Audiences and Institutions Practice Essay

Assess the importance of marketing in the media area you have studied.

The importance of marketing in the film area is because the movie must make money and thrive right? Producers must connect with other productions, sell products, and more if they want a successful movie. Producers can use marketing through synergy, cross promotion, and cross media convergence. However, just because you spend time marketing a film, does not mean it will work out.

Marketing must be done throughout the whole production of the movie. If you want the movie to be sold, it must get out through the people. One way a film can be marketed is by using synergy. Synergy is one of the most effective ways because companies are working together to make money. The more the film gets marketed, most likely the better chance it has. An example was Spiderman Homecoming. Spiderman partnered with the cereal brand Cinnamon Toast Crunch. A toy with Spiderman was on the box. This is effective because people are buying the cereal, which helps the Spiderman film make money. Younger kids may want to go see the movie as a reflection of the toy, thus the producers of Spiderman Homecoming are making money. Another way synergy was used was Frozen 2. The marketing was kept throughout the company. Disney made the movie, the ride at Epcott, and the music soundtrack is on Disney radio. Using companies under the same conglomerate is the effective way because it keeps the money in house.

In cross promotion, films can use other companies to market their product. Sometimes, in house production like synergy is not enough for film companies to sell their movie so they branch out to others that are not under the same conglomerate. For example, in Fantastic Beast, the production companies Hey Day Films and Warner Bros. used AT&T to promote their film. Posters and other merchandise were posted in the AT&T stores to get peoples attention. Another way cross promotion was used is in Jurassic World. The production companies got earlier Jurassic movies to air on Comcast network. This gives the people a run down and a preview of what is going to happen in Jurassic World. Once people see it, they’ll want to buy movie tickets to go see the movie. Cross promotion is very effective for both companies. Not only does the film company benefit, but also those who have promoted it.

Through cross media convergence, video games, music, and more are used to promote a film. This is somewhat like cross promotion, but it is different in its own way. Cross media convergence is another way to successful market a movie. For example, if an upcoming movie makes a video game, not only will people watch the movie, they will also buy the video game. That means money, views, ratings, and etcetera is coming from all directions. In the movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the film producers partnered up with Dairy Queen. Dairy Queen made an ice cream blizzard dedicated to the movie. This will catch the attention of the people and make them want to buy the ice cream and buy tickets to see the movie. Another way cross media convergence was used was The Lego Movie 2. A video game was made while in process of distributing the movie. This way, many people will buy the video games and movie tickets to see the actual movie. Cross media convergence is effective for marketing because it brings peoples attention to the film in many ways.

However, just because a film is marketed, does not mean its bound to be successful. It takes lots of money for a movie to be marketed. A film company could use cross promotion, cross media convergence, or anything else, but it just may not be enough for the film to be a success. An example is the movie Uglydolls. According to cartoonbrew.com, “STX Entertainment launched Uglydolls on wide 3,652 screens, netting 8.5 million.” Since it was marketed a whole lot and how it was released, those numbers are considered low. Most likely, the audience did not like the movie, nor did they see a purpose in it which was why it was so low. This shows that no matter how much a film company markets the film, it won’t always be successful.

To conclude, despite some films not being successful no matter how much it is marketed, marketing is very important in films. Many movies would not be advertised and sold as much if it wasn’t for marketing. The biggest purpose for marketing is to get the film out to the people and capture their attention so they can watch it. In the film world, synergy, cross promotion, and cross media convergence is a good way to do it.

24 Practice Extract Essay

The extract that I chose to write my essay on is 24. The theme of this extract is surrounded by espionage and terrorism. The talk of the president and bombs are mentioned throughout Jack and Nina’s talk. The theme is used to create suspense on who Nina is and why this bomb was set. It also creates suspense on what exactly does Nina know. It makes the audience wonder why the president’s signature was needed.

In the first few seconds of the extract, score is used. There is some suspenseful type of music that creates tension between Jack and Nina. This connects to the theme that I used because the mystery is about who Nina is and what does she know. It must be something vital. In the next few seconds, the zoom in camera movement was used. The camera zoomed in on an actual camera that was in the room. This sets the mood that Jack and Nina are being watched. It creates mystery because nobody knows why they are being watched. This zoom in shot connects to the theme I chose because it is obvious that Nina has done something wrong and Jack is trying to get information out of her. We do not know who Nina is, but we do know that she knows something since they are being monitored.

