The document discusses how new digital technologies have revolutionized the film industry. It describes how films can now be cheaper and easier to produce and distribute due to technologies like digital cameras, high definition, and CGI effects. It also explains how convergence across media platforms through technologies like the internet allows for more integrated marketing opportunities through techniques like transmedia storytelling and synergistic promotion of films through merchandise. Overall, digital distribution and new media are transforming the film industry and the relationship between audiences and media.

1. Digital
Portability
Convergence
High Definition

2.  Revolutionised the modern world (not just
film)
 Revolutionising production, distribution,
marketing, exhibition (consumption of film)
 Films are now cheaper and easier to make,
cheaper to distribute, and D-Cinemas are
enhancing the viewing experience

3.  NDT has allowed audiences to become
‘produser’ – producers/users of media
 “Conventional research methods are replace – or at
least supplemented by new methods which recognise
and make use of people’s own creativity, and brush
aside outmoded notions of ‘receiver’ audiences and
elite ‘producers’.”
› Gauntlett
 What is NDT from an audience point of view?
› Web2.0
› Social Media

4.  Active users of the media
 Audience ‘Fragmentation’ – this makes it hard
to reach everyone (360 degree branding is to
surround us with the produce across all form of
media)
 The need to use convergence (flow of content across
multiple media platforms) –
› A) - technologies coming together (doing mulitple
things)
› B) - media industries are diversifying so they produce
and distribute across several media eg newspaper
(printed and online) but you end up in the same
‘place’, getting the same info

5.  Cross Media Convergence and The Hobbit
› How did ‘convergence’ come together for the Hobbit?
› Find out what different technologies were used to
connect people to The Hobbit
› Find out what other forms of media were connected
to the film (eg video games)
› What impact did new media technologies have on
this film?
› Find out about the Dark Knight and how it used
convergence

6.  The relationship has changed
 Rather than keeping the audience together
institutions are trying to ‘trigger engagement
 Push Media vs Pull Media
 Push = institutions push media at us
 Pull = we choose want media we what and in
what form
 Long Tail

7. Proliferation is media spreading out – in the past
there was ‘old media’:
• Old-style TV
• Radio
• Movie studios
• Music studios
• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Books
BUT now there is NEW MEDIA and there is more
proliferation……

8.  Media has proliferated through new media –
accessible through interactive power of
computer and communications technology,
computer-enabled consumer devices and most
importantly the Internet.
 Media industries are diversifying so that they
produce & distribute across several different
types of media (i.e. a newspaper with an online
version & podcasts OR video games linked with
films), accessible on these converged devices

9.  New technology used in Avatar
 The Hobbit? Frozen?
 Digital Cameras – cheaper, cleaner, easier to manipulate
 HD – higher quality
 3D – spectacle, hard to pirate, hard to produce at home,
new
 Imax - spectacle, hard to pirate, hard to produce at home,
new
 CGI – achieve the impossible, exciting, creative
 Synthespians? (term coined by Randle and Culkin – used
for extras which are costly)

10.  In media economics, synergy is the promotion and
sale of a product (and all its versions) throughout
the various parts/subsidiaries of a media
conglomerate, e.g. films, soundtracks or video
games.
 Walt Disney pioneered synergistic marketing
techniques in the 1930s by granting dozens of firms
the right to use his Mickey Mouse character in
products and ads.
 These products can help advertise the film itself
and thus help to increase the film's sales.
 Frozen merchandise
 The Hobbit merchandise

12.  The use of NDT in marketing has made a
huge difference to society.
 There are now viral advertisements to
promote products.
 Apps on phones for games or latest
information – the possibilities are endless
 The internet- you can find anything.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPNjWW
QqWCA
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-
uHQna0

13.  Digital Distribution will transform the film
industry more than any other technological
advancement
 Key Point
› Cheaper
› Quicker
› Simultaneous global release (cuts down piracy)
› Great Potential and Great Danger

14.  Digital Data Files can be broadcast/downloaded
by satellite (fast)
 Via satellite reduces the risk of film prints ‘going
astray’, reduce piracy
 Film stock is heavy, hard to work with and
fragile
 Film needs specialist handling, digital does not
 Quality remains consistent over multiple
screening
 Multiple copies for the price of one!

15.  Audience attitude to the internet being ‘free’
(think Napster, LimeWire, BitTorrent)
 Marketing becomes way more important
 Quality?
 The ‘Experience’
 Production Companies are always one step
behind technology so could they lose total
control of their product?

16.  Better quality of image because it is digital (???)
 More flexibility for Exhibition and for the
audience
 Cheaper to run
 Disadvantage – change over to digital, 3D, HD,
Imax is very expensive!!!!
 The Digital Screen Network is helping British
cinemas change over