Be able to create a report in a media production context

Michael Tabansi

Btec Level 3 Diploma in Creative Media Production

Unit 2: Communication Skills for Creative Media Production

Assignment 2/LO2: Be able to extract information from written sources

I am the company researcher for O-B-T-V and I have been asked to produce a corporate promotional video for SFX College promoting the environment, the facilities and the staff/students. I think SFX should hire me because I know about branding and promotion. My target audience will be students from local schools, aged 15-16. The target audience is also for the parents of the above students because they would like to send their students here so it has to be a good look.

‘Promotion is a form of corporate communication that uses various methods to reach a targeted audience with a certain message in order to achieve specific organizational objectives’ (knowthis, 14/10/13). Promotion is important because it allows people to promote their business/product so that they can achieve their potential. It also allows them to reach their consumers through different forms of media so that they can get their attention. Promotion is also important because it allows the people promoting the product to persuade their customers that their product is the one to buy. ‘Promotion is the process of communicating with an organisation’s audiences’ (unison, 18/11/13). In order to make your product known, you have to be able to communicate with your audience so that they are likely to buy it and give good feedback about it.  What makes SFX different from different colleges is that it has a lot of multi-ethnic groups and it has a diverse people. SFX allows you to do your work and concentrate by having an LRC where you can use a computer or read books and watch films. SFX offers the students aged 15-18 a pleasant community where they will manage to make friends with a lot of different people.

In the corporate promotional video, I will be using the LRC and the Common Room to film. I will be using these locations to show the different types of people in the college and how people treat everyone equal and with respect. The LRC is where people work and do their studies so filming there will be useful as it will show people trying to work hard and achieve their best. Another location is the common room. This will show people that the students are friendly and like to interact with others.

In my corporate promotional video, I will be using examples of branding. For example, I may have someone talking in the video and their name will be shown in blue and white which are the colours of the SFX logo. Another example is to have my background colours blue and white to show that SFX is the best college to be at. Branding is important because it is a way of presenting what makes your offer different and fascinating than anyone else’s. ‘Any organisation can benefit enormously by creating a brand that represents the company as distinctive, trusted, exciting, reliable or whichever attributes are appropriate to that business’ (designcouncil, 25/11/13). If a brand can excite the consumers and be trusted, that brand is likely to do well in the market as people are liking the brand. This will also mean that the people already liking the brand could give their friends and family positive feedback which can means more people will choose to see your brand. If you advertise your brand in a way where a lot of people can see it, this can help to generate associations in people’s minds that will benefit the organisation. ‘If a company manages to establish a successful brand there will be a certain degree of brand/customer loyalty’ (Sivewright, Chris, (2000), Plymouth’. For my corporate video, branding will be used to make more people come to the college to learn and get their best grade possible. If parents viewing the video see that SFX is being shown in a good light, they would want their kids to go to the college as it will be a good place for their education.

                      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                

In the college, there are some values that are there in order to make the college maintain its high standard. SFX have a mission which is to ‘create the opportunity to share views and values in a secure and respectful setting’ (sfx, 25/11/13). This shows that everyone in the college has to respect other people’s views and values and cannot disrespect as the college does not tolerate that. At SFX, their aims are to prepare students for the challenges of making progress in a competitive world and to help and support the students to make sure they are making progress. This shows that the teachers and staff are showing value by helping the students in the college strive to their very best. This is good because if teachers are helping students strive for their best, a lot of parents would want to send their children to SFX as help will be given to achieve the best grade possible for that child.

Specific - It is specific because the video will show who is involved, what locations will be used and what I want to achieve in the video.

Measurable – This is when you know when your video has been accomplished. For example, if a lot of parents see the video and a lot of application forms come next year, I will know the video had inspired them.

Attainable – This is when you find out ways where your goals can come true and how to develop the skills to reach them. For example, in my video I will have to gather a lot of opinions and statistics to make people join SFX. Also, it will be attainable because I will have access to the equipment and the location.

Realistic – This is when your goal has to be realistic so that it can be met. For example, my video will not have irrelevant information or images in it as it wouldn’t be needed in the video. The video needs appropriate and relevant information/images because I have to keep the video realistic and also make sure that it reaches my target audience.

Timely – This is when you need to have a timeframe. For example, I would not want my video to be overly long as the viewers will most likely get bored. I would want to keep it short, snappy and have all the information needed to have more students at the college. I also have to make sure it is short because I have to make sure I stick to the deadline given.

The corporate promotional video that I am doing is below-the-line promotion. ‘Below the line promotion is a range of promotional techniques, such as personal selling, direct marketing and PR, over which firms direct (some) control’(Ashwin, A et al, 2008, pg 331). The video is below the line promotion because I am using advertising to reach my target audience. Even though it is set out for a specific target audience, anyone can view the video as it will be shown to the public. Above-the-line promotion can be reached out to the target audience quickly because it can be viewed from different sources. For example, if I had a poster of the SFX logo and website, people will be able to view it straightaway using their phones. It is also likely to have immediate impact of people because if it shown to them in their face, they are likely to think that the advertisement is good and has to be seen.

