Industry

Wednesday 8th September 2021

L/O: to explore the content of unit.

The jungle book (1967)

Main characters:

Mowgli - Young boy - innocence, brave, young 

Bagheera - Black panther - responsible, leader, protector

Elephant - Old, wise, good hearted  

Baloo - Bear - fun, playful, lighthearted, comedy figure

King Louie - Orangutan - wants fire for power, based on Louie Armstrong - wouldn't be able to be released now because of racism. 

Shere Khan - Tiger - antagonist, British accent, determined, controlled 

Narrative:

A boy was found in a jungle and was kept alive by wolves and a black panther, Bagheera, while the jungle was safe.

 There starts to be a danger in the jungle with the return Shere Khan, a man eating Bengal tiger. The panther who volunteered to look after the boy talks to Mowgli and says he needs to go to the man village. The boy doesn't want to go there and tries everything he can to not go although it's for his own safety.

During their first stop whilst resting in a tree they encounter a snake who hypnotises the boy, the panther soon wakes to discover the snake hypnotising Mowgli. 

The next animals they come across on their journey are the elephant patrol, which the 'man-cub' tries to join. 

Further along his travels he meets a bear, Baloo, the bear promises to keep the boy safe and away from the man village. After thinking the boy is in danger the panther originally taking care of the boy returns to find the bear teaching the boy how to fight. 

Shortly after that a group of monkeys kidnap Mowgli and take him to their leader king Louie. King Louie asks him to do something in order to allow Mowgli stay in the jungle. Mowgli however doesn't know how to do that thing because of who he was raised by. Bagheera and Baloo team together to save Mowgli and causes chaos meaning it resulted in King Louie's palace is demolished.

Later on Baloo is convinced by what Bagheera said that while Shere Khan is around the jungle isn't safe enough for Mowgli. The next morning Baloo speaks to Mowgli, although he doesn't want to, saying that the jungle is no longer safe and how he has to return back to the man village however Mowgli runs away as Baloo has broken his promise. 

Bagheera asks for the elephant patrol to help look for Mowgli however while doing so Shere Khan is hiding hearing everything thats being said between the two. Shere Khan is now determined to hunt and kill Mowgli now. 

Mowgli encounters Kaa again, while doing so Kaa hypnotises Mowgli to sleep and tries to eat him. Mowgli wakes up in time as Kaa gets a visit from Shere Khan leaving enough time for Mowgli to get away from Kaa. 

Mowgli walks away from where he was and leaves the snake behind, he wonders further out towards where the vultures are. He then sings with the vultures and then later on finds Shere Khan near them and trying hunt Mowgli. He doesn't succeed as Baloo finds them and takes on the tiger alongside Mowgli and the vultures helping with ideas. At the end when Shere Khan leaves it seems as though Baloo is dead and Bagheera finds Mowgli,  however as the film goes on and Bagheera gives a speech about Baloo we find out that Baloo is in fact not dead. They then keep walking and end up going really close to the man village where Mowgli ends up going despite the fact he didn't want to go there.

Themes:

stay with your own kind

celebrates friendship

celebrates bravery

celebrates family values


The jungle book (2016)

Differences in Main characters:

Mowgli - isn't as innocent as he was before. He takes some responsibilities that he didn't in the other one. Brave and less reliant on the other characters. 

Bagheera - Still protective but not as much the leader as he hasn't had to guide Mowgli.

Baloo - More fearful but also brave. Can be seen equally as a leader like Bagheera but at one point does make Mowgli get his honey because he is scared of heights which he later overcomes because of certain circumstances.  

Differences in Narrative:

We meet Shere Khan at the start of the film rather than just hearing about him as a threat. the elephants are not in a line being controlled they have a lot more freedom.

Mowgli has tricks, which he didn't in the original.

Shere Khan kills the wolf whos raised Mowgli.

The end is different because Mowgli stays in the jungle after beating Shere Khan. 

Differences in themes:

Still celebrates friendship, family values and bravery but not as much. Towards the start it seems to suggest that you should stay with your own kind but towards the end you see that the differences of strength, skills and ability are helpful no matter the reason/way.

Changes of representations:

gender: more females, the women wolf who raised Mowgli who also became the leader of the pack after the wolves. 

There are a range of ethnicity's within the voice casting. 

Jungle - dangerous, dark atmosphere compaired to the original which only had the animals of danger.

What changes have been made?

There's no music, its a lot more action packed and a little bit more dark and not as happy and lighthearted as the original which has similar concepts for the characters but a lot less intense because of the lack of technology back then compared to now.

How are advances in technology shown/used?

animated - computer generated image.

Homework - 10/09/21- 17/09/21

Ownership -

Founded on 16th October 1923 by Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney. It started off as the 'Disney Brothers cartoon studio' and then changed in 1926 to 'The Walt Disney Studio' to then change again in 1929 to 'Walt Disney Productions' then in 1986 to 'The Walt Disney Company' which is its current name. 

The Walt Disney company is not owned by one single person as it is a publicly traded company.

Funding -

they funded it themselves

Growth & Diversification -

It started from being just cartoons to then going onto films, theme park resorts, cruise lines, tv networks and then merchandising.

Later on as society and technology has changed we see how films have progressed, as a brand we see the growth from cartoons to films along with tv series. The way technology has progressed has allowed there to be remakes of the original cartoons. Along with the progress in technology, society has changed allowing their to be a change within the way race and gender have been represented. The Jungle Book 1967, for example, featured very few female characters and making fun of the blacks using the character King Louie. Disney most likely wouldn't have included anything about the fights for equality because of their target audience. Disney's target audience is all about the children and families. At the time even during the fight for equality as they wouldn't want children to think differently about the society at the time. 

Box office Successes -

1. Avenger: End game (2019)

2. Star Wars Ep VII: The Force Awakens (2015)

3. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

4. The Lion King (Live Action Remake) (2019)

5. The Avengers (2012)


Influence and brand values -


Friday 17th September 2021

The 1960s

L/O: to research the social context.


Key events between 1960-1967:

1960-

John F Kennedy won the presidential election (US)

Saw people looking for change; sexuality, gender rights, black rights (US).

Whites and blacks were treated differently to each other - they had different doors for the shops they could shop in and public transport the blacks didn't have access to education. The older generation find it harder to change their views (US).

Coronation Street started - meaning televisions were around and existed and many people would have had one (UK).

1961- 

The first contraceptive pill was introduced but only became legalised to all women in the 1967 (UK).

First man in space (UK).

1962-

An african american becomes the first to enrol at the university of Mississippi (US)

1963-

Martin Luther King gave his 'I have a dream' speech (US).

John F Kennedy was assissinated after saying about discrimination(US).

1964-

The civil rights act of 1964 gets signed into the law (US).

1967-

Coloured television (UK).

Hippies - a lot more drug use, such as marijuana and LSD, they would also have paint on their faces along with their hair down flowing free. They would seem and act happy and stress free, very peaceful. 

Feminism became more influential in the 60s as more jobs were becoming available to more women. 

Colour television became available meaning more people spent their free time watching tv when they weren't working earning money. 

Music:

1960 - Elvis Presley

1961 - Chubby Checker

1962 - Cliff Richard 

1963 - The Beatles

1964 - The Kinks

1965 - The Rolling Stones

1966 - Dusty Springfield

1967 - The Monkees 

Fashion

1960 - Doc Martens boots

1962 - Teddy Boy Suits

1963 - Mop Top Hair

1964 - Wigs

1965 - The Twiggy Look

1966 - Mini Skirts

1967 - Paisley 

Other events during the 1960s, (US):

The cold War 

The Vietnam War

The Cuban Missile Crisis 

Antiwar Movements

Civil Rights Movement

Second Wave Feminism

Wednesday22nd September 2021

How can the values, ideologies and key events of the 1960s be seen in The Jungle Book (1967)? What does a lack of some values suggest about disney and it's audiences?

In the Jungle book we see some key ideas and events from the 60s within it. In The Jungle Book we see Baloo presented like a hippie. In the 1960s anyone classed as a hippie can be seen as peaceful and being calm and carefree. Baloo in The Jungle Book, we see as being carefree and just living life. He was very calm and peaceful and took everything as it came. 