In the next part of the scene, diegetic sound is being heard from Jack’s footsteps. As he walks into the room, you can hear his feet patter against the floor. It creates suspense because he seems to be walking slowly, as if he wants to intimidate Nina. In the next part of the scene, a shot reverse shot is shown. In the scene, the camera transfers from point A, which would be Jack and Nina, to some people that are watching them on what looks like some type of television, back to Nina and Jack. This creates suspense as to why these two need to be watched. Who is Nina and why does she need to be watched and interrogated? This connects to the theme that I chose because we do not know who Nina is. It can be inferred that she knows something Jack doesn’t, but we don’t know yet.

In the next part of the scene, we see an eye line match. This eye line match shows Nina looking up at the clock and the camera shows the clock on the screen. The clock is ticking created the precedent on what is happening next. This eye line match ties into dialogue also because Nina says that she must get on a plane to go deactivate the bomb. This goes back to the clock and it shows that time is running out on the bomb. This connects to the theme that I chose because the talk of bombs usually means terrorism. Nina seems to be someone who knows a lot about this bomb, which means she may be in on it. She could be a spy which adds espionage to the meaning. In the next few seconds, more dialogue is shown. Nina is still talking about the person that knows how to deactivate the bomb. It connects to the theme that I chose because this shows that Nina is in on some type of terrorism, so she needs to be watched. Jack must get information on her because she obviously knows where the bomb is, and she most likely knows the person or group of people who activated the bomb.

Going to the next part of the scene, there is a reaction shot. In the scene, Jack flips the table over because Nina won’t tell him who it is that they are going to see, which is the person who knows about the bomb. This connects to the theme that I chose because it shows that Nina knows some information on this bomb, which means she could be a terrorist or knows who is. Dialogue was incorporated when Jack says that she will sell out anyone. This hints towards espionage. She may be a spy trying to get information on things. In the next few seconds, the film shows a close up. These close ups are the faces of Nina and Jack. It shows some type of dramatic tension because Jack is trying hard to get information out of Nina, but she won’t budge. This connects to the theme that I chose because this shows that Nina may be in on this terrorism because she is not telling Jack what he wants to know. We can infer that she could be working for some terrorist or spy group.

In the last paragraph, I will be talking about the mise en scene, or the genetic makeup of the extract. Location was used in this extract showing the interrogation room. An interrogation room is where people get questioned if they’ve done something. This creates suspense because it makes the audience wonder what is it that Nina did and why does Jack need information on it. It connects to the theme I chose because it creates a mystery on who Nina is. From the extract, we gathered that it has something to do with terrorism, as it mentions bombs and the president. Another part of mise en scene that the extract displays are the lighting. The lighting is very low and dim. This creates a mysterious and dark mood. It also creates tension between the two. This connects to the theme that I chose because Jack is trying to get information from Nina who seems to be tied in with terrorism acts.

To conclude, the theme that I chose was correct because of the terminology used throughout the film. A bomb was activated, and Nina knows where to go and who activated the bomb. This tells us that she is a part of the terrorism or knows a lot about it. The problem is that she won’t tell Jack who the person is when he is trying to get information out of her. This creates the espionage part because she could also be a spy in a terrorist organization.

CCR Upload (4 of 4)

In this blog, I will be uploading part 4 of my CCR.

CCR Upload (3 of 4)

In this blog, I will be uploading part 3 of my CCR.

CCR Upload (2 of 4)

In this blog, I will be uploading part 2 of my CCR.

CCR Upload (1 of 4)

In this blog, I will be uploading my CCR.

Uploading The Movie (Final Task)

In this blog, I will be uploading the movie.

Uploading The Music Video

  In this blog, I will be uploading the music video.

Uploading The Commercial

This video that I am uploading is the Commercial that we did in the beginning of the class. My group and I did our Commercial on Dunkin Donuts.

Re:edit: We Finished !!

Guess who's back? We were able to finish guys. I honestly can say I am happy how it turned out. From the commercial to this movie, my group and I made a pretty good team. Before we got the extension, we did not film the legal part of our movie. Our genre is legal drama so we had no choice to do it. My group members were picking at me because we were told that we could just upload what we have. However, I did not really care. It was better to finish it in my opinion. I am glad I was able to change their minds.

Funny thing about my film is we had to do a lot of improvising. Due to the pandemic, the park was closed. This meant that we could not film in the park. We improvised and filmed by the park but outside of it. It was kind of awkward because people were staring at us. We also did improvising in the "courtroom." This took place in my house. We had to set up the table and chairs to make it look like a courtroom. We even tried to make a judge's stand. Despite the troubles, I am glad how everything turned out.

Filming: Good News

Hey you all, I am back. Last time we left off on me not being able to film with my group. I am about to blow your minds. Its something that I did not expect, but I am very grateful for it. We got an extension! That's right, extension. I could not believe my eyes when I saw it. I got on the phone with my teammates right away and told them the news. I immediately told them that we have to finish. It is a blessing we got the extension in the first place.

