Explain the appeal of low to medium budget films to Hollywood conglomerates

With Hollywood conglomerates having ownership over low to medium budget films, can be appealing for them (for example Fox owning the film Hidden Figures) as it can allow them to generate more advertisement and distribution towards their audience, as purchasing these small companies were inexpensive as it was low on budget. Furthermore, it allows for greater globalization, meaning in contemporary society, distant countries can become inter-rated and connected together by trade communications.

Hidden figures is a Hollywood film with a budget of $25 million. This is classified as a low to medium budget film. This is an industry category which has recently been acknowledged for its profit potential. Therefore, this is a main reason why the company Fox have chosen to become a conglomerate of the film Hidden Figures, as they see potential in this film to generate a successful amount of profit which allows them to lead to a high net income. Interestingly, the film Hidden figures did come out to be successful, with a total revenue of $236 million from producing the film. Furthermore, most of Fox’s film productions, including Titanic , Star Wars and Bohemian rhapsody, have been extremely successful, from its combined total revenue of $29 billion, so, by deciding to become the owner of the film Hidden Figures, there is a high chance that this film will also become a success. Furthermore, knowing that the film has profit potential, there is little risk in spending lots on marketing and advertisement to try and distribute the film across the world, because in the long run, the film is guaranteed to make great amounts of revenue.

HIDDEN FIGURES ANALYSIS

  • co – production between independent production companies + major Hollywood Conglomerates though film subdivision fox 2000
  • fox is seen as a conglomerate with an exploration of role of low budget film making
  • budget was $25 – low to medium budget film – known as a profit potential film.
  • distribution techniques – focuses on distribution and exhibition linked to targeted audience.
  • strong links to contemporary concerns and debates about race in the US.
  • film is targeted at audience often ignored by Hollywood due to age, gender + race.
  • strategy of media conglomerates is to facilitate control of markets. including low budget + low to medium budget fare, eg hidden figures is more likely to garner awards and attract prestige. 
  • Fox as a conglomerate with diverse cross-media elements including facilities for media production, distribution and circulation means they have structures + means to get films with independent feel/consciousness/aesthetic to a mainstream audience. 
  • should be familiar with production and distribution of film

CSP 6: Music Video- Letter to the free-Common Ft Bilal

Facts about common:

  1. Lonnie Corant Jaman Shuka Rashid Lynn is his full name.
  2. Common debuted in 1992 with the album Can I Borrow a Dollar?
  3. Common won the 2015 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and the Academy Award for Best Original Song, for his song “Glory” from the 2014 film Selma, in which he co-starred as Civil Rights Movement leader James Bevel.
  4. Lynn began rapping in the late 1980s.
  5.  In 2003, he won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for the Erykah Badu single “Love of My Life” .

Facts about the music video:

  1. Directed and shot by cinematographer Bradford Young.

Q6 television exam question

Media Organisations can target audiences through the content/ familiarity of genre for example “the killing”, one theorist to keep in mind when building audiences for that show would be Steve Neale’s theory of Repetition and differences for audiences. In Steve Neale theory he explains that genres all contain repetition and difference, differences are essential to build and grab the attention of an audience. From having shows too similar to things that have already been made in the genre, the audiences would lose interest very quickly and get bored. On the other hand if the show was too different to the categorized genre, the direction of what audience the product is for, would not be as accurate or would be misdirected and in the process lose viewers. 

With “the killing” the way the organisation desired or constructed audience would be fitting the stereotype viewer of crime genres. So by the company follow the similar narratives associated with crime shows and have an ideal audience who love shows with a sense of mystery or involving a genus cop or investigator as the protagonist of the show.having cases only solved at the last minute for suspense, and finally having the subliminal narrative of good vs evil. These all are key elements of the constructed audience desired for the company

The processes of production, distribution and circulation uses the method of transreprestentation, examples of this would be if the show the killing was a big hit to UK audiences who love the crime genre. By having another company collaborate with their show from another country would wider spread the amount of audiences the show is exposed to which would lower cost of making the show since the companies are splitting the costs and overall increase profit from the wider exposure.

Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures is a low to medium budget Hollywood film with a budget of £25 million produced by Fox 2000

It had large appeal as it was released at the same time as a resurgence of feminists and black lives matter. This film promotes both and as it is a radical text, and available to new audiences, whilst guaranteeing viewership through their established loyalty as a Hollywood conglomerate

The seen increase in indie films is due to the high potential profit margin due available, as a result of their low production cost and high revenue, sometimes matching large budget films. This is causing a shift in the film industry as more radical films are being released, providing a wider variety of perspectives to the world. Although, most of the films are still backed by major conglomerates, such as Fox 2000 who still majorly support reactionary films and narratives, but incorparate diversity.

These sort of films weren’t previously taken on by major conglomerates as it had the space for backlash, and could therefore cause problems with shareholders and partners and damage the business.