Industries & Audiences
SET TEXTS
Question 1 will ask about contexts only take 25 mins for whole question
Question 2 will ask about one of the three media forms as a whole (a lot less specific) only take 25 mins
The Jungle Book 1967
Main Characters -
Young boy - Mowgli
Panther - Bagheera
Tiger - Shere Khan
Bear - Baloo
Monkey - King Louie
Snake - Kaa
Narrative -
Little boy is found in a jungle and adopted by a pack of wolves but is eventually being hunted by a tiger in the wild therefore he cannot stay there and a friendly bear and panther make it their mission to get him back to his human home where he will be a lot safer
Themes -
Friendship
Representation of groups, places, individuals etc -
There is very little representation of females in the movie and the ones in the movie are expected to do very stereotypical women ideas from the 1960's, for example the women elephant cannot be in charge of the heard, the female wolf is expected to look after the wolf children while the father went out hunting and the human girl who is expected to cook and clean while the husband goes out to hunt when she's older. Those are the 3 representations we see of women in the entire show
The Jungle Book 2016
Young boy - Mowgli
Panther - Bagheera
Tiger - Shere Khan
Bear - Baloo
Monkey - King Louie
Snake - Kaa
A little boy who was abandoned by father who was killed in the jungle is found and raised by wolves, is being hunted by a tiger who believes the little boy will grow up to be a man who will destroy the jungle, then the little boy kills the tiger towards the end with the help of the entire jungle bringing everyone together and having more inclusivity than the original in 1967.
Representation of groups, places, individuals etc -
A lot more representation of women in the movie and women in power as we see towards the end of the movie that the mother wolf had taken over the pack. Age is represented a lot more equally and we see that its not what adults say goes and no one can tell them otherwise we do get to see a side where adults listen to what the children have to say.
Friday 17th November
What was unacceptable then is now deemed normal, e.g. divorce, graphic representations of violence in movies
BBCF stated a film given an A (Adult) rating in 1913 would be given a PG rating now or possibly a U
Global key events that happened in 1960's
- The Vietnam war was going on causing anti war protests in both the US and UK
- John F Kennedy was assassinated
- Martin Luther King's famous "I have a dream" speech and later assassinated in the same decade
- The end of the great Chinese famine.
- The introduction of the contraceptive pill
Life was very different in the 60's with a lot of changes being made. Lots of independence from the younger generation and fighting out against the traditional values of what was expected of them. A massive step towards equality was made with Martin Luther King standing out and women then having a lot more control over pregnancies due to the pill being introduced. We also see a lot of anti war movements with the Hippy epidemic becoming very popular and the idea of peace and love becoming popular too
Wednesday 22nd November
L/O: To compare the different audiences for both JB films and the impact on production.
The lack of some of the key events that were happening contextually in the 1960's suggest a lot of various things about Disney and their audience. For example we see some of the representations of certain characters does suggest a lot about the feud that was ongoing between the adults and younger generation in the 1960's, we see this in the wolf pack who have those more traditional (now dated) stereotypes that the mom stays home and looks after the children while the dad goes out to work/hunting everyday to provide for his family. This links back to the context of the 1960's as it would have been the parents who decided what was going to be put on the TV or when they would go to the cinema and what they would watch. We can also tell from this that Disney were a very conservative based media production company at the time which links into Walt Disneys personal beliefs and also linked with most of the older generations ideas of politics at the time. This was also very against the beliefs of the younger generation who were very liberal and forward thinking.
- Donald Trump wins the U.S. Presidency
- Brexit was happening
- Scotland Votes to Remain Part of the United Kingdom
- ISIS Terrorists Strike on Three Continents.
- Refugee Crisis Roils Europe
- Britain Votes to Leave the European Union.
- Euro 2016
- World cup 2014
- #OscarsSoWhite
Friday 24th November
L/O: To explore the context of Disney in the 1960's
The 1967 JB has grossed over $100 billion to date while only costing $4 million to make. Which would be $36 million in todays date with inflation.
