''successful media products depend as much upon marketing and distribution to a specific audience as they do upon good production practices.''
To what extent do you agree with this statement?
It may be argued that successful media products depend as much upon marketing and distribution to a specific audience as they do upon good production practices. In my opinion, successful media products (success defined by the amount profit made from a film and awards it is nominated for or wins.) are exceptionally reliant upon marketing and distribution to a specific target audience as this provides a film with the profit however, it is good production practices that will gain a film awards. I believe that the success of a film closely depends on the distribution to its specifically targeted audience. Generally, Four Quadrant films are amoungst the most successful as they appeal to a wider audience. The films Ex-Machina and Mad Max: Fury Road provide us with examples of how marketing, distribution and production practices impact the success of a film. Both films may be regarded as successful to a certain extent. Ex Machina took $37 million at the box office and won 2 out of 9 awards it was nominated for including the jury prize at Geradmer Film festival (2015) whilst Mad Max: Fury Road made $374.7 million at the box office and won 3 out of 17 awards nominated for including production designer of the year at the Hollywood film awards. (2015)
It can be considered that the success of a film firmly leans on its good production practices. Good production creates and overall enjoyable experience for the consumers. If the audience have an enjoyable experience they are more likely to want to share the experience with family and friends. This then gains a larger audience for the film generating more profit therefore becoming more successful. success may also come from production practices as extensive and impressive production will increase a films chances of winning or being nominated for awards as people may enjoy the film more and find the experience of watching more intense.
Mad Max: Fury road provides us with an example of a film that spent large amounts of money and effort into creating good production practices. Mad Max: Fury Road cost $150 million to make. within this large budget, Mad Max bought; an accredited production team, actors and impressive on screen explosions. All of which created an intense and enjoyable experience for the audience. Mad Max: Fury road was directed by successful director, George Miller who also worked on films 'Happy Feet' and 'Babe' and won 16 awards including Best animated feature of the year for Happy feet at the 2007 Oscars. Mad Max: Fury Road featured accredited Hollywood actors including Tom Hardy (also featured in Legend, Inception, this means war) and Charlize Theron. (also featured in Dark Places, Young Adult and the Devils advocate) Together, these well known faces generated more popularity for the film again expanding the audience. Mad Max's good production practices also included large on screen explosions. In one scene a large 'tanker' was blown up by driving three tank vehicles by remote control then using immense explosions to literally blow it up. This created extensive visual effects for the audience that looked realistic making the experience even more intense.
The film Ex- Machina provides us with an example of a film that spent less money and time on creating good production practices. Ex- Machina cost $15 million to make. This smaller budget than Mad Max: Fury road allowed Ex- Machina producers to employ unaccredited actors, a less known director and more simple effects.Ex- Machina was directed by Alex Garland whom is also known for his work on 'Dredd', 'Never let me go' and '28 days later.' Garland has been nominated for 13 awards for his work including best screenplay at the Fangoria Chainsaw awards. Ex- Machina features unaccredited actors Alicia Vikander (plays Ava) and Domhnall Gleeson (plays Caleb) The two actors were not as popular as those in Mad Max: Fury Road however the pair are set to star in the new 'Hunger Games' movie. Ex-Machina used considerably less visual effects than Mad Mad: Fury road. One of the few effects that Ex- Machina used was Ava's robotic body. In scenes of the film, her limbs appear translucent. This was done by shooting each scene twice. First, the scene would be shot with all actors including Alica. Then, the actors were asked to step out of the scene and the camera team recorded the same shots so that the background could be shot. After that, during post-production, Parts of Ava were edited out so that the background could be seen. This was the least time consuming and inexpensive way that the look of Ava could be created.
Both films had different budgets which allowed them to create films with production practices of different standards. It may be argued that the success of a film firmly leans on its good production practices to create an overall enjoyable experience for the audience. Most production practices that are 'good' and create a more intense or entertaining experience for a specifically targeted audience will cost considerable amounts of money. For the film to be considered 'good' by the specifically targeted audience, it should contain production practices that appeal to them. For example, in Mad Max: Fury Road, accredited actor, Tom Hardy plays a main character. Tom Hardy would appeal to the specifically targeted audience. Mad Max is an action film; Tom Hardy has played roles in films with similar genre including 'Legend' and 'The Dark Knight Rises' making him appeal to the audience of Mad Max; Fury Road. Whereas, Ex- Machina features an unaccredited actor to play a main role Alicia Vikander also in 'A Royal Affiar' and 'A testament of youth' which are not Sci-Fi films meaning there is not the same appeal from the specifically targeted audience. However, these good production practices cost large amounts of money. This may explain why Mad Max: Fury Road was more successful than Ex- Machina because Mad Max had a larger budget to spend on production practices.