In 1960 there were many movements to allow equal right and make society a lot more fair, stuff like making black peoples lives the same as whites and allowing females more of a chance within society. The only difference is that disney at the time didn't seem to want to include these within their films. The Jungle Book for example sees a wide range of male speaking characters compared to females, as well as having a monkey based around a black person, comparing a monkey to a black person. In The Jungle Book we see very few female characters and when we do only one is shown speaking while the others are silent or used to get Mowgli back to the man villages. Women in The Jungle Book are shown as very caring and the only ones who think things through in terms of family. We see with the scene with the elephants when they are looking for Mowgli and Bagheera speaks to the elephants asking them to help and the male elephant/leader refuses up until his wife and mother of his child talks to him and puts it into perspective of what if its are child who had gone missing. The other time where you see a female is when she is down by the man village and is collecting water, in the past stuff like housework and collecting water when necessary was a females job and was something that was down to a women. Disney has used a women going down to the river to get the water this interested Mowgli because they were walking on 2 feet and looked similar to him. Disney most likely wouldn't have included anything about the fights for equality because of their target audience. Disney's target audience is all about the children and families. At the time even during the fight for equality as they wouldn't want children to think differently about the society at the time. 

Wednesday 22nd September 2021

Disney

L/O: to explore the contexts of disney in the 1960s.

The Jungle book in 1967 was the highest cost and top quality production value.

Despite the jungle book being over 50 years old, the film's grossed over $100 billion to date. It cost $4 million to make.

It was made by Disney Studios under Walt Disney Productions - a Hollywood production company specialising in animated films.

Disney's animation studio had been responsible for developing many of the techniques and ways of working that became standard practises of traditional cel animation, pioneering the art of storyboarding and developing the use of the multiplane to create an early 3-D like effect.

The production of the film involves specialised techniques that are still part of Disney's brand identity today.

Historical context

The film is important to the studio's history - it's a landmark film that is amongst the best ever written for Disney and includes two Oscar-nominated songs.

The original soundtrack was the first to achieve gold disk status in the US for an animated feature film.

The film credits a notable cast and production team that had been in place and worked together for a number of years.

Economic context

Diversification/growth in notes

Fall in cinema sales because of TVs, the younger generation were increasing turning towards music, trends and fashion. The reason they diversified.

It grossed nearly 24 million dollars demonstrating how disney could generate revenue worldwide.

It was the forth highest grossing movie of 1967

It was rereleased in cinemas in the us in 1978, 1984, 1990 (unlike other film studios, disney refused to sell TV rights to their films, maintaining the 'classic' nature of their products)

Horizontal Integration

Horizontal is when a brand/company has a load of industries within a company which helps not having to share profits meaning the brand/company ends up being more successful.

Vertical Integration

Vertical Integration is when a brand or company have loads of industries which can be split down further meaning a company still no longer needs to cut down its profits giving others the money which they make. 

Economic context

Disney is an example of s company embracing technological change to exploit its product

It was released in 1991 as part of the walt disney classics collection 

A limited edition DVD was released in 1999 and then as a two disk DVD in 2007

in 2010 the film was released on Blu-ray/DVD/digital copy combo pack

It revives its assets, disney gains longevity of sales. Each time it translates a classic into the newest media format/technology. 

After that it was available to download on itunes and available to stream on Amazon and google. Then now its Disney +.

Ownership, distribution and control

The jugnle book is a good example of synergy and merchandising to a media conglomerate as it commodifies a successful media text. Film producers take a percentage of merchandising revenue through licensing deals. 

How has Disney become and stayed one of The Big Six for so long?

Disney has become and stayed one of The Big Six because of how many times certain films have been produced and then rereleased later on in time. Disney as a brand have diversified many times into many other companies expanding Disney's capabilities.  Disney is a good example of horizontal integration, as a brand Disney owns other industries such as theme parks, merchandise, TV,  music and games by Disney doing this it means that they don't have to split the money they make between merchandise companies, for example. By having there own companies within the brand means that they can keep all of the profits in which they make, making them seem very successful because of having the money not only coming in from the film but all of the other ways in which they can make money.  

Friday 24th September 2021

Video Notes

What were the differences between how disney operated as a film studio and how other studios operated?

Walt took a lot of the production of The Jungle Book upon himself. The whole production crew got on well and it was only a few people working on it. 

What was Walt Disney's own influence on the productions? 

He took control of the production crew. He looked at the ideas in which he liked. Walt didn't like how badly the sword in the stone went when it was released, because of this The Jungle Book was taken off of the production because he had more input and he didn't like how it was going as it was too dark for what he wanted. Walt had a say in the actors and people playing the characters.

Where did the animators get their inspiration from?

The animators made the characters look like people rather than making them look like animals, they based their appearances on people. 

How was The Jungle Book different in terms of production and technology at the Disney Studios? 

The Jungle Book was different in terms of production and technology at disney because unlike many other productions Walt Disney was there throughout most of the production stages and had a very large influence on why some of the choices were made and how that had an impact. The production crew for The Jungle Book was very small, Walt decided himself who he wanted to work on what. Walt most likely felt that he needed to take on a bigger role within the production of The Jungle Book because of the way that the previous release, sword in the stone, didn't get as many views and didn't provide as much income and popularity as what they would have liked, they felt it was necessary to try and make that money back with the release of The Jungle Book. The Jungle Book went through many different animators because the character wasn't as perfect as what they wanted. The Jungle Book in 1967 had wanted the characters to look like people, compared to more recent film productions. The production crew wanted them to look like animals probably because it would have made the characters more friendly which to begin with The Jungle Book was in the process of being very dark and less family like and enjoyable. Disney preferred to have films for the family, it allowed more people to enjoy what takes a long time to create but also a way to make more money. It would make more money as it would be for a family audience compared to just adults who may have families and most likely did after war because of people returning back from war, meaning a family film would be better for the time and would make back the money lost from The Sword in the Stone, but Disney did also value families and families happiness so he wouldn't have wanted it to be dark and not be suitable for the whole family. The Jungle Book also contained a lot of music which had to be changed from their original ideas because they wanted to originally base the music around what was going on at the time but then changed it as they wanted it to last longer and can then be rereleased.

Wednesday 29th September 2021

The Film Industry

L/O: To explain the process of making a film and changes within the film industry.

Film making process

What was the process of making films?

  • You'd have roles within the film industry and the director would take control of most of the things needed like lighting.
  • The film would have been made using film, meaning it would take a while to see how the scenes have come out to make sure it was in focus and the way that the director had wanted it to look.
  • Colour change would have taken place, making sure that a scene wasn't to much of a certain colour. It would make sure that a clip has the correct look as what the director and film crew wants. 

How has it changed in the past 20 years?

The industries started off using film making it harder to correct issues and harder to know if what's being filmed is the correct way that they want the film to look. When stuff became digital, due to the upgrade in technology, it became more immediate and allowed you to correct any mistakes while filming rather than after. Movements became a thing as filming was easier to do as it was more portable than the film. Computer generated imagery became available which it wasn't before meaning that there's been more possibilities than before. Colour is easier to change and is no longer effected as much by the way that its filmed. 

What impact has digitalisation had on the industry?

The impact of digitalisation has made film production easier, it has allowed more corrections like making the directors ideas come to life, it has made making sure things like lighting is how its needed for particular scenes, as well as speeding up the process of filming. Its made corrections easier due to not needing a day for the film to process. Digitalisation made it possible to be able to show the realities of what the world looked like it made clips look more realistic showing exactly what they wanted to show.

How has changing technology effected the industry?

The changing technology has allowed more movement within the film, digital cameras were more portable, than film cameras, allowing more movements and portability, also making different shots and angles available. The advances in technology also made things like correcting lighting and making the right effect you want easier. The advances in technology, like computers, has allowed editing process to become more available and making the films look better.Computer generated imagery has become available meaning things are starting to progress changing the process of film making. Colours could be changed however it used to be harder to see the changes but the change in technology allows the colour levels to be changed more easily and seen more visibly. Computer generated image isn't real or the reality and before they wanted reality but now all thats wanted is a different world and different universe. The change in technology made producing films and releasing them easier, you used to have to have many things delivered whereas later on they become a lot more digital allowing less effort and a lot less hauling around film to make the releases easier to show. 

Whats the future of filmmaking?

Making more cinemas digital showings rather than relying on film and the production company getting it to the cinemas. 

Friday 1st October 2021

Definitions

Convergence:

Standard Definition: Convergence of media occurs when multiple products come together to form one product with the advantage of all of them. E.g. iPhone.

Technical Definition: The growing interactive use of digital technology in the film industry and media which enables people to share, consume and produce media that was difficult or impossible just a few years earlier. E.g. Pirate downloads, digital projection.

