Section B exam question

How far does the platform on which they are consumed determine the construction of media products in your cross-media study? Support your answer with reference to a range of products from three media platforms (32 marks)

The platform on which media products are consumed in is very important in determining the construction of these products. My case studies Ill Manors, A Field in England and Spectre demonstrate the importance of how the platform on which a product is consumed determines its structure.

The Ill Manors tag-london campaign for example, was specifically constructed for audience consumption  on social media. The tag-london campaign is a user generated twitter campaign in which fans of Plan B and his film were prompted to tweet the hashtag #ILLMANORS and write their opinions on the current climate in the UK. By aiming the campaign at the online market, a further audience would be attracted towards the film as information is spread quite quickly .i.e. trending which engages the users on social media, which is widely used in todays society while also promoting the film. It was an effective campaign as it allowed the users to identify with the film personally, and with event such as the London riots being in synergy with the film Ill Manors it became more likely for the users to want to watch the film as they could once again identify with the film personally and also gain social awareness.The fact that the campaign was constructed in this manner allows for the target audience (16-25 year olds) to be reached, as the majority of the audience are active on the e-media platform itself.

Broadcast texts for Ill Manors were overwhelmingly consumed online, therefore the texts were constructed with an online audience in mind. For example, the music video for Ill Manors and the trailer were posted on Plan B's channel on the social media site Youtube where the audience could easily access while also sharing it online. Synergy between the two products was created through the trailer using the same music from the music video. An SBTV interview was also made available on youtube, which promoted the film aswell. By posting these videos on Youtube it is likely for the audience to share it and look forward to watching the film.

A Field in England is another good example of how the construction of media products can determine the consumption of a product. A Field in England was constructed on a cross-media strategy where the film was distributed during July 2013 through all platforms i.e. VOD, DVD, Cinema, and on Film 4. This experimental technique was quite successful, as shown through statistics where it generated £21,399 just only over the weekend. With each platform there was an additional benefit added towards it therefore the audience could consume the film in whichever form they find beneficial and conventional. The fact that A Field in England was constructed in this manner meant that the audience were able to consume the product in whichever form they preferred, and this allowed each platform to reach its greatest potential.

The construction of print as a platform was once vital, but is no longer as important as it is not consumed as much anymore and is a dying media. Nevertheless, several films do carry print as a form of creating synergy between their products and this can be presented through Ill Manors where billboards and posters were put around which contained iconography i.e. tower blocks  and weapons that link back to the theme of gang violence, dark colours that carry the connotations of danger and this would link back to other elements of the film such as its logo and the films website. Despite the fact that print is a dying media it is still important in creating synergy between products and it does have to be constructed in a specific manner that appeals to the audience and attracts their attention.

In terms of a mainstream multiplex cinema aimed film, Spectre also demonstrates how the consumption of a product is based around its construction. Spectre was quite present on social media, with it being its main form of promoting the film. Spectre had an intergrated campaign with Heinekan and fans were given access to exclusive behind-the-scenes content. There was also a snapchat campaign where a discovery channel was created specifically for the film, and spectre was quite active on sites such as Facebook and Instagram. The use of Snapchat and Heinakan as forms of promotion would bring in both audiences, the younger audience (snapchat users) and the older audience who have probably watched previous films of the James Bond franchise. The use of cross-media platforms creates synergy which is quite effective as shown through the Ill Manors campaign as it brings out the potential of all platforms. The construction of Spectre is also shown through its certification, the fact that distributors sought to advice on how to secure a 12 certificate suggests that this certification was a form of targeting a larger audience to consume their product. 

In conclusion, the platform on which a product is consumed is very important in determining the construction of a product as it can allow for there to be a specific target audience and promoting the film as shown through my case studies. 