The 1967 JB was revolutionary for the time pioneering 3D like effects in animation.
The soundtrack was the first feature length animation film to achieve gold
Massive dip in ticket sales in the 60's due to increasing competition from TV
Cost 4 million made 24 million dollars (in 1967)
Disney made it difficult to be able to watch their movies by not selling their TV rights of their films therefore creating a demand for them with not enough supply. therefore making it profitable to rerelease the JB 4 times over in each different decade.
Walt Disney did not like how dark the original jungle book was so he fired his story man, told his animators to not read the jungle book and wanted to recreate the book into a movie just using the bare bones of the actual book itself but making it a lot more lighthearted and family friendly
Most movies in the 60's would have had a team of around 40 people, But Walt Disneys team only consisted of 9 people when making the jungle book.
Wednesday 29th November
What were the difference between how Disney operated as a film studio and how other studios operated at that time?
What was Walt Disney's own influence on the production?
Walt Disney had a massive involvement in the making of the jungle book movie, he as the company director went against what most conventions of making an animated movie would have been in the 60's and decided to do it his own way. He fired one of his main people who was initially working on the movie because he wanted to make the jungle book more family friendly rather than like the original which is quite graphic and would not have been suitable for the family's of which it is/was aimed at.
Where did the animators get their inspiration from?
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/nov/28/disney-box-office-wish-the-marvels
Disney has stayed one in one of the big six (now five) for so long because of the various different marketing strategies that it has had in the past 5 decades. These would have consisted of everything to even the making of the movies and making sure there was nothing in them that would let them 'age' letting them become the classics that they are today, especially the older animations like for example the jungle book and 101 Dalmatians have both by todays standards been considered classics. They have done this in the past by not giving away the TV rights to any of their movies therefore creating a demand for the Disney movies without any real way of being to obtain them, this then worked so well as they were able to rerelease the movies back into cinemas every decade creating a whole new generation of fans for Disney without having to make a new movie for them all. This has plummeted in the past 3-4 years with the release of Disney plus, now it has become easier than ever to access a disney movie and not have to go out and buy the movie to own it, someone is able to buy a subscription for disney+ meaning they can watch all the older classics and newer movies and shows too
Friday 1st December
L/O: To explain the process of making a film and changes within the film industry.
It wasn't possible to see the film you've just shot when it was shot on film roll until the day after so the director would have to just know whether they got the shot or not.
Sony released the first handheld cam corder in the 1980's which would help change film and the angles you were able to get.
When digital film came out it was so new and underdeveloped that when filming it it would make it a lot better and easier but the distribution caused a lot of problems because they found that the image would never be any good so once they filmed it digitally they would then transfer it onto a film roll so thy could get it into cinemas easier.
When editing film it meant literally cutting the physical film roll and attaching it again to another point in the film.
Film roll has a shelf life, the more its used the more it wears down and withers away unlike digital which you can keep forever and play however many times you want without it getting ruined.
The production and distribution has changed a lot since the 1960's compared to now, we can use the jungle book as a very good example for this in the 1960's version of the jungle book they would have had very limited equipment to film it on in comparison to todays equipment that most if not all studios have handy to them. This has nothing to do with the cost of the devices that were being made as Disney were one of, if not the, largest and most in demand filmmakers in the 60's,70's and 80's. It was solely down to them not having equipment that was good enough for making it as they have now back then. Them not having what we have now back then also greatly effected distribution and consumption of all of these films, for someone wanting to watch the jungle book(1967) they would have had to go and see it in the cinemas because even though they did have TV's back then they weren't nearly as accessible as they are now and Disney refused to sell their movies rights to big TV channels to allow them to stream it there, they did this to create a demand for disney movies as if you couldn't watch it at home you would have been forced tom then go to the cinemas when it was on if you wanted to watch it. This wasn't easy as it is today though with the use of digitally streaming the films, they would have had to transport rolls of film all across the country for different cinemas to use to show back in the 60's. How this compares to now is, especially with the use of the newer streaming service disney plus (which was released in 2020 after the jungle book 2016) that it is very easy to access and watch disney movies. There is, compared to 1967 very little demand for any disney movies now for this very reason, making distribution easier for the consumers and easier for the distributors has also killed the Disney marketing strategy as a whole.
