Proliferation of hardware & content

This is a useful video on how to constuct a response to this question.

Consider the particular challenges to regulation posed by digital media: example answer

44/50  - a good example answer

Click here

Marketing and distribution

“Successful media products depend as much upon marketing and distribution to a specific audience as they do upon good production practices.” To what extent would you agree with this statement, within the media area you have studied?

High level 4 response - click here

Social class & status_examples

Merlin was the clip in 2011 on social class and status.  Here is a high level 4 response.  Click here

OCR G322 2011 - Merlin -class&status from Howard on Vimeo.

What significance does the continuing development of digital media technology have for media institutions and audiences?

Click here for example answer
39/50

Technological convergence: example essays

Discuss the significance of technological convergence for the media industry you have studied  (Jun 2009)  Click here - to read a full mark response to this question or read below

OCR Audience and Institution A Grade response

Another example:

How important is technological convergence for institutions and audiences within a media area which you have studied?  34/50

Gender - Dr Who

Dr Who
41/50 - Grade A response for Dr Who click here

Some useful notes:

07 as a Level Media Studies UnitG322 June2009 Exemplar Analysis of Doctor Who Extract

Example essay: TV Drama (disability)

This is an example essay that received top marks:
Top marks_Coming down the Mountain_2012

Here is the clip:

How films make their money back

P:\media studies\as level media\film industry\working title\how film makes its money back.1pptx from ecclestona

Key concepts & a revision activity

We have addressed these issues in class in relation to your case studies and the film industry.  These are the seven concepts the board expects you to know.  

• 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 your own experiences of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience behaviour.

Task: Get 7 sheets of paper, one for each of the concepts listed above. For each one, divide the sheet into three sections: production, distribution and exhibition, and make detailed notes including examples from your case studies (statistics, facts etc). For revision, attempt to memorise these 7 sheets and copy them out from memory. That way it'll be the first thing you can do when you start the exam.

Useful synergy & convergence definitions

Convergence:

Technological convergence refers to the process where new technology is moving towards single platforms delivering multiple media outputs that can be used to reach audiences, for example, a PS3′s primary function is video gaming but you can download and watch movies from Lovefilm.com on it and also watch catch up TV and music videos.

Convergent technology is technology that allows an audience to consume more than one type of media from a single platform.  Lots of aspects of the internet e.g. social networking, YouTube, online editions of newspapers and magazines are convergent but candidates cannot quote the internet as the sole aspect of their answer. Their answer needs to be linked into the media area they are talking about (Film, Music, Magazines, Newspapers, Radio, Video Games). E.g if they were talking about newspapers you could link in to their online editions and talk about how this differs from the traditional paper version and the opportunities it presents or if talking about film, candidates could, for example, point to facebook campaigns advertising a film or viral marketing spread via the internet.

Digital projection is convergent technology because films that are produced digitally have moved away from the physical film medium and can be supplied to theatres in digital format (lower costs for distribution versus higher start up costs for theatres switching to digital technology). As the film is in digital format there are also cost savings as potentially less work needs to be done on the film to get it onto Blu-Ray, DVD, internet trailers etc as no physical conversion needs to take place because the film is already in digital format.

Cross Media Convergence is really a Business Studies term and refers to companies coming together vertically or horizontally (or both). The example often cited in exams is of Working Title making use of its parent company(s) to gain access to bigger stars and a better distribution network for their films.

Synergy:

Synergy basically means working together to achieve an objective that couldn’t be achieved independently. Cross-media convergence can help with synergy if companies are wise enough to take advantage of the links they have forged. Disney is an obvious example of a synergistic company from the top down from Film Studio to Kids’ TV Channel (where it further plays and promotes its films) to the Disney Store (in the street and online) where your kids can pester you to buy all the merchandise and DVDs/CDs they’ve seen on the TV/Web or in the cinema.
Rob Carlton  (OCR)

This PPT is on Universal but it holds some very useful examples:

Synergy And Convergence from craigwinch

Examiners comments on this question:

• Examiners Comments:  ‘…more able candidates could develop an argument which could discuss and evaluate how technological convergence enables effective digital distribution, supports viral marketing campaigns, such as the Dark Knight or The Simpsons, creates media synergy and, for example, the use of Sony BMG to record the soundtrack, and merchandising tie in deals. These able candidates could also evaluate how institutions and audiences used media technology across different platforms, for example on the iPod and other mobile devices/phones and the use of social networking sites to share and offer fan comments. Candidates also discussed downloading (including the issue of internet piracy) films, but did not give specific examples of websites or how you could subsequently watch the movies. On occasion candidates could offer criticism that independent and often British film releases which do not have the budget of major conglomerate film studio’s had to find alternative non- convergent methods of distribution and marketing.’

Media Ownership essays

An example essay:

Here is a useful link to a media ownership question:

Read through some of the arguments raised and apply it to your own case studies on the second page.  It is worth having a paragraph or two on Working Title and the impact on film production and exchange.

Mr Taylor by sparkotronic

Warner Bros info

A useful breakdown of their assets and dominance!
Click here

Useful media blog

A2 - http://a2mediaclaremont.blogspot.co.uk/p/g325-critical-perspectives-in-media.html