LO1: Media Products in the Audio Visual Industry

Both conglomerates and independent organisation operate in the audio-visual industry, but go about producing AV products very differently.

21st Century Fox vs Warp Films (Conglomerate vs Independent)

Ownership

As a conglomerate, the former company owns smaller subsidiary companies which they use in their productions. For example, 21st Century Fox owns Fox Digital Entertainment, a company that specialises in digital content and mobile applications. Because this company is part of the conglomerate, they can use these applications to benefit their product (in this example, in advertise digitally and provide cross-platform synergy between mobile and other platforms) via horizontal integration. This differs from an independent company such as Warp Films, as they do not own any other companies or are part of a conglomerate. As a result, they cannot rely on other companies to assist in their productions, instead making the product by themselves, and only sourcing out parts of their production to specialist companies if they're unable to compete it themselves (for example sound design).
In addition, both types of companies typically focus on creating different types of product to appeal to a different audience. 21st Century Fox, as a conglomerate, is oriented on producing films that will make as large a profit as possible, which they achieve by targeting a large audience that's applicable to where they operate. For example, as they target a western audience, action films such as Deadpool that have proven popular in the past are produced as this is what the audience wants. As they also operate in Asia, they also produce films applicable to this audience, showing its goal as it adapts to an audience, not sticking to a key idea or cause. Because of this, it relies on 'visceral pleasures' (Altman 1999) to entertain, as this applies to the broadest range of demographics and is the least risky to make, guaranteeing profit where other types wouldn't. In contrast to this, Warp Films' goal is not to profit as much as possible. Instead, they aim to create a message through their various films to make products that resonate with the concept rather than purely to entertain the audience, although as the goal is more leaning to inform entertaining is important as an audience is more likely to listen when entertained. For example, 'This is England' tries to show the realistic life in the north of England at that time period. Not only is the target audience for this only British, but its geodemographic is even smaller than this - only the north of England. As a result, this shows that Warp Films aimed to inform and relate to the audience rather than apply to the most demographics and the widest range of people as possible. It uses Rick Altman's theory to use 'emotional pleasures' to relate to the audience (which can be seen in This is England by traumatic and relatable experiences such as death, troubled relationships etc.).

Adaptation

Due to the fact that conglomerates more often than not contain companies from a variety of mediums (making it a cross-media conglomerate) it makes adaptations of their products such as films very easy.  This can be seen in the Simpsons franchise. The TV programme is owned by 21st Century Fox, as was the production companies who made the Simpsons Movie, the film adaptation. As a result, the cost of the adaptation was largely eliminated, while still being made to a high quality, which is vertical integration. This contributes to the goal of conglomerates, making as large a profit as possible, as synergy is used in the conglomerate to reduce cost and increase profit. The target audience for this venture remained similar, children-teenagers (6-14) (although this is a loose age range, as people of all ages have proved to have watched it) of both genders, white ABC1C2, American, but due to the wide release it also targeted similar audiences abroad. This was successful, as can be seen by it grossing $527 million worldwide (boxofficemojo.com). In contrast to this, independent companies such as Warp Films can rarely adapt a production of theirs, as such companies focus on one medium (in this example, film). However, Warp Films was able to adapt the 'This is England' film into a tv show by partnering with Film 4, a larger company, who funded the production. Similarly to a conglomerate, adaption is usually effective in achieving their goal - as the message they're conveying will reach more people (mainly geodemgraphics due to a wider release) and so be more effective. As this is a joint venture it benefits both parties, Warp Films gets its message to a wider audience and achieves its goal while Film 4 profits monetarily.

Brands


The film Inception used a variety of mediums to advertise their brand and product to an audience. For example, a game was used on the Inception website which revealed a never before seen poster upon completion, which targeted the young male demographics (its target audience) in order to generate interest in the film. In addition to this, posters, bus adverts, magazine adverts and billboards were all used to reach as large an audience as possible, owing to the fact that the film was not part of a franchise and so didn't have an already established fan base, and so had to reach as many people as possible to guarantee interest. Social media was also used via Facebook and Twitter, both using the cast and crew accounts and an official profile to reach the younger demographics of audience who are both more likely to use social media and use it to find media products such as films. This meant that they used both above and below the line methods to establish a large amount of interest. Because the film is complex and the characters, especially the protagonist, are well informed, the mode of address of the film is teacher to pupil. This is an effective mode of address as it successfully connotes the serious aspect of the film while also explaining the more complex aspects of it.
In contrast to this, the Warp Film This is England used a much more focused advertising campaign. For example, magazine and TV adverts were only shown in specific places (for example film/TV magazine and the Channel 4), as the target audience for the film was smaller and more niche than Inception (majority of the male population - white ABC1 vs young people of both genders - BC1C2 white British in the north of England). Because of this, below the line advertising was used primarily to target their audience, instead of above the line, which would be wasted as the general population is less likely to be interested in a film with very specific locations and themes. Below the line advertising is also more effective in using peer to peer mode of address to communicate with an audience, and as people similar to the characters (i.e. can relate to the film) respond most positively with peer to peer modes of address this is effective.

Audience Pleasures

As 21st Century Fox aims to generate a profit from their productions, they appeal to the audience by targeting the basic/visceral emotions (Altman 1999) which effects everyone, for example making comedy films such as the Simpsons Movie to appeal to the humour in the wide audience, or action films such as Avatar which appeal to the gut reactions to action - fear, excitement etc. This is effective as targeting pleasures shared by all demographics, which also helps to build a personal identity which attracts an audience (McQuail 1972) because as films become more popular, people are more likely to see them to say that they have. This is evident in the Simpsons Movie, that uses comedy in combination with shock and excitement (via mock-action) to entertain the audience.
In contrast to this, Warp Films targets a more specific audience. As a result of this, they are able to use more niche pleasures (for example intellectual puzzles) which only a certain audience will be interested in. While these techniques are often more effective for delivering a message or meaning, they are less attractive to a mass audience.
This offers another key difference in the two in terms of uses and gratification theory. The Simpsons Movie and similar features made by conglomerates offer escapism - offering the audience unrealistic and fantastical films that allow the audience to lose themselves easily in the plot and world, a common want for people of all demographics. On the other hand, This is England and similar things made by independent companies like Warp Films show a more realistic and gritty existence that many people share, offering surveillance - the audience watches another, real, life. This is a more niche interest, especially given the life shown can vary, which as a result has less interest. In addition, This is England offers the audience a way to build personal identity, because the film aims to relate to a specific audience, that audience will be able to use that film as part of their identity and that of their peers.