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American Sniper – The 7 keyareas

By Jay Franks

1. The issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media

practice

Media ownership is the people that own the piece of media that is released;

these are the people that inuence the success of a piece of media This is

throu!h the success of the production" distri#ution and e$hi#ition that inuence

the success of the %lm drastically For e$ample" American Sniper is owned #y

&arner Bros #ecause they produced it American Sniper wouldn't ha(e !ot any

issues raised #y the media ownership in contemporary media practice #ecause

the %lm is produced #y &arner Bros" a %lm production company known as the

part of the )Bi! Si$* and is the second lar!est production company in the world

 The reason for this is #ecause &arner Bros are known for makin! !ood %lms" for

e$ample they ha(e produced famous %lms such as The +ark ,ni!ht" -arry .otter"

 The -o##it" /nception" The -an!o(er" The Matri$" 0ra(ity" Man of Steel" which

are there most famously known %lms that ha(e earned the most !rossin! pro%t

form there distri#ution success" has !ranted them a !ood reputation Therefore

the audience would ha(e e$pected this to #e a !ood %lm" and wouldn't ha(e

raised any 1uestions on if it is a !ood %lm or not #ecause of the companies !ood

success reputation As !enerally" the #i!!er companies produce the #etter %lms

#ecause they ha(e a #i!!er #ud!et and ha(e the capa#ility to market the %lm for

a #i!!er audience so therefore they will take more money from the %lm and the

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success of it will #etter than a %lm with a lower #ud!et This means the %lm will

follow Mark ,ermode's rules and ha(e a #etter chance of makin! their money

#ack from the %lm ,ermode's rules are as follows – Must ha(e a newsworthy

#ud!et"" 234"455"555 which isn't news worthy #ud!et" #ut #ecause the #ud!et

was 234"455"555 and the %lm made 2635"86"336 it can #e classed as a success

#ecause they made the %lm #e successful which is newsworthy in itself For the

%lm to not #e a comedy 9which it isn't as it is an Action:+rama" for it to ha(e

spectacular (isuals 9which / #elie(e it does" and recei(ed awards for #est picture

and for it to ha(e an A list star9which it does in Bradley <ooper who is known for

%lms such as= Sil(er >inin!s" The -an!o(er se1uels and >imitless which are all

#i! %lms that ha(e had !reat success

2. The Importance of cross media convergence and synergy inproduction, distribution and marketing

<ross media con(er!ence and syner!y in production" distri#ution andmarketin! is to understand how all aspects of the media 9we#sites"newspapers" tele(ision etc are used to market a %lm and show yourunderstandin! how companies work to!ether to produce and distri#ute %lmsSo for American Sniper" a 85? action drama %lm produced #y @illa!eoadshow pictures and distri#uted #y &arner Bros pictures" are #oth massi(ecompanies that ha(e inuenced the amount of success that American Sniperhas !ot @illa!e oadshow .ictures is a leadin! Australian coproducer and co%nancier of maCor -ollywood motion pictures" ha(in! released o(er 43 %lmssince its esta#lishment in D4E includin!" as coproductions with &arnerBros" The 0reat 0ats#y" The Matri$ Trilo!y" The Sherlock -olmes franchise" /Am >e!end" the cean's series" The -appy Feet franchise" Mystic i(er"

<harlie and the <hocolate Factory" 0et Smart" Se$ and the <ity 8" 0ran Torino" The >e!o Mo(ie and American Sniper This pro(ides e(idence that @illa!eoadshow is a #i! production company in the %lm industry" and they ha(eproduced:coproduced many %lms that ha(e had !reat success This is areason why American Sniper also did well at the #o$ oGce" #ecause they hadan e$perienced company producin! the %lm" therefore they ha(e the knowhow on how to !et the success out of a %lm" and !et earn a lot of moneythrou!h cross media con(er!ence and syner!y in production" distri#ution andmarketin! But the success of a %lm isn't Cust down the production companyin the %lm; the distri#utin! company also has a massi(e impact on its successas this is the company that has a key role in marketin! the %lm anddistri#utin! it to (arious cinemas o(er the world So for American Sniper" to

