can also: GAME CONSOLES Through technological convergence, devices are now able to present & interact with a wide array of media. They not only interact with the media they are primarily designed to handle, but also with a number of other formats. The XBOX video game consoles primary purpose is to play console games, but it is also now able to play back video, music, & connect to the internet. Consumers don’t just play games on a PS3, you can also: Listen to music - Watch films via the Blu-Ray player – Go online - Stream from Amazon Prime/Instant Video, Netflix etc.

How can film Institutions use convergence to their benefit using: -QUESTION- How can film Institutions use convergence to their benefit using: SMART PHONES?

SMART PHONES In today’s market, technology is coming together as hubs, the mobile phone in your pocket is a great example of technological convergence: Smart phones are now offer the functionality of personal music players, digital cameras, text messenger/email systems and internet access as well. A mobile phone being used as a stills/moving image camera, a movie & audio player which can download content - i.e. one platform many types of media, can be an extremely useful piece of technology for consumers becoming producers.

How can film Institutions use convergence to their benefit using: -QUESTION- How can film Institutions use convergence to their benefit using: THE INTERNET?

INSTITUTIONS - new ways of delivering content to audiences. WEB 2.0 The Internet is the most widespread example of TC, acting as a hub for many aspects of film. Web 2.0 websites allow users to interact with other users or change website content (two-way flow of information). Social networking sites, web communities, video sharing & blogs, all connect film posters, interviews & trailers so readers interact with film in different ways. Virtually all entertainment technologies can be viewed and played online, often with greater functionality than they have in their primary technology. INSTITUTIONS - new ways of delivering content to audiences. AUDIENCES - new way of consuming films with more choice and more control.

How can film Institutions use convergence to their benefit using: -QUESTION- How can film Institutions use convergence to their benefit using: DIGITAL PROJECTORS?

Sporting Events - Live Concerts - TV Programmes DIGITAL PROJECTOR An excellent example of how technological convergence has effected the film industry, is the creation of the digital projector. Digitally shot films are simply big computer files, that you can copy, distribute or view, via the web, hard drives, optical disks or satellite, (No reels). With films stored as digital files, cinemas can give audiences much more choice of what to watch. Sporting Events - Live Concerts - TV Programmes

TECHNOLOGICAL CONVERGENCE - SUMMING UP The prospect of film & the web (or basically any digital media/entertainment) all becoming seamlessly integrated, personalised, & readily available for watching or downloading, at home & on the move at high-speed… is very exciting. Technologies coming together (converging) allowing audiences to consume film quickly & easily from one source. Film companies are producing & distributing films across several different media. They know audiences enjoy using converged technology.

APPLYING YOUR KNOWLEDGE – Institutions Write a short paragraph applying one of the technological convergence points to one of your case studies (Disney or Big Talk), considering how technological convergence has effected institutions within the film industry. Include a definition of ‘technological convergence’ and at least one statistic from the video! Extension: add a comparison paragraph using your other case study