Technological convergence and the proliferation of hardware and content have created pressures for media institutions in production, distribution, and exhibition. In production, major studios have advantages over independent British film companies in spending on technology, promotion, and distribution deals. In distribution, majors benefit more from synergies across platforms while independents must target niche audiences. In exhibition, audiences now expect greater experiences from cinemas to compete with home viewing options, putting pressure on cinemas to offer IMAX, 3D, and special events. The essay should compare how these issues uniquely impact the case study institutions.

1. TECHNOLOGICAL
CONVERGENCE AND
PROLIFERATION OF HARDWARE
AND CONTENT
AS: MEDIA STUDIES
Institutions and Audiences

2. Typical exam question
• Discuss the issues raised by technological
convergence and the proliferation of
hardware and content for the media
institution you have studied.
• DONT PANIC!

3. What is technological
convergence?
• What does it mean for the film industry?

4. What is technological
convergence?
• Technological convergence is the merging of different technologies
giving audiences access to media content (eg TV and films) from a
variety of platforms in one system.
• IPut simply, it is where 2 or more pieces of media technology (eg a
camera and a phone) exist in the same piece of kit.
• Often these different technological systems perform the same task.
• This computer animation video on Xtranormal - made by a student
helps explain:
• http://asanda2mediastudies.blogspot.com/2011/01/technological-
convergence-explained.html

5. What does proliferation
of hardware mean?
• What does this mean in the film industry?

6. Proliferation means
• “to increase or spread at a rapid rate”.
• Hardware technology includes:
• digital cameras and 3D cameras
• iphones and ipads
• the internet - social networking sites and increased interactivity
• mobiles with in built internet and cameras
• DVD and Blue Ray
• IMAX and 3D cinemas

7. Technological Convergence and proliferation
In the film industry the number of platforms where you can view films
is proliferating all the time.
Audiences can also watch films in a variety of ways WHEN THEY WANT
TO.
How many ways can you use digital technology to download a film or
TV programme?
Onto your mobile phone, laptop, I-Pad or PC;
you can watch it on your flat-screen TV;
you can also connect your HD TV to the Internet and watch the film on You
Tube;
of course, you can see the film on Blue Ray or ordinary DVDs;
some might prefer to watch the film on Playstation or X Box; you could,
perhaps, download it legally (or illegally)

9. What choice does proliferation of
hardware give us as audiences?
• How does it change your ability to watch
films?

10. How proliferation of hardware has
changed audience consumption of
film.
• In the old days:
• you would have to wait till a film came out at the cinema to watch it
• You would have to wait to watch a film in your own home
• There was no video or film on demand
• You could not have instant access to films
• You could not watch films wherever you wanted
• You could not watch them on your phone, ipod, on a train or in the
common room

11. So what pressures are on
institutions because of this?
• In production...
• In distribution....
• In exhibition.....

12. Production
• The pressure is to compete against all the other films available in a highly
saturated market, as audiences can consume films from numerous platforms, so
the pressure is HUGE!
• Majors can flex more muscle by spending more money on production than
independent British film companies
• They can have more tie ins and deals and therefore have more cross media
promotion of a film
• They can spend more on advertising
• They can spend more money in technology within the film - 3D, special effects,
CGI (computer generated imagery) ie computer graphics.

13. What is the pressure on
distribution?
• How does proliferation of hardware
advantage the majors over the British
independent film companies?

14. Technology, proliferation of
hardware and distribution.
• Majors can spend more on advertising - TV, radio, billboards,
• They can use synergy more effectively - video games, DVDs,
CDs, books
• They can develop more advanced web interactivity
• They can print more copies of a film whereas smaller
companies may not be able to take this risk without known
box office returns
• BUT smaller companies can use the internet, TV, mobile, to
target niche audience demographics in order to compete with
the majors and gain as big an audience as they can.

15. Exhibition
• How audiences watch film is changing at a rapid rate
• They can choose to watch films at cinemas, on DVD,
on Blue Ray,VOD, or download films from the internet
• There is an increased pressure to target audiences
because of these competing demands
• Cinema has to offer a greater viewing experience -
IMAX with better picture and sound quality - 3D films
(and in the future 4D). Live music and sports events.

16. What are the positives and negatives
of technological convergence?
• POSITIVES
• More people have access to films from different platforms
• They can watch films when they want
• It creates new opportunities for distribution and exhibition
• NEGATIVES
• the growing problem of piracy and lost revenue
• There is less control on audiences by film distributors and exhibitors

17. Homework
• Discuss the issues raised by technological
convergence and the proliferation of
hardware and content for the media
institutions you have studied.
• You must use your case studies and compare
and contrast how this issue affects them.
• 1200 words please.