1. Film Media in context
The industry promotes film to audiences using Print media, Broadcasting media and E-media.
Print Media
Industry promote film to audiences using reviews in newspapers/magazines or interviews of star cast or director/producer in magazines. This allows the audiences to get brief thought whether they are interested in watching the film or not. For example, http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/aug/04/super-8-review.
We can imply that print media is at the edge of being outdated as well as nearly declining because E-media is now kind of taking over Print Media. E-media is making it cheaper for institutions to promote films for example creating a fan page on Facebook and millions of fans will be aware of it. Institutions are now fully aware of the fact that most teenagers spend more time on E-media than reading a magazine and accordingly the institutions target their young audiences using E-media platform.
Advantages
Ø print media have a loyal readership –it is likely that loyal fans will definitely watch the film
Ø Targets particular geographical area, for example if the film is based on a particular setting, character or culture, it makes it easier for the film promotion as targeted primary audiences will definitely be attracted towards it
Ø Readers are engaged as they turn page after page to read articles, look at image and view advertisements in their favorite magazines or newspapers
Disadvantages
Ø May not always give you a wide reach. On the other hand, Internet can target global audience
Ø There is a limitation on who may actually read your message. The particular newspaper may not actually be accessible every time to your target group, which means, your message may be missed. However, The Internet can be accessed from anywhere
Ø Cost: if the film is being advertised in a popular magazine then it can be very costly compared to a magazine which is not so popular
Ø Scheduling: it is hard to schedule advertising placements for publications that run monthly because the space often books in advance
Ø Print Media is not instant and free like E-Media
Broadcasting
The most common way of promoting films using broadcasting platform is by teaser trailers or official trailers of the film. This allows the audience to have the first glimpse and a more detailed and visual indication of the films content. It is more interactive and engaging than Print media for example “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCRQQCKS7go -super8 trailer”. Broadcasting also includes exclusive interviews on news channels, radio channels premiers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLiFbtBmvK8 –super8 premiere).
Advantages
Ø Transmit sounds or images electronically
Ø Broadcast engages more senses than reading and adds audio as well as motion for television- visual
Ø has a larger impact/influence on audiences than Print Media
Ø Permits you to reach great numbers of people on a national or regional level
Ø TV- short but long lasting
Disadvantages
Ø Costly
Ø Most ads are ten or thirty seconds long, which limits the amount of information you can communicate
Ø more people can be informed and therefore involved in the happenings of the day
Ø TV is becoming less dictated by scheduling (Sky+), more and more specialist channels, competition from the likes of You Tube
E-media
E-media is nearly taking over Print Media as it is being operated more regularly than Print media. E-media involves social networking sites, YouTube or Official websites (http://www.super8-movie.com/ -super8 official website). Magazines now have their own website and the same information can accessed online as the information in a magazine. So it makes it easier for audiences to access the internet more easily than to buy a magazine. The internet and modern telecommunications has changed social networks and socialization greatly. It has opened up our ability to communicate and now we have many more ways in which to communicate and socialize.
Advantages
Ø More interactive and engaging
Ø Free
Ø Attracts more audiences
Disadvantages
Ø E-Media is hard to police (piracy); people are bombarded with information; social networking and increasing audience participation (user generated content)
2. How are texts in the three platforms constructed?
Print Media
Super 8 is promoted using Print Media through reviews in newspapers and magazines. It provides a review and other information about super8. For example (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/8682243/Super-8-review.html -the telegraph review) it states “Abrams has created a clever, enjoyably reverential, and very entertaining update of an old-fashioned boy’s-own caper” the positive review of super8 is persuading the audiences to watch the film. Audiences are also attracted on the basis of the guraantee of a review in a famous newspaper.
Broadcasting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smylfYKH7Ss – super 8 interview with the cast allows audiences to engage and connect with the characters. It also provides details on how they felt working in super8. Gabrille Basso stated that “it’s like getting paid to work with your friends” this implies that their experience working in the making of super8 which encourages audiences to watch the film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTtc-gjLmR0 –super8 interview with J.J Abrams. He discusses how effective each character was which enhanced the story of the film. He also states the genre “science fiction, monster movie imposed on love story”.
