Question: In
relation to the media area you have studied, discuss the ways audience
consumption has changed over time.
In relation to film, audience
consumption has changed over time in many ways. Institutions distribute films
to the audience in different ways than they used to. Audience consumption has
greatly changed from physical media, to digital media. With technology becoming
more advanced and growing every day, this continues to increase.
For the audience to consume the films, it must first be
distributed by the institutions. Back then, films used to only be distributed
through movie theaters and DVD’s. The ways that films can be consumed has
changed greatly, from cinema, Blu-ray, and DVD, to digital download, digital
television, Video on Demand, and Near Video on Demand. Even platforms such as
Netflix and Hulu. Trailers for the films are even being distributed on YouTube
now for people to watch. Distribution has expanded to home exhibition even more
with the use of digital viewings. In the Furious 7 movie, they used Cross
Promotion and teamed up with the phone brand OPPO, which hosted events that
promoted the movie. Furious 7 included the brand on some of the posters. Cross
Promotion was also used when Forza Horizon 2 released a video game that was
based on the movie. This Cross Promotion helped distribute the movie. Furious 7
was released on DVD and Blu-Ray in 2015. It was also premiered in the SXSW Film
Festival, and released in cinema. In 2019, the release of The Lego Movie Part
2, showed how audience consumption has changed from just 2015. This movie was
distributed to audiences through cinema, DVD formats, Blu-Ray, but also on
digital and Movies Anywhere where audiences can access the movie through
digital streaming platforms. Synergy was used when WAG and Warner Bros came
together to produce and distribute this movie. The Lego Movie Part 2 also used
Cross Promotion with DISCOVER and Burger King. As well as Cross media
convergence when making a videogame for the movie. Audience consumption through
digital distribution allows the film companies to release the film
electronically as digital files to the theaters. Doing this saves money and
resources for the companies. Digital distribution has increased market for
companies like Disney and allowed for a big growth in the number of cinema
screens in other countries. This also expands the audience consumption by
allowing a greater amount of people to have more access to the films.
However, this change is consumption for audiences has led to
a negative effect in some ways. Due to the increase in digital distribution by
institutions, DVD and Blu-Ray sales have decreased. Disney tried to increase
the DVD sales with the Alice in Wonderland movie. To do this, Disney shortened
how long it was distributed for in theaters from 17 weeks to 12 weeks. In hopes
that it would reduce the amount of illegal copies watched by people. Some
companies distribute as a day and date release so that the film is released on
DVD and in cinema at the same time. The 2011 film Tower Heist was about to be
released to Comcast customers in addition with the release in theaters, but was
not taken into consideration anymore when multiple theaters protested are
threatened not to show the film.
Audience consumption of film merchandise has also changed
over time. Nowadays, merchandise is used to promote the films and attract the
audiences. The institutions promote merchandise for the films, where the
audiences then consume it by purchasing the products. In the 2017 Beauty and
The Beast film, Disney used synergy to promote the upcoming release in a
special edition of ‘The Bachelor’ on ABC. Some merchandising of the film
included selling clothes, dolls, and more were released on a Disney online
store. Disney also teamed up with Hot Topic to come out with t-shirts and more.
Merchandise was also sold at Target where you could find costumes for children,
and mugs were released by Hallmark for the film.
I can also relate to how consumption has changed over time.
Growing up, I would either go to the movie theater with my family or receive
DVD’s to watch. I had so many films on DVD and Blu-Ray that I would watch when
I was younger. Now, I can access the films digitally on many different
platforms. I’m always going on Netflix and Disney+ to watch so many different
films. I even see many films streaming on TV to purchase. I still purchase
DVD’s here and there, but not as much as I use to. Now, I either go to the
movie theater, or watch the film digitally.
Overall, audience consumption has
changed over time through films. Digital distribution continues to exceed
disc-based media. Audience consumption continues to grow in different ways as
technology increases and grows.
