Definitions of media words such as convergence and more

Thaddeus

1.    Convergence definition

Media convergence is the merging of mass communication outlets such as print, television, radio, the Internet along with portable and interactive technologies through various digital media platforms.

Early convergence

An example of early convergence is when mobile phones first came out they were just ordinary phones but then they started to have digital cameras as part of them. Phones have converged even more since. Modern up to date smart phones also have games as part of them and have access to the internet.

Present day convergence.

An Example of present day digital convergence is Sky. When Sky started it was a subscription TV broadcaster but now it provides internet service, phone service, on demand TV and Now TV.

Another example is print media. Now you don’t have to buy newspapers you can just read them online on the internet.

Interactivity definition

Interactive media refers to products and services on digital computer-based systems which respond to the user’s actions by presenting content such as text, moving image, animation, video, audio, games, etc. It is also where people can interact with each other in present time.

Ways that digital technology is interactive

IPad are digital technology and you can use them by touching it with your fingers because it reacts to the touch of your fingertips which makes it interactive.

Another example of interactivity is Twitter. People can inform people immediately about events which may be happening live by using their phones to update people about the events via Facebook and Twitter.

Examples of ways we have consumed the media from interactivity

1. Businesses don’t have to hold physical meetings in rooms instead they can do it over the internet on video conferences which makes it much easier.

2. People at events can video what is going on and take photos then upload it to their media pages such as Twitter.

3. And people can keep up to date with the news by 24 hour news channels such as Sky news.

Personalisation

We personalize our technology so it is easy for us to use and because some software may not be useful for you at all so you may not want it. You may just have an iPad or a phone so you would want to put all your media on to that device.

Benefits and drawbacks

Thaddeus

1.

Horizontal interrogation

In a business horizontal integration is a strategy where a company creates or acquires production units for outputs. One example would be when a company acquires competitors in the same industry doing the same stage of production for the creation of a monopoly. Horizontal integration occurs when a company decides to merge, acquire or take over another company in the same industry and at the same stage of production. Disney's acquisition of Pixar or the merger of Exxon and Mobil are both great examples of horizontal integration. In both examples, two companies of similar size and operation, operating in the same industry, combined to form a stronger company.

Benefits

. Cuts out competition from companies in the same field

. It helps companies grow larger

. They will have a wider audience to sell their products too by hopefully attracting customers of a company that another company has acquired.

Drawbacks

. The worst disadvantage the company can face is a possible reduction in overall value.

. Legal action over the takeover

. The audience might not like the new big companies’ products and preferred it more when there were separate companies offering more choice.

2.

Vertical interrogation

In microeconomics and management, vertical integration is an arrangement in which the supply chain of a company is owned by that company. Usually each member of the supply chain produces a different product or (market-specific) service, and the products combine to satisfy a common need.

Benefits

.Enables you to invest in greatly specialized assets. 

.Lower Costs of Transaction.

. You control the supply lines

Drawbacks

.The suppliers can’t sell their products and branch out themselves as they are supplying there products to the company which owns them.

. Less of a choice for consumers as all the suppliers owned by a company cannot produce for consumers themselves.

Co-operatives.

The media cooperative is a relatively new form of cooperative.. Media Cooperatives are a special form of service cooperative, in which customers and service providers usually unite to oppose the pure profit motive.

Benefits

, Lower prices of products

. It is controlled by the members

Drawbacks

They might have to sell to niche market because they might not be able to stand up to big companies.

. More ethical so they may miss out on opportunities because they don’t agree with the policies of some companies or governments.

Codes of practice

Codes of practice is a set of written rules which explains how people working in a particular profession should behave.

Reasons for codes of practise

.This is so it can help stop false advertising.

.Stop biased news reporting

.Stops the news telling lies and forces the news to tell both sides of a story

.Controls the size of media companies to stop a monopoly becoming to large.