MEST1 Section B: Independent case study

Case study research tasks

The basics
1)

Name: Spectre
Director: Sam Mendes
Notable stars: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz

2) Spectre was released on October 26 2015

3) The genre of this film is Action/Thriller and part of the James Bond franchise. The generic conventions of these genres are shown through the trailer i.e. the explosions and violence, modernity (quite classy, with wealth also being shown through props such as the cars and costumes such as the suits) while also having an element of thriller such as plot twists, suspense and murder

4) The critical reception was overall positive, however there were quite a few criticisms such as it being unexciting.

64% Rotten Tomatoes
6.9/10 IMDb
60% Metacritic

Broadcast

1) MIGRAINE Analysis 

In terms of institution, Spectre had a budget of $240-250 million which makes it a high budget film which is aimed at the mainstream audience.  Eon Productions had the dominant involvement as they have also produced the rest of the James Bond films. Several other institutions were involved in the making of this film such as Columbia Pictures who helped to distribute the film and create appeal by putting it forward towards the larger audiences through posters, advertisements and social media. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures also had an involvement. In terms of genre, Spectre is an action film with a thriller element. This is clear through the trailer as there are several explosions etc. Which are clear connotations towards action films. Spectre follows the typical representations of action films, where the protagonist is from a ‘first world’ country and the antagonists are foreigners. In terms of ideologies, Spectre perceives England as a powerful country hence the great secret intelligence skills. This is all represented through the protagonist as shown through the trailer. The location of England itself also follows an ideological thinking of England being quite upper class and wealthy hence the several scenes of the mansions and the luxury clothing people are wearing. Through the narrative, the audience can pick up several details such as the protagonists past creeping up on him hence the villain being someone who he knows. Small sections of the film are placed in the trailer which allows the story to flow without there being too many spoilers. 

2) 

This promotes the film in several ways. The language used by the reporter such as "epic" and "commercially successful" creates a positive impression of the film and emphasises on the   success of the film. By interviewing the protagonist himself, the audience can get an idea of what he is like. 

3)The broadcast promotion does use stars to create interest in the film as the audience can get an idea of their views and possibly exclusive information such as the filming process

Print

1) Review 1: Unfortunately, Spectre is to Skyfall what Quantum of Solace was to Casino Royale; that is to say: less inspired in just about every way.
Review 2: “Spectre” is full of not-good things, and some oppressively bad things that may come to feel like drill bits twirling in your skull.
Review 3: At times clunky, Spectre is still utterly gorgeous, always compelling and the ultimate proof that Daniel Craig is the best James Bond of all time.

2) Examples of film promotion 




This TV advert is useful in promoting the film because it was most likely shown at a prime time where a majority of people would view it. The trailer also has a lot of tension and suspense which leads to people wanting to watch it to find out what will happen next



This billboard promotes the film because it is eye-catching and it has been placed where a majority of people will see it therefore awareness of the film is created.



This poster promotes the film as it gives the viewer an idea of who the protagonist and antagonist of the films are. This speculates interest in the film especially with the "coming soon" text underneath the film.

3) 



The design of this print advert is quite simplistic, with colours such as black and white being predominantly used. This gives it a classier look as using bold colours and a lot of images would distract the audience. It allows the audience to focus on the protagonist, who is seen holding a gun. The gun has connotations of danger and violence, which can be linked back to the conventions of an action film. Bond's serious facial expression creates an image of power and suggests that he is should be taken seriously. The use of the logo links it back to the franchise, and by using upper case for the title 'spectre' immediately captures the view of the audience. 

4) The film brand links back to the James Bond franchise and is similar to other bond films which are usually constructed from high action (car chases etc), exotic locations, modern technology (gadgets), villains and beautiful women. 



E-media

1) Spectre is quite present on Facebook, which helps to promote the film through the regular posts about facts, behind the scenes and posters which the audience can engage with by commenting etc. Spectre is also present on Instagram where photos of several scenes are uploaded. By having social media sites awareness of the film will be raised and the audience can be more engaged. 

2) The official website of the film has syngergy with the other James Bond films as they all share the website, with spectre having a specific category of its own. The website uses the films brand through the official logo for the franchise and through other elements such as the fonts used and the black/white colour scheme which give the website a classier look. 

