How is media convergence important for audiences and institutions?

Media convergence is used by film companies to help to market, distribute and exhibit the film, it also now being used to promote and publicize the film to make the audience aware of it.

The Inbetweeners movie was marketed through various media platforms, one of them being trailers, these were used to generate hype and create an enigma that would entice the target audience. Film posters were also made and put up on billboards and bus stops; this was because they built up the films popularity by integrating them into the audiences’ lifestyles. The movie was also marketed all around the UK using various other media platforms such as at the cinema, in magazines, on television, on the radio etc. This was used in order to promote the film and attract its target audience so that it could be a success in cross media platforms. The DVD and Blu ray copies of the film also included special features, a making of documentary, footage from the films’ London premier, various deleted scenes, cast commentaries and a blooper reel. The blu ray disc also had an extended cut of the film; also ASDA released the DVD with special video diaries from the cast. All of these features on the disc mean that the fans will want to buy them as they are interested in the special features, as they can learn more about the film.

Another way in which fans were able to keep up to date with what was happening in production of the movie, Channel4 created a Facebook and twitter account, so that the fans could keep up to date on news. The account was used so that they could entice the fans by updating them on what was happening and also posting pictures to show the fans what they were doing. This was a good strategy used as the fans checked their accounts regularly and it meant that they wouldn’t forget about the film, as they would keep getting reminders from what they were posting.

The use of the internet and YouTube is another way in which the audience can find out about the film, for example now film trailers and interviews with the cast are all on YouTube. This makes it easily accessible for the audience, so they can see the trailer and decide whether to go and see the film or not. Other people that are interested in the making and cast can have a look at interviews, as they can then see what it was like to be in the movie. So YouTube can play a massive part in the marketing and distribution of the film, as it can advertise it to a wide audience. On YouTube you can find all kinds of trailers, clips and interviews on Attack the Block, Kick Ass and The Inbetweeners movie, all of these can be seen by the audience and therefore act as a marketing method.

A soundtrack was also released for The Inbetweeners movie, this again attracted people, this was because they bought the soundtrack and then thought about the movie and wanted to go and see it. Also if people liked the soundtrack they might have thought that they would like the film, so went to watch it. So the soundtrack is also part of the advertising campaign as it can be used to attract an audience for the film. They also used tie ins to market the film as well, they did a tie in with Golden wonder noodles, to publicise the film further, this was used as more people would see the advertisements around and want to go and see the film. They also released t-shirts that were used in the film, again used for marketing and the distribution of the film.

Synergy was also used by the Inbetweeners movie in the form of a year book, the main cast wrote things in the book as the characters they played; this gave the fans an idea of what life would be like as one of the characters. Again this would add to the publicity of the film, and it also works as a marketing technique.

I think that media convergence is really important for film companies, as I have shown above without it; it would be hard for them to get the film out there and attract the audience to come and watch the film. Now with media convergence the audience can find out about the film easier than ever before as it is so easy to find out information and the films marketing strategies mean that it is almost impossible to miss. So I think that media convergence is benefiting as it is easier for audiences to find out about the film.



Class and Status

Class is a status hierarchy in which individuals and groups of people are classified on the basis of esteem and prestige acquired mainly through economic success and accumulation of wealth. Social class may also refer to any particular level in such a hierarchy. There are three common classes – upper class, middle class and lower class.

From the clip I can see that the family are a middle or working class family, I can see this from the very start as the husband and wife are arguing and the husband is using bad language, this shows that he might not be upper class as they are seen to speak proper English and maybe have a posh accent. The husband of the family is shouting about money and that it is the children’s fault that they haven’t got a lot of it, which again shows their class and status as they don’t seem to have a lot of money. Another way you can see that they don’t seem to have a lot of money is that the  house seems relatively small and also the chairs in which the children are sitting on are quite old, showing that they cannot afford new ones. Also the colour scheme of the house is quite plain and boring, there is a lot of green and browns used showing a quite cheap and boring colour scheme.