In conclusion to this, I have mentioned why promotion is important and why branding is important. I have also said what my video is going to have in it and what unique selling points it has. I have stated how to reach my goals for my video and how it is going to be advertised. The client should hire me because I have an aim to bring a lot of students to learn at SFX and get a good education there.

Bibliography

Knowthis: http://www.knowthis.com/promotion-decisions/what-is-promotion  (Accessed 14/10/13)

Unison: Businesscasestudies.co.uk/unison/using-promotion-to-campaign-for-public-services/promotion.html#axzz2jgvayce (Accessed 18/11/13)

Designcouncil: http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/resources-and-events/business-and-public-sector/guides/the-power-of-branding/ (Accessed 25/11/13)

Image1: http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/resources/images/816510.jpg%3Ftype%3DarticleLandscape&imgrefurl=http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/education/profiles/4076666.st_francis_xavier_college/&h=310&w=310&sz=16&tbnid=8SvRW37fKzB0nM:&tbnh=125&tbnw=125&zoom=1&usg=__k0nvTztFqB19JcoJZ2flnyEDFQc=&docid=fFeeMNO6F6sndM&sa=X&ei=rzuTUojWOpPwhQfKi4GQCw&ved=0CDEQ9QEwAA (Accessed 25/11/13)

Sfx:http://www.sfx.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=13 (Accessed 25/11/13).

Ashwin A, Merrills S, Thompson R, Machin R, 2008, Creative Media Production, Collins

Sivewright, C. (2000) 25 Key Topics In Marketing. Plymouth: Studymates

LO1 – Be able to extract information from written sources

Knowthis: http://www.knowthis.com/promotion-decisions/what-is-promotion  (Accessed 14/10/13)

‘Promotion is a form of corporate communication that uses various methods to reach a targeted audience with a certain message in order to achieve specific organizational objectives’

Unison: Businesscasestudies.co.uk/unison/using-promotion-to-campaign-for-public-services/promotion.html#axzz2jgvayce (Accessed 18/11/13)

Promotion is the process of communicating with an organisation’s audiences’

Designcouncil: http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/resources-and-events/business-and-public-sector/guides/the-power-of-branding/ (Accessed 25/11/13)

‘Any organisation can benefit enormously by creating a brand that represents the company as distinctive, trusted, exciting, reliable or whichever attributes are appropriate to that business’

Image1: http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/resources/images/816510.jpg%3Ftype%3DarticleLandscape&imgrefurl=http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/education/profiles/4076666.st_francis_xavier_college/&h=310&w=310&sz=16&tbnid=8SvRW37fKzB0nM:&tbnh=125&tbnw=125&zoom=1&usg=__k0nvTztFqB19JcoJZ2flnyEDFQc=&docid=fFeeMNO6F6sndM&sa=X&ei=rzuTUojWOpPwhQfKi4GQCw&ved=0CDEQ9QEwAA (Accessed 25/11/13)

 

Sfx:http://www.sfx.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=13 (Accessed 25/11/13).

‘Create the opportunity to share views and values in a secure and respectful setting’

Ashwin A, Merrills S, Thompson R, Machin R, 2008, Creative Media Production, Collins

 ‘Below the line promotion is a range of promotional techniques, such as personal selling, direct marketing and PR, over which firms direct (some) control’

Sivewright, C. (2000) 25 Key Topics in Marketing. Plymouth: Studymates

If a company manages to establish a successful brand there will be a certain degree of brand/customer loyalty

Be able to extract information from written sources

                                                       Michael Tabansi                                                                                             Unit 1

Mr Shepherd                                                                                  Assignment 1

Btec Level 3 Diploma in Creative Media Production

Unit 1: Pre-production Techniques for the Creative Media Industries

LO1 – Understand requirements for a specific media production.

 

I have been issued a task which is to produce a promotional programme. We have been hired by SFX to make the programme and all costs are being paid by SFX. To produce this programme, we will need resources and equipment which I will explain in detail.

To create this production, we will need a camera person. A camera person is someone who controls a variation of cameras to record video film. The camera person works with the directors, technicians and the people performing. This is so that cameraman can examine the creative sides to the filming with the other people. The cameraman also works similarly with the lighting crew (if there is one) so that they can strengthen the shot or the scene. Some of the equipment that a cameraman has is lenses, film, batteries, tripod, remote control and more. A camera needs lenses so that the light that bounces off an object can make a real photo. It also needs batteries to charge the camera and it also needs a tripod so that is has something to stand on. A tripod is also useful as you will not need to carry it around.  For the production, to hire a cameraman will be £180 for a half day rate and for a full day rate it will be £250(dvcamerahire, 30/09/13). To hire their equipment for a day will cost £120 and for the week it will be £450(newdaypictures, 30/09/13). The camera I have chosen is the ‘Canon XF3058        Complete Shooting Kit’. I have chosen this camera because it has HD quality and it comes with batteries and a tripod. I also chose this camera because it has HD which means shots will become much clearer.

