What is cross-media convergence and synergy?
The answer below is from the OCR media studies helpline. This is the LINK HERE.
After reading the response from OCR's media studies subject officer Rob Carlton and the additional points, decide how you could develop this into an exam answer using all our case studies.
16:11, 5th May 2011
This is my take on it. Any comments or additions are welcome.
Technological convergence refers to the
process where new technology is moving towards single platforms
delivering multiple media outputs that can be used to reach audiences,
for example, a PS3's primary function is video gaming but you can
download and watch movies from Lovefilm.com on it and also watch catch
up TV and music videos.
Convergent technology is technology that allows an audience to consume more than one type of media from a single platform.
Lots of aspects of the internet e.g. social
networking, YouTube, online editions of newspapers and magazines are
convergent but candidates cannot quote the internet as the sole aspect
of their answer. Their answer needs to be linked into the media area
they are talking about (Film, Music, Magazines, Newspapers, Radio, Video
Games). E.g if they were talking about newspapers you could link in to
their online editions and talk about how this differs from the
traditional paper version and the opportunities it presents or if
talking about film, candidates could, for example, point to facebook
campaigns advertising a film or viral marketing spread via the internet. (JMM: Since May 2011, independent film makers with smaller budgets have a growing range of online options available for marketing and self-distribution. This trend includes iTunes, BitTorrent, Vimeo, Netflix and Createspace. In class today, we revised the details using an Emaze presentation. I myself have a Vimeo professional account to upload video work.)
Digital projection is convergent technology
because films that are produced digitally have moved away from the
physical film medium and can be supplied to theatres in digital format
(lower costs for distribution versus higher start up costs for theatres
switching to digital technology). As the film is in digital format there
are also cost savings as potentially less work needs to be done on the
film to get it onto Blu-Ray, DVD, internet trailers etc as no physical
conversion needs to take place because the film is already in digital
format. (JMM: Since May 2011 when this was written, there is a growing trend to produce films in IMAX format. Whereas IMAX (giant screens) was intially associated with large academic institutions such as museums, many venues now offer 3D screenings on convention al sized screens. Digitization means diversity for audiences: my local small town cinema now offers three screens, catering for mainstream and niche audiences as well as 3D screenings. Currently screening are Eye in the Sky, Captain America and The Jungle Book. The two latter are available in 3D. I chose to see Star Wars recently in 3D in my local cinema but more often than not, I will choose to use my iPad at home to screen films from Netflix, catch-up TV and downloaded films bought online).
Cross Media Convergence is really a Business
Studies term and refers to companies coming together vertically or
horizontally (or both). The example often cited in exams is of Working
Title making use of its parent company(s) to gain access to bigger stars
and a better distribution network for their films.
Synergy basically means working together to
achieve an objective that couldn't be achieved independently.
Cross-media convergence can help with synergy if companies are wise
enough to take advantage of the links they have forged. Disney is an
obvious example of a synergistic company from the top down from Film
Studio to Kids' TV Channel (where it further plays and promotes its
films) to the Disney Store (in the street and online) where your kids
can pester you to buy all the merchandise and DVDs/CDs they've seen on
the TV/Web or in the cinema. (JMM: Consider how our case study on Jurassic World offers examples of synergy. However, whilst it is extremely effective, films can be made and marketed with more limited methods, such as those strategies adopted for TIL and '71.)
Cross-media convergence and Synergy: additional points
Because
the Big Six studios are all subsidiaries of major conglomerates they benefit
from cross-media convergence and synergy. The Walt Disney Company is an example of cross-media
convergence as it produces and distributes a wide range of different types of
media. Disney is made up of five
different divisions, including Walt Disney Studios (film studios, record
labels), Media Networks (television channels), and Disney Interactive (video
games, web-based media).
Disney
have been described as the ‘masters of media synergy’, and have developed a
range of multi-platform brands, such
as Hannah Montana which included a television series, theatrically released
film, soundtrack albums, magazines, merchandise, and online games. Using synergy in this way helps Disney to
maximise ancillary revenue and
maintain brand awareness.
