30.10.18- Disney Conventions

Disney Animated Film

Disney is a hugely successful and highly popular company. The main four major film studios include: Disney animation studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel studios and Lucasfilm Ltd. The genre for most Disney film is animation and this involves visually illustrating so the characters are moving. The target audience for these films is mainly children and this goes from animated animals to animated singing volcanoes.

A commonly seen feature of Disney animated films would be the "True Loves First Kiss". This is seen whether its an escape from death or transformation into a human. Disney does this is target younger females They stick to this sort of storylines they can carry on creating similar films and therefore making more money. This particular idea is seen in snow-white when she dies form the poisoned apple she is woken up from a true loves kiss, similarly with sleeping beauty, aurora is in a permanent sleep and gets woken up from true love and finally with the little mermaid Ariel kisses Eric to become a permanent human so she can live with her true love not in a mermaid form.

The next idea that Disney have commonly utilised is "being friends with nature". This certainly helps Disney keep their younger viewers as young children love animals and the idea of being friendly with them. For example in snow-white: The character herself becomes friends with all sorts of animals and creatures including Rabbits and Birds. Also in Beauty and the Beast, Belle is seen to being very close with her horse again reinforcing the idea of being close with animals and befriending nature. Animal companions make younger children believe that all animals are nice and sugarcoat the danger.

Some of the older films such as Mary Poppins include singing, this is another popular method that Disney use. This is a clever method as majority of Disney viewers and target audience are part of the younger generations. This method is still popular today and can be seen in some of the newer and most recent films such as frozen and Coco.

Similarly, Disney have been sticking to having deeper morals into their storylines, for example newer films like UP: After losing his wife, Carl showed not to take life for granted and go out and do the things you always said you wanted to do. This encourages younger generations to look into being more morally correct. Alternatively in the Pixar film Finding Nemo , Disney wanted viewers to see that you have to let go of the ones you love eventually and again gives Disney viewers a thought provoking production.

Finally, Disney love to include the idea of "coming of age" this is seen in inside out when the parents within this film are oblivious to how she is growing up and moving on, in comparison to Toy story 3 when Andy is all grown up and not taking his toys to university with them, This communicates with the viewers and creates a relatable production for families watching.

In conclusion, Disney has many codes and conventions within all the old and upcoming films to keep their audiences interested therefore making them more money.

28.10.18- X factor case study

X Factor  Case Study

1. Firstly, social media is wildly utilised to reach a potential audience. For example, The Instagram profile of X factor has came up on my suggested many times to try and encourage viewers around my age and others as potential audience. The X f actor also has an app which is a free way of eliminating contestants and voting for winners.

2. Livingstone has a theory that soon all our Medias will run through the same Hardware devices. With X factor this is partially true because you can use your phone or tablet to access therefore it is just one device that is being used.

Jenkins Theory is actually against this and he calls it the Black Box Fallacy. His theory is that it is wrong because it is based on convergence in to one central device.

3. An example of aboive the line would be the X factor website. Below the line would be the adverts on social media as I said previously with it popping up on Instagram 

28.10.18- Application questions

1. Spotify- , Instagram, Snapchat , WhatsApp ,, Netflix.

2. Spotify- The app Spotify is a free app , therefore it didn't cost anything to purchase. However, to when you just purchase the app you have a limited skips to a playlist or album so you cant listen to a particular song. You also cant listen to songs when not on Wi-Fi so I did purchase Spotify premium so I could download and listen anywhere. I can use any device with enough storage to access Spotify for example I have it on my phone , but also sometimes if I am doing work I will get the app up on my laptop and all I would need to do is sign in and it has all my music ready for me to listen so its very flexible on all devices. 

3.  Snapchat- Again this app is free but it does have some in app purchases features for example you can purchase filters for occasions but this is not something I have done yet. This app can also be accessed on many devices with a camera such as iPhone, android and tablets, I have not seen this app become accessible on laptops yet but other than that can be accessed on most of the other devices.

4. WhatsApp- I didn't pay anything for WhatsApp, however this is depending on the device you buy it on. For iPhones like mine the app is free and is a free method of texting, sharing photos. The idea is that when you're on Wi-Fi sending WhatsApp's is completely free and will not come out of any phone contract. So it can be bought on the play store and appstore however just depending on what device it is it can cost.

5.  Netflix- This app does cost and has a variety of series and films. Depending on how many people use the Netflix account the price ranges. I pay £10 a month for it as it is for the whole family. The app itself also does have a free trial which usually encourages users to buy the monthly contract. This app can be accessed on Phones , Smart TVs, Laptops as a website and is currently now being put on sky Q for even quicker access.