Explain how the production & Distribution of major Hollywood films have changed since the 1960s. Refer to the two versions of The Jungle Book to support your answer.

In your answer, explain how historical and economic contexts influenced this.

Friday 1st October 2021

Jungle Book 2016

L/O: to explore the production & distribution of the jungle book 2016.

The jungle book 

Director:

Jon Favreau

Production company:

Fairview entertainment

Directors previous two big cgi based successes as a producer:

Iron man - iron man 2 

Production

Estimated production budget $175 million which includes:

  • Above the line costs - creative talent, actors, directors and producers.
  • Below the line costs - pure production costs - crew, technical equipment, sets, transport, special effects, accommodation.
  • Marketing budgets.  
Production (2)

Disney had already had 2 expensive blockbuster flops within a decade that it had made sense to remake a movie which has a good business track record and a secure audience. 

Disney gave Favreau room to experiment as they wanted to create a visual spectacle that could easily translate across global markets.

It can be described as a live action/cgi film as it combines the two on screen (MPC).

The animals were deliberately created to look realistic and not cute and cuddly cartoons like with the original jungle book.

The production process was highly dependent on other companies so was not fully made in-house.
Planned by Walt Disney Studios chairman, Alan Horn, as one of a series of remakes of their classic properties: 'Hollywood makes a lot of films for kids, but the disney reboots may be one of the few safe bets. They revive classic characters for a new generation of kids, and their already smitten parents may be especially willing to shell out for related merchandise'.

Production (3)

The proliferation of digital technology in film had been driving film production (photorealistic rendering, computer generated technology and motion capture), providing the most fantastical features. 

What genre does this tend to help with the most?
sci-fi, action, fantasy
Can you find some examples of films from 2010-2015 that show this?

Production (4)

Disney created an 'immersive experience' demonstrating disney's willingness to be a creative market leader with its use of digital technologies across all levels. Disney is a business which its business model sees the potential for media synergy and cross media products. 

This is one way a studio reduces risks and offers the potential to maximise profits through the creation of additional non-film revenue streams.

By working alongside other media companies, the synergistic benefits of cross-promotion are effectively doubled. Disney is able to strike deals to make film and tv spin offs, from which it gains a substantial share of its profits. 

Disney chose to use one of its subsidiaries to distribute the film - meaning no costs. they granted licences to other companies to produce related merchandise. 

Distribution
Was distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It handled the theatrical release, marketing and promotion of films produced globally.

Was released from April to July 2016 in 70 countries, opening at different times depending on competition and targeted school holidays. 

The jungle book was produced in 3D as well as 2D and was one of the first films to be released in Dolby Vision 3D (but not all cinemas were equipped to show it).

The jungle book cost $175m to produce but opened with $103.6 million in North America, making it one of the biggest April debuts ever at box office. It grossed over $966 million, making it the fifth highest grossing film of 2016 and the 35th highest grossing film of all time.

In 2016, Disney productions earned more at the box office than any of the other six majors.

It has subsequently been released on DVD and Blu Ray and the jungle book has also been released by disney as digital downloads via iTunes, Disney Life, Amazon Video, Google play etc. and is now on Disney Plus.

Distribution (2)
The current trend for making theatrical release window shorter between different countries is fuelled by the growing importance of non-theatrical revenue sources. 

two to three years ago, DVD sales account for almost twice the profit earned by theatrical exhibition. 

Exam Practise
Bullet Point Answer:

Explain how the production & Distribution of major Hollywood films have changed since the 1960s. Refer to the two versions of The Jungle Book to support your answer.

In your answer, explain how historical and economic contexts influenced this.

production:

  • 2016 - economic - estimated budget of the jungle book was around $175 million.
  • 2016 - disney had already had 2 failed films before which cost a lot to make.
  • 1967 - The disney corporation was already diversifying into theme parks, television series and merchandising deals through its distribution arm, Buena Vista.
  • 1967 - Walt took the production upon himself
  • 1967 - characters were made to look like people
  • 1967 - small production crew
The production and distribution of major Hollywood films have changed since the 1960s in so many different ways. An example where this is visible is when looking at the production and distribution of the jungle book 1967 to the jungle book 2016. 

The production of the jungle book 1967 was very different to the jungle book 2016. The jungle book 1967 was only produced by a small number of people. Walt Disney also took the production upon himself to help create. A lot of ideas went into the jungle book, one of them being making it very dark, Walt however shut that down straight away as thats  


Restarted version
Production and distribution for major Hollywood films have changed massively since the 1960s. The two jungle book films are a good example to use as a comparison. 

The production of major hollywood films has changed a lot since the 1960s. The jungle book 1967 is a good example as to how production has changed as we can compare the production of the jungle book 2016. The jungle book 1967 was produced and animated by a small number of people compared to the 2016 jungle book which was produced by a large number of people. The jungle book 1967 had help from walt disney himself due to the previous releases failing. The release of the jungle book 2016 was similar in the idea behind the release because it had 2 failed expensive to make films which failed. Disneys target audience in the 1960s was a lot different to what it is now. The characters in the jungle book 1967 were made to look like people and friendly compared to the 2016 jungle book where they wanted their characters to look more real and realistic like animals which would have been down to the change in target audience. 

The distribution of major hollywood films in the 1960s to now has changed a lot. In the 1960s the films would have been released in the cinemas, Disney for the jungle book 1967 refused to sell tv rights to their film so they would re-release it. The jungle book 1967was released in 1967 and was then rereleased in 1978, 1984 and 1990. This would have been effective then however it would not be quite as effective now. The distribution of films now has changed massively. The jungle book for example was released between April 2016 and July 2016 and was released in 70 different countries during those months. Rather than having re-releases we now have streaming services like disney+ as well as it now being normal to have a tv in your house which it wasn't back in the 60s.

Overall the way films have been produced and distributed has happened and changed due to technological changes and advances in technology and the types of software and services that is now available to us. 

Friday 8th October 2021
Disney in 2016
L/O: to explore the marketing techniques used in 2016.

What did disney do to promote and advertise the release of the jungle book 2016?
They used traditional marketing techniques such as trailers and posters but also side that Disney had an interactive movie poster on snapchat and users could apply a framed jungle book lens which turned their faces into the snake, Kaa. This would have helped by providing an idea of who the target audience is based on the way that it was used as a snapchat filter which is typically used by teenagers and older.  
There was also a touring virtual reality experience and a 360 degree Facebook video.
Social media - was key to help release The Jungle Book, making it possible to have more likes, shares and people connecting with The Jungle Book even before being able to see it. 

There was an extended 3D trailer of The Jungle Book which was shown during the showings of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the audience watching it at the time would have typically been males, as the target audience for star wars was mostly male. Disney also rolled out an action packed trailer during the Super Bowl game. They used tumblr which was typically used by females.

Explain how the marketing of major Hollywood films has changed since the 1960s. Refer to the two versions of the jungle book to support your answer.

The jungle book in 1960s would have been limited to how they could promote films compared to now. In the 1960s there was televisions however not everyone would have had one meaning that not everyone would have been able to have seen the trailers/adverts based around the films if they were only released on televisions. The films wouldn't have had a chance to reach the maximum amount of views because of the fact that not everyone had a television. However there were alternative ways of promoting a film which are still used today.

Back in the 1960s, posters and trailers at the cinemas would had been used. You'd have the posters advertising a film thats soon to be/or is already released. Now, you still have and see poster advertising films that are currently able to be watched or soon to be released. In the 1960s, another way that may be used to promote a film is through print media, you still have print media like magazines and newspapers today and many of the times they end up featuring a film poster or an article about the release of a film similar to what they would have had back then.

However many things have changed since the 1960s, now you see films being advertised all over social media. Social media has helped the idea of word of mouth, its allowed people to share the trailers they've seen making it more accessible to their friends and family. In terms of the jungle book using social media it has helped allow people to see the target audience for the jungle book based on the way it was posted all over social media. One thing that would have helped them is the fact that there was a snapchat filter which allowed anyone using snapchat the chance to hear about it and connect with the film before seeing it. 

Wednesday 13th October 2021
Analysis DIRT
L/O: To refine and improve analysis.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the example:
Example 1 -
  • Strengths
    • A lot of detail. 
    • Provides reasons why something wouldn't work as well as it used to - changes in technology.
  • Weaknesses
Example 2 -
  • Strengths 
    • A few decent points.
    • Easy to read structure.
  • Weaknesses
    • Lack of saying how a society has changed and made it sound as though people in the 60s would have had the same ideas as people nowadays, also inaccurate target audience.
Example 3 -
  • Strengths
    • Good key points.
    • Shown examples where technology has changed.
  • Weaknesses
    • Basic - isn't expanded on some of the points and why they chose to do what they did.
    • Harder to understand - wasn't much of a structure.
Explain how the marketing of major Hollywood films has changed since the 1960s. Refer to the two versions of the jungle book to support your answer.