The
use of synergy and cross-media convergence was key to the success of ‘The
Avengers’ (2012). Disney bought
Marvel Entertainment is 2009, and oversaw the release of a series of films such
as Iron Man, and Hulk which built towards the release of ‘The Avengers’
film. An extensive range of merchandise for
the Marvel characters helped to increase brand awareness and generate ancillary revenue, as a result of
synergy between the studio division, and the Disney Stores and merchandise
divisions.
The
development of the Avengers Alliance Facebook game is another example of
cross-media convergence and synergy, with the Disney Interactive division
developing a game to promote the Avengers film through social media.
After
the success of the ‘Avengers’ film Disney produced two television programmes,
one of which is shown on the Disney XD channel, and one (Agents of
S.H.I.E.L.D) which is shown on the ABC network, another subsidiary of
Disney. Disney is using the popularity
of the Avengers’ film franchise to encourage viewers to watch their television
subsidiaries. The television programmes
will also maintain interest in the film franchise before the release of
Avengers 2 in 2015.
FROM MEDIAEDU on synergy
A Grade Exemplar Response – Synergy
(32 Marks)
Synergy is the process by which media institutions use a range of platforms to promote, sell and distribute their products. Assess the impact of synergy in your cross-media study. Support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms.
Synergy can be defined as when two or more compatible products sell each other e.g. Facebook and Farmille/Candy Crush Saga, or a film and soundtrack but for the purposes of this response I will be analysing synergy from an institutional point of view in terms of how it works across platforms but also exploring whether the impact of synergy on audience reception and response is significant or not.My cross media study topic is film fiction – for moving image I researched Star Trek (2009), Skyfall and A Field in England while for print I looked at Empire Magazine, Total Film and Sight and Sound and for E Media - Netflix, YouTube and iTunes. Synergy was very much evident during the multi platform release of A Field in England on 5th July 2013 and relates directly to the concept of ownership – developed and financed by Film 4.0, Film4’s digital arm this low budget (£300,000) independent film was simultaneously released at PictureHouse Cinemas (The Ritzy in Brixton, London), through Film4 video on demand and through iTunes where audiences could purchase the HD version for £13-99. Ben Wheatley, the director wanted build the maximum amount of industry hype by reaching an audience traditionally it would be hard to connect with. The coordination of platforms also had the key advantage of not just selling the film, but also selling Film4, the PictureHouse Cinema chain and also iTunes to audiences.
In terms of synergy, A Field in England benefitted from association with a respected and innovative broadcast channel, a cinema chain that is well known for mixing independent, art house and some mainstream films in terms of programming and Apple’s iconic, commercially successful digital distribution platform iTunes - the film was also available on Viooz and http://www.vodzilla.co which markets itself as the first video on demand magazine and the film is available to this day as a free stream on YouTube ensuring viral talkability. Synergy was also evident through 40% of consumers with older televisions who use their HDMi lead to connect to a console like PS3’s media server, Wii or X Box to watch films online. The cross platform release enabled A Field in England to focus less on advertising spend, ensuring the multi platform allowed the film to become an Event Movie. Here, synergy did have an impact on audience reception ensuring A Field in England which ordinarily would have gone straight to DVD after a limited theatrical release went viral and was consumed and discussed by a broader audience. Sight and Sound, a BFI publication also associated itself with the release with their July 2013 edition having a short cover line at the bottom of the page advertising the film – this reflected their involvement, in terms of synergy of wanting to be linked with an independent film that was likely to achieve critical success but also their part funding of the project under the BFI Distribution Fund. Non-media tie ins even ensured that Welton’s Brewery made a limited edition beer that PictureHouse cinema goers could buy going into the screen with the tagline, “Open up and Let the Devil In”.
