Practise Essay Question

Explain the impact of digitally convergent media platforms on movie production, distribution ad consumption. refer to The Jungle Book 1967 and The Jungle Book 2016 in your answer. [15 marks]

Over the five decades since The Jungle Book 1967 came to the silver screen, there has been a complete technological revolution. While the 1967 film was only released on the one available platform - the cinema - the 2016 film, one year on, is already on multiple platforms for audiences to view globally including online streaming.

Digitally convergent media platforms have impacted largely on the movie production for The Jungle Book films. An example is by allowing synergies in production that produce cost savings for movie companies as The Jungle Book films were both Disney films and Disney has a very large and well recognised synergy which helps to promote and market these films as well. However, the first Jungle Book film in 1967 would have been much harder to access when it was released as technology was less advanced then it is now. This can be considered negative or positive as it meant that there wasn't much competition so more people were likelier to see the film but, it also meant people just may not have watched it all together as going to the cinema is a lot more effort. In contrast, The Jungle Book 2016 is much more accessible and easier to market. Also the Disney brans is much more recognise and important now so the synergy would have been more relevant for the 2016 film.

Convergence between social media platforms has enabled Disney's audience to have an active voice in its on-going production through feedback and commentary on Youtube, Facebook and other online fan communities. Fans of the films are one of the largest parts of marketing and success for the movie; Jenkins calls these fans a 'fandom' where they constantly follow and get involved in anticipation for the film's release. The 2016 film used Youtube for the trailers and teaser trailers, Snapchat to make a filter to promote the film and had their own website called 'lawofthejungle.com' to get their fans excited. Word-of-mouth marketing was also essential for the film's distribution and consumption as these social media sites meant people could spread the word about the film such as by using the hashtag 'junglebook' on twitter. However, these convergences did not exist at the time of the 1967 film as the internet didn't really exist so the only marketing they could do was things like posters and banners around the cinemas or in newsletters, which made it much harder to market.

The internet's availability over a multitude of different platforms has acted as an enabler to movie companies in terms of how they distribute films. This has then resulted in a save in money for the production company and they also make more money from it too. For example, there are many online streaming services, such as Netflix, which pay the company to have The Jungle Book films on their sites which allows many more people to watch them. There are also the TV broadband's, such as Sky, which have the films accessible for their viewers too. The Jungle Book 2016 is also a lot more accessible for more diverse audiences such as people who speak different languages where the film is dubbed or subbed, and audiences with special requirements such as deaf or blind people or even autistic people. This availability has meant a higher distribution rate for the film. However, this was not available at the time of The Jungle Book 1967 but the film is now spread in the same ways to allow audiences to access the old film or rematch it for the popular nostalgia it gives its audiences.

On the other hand, in some cases the impact of digitally convergent media platforms has also increased the risk of movie production for movie companies. This is due to the risk of movies production for movie companies. This is also due to leaked content that is playable across a number of convergent platforms and online piracy. Nowadays it is easy for audiences to illegally download or stream Disney movies and TV shows for free so Disney don't make any profit from it. Due to the internet being so enormous and widely used it is very hard to control piracy and copy right laws meaning there are anyways people watch it illegally on site such as '123movies'. However, this can then have a positive effect for the films as it means more people can watch the films and then invest on buying the film or buying the merchandise or buying other things related with the movies which means the film company does still, therefore, make money from them.

Additional monetisation features exist to gain additional revenue and also capture further audience information to refine future future products. An example of this is the video game brand 'Disney Infinity', Disney created a large video game involving many of their characters which are played in the game. This then produces more money for the company and causes them to gain additional revenue for the film. This can then advertise the film and the game so Disney gains profit from both. Disney also does partnership deals such as with Lego to promote their brand and films but also for Lego to produce money as well so it works in both companies favour.

In conclusion, the impact of digitally convergent media platforms on movie production, distribution and consumption for The Jungle Book 1967 was very different to the 2016 remake as the 2016 version was made in a time where we have much more advanced media and technology. This is evident due to the total grosses of the films as the remakes had a much larger gross then the original.

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