The marketing of major Hollywood films has changed since the 1960s. An example of this would be the differences in how The Jungle Book 1967 was marketed and advertised to how The Jungle Book 2016 was marketed and advertised. The jungle book in 1960s would have been limited to how they could promote films compared to now. In the 1960s there was televisions however not everyone would have had one meaning that not everyone would have been able to have seen the trailers/adverts based around the films if they were only released on televisions. The films wouldn't have had a chance to reach the maximum amount of views because of the fact that not everyone had a television. However there were alternative ways of promoting a film which are still used today.

Back in the 1960s, posters, word of mouth and trailers at the cinemas would had been used. You'd have the posters advertising a film that's soon to be/or is already released. Now, you still have and see poster advertising films that are currently able to be watched or soon to be released. The 1960s films would have relied on word of mouth, this would allow more people to hear about it due to people talking about it, you still have this way of hearing about films now however social media contributes a large amount to this. In the 1960s, another way that may be used to promote a film is through print media, you still have print media like magazines and newspapers today and many of the times they end up featuring a film poster or an article about the release of a film similar to what they would have had back then. Another thing that Disney did was re-release the film in the cinema, this may have worked back then when technology wasn't as advanced as it is now, however, now that wouldn't be the case due to advances in technology and the power of dvd's and streaming services. 

However many things have changed from the 1960s, the idea of word of mouth has changed due to technological advancements leading to social media, the internet and websites and so much more. Overtime Disney has grown, since the 1960s they've produced many more films, Disney wouldn't not have been well known at the time the original Jungle Book was released, however it would have become more well known in 2016. The Jungle Book 2016 was obviously a remake of the 1967 Jungle Book so its more than likely guaranteed to produce sales. The Jungle Book 2016 didn't only have the guarantee that it would produce sales but the developments of stuff like social media would have helped with the advertising of the film. The Jungle Book 2016 had help from the power of social media and the development of technology compared to The Jungle Book 1967. The Jungle Book 2016 used forms of social media like Snapchat creating a filter based on the character Kaa, which a lot of their early advertisements were based on, this would have made the film knowledgeable to the teenage target audience by using Snapchat as a form of social media. Disney also released the trailer to target the male target audience which they wanted by showing a 3D extended trailer during showings of Star Wars: The Force Awakens as well as during half time of the super bowl showing an action packed trailer of The Jungle Book 2016. Disney would have recognised that these may not have targeted their female audiences so they used Tumblr which was believed to be used more by females than males. Another thing that helped with advertising The Jungle Book 2016 was a touring virtual reality experience and a 360 degree facebook video, these would have allowed people to get a feel for the worlds used and a way to connect with the film, connecting to the film is important and helps people have a more enjoyable experience. Facebook also allowed other the chance to share trailers and talk about films with friends. Online techniques within the film industry for marketing and advertising films has become more and more used. The technique would be used more because more and more people use stuff online, nowadays its normal to have a mobile phone (or another technological portable device) and if old enough normal to have social media this means that it allows films to be spoken about, the chance to get others to go and see a film based on a trailer you've watched and shared or a film you've seen and shared your opinion on. Social media and the online world would help sometimes to show how films can appeal to certain target audience e.g. based on things you've looked at and comes up as advertisements or just things which are made to appeal to a certain target audience. 

Overall their are many ways that major Hollywood films have changed since the 1960s, many if not all are all based around the idea of the technological changes which are now available since the 1960s, which have been used to advertise The Jungle Book 2016. 

(ORIGINAL - GOING TO REWRITE THE WHOLE THING) However many things have changed since the 1960s, now you see films being advertised all over social media. Social media has helped the idea of word of mouth, its allowed people to share the trailers they've seen making it more accessible to their friends and family. In terms of the jungle book using social media it has helped allow people to see the target audience for the jungle book based on the way it was posted all over social media. One thing that would have helped them is the fact that there was a snapchat filter which allowed anyone using snapchat the chance to hear about it and connect with the film before seeing it. 

Analysis Structure
L/O: to refine and analysis and exam technique.

Structure
Introduction - answer the general question briefly.
P1 - point 1 explained and supported by detailed reference to both set texts and context. 
P2 - point 2 explained and supported by detailed reference to both set texts and context.
P3 - point 3 explained and supported by detailed reference to both set texts and context.
Conclusion - brief summary.

Friday 15th October 2021
Disney audience
L/O: To analyse the target audience for disney.
1960s Target Market 
  • Primary target market of 4-12 year old girls and boys which had been unchanging for decades.
  • It is widely diverse as it includes both young children and nearly teens.
  • The two segments are considered primary because they have the greatest influence over their parents' decision making and are the most excited about the brand. 
  • They also have heavy users of the brand in terms of merchandise and as a source of entertainment.
  • The secondary target market is therefore parents (35-55) as they are the money makers and make the disney experience available to their children. Mush of the appeal to them is based on nostalgia. 
How can we see that the 1967 film was aimed primarily at a family audience?
The characters
The songs
Some of the references - the lead elephant

  • Both the primary and secondary target markets are very trusting of the disney brand due to it's longevity and the association with customer service and quality.
  • In 1967, the brand offered a wide array of products (TV shows, movies, theme parks, toys etc) that satisfied both segments needs and desires.
  • Children felt a strong association with the many characters; parents were confident in the wholesome values of the brand in shifting society context.  
Target Audience
Primary target audience 4-12 (boys and girls)
Secondary target audience 35-55 (parents)

2016 Target Market

  • The 2016 film succeeded in attracting a wide range of age groups - not just under 12s or traditional family audience - to see the film. 
  • The success is largely due to the brands ability to market and distribute the product and to value its audience.
  • The 2016 film reinterpreted the characters and narrative for a more modern age and the new technology appealed to technophiles everywhere.
  • The more adult themes, the darker atmospheres, the action credentials of the studio and director and the other action conventions followed appealed far more to a predominantly male audience.
  • The subtle hints to the original maintained the sense of nostalgia and humour for older generations.

2016 success

  • Disney adapted to the online age with the use of social networking to promote the film triggering even more audience engagement and interaction with its marketing strategies. Reflects the modern age of film making which is dominated by CGIO and visual effects technology.
  • This effective utilisation of the company's massive resources and power created an immersive viral campaign that was consumable by all age ranges when allied with traditional marketing strategies. 
  • The Jungle Book 2016 made over $966 million globally; it won the academy award for best visual effects. It enjoyed unrivalled success globally. Disney successfully created a fan culture for a movie, for a whole new audience all over again. 

Social context 2014 - 2016
Trump -
Trump won the US presidential election.
Brexit -
Voting took place in 2016 where most people voted to leave the EU, however it had been spoken about long before 2016 but took years till the voting took place. 
Syrian Boat Refugees -
Refugees from Syria had fled from the War which was happening over in Syria. The Syrian Civil War had started in 2011 and by 2016 more than 5 million people had crossed to other countries seeking asylum or placed in Syrian Refugee camps worldwide.
Oscars so white Campaign -
On the 15th of January 2015 the academy awarded all 20 acting nominations to white actors for the first of the two consecutive years. the hashtag was used to call out the lack of diversity - especially for people of colour but also for women and LGBTQ rights. 
The Ferguson riots of 2014
On the 9th of August 2014, Michael Brown Jr an 18 year old black man was fatally shot by a 28 year old white ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the city of Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb in St Louis, this then involved protests and riots.

How do the two Jungle Book movies show a shift in Disney's traditional target market?
The two Jungle Books show a shift in Disney's traditional target market because of how both of the films present the world and the character and how society has changed and what people now would want to see to what people back then would have wanted to see. The original Jungle books primary target audience was 4-12 year olds both boys and girls and 35-55 year old parents who were taking their children to see the film. The original Jungle Book is a lot more light hearted compared to The Jungle Book 2016. At the time when the original Jungle Book was released Disney's main focus was providing entertainment for children and family's this meant that the characters were more friendly and less threatening compared to the 2016s Jungle Book which was aimed at a more older target audience. The target audience for the 2016 Jungle Book was different to the original. By 2016 Disney as a brand had grown even larger introducing different films which wouldn't be aimed quite so much at little kids. The Jungle Book 2016 would have been aimed more at older children and teenagers and adults because it has darker themes involved and has more action than the original. 