Unlawful practise

Unlawful practise is getting information and selling media products illegally

Examples of unlawful practise

Fake advertising

Selling illegal or fake products

Gathering information in illegal ways such as hacking into peoples phones

Censorship

Censorship is deciding where something is suitable for someone by their age. This is by movies, games, magazines etc.

Examples of censorship

.A game like call of duty would be censored to 18 aged people or over because of the content.

. Films have different age categories by what content is in them.

. Some news stories may be censored by the government because of the content.

Working independently

Working independently means working by yourself and it allows you to come up with your own ideas. Everything you do will be produced by you only on blogs, websites, Facebook, Twitter etc.

 Working collaboratively

Working collaboratively means working with others so you can produce more ideas because lots of different people will have lots of different strengths and different ideas to input.

Working with a client

Benefits

.Working with a client you know that you are going to get paid

.Working to a brief so you have a idea of what you need to produce

.Working to a time table so you know when the works needs to be done by

Drawbacks

. It might restrict your creative input

.You might find the work boring

. You might find it hard to meet the deadline of the work 

Film sector

Thaddeus O'Connor-Dunphie

Film sector

Characteristics of mainstream films

The characteristics of mainstream films can easily be noticed, one element of production may be the director. In mainstream films, the directors behind them are normally very well-known and multi-award winning. For example, Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson and James Cameron. These are directors who have directed some of the most well-known and highest grossing films of all time, this therefore, immediately shows that it’s a characteristic of a mainstream film as they appeal to a very wide audience which will result in a larger audience and more money. Another production factor is the casting of A-list actors and actresses. The top actors charge a very high amount of money which independent budgets can’t afford. This is why it’s rare for A-list actors to be casted in an independent film. Special effects is also what makes a mainstream film an example of this is Avatar, you can see some amazing special effects which add a huge sense of thrill and excitement to a movie.

Characteristics of independent films

The characteristics of independent films are easily noticeable too. These films usually have unknown actors and directors, the complete opposite of a mainstream film. They would not have as much special effects as a mainstream film as they would be working on a much lower budget. In addition to this these films do not aim to make sequels just the one film unlike main stream films. We can also see differences in the marketing process between the two film types. Mainstream films are marketed in a much more public way as opposed to independent films. This, again, comes down to money. The mainstream companies such as Universal and Paramount can afford to advertise the movies through a variety of media. They use trailers on television and the internet, adverts, billboards, adverts in magazines and newspapers, posters, adverts on buses and they advertise on large websites on the internet such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. They will also show trailers of the film pre-release in cinemas before a film. This isn’t possible for independent films again due to their more modest budget. The main way we see independent films marketed is through film award ceremonies such as the Cannes Film Festival and the Oscars. The film which wins, for example, best independent film, will immediately generate a huge amount of public awareness for itself due to it winning a prestigious award. This will make viewers want to see this award-winning film and will normally result in a high intake of money and a healthy profit.

Characteristics of niche films

Niche is when you can see that one portion of the audience clearly overwhelms all of the others… even when you hope that it will expand past that group. The idea of the “quadrant” has been around forever, but has really lost its meaning, as it is not nearly specific enough in the recent market. The “niche” is a section of a quadrant. It doesn’t have to be defined by age or sex, but when you look at each niche, they usually are one sex or the other, one age group that bulges outside of historic ideas, etc.

Choose a media sector

Thaddeus O'Connor-Dunphie

1. The Media sector which I have chosen to write and research about are films in the movie industry. The film which I have chosen to write about is Mad Max Fury Road, this film is an action movie with lots of fighting, explosions and use of guns. Throughout the entire movie there is a constant car chase from one point to another which also ends up in all of the characters driving all the way back to where they originally started the chase.

2

3. Like I said Mad Max Fury Road is an action film so I like any other action movie it contains lots of fighting, explosions, use of guns and military equipment. Throughout the entire movie there is a constant car chase from one point to another which also ends up in them driving all the way back to where they originally started the chase.  The setting of this movie is set in a desert. There are many close up shots because it is an action genre film, and these are very common shots to be used to show how the character is feeling. In addition to this there is also many wide shots too, this is because of all the fighting scenes, using a wide shot allows you to see what’s happening.