15.10.18- Web 2.0 advertising essay

Web 2.0 is defined as the second stage of development of the internet meaning that its characterised especially by the change from the static web pages to dynamic or user generated content and the growth of social media. The term was invented by Darcy DiNucci in 1999 and popularised several years later by Tim O'Reilly media Web 2.0 conference in late 2004.  Consequently many people have argued that Web 2.0 has significantly changed the face of advertising. The following are examples of how advertising has changed due to the reinfoced system of Web 2.0.

Firstly, Social Media Marketing. This is one of the biggest and most significant results of Web 2.0. For example, websites such as Facebook, Orkut, LinkedIn, Twitter, my space and youtube are the most top visited websites. It is because networking is one of the most essential needs in todays world. Efficient networking is backed by internet. Therefore, two thirds of the total number of internet users visit social media websites daily. It has became an addiction to many.

An additional example of advertising through social media is with the extremely utilised and popular communication media: Snapchat. There are daily updates on snapchat filters that people would put on their story or send to their friends. A particular example of an advertising filter is for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle film. I remember scrolling through the snapchat filters and seeing this filter with the caption of "In the cinemas today". This is a very clear and simple way of below the line advertising, and was used by many to advertise the new upcoming film. This proves how Web 2.0 has changed advertising as the youth generation use snapchat daily so to use a popular social media to advertise increases the success and popularity of the film.

Another example includes the information search engine. Web 2.0 has this feature to help find relevant information for the keywords entered, this can advertise certain things for example just typing up the letter 'v' comes up with the option of the new upcoming film venom. This is therefore another subtle way of advertising as encourages the person using media to possibly click that option which then again is another way of advertising.

Web 2.0 also introduced the idea of online gaming, advertising through this was used by Disney when the sequel series following the tangled film ' tangled ever after' came out on Disney channel, days before the Disney channel website released a game for the tangled ever after series, which is a method of above the line advertising. Web 2.0 contributed to the change of advertising for this new production as online gaming is a specific feature of Web 2.0 and clearly did advertise the aspects of the new series through a game relating the storyline which the target audience would play.

Particular companies like amazon have specific features of Web 2.0. After looking at a product on the popular website, after accepting cookies (which again is another feature of web2.0) the product will then come up on your emails as pop ups encouraging you to buy the product and change the way of advertising in a subtle way.

To summarise, Web 2.0 has massively changed the face of advertising through below the line and above the line advertising, advertising through Web 2.0 has helped target at specific audiences and popularise the products or media that it is advertising.

8.10.18- Product questions

1. Media Product-  The media product can be a sales product for example in the season of a television series- for which media issues assigned are the actual material objects for advertising.

Media Sector- Sectors of media industry: Interactive media, the main ones involved are print media, social media/ online , TV and radio and merchandising.

Media Producers- Media producer is the person that oversees the production of a film or media project. Producers plan and coordinate various aspects of a media production.

Media Consumers- Media Consumption is the sum of information and entertainment media taken in by an individual or group. It includes activities such as interacting with new media, reading books and magazines, watching television and film and listening to the radio.

2. Web 2.0 is the second stage of development of the internet, characterised especially by the change from static web pages to dynamic or user generated content and growth of social media. The term Web 2.0 was invented by Darcy DiNucci in 1999. It became really popularised by Tim O Reilly in 2004.  Web 2.0 did have a massive effect as its referred to as connecting to other people, in the long term now serval social media platforms have became popular because of this, including, Instagram, Facebook , snapchat and still lots more.

3. Web 2.0 has had a big impact on marketting enterprises. They have to try to reach a new audience therefore it is somewhat harder. This requires marketing teams  to advertise. 

4. Advertising on social media is said to be below the line as it is specifically targeting at an audience particular to the social media platforms. Most of this audience is younger/ youths of people so it is said to be below the line as the adverts would have to be tailored to target younger people and the types of people that are part of social media. 

5. Youtube would have aspects of below the line advertising as before you would watch a video it may show a thirty second clip, this would be below the line as it would again target a specific audience and for example if it was aimed at younger people the advert would be relatable to younger people.

8.10.18- Media Product

The media product I have chosen to talk about is amazon echo called Alexa. The product is similar to the Siri application within the iPhone and it includes verbally speaking out and asking questions that you would like to be answered. Many of the recent series of the amazon Echo even include functions of turning on the kettle etc.

I firstly saw this product advertised on the telly , many of the adverts are very humerus and include families to show the prouuct as quite family friendly. An example of an advert from amazon is one where it shows a dad looking after his baby alone for the first time while his wife goes off back to work and it shows reminders set on the amazon echo telling him a schedule of how to look after the baby , the advert then ends with the reminder saying the husband is doing a great job, this particular advert advertises the amazon Echos uses and shows it is a family friendly prouduct.