Explain how the context of the times are reflected in the two Jungle Book films?
The context of the times are reflected within the two Jungle Book films. In the original Jungle Book we see racial stereotypes and gender inequality being reinforced, this would suggest Walt Disney's personal values which he would have incorporated this into his brand also as most people still would have believed in them values no matter the change people tried to have on the society's norms and values. The 2016 Jungle Book however did not enforce these values and ideologies because of the way that society has changed and moved on. However in the 2016 Jungle Book we can see ideas of society being accepting and allowing people who aren't from the same social group as them in anyway. We see the wolves allowing the boy into their pack and accepting him for who he is which in 2016 we were still trying to allow. this especially links to the Oscars so white campaign because of the way they were looking for equality and trying to get people of colour, women and people of the LGBTQ community the chance to fit in. The Jungle Book 2016 makes it clear that no matter where you come from and who you identify as doesn't matter and it allows you the choice to be who you want to be and be yourself in a group of people who may be different to you.

Wednesday 20th October 2021

Explain how producers target, reach and engage audiences for films through content and marketing. Refer to both Jungle Book films to support your answer.

Producers target, reach and engage audiences for films through their content and marketing. The Jungle Book films are good examples to show this. 

Producers target, reach and engage audiences through their content and marketing by making it aware what kinds of people they want their films to reach. The Jungle Book 1967, as an example, kept to working around Disney's primary target audience of 4-12 year olds. We can see that 4-12 year olds are their primary target audience based on the way that the characters, that are animals, look like people rather than an animal. The animals usually have roles in The Jungle Book in which they stuck to. Bagheera, for example, took on a protective role compared to Baloo who was all peace and calm and took things as they come. Baloo was also quite a light hearted character who seemed to enjoy singing and dancing. This would particularly appeal to children because of it being something unusual and what children may think was funny. The Jungle Book 1967 also had a secondary target audience of the parents between the ages of 35-55, these would be those who chose to take their children to see the films as they would be the money makers of the family. Certain things may appeal to them just like having some of the characters reflecting some events which had happened in the past which they would remember. The group of elephants for example were being led by a leader who seems to have very typical and classic views for the time suggesting social ignorance when it comes to helping others until they find a scenario which they can link to their life which changes their motives. A parent at the time may also like the way that issues have been displayed and some being left out or forgotten. Around the time when The Jungle Book was released their were many riots and marches which made people aware of people in society wanting more freedom. The Jungle Book 1967 enforces racial stereotypes and gender inequality which a lot of this was being fought against, however has been enforced based on the ideas that the company thought were right at the time. There's not much to say about marketing as  marketing was limited. Word of mouth may have been the most influential at the time because you'd have people who trust Disney as a brand who would go and see the film and then would pass on their opinions. A film poster may also attract a persons eye, especially a child's if the animal looks 'cute and friendly'.

Overtime technological changes have allowed more and more people the chance to see and experience a film before they see it or before its released this allows producers more of a chance to target, reach and engage audiences for future films being released. The Jungle Book 2016 is a good example as to how producers can now target, reach and engage audiences for films. The Jungle Book 2016 would have been a lot more marketed and gave more of an insight as to what The Jungle Book 1967 was able to do. The content of The Jungle Book 2016 suggests that Disney as a brand has a much larger and broader target audience than what Disney did back when The Jungle Book 1967 was released. The Jungle Book 2016 has a lot darker themes than the original Jungle Book and is a lot more action packed than the original, from this it suggests that the target audience for the film is more aimed to an older target audience such as teenagers and adults than young children. The characters are a lot more animal like and real looking than in the original. In the Original Jungle Book we hear about Shere Khan before we see him, we hardly have any idea what he could look like before he is seen toward the middle and end of the original. In the Jungle Book 2016 we see Shere Khan towards the start of the film and throughout the film making it more action packed and breath taking. The Jungle Book 2016 was also able to use a more of a darker and scarier atmosphere compared to the original because of the advances it technology it makes the atmosphere and environment seem more realistic if you were to be in a similar area to where its set. Mowgli in The Jungle Book 1967 is less responsible and more immature than in The Jungle Book 2016 which suggests an older target audience based on the actions of a character within the film. 

The way a film is marketed can help producers target, reach and engage an audience. The jungle Book 1967 was very limited to what they could do and what was available to them whereas The Jungle Book 2016 had a lot more accessible to them. The Jungle Book 2016 was able to use social media, things like the release of Star Wars and the super bowl game to try and engage with the male area of the target audience that they were aiming for as well as virtual tours and 360 degree facebook video of the atmosphere and environment of the film. The Jungle Book 2016 had a snapchat filter based on the snake Kaa who was used frequently through their earlier releases of certain things. The snapchat filter would help to attract and appeal to the teenage area of the target audience, which is where social media helps to appeal to the teenagers as they typically are the ones who use snapchat and other forms of social media to the parents. For a female target audience Tumblr was used because Tumblr was something which many more females used to males. the Jungle Book 2016 used many different ways of how to attract a certain part of the target audiences which they were aiming to attract. 

Overall, producers have managed to use many different techniques to help appeal to a certain target audience, the jungle book is an example of this.

Wednesday 3rd November 2021
Minecraft (2011)
L/O: To explore Minecraft and the history of gaming.

Terminology:
Sandbox game 
A video game with a gameplay element that gives the player a great degree of creativity to complete tasks towards a goal within the game, if a goal exists. 
Open-source software
A computer software that is released under a license in which the copyright holder grants users the rights to use, study, change, and distribute the software and its source code to anyone for any purpose. 
Beta version 
A version of a piece of software that is made available for testing, typically by a limited number of users outside the company that is developing it, before its general release.
Franchise
An authorisation granted by a government or company to an individual or group enabling them to carry out specified commercial activities,
intellectual property rights 
Rights granted to creators and owners of work that are the result of human intellectual creativity. 

Video Games Timeline










Summary
Technology has changed and evolved over time. Peoples knowledge of technology has widened allowing many different way to play video games. It would have been limited at the start at how many different ways there were to play video games. Now we have computers, laptops, consoles, phones and many other ways. The change in technology has allowed for better graphics within games and games to be surrounding around different topics. Most video games previous to now would have involved pixel characters. Video game characters now would look similar to people. The changes within society would also suggest that the games which were popular then wouldn't be now due to their looks and appeals which wouldn't match what people want now. Many people playing video games now would expect characters looking like people and not pixels and likely games which would involve violence depending what type of games their playing. Gaming in the 1970s wouldn't have been portable or available anytime you want it. It would be harder to play the games as they wouldn't be available to play at home. As time went on games were able to be played at home and as time progressed anywhere, you don't need large consoles connected to tv's or other games. Consoles like that are still used and popular now but the use of phones and softwares developing many games that could previously only be used on consoles are now available as apps on phones. Gaming products were more accessible as time went on which allowed for more and more people to play the games. Society as a whole has helped with the progression of video games, the ideas of video games have changed and the demand for certain things within video games has changed, more people are not effected by blood and gore which is what many video games feature now. 

What are the different types of games you can get and how do they differ?
There are many different types of games available now. You can still get things similar to arcade games however many of them are like action and adventure games. Many of these games have characters which you select to play as. You also have games based around many peoples interests, like car games. Games can also just be used as entertainment or as a distraction from the real world, violence - not similar to many real life situations. You also have role-playing games, sports, multiplayer games, simulation games. There are also educational games as well as puzzles, strategy games, fighting games and racing games. some games may be from first person point of view or just games.

Which are the main game companies? 
Tancent, sony interactive entertainment, xbox game studios, nintendo, ubisoft.

Recent statistics about audience game demographics
20% of under 18s in the US play videos games whereas 38% of 18-34 year olds play video games in the US. 
41% of US gamers are women
The majority of parents, 70%, say games have a positive influence on their child's life. 
67% of parents play video games with their children at least once a week. 
56% of most frequent gamers play multiplayer games. 

Write a summary covering the following points: 
  • When was it released, who designed it and which company produced it?
    • initial release date - 18th November 2011
    • who designed it - Markus Persson "Notch"
    • Produced it - Mojang Studios
  • What is the idea of the game?
    • Minecraft is a video game in which players create and break apart various kinds of blocks in three-dimensional worlds. The game's two main modes are Survival and Creative. In Survival, players must find their own building supplies and food. They also interact with blocklike mobs, or moving creatures.
  • Who was the target audience?