ha(e &arner Bros in(ol(ed in the distri#ution of the %lm 9The second #i!!estdistri#ution company in the world" is a reason for American Sniper's success&arner Bros ha(e distri#uted %lms such as= The +ark ,ni!ht" The -arry .otterse1uel" The -o##it" /nception" The -an!o(er" The Matri$" 0ra(ity and Man ofSteel pro(idin! further e(idence for why American Sniper had !reat successBecause they had two massi(e companies in(ol(ed in the marketin! anddistri#ution of the %lms" which can either make a %lm succeed or fail Fore$ample" the reason for why some %lms doesn't do as !ood as others are#ecause of the companies that are in(ol(ed in this process There mi!ht #e a!reat %lm" with a thrillin! storyline which it is really amaHin!" #ut it won't doas it could ha(e done if it would ha(e had #i! production companies and

distri#utin! companies in(ol(ed Because they are known for their success somem#ers of the pu#lic" realise that a %lm is made #y these companies" so

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then they !o and watch it assumin! it is !oin! to #e !ood #ecause of theirpast reputation

3. The technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the

levels of production, distribution, marketing and exchange

 This 1uestion means that you must show you are aware of how new

technolo!y has #een used to impro(e the makin!" distri#utin!" marketin! and

e$hi#ition of a %lm Technolo!y that has impro(ed the makin! of %lms would

#e recent ad(ancements in cameras and the editin! in <0/" as this allows

mo(ies to #e recorder in a #etter 1uality which means that the %lm results in

#ein! a #etter picture on screen and ha(in! #etter audio 1uality" which

enhances the e$perience for the audience when watchin! the %lm

 Technolo!y that has impro(ed the distri#ution of a %lm would #e di!ital

software A %lm can #e recorder on %lm" and then con(erted into a di!ital

copy which allows the distri#ution of the %lm much easier and cost eIecti(e

ew technolo!y that has impro(ed the marketin! of a %lm would #e phones"

and their easy access to social networkin! sites As word of mouth is created

throu!h social networkin! sites which increases the amount of #uHH around a

%lm" which results in more people wantin! to !o and watch the %lm An

e$ample of recent technolo!y would #e social networkin! sites on the

internet .eople unconnected to the institution: %lm usin! applications such

as KouTu#e" Blo!!er" AmaHon %lm messa!e #oards" Twitter" Face#ook" discuss

the %lm or edit parts of to!ether to form a new te$t which they may then put

a new soundtrack to and pu#lish it on KouTu#e" etc &hen you add a trailer

from a site like KouTu#e on your #lo! you ha(e #een en!a!in! with e$chan!eL$amples of new technolo!y that would ha(e inuenced these factors would

#e the recent de(elopments of phones" <0/" The internet and di!ital

technolo!y .hones ha(e allowed people to ha(e an easy access to the

internet" watch trailers for %lms" read up a#out re(iews on a %lm and many

more capa#ilities Because of recent technolo!ies" smaller companies no

lon!er ha(e the pro#lem of worryin! a#out distri#utin! costs #ecause in the

past" #i!!er companies always !enerally did #etter than %lms produced #y

smaller companies #ecause they had the money a(aila#le to print the %lm a

on a #i!!er scale of %lm" resultin! in the %lm #ein! shown on more screens

than a company that didn't ha(e the a#ility to do this But now #ecause ofrecent technolo!ies" %lms can #e transported o(er a memory stick and then

plu!!ed in" the cinema and then it !ets displayed on the cinema screen that

simply This is a cheaper way massi(ely of showin! %lms in cinema's" which is

a massi(e #onus for them smaller companies as they ha(e a #etter chance of

makin! their money #ack Because of recent technolo!ies it has ena#lin! the

followin! chances to the media industry" for the #etter" #ut also for the worst=

6+" Blu ay" /nternet streamin! and downloada#le content -a(in! the a#ility

to produce %lms now in 6+" means that a %lm has a !reater scale of how

many times it !ets shown on at the cinema Because there will #e two

diIerent (ersions of a %lm" standard de%nition and three dimensionalde%nition The increases the amount of screens a sin!le %lm is shown on" this