After some disagreements here and there, they agreed to finish filming. I know you're probably wondering why they did not jump at it like I did. I know I sure was. With this coronavirus, things have been hectic. We have to be protected at all times and social distance. I am surprised that their parents even let them out the house. This Saturday, we are going to film. I really hope that the video comes out as planned. I do not want to waste this chance we have. I will be back to tell you all how it went.

Filming: Coronavirus...

Due to this pandemic, we will not be able to finish our film. Guidelines in the news say that we must not be outside. We must be social distancing. Our CCR is coming up soon. I'm a little stuck on how exactly it's going to be done, considering we did not finish our movie. I am sure we are not the only ones who did not finish. It is understandable with this pandemic going on. Parents are not allowing their children to just step out nowadays. There's nothing we can do to control it. All we can do is hope that it blows over.

The CCR questions however are a little broad. I think I will be able to still do it. I wonder if there's someone in my class who is not able to do it. I don't think that there is because we still have technology. All I know is, I have to figure out something. My teacher states that we have to do the CCR in the form of a talk show. I believe I can do that. I just want to be able to know what I'm talking about. My group and I have been working too hard for this pandemic to stop us. I hope we can figure something out.

Editing: Putting It Altogether

Unfortunately, we have nothing to put together at this time. I'm afraid that we won't even be able to finish filming our movie. This crisis with the corona virus has really ruined everything. Parents are trying to safeguard themselves and their children. All movement is supposed to be limited. Everything is just too hectic right now. I honestly don't know how we will get to do the CCR. The CCR is supposed to be a reflection on what we have done. However, if we did not finish, we won't be able to finish all of the questions. I really hope that this won't count against us.

Honestly, we knew about the coronavirus, but we did not know it would become this bad. We have to stay indoors at this point and away from people. We cannot film because we have to social distance according to the news. I'm scared to see how our grade will be affected due to this pandemic. Hopefully, our teachers and Cambridge will understand that we just can't finish this movie. We've worked hard and done the best we can. However, this corona virus beat us to the punch. I really do hope that we have an alternative to this because I was really excited to finish this movie. In this time of panic, there is really nothing we can do. We have tried our best but life happens.

Editing: Titles

Hey guys, I'm back. In this blog, I will be talking about how editing the titles went. Well, let's just say, I had a little trouble doing them. I know you're probably thinking how when titles are so simple. Trust me on this, many factors come into play. One issue was trying to figure out how to place the words in the scenes. As you can see from the picture up above, we decided to put our title on a folder. We did this to get creative since we have the legal genre gender. When doing titles, you want to make sure they make sense. We spent a good amount of time pondering on if our title would go well against the folder, and that's only the half.

I had a lot of trouble with the colors of the titles. Okay, the folder color was pretty easy. Any color could go up against that light beige color. However, the natural blue of the sky is more difficult. In a scene, you must make sure that your titles can be seen. This basically means that the color cannot be too light, nor can it be too dark. We were stuck there for a good minute, trying to figure out what color was best. We were also trying to keep our theme going so that was another factor. I really wish we could do another peer review so someone else can tell us what they think of our titles. Hopefully by the next time we edit again, we will have it together.

Reshoot: Oops

Alright alright, I know we have been disappointing you guys for quite sometime now. My group and I are just having trouble linking up and working on this project. In our defense, we were going to film today. However, things went wrong. As you all know, we have a guy in our group, Erik. Erik is supposed to be like our tech guy basically. He is filming and editing the footage. Unfortunately, he had no way of showing up today. It sucks because we really do need him. We can't just keep the phone stationary, on a tripod.

We would have found a replacement for him so we didn't have to waste a day of filming. However, I want for us to be able to do everything together. As a group, no one should be left out of the plans. As a result of this, we did not film. We have to do our reshoot as soon as possible. Especially because it is required for our blogs. Not to mention, our film is not perfect as of now. I really do hope that we can come to an agreement soon. If we do not do this, we will get a 0 and I'm not up for that. Until next time, Janell.

Filming Blog: Upcoming Footage

This upcoming saturday, my group and I will be filming again. I know you guys are excited to see our film. We had our times where we did not get to film, but we will make up for it. One detail you will see about our film is that instead of using a hammer, we got an actual mallet. It was good to hear because honestly using a hammer for a mallet is really weird. But hey, it is all about improvising. We ran into a problem during the peer review however. Our video was 1 minute and 50 seconds, with just the park scene. We will have to cut footage this upcoming saturday, or it won't be considered legal drama. For it to be legal drama we have to have the court prospective.