Friday 13th December
Horizontal and Vertical integration (Definition)
Film Music Game Publish
Production (Prod) (Prod) (Prod)
Distribution. (Dist) (Dist) (Dist)
Exhibition (Exhi) (Exhi) (Exhi)
Exchange (Exch) (Exch) (Exch)
Vertical - Expansion in the same industry
Horizontal - Expansion in a different industry
the 1960's cinema experience -
Only one screen
Dominated by American Films
Allowed to smoke in the cinema
Used to call Cinema's the theatre
There was coloured image in the cinema
Used to have intermissions in between the middle of the movie
Jungle Book 2016
Production cost was estimated $175 million
Similarly to jungle book 1967 Disney had flops before releasing The Jungle Book 2016
Movie is described as Live action/CGI
Animals and landscapes created on a computer by MPC
Animals were deliberately made to look more realistic to target an older target audience.
Proliferation - Rapid increase in something (use that word or smthin)
The intro to the movie they got the original jungle book, book and used film to shoot the first initial bit
The importance in who voice acted certain roles was just as important as the 1967 version
Disney wanted to create a fully immersive experience for the audience
Made $103.6 million in the first week in just North America
Grossed over $966 million
Was released on DVD, blu-ray and digital downloads as well as now Disney Plus
Wednesday 10th January
L/O: to explore the marketing techniques used in 2016
Distributors get involved within a film before production film to advise on marketability
A distribution agreement will consider -
Promotion before and after release
Cutting certain parts out due to where they are releasing the movie (some countries rules are a lot stricter around certain film and TV)
Because of proliferation of films there needs to be a lot of hype created just before the films release but not too much that people get sick of hearing about it
What did Disney do to promote and advertise the release of the jungle book 2016?
They created a unique virtual reality experience where players got to meet each one of the characters in a completely different way never seen before
They targeted the older generation with the use of nostalgia in their techniques by referencing the older 1967 jungle book.
Posting promotion on various different accounts, Cast, Disney, JB own social medias
They uploaded an interactive movie poster on snapchat (filter) which turned the users face into Kaa (the snake)
Jon Favreau showed sneak peek footage of the jungle book at a 7,800 seat arena at a fan Disney convention.
Disney targeted the male audience a lot more and made sure of it by mentioning that it was from the 'studios of pirates of the Caribbean' & the 'director of iron man' as opposed to the 'studios of cinderella'
They also released a trailer in the middle of the super-bowl which is americas biggest event in which millions of people would be sat at their TV watching so it was the perfect time to release a trailer
They altered all of their theme parks to also promote the movie even offering 'sneak peeks' for some of the scenes in the movie at various points in the park and making jungle book related merchandise even before the movie came out, this would help spread the word of mouth which is as we know the best way for a movie to gain popularity
Friday 12th January
L/O: To refine exam analysis & structure
Answer
Strength - Knows the main points
Weakness - Lacks depth
MINECRAFT
Wednesday 17th January
L/O: To explore Minecraft & the history of gaming
Sandbox game -
A sandbox game is a video game with a gameplay element that provides players a great degree of creativity to interact with, usually without any predetermined goal, or alternatively with a goal that the players set for themselves.
Open source software -
Software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance.
Beta version -
A version of a piece of software that is made available for testing, typically by a limited number of users outside the company that is developing it, before its general release.
Franchise -
A collection of related films/Games in succession that share the same fictional universe, or are marketed as a series. People then may pay to show the franchise and use it how they please
Intellectual property rights -
Creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce. Someone may have intellectual property rights over an idea that may not physically be real just yet but idea can be sold to other (usually bigger) companies for money
From the cover of the Minecraft video game we can see that it is a block based video game which will have you, as the main character, make tools and fend from the monsters which we can see in the background. We can also see that it is definitely a video game targeted towards the child demographic because of the cartoon style to it and the vibrant colour palette that has been used.