  • How has it developed?
  • Who owns it now?
Summary:

Wednesday 10th November 2021
Minecraft (2011)
L/O: to explore the game features and initial development.

Minecraft is a form of artistic expression. 

Minecraft can be seen as a game but can also be used creatively. It allows people who may be artistic the chance to make things which they want to see. Like towns and places designed the way they want them. Places based on historical events, the past and films and tv series are able to be made. It has creative modes as well as the game mode, which allows people to make their own worlds making it more appealing to a larger target audience. It gives a wide range of things for people to do, especially if their are people who are more creative. To build in Minecraft is similar to lego but virtually.

Initial development
Made independently, developed in 2009. He was inspired by similar games, like Dwarf fortress, a single player construction and management game. He was also inspired by Infiniminer, open-source software and multiplayer block based sandbox building and digging game. Usually games are made by teams of developers but was made by just him.
Idea sprang from a fantasy role playing games a market that was already established.
Wanted to keep the game for Gamers as he developed the concept he tried to resist the temptation of large multinational companies. Unusual as it is typical for products to be highly collaborative with many programmers working on a single product.
Minecrafts initial reception wasnt commercially viable, it was seen as a niche product for players with expert knowledge of computers and programming. It developed among the gaming community, by 2011, had a game concept with exponential global growth but without commercial backing. 
No money was spent on advertising revenue, the game relied on word of mouth between gamers and featured on sites such as the penny arcade web comic to generate interest among gamers. In many media companies this wouldnt have enabled growth or development of the concept. But in the online age, persson had the vision to circulate and generate the game on the internet. By January 2011, the beta version of the game had passed over one million purchases in just over a month and by April 2011 persson estimated that $33 million of revenue had been made.
November 2011, prior to the games release minecraft had over 16 million registered users and 4 million purchases. Minecraft was released across multiple platforms becoming a commercially viable franchise with increased interactivity. 
The beta version made so much from the beta version which allowed minecraft to strick a franchise deal with existing technology company, sony, to distribute the game that was a key feature of its success. The commercial deal helped secure minecrafts place in the video game market. 

Which developments in gaming do you think have transformed gaming technology and influenced the development of Minecraft?
The changes have made gaming larger. You have many more people who now game due to the way that games are now available on more platforms. The way there is now more platforms for gaming makes it more accessible to many people. Many games are now available on mobile which used to only be available on consoles and laptops. This means the game now has access to reach the people who may not be able to afford the consoles or other technology which goes along with that. 

Explain how the production and initial development of minecraft is an example of a concept developed among a game community independent of the video game industry?
The initial design of minecraft was influenced by a single persons ideas, the game was first developed in 2009, where he was persson was inspired by games similar like Dwarf Fortress and Infiniminer, both of which were building and construction games. The idea was also sprung from a fantasy roleplaying game, which already has an established market. Minecraft was developed by a single person, which is very unusual, usually games are made by a group of people so with it being developed by a single person makes it very different to usual. Persson wanted to keep the game aimed towards gamers and tried to keep the temptation of going to large multinational companies. 

Wednesday 17th November 2021
L/O: to explore the distribution and takeover of Minecraft.

What are the advantages of distributing cross media content?
It allows more people to be able to access the game, making it available to many people making more money. 

A timeline of the progress of Minecraft's global success from 2011 - now
  • availability on different consoles
  • copies sold
  • takeover
  • popularity
2011- 
Minecraft was released in November 2011 after the initial version of the game in May 2009. 
4 million sales of Minecraft.
2012 -
The first console to receive Minecraft was the Xbox 360 which was released in May. 
9 million sales of Minecraft.
2013 -
Minecraft became available on PlayStation 3 in the middle of December. 
33 million sales of Minecraft.
2014 -
Xbox One - digital market place released Minecraft in September whereas the disc was released in November. 
Playstation 4 - game was released in september for Playstation 4.
54 million sales of Minecraft.

2015 - 

72 million sales of Minecraft.
2016 - 
100 million sales of Minecraft.
2017 - 
122 million sales of Minecraft.
2018 -
154 million sales of Minecraft. 
2019 -
176 million sales of Minecraft.
2020 - 
200 million sales of Minecraft

Merchandise and minecraft products microsoft created
  • Minecraft skins, textures
  • New versions of the games - storymode, dungeons
  • Microsoft had changed how mods and extensions didn't use to need to pay for them but now do.
  • Minecraft Market place for buying extensions. 
What microsoft are doing to build the brand and business?
They are able to learn some of the things which have happened with other games putting them in a fortunate position.

Wednesday 24th November 2021
Minecraft (2011)
L/O: To consolidate the takeover and its implications.

Why is community so important to Minecraft?
Community is so important to Minecraft due to the way it was produced and where the criticisms came from. Minecraft was initially made for the gammers and those who liked to play games but from that it had reached more audiences who were not initially gamers. Microsoft needed to keep the game to have a community because it may no longer attract as many people as it did.

Research and explain various reactions to Microsofts takeover from the gaming community in 2014
Mixed reactions - some upset, some confused. Everyone was wondering what the takeover would mean for Minecraft. Some assumed Microsoft would ruin Minecraft, many see the move in a positive light. They thought that Notch wouldn't be able to do his own thing without as much pressure. Worried that everything would be monetised rather than being free. People thought it would be good as they didn't think Mojang had the resources to improve the game.

How did Microsoft inject minecraft into two additional industries: education and VR?
Education - 
Microsoft managed to incorporate education into the game using the creative modes, the creative modes allow people to be creative and use their imagination to create something, it can improve team work when working in a group and problem solving as something is bound to no go the way they intended it to, this will help them take control of how they work in difficult situations and how to improve them as well as working out how to react when things don't go the way they want them to. 
VR -  
Players can play the game entirely in VR mode with access to all features and can toggle the immersive mode by pressing buttons to change the view. It can pull the player into the virtual screen as the world envelops them in a completely 360 degree, rendered point of view. 
What was the impact?
This had impacted the way which the game can be used allowing the game to reach more people and gives them an opportunity to gain more money. Selling headsets produced by the company who made the game makes the company gain more money and sell more products making their company better known or more supported. 

What impact did the acquisition of Mojang by Microsoft might have one Minecraft?
The acquisition of Mojang by Microsoft had many impacts of Minecraft. The takeover had many people upset, worried and confused with what would happen with Minecraft and what would become of it.

Many people were worried about what would become of Minecraft because of Microsoft taking it over from Mojang. Many people were worried and upset about what the outcome would be, they were not sure how the game will change and whether it was going to contribute to the capitalist society by making money from things which were previously free. There were, however, many people who were excited about the takeover, they believed that Mojang didn't have the capabilities to upgrade and develop the game further than what it was. Since Mojang was an independent company many people didn't like the idea that it was being taken over by a larger company as it is likely to contribute more to a capitalist society making the rich richer, making the products less accessible to everyone. This was also one of the reasons why people didn't think Mojang had the capacity to continue on updating and improving the game, since they had come from having no funds. 

Another way that the takeover impacted the game was the market place, the market place was Microsofts way of making more money quickly. The market place was used for buying extensions for the game. This allowed people to add to their game and contribute to the companies funds, and was optional, you didn't have to buy these extensions for the game if you don't want them. Microsoft couldn't have monetised the updates because of the way they were free and if they stopped becoming free less people would play the game, making talk of the game decrease and lose more and more players. 

By Microsoft taking over the game, it made the game seem more educational and allow use with VR specialist equipment. Many teachers and parents trusted Minecraft as a game to help with educational achievement, if teachers trust the game it would give parents a bit of reassurance that the game is ok and safe and that in the long run it will help their children succeed. The game allowed children to develop their skills in problem solving and developed their creative skills allowing them to be imaginative and to express their imaginations without limiting their idea. Allowing children to develop these skills would lead to better success within a child's education in all subjects based on them learning to express themselves and their ideas. Because of Minecraft being seen as educational it led to a proliferation of sales due to parents buying it because of the children talking about it. Microsoft making Minecraft available with virtual reality would bring in more money to the company with people buying more virtual reality headsets. It has also allowed players to see the world in a rendered point of view immersing them into the world of Minecraft, giving people a feeling of community and allowing them to connect within the game. 

