Audiences and Institutions

1. Issues Raised by Media OwnershipQfL:What are the issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practise?The budget / financial backing for each production company can greatly differ!

What effect do you think this has on the type of project they can take on?

Challenge: Consider which genres might be typically produced by a production company with a big budget and by a production company with a small budget.What do these key words mean?

contemporaryconsequencesconceptniche

This unit should be approached through contemporary examples in the form of case studies based upon one of the specified media areas. Examples may include the following:A study of a specific studio or production company within a contemporary film industry that targets a British audience (eg Hollywood, Bollywood, UK film), including its patterns of production, distribution, exhibition and consumption by audiences. This should be accompanied by study of contemporary film distribution practices (digital cinemas, DVD, HD-DVD, downloads, etc) and their impact upon production, marketing and consumption.

Make reference to related media where relevant.

Hierarchy ofPowerThere are a few companies with lots of money

but lots of companies with little money.Who has the power to shape the industry and what most audiences are watching?

The Power PlayersYou will need to be able to discuss the depth and range of ownership across a range of media. Where is the power / influence?Research the British Film Production Companies that are out there.

What films have they produced? What genres were they? What budgets did the have?

Which companies are strong in the industry and which do not command the same power?

Look in particular at Big Talk Pictures / Film 4.

How do they survive in the British market place against the high concept, big-budget films made by Sony / Disney / Universal, etc.?

What kinds of audiences are left for Big Talk Pictures / Film 4 to attract?

Are mass audiences out of reach given the genres of films these companies have the budgets to make? How successful have they been in reaching mass audiences with their films?

Essay task:How healthy is it that just a few mega media groups can own such a range of media and can decide what the public may see and, perhaps, shape audiences tastes?

45 minutes GO!!!

Peer assessmentCandidates will be assessed on their ability to illustrate patterns of production, distribution, exchange and consumption through relevant case study examples and their own experiences as audiences. Candidates should be given credit for their knowledge and understanding, illustrated through case study material.