Intro to Section B - Audiences and Institutions

8/13/2019 Intro to Section B - Audiences and Institutions

1/14

Key conceptsWhat are the 7 key concepts?

M

IG

R

AI

N

Media language

Institution

Genre

Representation

Audience

Ideology

Narrative


2/14


3/14


4/14

What will you be tested on?Through specific case studies candidates should be preparedto demonstrate understanding of contemporaryinstitutional processes of:

1. production

2. distribution

3. marketing

4. exchange/exhibition

at a local, national or international level as well as Britishaudiences receptionand consumption. There should alsobe some emphasis on the students own experiences of beingaudiences of film.

What do the words in blue mean?

Discuss in your groups, making notes.


5/14

PRODUCTION

buy

DISTRIBUTION

EXHIBITIONmake

market

show

sell

Films are known

as PRODUCTSin the film industry

like a Mars Bar

for the Food IndustryHow does this change

the way Media Students

analysefilms?

How would this link to

Business Studies?

Institution Audience

buy


6/14

This unit should be approached through contemporary examples in the form of case studies based uponone of the specified media areas. Examples may include the following:

A study of a specific studio or production companywithin a contemporary film industry that targets aBritish audience (eg Hollywood, Bollywood, UK

film), including its patterns of production,distribution, exhibition and consumption byaudiences. This should be accompanied by study ofcontemporary film distribution practices (digital

cinemas, DVD, HD-DVD, downloads, etc) and theirimpact upon production, marketing andconsumption.

Make referenceto relatedmedia where relevant.


7/14

What is the definition of audience?

The people that a media product is aimed at andconsumedby.

What can you remember about AudienceDemographics?


8/14

Candidates should be prepared to understand and discuss the processes ofproduction, distribution, marketing and exchange as they relate tocontemporary media institutions, as well as the nature of audienceconsumption and the relationships between audiences and institutions. In

addition, candidates should be familiar with:1. the issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice;

2. the importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production,distribution and marketing;

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

of production, distribution, marketing and exchange;

4. the significance of proliferation in hardware and content forinstitutions and audiences;

5. the importance of technological convergence for institutions andaudiences;

6. the issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences(specifically, British) by international or global institutions;

7. the ways in which the candidates own experiences of mediaconsumption illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience

behaviour. In groups, discuss your first impression / prior knowledgeof the area you are assigned.


9/14

Question for learning:

What influences mediainstitutions?

The production of media texts is a complex and expensive

process, involving the creative input of many speciallyskilled people.

Anyone can produce a media text, if they have a bit of

time, an idea, and access to a computer.

Write these two quotes and then a short paragraph

discussing which you believe to be true.


10/14

We live in a world where both of these statements are true.There are many different forms of the media, and themeans of production, which one used to be exclusively

held by big companies, like movie studios or tv stations,are now within the reach of many.

However, this does not mean that the basic media

production process has changed. Media texts, whetherthey are being produced by Time-Warner or a teenager, gothrough the same stages before they reach an audience.This is what we call the production process.


11/14

The characteristics of media

institutions

lots of people on a global scale

require technical and creative people to travel freely massive employers clearly defined roles for people a shared internal ideology operate in competitive global markets

want to increase audiences (leading to profit or morefunding) regulate production highly.


12/14

Critical theory:

Institutions as a Cultural Industry

(Adorno & Horkheimer)The media is organised to:

make similar products

maximise profit

be a capitalist industry

The media: makes us feel like we need them

try to sell us goods and services

shapes our consciousness produces a mass, passive and obedient audience

have a dominant ideology (i.e. are capitalist).

The media is low qualityand harmful.

Do you agree or disagree?


13/14

Analysing institutions requires research.

Men In Black makes for an interesting case study.Research the background to the film and comment

on your findings to answer the question forlearning:

Which film company produced the film and what else havethey produced? Why is this significant and can you find anylinks?

Who directed it and what else have they directed? What mayhave influenced the companys choice of director?

Who starred in it and are they generic to that genre? How wasstar appeal used to promote the film? Who would each starappeal to?

Who were the distributors? What else have they distributed?What links can you make?

How was the film marketed? What was the most effectivemarketing technique?

What were the spinoffs from the film? Why do films need/usespin-offs?


14/14

Documents

Intro to Section B - Audiences and Institutions