The husband in the family is working class, and from the clip you can see that he works hard for his money and is angry at the children as he thinks it is their fault that they don’t have much money. You can also see that he doesn’t where smart clothes, ‘work clothes’. He also doesn’t socialise much with his family, you can see that he is never in the same room as his daughter, showing that he doesn’t have a good relationship with her.

The lover is the opposite of the husband, he wears smart clothes and he also has a family car. In the morning he is the only person on the street that looks like he is rushing around, while everyone else seems quite calm. This is because he has a better paid job as it looks like he works in an office of some kind. While everyone else seems to be working class, and have lower paid jobs.

The wife in the clip seems to be the one in the family that does everything; she is the one that tells the kids what to do, as the husband doesn’t seem to be that bothered with the children, especially the daughter.

How is Tony represented

The establishing shot of the clip is a close up of Tony, it then zooms out slowly. We then see that he is lying in bed, his quilt cover is of a man and a women’s body, Tony is lying right in the middle of the images, this suggests that he is a bit unsure of his sexuality as he is in the middle of the two bodies. At this time Tony is lying in bed awake, and there are church bells in the background. His alarm then rings, as he is already awake it would seem that he is eager to wake up, which teenagers normally like to stay in bed. There is then some non-diegetic sound of music going on when he gets out of bed, he starts to do some exercise, such as press ups, weights etc. This is shown using jump shots, this is used to cut out all of the boring bits, as the audience wouldn’t want to see him doing this for 5 minutes, so jump shots are used to show the audience what he is doing, but it is shown quickly. Tony’s alarm then goes on his watch; he then opens the curtains and looks across the road to a woman in her window getting dressed. An over the shoulder view is used to show the audience what Tony is looking at. A wide angle shot is then used to show Tony in his window, he has the curtains fully open and he is staring at the women in his boxers, this shows that Tony is confident with his body and he doesn’t care if people see him.
We then see Effy, Tony’s sister, walking down the street, wearing clothes that expose her skin. Effy gets Tony’s attention and a high angle shot is used to look down onto Effy, this shows that she is younger and more vulnerable than Tony. There is then diegetic sound as Tony puts on his speakers, and you can start to hear a voice shouting in the background. The camera then keeps focusing on the door as you can tell that someone is going to walk through the door, Effy then sneaks into the house and into his bedroom. Her room is the opposite of Tony’s. Tony’s room is bright, even with the curtains drawn; it is also quite plain with only a few posters on the wall, whereas Effy’s room has more colour and life to it. Tony’s room is also very neat, there is nothing on the floor or in the wrong place, and his draw is also very neat, with all of his clothes set out neatly, whereas Effy’s room is messy, with clothes all over her bed and her quilt scrunched up on her bed. We can also see that Tony has a routine in the morning; we can see this as when his dad is shouting at him he says that this happens every morning. You can also see that when he gets out of his bed, he does his weights and other things and has his alarm set for when the women is getting ready, all of this shows that he his very organised. Also Tony likes to annoy his dad, we can see this as he laughs when his dad comes in his room and tells him to turn his music off. And also when he locks the bathroom door and jumps out of the window, you can see that he enjoys annoying his dad as he has a smile on his face when his dad realises what he has done.

Sound

Sound Motif - A sound effect or combination of sound effects that are associated with a particular character, setting, situation or idea throught the film. The use of a motif can help shape a story that requires many characters and locations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn94j5F5YLc&feature=related
This sound motif is used whenever darth vadar appears in a scene in star wars.

Parallel Sound - This is where the sound matches the actions that are on screen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHhLfIavW_8
Up until 03:42 the sound that is in the secen matches the actions that are on screen.

Contrapuntal Sound -This is where the sound doesn't match the action that is in the scene, opposite of what is on screen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYNgJ85mp_g
From 04:35 to 05:15 the music that is in the background doesn't match the action that James Bond is doing as it is a fast paced scene with a lot of action and fighting but the music is slow and quiet.

Direct Address - Direct address is when a character on screen directly adresses the audience for example a narrater in a film talks to the audience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=949_aHibqSY
In the trailer you see that the main character Alfie addresses the audience a number of times.