The amount of different ways someone can play video games has changed a lot since 1970's to now back then it would have just been arcade games that were accessible and maybe being introduced into console gaming but now we have console gaming, still very small amounts of arcade gaming, computer gaming, mobile gaming and very recently virtual reality gaming.
What are the different types of games you can get and how do they differ?
There are 8 main types of video games you can get all with their own sub genres Role-playing games (RPG's), Sports games, Racing/Simulation, Real time strategy, Sandbox, Casual/Idle, Puzzle and Turn-based Strategy
Gaming Statistics
Globally, there were 3.24 billion gamers in 2021
UK gamers spent an average of 7 hours weekly in January 2021
39% of British adults used a mobile phone for gaming
As of 2021 FIFA 22 was the best selling video game in the UK
When was it released, who designed it and which company produced it?
It was released on 18 November 2011 and was designed by Markus "Notch" Persson and produced by
What genre is it? What elements of other genres are there?
3D Sandbox + Survival
How can you play it? What gameplay modes are available? Which is most popular?
You can play Minecraft on xbox , amazon fire, playstation, IOS, Nintendo and many more. Creative mode survival mode hardcore mode spectator mode, adventure mode and multiplayer. Creative and survival are the most popular.
Is there a story? What do you have to do?
Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and having adventures, with unpredictable gameplay, most people see the end goal as killing the. ender dragon (final boss)
What is the design of the game like? Consider Graphics, sounds, music etc...
Blocky aesthetic and pixel art textures. Minimalist tracks, slow paced an d slightly melancholy
What platforms is it available on?
While the Java Edition is only available on Windows, Mac, and Linux, you can get the Bedrock Edition on Windows 10 and 11, Xbox One, Xbox Series S and X, PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, Fire OS/TV, Android, iOS, Windows Mobile and Samsung Gear VR.
What is bedrock edition?
It's a version of the game written in C++ instead of java. Bedrock Edition is the Windows 10/11, mobile, and console version of the game.
What tie-in games are there?
Minecraft: Story Mode, Minecraft Earth, Minecraft Dungeons, and Minecraft Legends.
Who owns it?
Microsoft
Wednesday 24th January
Developers pitch an idea which a publisher will buy (they'll buy the developer and their crew most of the time not the idea as developers tend to want to develop it themselves)
A lot of big video games conglomerates will have vertical and horizontal integration
Decisions made by the media are about money and power
The media is now dominated by conglomerates who make media that is likely to make profit rather than artistic results
This means that creativity in mainstream media is often stunned
Notch worked for a game development company while making Minecraft in his spare time he then quit his job to work full time on Minecraft.
He then went on to create Mojang which was a group of 7 people to help develop the game further after 1 million sales
He released the alpha version of the game so players could play the game as he was still developing it a and adding new updates for free.
Friday 26th January
The production and initial development of Minecraft is very different from how a traditional game would have done it back in 2011 Notch, the game developer, created the game Minecraft in his spare time and released it before. It had finished production and was still int he alpha version of the game, this therefore meant that the players were able to create a community with the developer and give ideas for the game and how it'd progress even further. After Notch made his first million sales he decided to create a team called Mojang which for the time was a very small team of developers consisting of 7 people this meant that he could keep that community feel that the game had gotten so popular for. Minecraft was also very different as there was no promotion for the game and it was all just word of mouth
Wednesday 31st January
Why did Microsoft buy Minecraft?
It was a good investment
How much Microsoft buy Minecraft for?
$2.5 billion
How has the game changed since ownership?
Merch and products that Minecraft created:
LEGO Minecraft set
Minecraft based Clothing
Minecraft books
Minecraft Figurines
Various other plushies and toys based on Minecraft items
Friday 2nd February
Fandom - Describes communities built around a certain media
Prosumer - People who act as a consumer and producer to a form of media
Participatory Culture - Fan cultures
Spreadable Media - Meaning viral, but emphasises the audiences involvement
A Minecraft Youtuber - DanTDM
A Minecraft Modding Community - MCreator's Community
A Minecraft Server - Hypixel
How did the audience contribute to the success of Minecraft?
