Issued raised by media ownership.

Ill Manors & Skyfall

By Sophie Bennett

Debate & explore the advantages & disadvantages of large conglomerates and smaller independent companies. For example: Film London Microwave, Film London's Micro-budget feature film & BBC Film produced Ill Manors (All independent companies). Whereas Sony & MGM produced Skyfall(Both large international conglomerate companies).

Media Ownership

Big Conglomerate Companies

Advantages: Production: - Can take risks when making the films to

make the film bigger & better. For example: making it in 3D.

- Won’t need to collaborate to secure funding.- Can be more ambitious with film. For

example: Bigger stars, more special effects and travel to better locations.

Distribution: - More money and better links to related

companies. For example: Sony Pictures Entertainment(production company) and Sony Pictures (distribution company) and Sony Platforms to exhibit films.

- Can use synergy via games, music and toys ect.

- Cam use Cross media convergence.

Disadvantages:

Production & Exhibition: - Films often have to satisfy a

mass market and creatively film makers cannon take many risks as so many large companies do satisfy and revenue to achieve.

- The film has to do well at the Box Office.

20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers, Columbia, Universal and Walt Disney Studios.

Examples of Conglomerate companies

Independent Companies

Advantages:

Production & Exhibition: - Smaller independent

companies can take more risks due to the fact that there is less money involved in the process of making the film. Bigger companies can not do this as there is too much money involved.

Disadvantages: Production:- Less budget so the film will be

less ambitious, smaller scale cost, location and special effects.

- Often have to secure extra funding and finance.

Distribution: - Has to be targeted as less

money to spend on distribution companies.

- The film is expected to make less revenue at Box Office.

- Can’t withstand losses with Box Office returns..

Film London Microwave, BBC Films, Bwark & Warp Films.

Examples of Independent Companies

Film London, Film London's Micro Budget feature films & BBC Films produced Ill Manors.

Ill Manors had a relatively small marketing budget and it was very hard to use synergy within the marketing process because they do not have links with other companies.

Budget: £100, 000 Box Office: £453, 570 Ill Manors tried to push the boundaries and received relative success,

compared to their budget. as Ill Manors isn’t part of a huge conglomerate it was able to take more

risks in terms of subject matter. A bigger company would not be able to do this as there is too much money involved.

It was financed by Film London, BBC Films and supported by Slillsets, UK Film council and Mayor of London.

The advertising campaign had to be targeted at a specific niche audience.

Ill Manors- Independent Company

Viral marketing helped Ill Manors compete and make their money. Their website gave the audience easy access to information about the film, it was packed with video clips, trailers, pictures and downloads. This made the audience feel more involved in the film.

The downloads are also a way of free advertising. For example: Someone has the background on their phone or a ringtone and friends might ask where it is from and it would help spread information about the film(word of mouth).

How did Ill Manors compete with bigger company films?

Sony & MGM produced Skyfall. Skyfall was a success because it had the backing of a company that

was able to use Cross media convergence as it owns companies. (production, distribution & exhibitors)

For a big budget film skyfall resulted in a huge amount of ‘word-of-mouth’. This helped the film become a blockbuster hit. Skyfall was also benefited by cross media convergence as the film company is a giant institution.

Publicity of skyfall started early because Sony could afford to do so. For example: photos of the characters were released a year before the film was released.

Skyfall used viral marketing with the use of their own website, their wallpapers, Facebook cover photos and Twitter skins. Stills from the film can also be found in the gallery on the website.

Skyfall are a conglomerate company, meaning they have more power than independent companies like the ones who produced Ill Manors.

Skyfall- Conglomerate Company