1. The Film Industry

2. AIMS
• To understand the focus for
the Audience and
Institutions section of your
January Exam
• To understand the structure
of a Media Triangle
• To understand the different
sectors of the film industry
KEY TERMS
Audience
Institution
Production
Subsidiary
Distribution
Marketing
Exhibition
Horizontal Integration
Vertical Integration
Convergence
Synergy

3. THE EXAM
Section B: Institutions and Audiences
Candidates should be prepared to understand and discuss the processes of production, distribution, marketing
and exchange as they relate to contemporary media institutions, as well as the nature of audience
consumption and the relationships between audiences and institutions. In addition, candidates should be
familiar with:
•the issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice;
•the importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing;
•the technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels of production, distribution, marketing
and exchange;
•the significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and audiences;
•the importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences;
•the issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically, British) by international or
global institutions;
•the ways in which the candidates’ own experiences of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends
of audience behaviour.
This unit should be approached through contemporary examples in the form of case studies based upon one of
the specified media areas.

4. MEDIA TRIANGLES
Institution
Target
Audience
Media
Text
Who has producedthe
media text
Whatthey have
produced
Who it is producedfor.

5. THE FILM PROCESS
PRODUCTION DISTRIBUTION EXHIBITION
There are three distinct areas of the film industry.
Each one of these could be viewed as a type of media institution.
What would you expect to happen at each stage?

6. • Production involves the creation of the media
product and is the responsibility of the
PRODUCTION COMPANY
• This includes all pre-production, production &
post-production processes.
• Before that the writer/director/producer must
find finance for a film – which may come from
one or many production companies (a co-
production)
Figment Films is the
productioncompany
who made
Trainspotting.
Channel 4 (film 4)
financed the film

7. •Film distributors are responsible for prints and marketing:
PRINTS – producing physical copies of a film for cinema/home
release and finding the exhibitors/retailers to sell the film
MARKETING – raising audience awareness and anticipation of a
new release
•A distributor may:
-Be a part of the same parent company as the production
company
-Have a long term arrangement with a production company and
provide financial assistance for many of their productions
-Provide financial assistance for a single film by a production
company
-Acquire a film after it has completed production
•A film will likely have different distributors for:
-Releases in different countries
-Cinema Release
-Home-Video Release
Miramaxdistributed
Trainspotting and
bought the rights for
$750,000– in your case
study look carefullyat
how it was marketed
and distributed.

8. • Exhibition is divided into two sections:
- Cinema – the distributor is paid by the cinema for a
copy of the film
- Home – the distributor is paid by the company who is
selling the film for a copy
• A film’s success is often decided on the amount of
money it makes during it’s cinema release. This is
known as the Box Office Takings
• Home Exhibition is becoming an increasing valuable
and varied source for distributors to increase profits.
WHAT METHODS OF HOME EXHIBITION CAN WE THINK OF?
FilmFour made its
reputation with films
such as Trainspotting in
1996, which made
£23m at the box office
but cost only £2.4m and
was the highest
grossing British film in
1996.
However,it was far more
successful on DVD,
spawning numerous
versions and special
editions
Why would this film be
more successful on DVD
than in the cinema?

9. HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL INTEGRATION
PRODUCTION
Often a single parent company will own multiple
companies in the film industry.
This is divided into two types of ownership:
PRODUCTION PRODUCTION
HORIZONTAL
The parent company
owns multiple
companiesat the same
stage of the film
industry. A smaller
company,owned by the
parentis a subsidiary.
VERTICAL
The parent company
owns multiple
companiesacross
differentstages of the
film industry.
What are the
advantagesfor a parent
companyof each type of
ownership?
EXHIBITION
DISTRIBUTION
For example Walt Disney also owns:
•Miramax Films
•Hollywood Pictures
•Pixar Animation
For example Warner Bros owns:
•Warner Bros Studios (Production)
•Warner Bros (Distribution)
•Used to own Warner Bros
Cinemas in the UK (Exhibition

10. SORTING OUT KEY TERMS
Ownership of institution
How the way the company is owned effects the type of films it produces.
Cross Media Convergence
The use of multiple media forms by a media company to increase the awareness of or possible audience for a
media product. For example, the BBC show Eastenders on their TV channels, then make them available on the
internet through BBC iPlayer for a further seven days. A single company will often own all of the media forms.
Synergy
When two or more institutions promote their products on one media text. Business deals are created between
institutions who stand to benefit from reaching the same audience at the same time. Product placement in
films (where for example, James Bond might be denoted wearing an Omega watch) and the promotion of stars
and their songs through TV advertisements for other products are good examples.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R22qigXhFjk
New Media Technology
The emergence of digital, computerized, or networked information and communication technologies in the
later part of the 20th century. Most technologies described as "new media" are digital. This is simply a quicker,
smaller, more efficient and compressed form of data-storage when compared with older analogue methods.
Proliferation of content
An increase in the number of films being made over the last 30 years