3) Spectre had an intergrated campaign with Heinekan. Fans were given access to exclusive behind-the-scenes Spectre content, classic Bond films to download, in-store promotions, and local market activations. The new TV commercial also featured Daniel Craig as James Bond. There was also a snapchat campaign where a discovery channel was created specifically for the film, which can reel in a younger audience.

4) Can you find any examples of the two-step flow theory online – did celebrities or journalists tweet or post about the film in order to promote it to their followers? 



Audience

1) The main target audience are young males who are in the 16-30 year old range. However Bond is popular with both males and females (the female gaze theory can be applied to this) in the 16-30 range. The fact that many 39-50 year olds grew up during the period of the original bond movies in the 60's/70's also makes it possible for those in that age group to watch the film. In terms of psychographics, the mainstream and the aspirers are most likely to want to watch spectre.

2) The use of snapchat to promote the film will bring in a younger audience as the majority of snapchat users are quite young. The use of the Heinekan campaign will bring in the older audience.

3) The film provides several audience pleasures such as entertainment i.e. the action for both a British and worldwide audience. For a worldwide audience there would be an informational element to their pleasures, as they get an idea of what London is like in a positive light, which is also quite historical.

4) Films such as Skyfall and Quantum of Solace would be similar films because of the similar context and characters, making the film more enjoyable. However an alternative could be Kingsman: The secret service as it is a similar genre to Spectre. i.e. the agents with a twist, as it has younger characters especially the protagonist who comes from a lower class society.

Institution

1) Eon Productions, they have also produced the rest of the James Bond films and other films back in the 1960's such as Dr.No. and Call Me Bwana. They mainly only focus on the James Bond franchise which targets predominately males in the 16-30 category and alternatively a much older audience who may have watched the first James Bond movies. 

2) Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, they have distributed other major films such as 21 Jump Street, Skyfall, The Vow

3)They both have a track record with producing high budget films and distributing them, which are aimed at the mainstream audience

4) Budget of the film: $245-250 million

6) The film was very successful in the UK, where it has broken UK box office records by having his the most successful opening week. Spectre has also set records in European countries. Overall Spectre had a large global gross, which is not surprising as the Bond franchise had a worldwide appeal.

5) The film was quite successful financially as it had a box office of $880.7 million. This was most likely because of the fact that Spectre is part of the James Bond franchise which quite popular and well known, while also having an appeal worldwide

7) The certificate given to Spectre was 12. The reason for this certificate is because of the lack of violence etc. The fact that the distributors sought and were given advice on how to secure the desired classification suggests that this certification was vital to target a larger audience which will therefore bring in a larger box office. 

Representation

1) The representation of the antagonists are quite typical as they are foreigners. The protagonist whereas is from a 'first world' country hence his intelligence and skills. London is represented as a wealthy and powerful city

2) The film as an element of 'Britishness', which is represented through the protagonist James Bond through his English accent etc. The typical agent film is also often set in England.

3) Britain is represented as a country with great wealth and authority as the film is shown through the eyes of one who is in the upper-class, whereas to Ill Manors which is a social realism film the audience get to see an alternative representation of Britain where many of the lower class live in poverty and crime is rife. 

4) Spectre perceives England as a powerful country hence the great secret intelligence skills. This is all represented through the protagonist as shown through the trailer. The location of England itself also follows an ideological thinking of England being quite upper class and wealthy hence the several scenes of the mansions and the luxury clothing people are wearing. Several landmarks are also shown to give London its historical element and setting the context of the film.

Case study comparison

Similarites:

·         They are all British films

·         All have British characters

Differences:

·    A Field in England and Ill Manors have a lower budget compared to Spectre

·         Arthouse cinema vs. Multiplex cinemas

·         More experimental, Spectre follows the lines of a typical action film

·         Aimed at niche markets whereas Spectre is aimed at the mainstream audience

·         Ill Manors is a social realism film, and shows a different perspective towards England compared to Spectre which shows the upper class view and A Field in England which shows England in the past

·         Different genres