To create this production, we will need a director. A director has to make sure they have the vision to see how a script is acted out. The director works with the producer and the writers. They all work together so that they can develop the ideas they all have. The director has to make sure that the people who are acting stick to the script they are given. Another job of the director is to decide when a scene has been filmed enough times and also to organise everything behind the camera. The director also helps the editor put together the production. They also have to make sure they sit down with the person who controls the music as the director will help the person doing that to put different music to different scenes. A director can be sourced at shooting.people.co.uk. Their prices can vary

To create this production, we will need an editor. An editor removes out anything that doesn’t seem right in the production. The editor edits anything that seems wrong or even edits to make things better. An editor works with the sound editors to make sure sight and sound gets brought together. To be an editor, you have to have the time to look through hours of footage and correcting different mistakes. Sometimes the editor could make trips to the location of the filming to have a rough idea of how the shooting will go. They also have to go through the footage once the shooting has done so that they can select the scenes that they need to keep or get rid of. If whatever the people are making have a time limit, the editor has to get rid of any bits so that they do not run over time or have any unnecessary footage. As well as this, they do have to select the correct shots to make sure it tells the story of their production. A piece of equipment that an editor can use is Final Cut Pro. This is an editing software that allows the editor to edit and process shots that have been transferred onto a hard-drive. Final Cut Pro 10 can be found on the Apple Store for a price of $299. To hire an editing suite, it will cost £80 for the day and £290 for the week (newdaypictures, 21/10/13). This includes Final Cut Pro 7, Apple MacBook Pro, a Widescreen (17”) and an external hard drive. You can hire an editor at shootingpeople.co.uk

Another person that you will need to do this production is a photographer. A photographer takes photos to catch moments in a way where it appeals to the audience. They take photos of shots of the locations that they are working at. There are different types of photography but the one we are working with is promotional photography. This is photography that is to advertise something to appeal the audience. You will need a photographer because as well as seeing shots on videos, it is also good to see it through photos because you can have an idea of what is going wrong and what is going right. Photographers need to have a memory card so that they can store all the photos that they have taken so that they do not get lost. They will also need a camera bag so that all their gear is protected from any danger and they are also easy to carry around. Another piece of equipment is a Tripod and Ball Head. This is useful because it will make your camera steady when taking photos. To hire a photographer for the day, it will cost £399(trupixgalleries, 15/10/13). A camera that is good for a photographer is the ‘New Genuine Nixon DSLR SLR Camera Tripod 65” Length with Ball Head’ which can be brought from Ebay (ebay, 21/10/13). You can hire the             DSLR camera and its equipment from (http://www.dvcamerahire.co.uk/dslr_hire.html).

In this production, a producer will be needed. ‘Producers have overall control on every aspect of a film's production, bringing together and approving the selection of the whole production team. ‘Their primary responsibility is to foster an environment in which the creative talents of the cast and crew can flourish’ (creativeskillset, 29/09/13). The producers are part of the development department because they select the screenwriter and the people who edit the story. They are also part of the pre-production department because they have to bring together the important crew members. They also approve of locations, scripts, production schedule and more. The recce is where the people on set go to the location to see if it is suitable for everyone. The script is the lines of what people say at different times which is produced by the screenwriter and the production schedule is a plan that tells you how the day goes and what needs doing. Producers also have to negotiate things with the director and post production departments.

I will be using a few locations such as the LRC and the Common Room. The reason I will be using these locations is to see how people are in these locations. In the LRC, you will find people purchasing books, writing down notes and using the computers. This is because the LRC is a place for people to learn and achieve their potential. I will also be using the Common Room as one of my locations. This is to see how people make new friends there and how people feel when they are in there. There are some risks when filming these locations. An example of this would be the Common Room. If we were to film and lunch time (where it is most packed), a lot of people will be standing up and walking around which means the camera used could fall down and break. I think it would be best to film maybe after college as less people will be there. Another example is the LRC. In the LRC, you are not allowed to speak so we would have to get supervision from the librarian to allow us to ask the students questions.

For this video production, we need to do something called a Recce. This is a pre-production visit to a potential location that you are to use for a video production. The location has to be assessed to see if it is suitable for the scene/shots that are required. It is also used to test sound and visuals. When picking a location, you need to make sure that there are no health and safety issues. You have to also sign a form to allow you to shoot on that particular location. You will have to get permission from the government and the person who owns the location. You also have to think about the location in terms of noise and weather. You will not want to use a location that is dangerous as it is a health and safety issue and equipment can get damaged. Also, you are not going to use a location if builders and drilling and making noise because this can affect the production. We also have to make sure that the distance is close because it would be pointless having to travel far to film shots when there can be closer locations. The reason why it is good that the distance is close is so that there is more time to film shots and improve them if needed. In a recce, the sound person, location scout and camera operator goes to the recce. The sound person goes to the recce to find out whether the sound is good there. For example, if there is wind there, the sound person will recognise it as people will not be able to speak clearly. A location scout goes to a recce to decide whether the location is suitable to use. They also look for different locations before using their location to have a sheet of locations to use. The last person on a recce is a camera operator. The camera operator goes to a recce to take test shots and test the lighting.

