Media Ownership

What is the importance of media ownership

Independent companies - In the film industry it is difficult to make progress and create films that get attention and in turn get exhibited in cinemas unless you are already a large company
Smaller companies and the majority of British Film are given a back seat because of the vast amount of American Blockbusters
Ill manors is an example of a film that tried to push the boundaries through and received relative success, compared to its budget
It was made through a micro-budget feature film-making scheme. Aimed at commissioning the next generation of film-making talent in the capital
Because it wasn't part of a huge conglomerate it could take more risks in terms of subject matter. A bigger company may not be able to do this.
How do they compete?
Viral marketing helped Ill Manors make money, overcoming the mass American film industry; for example their market gave the audience easy excess to information about the film, was packed with Video clips, trailers, pictures and downloads which make the audience feel more involved in the film.
The downloads are a way of free advertising, for example if someone has the background on their phone or a ringtone friends might ask where it was from and it helped spread information about the firm through word of mouth
Ill Manors - It had a small budget of £100,000 but made nearly 5 times that much at the UK box office
The challenge was to attract a core niche audience, with such a low budget, unknown stars, and low production values
its not a big conglomerate so cannot withstand losses
it had to be financed by the Film London, BBC Films and supported by Skill set, the UK Film Council and the Mayor of London
Its advertising (distribution) campaign had to be targeted at specific niche audiences: check whether adverts appeared on digital radio station Kiss FM, digital satellite channel Dave , and Comedy Central, and the Sun/News of the World
Conglomerate - These humongous-sized mammoths are able to use their size and ownership of a wide range of media to cross promote their films (games, toys, Cd's) across their wide media empires/
The success of Skyfall was ensured when the film achieved critical acclaim, since it had the backing of a company that was able to use cross media convergence as it owns companies within a range of industries.
The synergies of cross-promotion that can be created by these media organisations is mind-boggling
For Sony's Skyfall it resulted in a huge amount of 'word-to-mouth' for a big budget film and helped the film become a blockbuster. Such are the benefits of cross-media ownership by these giant institutions.
A big conglomerate such as sony has much more power than a small independent and it can use viral marketing (digital marketing) in a bigger way - with its online website. It was more far reaching and not as targeted in a niche way like Ill Manors.
It has story plts
'videos' with trailers of the film
Extended film clips and exclusive veiideo features that go into the movie's plot and locations
There were wallpapers, Facebook cover photos, twitter skins

Production
Advantages
Able to take more risks when making films (conglomerate)
Wont need to collaborate to secure funding (conglomerate)
Can be more Ambitious with film - get bigger stars, have more special effects, travel to better locations (conglomerate)

Disadvantages
Films often have to satisfy a mass market and creatively film markets cannot take as many risks as so many large companies to satisfy and revenue to achieve (conglomerate)
Less budget so film will be less ambitious with smaller scale cast, locations and special effects (independent)
Often have to secure extra funding and finance (independent)
Case studies 

Distribution
Advantages
Sheer size and power in the industry - more money and better links to related companies i.e. Sony Pictures Entertainment (production company) and Sony Pictures (distributors) and Sony platforms to exhibit film (conglomerate)
Can use synergy and cross promote via games, music, toys etc (conglomerate)
Disadvantages
The film has to do well at the box office
Smaller companies with relatively small marketing budgets and few easy opportunities for synergy
The film is expected to make less revenue at the box office (independent)
Cant withstand losses with box office returns (independent)
Case Studies
Ill Manors - 
received largely positive reviews from critics and fans, with a current 80% 'fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on twenty-five different reviews
Budget was £100,000. It made £453,570 at the UK box office
Sony -
Sony can use its status as a conglomerate. It had a very broad appeal and blanket advertising and publicity were used.
It can use synergy - Tom Ford clothes, CD, Omega watched, Aston Martin cars, Coca-Cola, Jewellry from Swarovski
Exhibition
Advantages
Disadvantages
Case Studies