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will allow more (iewers to #e a#le to watch the %lm /f it is a #lock#uster" this

can enhance the amount of pro%t a %lm accumulates drastically" as

sometimes people of the audience won't #other !oin! to watch a %lm

#ecause it is likely to #e sold out or there mi!ht #e a stru!!le for tickets" now

that isn't the case for some %lms American sniper falls under the cate!ory of

it #ein! a #lock#uster" and it #ein! in 6+ and standard de%nition" this

increased the amount of screens this %lm was shown on" and !ot them !reat

success as the %lm made o(er %(e times the amount of their #ud!et for the

%lm That is one ad(anta!e of 6+; the main ad(anta!e is that the %lm is

shown in a #etter de%nition" which means the 1uality of the %lm increases

which can attract more (iewers as the e(ents happenin! in the %lm are more

enhanced than a %lm in standard de%nition The picture looks so much #etter;

you can instantly tell the diIerence #etween the two diIerent de%nitions This

is a positi(e factor for the audience and is a persuadin! marketin! techni1ue

if a %lm is a(aila#le in 6+ as it mi!ht persuade people to watch it o(er a

standard de%nition %lm #ecause of its increase in 1uality /nternet streamin!is seen as a ne!ati(e factor" as people are a#le to access %lms from home on

their de(ice and watch for free instead of ha(in! t pay for it to !o to the

cinema This decreases the success of the %lm as many people would prefer

to watch at home for free instead of ha(in! to !o to the cinema and pay for it

Another technolo!y that has #een introduced in recent years is the a#ility for

a %lm to #e produced on Blu ay This is an increase in 1uality than a normal

+@+" as it oIers a #etter de%nition of watchin! it up to 545p rather than a

+@+ at ?45p as the picture is clearer which is a persuadin! feature to #uy a

Blu ray +@+ All of these e$amples of recent technolo!ies ha(e impacted the

le(els of production" distri#ution" marketin! and e$chan!e form e$amples /ha(e e$plained pre(iously in the answer to this 1uestion All of these ha(e

enhanced the amount of success American Sniper has achie(ed" which is an

astonishin! 24D"555"555 earned on its openin! weekend" and ha(in! a

#ud!et of 234"455"555" it earn it's money #ack on its openin! weekend" and

then went on to earn a total of 2635"86"336" which is down to recent

technolo!ies and the contri#utin! money earned from Blu ay and +@+ sales

American Sniper earned 284"337"586 throu!h domestic +@+ sales and

28D"D58"?ED for domestic Blu ay sales This e1uals to an astonishin!

234"?3D"?D8 Cust throu!h this feature of ad(anced technolo!y" it !ot them

#ack the #ud!et they spent on the mo(ie Cust throu!h #lue ray and +@+ salesalone This has clearly #ene%ted the %lm industry s it has !ained them a lot of 

money throu!h the in(entions of recent technolo!y

. The signi!cance of proliferation in hardware and content for

institutions and audiences

 This means that you must show you understand how the increase and

impro(ements made in technolo!y are aIectin! the ways that %lms are made

and distri#uted today Also" to #e a#le to assess how technolo!ical

impro(ements ha(e impacted the (iewin! e$perience" at home and in the

cinema The recent ad(ancement in modern technolo!y has meant that %lms

are no lon!er made on )%lm* as much as it is (ery time consumin! and costly

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 Therefore" people are now producin! %lms di!itally as it is much cheaper and

