Previous Ownership Questions:

1) Discuss the issues raised by media ownership upon the

diversity of media products and services available to

audiences in the contemporary media area you have studied.

2) Discuss the issues of media ownership in the production and

exchange of media texts in your chosen media area.

3) "Media production is dominated by global institutions, which

sell their products and services to national audiences." To

what extent do you agree with this statement?

What these questions mean for us:

1) How do films range depending on the ownership?

2) How does ownership affect film production, distribution and

exhibition?

3) ‘Large film companies dominate the industry’ Discuss

Essay Structure

Introduction should always show an examiner that you have understood the

question and outlay how you are going to respond.

1) Discuss the issues raised by media ownership upon the

diversity of media products and services available to

audiences in the contemporary media area you have studied.

Ownership, at times, can affect the genre of films made. The film industry

has always been a competitive market and dominated by global institutions

due to the amount of money involved and therefore it can be difficult for

smaller independent companies to compete. In this essay I intend to discuss

the genres of films most often produced by larger film institutions and how

genre may be the varying factor in order for independent companies to

produce in this competitive market.

Main body of essay

Point 1: Large companies produce blockbuster films, large budgets can mean

CGI, special FX and 3D.

Example: Avatar directed by James Cameron – 10 years to produce and

averaging 500 million to produce and distribute but grossing a 2 billion profit.

Explanation: When the budget is so high in the first place it allows for more

experimentation and time for production.

Relevant Terminology – Globilization, Hardware Proliferation

Point 2: Smaller companies may want to produce certain genres but it is easier

and cheaper to produce British realist films and exhibit via film festivals. – This

can enable them to acquire bigger budgets for future projects.

Example: Steel Mill Pictures – made London to Brighton £500,00 which

allowed them to make The Cottage (black comedy) for 2 million after it’s

success on the film festival circuit. Gone on to experiment with other genres

now like Filth (comedy drama) and A song for Marion (drama).

Explanation: Not all film companies desire to produce films for mass audiences

but working on low budgets is no longer impossible due to technological

convergence.

Relevant Terminology – guerrilla filming, technological convergence, mass vs

niche

Point 3: Independent companies have been able to create films requiring larger

budgets and genres for mainstream audiences through synergy.

Example: Working Title and Universal Vivendi – synergy allows Working Title to

produce films with a higher budget – romantic comedies like Notting Hill,

Bridget Jones Diary, Comedy Spy Thrillers like Johnny English, Costume dramas

like Anna Karenina due to funding from America.

Explanation: It is arguable how British these films are though due to American

funding but these films are competing with larger institutions.

Relevant Terminology: Synergy

Point 4: Audiences now have more choice over the genres of film available due

to the changes over time in Ownership. Breakdown of vertical Integration

means smaller companies can exhibit easier and audiences can stream film in

different ways due to technological convergence.

Example: Netflix, Smartphones (opportunity to discuss personal interaction

with film)

Explanation: Perhaps the ways in which audiences watch films affects the

genres of films being made.

Point 5: Larger companies need to create more of an experience for the

audience to entice them back in to cinemas. The expectation of 3D or digital

quality has become normality for most films and so we have seen an influx of

Sci-Fi/ Action films which lend themselves more to this effect.

Example: Gravity Distributed by Warner Bros, budget of 100 mill

Explanation: Other larger companies like Disney have also bought in to making

their films in 3D to maximise profits and to ensure that they retain audiences.

Conclusion

Should always link back to the question and summarise key points.

In conclusion, larger film institutions are less restricted when it comes to genre

of film and maybe more influenced by social and technological advancements.

Independent companies may be more restricted to realist dramas but are

beginning to utilise new technologies and other strategies in order to

experiment.