4. The distribution of this film is putting trailers up on websites such as YouTube. Doing this allows anyone in the world with access to internet being able to watch the trailer for this movie being completely free. This would also help the makers of the film earn more money as more people will know about the film which results in more people coming to watch it. Another method which is commonly used is posting it in Facebook as there are millions of people on Facebook so there will be more people knowing about the release of the film.

5. The target audience for this film is most likely aimed towards 12 or over. This is because it has lots of action scenes which might not be suitable for young children to view. So within the movie they aim to entertain adults and young adults instead of aiming to entertain young children. And because this movie is an action film then that means there target audience are most likely people who like action so in the movie they will try to make it have as much action as possible to entertain and satisfy the audience.

6.  The overview of films in the UK such as Mad Max Fury Road in the cinema is regulated by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) they choose who can view a particular movie and who cant. They decide the age rating of the films for example if a particular film has a happy story and is produced in animation then this most likely means that they would rate this film as U. Which means anyone no matter the age can view it. However if a movie had action and violent scenes then they would make it a 12a, 15 or 18 which is the highest rating a film can be as it would not be suitable for anyone younger.

1.       Choose a Media sector. Film, TV, games…

2.       Research stills/images that relate to your sector.

3.       Choose a film/game/website and discus what it is? Genre/web/social network

4.       Discuss distribution methods

5.       Discuss audiences

6.       Give an overview of regulatory body and what they do?

Media questions

1. Explain what a public broadcast is.

A public broadcast is a broadcast that is made for the publics benefit. This can include news, art programmes such as the Film Reviews programme, which is aired on BBC, radio, and religious broadcasts such as Songs of Praise. Ofcom’s regulations mean that certain TV and radio broadcasters are obliged to include a certain amount of public broadcast. The BBC, which shows lots of public broadcasting, is subsidised by the Government and the TV licence, which is paid by the general public.

2. Explain what a private broadcast is.                                      Private broadcasting is primarily based on the practice of airing adverts on radio and TV for profit. So when you watch any ITV channel or Cable channel such as Sky you get lots of adverts as opposed to the BBC which does not have any adverts and shows lots of public broadcasts. So private channels make money by showing adverts. Private broadcasters such as Sky also have more slanted news compared to publically broadcast news such as on the BBC, which is supped to give a more balanced view.

3. What is OFCOM and what do they do

OFCOM stands for Office of Commincations. It regulates the TV and radio sectors, fixed line telecoms, mobiles, postal services, plus the airwaves over which wireless devices operate. They make sure that people in the UK get the best from their communications services and are protected from scams and sharp practices, while ensuring that competition can thrive.

OFCOM operates under a number of Acts of Parliament, the main one being the Communications Act 2003.

Having looked at OFCOM online I found that this is what they carry out under the acts of parliament.

the UK has a wide range of electronic communications services, including high-speed services such as broadband;

·         a wide range of high-quality television and radio programmes are provided, appealing to a range of tastes and interests;

·         television and radio services are provided by a range of different organisations;

·         people who watch television and listen to the radio are protected from harmful or offensive material;

·         people are protected from being treated unfairly in television and radio programmes, and from having their privacy invaded;

·         a universal postal service is provided in the UK - this means a six days a week, universally priced delivery and collection service across the country; and

·         the radio spectrum (the airwaves used by everyone from taxi firms and boat owners, to mobile-phone companies and broadcasters) is used in the most effective way.

TV, Film, Radio, Games

Thaddeus O’Connor-Dunphie

1. TV industry

The TV industry has developed dramatically. The industry I am writing about is the BBC. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the public-service broadcaster of the United Kingdom, The BBC are headquartered at Broadcasting House in London. It is the world's oldest national broadcasting organisation and the second largest broadcaster in the world by a number of employees, with over 20,000 staff in total, of which 16,672 are in public sector broadcasting. The BBC are on 24/7 every day of the week. They are aired on Freeview TV so it is all completely free to view and watch. The channels which they own are BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, and BBC Four. They also have many radio stations and two stations for kids called Cebeebies and CBBC. One of the most famous shows that the BBC own is EastEnders a soap opera that has been airing since 1985. The BBC have many educational programmes too such as BBC news, and news round a simpler version of BBC news but for children so it is more entertaining.

