G322 INTRODUCTION TO THE FILM INDUSTRY

Section B of your media exam for module B322 is on Institutions and Audiences.
This means Hollywood and national cinema (institutions) and the distribution of films.
It also means considering global, international, national and niche audiences, as well as you and your generation (audiences).

We look at Hollywood the Big Six and Dalecki's 4S megafranchise model: 

• The 'big 6' Hollywood studios chase mass mainstream audiences often with formulaic films that Dalecki called 'the 4S megafranchise model' (synergy, story, spectacle, sequalization). Hollywood is renowned for producing blockbusters with strong narratives, often part of a sequel, usually with larger than life characters, using exciting, complex sets often in exotic or extravagant locations
• Distributors target audiences via an interconnected web of companies which all promote the film as a package of products. This is synergy (Give as many details as possible from our Case study Avengers and from Disney's Frozen).

By contrast, we look at national cinema and how British films may lean towards social issues, with a focus on individuals, such as Ken Loach's I, Daniel Blake
Working Title Films such as The Theory of Everything

• You  offered examples of British film such as The Imitation Game 
• Working Title productions capitalize successfully on a particular vision of Britain that is readily marketable internationally, such as literary adaptations (Tinker Tailor), period drama/ history (Mary Queen Of Scots 2014) , romcom (About Time), humour (Jonny English and World's End), characters (Legend, Rush) . Bridget Jones's Baby (2014) illustrates how WT uses Hollywood model of sequels, unsurprising as its parent company is Universal.

Our aim is to cover all aspects of the OCR specification for G322 Section B:

Audiences essay 18.12.12
Media Ownership essay 23.04.13
Impact of ownership on range of products available 29.03.15
Impact of digital technology on film industry 07.12.12

G322 INTRODUCTION TO AUDIENCE THEORY

Why do audiences consume media texts? We look at different models of audience behaviour. Mediaknowall will remind you of what we discussed.

• The uses and gratifications model of audience behaviour (Blumler and Katz, 1974)
• The media effects (hypodermic syringe) model
• The two-step flow model

In your exam, you must refer to your own media consumption. You also must refer to trends. The two may well go together as young people are often early adopters of new technology.
The OCR specification requires you to mention:

In class, you offer examples of your own film consumption, such as Netflix and online viewing, as well as what draws you into cinemas. You will need to offer specific examples, such as 

• specific trailers drawing you in, 
• VFX in Hollywood blockbusters, 
• picking sequels such as The Hunger Games, LOTR, The Avengers, Bond,
• what you watch online.