The issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (British) by international or global institutions.

Institutions can target audiences by marketing and advertising. There are two different types called above the line marketing (billboards, posters, interviews, talk shows mentioning, competitions etc) and below the line marketing (social media, trailers, YouTube etc). There is also push or pull marketing, where institutions either force consumers to watch their content, (pull) or they let the audiences choose what they want to be marketed with (push). Consumers nowadays prefer to select what they want rather than get forced to look at certain things that don't relate to them, so companies try and pick up on this by using cookies.

Cookies on the computer are bits of information which keep track of what consumers research, so they will advertise suitable content for that consumer. This can be helpful, but consumers may find this irritating and wanting a change of adverts, or none at all as it's not what they asked for.

Many subsidiary companies don't have large budgets, so they can't spend a particularly large amount on the marketing process, as they may not have enough money to make the film in the end. Therefore they use "Below the line marketing" in contrast to raise awareness in a reasonable way. However, Street Dance 2 (2012) used "Above the line marketing techniques", meaning that they used billboards, posters, bus posters or adverts about the film which would cost more.

Multinational companies take over the filming industry, creating an oligopoly where they create the majority of British film content. This means that consumers always see the same things, their choice is limited and that other subsidiary companies don't get chances to exhibit their film. Subsidiary companies also often can't afford to create any amazingly different content compared to normal, as they don't have the budgets to film in exotic locations or use fancy camera lenses.

The significance of the proliferation of hardware and content for institutions and audiences.

A few years ago, cameras were heavy, difficult to use and awkward. Now, it takes less skill to be a film maker, as cameras are lighter, easier to use and go into all sorts of positions and angles. An example of this is a film called "Monster". One man edited all of the film on his laptop in his bedroom and he also created the CGI, and the overall budget was very cheap. This shows that anyone can become a film maker, although their film may not be exhibited, due to the long tail model, where there are limited amounts of cinema screens to exhibit films in the country compared to the amount of new content and subsidiary companies each year. This means that oligopoly trends happen, so that consumers always see the same thing, have little choice and that multi-national companies don't give independent companies a chance to exhibit their films.

 Another example is a film named "Tangerine" (2014). This film won an award, and the film was shot on an IPHONE 5 camera with an attachable lens. The film was edited on a cheap editing site called "Premier Pro". This is another way of demonstrating that films don't always have complicated sophisticated cameras, and is another example showing how anyone can become a film maker.

The amount of people that visit the cinema has dropped over the last few years. This is because many people prefer to download films onto laptops, tablets, phones etc, as they can get them for cheaper in some cases and they can watch the films whenever they want wherever they are, which means that they have a very flexible viewing opportuinity. Also, going to the cinema can get expensive and buying DVD's could get damaged being physical copies, so having them downloaded means that they can pay for it once without it getting damaged.

However, many audiences prefer watching films on a screen, but the amount of 3D TV's in house holds have grown massively over the years, meaning that consumers may prefer to watch films on their flat screen TVs in the comfort of their own home and that it's easier, however many people prefer going to the cinema of the atmosphere, including the quality and sound. Because less people visit the cinema, institutions have to find ways of targeting audiences to go to the cinema, eg. special edition viewings in 3D, gifts to give away etc. When cinemas went from reels to projectors, consumers and institutions benefited, as it was a huge transformation and created fantastic quality.

The technologies that have been produced in recent years at the levels of production, distribution, marketing and exchange.

There are many different ways which technology improve the distribution, marketing, making and exhibition of a film. These include uses of hardware and software, below the line and above the line marketing etc.

"Tangerine" (2014) by Sean Baker was filmed entirely on an IPHONE 5 with a lens which attaches to the phone for a reasonable price. The film was also edited on "Premier Pro" which is an editing site which anyone can use as it is very simple. This film shows that technologies now allow us to create professional content with basic equipment which weren't have been used in previous years. It demonstrates that anyone can become a film-maker and how good technology now is, for a phone to film an entire film and for the film to win an award.

Cameras used to be heavy and difficult to use, so it was more skilled to be a film maker. Now, cameras are easier to use as well as smaller and lighter, meaning that they can film in all sorts of conditions and places. However it creates a competitive industry and the "Longtail model" demonstrates this, where there are loads of films being released each year by loads of different film companies, but only a few will be shown in cinema due to a limitation of 120 screens in the country. This is oligopoly, as it means only a few companies show particular content, meaning that consumers have little choice, similar and repetitive content and no opportunities for subsidiary filming companies to exhbit their films.