Ex- Machina's success may also be explained due to its production practices appealing to a very specific and smaller audience than Mad Max: Fury Road. Generally, four quadrant films are most successful as they appeal to a wider audience meaning more people will watch it so it has more chance of winning awards and generating money at the box office. Ex-Machina is a Sci-fi film that appeals to 'film buffs' which is a smaller audience than Mad Max's more family audience. This may determine the success of a film and is also part of the production practices. Ex- Machina contains contents that may not be enjoyed when viewing by all audiences. For example, one scene in Ex- Machina features a room full of naked AI models on display. Some viewers may find this uncomfortable to watch and think it slightly strange. This makes the audience for Ex- Machina smaller.
It may also be argued that the success of a film closely depends on its distribution to a specifically targeted audience. Both Ex-Machina and Mad Max: Fury Road were distributed in different ways to different specific audiences. Ex- Machina's success may have been dependent on its well judged release pattern. The film was released at a similar time to Superhero film, 'The Avengers'. It was predicted that the Avengers film would be highly successful so, Ex- Machina producers decided to attempt to 'piggy back' the Avengers film. Ex- Machina was first released on January 21st 2015 distributed by 'Universal Pictures' The film was shown only on 4 screens to begin with which was then increased to 1200 screens. Mad Max: Fury Road was distributed differently to Ex- Machina. Mad Max was first screened in the UK on 14th May 2015. Mad Max was shown on a vast amount of screens from the beginning of the release,1200 screens.
Both films were distributed differently and both grossed different profits taking different amounts of money at the box office, (Defined by success) Ex- Machina had a budget of $15 million and grossed over $36 million making 240% profit. Mad Max: Fury Road grossed $374 million world wide against a budget of $150 million making almost 250% profit. Both films shared similar profit percentages however, the actual amounts of money they made were very different. This may be because Ex-Machina had a smaller audience than Mad Max: Fury Road meaning it was distributed to less screens therefore had less chance to make as much money at the box office. This suggests that distribution does depend on a films success however not so much as production practices as it is the content of the film that impacts the scale of its distribution.
Effective marketing similarly corresponds with the success of a film. In order for a film to be successful, it needs to have been watched by many people whom must know about the film to want to watch it. This is where marketing comes in. Successful Marketing will support a film with a wide audience of viewers. The films Ex- Machina and Mad Max: Fury Road were both marketed very differently due to Ex- Machina having a limited budget and Mad Max having a larger budget. Ex- Machina did not have a lot to spend on marketing so, their small marketing team used cheaper alternatives including social media. Ex- Machina was marketed primarily on the dating app, 'Tinder'. This clever marketing campaign allowed the film to be targeted at a specific audience. The marketing team saw an opportunity to target an audience they believed would enjoy Ex- Machina through the app by setting up a false account named 'Ava' and allowing people to speak to her like they would anyone else through the app chat room. This then directed the target audience to the official Instagram page set up for advertising the film. The kind of people who would enjoy Ex- Machina may also have been found at the South by Southwest festival at which the film advertised at by screening at the festival.
Mad Max: Fury Road was marketed differently to Ex- Machina. Mad Max's budget was excessively larger meaning more money could be spent on ensuring a wide audience could be targeted. Mad Max spent $1 million on advertising including posters and billboards and spend $7 million on television marketing.
talk about how the release of a film becomes an event
Mad Max: Fury road provides us with an example of a film that spent large amounts of money and effort into creating good production practices. Mad Max: Fury Road cost $150 million to make. within this large budget, Mad Max bought; an accredited production team, actors and impressive on screen explosions. All of which created an intense and enjoyable experience for the audience. Mad Max: Fury road was directed by successful director, George Miller who also worked on films 'Happy Feet' and 'Babe' and won 16 awards including Best animated feature of the year for Happy feet at the 2007 Oscars. Mad Max: Fury Road featured accredited Hollywood actors including Tom Hardy (also featured in Legend, Inception, this means war) and Charlize Theron. (also featured in Dark Places, Young Adult and the Devils advocate) Together, these well known faces generated more popularity for the film again expanding the audience. Mad Max's good production practices also included large on screen explosions. In one scene a large 'tanker' was blown up by driving three tank vehicles by remote control then using immense explosions to literally blow it up. This created extensive visual effects for the audience that looked realistic making the experience even more intense.
The film Ex- Machina provides us with an example of a film that spent less money and time on creating good production practices. Ex- Machina cost $15 million to make. This smaller budget than Mad Max: Fury road allowed Ex- Machina producers to employ unaccredited actors, a less known director and more simple effects.Ex- Machina was directed by Alex Garland whom is also known for his work on 'Dredd', 'Never let me go' and '28 days later.' Garland has been nominated for 13 awards for his work including best screenplay at the Fangoria Chainsaw awards. Ex- Machina features unaccredited actors Alicia Vikander (plays Ava) and Domhnall Gleeson (plays Caleb) The two actors were not as popular as those in Mad Max: Fury Road however the pair are set to star in the new 'Hunger Games' movie. Ex-Machina used considerably less visual effects than Mad Mad: Fury road. One of the few effects that Ex- Machina used was Ava's robotic body. In scenes of the film, her limbs appear translucent. This was done by shooting each scene twice. First, the scene would be shot with all actors including Alica. Then, the actors were asked to step out of the scene and the camera team recorded the same shots so that the background could be shot. After that, during post-production, Parts of Ava were edited out so that the background could be seen. This was the least time consuming and inexpensive way that the look of Ava could be created.