In order to film our court prospective, we will have to choose which park scenes to cut down. I feel this may be a little challenging. I feel that mostly all of our footage that we created is important. However, it will not be legal drama if I don't do something. The original plan was to do one minute each. Now, we will have to switch some things up to fit the genre. It is our last week to film, so we have to make the best of it. I feel like we are going to be able to have a film that makes perfect sense. Sometimes in film, there are hard decisions to make and this is one of them. In the end, this movie will be one of the best.

Editing Blog: Peer Review Edit

For the peer editing assignment that we had to do in class, we got to edit it. One of the first things that we have edited was cutting the footage. After we dumped the footage off of the camera, there were a lot of parts that had to be cut out. When we edited, I had a bit of trouble with doing so. It has been awhile since we have edited. We have not edited since the music video. One thing we also had trouble with was cutting the footage. It was very imperative for us to be precise. We had to cut out some parts that were unnecessary. However, we kept cutting footage that was necessary and had to keep going back.

Eventually, we were able to cut the right footage and move along. One thing that we mastered while writing is our title sequence. When doing titles in a film, you must make sure it can be seen and etc. It wasn't too much to do so, because we pretty much knew what we wanted to do. I feel that this peer review was a good way for us to further our learning on editing. We got to transform raw footage into an actual movie, so it boosted my knowledge a lot. I can also say that watching another person's film made me more cautious of things I need to look for when editing. For example, if it is windy outside (sound), I would do a voice over.

Next weekend, we will be filming and I will have much more to say. Its going to be a movie, literally.

Peer Review

This is a picture of an exercise that my classmates and I did in class on Tuesday. We did what was called a peer review. In this peer review, we watched a film from another group in the class. After we watched it, we gave them feedback on this piece of paper. The group that I got did pretty well on their film. One thing I really liked about the film was that it was good at keeping the message hidden. What I mean by that is, the audience is supposed to be left off, on the edge of their seats. In order to do so, you have to make sure you are concealing the real plot as much as possible. I think this group succeeded in trying to do this. However, there is one thing I thought that should change to make the film better.

One suggestion I would make to the film is adjusting the sound. I admit, we have no choice but to film. Nobody is going to not film just because it is windy outside. The sound in their film was sort of muffled because of the wind around them. When it is windy, it is hard to hear what is going on or who's talking. I would suggest going in a less windy area or inside somewhere. The sound is a very important aspect to the film. Especially in movies where there is some sort of plot, which is every movie. If the audience cannot hear what is going on in your film, it takes away from it. Aside from the sound, this group did a really good job filming their movie.

Filming Blog: Our Journey

I admit, we haven't been on our game as we should have been. It's no excuse why we haven't if we want to pass. However, with work and lack of communication, my group and I have not been successful in being able to film. Luckily, I have some good news. This saturday, we will be filming our park scene. The park scene is where the child getd kidnapped. We plan to use the establishing shot first of course, that being the park. Also, shots like extreme close ups and dialogue will be in our film. I really hope filming this goes well. Time is really winding down for us to film.

More insight for the film, we plan to use different people. Instead of only using us as the group members, we've added more people to our film. We will have a court scene also. This "court" scene will be done at my house. It's all about improvising right? Since this movie is only 2 minutes, it is hard to pick what will make sense for the scenes. I plan to do what minute per setting. This is just to split the drama evenly. My group members and I are planning an ending that will have the audience on the edges of their seats. I cannot wait to film this saturday.

Filming Blog: Unsuccessful Yet Again

Last time we left off on the fact that my group and I could not film. Here we are, unsuccessful yet again. Yes yes I know, disappointing news right. I was really planning to do some filming this last weekend. However, things did not work in my favor. An update from the last blog however, is that we finished the storyboard. If you all forgot, we could not check out a camera without the storyboard blog. My group and I plan to amaze you guys when we do get to film. These days of not being able to film are only setbacks. Although we upset you all by not giving a sneak peek, here's some inside details to our film.

I cannot give you guys all the details, but hint hint, one of our settings will be in a park. In our film, we plan to have an extreme close up. This close up is a very important detail believe it or not. Only those who pay attention to our film will get the clue. Also, who owns mallets these days? My group and I plan to get creative with a hammer and some construction paper and or paint. The last sneak peek I'll give you guys is there will be lawyer against lawyer in a totally different way of how it is on regular movies or shows. Hopefully you guys understand the meaning, hence our movie title, Double Deceit. This week we will be filming and have so much in store for you all. Until next time, stay tuned and be ready to be blown away.