The promotional production that I am doing will have an onscreen graphic that tells the audience who is speaking. This is going to be created by using Final Cut Pro X which is video production software. I also have chosen to use a script in the making of the production because there might be questions that need to be asked when we speak to people around the college. The script will be there to help us what questions we are going to ask to the people.

Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the UK’s independent regulator of advertising across all media. They have to make sure whatever they say or do is honest, legal, truthful and decent. When working, they look at the complaints that they have been given as well as checking the media to take action. They have an aim to make a success of regulating online ads. The ASA have to be consistent, reliable, ethical, fair and respectful towards anything they do. They have to show that they are not afraid when they make mistakes and they have to believe in one another. They also have procedures and standards which are;

‘Being accessible to members of the public and the advertising industry

Resolving complaints without undue delay, whilst recognising that complex complaints can take longer than the average

Being effective in meeting the needs of our customers, whether members of the public or industry

Delivering a high quality and professional service

Being open about our procedures and our decision making, and accountable for our performance’ (asa, 15/10/13)

An example of breaking the ASA’s rules is for example, if you are advertising the newest alcohol in the shop. If you aim the alcohol advertisement to anyone under 18, that is not allowed because the law is that anyone under 18 cannot drink. The advertisement could influence the under 18’s to drink which is not allowed. The people watching have the right to file complaint so it’s best not to have anything harmful or offensive in the advert. To ensure that you keep their rules, you have to make sure that your advertisement is truthful and it doesn’t contain any explicit actions.

Original Material is material you use that is made from you and not anyone else. The materials I will be using are made from my own resources. Another type of material is archive material which is material you have to pay for. In a production, it is useful to use a song that is not yours to make the production better and interesting. I will be using a songs from the music library. These songs will illustrate the different scenes. Having a talent is someone who is in front of the camera and is the actor for the product. In this video, I will have a voice-over which is performed by the talent. They can be found from ‘castingcallpro.com’. The talent will take part in interviews but must also be able to talk loud and confidently. In this corporate video, there could be a first year student. This is because they have just only come to the college so we would want to hear their opinions of the college as they have only just come. A second year student could also be in the video because they have already completed one year so they can give us their feedback on how their first year went and give any tips for people in first year now and people who are entering first year next year. Lastly, a teacher could be in the corporate video because they teach at the college so they could give opinions on the students they teach and any experiences they have had whilst teaching. All of these people’s opinions are very relevant because they are all members of the college so it is good to find out what they think. It is useful to have the equipment you are using at the same time as the personnel’s because it means more work can get done for the production. The deadline for the production is April 2014 and it is important that I leave space to clear any archive material. All the people acting in the performance have to sign a release form which gives you the rights to use their performance in the production.  

Bibliography –

Creativeskillset: http://www.creativeskillset.org/film/jobs/production/article_3876_1.asp (Accessed 29/09/13)

Dvcamerahire: http://www.dvcamerahire.co.uk/hire_a_cameraoperator.html (Accessed 30/09/13)

Newdaypictures: http://www.newdaypictures.com/Video_Camera_Hire.html (Accessed 30/09/13)

Trupixgalleries: http://www.trupixgalleries.co.uk/items166.html (Accessed 15/10/13)

Asa:  http://www.asa.org.uk/About-ASA/Our-mission.aspx (Accessed 15/10/13)

Newdaypictues: http://www.newdaypictures.com/Laptop_Hire.html (Accessed 21/10/13)

Ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brand-New-Genuine-Nikon-DSLR-SLR-Camera-Tripod-65-length-with-Ball-Head-/161114331698 (Accessed 21/10/13)

Curry’s: http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/cameras/digital-cameras/dslr-cameras/344_3757_31522_xx_xx/xx-criteria.html

Castingcallpro: http://www.castingcallpro.com/uk/ (Accessed 25/11/13

Understand developing technologies in the television and film industries

Michael Tabansi                                                                                               Ms Ahmadian

Btec Level 3 Diploma Creative Media Production

Unit 8: Understanding the TV and film industries

Assignment/LO4: Understand developing technologies in the television and film industries

                              

I am writing a report for Media Magazine on my understanding of the technologies that have impacted the film and TV industries. My role is to explore the different areas in the film and TV industries comprehensively explaining and using well developed examples and illustrative images. The technologies in the film and TV that have been impacted consist of; Satellite, Cable, Analogue, Digital, Film-Based, Interactive, Internet, High Definition, Consumer Products, Streaming Content, On-Demand Viewing, Digital Recorders and Pay Per View.