When cinemas went from reels to projectors, there was a huge difference in the film world. The quality was better, and sound became very powerful. However, many people would rather download films onto their ipads, phones or laptops instead of going to the cinema, as they can watch it multiple times for paying once and they don't have to wait for a long time for the film to be released on DVD, where as hard copies could get damaged. Many people would rather stay at home and watch films on their 3D TVs, or on the go when they are travelling, meaning that less people go to the cinema now.

The importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing.

Small subsidiary independent film companies have smaller budgets, and usually if they spend too much money on the marketing process pre-production they won't have enough money by the end to make the film. Because of this, companies use below the line marketing techniques.

Universal films produced a film in 2014 called "Dumb and Dumber To" which was a follow up of the first film in 1995 "Dumb and Dumber". To market the second film, they created spoof posters of the two main characters in the film which were inspired from a film poster named "Lucy" which had come out earlier that year. "Lucy" is about a woman who can use 100% of her brain, which is a huge contrast compared to the characters in "Dumb and Dumber To" as they name suggests. On the "Lucy" poster it has an image of the character with her name in big black letters at the bottom of the page. Underneath that reads "Imagine what she could do with 100% of her brain." In the "Dumb and Dumber To" posters, there were images of the two main characters and a subtitle saying "Imagine what he could do with 1%." These posters were uploaded on the main actor's Twitter acounts, and they also created a hashtag "Dumbanddumberto" to create a buzz and to get people involved.

The "Avengers" was the third highest grossing film of all time with a budget of $200 million. They created action figures for children of the different characters in the film, ie. Iron Man, Thor, Captain America etc. This was a good way to market children without them even noticing, hence bringing awareness to their parents.

Another form of marketing is by creating a buzz from a viral video. A prank named "Evil Baby" became a huge Internet sensation across social media such as Facebook. This prank was to market the film "Devil's Due" (2014) from "Think Modo" who create special effects. This gets audiences excited and involved with seeing the film as they think that the prank was effective.

Another example is a prank of a woman in a cafe. An actor pours his tea over her lap (no one in the Cafe knew this was set up) and she controls him with her arms sticking out, eg. pushing him against the wall up and down, or moving the tables. They did this by using magnets. This film was to advertise "Carrie" (2014) which was a successful book. These viral videos raise awareness as they show the film name at the end of the clip, bringing thoughts to the audience about finding more.

"Street Dance 2" (2012)  was a follow up of the first film "Streetdance" which was very popular. They had a Synergy opportunity with "Frubes" for the characters from "Streetdance" to be shown on the yoghurt packaging. There were also competitions to enter where they could meet the Streetdance crew and have dance lessons. This is another way of marketing for children to pass on information to their parents without them knowing.

The issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practise.

There are many different issues raised by media ownership nowadays, from budgets to piracy in the exhibition,production, distribution and marketing process.

Dumb and Dumber To (2014)'s budget was $40 million, and grossed $86,208,010 which was from "Universal Pictures" which is a big multi-national company. "Street Dance 2" (2012) was produced by "Vertigo Films" and the estimated budget was £7,000,000. It grossed £2,000,000. It had a much smaller budget compared to Dumb and Dumber To, and because of the smaller cost it grossed less. Multinational companies are able to spend more and for consumers to watch, as they are well-known and have enough to market properly and efficiently.

This example also demonstrates oligopoly cases, where American films dominate over British companies, giving viewers little choice, and smaller companies less of a chance for their film to be screened, when there are only 120 cinema screens in the country.

Independent companies are reliant on the BFI for funding, as well as the National Lottery for the production process, as they have to be careful not to spend too much on the marketing, as they may not have enough money at the end to create the film, so the money goes to the production process the most. Independent company films are usually very contemporary and basic, as they can't afford great CGI or make a film look as if it was set in 1950's America as it makes the costs higher. This means that multi-national companies who can afford more can create more creative/exciting content due to their budgets being higher, so they can spend more for the marketing for consumers to get involved.

Double page spread write up

Sam Clarke was voted the best DJ of this year. He has just released new album “Metronome” expanding on his trance style. He’s never shared much about his personal life, so last week he opened up to us for a casual Q&A!

What made you want to become a DJ?

“When I was in my 20’s, dance music was always been played around the city which made me fall in love. I was rarely seen without my walkman! I was always that kid at discos that would dance all night. I felt like music was my life, and I needed a way of expressing my feelings. I always wanted to become a DJ, but life got in the way. I was bullied at school for being shy, so music became a coping mechanism. I bought myself a cheap mixing desk and it started from there. Over time, I created a lot of music and I was learning new skills everyday (thanks to YouTube tutorials) and I kept buying more expensive equipment until I had a full on set. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t easy, and I made a lot of mistakes, but I was determined.”

