Institution and Audiences - 7 points
· the technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels
of production, distribution, marketing and at the point of consumption/
Technological convergence has become a very crucial
component in the changes to the film industry. Leaps in technology have brought
about an insurgence in not only the way movies are made and displayed but also
how we consume media. Some time ago films were made through poor quality CGI,
expensive 35mm reels but long gone are those days.
Reels and very expensive large cameras, however more recently
have been replaced with digital cameras such as Arri Alexa 65, first to be used
in Captain America Civil War. The movie was also the first to make use of IMAX’s
2D digital cameras which allows audiences to enjoy an HD, more real viewing of
movies. The Alexa 65 has been used by a growing number of cinematographers
including Opaloch; Rodrigo Prieto, for Passengers; Greig Fraser, for Rogue One:
A Star Wars Story; and Tom Stern, for Sully. The cameras are also cheaper, as a
traditional camera costs around £50,000 pounds whereas a professional digital
one would be around £10,000. Saving money in this way then allows production
companies to spend more of their budget on other aspects of the film, such as
special effects which have also enhanced greatly over time.
Digital cameras and projectors also allow British cinema to
operate in a more cost-effective way and target national audiences when
previously they couldn’t compete with the dominant Hollywood’s ‘talent’, SFX
and marketing. Independent filmmakers such as Columbia Pictures can produce larger
amounts prints at a lower cost, therefore will not lose as much money if the
film doesn’t attract such a large audience. This should ease the path for more independent
British Films into more cinemas across the country.
The development of CGI and other effects have meant for a
far more exciting and diverse viewing experience for audiences and allowed
directors to take their creations to a whole new level of film. Marvel’s
Captain America, for example, employed 20 visual effects teams such as Industrial
Light and Magic, Lola VFX and The Third Floor which participated in de-aging
Robert Downey Jr and constructing the most important action scenes.
The exhibition of film has also become more diverse in terms
of viewing due to technological convergence. As mobile phones nowadays have
cameras and internet, there has been an increase in piracy. The impact this has
on the film industry is a loss of profits with the reduction of ticket and DVD
sales, which may mean in turn institutions have reduced funds for further
projects. Although movies like the Dark Knight had an elaborate anti-piracy
strategy that involved tracking the people who had a pre-release copy of the
film, a pirated copy was still released 38 hours after the film’s release. Lately,
however the advent of 3D films has made pirating difficult.
Distribution of films via iTunes downloads, Blu Ray DVD
releases and Netflix and LoveFilm streaming have made easier for institutions
to reach wider audiences and for audiences to consume and enjoy media from the
comforts of their homes.
Marketing has been the most affected area of media due to
technological convergence. Word of mouth on social media and online reviews on
websites such as Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, can make or break a film. For
example, bad word of mouth for DC’s Batman v Superman resulted in slumped
ticket sales.
Marketing with the help of technology is very helpful in
attracting audience’s attention towards the movie. For example, Captain America:
Civil War had an elaborate and viral social media presence with the release of
an array of posters, trailers and TV spots on YouTube and Marvel’s official
website which gave insight into the larger Marvel Universe. People posted
comments, shared videos which made the whole process interactive.
The movie’s long-running Facebook page had been sharing
GIFs, videos and other promotional updates for the release for a long while in
addition to trailers and more. Same goes for the Twitter profile which had
custom emojis for the characters and hashtags #TeamIronMan and #TeamCap, with
personalized video messages from cast members upon choosing whichever team. The
cast participated interactively in interviews on Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel,
press junkets and conferences and gave exclusive interviews and debuts on major
magazines posted online such as Empire Weekly for fans to have a better
knowledge about the development of the movie. Such practices play on the star
system and also makes the audiences feel closer to their favorite stars through
interaction on social media, hence involving them personally with the movie.
It can be concluded that technology is essential for both
institutions and audiences. It has allowed
better variety in construction, viewing and consumption of media but also has
given rise to piracy. Overall, the effect has been positive.
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