By Microsoft taking over Minecraft from Mojang it has allowed many changes within the game, making it appeal more to younger audiences and getting parents to spend their money on the game. The takeover of the game has allowed the people playing the games to be creative and connect with people. The games initial design process suggested that community was everything because of the way that the gamers contributed their thoughts and ideas towards the game, kind of like a community of people developing the game but it was only designed by an individual. Microsoft may have monetised the game further if Minecraft wasn't already popular with free updates suggesting Microsofts capitalist values. 

Wednesday 1st December 2021
Minecraft 2011
L/O: to explore the marketing of Minecraft. 

Explain how Mojang originally, with no marketing budget, only 5 worlds and as a single player game effectively market the game
Mojang originally with no budget for marketing was able to effectively market the game using free marketing, they used anything that was free and accessible to them. Doing this meant that they would have made sure the audience which they were trying to target was being reached and making sure that it doesn't cost money that they didn't have. This effectively made sure that Mojang didn't lose money for a game which could have failed and as they didn't have the marketing budget meant that it was able to not lose anything. This also would have enabled word of mouth because people were telling others, due to it being unique. The gamers input helped to share the ideas of the game and allowed the game to develop to a game people would want. 

Website
try for free/buy it
see examples of worlds
check updates 
Ways to play
How it works/ information
Option to buy game pass
Merchandise - advertising/selling/ link to marketplace
join the community
Ways to play - devices 
Social media links 
Game options
community
merch 
support

Research and explain what realms is and does and why it is an important features
Realms are personal multiplayer servers run by minecraft just for someone and their friends. The minecraft world is online and always accessible even when you log off. You can only invite people to join your world and what you do there is up to you, create, survive or complete. This would give groups of people and friends connectivity within the game and help connect friend with each other and restricts who can access the worlds. Realms cost $7.99 a month and can host up to 11 players, more people can join the servers but only 11 players can be online at once. 

Social Media: Twitter
Visit the Minecraft twitter feed. Explain how it is effectively a marketing platform for Mojang
Minecraft's twitter account is effectively a marketing platform for Mojang as it shows all of products which are new and will be produced which people can buy and download, it shows everything that you can do with the newer updates. 

Wednesday 8th December 2021
Minecraft 2011
L/O: to explore audience appeal and demographic.

Minecraft Demographics
20% under 15
44% 15-21
22% 22-30 
14% are 30+

How can you see this demographic reflected in the game design and ethos?
The games motive suggests this demographic due to its design and ethos. We see the game appealing more to males than females due to the colours and the idea of the game. The game has creative elements as well as survival elements. You can design and build things as well as playing in a game mode made for survival. The colours and elements of the game are very dark and earth like, they seem like they'd appeal more to the types of people who like to build or maybe want to work within the constructive and creative industry. The demographic for the ages of people playing Minecraft are a lot older than what i would have expected, the games seems to appeal more to people between the ages of 15-30. This could be used as a way for a person to express themselves and their ideas but people between them ages are more likely to be able to afford things for themselves allowing to purchase things within the game. The games was also traditionally shared and advertised using social media sites which would be more accessible to people between the ages of 15-30 as they are likely to be the ones using social media. As well as them likely being the ones who would have been gamers previously and Minecraft was originally designed to be for previous gamers, and adapted the game to many gamers views. 

















What is the universal appeal of Minecraft?
  • Way the game was produced and adapted - produced by a single person and was adapted by the gaming community. It was made using gamers ideas and opinions on how they wanted the game and what they wanted from the game - makes it what gamers want, appealing to gamers and would be respected because of the way that the game had been produced. 
  • Many different ways you can play the game, over many platforms e.g. sony deal, playstation, xbox, consoles being able to run the game, not just limited to a single playable format.
  • The variety of different modes/textures/maps - unlimited creativity, not limited to a single kind of material, many different options allowing for maximum creativity. 
  • Developments within the game - not needing to play on the same console to play against each other. 
  • Listening to audience ideas and opinions - like adding marketplace.
  • Allowing the audience to do and build what they want - gives them their own independence and allows people the chance to do what they want to do and get what they want to get out of the game, their not limited to just playing survival mode or just being creative of the creativity modes. 
  • Fans interacting with the content - fans are able to interact with the content because of the game being fully interactive as well as being able to create forums, fan sites, social media pages and youtube channels which can show how they make the most out of the game, allows them to connect with other people who play the game forming the community knowing theirs others out their who like the game and play the game as well as them. This also helps to suggest changes and things which they would like to see as the game develops. 
  • The game being a global and commercial success - leading to conventions and other ways where this leads to people becoming a community and communicating with others. 
  • Overall - the developers listening to the people playing the game and developing the game from their ideas helps grow Minecraft and makes them seem like a good game to support due to this. 
Wednesday 15th December 2021
Minecraft (2011)
L/O: to review key areas and exam style questions.

Bullet point plan an answer:
Evaluate how ongoing audience interaction influences the production of video games. Refer specifically to Minecraft in your answer. (15 marks)
  • Video games are usually produced by a team of people, rather than a single individual. Minecraft was produced and developed by a single individual who resisted takeovers until the Microsoft takeover. The person developing the game had an interest in games similar leading to the development of the game - this meant that Minecraft had to rely heavily on the audiences ideas since it was only produced by a single person. 
  • The audience was heavily involved within the development and production of Minecraft, those playing the game were able to share their ideas on the game and the game was later adapted with the gamers ideas - This would suggest that audiences interactions are important when it comes to the development of games.
  • The game was initially designed for gamers however as the game grew it became obvious the game was no longer just for gamers, and the game became known as educational. Children would have faced challenges when being creative, allowing them to take control of their anger as well as learning new skills - 
  • Fan sites and forums made it easy for people playing the game to communicate their ideas and opinions on the game - audience sharing their opinions, helps when developing and improving a game.
  • Online advertising meant there was no need to pay for advertising, especially as the game didn't have any production costs to advertise the game. 
  • Judgement: To a certain extent the ongoing audience interaction has helped influence the production of video games due to online media sites. Linking to Minecraft, it has enabled minecraft to expand there original target audience of just gamers. 
  • The way that minecraft was produced was very different to how video games are typically produced. 

Wednesday 12th January 2022
Radio 1 Breakfast Show
L/O: To research the background and industry behind the BBC Radio 1 show.

Significance:
  • The show celebrated its 50th anniversary on 30th September 2017. The show when it was first launched in 1967 offered a diet of pop music and was described by The Radio Times as 'the swinging new radio service'.
  • Set up as an alternative to the two existing BBC radio channels, radio 2 and radio 4, at the time there was no breakfast TV and no independent radio stations. Was established at the request of the government following the banning of pirate radio stations. 
  • Radio 1 breakfast is still considered one of the flagship programme of the radio station, and even change of presented draws much more media attention.
Research:
What is public service broadcasting and what does this mean for the BBC?
Broadcasting intended for public benefit rather than to serve purely commercial interests. These tend to provide information, advice or entertainment to the public without trying to make a profit.
How is the BBC funded?
The BBC is funded by the majority of households paying for a licence fee.
How many radio stations does the BBC have and how do they differ?
10 radio stations - 8 main stations and 2 additional channels
They have different target audiences, hence the amount of stations
What are the BBC's mission, Values and public purposes?
Mission:
There mission is 'to act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain'. 
Public purposes:
1. Provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage with the world around them. 
2. Support learning for people of all ages. 
3. To show the most creative, highest quality and distinct output and services. 
4. Reflect, represent and serve diverse communities of all of the United Kingdom's nations and regions and supporting the creative economy across the United Kingdom. 
5. To reflect the United Kingdom, its culture and values to the world. 
Values:
Trust the foundation of the BBC, their independent, impartial and honest - put audiences at the heart of everything they do - respect each other and support diversity - take pride in delivering quality and value for money  - creativity is lifeblood for them.
What are the main differences between commercial and non-commercial radio?
Commercial radio stations, typically play advertisements in long blocks with shorter blocks of music in between. Non-commercial radio stations do not run advertisements at all. Commercial radio stations make their money through advertising so they rely on the long advert breaks. 

