Harry Shervington AS/A2 Media: November 2009

Friday 27 November 2009

social networking sites

Facebook is 1 of most popular social networking site in the world; people share they thoughts, pictures and videos with each other and can keep in contact with long lost friends ETC. For new technologies to target a big and specific audience for them for example film they could advertise it on Facebook there trailer therefore attracting a big audience because a certain amount of audience members have watched this trailer and liked what they have seen.
The main features facebook have for advertising is;
• Joining groups
• Becoming fans of actor/films etc.
• Advertising on the side of facebook i.e. trailers
• What they think about films good or bad
All these key features help the film organisation attract the audience for there film; they advertise on social websites like face book because it have a wide range of different audiences and also it is the best way for a lot of people to find out about the film. This is below the line advertising because you have to sign up for facebook and you choice to go on it.
The down sides to advertising trailer which can be reviewed can be if some people do not like the film and evaluate it as really bad and boring when people look at people review they may be put off my this person comment therefore sometimes reducing the audience the film can bring in.
In my view of advertising on social networks is very good and very effective for getting the film out there and letting people know it is out; it has a big list of members therefore you have a unlimited target audience to search for so at least one person will want to go watch the film so it is always a win situation for the film company.

New technologies to target more specfic audience (text)

Text is used in everyday life and is the key factor for companies to advertise something to a target audience; using text to advertise films targets a wider range of audience for example orange Wednesdays, this advertises a buy 1 get 1 free to the audience this will draw a wider target market for orange therefore increasing there profit. Orange and cinemas are working together to advertise the film and promote orange because you can only get cinema deals with orange; this makes orange a more popular company for some audience members.
An example of orange Wednesday is;
• 2012
• Twilight
• A Christmas carol
• Paranormal activity
Orange are making films more advertise for example film companies are using orange to create a wider audience impact therefore increasing the profit for both the cinema/film and orange themselves.
But on the other hand quite a lot of people are not on orange therefore making the target audience not as much as it could be; but by them having this application when you join orange maybe more people will join orange just for the orange Wednesday’s factor.
Word of month come into play for orange as well because if a mate is talking how good orange Wednesdays are it might persuade them to change networks to get this special feature.
Word of mouth is a reference to the passing of information from person to person; this is good for orange and film because as I said above by family’s or friends recommending it, it could sway there choice of network.

Sunday 15 November 2009

Merchandising
• The boat that rocked: used merchandising by advertising there film on, T-Shirts, Clothing, Gifts, Key Rings, Calendars, Tour Books and sound track.
• Bridget Jones: used merchandising by advertising there film on, sound track, and posters.
• James Bond: used merchandising by advertising there film on, Posters, monopoly, calendars, figures, games console, sound track, books, key rings, mouse mat, pens, bags, toys, wallet, watch, lighter.
James Bond has a lot of merchandising as there had a lot of funding from there film. They had a big success with there films. So promoting merchandise they advertise the film and make more profit.

Viral Marketing
• The boat that rocked: This is good for this film as it is a small budget so if the audience like it then it will get a good word and people who have watched it will advise others to watch it.
• Bridget Jones: If this film got a good rating then people would spread the word that it is good.
• James Bond: James Bond has a good reputation for being a good film so if a new film came out and it wasn’t as good as past films the it would get a bad rating by the audience. So people would spread the word its bad and not many people will go to watch it.

Synergy Marketing
• The boat that rocked:
• Bridget Jones:
• James Bond:

Product placement
• The boat that rocked:Sound track.
• Bridget Jones:to much Drinking, Smoking and drugs.
• James Bond: Watches:rolex, cars:astin martin.

Male Gaze

Tuesday 10 November 2009

Distribution and Marketing

Above the line advertising is advertising usually for bigger budget films and blockbusters this will include every single type of advertising especially the big one e.g. billboards, poster on buses film trailers on TV and Radio, merchandising e.t.c.

Below the line advertising is advertising for lower budget smaller films produced by companies like Warp Films they will uses cheaper or free methods of advertising e.g. Word of mouth (viral advertising) and they will put they trailers onto YouTube and iTunes for free however people will have to download and find these trailers themselves, they might also put news about new film releases on there website.

2012 is a big blockbuster film with a total budget of $200 million and they have used many advertising techniques there main technique being the TV trailer which is on at least 2 channels and a minimum of 5 times a day. It has also used some of its massive budget on posters and billboards around the UK and mainly in the US.

The men who stared at goats has a total budget of $25 million and have used similar advertising and marketing techniques as 2012 however they have spent less money on them and used them in smaller quantities i.e. less poster, trailer on less often e.t.c.

Bunny and the bull has a much lower budget I would say less than $5 and they spend as little money as possible on advertising they advertise the upcoming film on the Warp Films site and other sites like channel 4 and YouTube. They have no above the line advertising techniques like the other two films and they rely very heavily on viral advertising.

Working Title and Warp Films
Institution and Audiences

1. Working title films is a production company based in England. Warp Films is sister company of Warp Record and is based in Sheffield. Warp Films is an independent company, Working Title is part of universal (conglomerate).

2.Warp Films would have less of a budget because they are completely on their own, but Working Title would have more of a budget because they have help from universal.

3.Warp Films have produced films such as: This is England, Rubber Jonny and Dead Man’s Shoes. Working Title have produced films such as: The Boat That Rocked, About a Boy, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Drop Dead Fred.

4. Warp Films are no way near as famous as Working Title the film This is England will be much less known than say Four Weddings and a Funeral, also Warp Films will not have world famous actors however Working Title will.

5. The film Chicago had a budget of £306,403,013.

6. Working Title get there funding from universal, Warp Films get it from NESTA.

7. They can’t afford to do big action styled films because they don’t have the budget so they have to stick to more realistic dramas.

8. The main appeal is that all films are social realism and the audience can relate more to the style of films they make. For example This is England is set in the 1980’s and people can relate to their life growing up and the problems they faced are realistic situations.

9.Working Title has a big target audience and tries to get people of all ages and genders to watch their films. Warp Films have a smaller target audience and is more limited to one group.

10. They mainly make big Hollywood films that well known actors star in.