A type of technology that has been impacted in the TV industry is Satellite TV. ‘Satellite TV is a broadcasting service which allows subscribers to receive television signals through a dish-shaped receiver unit’ (wisegeek, 19/11/13). Satellite television gets delivered through satellites that orbit the Earth in space. If a household has a satellite dish, they are able to get programming from different providers. These providers can consist of; Sky, Virgin, Freesat, BT and more. Satellite television is a wireless system so it means that television programmes will be delivered directly to the viewer’s house. Nowadays, you will see a lot of satellite dishes placed above a lot of houses but when it first came out, people had to go through a lot of hassle to get a dish placed above their home. When it comes to satellite TV companies, they are tempting a lot of consumers as they have a range of things to watch such as movies, sporting events and daily news from different countries of the world. Nowadays, people who are satellite TV customers get their programming through direct broadcast satellite (DBS). Direct broadcast satellite is a service that allows you to receive subscription television from a high powered satellite. Different direct broadcast satellites can be DirecTv or DISH Network. The role of a direct broadcast satellite to select programmes and broadcast it to the subscribers as well as to bring a lot of channels to their television. An advantage about satellite are that the dishes are small so this means they can be installed easily. Because it can be installed easily, it means that the person who is installing the dish can find the best place to install it so it can pick up signal. Small satellite dishes also improve the picture when watching television. If you are high definition user, it means that the viewers can watch their programmes in good quality. A disadvantage about satellite TV is the fact that it is related to the weather forecast. Because satellite TV works on digital signals, if the weather is bad, it’s likely that you will lose signal meaning that you will not be able to view your channels unless the weather changes.

 

Another type of technology that has been impacted in the TV industry is Cable TV. ‘Cable television was developed in the late 1940's for communities unable to receive TV signals because of terrain or distance from TV stations’ (fcc.gov, 5/12/13). The people who operated the cable television system placed antennas in the areas that had good reception. From there, the antennas would have picked up broadcast station signals which is good for the operators as they would now distribute them to the subscribers for a price. In the 1940’s, people had to put antennas on hills and run cables to their houses so that they can fix their reception problem. ‘Today, U.S. cable systems deliver hundreds of channels to some 60 million homes, while also providing a growing number of people with high-speed Internet access’ (howstuffworks, 5/12/13). Because cable system is now advanced, the cable systems now can allow you to make telephone calls. The advantage about cable TV is that unlike satellite TV, it will not cut out if there is bad weather. This means that cable TV provides consistent service as there wouldn’t be any problems unless something like a cable has been tripped. Also with cable TV, you can save a lot of money due to bundling. Bundling is a ‘marketing strategy that joins products or services together in order to sell them as a single combined unit’ (investopedia, 5/12/13). Cable TV comes services such as internet and phone and this means that it will save a lot more money as it will be all in one single bill. A disadvantage to cable TV is that say internet was part of your package, you will have less privacy when on the internet. This is because the internet with cable TV comes with an IP address that does not change. Because it doesn’t change, people are able to track your visits to their websites.

 

Another type of technology that has been impacted in the TV industry is Analogue TV. ‘Analogue television in the United Kingdom includes terrestrial, satellite and cable services broadcasting using analogue television signals’ (en.wikipedia, 5/12/13). Analogue was the method most people in the UK used to receive television. With analogue television, you could only view BBC 1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5. Right now, there is no more analogue television as television will broadcast in digital only. Old analogue television signals have all been switched off and the viewers were made to upgrade their TV to make sure they receive digital signals. Analogue was switched off because the government felt that switching off analogue TV will let the viewers have different services such as viewing television shows in high definition. They also felt to take it off because it was like an update to modern day society where you can experience new things when watching television.

Analogue TV was replaced by Digital TV. ‘Digital Television (DTV) is an advanced broadcasting technology that has transformed the television viewing experience.’(fcc.gov, 5/12/13). Digital TV allows the viewers to watch television with better picture and sound quality and have a wider range of channels to watch. This was why the industry converted from analogue to digital because viewers had a better way of watching TV. The industry also converted because digital TV now allows you to interact with the service. With digital TV, you can interact with the menus to find what television channel you would like to watch. With digital TV, you can also listen to radio channels on your television. Analogue TV was as simple as it had less channels and a remote control that allowed you to turn the television on and off but now with digital TV it is different. Remotes nowadays with digital TV allow you to pause, fast forward, rewind and record. So for example, if you are out somewhere, you can record your favourite television content. Analogue TV had to be converted because people had better access to things when viewing their television and it made life easier for others. Digital TV may be good when viewing but it usually becomes bad when it comes to equipment and signal. Before digital TV, all you needed was an antenna but now that it has been upgraded, you will need a set top box. The set top box is quite expensive as you will have to be paying for that and for channels and more. Another disadvantage of digital TV is when it loses signal. When it was analogue TV, most of the time the TV picture was bad so everyone was used to it but if it was to occur on digital TV, people would be more upset as it is new and upgraded. If signal is lost with digital TV, channels would be lost and no picture would be shown as there would be a black screen.