Who are the target audience for BBC Radio 1? What are their expectations of the breakfast show?
15-29 year olds, engage a broad range of young listeners with a distinctive mix of contemporary music and speech. Expect quality presenters.
Radio 1 Breakfast Show: times, presenters, audience figures, regular features?
Currently presented by Greg James, previously presented by Nick Grimshaw.
Times 7.00am - 10.30am - 210 minutes
Audience figures - 4.28m listeners (October 2021) figures went up when Greg James took over from Nick Grimshaw.
It should feature a range of new music, support emerging artists and provide a platform for live music.
How can audiences access the breakfast show, both during and after airing?
You can listen to the radio online on the BBC website as well as online on the BBC sounds app or BBC iplayer. It is available live at the time when aired as well as available after.
What is BBC Radio 1s remit?
The remit of Radio 1 is to entertain and engage with a broad range of young listeners with a distinctive mix of contemporary music and speech.
Which other breakfast shows are it's biggest competition?
Heart, presented by Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden

Wednesday 19th January 2022
Radio 1 breakfast show
L/O: to make notes on a specific episode.

Wednesday 26th January 2022
Radio 1 breakfast show
L/O: to explore possible exam question areas.

Radio 1 and the music:
  • The music is playlisted - it is decided by the committee. They choose 40 records each week for repeated daytime play (A-list records get 25 plays a week, B-list records get 15, and C-list 8-10. 
  • Choices are partly guided by what is popular with young people online. Older artists not included as the network is trying to keep an under 30 audience.
  • There is also a Brit List which helps push featured new British artists - to make the output less globally homogenous and to make it more distinctive. 
  • The annual report 2016 - 61% of all additions to its playlist coming from UK artists in 2016. Radio 1 and 1 Xtra listeners volunteered their time to UK charities through the hashtag 1MillionHours. Radio 1's videos recieved 1.4 billion videos on youtube and the stations four inspirational Teen heros were welcomed to Kensington Palace by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
  • Worked with four charities - Age UK, Barnardo's, Cancer research and Oxfam.
Public purpose:
1. The radio show offered news which helped people to inform and understand what is going on in the world around them (News beat). 
2. Quizzes.
3. Quality presenter, regular features, Informal to link to target audience.
4. The listeners features were from different parts of the UK - northern and west country. 
5. The news content is linked towards the UK, Greg James didn't put his views across making it neutral. The song choices reflect the trends within the UK.

Regulation: 
Ofcom holds the BBC to account, ensuring it keeps to it's Charter and Agreement (which were renewed in 2017) 
Ofcom is the regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries. It regultes TV and radio sectors. To complain about the BBC you have to go through the BBC first and then go through ofcom. 
Ofcom only has control over broadcasted content but not online content. Regulators are stopping freedom of speech.

Audience interaction:
  • The mates around the table collective presentation style and mode of address makes the audience feel as if they are part of that group of friends, talking about where they were last night or who they saw.
  • Social media is an obvious way that the audience is interacting with the programme, even if most of this interaction is not heard within the programme itself it shapes the nature of the programme and the involvement gains and keeps that audience. 
  • Radio 1 use there website, youtube channel, twitter, facebook, and whatsapp, have a channel on the sounds app. 
Nick Grimshaw hosted the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show from 2012 to 2018, the show recorded 4.93 million weekly listeners between July and September - down from 5.5 million last quarter.  

Wednesday 2nd February 2022
Media industries and audiences
L/O: to explore the exam format.






















Minecraft question:
Explain how producers target, reach and engage audiences for video games through content and marketing. Refer to Minecraft to support your answer.
In your answer you must: 
Explain how social and economic contexts influence how producers target reach and engage audiences for video games. 

Producers target, reach and engage audiences for video games through their content and marketing. Many games are likely to be produced by many people and typically have a large budget to work with to fund the game. Minecraft was produced differently to many video games, so the way it was marketed is different to how many other video games are marketed. The content of the game however was chosen by the producer based on the producers interests in games similar. 

Jungle book question:
Explain how the production and distribution of major Hollywood films has changed since the 1960s refer to the two versions of the jungle book to support you answer. 
Explain how historical and economic contexts influence the production and distribution of major Hollywood films. 

The production and distribution of major Hollywood films have changed since the 1960s. Due to many technological changes we see that their are many more opportunities and ways to produce films. Considering the Jungle Book 1967 to the Jungle Book 2016 we can see how Disney produces and distributes films has changed. 
Since the 1960s, the growing influences of technology have allowed for much more creativity within the film industry. Back when The Jungle Book 1967 was being released Disney was known for their animations, however when The Jungle Book 2016 was released Disney had many different areas within their production teams and The Jungle Book 2016 was a first of their many live action remakes. The production of films since the 1960s has progressed over time. Looking back in time to the 1960s, the second world war had ended around 15 years earlier because of this the number of children being born was a lot higher due to people returning from war, this led to an increase in the number of people wanting entertainment to entertain their children. But in 1967 televisions became a lot more popular and were able to show things in colour and not just black and white. The production team for The Jungle Book 1967 was a lot smaller than the production team who worked on The Jungle Book 2016. The Jungle Book 1967s production was heavily influenced by Walt Disney's own ideas. He was told many times to consider making it darker, but he didn't want to make it darker due to Disney's previous representation and the way that there were previous productions which didn't end up with as many sales as they had hoped. The smaller production team meant that there was a lot more control within the production of The Jungle Book 1967. The production team for the Jungle Book 2016 involved loads of people because of it being very technical due to the amount of CGI featured within it. It was a full scale CGI production.

Rewrite to the question: 
The production and distribution of major Hollywood films has changed since the 1960s. This can be down to the proliferation of technology as well as changes within society as a whole. We can see how Disney has changed the way they produce and distribute their films by condsidering The Jungle Book 1967 and the 2016 remake of The Jungle Book.
The production of major Hollywood films has changed since the 1960s, this can be down to both the advancements with technology as well as the changes within society. Considering The Jungle Book 1967 and The Jungle Book 2016, the way they were produced would have been completely different. Th Jungle Book 1967 was an animation which was made to appeal to a younger target audience. The primary target for Disney at the time was 4-12 year olds. It would also have to appeal to their secondary target audience, the parents, since they are the money makers and the ones who make the Disney experience available to their children. A lot of the appeal to the secondary target audience is likely to appeal to them based on nostalgia. The target audience will affect the way in which a film is produced. The Jungle Book 1967 was affected because of this Walt Disney heavily influenced the production of The Jungle Book 1967 as he didn't want the target audience to change. Walt was told many times that he should make the film darker but would refuse since Disney as a brand had become trusted by many. The historical and economic contexts suggest that in the 1960s there was a fall in cinema sales, due to the rise in television sales and the younger generation turning towards music, trends and fashion, because of the fall in cinema sales it led to films being less successful. For example, The Sword in the Stone, which was a feature film before The Jungle Book was unsuccessful and so this made him feel like he needed to be personally involved within the production. This affected production as only a small number of people were involved within the production of The Jungle Book 1967 due to Walt Disney wanting it to be successful. 

Tried to rewrite it but it ended up going in the wrong direction so it put me off finishing it as I stressed myself out and only started writing the wrong thing because I panicked. 

Comments

  1. FILM NOTES:
    Good notes.

    DISNEY NOTES:
    Good - make sure you explain WHY Disney didn't reflect the growing fight for equality in the film (Target audience)

    CONTEXT Q:
    You've clearly understood the industry, however, you could add in more detail about the 'classics' strategy and its impact.

    ReplyDelete
  2. SIDE BY SIDE NOTES:
    Good

    JB16 P&M:
    Great notes

    MARKETING EXAM Q:
    WWW: Good knowledge of the strategies used in the 60s.
    EBI: Make sure you answer the overall question (film in general) and explain why there is so much need now to use these online techniques. Also - you need to mention specific examples for the JB16.

    ReplyDelete
  3. MARKETING DIRT:
    This is soooo much better. More detail and a more focused response. Well done.

    AUDIENCE NOTES:
    Good and detailed

    AUDIENCE EXAM Q:
    WWW: much stronger on the detail for the two films
    EBI: make sure you don't just describe the storyline or characters in places

    ReplyDelete
  4. MINECRAFT RESEARCH:
    Good notes

    MC PRODUCTION:
    Great - you clearly understand the production - make sure you include how it is different from traditional video game production

    MC DISTRIBUTION & TAKEOVER:
    Good notes

    ReplyDelete
  5. MC MARKETING & AUDIENCE:
    Strong notes and clear understanding shown

    ReplyDelete
  6. RADIO INDUSTRY NOTES:
    Good notes

    EPISODE NOTES:
    Maybe take a photo of yours and add here as a back up?

    EXAM QUESTION:
    Stop panicking! What you wrote - all three times - was a great start and had nothing wrong with it!
    We're going to look at exam questions, breaking them down and planning next term, so hopefully, this will help with this.

    ReplyDelete

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