Synergy tends to me more associated with mainstream texts aimed at mass audiences and with Star Trek (2009) this was very much the case – ownership by Paramount as one of the ‘big six’ of the oligopoly of film distributors allowed for maximum investment in production but also the ability to synergise in the promotion and marketing of their film. Using the director, JJ Abrams as one of the unique selling points, digital marketing appeared on the websites of high production value television dramas he had been associated with including Lost and Fringe. This enabled a wider male and female audience who were fans of these shows to be made aware of the up and coming film with its more emotive approach in regards to science fiction marketing – developing a wider female demographic was one of the main intentions of the campaign. Sky Sports also ran ‘super headers’ ensuring that a traditionally male science fiction audience were also targeted. Standard, above the line marketing e.g. trailers also ran alongside the synergy used in the campaign.
This synergy was further evidenced by Facebook fan kits and wallpaper downloads but crucially in print media with not just film magazine covers of Empire and Total Film devoted to the film’s release but also a Big Issue cover, GQ and Esquire magazine. Esquire ran a challenging cover showing a light bulb, identifying the edition as the ‘Genius Issue’ with ’21 Ways to Appear More Intelligent (without having pointy ears) referring to the cover image of Zachary Quinto as Spock framed centrally in medium shot. GQ chose to run with a cover showing Chris Pine who played James T. Kirk in a suit as part of its ‘Men of the Year’ issue. Synergy certainly helped in marketing the film to a broader audience (it was the 7th most successful film in terms of box office in 2009) but cynics would suggest that the amount spent on marketing and publicity placed synergy as only partly responsible for the selling of the film to a wide, non-gender specific audience.
Again, as with A Field in England non-media tie ins included a free movie toy with Burger King meals, Phones4u and Hamleys competitions and also a promo in Heat magazine which targeted a female audience. Total Film magazine ran with black and white, full close up covers of Spock and Kirk and were happy to extensively market the blockbuster film (as a mainstream film magazine that focuses themselves on the mainstream, commercially successful market of safe genre films like Star Trek as science fiction). Crucially, Total Film is published by Future Publishing who as well as releasing 150 UK magazine titles are also the official magazine of all the console game manufacturers. It would be commercially essential to synergise with Star Trek as a successful franchise but also as a film that had spawned a single/multi player action video game (Star Trek) that is available on X Box, PS and Windows platforms. Empire Magazine ran with less iconic covers, choosing instead to focus on the whole cast in uniform, acknowledging and promoting the fact that this is a film that is likely to be a 2009 global summer blockbuster – it is this global aspect that again references synergy with Empire as a magazine published by the large global consumer magazine and media institution, Bauer; Empire alone is published in the US, Australia, Turkey, Russia and Portugal.
Skyfall, like Star Trek has been a commercially successful film that has exploited synergy and also is now available digitally on a number of platforms including Netflix reflecting shorter non theatrical window releases (although Netflix might argue with the length of time it takes them to acquire a film). With the commercial backing of Sony (MGM/Columbia) Skyfall used a range of media to promote the 23rd Bond film to audiences but crucially the title soundtrack by Adele became iconic and evidenced synergy in terms of its own commercial success. The institution of Sony is crucial in understanding the ability to synergise with the film promoting the Adele soundtrack, promoting the DVD, promoting the computer game, Sony Phone (and many other non-media ties ins e.g. Jaguar and Coca Cola) and promoting the TV – all owned by Sony. The CD was released at the same time as the film while a new Sony TV featured Skyfall in the promotional adverts. Even the Daily Mail used the film to launch a British Tourism promotional campaign while Empire and Total Film magazine dedicated several covers to Skyfall as a globally successful film reflecting a global brand.
While synergy is very much a key factor in my cross media study, the commercial success of all texts are not exclusively dependent on it – moving image media is still seen as the best way to sell moving image texts, e.g. trailers selling films and video games but print media is increasingly dependent on synergy and convergence while circulation continues to decline and is replaced by online variants and other new media. Empire and Total Film for example will often direct audiences through convergent links to online media and interactive social networking through Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook. Online film streaming sites like Netflix go from strength to strength using synergy, with their latest venture producing its own range of original feature films. There is already a Facebook sharing feature to the Netflix interface with the announcement of further institutional synergy planned for 2015 involving Disney and Marvel TV providing Netflix with live action series.