 

 

In the film and TV industry, the Internet has played a big part as there has been many changes. A site named YouTube was founded in 2005 and it is a video sharing website where you can watch and upload videos. We also have Internet Movie Database (IMDB) which has all the information that is related to film and television programmes. A reason why the internet has a big role in the film and television industry is because these two sites have something in common. When a new film or television programme or upcoming episode is about to be released, YouTube and IMDB will have videos of a trailer where people can view what is going to happen. For some people, it is good because it leaves them with a bit of extra information before watching the full thing but for people like producers it will not be good. It won’t be good for producers because to them, it should have been a secret and this ends up spoiling the suspense about that film or programme but if it is a trailer, then there is nothing wrong with that because it allows the audience to preview what they are going to watch. This is called a spoiler. ‘The term spoiler was introduced in the early days of the internet, on the internet, and is often associated with specialist internet sites and in newsgroup postings’ (Wikipedia, 10/12/13). The internet has changed television in a positive way though as the internet can allow you to watch an episode of something that you have missed. An example of this is the BBC IPlayer. The BBC IPlayer is an internet television that allows you to watch programmes featured on the BBC. If you have missed a particular programme that you like, you can go onto the BBC IPlayer and watch what you have missed for no cost. The internet has made this change in a positive way because it allows viewers to catch up on programmes they have missed maybe due to work, or events. The internet can allow people to watch programmes and films as they can download apps where they can watch the latest shows. An example would be Sky Go. By just simply logging into your Sky account on your iPhone or iPad, you can watch different types of programmes from sports, movies, discovery, kids and more. The internet has changed the film industry in a negative way because you can watch films for that free that are in the cinema on different streaming sites. YouTube do this as well but sometimes, YouTube will remove that film because it has been copyrighted. There is something called internet piracy which is when people use the internet to copy software and pass it to different people in an illegal way. On the internet, people will put up pirate copies of films and upload it onto YouTube but the video will get taken down as it is copyrighted. The internet has allowed people to watch films online for free when the films are out in the cinema to be paid for. This is bad for the producers of the film because they are losing money because their films that they make are published online for free. Because of this, producers will have less money to try and build on something better. An advantage for producers when it comes to internet is that they get to view how many views they get for their film and shows that get published on the internet. This is allows them to see how many people like what they have produced.

Everyone viewing television used to view it with Standard Definition but now that has been upgraded to High Definition. ‘High definition (HD or HDTV) is a different standard of digital television broadcasting which offers sharper, more detailed pictures and surround sound’(channel4, 10/12/13). When you watch something in HD, the picture will become sharp and clear as you are watching. To have HD channels, you will need a HD set top box receiver or a HD ready television set. These two will allow you to experience watching programmes in high definition. High Definition and Standard Definition are different as they both require separate broadcast streams from each other. At the moment, HD have two formats which are 720p and 1080i. Most channels are that are featured in HD are 1080. This is good because it means that channel can show the highest form of high definition image. High definition is considered better as standard definition because it has better picture quality because of its high resolution. Because of the high resolution, it makes the screen wider which ensures that the picture quality can be more noticeable. Another advantage of HD is that they do not just have HD television. There are HD DVD’s, there are also Blu Ray films that allow you to watch films in high definition and HDMI wires. These are all good for the customers as they can watch films in good quality and with the HDMI wire, they can connect it to their laptop/computer and then to their HD TV and then they can view whatever they are viewing from the laptop/computer to the television. The disadvantage about HD is simply that it costs a lot of money. HD televisions are quite expensive and if you were to get HD programming, it would be even more expensive because companies charge monthly payments for HD programming. Also, even if you have a HD television, you will still need to by the set top box so that is more money included. Producers are at an advantage because more people feel much better if they watch a film with good quality so it means they will get more money as more people will buy it. No one wants to watch a film where it is not clear so if films are in HD or on Blu Ray, more people will watch it. On the other hand, producers are at a disadvantage because it means they have to make sure that film has good quality in order for it to sell. If the film is not in HD, some people may not purchase the film because it doesn’t match their quality standard.

 

 

Another type of technology that has been impacted in the film and TV industry is Pay-per-view. Pay-per-view provides a one off entertainment show for paying customers. A pay-per-view provides a service where the paying customers can purchase. When purchasing a pay-per-view, you have the ability to watch movies or events at a time of your choice because you are in control of purchasing it. For example, a WWE wrestling event could be starting at Sunday night and end on the Saturday after. From that Sunday night to that Saturday after, it is entirely up to you to watch that event anytime as you long as you have paid. But of course, once that the event is finished on the Saturday, it can no longer be viewed on anymore. When you pay for these events, the bill will come separately from the rest of services you pay. When ordering a pay-per-view, it can be done by on the phone or the television remote. From 1998 onwards, that is when Sky allowed viewers to pay for pay-per-views using their remote. This way can be good for some as it is a quick method and does not waste time. Sometimes ordering an event via the remote can be at an advantage because it means you can record the event so it means you can watch it for longer. In the UK, viewers can access pay-per-view events with Sky Box Office. Sky Box Office is Sky’s pay-per-view system where events can be brought for a fee. Pay-per-view has changed the way we view television because we have control of what we want to watch. Before Sky Box Office was released, we could only watch what was there but now, if we don’t want to watch something, we do not have to pay for it as it might not interest the person. Viewers can now save a bit of money because channels they do not want, they can easily not subscribe to them as it is their choice. The producers can be affected with what they produce. This is because people watching can actually copy the moves that are seen. Although they have terms and conditions and policies, people still sometimes copy what they see and can get hurt. If this was too happen, the producers tend to get the blame as they are showing this to the audience.

