Illustrated Essay Outlining All The Ways Possible to Consume and Produce Films, with Advantages and Disadvantages

The ways in which we consume films have increased in vastness as time progresses, due to advances in technology, and the easiness in access in terms of how we view movies. In this essay, I shall outline the possible ways to consume and produce films, and whether or not they have any specific advantages or disadvantages. The term 'proliferation of hardware' means that consumers can access films and the media through various ways, but usually through the use of various pieces of technology

The first, and one of the most popular ways in which the consumption and production of films has become a lot easier and accessible is through the use of DVD's. A DVD, which stands for 'digital versatile disc', is able to store a movie onto a small compact disc. The invention of such a product has allowed movies, that previously were only viewable in cinemas, to be accessible from a household in which the owner possesses a DVD player. DVD's also sometimes feature 'special features', usually deleted scenes or outtakes, which tend to be exclusive to those who have purchased the DVD version of the movie. 'Blu-Ray' discs have also been released, which are higher quality versions of DVD's, but can only be played on a Blu-Ray player. One advantage of DVD's is that they allow consumers to access films far more efficiently, due to the fact that there are many shops in the majority of towns and markets that sell DVD's, often for a reasonable price. Another advantage is that on official DVD's, the film quality will mirror the quality of the movie when it featured in the cinema. A final advantage of a DVD is that once it is bought, the consumer can watch the film as many times as they like as long as they do not break the DVD. This, along with the easiness it takes in which to carry around DVD's, allows people to socialise more with movies if they missed them at the cinema. However, there are some disadvantages of DVD's. The first disadvantage is that, through understanding that the release of a DVD will occur, some people are less likely to want to go to the cinema, and wait a few more months for an opportunity to purchase a copy of the film that they can watch repeatedly without having to pay each time, unlike in the cinema. Although many people enjoy the experience of a cinema, what with the film being on a large screen and the members of the audience being able to share reactions with other member of the audience, it is nevertheless becoming popular to simply wait for the film to come out on DVD in shops, which disadvantages cinemas, letting their sales down. Another disadvantage of DVD's is that they come out in shops usually months after the release of the film, so if a movie has become popular that people have viewed in the cinema, those who have decided to wait for the DVD will not be able to join in the excitement or the conversations occurring about the movie until the DVD has been released. 

The next way in which the consumption and production of films has become a lot easier is through the use of the internet. For example, social media websites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter have allowed movies to be promoted and advertised more so than they used to be (via posters and advertisements in TV breaks). Companies that need Wi-Fi in order to succeed, such as Netflix and LoveFilm, have possession over a large variety of films that are open to the general public. An advantage of having the internet as a source of watching films is that, with companies like Netflix, films and TV programmes can be watched many times, over and over again, if the consumer continues to pay the company money. Another advantage is that the internet takes up no space, and unless there is no connection to the Wi-Fi, it is unable to break or stop working, like a DVD disc could. A disadvantage, however, is that there are illegal methods of watching films on the internet without paying, therefore putting the producers of a film at a disadvantage for they are not being paid their share of the money. Another disadvantage is, like DVD's, films are unlikely to legally be released on the internet until months after their release in cinemas, putting people that wait at a disadvantage.

Another way, and possibly the most well known way of watching a movie is through the use of cinema. Cinemas are large screened rooms in which around 50 people all sit together to watch a newly released movie. The cinema experience is very popular, due to the fact that the experience tends to be very much enjoyable. The fact that everybody has paid to enter allows all of the consumers to understand that the people watching the film with them have an interest in the film, so they can share the same emotions at appropriate times. Food and drink, commonly popcorn and fizzy drinks, are also available upon further payment. One advantage of going to the cinema is that the consumer can see the movie upon it's immediate release to the general public, instead of waiting months for the release of the movie on DVD, Blu-Ray or on the internet (in good quality and legal, such as LoveFilm). Another advantage is that the cinemas offer very high quality movies due to the largeness of the screens, which tend not to be available in the homes of the general public, so it is a unique experience. A disadvantage, however, is that the consumer may not watch the film as many times as they like, and only pay once, like they would with a DVD. In cinemas, each time a film is viewed, it must be paid for.

To conclude, the invention of the DVD, Blu-Ray discs, internet companies such as LoveFilm and Netflix, and the cinematic experience all have advantages and disadvantages to them. For this reason, it is common for disputes to occur over whether the cinema experience is better than the alternative methods of watching movies, but it is known that through the release of all these methods, films are becoming more and more popular as time progresses, giving the producers more money from the consumers.

Disney Essay

The 'Walt Disney' Company was founded in 1923 by brothers Walt and Roy Disney as an animation studio. From 1923-1928, silent films were released, beginning the long and successful run of films for the company. In 1928, Mickey Mouse was created and debuted, an Icon for future movies for decades to come. During the 1940's, Disney decided to venture into the television side of the media, gaining more and more popularity as the years go on. Due to the television's having very little channels, it is not a surprise that the Disney animations had so much attention placed on them, for they were one of the few companies that made it onto television. A decade later, in 1955, Disneyland opens, one of the most famous theme parks ever created. It is evident from just this so far that as the years progress, so does the popularity Disney has. The Disney Company didn't just stop at television and film though, however, for in the 1980's, Disney Theatre opened and began, opening up a whole new world for the Disney characters that had been created over the years. However, in the 80's, aside from the introduction of Disney theatre, people were beginning to have less interest in it, so in the 1990's, the decade of the Disney Renaissance of Movies, many iconic films were written such as The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, that are still popular to this day. As we reach the start of the new millennium in the year 2000, we see the introduction of Pixar Films such as Monsters Inc., and Ice Age, which brought Disney into a new world of characters, ideas, and new various animation techniques.