What was your first job as a DJ?

“My very first job as a DJ was working with a business called “The Silent Disco Company” in New York. I was basically working as a sound technician, and helped set all the DJ’s equipment up. After a few months of working here I plucked up the courage to ask the owners of the company if they’d listen to my music as I had been DJing for 3 years before I got this job. It took months for them to agree to this. Eventually they finally let me perform to them in their studio and they looked amazed. They said that they wanted me to be part of their DJing crew immediately and not before long, I had been working there for 3 years enjoying every minute of performing to crowds of people. Over time I realised I wasn’t covering everything I loved about DJing. I was only mixing and remixing current tracks for people to dance along to, but I wasn’t able to release any of my own creations. I wanted a bigger crowd at this point and my ambitions were growing.”

Good for you man. Tell us how you made the leap?

“I had a meeting with the owners and I told them the truth that I wasn’t happy and that I wasn’t fulfilled as much as I could be. I asked them if I could release my own music to the crowds, but they wouldn’t let me. There was a long silence before one of the owners named Jack suddenly said “Sam, I see a lot of potential in you, and I feel like we are restricting your journey and your passion if we keep you here forever, and especially if you aren’t enjoying it. You need to get out there and be famous, if that’s what you want. I think you could do it.”  My face lit up, and I asked how I could get out there, even though the thought made me feel so sick. The other owner named Joe by this point was staring at Jack saying “What? He is our best DJ, why would you get rid of him?!” (laughs) “So then Jack said “Leave this to me.” I nodded, Joe shook his head and the meeting ended. I couldn’t stop smiling.

A few months later, Jack sat me down and said that he had been in contact with his local friend who owned a nightclub not far away called “Cielo.” Boy I love that club! My jaw fell, as that was one of the most popular nightclubs in the NYC area, and I couldn’t believe it. Jack said that his friend wanted me to perform for 2 nights in his club the following week to see how I did and to see if other people liked me. If they did, I could stay in that club. Joe said that if it didn’t work out they’ll accept me back. I put my mix together and I was nervous, but my confidence had grown I was nervous but my confidence had grown so much I wasn’t afraid.

Both nights went savage. People kept coming into the club and before long it was completely full. I had never felt so much passion and love, and I felt like I was floating and being lifted. This was my passion, and it was my job. I had tears of joy. I couldn’t wait to perform in this club again. The next day I had a meeting with the owner, and he said that I was more than welcome to join his team. I was overjoyed. Joe, not so much.

Sounds like such a high. How did it go from there?

“I had been performing at this club for about a year now, and I met a beautiful girl at the club named Gillian Hadid. She looked like a model. Man, she was gorgeous. She stayed right up at the front of my whole set, making loads of eye contact. I don’t remember how I managed to focus and mix without making a mistake if I’m honest. After my set, we went off outside and had a chat. She was great, and we got to know each other really quickly by going on dates in our free time.

Not before long we became a couple, and because she was a famous model paparazzi found out about it so fast. Quicker than the rate of fire in my opinion. It was so fast that I became scared about sharing my life in front of the world and wondered if she was worth it, but she was.

Gillian suggested that I make a YouTube channel to upload all of my tracks and videos. I loved using the computer to show off my creations, and eventually I had a good amount of subscribers. Vevo contacted me and asked if I would like to have some music videos filmed professionally, and of course I agreed. My record label “All Night” was created, and I also got asked to perform in other clubs in the area as well such as “Amnesia” and “Le Bain”.  I’m telling you, seeing people dance to your songs is the best feeling in the world”.

So tell us what else is Sam Clarke in to?

 “I own a plane, and flying is something I have always loved doing ever since I was a teenager when I took lessons and got my license. When my job became serious I wasn’t able to fly as much, but I’m free to do it more often now. I love taking friends, family members and especially Gigi up. Everyone loves it.”

What have you been up to recently and are there any projects you’re currently working on?

“Of course my wedding, but besides that I toured Eastern Europe last summer. Those Bulgarian clubs were mad. I’m still currently performing in clubs, and I’ve made it into the top 10 dance tracks eight times over the last two years. I released my latest album right before the tour, and I’m wondering what will happen next”.

What is your advice for young people out there?

“Take me as inspiration. I learnt how to DJ and I became successful when I was in my late 30’s which is unusual in this day and age. Let that show you that age isn’t everything and nothing is restricting you. Do what you love and try it. It might not work out, but at least you can say you gave it a go. Be open to every opportunity, it will build who you are. Gain confidence, and find something that you love. If there are difficult times, music will always be there”. (Laughs)

Purchase brand new album “Metronome”- £10.00-HMV