 

Another type of technology that has been impacted in the film and TV industry is Digital Recorders. Digital recorders are devices that allow you to record programmes and films. Along with this, the digital recorder allows you to pause and rewind live television as well as fast forwarding recorded programmes and films. Sky is famously known for creating Sky+ which was released in 2002. Because of its services that it provides, ‘as of September 2009, there were 5.9 million customers with Sky+’ (Wikipedia, 12/12/13). This shows that a lot of people had to upgrade as in the past, they could only watch it once and that was it. In the past, if you missed a programme that was it as there weren’t any recording services back then. Sky+ has helped a lot of people because if they are working or at college when their favourite programme is on, they can simply record it and watch it at any time they want. Sky+ also have something called series link which allows you to record a series and it will continue to record every week until the series is done. This saves a lot of time for people as they do not need to wait every week just to record that episode. With Sky+, you cannot record two programmes at the same time. For you two record two programmes you would have to:

1)    Watch one of the programmes recorded live

2)    Watch a programme that is already on your Sky+ Planner

3)    Leave both programmes to record but turn off the television

Sky+ customers can also record programmes from their telephone if they were to miss a programme. If you wanted a programme added to your Sky+ planner, you can download an app called Sky By Mobile or you can send a message to sky telling them what programme you want to record, what channel it is on and what time it is coming on. The producer has a benefit when it comes to digital recorders because if someone was to record Britain’s Got Talent and watch Strictly Come Dancing, producers from both channels will get views as they are both getting viewed. The disadvantage about digital recorders for the audience is that they might forget to record the programme they are going to miss, especially if it is a one off. The disadvantage about digital recorders for the producers is that if someone is recording two programmes at a time and nothing is on their planner to watch, the person has to delete one meaning that person that deleted show will lose the show views.

Another type of technology that has been impacted in the film and TV is On Demand Viewing. On Demand Viewing is streaming that allows you to watch programmes and films whenever they want. An example of on demand viewing is ITV Player. ITV player is an on demand programme that shows programmes from different ITV channels that you can view at any time of your choice. People who use on demand access have the ability to pause, fast forward and rewind when watching. An advantage about on demand viewing is that you can access it on mobile phones such as iPhone’s and tablets such as iPads. So if you are out and you have the app, you are able to view programmes and films on your mobile. Sky is famously known for on demand as it is shown when accessing your TV guide. Sky has on demand which allows you to watch the latest films and television programmes. You can then record these films and store them onto your planner and this means you can watch that film or programme until you delete it or it says “Last Chance” as the programme or film will be deleted off the on demand list. For Sky customers who have a Sky+ HD 2TB box, the on demand is slightly different as it is a big advantage for the customers. Sky customers with that box allows you to not only watch the latest films and programmes but also allow you to catch up on programmes from the last seven days. You are also allowed to watch TV Box Sets which allow you to watch back to back episodes of TV series whenever you feel like it. This is an advantage for the audience because you are able to view it whenever you want so there is no pressure to watch it. Having catch up on television is an advantage because if you missed something, you are able to catch up on it without having to worry. A disadvantage of on demand viewing on the internet is that the stream might buffer which tends to make everything slow every few minutes. A disadvantage of on demand viewing on television is that sometimes your favourite film and television programme might not be available to watch OR the film or programme has expired.

 

 

 

 

Another type of technology that has been impacted in the film and TV industry is Content Streaming. ‘Streaming media is video and/or audio data transmitted over a computer network for immediate playback rather than for file download and later (offline) playback’ (compnetworking, 16/12/13). The web user does not have to download a file as the media gets sent in continuous stream that is played as it arrives. Streaming content allows you to watch something on the internet from someone on the internet around different places of the world. An example of streaming content can be BBC iPlayer. BBC iPlayer streams television programmes shown on the BBC. When people have missed a programme, they can go onto the BBC iPlayer and catch up on it. On the BBC iPlayer website, it allows you to pick what programmes you want to watch from different BBC channels such as; BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three and more. A good thing about BBC iPlayer is that you can find programmes into different categories. Instead of searching, you can simply find whatever you want to watch when going through the categories. This saves time. Streaming has affected the audience because it now allows them to view programmes whenever they want because the programme will always be there for them. Another type of content streaming is Netflix. Netflix allows you to watch movies and TV episodes for 1 month free but after that, you have to start paying monthly. Most people will watch these episodes and films via their laptop or computer but Netflix can also be watched from internet connected devices such as Xbox, DVD and Blu-Ray players. Streaming content is an advantage for producers because streaming sites like Netflix pay the producers to let their films and TV episodes on their website. A disadvantage for the audience when it comes to streaming content is that once you come off the stream, you have to load it again which wastes time. Downloads are different because it is there already but with streaming, it has to load once you have gone off it and sometimes it may buffer which results in refreshing. Producers are at a disadvantage sometimes when it comes to Netflix. Before you start paying to watch these films, you get a 30 day trial. Most people do not want to pay so they cancel the memebership before the 30 days are over. This means the producer loses £5.99 each person does that. It’s bad for the producers because they are losing money when they are publishing new films for people to watch.