Minecraft audiences were incredibly important during the success of Minecraft and played a massive role in making it is what it is today. Initially the game had no promotion on release of the alpha so it was up to the audience using word of mouth to get Minecraft out there, this worked out unbelievably well for creator Notch as he created this game alone in his house therefore had no money to be able to promote it. Using various websites, social medias and fan pages the Minecraft audience was able to grow at a surprising rate fans connected through these sites and were able to upload the own content based around the game. People would upload their creations onto these sites and were able to gather feedback from other players on what they thought of their build. This idea links back to what theorist Jenkins said about the idea of fandom and how players can become prosumers within the game as opposed to the very traditional consumer who would just play the game but have no effect in what is going to be out into it or have no control over which direction the game is taking. Minecraft allowed fans to voice their own opinions on the new updates and put forward their own ideas therefore growing the community even more as it actually felt like you were a part of something big as opposed to just being a fan which was a completely new concept for people at that time.
Minecraft VR - They released a VR version of the game where players could immerse themselves even further into the game
Friday 9th February
Explain how mojang originally, with no marketing budget, only 5 worlds and as a single player game effectively marketed the game.
Mojang relied heavily on word of mouth online to get the name of Minecraft out there on the initial release of the beta version of Minecraft. This worked out so well for Minecraft because unlike anything else that had come out at the time you could suggest something in the game and there is a high chance that something you say will be added the the game in the next update because Notch the game developer searched these forums and looked on twitter for what the die hard fans wanted in the game and would listen to them. This made the game grow exponentially because it was completely unique at the time.
What are Realms?
Realms are personal multiplayer servers, run by Minecraft, just for you and your friends. Your Minecraft: Bedrock Edition world is online and always accessible, even when you log off. Only people you invite can join your world, and what you do there is up to you: create, survive, or compete!
The Minecraft twitter feed has used lots of different collaborations to promote the game as well as various different trailer
Wednesday 21st February
One last way they are able to keep such a wide audience range interested in their game would be the mass online presence of the video game itself, for example with the video game Minecraft we can see that it has a vast online presence where players can surf the web and join whatever fandoms they please and watch whatever videos they please, we can see that on social media platforms (especially youtube) that people create many many different media forms for people to consume therefore meaning that Minecraft has exceeded the standard game that it once was and is more of a hobby now
Friday 23rd February
The game is limitless of the ideas and things you can create
Traditionally video games would have had a whole team working on developing the game dissimilarly to Minecraft where it was just 'Notch' who made the game by himself.
First major deal was the deal with Sony where they then released the game on Sony Xperia play which was practically a phone this then led to Minecraft being available for IOS and android. (Before Microsoft takeover)
Disadvantages of Proliferation of technology -
Piracy is easier
Cost (Expecting audiences to buy the new and up to date consoles to play their games now)
More chance of it not working
What has been the influence of technology on video game production and distribution? Refer to Minecraft to support your answer.
- Big video games conglomerates (More specifically Microsoft)
Evaluate how ongoing audience interaction influences the production of video games. Refer to Minecraft in your answer.
Introduction -
Introduce question briefly explaining each point I will make in very small detail
Paragraph 1 -
Online forums and websites /Context/ (Social) Some people who play video games identify as gamers whereas some others may identify as fans of one specific video game.
Paragraph 2 -
Youtube and its influence on the creators
Paragraph 3 -
The creator notch and his involvement with fans and listening to what they want and their requests
Wednesday 28th February
Introduction -
Introduce question briefly explaining each point I will make in very small detail
Paragraph 1 -
Sony Xperia and the introduction of gaming on a phone (how it affected distribution)
Paragraph 2 -
Making games for different platforms and having to create different versions of the game (Bedrock and Java) therefore affecting production
Paragraph 3 -
Explain how producers target, reach and engage audiences for video games through content and marketing. Refer to Minecraft to support your answer
Introduction -
Introduce question briefly explaining each point I will make in very small detail
Paragraph 1 -
Word of mouth via forums and other online platforms
Paragraph 2 -
Vast youtube presence of Minecraft
Paragraph 3 -
Hardcore fandom and people who do not leave the game due to it being more of a community rather than just a game. /Context/ (Social) Some people who play video games identify as gamers whereas some others may identify as fans of one specific video game.
