1.

The issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media

practice.

The production company is usually the company which owns the film. The company
are the ones who fund everything to do with the film like location costs etc. The
bigger the company, the bigger the budget they can spend on creating the film as they
have the money to do so. This means they, generally, are more successful as they can
include more and splash out on set, cameras, costume etc. Another reason as to why
these types of films are a success is because they follow the pattern of Mark
Kermodes rules, which are: 1. A newsworthy budget, 2. Spectacular visuals, 3. NOT
be a comedy and 4. Include an 'A list' star. Big production companies have the money
to pay A list stars and are known to make great films so they budget will be high,
leading to success.
Walt Disney is an example of one of the biggest production companies in the
industry. It is one of the most successful companies in the world, and is seen as one of
the best for producing family friendly films. Disney has produced successful films
such as Pirates of the Caribbean, The Lion King and Finding Nemo. Disney make
such a huge success at the box office, not only because they create incredible films,
but because the public assume their movies will be good so they and go to the cinema
to see them.
This is why companies can have larger budgets as they receive large profits.
Heyday films produced their first film Ravenous in 1999 which had a budget of $12
million but only made $2,062,405. This film clearly didnt make a good profit unlike
films produced by Disney and Sony. This soon changed when they produced their
second film Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone in 2001. The budget for this
was $125 million which is massive compared to the $12 million spent on Ravenous.
This is because other companies such as Warner Bros and 1492 Pictures were
involved, raising the budget as they (especially Warner Bros) were already successful
companies. This film made a huge $974.8 million at the box office. Heyday Films
made more money from this, as well as the rest of the series which was equally as
successful as the first. Heyday Films also made money from other films such as The
Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and I Am Legend. The company got bigger and bigger,
primarily known for its success from the Harry Potter series.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 was the last Harry Potter film in the
series. It was released in 2011 with a budget of $250 million which was shared with
part 1 of the film. By this point, the Harry Potter fan base had grown, and everyone
was excitedly awaiting the final film. The popularity of the main actors/actresses
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint had grown over the 10 years since
they first began filming in 2000, forming them into A list stars. This film fitted all of
Mark Kermodes rules, as it had a large budget ($250 million), A list stars, it wasnt a
comedy as it was the most serious film, and it had incredible visuals which he raved

about on his interview with BBC Radio 5 in 2011. The public knew this would be the
last film to be made which meant they went to the cinema to see it as it would be the
last chance they get.
The box office figures for the Harry Potter series were:
Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone: $974.8 million
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: $879 million
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: $796.7 million
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: $896.9 million
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: $939.9 million
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: $934.4 million
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1: $960.3 million
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: $1.342 billion

2. The importance of cross media convergence and synergy in

production, distribution and marketing.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 is based on the 7th book in the Harry
Potter series, produced by Heyday films and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It
is the final half of the 7th book, making it the last film in the series.
Harry Potter began from a series of novels written by J. K. Rowling. The first novel
(Philosophers Stone) was published in 1997 and the last novel (The Deathly Hallows)
was published in 2007. By this point, 4 out of the 7 films were released and the 5 th
was being released that same year. The Harry Potter film series had the advantage
that the novels were so adored that everyone wanted to go see the films. This boosted
the marketing process and made it easier as they were already successful because of
the books. As well as this, new technology was being formed which allowed people to
connect with the films online. New technology enabled the public to download
images and trailers, as well as join fan sites such as Pottermore to connect with the
author herself.
The 7th book (the Deathly Hallows) was written as a whole. However, it was too long
to form into one as a film. So the production company, alongside J. K. Rowling, cut
the book in half and created 2 separate film scripts. This had been done a couple of
times before with different movies, some of which werent successful. There were
many discussions going on when this was revealed as to whether they would pull it
off, but they did; and it made part 2 even more successful.
It is important for companies to keep up to date with technology as they may end up
advertising on old devices instead of new ones which thousands of people have;
causing them to lose money. Keeping up to date allows companies to market well
enough that millions of people see what they are trying to promote, which works at
their advantage as more people will see the advertisement and would hopefully go see
the film.

3. The technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the

levels of production, distribution, marketing and exchange.