It has been said that one of the reasons why Disney has a reputation of delivering a magical experience to its guests (through theme parks, hotels, restaurants, retail stores, etc) is because it has one overriding vision and mission for all of its business operations. The 'mission' of the Walt Disney Company is to be one of the world's leading producers and to provide entertainment and information. They seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world.

Disney has had a huge role in Education, Home and Business. For education, Disney Media and 'Disney Interactive' create products used to help improve learning environments and Disney Parks have the option of an educational experience tour for pupils. At home, Disney's vast media networks cover TV, film and radio. Theme parks and resorts are advertised through these forms of media, and the consumer products range from kitchenware to stuffed toys. Disney Business Services include studio rentals, advertising, meeting rooms and convention sites. Disney makes a lot of money from its many holdings including studio rentals, movie ticket sales and amusement park tickets. The Walt Disney Company made approximately $9,964 million dollars in the year 2012.

An example of a well-known movie produced by Disney from recent years is 'Maleficent'. Directed by Robert Stromberg and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Maleficent came out on the 28th of May 2013. The film had a budget of $180 million, and the Box Office resultant amount was $757.4 million. The genre is a fantasy with quite a dark, horror twist. Maleficent could be considered as a postmodern film due to the fact that it goes against the conventions of traditional story tales. This time, also, the narrative is told in the perspective of the villain. Usually, the story of fairy tales are shown in the protagonist's point of view. The film was rated a PG and the main audience of the film were female, as shown by the opening weekend statistics which showed that 60% of people that attended were female. 51% of the audience were over 25 and families took up 45% of the audience. Disney films generally appeal to families because they are suitable for children to watch, however, due to the fact that 'Maleficent' is based on the fairy tale of 'Sleeping Beauty', it could be argued that the movie is targeted at females, of whom most fairy tales are targeted towards in the first place.

Ill Manors Marketing/Promotion

Ill Manors was a film written by Plan B in 2012. I will write about how it has been marketed and promoted.

Ill Manors was first promoted and advertised through the release of 8 different posters on the 8th of May 2012. Posters are commonly used as the first way in which films are advertised for they aren't too much information at one time. The main poster for Ill Manors features reviews, dates, establishes the genre and supplies much more information. The reviews, saying "An Absolute Must-See" and "Bullet-Paced and Quite Unforgettable" make the viewer of the poster want to see the film, due to the fact that they are very positive and make the film seem like it would be a shame to miss out on. The fact that the date is in particularly large text indicates that this information is important. Also shown in bold text is the name of the band that produced this film, 'Plan B'. This may attract the attention of fans of this particular band, even if the style of film, or genre, does not seem to appeal to the particular viewer of the poster.

The next way in which Ill Manors was advertised/promoted was through their premiere. This helps gain more information about the film for the viewers, but not enough so that it actually spoils the best parts of the movie. Information is revealed through interviews with the actors, producers, directors and script writers of the movie. Also, the premiere also allows people to learn more about the genre of the movie, and the overall plot, letting them see whether they'd enjoy it or not. Premiere's are also beneficial in terms of the marketing process due to the fact that it costs near to nothing to have a premiere. Another way in which premiere's help in terms of how much promotion a film gets is through the enthusiasm expressed by the actors and fans that attend. If a premiere has a successful turn-out of people, then it is likely that the film will be paid attention to by those who work in the media. Therefore the film will get some publicity through newspapers, magazines and through articles on the internet. Here is a photograph of the premiere of Ill Manors, which took place in May 2012 

The third way in which Ill Manors was advertised/promoted was through the release of the official trailer. The trailer is the biggest release of information about the film for actual clips from the movie are shown. The trailer also allows the consumers to make a final judgement on whether or not they'll enjoy the film, and whether it is for their age range or not, as shown by the age rating at the end of the trailer. Also, the various actors that will feature in the film are shown in the trailer, so any actors that are famous or well-known can be used to draw people in and convince them to watch the film simply because it stars the specific actor. Music by the producer, Plan B, also features in the trailer, allowing people to understand that the making of the film is somewhat related to him. Also, the music video for Plan B's song 'Ill Manors' features clips from the movie itself, which is yet another way of promoting the movie.

Finally, the social media also plays an important part in the promotion of the film Ill Manors. Online websites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube all allow people to share the film trailers, posters and information from the premiere with each other, thus gaining popularity for the film before it's release. Due to the rising popularity of social networking sites on the internet, this is a very efficient way of advertising the film's release. YouTube is most likely the first place someone will go to search for a trailer because of the easy access it provides. The film 'Ill Manors' also has it's own website, so if someone were to search for the film on the internet, it, along with it's Wikipedia page will come up, supplying all the information the person would like to know about the film, and also helping them to decide whether this type of genre or style of film is the right film for them, or the film that they would like to view regardless of genre preference.  To conclude, Ill Manors was advertised and promoted through the use of posters, premieres and trailers through social networking sites. Due to Plan B's status as well known, it was easy to get fans of Plan B to share the trailers and posters simply by advertising the fact that it is a film made by him. Also, the genre would most likely appeal to his fans due to the specific music taste being quite alike to the film genre.