BBC RADIO 1
Friday 1st March
The term public service broadcasting (PSB) refers to broadcasting intended for public benefit rather than to serve purely commercial interests (Money)
How is the BBC funded?
The BBC is primarily funded by the licence fee
How many radio stations does the BBC have and how do they differ?
39 radio stations that collectively cover all of England. They differ in areas that they are shown and the different things that they talk about which are relevant to that area or that station
What are the BBC's mission, values and public purposes?
Mission -
Inform, Educate, Entertain
Values -
AUDIENCES are at the heart of everything we do
CREATIVITY is the lifeblood of our organisation
TRUST is the foundation of the BBC - we’re independent, impartial and truthful
We RESPECT each other - we’re kind, and we champion inclusivity
We are ACCOUNTABLE and deliver work of the highest quality
We are ONE BBC - we collaborate, learn and grow together
Public Purpose -
To provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage with the world around them (Neutral news)
To support learning for people of all ages
To show the most creative, highest quality and distinctive output and services
To reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world
What is the difference between commercial and non commercial radio?
Wednesday 6th March
Radio1 has a specific remit to 'entertain and engage a broad range of young listeners'
Independent channels have suggested BBC changing to a subscription model and scrapping the idea of the TV license.
Over 75's get their TV license free
Niche programmes can be broadcast due to the success of other shows like the breakfast show and drive time
Who are the target audience for BBC radio 1? What are their expectations of the breakfast show?
Its target audience is 15-29 year olds and their expectations are to be entertained and informed in the morning, possibly on their way to work.
Radio1 Breakfast show: Times, Presenters, Audience Figures, Regular features?
210 minutes (7:00 am – 10:30 am), It is hosted by Greg James since 20 August 2018, 4.3 million average listeners in 2023
How can audiences access the breakfast show, both during and after airing?
I can be access through live radio or on digital platforms such as BBC Sounds and then the full length show is uploaded to BBC Sounds after it has finished.
What is BBC radio 1's remit?
Radio1 has a specific remit to 'entertain and engage a broad range of young listeners'
Which other breakfast shows are it's biggest competition?
BBC 2's The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, Heart breakfast show and Kiss breakfast show.
Friday 8th March
The BBC are unable to pay their presenters as much as their competitors due to them being a PSB and being funded by the TV license, this then led to questions on why some presenters are getting paid a lot more than others.
Provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage with the world around them.
The BBC 1 breakfast show provides news snippets every half an hour which are a couple minutes long and give an overview on the news at that current point
To support learning for all ages.
To show the most creative, highest quality and distinctive output and services.
To reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities of all of the United Kingdom's nations and regions and, in doing so, support the creative economy across the United Kingdom.
Its diversity is common throughout, representing people from everywhere no matter what they do with the option to call in
To reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world.
Nurturing new UK talent, showcases classic British humour
Friday 22nd March
How do music radio programmes get their content to new audiences, keep a loyal fanbase and target their content to a specific audience?
- music being played targets audiences
- identify target audience
- clips on youtube for shorter easier to watch content (aimed at younger people)
- yesterdays quiz (keeps returning viewers)
JUNGLE BOOK:
ReplyDeleteGood notes - detailed and with strong examples. Make sure you know about specific examples for Production, Distribution, Marketing & exhibition for both movies - 1960s in particular
MINECRAFT:
Great notes again. Detailed and comprehensive. Make sure that you understand the main differences between the production of Minecraft and how a typical game would be produced and distributed.
RADIO 1 BREAKFAST SHOW:
Good notes but seems to be lacking a few - add in a photo of your episode notes too. Make sure you understand the industry e.g PSB V Commercial and the differences.