Signup.Netflix, accessed 16/12/13 This photo is the homepage of Netflix. Before watching movies and TV episodes, you have access to start your free month before paying £5.99 a month.

Another type of technology that has been impacted in the TV industry is Interactive TV. Interactive TV allows the audience to interact with television in many ways such as Sky when using the red button. For example, when Champions League football comes on, Sky users are able to press the red button to watch the other Champions League games. This is useful because it allows users to watch other games instead of having to find streaming links online. The red button can also be used for the BBC. The BBC has different stories which are split up into different categories. When using the interactive button, you are able to view the different stories you want to read about or watch about. Producers have a big advantage when it comes to interactive TV because shows such as X-Factor give them a chance to make money. This is done by shows showing maybe a product of something persuading the audience to purchase it. Interactive TV allows viewers to vote for who they want to win and for them to do this; they have to phone up and pay to vote. An example of interactive TV is the channel Syfy. On Syfy, you can access behind the scene images as well as join conversations with other people on the website. This is useful because it allows you to interact with the website getting new information about the latest shows. It also allows you to interact with other people and discuss topics that you both enjoy. A disadvantage about interactive TV is that it has no monitoring system. This means a young child could view something that they are not allowed to see because interactive TV has no privacy settings that blocks young people viewing explicit content.

			Google Image 6, accessed 16/12/13 This is a photo of the BBC interactive system. As you can see, it is split into different categories so it is your choice to pick what you want to watch.

 

Another type of technology that has been developed in the film industry is Film Based Technologies. When it comes to film based technologies, it is all about technologies that have been developed and how they improved film making. A type of film based technology is Computer Generated Imagery (CGI). ‘Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics (or more specifically, 3D computer graphics) to special effects’ (sciencedaily, 17/12/13). CGI is used in films and it’s used for visual effects to make sure the quality of the film is better. An example of a film that has had CGI animation is Toy Story. Toy Story was made three times starting from 1995, 1999 and 2010. CGI was used for the last Toy Story to ensure that the film have better quality and looked realistic enough for the viewers. CGI is one of the main reasons why most films make the blockbusters. This is because the CGI artists are experienced and they know how to make the visuals of the film inspiring. Audiences are affected in a positive way because it means they get to see the latest film in better quality. It means when they are watching, it makes them feel like they are in the movie. Because of this, it allows the producers to make more money as more people will go and watch the film.

			Firstshowing Image, accessed 17/12/13 This is image is the difference of the two pictures of the Hulk. The first photo is a shot from the first trailer and the second photo is the upgraded CGI. In the upgraded CGI photo, the Hulk’s hair is more detailed and the green is lighter in the second photo. What is clearly obvious is that in the CGI photo, you can see the ripped piece of clothing on his body.

 

 Another film based technology is 3D Animation. When it comes to 3D in film, its aim is to add stereoscopic vision. Stereoscopic vision is when ‘Your brain fuses the two images together allowing you to see in three dimensions’ (physics, 17/12/13). When seeing the two images, your left eye sees more of the objects on the left hand side and your right eye sees more of the objects on the right hand side. This is to make sure that people watching the 3D film can see two separate images, one on each eye. 3D in film requires you to wear glasses so that it makes out that the scenes are actually in front of you. Producers use creative imagination when it comes to 3D because they want to make sure that the people watching want to feel that they are actually there in the film. When wearing glasses for 3D films, the glasses will have blue and red filters. The red filter is there to let light through your left eye and the blue filter will let light through your right eye. 3D will be then created from this as your brain will combine these two different images. 3D affects the audience in a positive way because it allows them to experience the film with better quality and allows them to make them feel they are in the film. 3D allows the action in the film to be right in their face so it means it is impossible for them to miss anything. The producers who make the 3D films make money already because more people would rather watch films in 3D than normal SD but they make even more because 3D films always have a high price so the more people who watch it, the more money they get. This means 3D movies are profitable because extra money is made as there is better quality in the film. It means both the audience and producer are at advantage because money is made for the producers and the audience get to experience the film in a different format.

In conclusion, I have learnt about how different technologies have been impacted in the film and TV industry. I have learnt how people used to view television before on demand and interactive TV was introduced. I have also learnt how producers can earn money from television shows as some shows allow you to interact. I think that is good that there are digital recorders as it allows people not to miss their favourite programmes and catch up on anything they have missed. I have also learnt about how producers use CGI to ensure that films look more realistic and people are fascinated about the scenes they are looking at.

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