E-media
Viral marketing campaign created massive hype for super8 way long before its release. For example the first trailer for the movie was attached to Iron Man 2. This gave audiences a ‘topic’ to discuss therefore; it was being promoted way before it even released.
http://www.super8-movie.com The official super8 website contains an “editing room”, which allows users to find various clips from around the web and piece them together. This increases interaction and also gives opportunity to audiences to discover new findings. This might make the audiences visit the super8 website again and again which is promoting the film. Its website allows audiences to access information about the cast. The website also has links to social networking sites which again attract more young and middle aged audiences.
To promote the film, Valve Corporation created a short video game and released it alongside the PC version of Portal 2. The video game Portal 2 contained an interactive trailer placing the player on board the train before it disrupts, and showing the carriage being smashed open. This attracts many young audiences and increases their interest in Super8.
3. How do audiences access the text across the 3 platforms?
Who are Super 8’s target audience(s) and how do you know?
- Primary audience is children- we know this because the central focus in the film are the bunch of kids who making a short film. Young audience tend to identify with the characters and with their personal grief for example Joe who has lost his mum and his relationship with his dad or the friendship between Joe and Charles
- 13-16 years old- because the main character is 14 years old in the film and the other characters seems to be similar age
- Secondary audience- adults (much older people) because of Steven Spielberg as he is quite famous, his name would attract older audiences who were fans of Steven Spielberg in his era.
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3. How is Super 8 promoted to its target audience(s) through?
Print
Print media targets on narrow-casted audiences who are sophisticated and older.
The producers are aiming to older and sophisticated people who read magazines/newspapers on a regular base. Because print media is not as interactive, young audiences tend to ignore print media (one of the reason why print media is declining) due to alternatives taking over print media such as E-media. In addition, the language used in newspapers/magazine is sophisticated and doesn’t match up some teenagers’ understanding when the articles are produced with sophisticated words. Print is not as interactive and engaging as Broadcasting and E-media, so it doesn’t allow audiences to participate with the film. For example
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is more interactive and engaging. It allows the characters directly engage with the audiences.
Trailers are very effective in reaching to its audiences, young teenagers, it provided visual details of the film and some important and dramatic scenes retrieved from the film. For example, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCRQQCKS7go super 8 official trailer provides us with the genre so that we can decide whether it is a relevant film to our taste. It gives us a idea of the storyline and how the film is.
E-media
E-media is becoming more and more advanced in technologies and various E-media products it is producing. It therefore leads to more effective promotion.
Social networking sites have played an important and effective role in promotion as it is quicker, cheaper and reaches large amount of audience.
http://www.facebook.com/search/results.php?q=super8&init=quick&tas=0.2466379673874019#!/Super8Movie super 8 fan page allows various facebook users to connect with latest information being updated on their fan page. It also spreads very quickly as one of friends might forward a message and so on therefore it leads to more and more people getting involved.
4. How are representations constructed across the 3 platforms?
Print
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/8682243/Super-8-review.html - The telegraph shows positive representation of the characters in super 8. The newspaper article states “At first, the young cast come across as over-gabby and grating, but they soon win us over”, This shows how effectively the cast has played their roles which gained them a positive representation in the print media.
http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?DVDID=118873 – The empire review also gives positive representation of the young cast for example “Thankfully, the kids are more than alright. They’re fabulous: yearningly fresh-faced and infantile”, this shows that their acting has really impressed the audiences whether it is young audience or older.
Overall, even though super 8 has been criticised, casts’ acting has been praised well by many reporters in famous news papers and magazines.
Broadcasting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smylfYKH7Ss- Interview with the super 8 casts (Boys) the interview illustrates a good relationships with each other which reflects in the film. They also seem very enthusiastic about the film from the way they react and respond which breaks through the stereotypical representation of young teenagers as being lazy.
5. Who are the key institutions involved in promoting Super 8 and how are they involved?
Amblin Entertainment
Amblin Entertainment is an American film and television production company founded by director and producer Steven Spielberg and film producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall in 1981. Amblin is only a production company, and has never distributed its own movies, nor has it fully financed its productions.
The Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group has also collaborated with Amblin in such films as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Arachnophobia, Noises Off, A Far Off Place and War Horse.
Super 8 is the first original J. J. Abrams film project produced by Amblin Entertainment, Bad Robot Productions and Paramount Pictures.
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production/distribution company. Paramount is consistently ranked as one of the largest top-grossing movie studios.
The institution are aware of the fact that e-media is playing a huge role in media industry as it is advanced and attracts more audiences than print or broadcasting.
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