3D:
3D is a motion picture that increases the illusion of depth perception. It is where two
cameras are used to film a scene from two different perspectives. It is also a computer
generated image. Special projection hardware is used to complete the illusion of
depth such as glasses to use during the film. 3D films are not limited to just feature
films, it can be adapted to be used in different aspects of media. 3D film didnt have
much of a success until the 21st century where its popularity grew as it was used in
large block buster films such as Avatar and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Blu-Ray:
Blu-Ray is a digital optical disc data storage format which is of a higher quality than a
normal DVD, and also features better audio quality.
Downloadable Content:
Downloadable content is additional content for video games and films, such as
soundtracks and additional accessories for characters, like a new jumper for
characters in the Harry Potter PS2 games. This can be done through any
downloadable content provider like Google and iTunes.
How did these affect the distribution of Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows part 2?
All of these had a huge effect on the success of the film. Deathly Hallows part 2 sold
2.71 million Blu-ray units ($60.75 million) in three days, and It also sold 2.83 million
DVD units ($42.22 million) during its debut. It had sold 4.71 million Blu-ray units
($99.33 million) and 6.47 million DVD units ($88.96 million) by July 2012. The film
was also released as part of the Harry Potter: Complete 8-Film Collection box set,
which was available on DVD and Blu-ray. It included all eight films and new special
features. $72.8 million was made on the opening weekend from 3-D showings, which
made up 43% of the total opening weekend gross which was $169,189,427 in the US.
4. The significance of proliferation in hardware and content for audiences
and institutions.
Since films were first created and released, different companies have had different
ways of enabling their audiences to watch their film. Common ways now are to watch
things on DVD/Blu-Ray, Video on demand, downloading and online streaming; as
well as visiting the cinema. These ways are usually cheap which is important as many
people may not have the funds to be going to the cinema all the time, so they can rent
films from websites like Netflix, Lovefilm or even buy them in shops on DVD/BluRay. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 was released in both 2D and 3D. It
was also released on DVD and Blu-Ray, but it wasnt released on websites like Netflix
as it was a high enough budgeting film to make enough profit. Usually films that
dont do too well are released online to make more profits.

5. The importance of technological convergence for audiences and

institutions.
Technology allows people to view films differently, whether it is on their phone,
laptop or television. The Internet acts like a hub for many aspects of film. On the
internet you can find posters, YouTube videos on films, cast/crew interviews, trailers,
websites and the list goes on. The public are then able to create their own mini films
containing this information as a form of fan art and extra publicity. As well as this,
people can watch films in a multitude of ways, by using a range of hardwares and
softwares. Also, it is important that smaller companies work together to produce
posters, soundtracks etc. as larger global companies get a larger audience due to their
popularity.

6. The issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences

(specifically, British) by international or global institutions.
Harry Potter has been marketed in multiple different ways. The first of the series was
published in the UK as The Philosophers Stone, however it was marketed in the US
as The Sorcerers Stone. This was because American citizens thought that children
and teenagers wouldnt read a book with philosopher in the title. Rowling herself
suggested the Americanised title, but later revealed she regretted it as she wished it
would remain as British as possible. The official posters in the UK had a different film
release date to the rest of the world. This was because Harry Potter is a British film so
it was released earlier in the UK.
7. The ways in which the candidates own experiences of media
consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience behaviour.
Usually, I wait until I see the trailer of a film which interests me; then I go to the
cinema to see it. I also go see films with my friends when its a rainy day or we want
something to do. Depending on what the film is, I may wait until it is released on
DVD to view it, or I wait until it is released on Netflix. As of recent, most people
(especially the younger generation) wait for films to be released online so they can
watch them at home. However, older members of the public and those with children
usually take trips to the cinema as a way to have something to do at the weekend or in
the evening.
I did go to see Harry Potter in the cinema with my family when I was of the correct
age to go see it. However, the ones before I watched when they were released on DVD
at home with my family as I was underage to see them at the cinema. DVDs enable
younger viewers to watch films at home (with their parents) so they arent missing
out on the film. In my opinion, it is better to go see films when they are released in
the cinema because the big screen and surround sound makes it better. The
adrenaline from this also makes the film more exciting. Scary movies are better at the
cinema as it is shown on a larger screen and the room is pitch black dark, creating a
tense atmosphere before the film has even started.