Institutions America Vs UK

Lesson Objective:

To conduct research on two American and two British film institutions.

Stages of film production & Areas to be studied

The Life of a Film

US Institutions: Conglomerates 20th Century Fox Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Universal Studios Paramount Pictures Columbia Pictures Sony Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures

British Film Institutions

BBC Films British Lion Films Ealing Studios Film4 Productions Pinewood Studios Hammer Film Productions Ltd. Working Title Films

Main things to consider

Media ownership Synergy & cross media convergence Local & Global Audiences Digital technology Proliferation of hardware Technological convergence

Task Conduct research into TWO US Film Institutions and

TWO British Film Institutions. For each try and find the following information:1. Media ownership- what other media companies are

owned by the same company? How much is the company worth?

2. Synergy & cross media convergence- how are different parts of the company used throughout the life of a film (from funding to exchange)?

3. THREE recent Films it’s produced - their budget and box office earnings

How do the US companies compare to the British ones?

20th Century Fox

Have a look at the example provided.

Definitions:

Synergy is the term used to describe a situation where different entities cooperate advantageously for a final outcome. Simply defined, it means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

It’s the ‘strategy of synchronising and actively forging connections between directly related areas of entertainment’.

New Technologies support this process – web, dvd, downloading. Media institution exploit various platforms to sell various products related to one film (e.g. film and soundtrack and video game).

Symbiosis is the linking up of various companies to make profits from one product

Definitions:

Convergence is the process by which a range of media platforms are integrated within a single piece of media technology.

For example the new X Box 360 is a games console, a DVD player, an internet modem.

The iphone is a phone, a camera, a video camera, an mp3 player, an FM radio, a games console, a web browser, a palmtop computer.

This demonstrates ‘convergence’ of a wide range of technologies.

Media institutions recognise that audiences enjoy using converged technology, want to consume media in a variety of different ways (including ‘on the go’) and provide short form content for downloading eg video clips, trailers, music videos, jingles, wallpapers, music tracks etc