Both films had different budgets which allowed them to create films with production practices of different standards. It may be argued that the success of a film firmly leans on its good production practices to create an overall enjoyable experience for the audience. Most production practices that are 'good' and create a more intense or entertaining experience for a specifically targeted audience will cost considerable amounts of money. For the film to be considered 'good' by the specifically targeted audience, it should contain production practices that appeal to them. For example, in Mad Max: Fury Road, accredited actor, Tom Hardy plays a main character. Tom Hardy would appeal to the specifically targeted audience. Mad Max is an action film; Tom Hardy has played roles in films with similar genre including 'Legend' and 'The Dark Knight Rises' making him appeal to the audience of Mad Max; Fury Road. Whereas, Ex- Machina features an unaccredited actor to play a main role Alicia Vikander also in 'A Royal Affiar' and 'A testament of youth' which are not Sci-Fi films meaning there is not the same appeal from the specifically targeted audience. However, these good production practices cost large amounts of money. This may explain why Mad Max: Fury Road was more successful than Ex- Machina because Mad Max had a larger budget to spend on production practices.
Ex- Machina's success may also be explained due to its production practices appealing to a very specific and smaller audience than Mad Max: Fury Road. Generally, four quadrant films are most successful as they appeal to a wider audience meaning more people will watch it so it has more chance of winning awards and generating money at the box office. Ex-Machina is a Sci-fi film that appeals to 'film buffs' which is a smaller audience than Mad Max's more family audience. This may determine the success of a film and is also part of the production practices. Ex- Machina contains contents that may not be enjoyed when viewing by all audiences. For example, one scene in Ex- Machina features a room full of naked AI models on display. Some viewers may find this uncomfortable to watch and think it slightly strange. This makes the audience for Ex- Machina smaller.
It may also be argued that the success of a film closely depends on its distribution to a specifically targeted audience. Both Ex-Machina and Mad Max: Fury Road were distributed in different ways to different specific audiences. Ex- Machina's success may have been dependent on its well judged release pattern. The film was released at a similar time to Superhero film, 'The Avengers'. It was predicted that the Avengers film would be highly successful so, Ex- Machina producers decided to attempt to 'piggy back' the Avengers film. Ex- Machina was first released on January 21st 2015 distributed by 'Universal Pictures' The film was shown only on 4 screens to begin with which was then increased to 1200 screens. Mad Max: Fury Road was distributed differently to Ex- Machina. Mad Max was first screened in the UK on 14th May 2015. Mad Max was shown on a vast amount of screens from the beginning of the release,1200 screens.
Both films were distributed differently and both grossed different profits taking different amounts of money at the box office, (Defined by success) Ex- Machina had a budget of $15 million and grossed over $36 million making 240% profit. Mad Max: Fury Road grossed $374 million world wide against a budget of $150 million making almost 250% profit. Both films shared similar profit percentages however, the actual amounts of money they made were very different. This may be because Ex-Machina had a smaller audience than Mad Max: Fury Road meaning it was distributed to less screens therefore had less chance to make as much money at the box office. This suggests that distribution does depend on a films success however not so much as production practices as it is the content of the film that impacts the scale of its distribution.
Effective marketing similarly corresponds with the success of a film. In order for a film to be successful, it needs to have been watched by many people whom must know about the film to want to watch it. This is where marketing comes in. Successful Marketing will support a film with a wide audience of viewers. The films Ex- Machina and Mad Max: Fury Road were both marketed very differently due to Ex- Machina having a limited budget and Mad Max having a larger budget. Ex- Machina did not have a lot to spend on marketing so, their small marketing team used cheaper alternatives including social media. Ex- Machina was marketed primarily on the dating app, 'Tinder'. This clever marketing campaign allowed the film to be targeted at a specific audience. The marketing team saw an opportunity to target an audience they believed would enjoy Ex- Machina through the app by setting up a false account named 'Ava' and allowing people to speak to her like they would anyone else through the app chat room. This then directed the target audience to the official Instagram page set up for advertising the film. The kind of people who would enjoy Ex- Machina may also have been found at the South by Southwest festival at which the film advertised at by screening at the festival.
Mad Max: Fury Road was marketed differently to Ex- Machina. Mad Max's budget was excessively larger meaning more money could be spent on ensuring a wide audience could be targeted. Mad Max spent $1 million on advertising including posters and billboards and spend $7 million on television marketing.
talk about how the release of a film becomes an event
