Exam Question Feedback

This is my attempt at the section B exam question that has been marked. Following this I received some feedback letting me know what areas let my answer down. I didn't cover anything to do with illegal downloading which is an illegal form of consumption that has affected the industry. This would have been a good issue to include in my answer. Another thing I should have done was gone into more depth about streaming services and how they impact the earning of a release. Also, I only mentioned briefly about social media, so I should have talked about that more as it is an important aspect of marketing a film.

My total mark for this question was 28 (12+12+4) which was a grade D. Hopefully after reviewing the feedback it will help me to improve my future responses to questions.

Exam Question- Section B

Evaluate the role of digital technologies in the marketing and comsumption of products in the media area you have studied.
You must focus on one of the following media areas. You may also refer to the other media in your answer.

• Film
• Music 
• Newspapers 
• Radio
• Magazines
• Video Games 

Marks Available:

• Explanation/analysis/argument (20 marks) AO1 Specific
• Use of examples (20 marks) AO2 Specific
• Use of terminology (10 marks) AO1 Specific 

In the essay I am going to be writing about Working Title and Warp Films which are two contrasting companies. Digital technologies has an important role in the marketing and consumption of film media products, as it widens the availability of film media project products and effectively creates awareness of the Product. 


The example I will be using is Nanny Mcphee and the Big Bang (2010). The budget of the film was $35,000,000 and made £2,586,760 (UK) in the opening weekend (26th March 2010). The director of the film was Susanna White who also directs 'Mr Harvey Lights a Candle (2005) ' and 'Lie With Me (2004). The filmed starred Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Ralph Fiennes. The film was distributed by Universal. 

Marketing is advertising which makes people aware of the film and spreads the word. The aim is to convince people to see it. This can be done in many different ways: Trailers, Websites, Social Media, Applications, Video Games etc. Nanny Mcphee and the Big Bang had two trailers; the main trailer and a teaser trailer. The teaser trailer is a lot shorter compared tot the theatrical trailer. The teaser trailers main purpose is to "tease" the audience with short snippets from the movie and by not revealing too much from the plot. This will have helped market the film as the audience will be able to get more of a feel for the film. As it is a more condensed version of the trailer it is more television friendly. This film also has its own website with the name 'Nanny McPhee Returns' which is the American name of the film. On the website it provides information of synopsis, product features, cast and photo gallery etc. A website is another way that can give the audience a better insight of the film providing basic information. Another way that the film was marketed was with a game in the application store. This was a very clever way of marketing the film as it targets the younger ages. The game is actually about one of the scenes in the film, so by doing this it involves the audience in the film. The website also gives people the option of sharing the film on: Twitter, Facebook, Digg, Delicious and Reddit. It is a fact that 74% of people in the 18-65+ age group are on social media. This is social media is a digital technology that plays a big role in marketing and why the marketers can use social media bases to reach several types of audiences. 

Consumption is basic terms is how the film is actually viewed. This can also be done in many different ways e.g. Cinema, Streaming, TV, DVD/Blueray, Rentals, ITunes Store. For Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang it quotes on the website "OWN IT NOW- on BlueRay, DVD & Digital Download- Also available on demand". This shows that the film can be consumed in quite a few different ways which gives the film more of a chance to become a success. As digital download and demand is becoming more and more popular it is making it easier for the audience to view the film. As iPhones, iPads, Macbooks etc are also very popular in this day and age they have made the film available on the itunes store at a UK price of £14.99. Although, the film was released in cinemas on the 26th March 2010 but it wasnt till 14th October 2013 that it was released onto the iTunes  store. It shows that it must have took over 2 years for the distribution company to work out that iTunes is another way for people to consume the film. 

In conclusion, digital technologies a playing a critical role in the marketing and consumption of films; both in mainstream and independent films.

Mock Practice (White Chappel 2009)

Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of class and status in White Chapel

In the Mise-En-Scene props and costume were used to help identify the difference in status and class. In the opening we can already see a difference in class with two sets of people. In the first scene it shows a higher class. The chief police officer scene was set in a lounge where they were wearing suits, had comb overs, drinking whiskey and smoking cigars. This simply said 'upper class'. The language was also very formal which is another signifier of higher class. The other scene showed the standard police officers fending off youths who were throwing glass bottles at them. This scene was set on a street of council houses and showed general grime. The costumes of the youths were mainly hoodies. This was done, as hoodies can be a stereotype of youth and working class. 

In terms of camera angles and different shot types a tracking shot was used to film the chief police officers sat in the lounge, this choice of shot was used as it is a calm shot which can denote class and sophistication. To show the murderer a Dutch angle was used, this was done to create narrative enigma and suspense, in this shot it shows him stood in the green lit, industrial street. During the riots a lot of hand held shots were taken to make the audience feel more involved and get a better sense of the working class people.

The sound in the opening consists off violins varying the tempo to change the amount of tension as it switches from the different scenes; the reason violins have been used is because the violins could be a symbol of class.