it is (ery easy to 1uickly distri#ute it all o(er the world As only a %le is

needed to #e sent to another cinema for them to open that link for it to #e

played on the screen in the cinema" it is that simple r there is an alternati(e

method of downloadin! the %lm %le to a memory stick 9another recent

ad(ancement" which can then #e plu!!ed in a cinema to #e then shown on

the screen that way Ad(ancement when actually %lmin! the %lm would #e

the ad(ancement in the 1uality of the cameras used when %lmin! They now

%lm them up to 545p which is amaHin! hi!h de%nition picture which is

amaHin! to watch on screen at the cinema &hereas #efore it would ha(e

#een a pretty shockin! picture compared to now" not e(en in colour !oin!

way #ack This e$ample shows how much recent technolo!y has impro(ed

the 1uality of %lmin! in the %lm industry This point also e$plains how much

the (iewin! e$perience has impro(ed for the audience But another e$ample

would #e the impro(ement in sound systems in cinemas and at home" the

1uality of sound from the %lm is much more clear and crisp compared to howit was in the olden days" which adds to the (iewin! e$perience for the

audience also Another idea associated with the (iewin! e$perience at home"

modern technolo!y has ad(anced meanin! that the pu#lic has a much more

access to hi!h de%nition T@'s" which means that %lms" can #e watched on

their T@ in 545p de%nition now as well This is a hu!e ad(ancement from the

olden days" ad s #efore people would ha(e had to !o to the cinema to see a

half decent copy of a %lm on a #i! screen But now people can watch %lms

and massi(e screens while at the comfort of their own homes" which is

somethin! that couldn't ha(e #een done in the past

". The importance of technological convergence for institutions and

audiences

American Sniper was one of the most !rossin! %lms in 85?" earnin! a

sta!!erin! 2635"86"336" from its 233"355"555 #ud!et which is a !reat pro%t for

e(eryone in(ol(ed in American Sniper American Sniper was distri#uted #y

&arner Bros and produced #y @illa!e oadshow which are the main companies

in(ol(ed in makin! the %lm a success #ecause of the reputation these %lms ha(e

had in pre(ious %lms But he e$tra production companies in(ol(ed Mad <hance

.roductions" 88nd N /ndiana .ictures and Malpaso .roductions are all part of the

technolo!ical con(er!ence as there 1ualities in the indi(idual companies #ine

to!ether to make the %lm as #est as possi#le This 1uestion means to understand how new technolo!ies com#ine to produce"

market" distri#ute and e$hi#it a %lm successfully; this is #ecause of technolo!ical

con(er!ence An increase in the amount of technolo!y and the a#ility that has an

impact on all these areas" which is !oin! to #e e$plained #elow Technolo!ical

con(er!ence is the process #y which e$istin! technolo!ies mer!e into new forms

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that #rin! to!ether diIerent types of media and applications Technolo!y helps

to produce a %lm #ecause for e$ample" a mo#ile phone can (ideo record which

means this can produce mo(ie Some elements of a mo(ie are %lmed #y mo#ile

phones An e$ample of this is the latest a(en!ers %lm" elements of the %lm was

%lmed usin! a mo#ile phone" and then that foota!e was sent and edited and

then was com#ined with other elements of the %lm that were produced with

proper (ideo cameras But his Cust shows that somethin! like this wouldn't of

happened in the past" not only that it didn't ha(e the capa#ility" #ut the 1uality

would ha(e #een dreadful" and now %lms can #e recorded in hi!h de%nition

allowin! it to #e a#le to #e %lmed on a phone as the 1uality is still there and it

won't aIect the whole e$perience of the %lm" this is easier for the institution and

won't aIect the e$perience for the audience /t is important for diIerent types of

technolo!ies to mer!e into a new form when it comes to marketin! as this way it

produces a wide audience for which the %lm is shared out to For e$ample" if all

de(ices were a#le to watch the trailer for the American Sniper" then this means

that more people will #e aware of the %lm and this will make them to want to !oand see it which results in more (iewers to see American sniper which results in

more money This is why it is an important factor in marketin!" #ecause this

element can aIect the success of a %lm drastically Technolo!ical con(er!ence is

also important for the distri#ution of %lms #ecause if all methods com#ine

to!ether of distri#utin! a %lm throu!h diIerent technolo!ical methods= OSB's"

