Film to a certain extent makes cross-media convergence and synergy in order to become a successful marketing of media products to audiences. An example of cross-media convergence is The Avengers Assemble being able to view it on many platforms such as: consoles (Xbox, PlayStation etc.), laptop, smartphones and basically anything that has a screen in today’s society. Devices such as the phone have evolved from having one function to many functions and that is now called a multifunctional phone, or in another term, it could be named a smartphone or an android. The marketing of the media industry have been able to expand on how they distribute their movie worldwide, and that doesn’t just consist of DVD’s anymore. It can be streamed through a website called Netflix, which allow subscribed users to watch a movie in HD. This application can be accessed through many platforms and is most popular on devices such as the Xbox or mobile phone. The film franchise, the Avengers has become known worldwide and has been seen as the most successful film to have been released on the basis that synergy has been formed between individual films to great an even better film but to also increase the amount of money that can be made out of it. In order for that film to become successful, it would need to be classed as a blockbuster film; to have high value production and to have a high concept. Among that it would need to have high quality props, costumes, equipment and stick with the cast that were in the previous films that are supposedly well known to the audience. The reason to having a blockbuster film especially on cross-media convergence is because once the film has been released through DVD, after the cinema release, the audience will have a wider variety of choice in how to watch the film. Some people prefer some devices and others may only prefer one, which gives them the option to watch the movie with whatever device they like. Film never used to be distributed like this, to the extent where they could be watched on any platform. People were only able to acquire a DVD player that only had one function, and that was to only play movies through a DVD. Now, the convergence and synergy is one of the most vital processes in the successful marketing of the media product due to it being able to be accessed through multiple methods.

The only downfall to this is that piracy now exists. It’s where someone copies the movie from either recording it in the cinema or copying it from a DVD, where that person would then either be able to sell it or share it online. This has been known to be a huge problem for the production companies

which is why they wanted The Avengers to be the best film that could have possibly been made. To avoid it, they did everything they could to ‘hype’ up their audience into wanting to see the movie in the cinema as soon as it came out. Another way that they could prevent piracy is by having their movie in 3D. Any film can do this to avoid it but piracy still occurs. Bringing the point back to the film being a blockbuster film, people will want to watch it in the cinema because it delivers high definition and surround sound, whereas a knock off copy would have poor quality and sound and may even be more expensive than in the cinema.

Relating to the convergence of technology in the modern day society is the product placement companies which involve their brand or particular product in a film. For example, in the Avengers there were a couple of cars that were involved. The Acura RDX was visible for only a couple of seconds in a scene but it was still noticed by the audience, and the character Tony Stark drove an Acura NXS. This is obvious traits of the production company working with that brand to market their products within their film as well as using them for props in their movie; this brand was the only brand that was clearly visible.

Another thing that can be a part of media convergence is a spin off to the original movie The Avengers. That movie has brought in new concepts which can be used at an advantage. One spin off that has been created is Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. which centres around the Avengers and beings alike. Another spin-off is mainly from the Captain America, which is Agent Carter, taking back the story to the 1940’s of when he supposedly died. These spin offs can constantly relate back to the films and can continue to create that lead up to the next following film The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Some of the characters that are in that TV show also were casted in the previous marvel films, which is what creates that spin off.

I therefore agree that statement because of the fact that the cross-media convergence and synergy is the source of success and it creates an even higher concept which cannot be competed with. However, a failure that had not been made into a franchise was Hulk. Even though Hulk stars in the film, the character had not been successful or the film itself with the narrative not being as good as expected. The character had been re-casted multiple times up until Hulk had starred in the Avengers; the character therefore had more recognition in a synergy film rather than on its own. It gave that sort of ‘superhero’ atmosphere and made it more legendary with the merge of the films.