presentation research

1. The Grand Budapest Hotel

2. The issues raised by media ownership in
contemporary media practice
• This film didn’t have a problem with media ownership the only big
company you could say was involved was Fox Searchlight Pictures and
this may have only affected the film by giving it an easier time getting
noticed as people like to know what films the big companies are
getting involved in, but primarily smaller companies were involved like
American Empirical and Indian Paintbrush, but the film still did well
and made a profit and this would have been mainly because of the
director of the film Wes Anderson as his films have a kind of cult
following and people like his movies and style.

3. The importance of cross media convergence and
synergy in production, distribution and marketing
• Marketing could be seen to the key in this films success as seen in this article:
• http://variety.com/2014/film/news/five-keys-to-wes-andersons-hotel-success-story-1201154272/
• In this article it describes the five ways that marketing helped the film succeed, the first point in
this is Anderson’s world where there are things that fit in with the film for example an art exhibit
inspired by the film and the book “The Society of the Crossed Keys” which inspired the film.
• Fox Searchlight and Secret Cinema have converged to help promote the film in a unique way. By
creating a much talked about event, they have in turn created a media buzz about the film. This is
something that Fox Searchlight would have tried to do but wouldn’t have been able to do to the
same degree and consequently earn $15 million in the UK.
• Fox Searchlight also synergised with cooking networks to virally promote the film. They did this by
providing Anderson fans with recipes and instructions on how to create the famous Mendl’s
pastries as featured in the film. They then used the videos that fans sent back on the previously
mentioned cooking networks. This appealed to both casual fans of the film and also those that may
take an interest because of the cooking element.

4. The technologies that have been introduced in
recent years at the levels of production,
distribution, marketing and exchange
• Reduced piracy because of internet streaming and downloadable
content. The freedom to watch what we want when we want has
played a big part in its reduction. 3D and Blu Ray has allowed for more
money to be earned from every production that uses this technology.
Because of this the type of movies being made tend to be large
blockbuster movies that can take advantage of the new technology.

5. The significance of proliferation in hardware
and content for institutions and audiences
• Companies have had to start making their movies more widely
available to take advantage of this new hardware. An example of this is
ultraviolet movies which allow the purchaser of selected Blu Rays to
get a complimentary digital copy of the film in which they can watch
on their phones and PC’s. A movie that used this strategy is The Grand
Budapest Hotel. Games consoles often include a Blu Ray player or an
app in which it takes control of a Netflix account. This means
companies now have to distribute their movies on a much wider digital
format.

6. The importance of technological convergence
for institutions and audiences
• Even though it wasn’t used in this film, James Cameron’s Red X
cameras are a perfect example of when different technologies have
come together to help the film industry. His Red X cameras are used in
nearly every 3D movie meaning the film makers have to go to
Cameron himself to rent the cameras. Because of this Cameron earned
money for himself as well as providing a service which could earn the
film maker a large amount of money.

7. The issues raised in the targeting of national and
local audiences (specifically, British) by
international or global institutions
• In the US trailer for Star Trek into Darkness there is a heavy emphasis
on the main character of Chris Pine, as the Hero, and Benedict
Cumberbatch, as the villain. This will appeal to Americans because of
this historical feud that happened between the British and the
Americans. The Americans always want to see a fellow American as the
hero and a British man as the stereotypical, well-spoken villain. This is
in contrast to the international trailer (shown in the UK) in which it
shows more of the British villain than the American hero. The villain
also isn’t displayed as doing overtly evil actions.

8. The ways in which the candidates’ own experiences
of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and
trends of audience behaviour.
• The developments to media consumption such as streaming and
downloading movies I can see as a good thing as it caters to a wider
audience because not everyone has the time to got out and see a
movie but if you can do it from your own home it just makes the
process easier.
• The film had a relatively short time for DVD release with the film in
cinemas by the March 7th and on DVD by July 7th, this would keep the
film current while there was still possibly a buzz about it and the
people that wanted to see it but didn’t have time to could see it and
fans of the movie would be able to re-watch it.