11. Technological convergence
The combination of a variety of different digital technologies into one piece of hardware e.g. a PC
which can show DVDs, digitally edit, using a camera take video footage and using the internet,
download films
Production
How films are made in terms of appeal to audience, effect of ownership and technologies used
Distribution
In the film business, the term "distribution" refers to the marketing and circulation of movies in theatres,
and for home viewing (DVD, Video-On-Demand, Download, Television etc). This will usually be
through a cinema first and then onto DVD and download, although some films are released straight to
DVD.
Marketing
The process of creating and raising audience awareness of a new film. It is part of the responsibility of
the distributor, along with circulation, after they have acquired a film. The objective of film marketing is
to stand out in an environment that is competing very fiercely for the audience’s money. This does not
simply mean against other film campaigns, but the marketing of any other product too. Split into three
sections – advertising, publicity and promotion.
Exhibition
Exhibition is the retail branch of the film industry. It could relate to public cinema exhibition or private
home exhibition through DVD or downloads.
SORTING OUT KEY TERMS

12. RECAP
What do the following terms mean in relation to the film industry?
• Production
• Subsidiary
• Distribution
• Marketing
• Exhibition
• Horizontal Integration
• Vertical Integration
• Convergence
• Synergy

13. POSSIBLE QUESTION TOPICS
Relationship
between institution
and audience in a
media industry
Effect of New
Media Technology
on institutions and
audiences in a
media industry
OR
These are the areas that the exam question is most likely to ask you to discuss.
HOWEVER it is possible that the question may ask you to apply your knowledge
in a slightly different way, so you must be prepared to adapt your answer to the
question.
The question will be broad, allowing you to discuss a
variety of issues relating to your case study.

14. RESEARCH TASK - THE LIFE OF A FILM
-SUBMIT AS A POWERPOINT
-STARTING POINT FOR RESEARCH SHOULD BE IMDB.COM – USE COMPANY CREDITS SECTION
1. YOUR FILM (DARK KNIGHT RISES OR TOY STORY 3 OR THE HOBBIT OR THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2012 VERSION))
Provide a brief synopsis of your film’s story
Include some of your film’s marketing materials (trailers, posters, cast interviews etc.)
2. PRODUCTION
What was your film’s production budget?
Which Production Company (s) provided the finance? What other films have the company (s) produced?
3. DISTRIBUTION
Who are your films theatrical distributors? How many countries has it been distributed in and what are they?
Who are your films home distributors? How many countries has it been distributed in and what are they
4. EXHIBITION
What was your film’s box office takings? Would you expect it to be shown at The Tyneside Cinema or in a Multiplex
likeThe Gate or Vue? Why?
Which formats is your film available on for home exhibition?
5. HORIZONTAL & VERTICAL INTEGRATION
Is your film’s production company a subsidiary of a larger company (Horizontally Integrated)?
Are there any signs of horizontal integration between your film’s production company (s) and distributor(s)?

15. RECAP
What do the following terms mean in relation to the film industry?
• Production
• Subsidiary
• Distribution
• Marketing
• Exhibition
• Horizontal Integration
• Vertical Integration

16. • Look at the website for The Dark Night Rises or
Avengers Assemble
• Are there multiple websites? If so, how are they
different?
• What do they offer audiences?
• Be specific and go into detail – what kind of features
do they have to attract an audience – what kind of
links do they have?
• If you have time, look at the viral marketing campaign.
• Google it and give examples of HOW viral marketing
was used and the types of partners who were
involved.

17. • How was digital convergence use to market and
promote the Dark Knight Rises? use digital technology
to viral marketing?
• Websites – what they offered/why more than one; viral
marketing; use of social networking sites; how did the
campaign get people involved. The basic psychology
behind this is to give fans the impression they are
members of an elite group and/or that they have some
kind of say in events – in essence, you’re giving them a
sense of ‘onwership’ so they’ll be more likely to go and
see the film…
• How could audiences access these features?
• There are any number of Youtube videos the DKR use
of viral marketing to help you with this and give you
excellent examples; equally, there are plenty of links if
you google!