Another advert I have seen recently, is on social media in particular Instagram , the advert was only about thirty seconds long and it uses the celebrity Gordon Ramsay , within this advert Gordon Ramsay is answering peoples questions in a very comical way , this is a good way to advertise as it firstly uses a popular celebrity that youths and upwards would of seen from various programs such as Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares and it then advertises it on instagram which it’s a well known social media platform. Gordon Ramsay himself actually posted the clip on his instagrams meaning his followers would’ve seen it first and therefore influence them to buy it.

I had recently been looking at this particular product on amazon and after that when I would check my emails images of it would come up as adverts, highlighting the key aspects of the product and the price. I also found that when I would be on YouTube suggested adverts and clips to watch would be of the amazon Echo.

7.10.18- Synergy proposal Warner Bros

Synergy Proposal 
The character artist would have paramount importance during the creation of a video game due to them making the animations within the games. Your responsibilities participate in helping us to achieve a high reach in horizontal integration and therefore to fulfil this you will visually create to impress our target audience across the four main sectors which include: online, print media, TV and radio and finally merchandising.

The most successful ways of targeting the main sectors would be to firstly, make a sponsored advert on Instagram part of the target audience feed for example, working on a Harry Potter game, it would be roughly twenty seconds long and include the key aspects of the creation of the game and have the characters that you have created. This would successfully advertise socially to the world as most of the target audience will be part of social media.

Next, we would appreciate a detailed and conspicuous poster or image to advertise as apart of the print media section. You will have to come up with an idea that stands to the target audience and place it in popular places so it can be seen daily. As an example again if the game happened to be Scooby Doo you would make sure the poster had particular detail of the mystery machine design along with the main five mystery incorporated characters that you have designed yourself.

After those two sections, we would like to see a TV and Radio advert, this would be roughly 40 seconds long and ideally be animated as you're the character designer. You will have to make it as creative as possible including the aspects that make an advert successful, therefore being: A good storyline, advanced detail advertising the product and finally massively targeting the audience. If you happened to be advertising Happy Feet, we would mainly want the storyline to be 'happy' and quite a family friendly advert as the target audience for this particular film/game is families, so you could really utilise the idea of a whole family sitting round together and playing the game as the ideal nuclear family would.

Finally, the last sector is merchandising. To be highly successful within our team abundances of merchandising is paramount for achievement. This would mean having gremlin teddy bears sold in all toy retailers like Smyth's Toys and the Entertainer. Also having figure sets of the Lego movie of the character emit and the Lego batman, this would definitely target younger audiences as toys are still popular within this society and the young generations still make toys popular.

So, if you can bring all of the above to our company we would love to have you part of our team , Good Luck and give it your best!

2.10.18 - Notes

1.    The Value Chain is how a chain of importance within horizontal and vertical integration.

2.    Horizontal integration is when a product is advertised using Cross Media

3.    Cross Media enables synergy as it involves merging job roles and making it available to other sources of media.

4.    An example of synergy from a media conglomerate would be like when Disney make their Films and Series into games for example The Incredibles which is a Walt Disney Pixar film was  made into a play station game 

5.    Advertising the product, 

6.    Editor is part of the production 

01.10.18- Warner Bros

Time Warner 

Time Warner inc is one of the largest media and entertainment conglomerates in the world It was founded as Time Warner following the merger of Warner Communications and Time Inc. in 1990, and after becoming a subsidiary of AT and T in 2018, it was renamed Warner Media. It consists of three major divisions: Home box office Inc, Warner bros pictures and turner broadcasting system inc. 

Most of its products are through motion pictures, and broadcast cable television programming and distribution. There has also been many divisions of magazines, handover books, recorded music and more. 

Working at Warner Bros 

• Using industry standard 3D packages as well as proprietary Team tools, creates art assets for their assigned development project. 

Support design in creating high end content to promote game-play.

Ensure that the high-quality bar established by the Art Director and Lead Artist is maintained by themselves and their team.

Mentors more junior members of the character team and shares acquired knowledge with the group.

Participates in departmental meetings to share personal ideas and define the look and feel of characters.

Report daily to the Lead Artist with progress status.

Overview 

Within this role, Warner Bros has many divisions of branches which you will be expected to know about. It is a horizontal integration system therefore some day you will be working part of the Warner Bros pictures as part as the character designing role and some days you will be working at Home Box office. This is particularly important that you are flexible where you are working. We find merging the companies increases the success of Time Warner Inc as a whole....

 and if you are willing to be part of our team you can contribute to the success of our company!