Film %le sent on email" deli(ery dri(ers this can add to the amount of copies the

%lm has #een sent around he world in a 1uicker time Meanin! the %lm can #e

showed at cinemas easily and 1uickly Also" if there is e(er a fail in one of the

copies" it wouldn't take lon! for another copy to #e sent o(er #ecause of the

ad(ancements in the technolo!y This also links in with e$hi#ition" which isshowin! a %lm on +@+ or at the cinema; they can #e shown more #ecause of the

technolo!ical con(er!ence

#. The issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences

$speci!cally, %ritish& by international or global institutions This 1uestion re1uires you to show you know how international and !lo#al

institutions tar!et a national and local British audience So for American

Sniper" who is distri#uted #y &arner Bro's" isn't any pro#lems raised in the

way they tar!et their local audiences #ecause they do it appropriately" and

ha(e the e$perience on what is ri!ht and wron! &arner Bro's is owned #y

 Time:&arner which is a media con!lomerate who makes %lms for an

international !lo#al audience They do this #y chan!in! the lan!ua!es in the

%lm to suit diIerent countries" as well as chan!in! speci%c elements of

marketin! that mi!ht oIend people in diIerent countries also >ike nudity on

a poster" mi!ht #e a!ainst some reli!ions in certain countries etc For

e$ample" some issues mi!ht #e raised when marketin! a %lm on how the

teaser trailers are produced Therefore mi!ht #e some issues with it as the

trailer could !i(e too much a#out the %lm" so the audience will #e annoyed

with this as it kind of ruins the %lm for the audience as they know what is

!oin! to happen But #ecause American Sniper is distri#uted #y &arner Bro's

and produced #y @illa!e oadshow" two e$perienced companies" there isn't a

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pro#lem with this as they know to a(oid this to pre(ent issues raised But

here would #e a pro#lem if a %lm tar!eted a speci%c culture in a %lm" and

used stereotypical representations of that #ut in the wron! way" then that

%lm then issues would #e raised on that #ecause it is unethical to do that

'. The ways in which the candidates( own experiences of media

consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience

behaviour.

 This means to include reference to how your own e$perience of the media

shows how an audience may #eha(e This relates to how the indi(idual

consumes %lms For e$ample" for myself / would !o to the cinema if it was a

real #lock#uster like American Sniper" to #e a#le to !et the full e$perience of

the sound and the amaHin! picture But a trend with many people as well"

#ecause of modern day life" with money #ein! an issue" people would rather

 Cust stay at home and stream the mo(ie form the internet as it is much easier

and sa(es you money and the eIort of !oin! to the cinema This is the case

for many people" not Cust myself This is the trend for the future; it is a maCor

worry for the %lm industry on how it is so easy to access %lms online for free"

it will aIect the success of how %lms do and the money they earn Another

trend is that #ecause of new technolo!y" it has raised the price of cinema

tickets for the companies to #e a#le to earn their money #ack This makes me

think" how much are cinema tickets !oin! to #e in the futureP &ith all the on

!oin! de(elopments in technolo!y" the media industry is Cust !oin! to !et

#i!!er and #etter Makin! it costly for the pu#lic to #e a#le to (iew %lms"

which is pushin! away the audience to watch it #ecause of how e$pensi(e it

is and how it is easy to #e a#le to watch it for free Another pattern is media

consumption The production companies assume the audience like certain

%lms" and only show con!lomerates at cinemas" resultin! in the audience

ha(in! an limited (ariety of %lms that are a(aila#le to watch