Homework due 13th Feb

“Successful media products depend as much upon marketing and distribution to a specific audience as they do upon good production practices.” To what extent would you agree with this statement, within the film area.

In my opinion, I think that the above statement is true and therefore I agree with it because I think that marketing and distribution play an important role within a film's financial success. In order for a film to be successful, the companies must ensure that the distribution of the film is of a high standard in order for the film to be seen to a wider audience. When a film is distributed to a wider audience, there will be likelihood of an increase in the sales of that film. An increase in the sales of that film may result in a higher possibility of that company making a profit.

If a film company chooses to go with a well known distribution company such as 20th Century Fox or Paramount, then there is a higher chance that the film will be more successful than if the company went with a less well known company. Distribution companies like the two examples provided are companies that make a huge profit yearly and have a variety of techniques that have been a success in distributing a film. They also have been known to distribute films that have become majorly successful and well known purely because of their reputation. By getting these distribution companies to distribute the film, the film companies allow for an expand in acknowledgement of the film by the audience and target audience. By appealing to the target audience, the film would've therefore achieved their aim of making the film.

Marketing is important because it also determines how successful a film could be. If the film is not marketed well or objectives and strategies are not clear, then the film's potential will be decreased. By marketing a film correctly towards the target audience, then there is a higher possibility that more people will see the film advertised. The more opportunities for the film to be advertised, then the more likely that people will be interested in that film. If marketing is done correctly, money can be made. For example, if an advert costs £30,000 to have and the film company uses this opportunity successfully, the people who see the advert will go and watch the film and then the company will make more than the price of the advertising. If a company's advert fails to attract viewers because it doesn't specifically relate to the target audience then the company may loose out on sales and profit. 

This can be the same within the music industry. If a piece of music isn't distributed well i.e. on a CD, then less people may be encouraged to buy the CD just for one song. If a music production decides to distribute it's music online or on apps like Itunes, then it's more likely to sell as customers can get the song that they want for a cheap price. If a music artist isn't marketed well and their music isn' advertised, people may not know or find out about them and therefore now buy their music. If they are marketed well and people buy their music and like it, then they will more likely to buy it again which means money for the music production company.

Production practises are important due to the fact that if a film isn't produced sufficiently, then the overall appearance of the film will look poor and people won't want to see it. Production practises make a film better and ensure quality, but without marketing and distribution the film would not make sales or profit. The use of distribution and marketing ensures that the film is targeted towards the intended audience. By doing this, more awareness is gained and therefore this would result in the likelihood of viewers watching the film. If more viewers watch the film, then more sales will be produced and therefore more profit can potentially be made. 

HOMEWORK DUE 4/02/14

To what extent does digital distribution affect the marketing and consumption of media products in the media area you have studied? 

Digital distribution affects the marketing and consumption of media products in the film industry due to the fact that people tend to watch films within their own homes rather than traditionally going to the cinema to watch them. This means that distribution companies have a wider range of ways to market their films appropriately to the age classification. They are able to expand their range through the use of media types like television, social networking sites, DVDs and radio etc.

Although this is a positive for the distribution companies as their films will be seen and marketed of a wider scale, it can also be seen as a negative for those distribution companies. There are now increased possibilities of illegal usage of the film in which the film distribution companies do not get anything for. Online illegal websites and pirated DVDs mean that these companies are affected and won't make a profit from the consumers who're watching the film in these ways.