Media Ownership

Steph Webb

Keywords:

• Media convergence – two of more types of media coming together.

• Synergy – different elements of a company working together to promote related products.

• Cross media ownership – company produces two or more types of media.

• Oligopoly – market dominated by a small number of companies.

• Subsidiary – smaller companies owned by a parent company.

Oligopoly

• Dominated by major Hollywood studios:- 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Paramount,

Columbia, Universal and Walk Disney studios.

• Major film studio – movie production/distribution company releases a number of films annually and commands a significant share of box office revenue in a market.

Advantages:

• Production: - Take risks.- No need to secure funding.- Ambitious with stars, special effects, location etc.

• Distribution:- More money and better links to related companies.- Can use synergy and cross promote via games,

music, etc.

Disadvantages

• Production/exhibition:- Have to satisfy a mass market – creatively film

makers can’t take as many risks.- Film has to do well at the Box Office.

Independent companies - advantages and disadvantages

• Production:- Less budget = less ambitious/smaller cast/locations and

special effects.- Have to secure funding and finance.

• Distribution:- Has to be targeted: less money to spend on

distribution.- Expected to make less revenue at the Box Office.- Can’t withstand losses with Box Office returns.

Ill Manors• Largely positive reviews from critics and fans – 80% ‘fresh’ rating

on Rotten Tomatoes.

• Budget: £100,000.• Made: just over £450,000 at the UK Box Office.

• Example of film that tried to push the boundaries and received relative success compared to it’s budget.

• Had to be financed by the film London, BBC Films etc.• Niche audience: a small, select group of people that have a very

unique interest.

Sony and Skyfall

• Big company – viral advertising (digital marketing .• Videos from trailers of the film.• Extended film clips and exclusive video features: movie’s

plot and locations.• Wallpapers, Facebook cover photos, Twitter skins.• Gallery.• Audience: primary male audience/secondary female

audience 15 – 55 across a broad demographic of class.• Advertising and cross media promotion was used to

feature all partners to Skyfall.