2. Filming industry

The history of filming began in the 1890s. The time when motion picture cameras were invented. The first film was only 30 seconds when film these days are about 1 hour 30 minutes, 2 hours or even more. The film industry has developed tremendously Hollywood has propagated the idea that a movie should be entertaining and that each movie should resemble every other movie, because once a movie is successful, making another movie just like it is less of a financial risk. This is why it's easy to tell what era a Hollywood movie was made in: each era is defined by the type of movie that was a runaway hit and brought in its wake a thousand other movies just like it.
Hollywood, controlled by execs, has stopped treating film as an art in and of itself and treats it rather as a medium to present some content in an easy-to-swallow and entertaining way that appeals to as many ticket-holders, DVD-owners, or Netflix renters as possible. Today this is usually done, as far as I can tell, with tricks and special effects -- such as super-fast editing and CGI. The plus side of this is that Hollywood has gotten really good at special effects. No one does special effects like Hollywood, or even comes close. I find that I can usually date a Hollywood movie by how believable the stunts are. It's also gotten creative with camera angles and CGI -- things that are possible to do with a ton of money and impossible to do without it. Tree of Life, for example, the greatest film in years anywhere couldn't have been produced outside of Hollywood. And, though it is unique and hard to swallow, it is still completely date-able, because it relies heavily on the special effects and camera stunts.

3. Radio industry

Just like the TV industry, the radio industry has also developed dramatically. The industry that I am writing about is the BBC. BBC radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering the majority of musical genres as they play all the latest music, as well as local radio stations covering local news. So you can stay updated on the news. The national radio stations that BBC Radio own are BBC radio 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Live. All of these stations are all available through analogue radio as well as on DAB (Digital audio broadcasting.) It is also available through Digital Radio and internet services through Real Media. BBC Radio also has stations called 1Xtra, 4 Extra, 5 Live Sports Extra and 6 Music but all these broadcasts are on digital platforms only.

All of the BBC's national radio stations are broadcasted from bases in London, usually in or near to Broadcasting House in Maryle bone. However, the BBC's network production units located in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow and Manchester also make radio programmes. When radio was first invented by Nikolai Tesla in 1893, it was primarily used to maintain contact between two or more ships at sea; today, the radio is a major source of news, weather and entertainment, and is popular because it is available to almost anyone. Today, radio remains extremely popular all over the world. Consumers can pay for premium satellite radio like Sirius/XM, and there are a variety of different radio stations to choose from.

4. Gaming industry

Even people who don’t consider themselves as gamers are well aware that video games have evolved tremendously in the past 20 years. The graphics have gone from pixilated sprites in early computer games to breath-taking scenery that almost looks real. Mute characters have finally found their voice. The budgets are growing, and so are the development times. The first game was a simple game of tennis where you hit the ball from one side to the other. It was just a black screen with two blocks as the tennis rackets and a ball to hit from one side to the other. This game was called Pong. If you compare Pong to one that has just been released in this current date the difference would be enormous. Games today have amazing graphics which make it look like you are watching a movie. There is a long, well produced unique storyline which is similar to a movie. The game offers many hours of gameplay. With excellent character/level designs. Pan European Game Information (PEGI) is a European video game content rating system. They was established to help European consumers make informed decisions on buying computer games with logos on games' boxes. The logos would have a number either being 3, 7, 12, 15 or 18. PEGI are similar to OFCOM. The age ratings in movies is decided by OFCOM so they choose who can see a movie and he can’t by your age. PEGI do the same thing as OFCOM but instead of doing it in the movie industry they do it in the gaming industry. So they choose how old you have to be to play a certain game.