Film Terminology

Film and Institution Glossary

Above the line advertising	Publicity that is controlled by the distribution company such as trailers, posters, links with companies,
Artshouse	Cinema specialising in films that are not mainstream e.g. art films, foreign films, classic films
Artshouse film	A low budget independent film that would most likely appeal to an educated higher class audience who follow unusual genres or like cult directors that few have heard of.
Below the line advertising	Publicity that is not controlled by distribution company and is usually free e.g. reviews, interviews, articles in magazines
Big Five	Biggest film studios: MGM, warner brothers, 20th C Fox, paramount, Sony. Produce, distribute and own cinemas
Conglomerate	A company that owns large numbers of companies in a range of mass media such as TV, film and the internet. Eg Disney, news Corporation, Time warner
Contemporary	Up to date, modern
Convention	What we expect to see in a particular genre or text
Cross media convergence	Companies coming together vertically or horizontally for mutual gain e.g. orange Wednesdays, McDonalds happy meals
Demographic	Measurable characteristics of media consumers such as age, gender, race, lifestyle, education and income
Digital screen network	A project to convert 240 screens in UK cinemas to digital costing £12m.
Digital technologies	Any piece of technology that stores information by reducing it to digits then reassembles it for an exact reproduction e.g. internet, phones, HD cameras, I pads
Distribution	After the film is made it is distributed to cinemas, promoted on TV and radio and in magazines, marketed using posters, websites, trailers, links with companies such as McDonalds
Exchange	Ways of watching and sharing films e.g. cinemas, you tube, streaming, DVD, bluray, fansites, swedes,
Global	worldwide
Hardware	The physical equipment used to produce, distribute
Horizontal Integration	One company buying others in the same level of work to strengthen their business.
Independent film	Produced outside the major film studio format usually with a low budget
Mainstream	A high budget film that would appeal to most segments of an audience
Marketing	The way in which a media text or product is sold to a target audience
Mass audience	A very large group of people
National	Within one country
Niche audience	related to or aiming at a specialised group of people or a group interested in a particular theme
Online distribution	Delivery of media content without the use of physical media usually streamed or downloaded
Print	A 35mm film reel that is sent to cinemas to show. Costs 10 times that of a digital copy
Production	The process of creating film from the idea to the final edit
Proliferation	A huge increase or a huge amount
Prosumer	Audience member who makes film and distributes usually through the internet
Swede	A summarized recreation of a popular culture film using limited (or no) budget and a camcorder. The process is sweding and once done the film has been sweded.
Synergy	The combination of 2 separate media texts or products that share similar characteristics so that one helps market the other e.g. colour, font, image, logo
Target audience	The ideal audience member in terms of age, gender, income, lifestyle, race
Technological convergence	The merging of previously separate communication methods made possible by technological advances. Eg a phone is used for photos, videos, internet, messaging
USP	Unique Selling Point. What makes the film different or the aspect that most appeals to the audience
Vertical integration	Where an institution shares or owns each part of the production and distribution process e.g. 20th C Fox makes and distributes films
Viral marketing	Being passed from one person to another usually via the internet and free

The Selfish Giant Revision

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/oct/20/selfish-giant-barnard-set-visit

https://www.facebook.com/SelfishGiantFilm

http://birds-eye-view.co.uk/2013/10/23/interview-the-selfish-giant-filmmaker-clio-barnard/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26048993

Clio Barnard's view of the future of cinema

Dazed Digital: What’s your take on current British filmmaking?

Clio Barnard: It’s a really exciting time in British cinema, partly because of how diverse the films and filmmakers are – there’s not just one school of filmmaking emerging. I saw 12 Years a Slave and I thought it was phenomenal for Steve McQueen to be the person to tell that story, I’m incredibly pleased he has that ambition. It’s also exciting that more female voices are being heard – 
I don’t usually bang on about that, but I think it’s significant. Joanna Hogg, Carol Morley, Lynne Ramsay, Andrea Arnold... Penny Woolcock was a big inspiration for me.

Dazed Digital: How about the future of cinema 
in general?

Clio Barnard: I find it really hard to speculate about that. But the future of image-making has been completely revolutionised. Kids from a very early age now understand moving images in a way that generations before didn’t and can manipulate them. And they’ve got access to equipment. My son knows how to use Final Cut Pro and he’s 12! And he shoots stuff all the time.


“The big screen will always have a place. 
Nothing
replaces sitting with an audience and being immersed by the sound as much as the image”

Dazed Digital: Do new platforms and technology appeal to you? You shot your 2006 short Dark Glass on a mobile phone.

Clio Barnard: There was a really specific reason – it’s about domestic photography and how a plethora of images might change films and photography in relation to memory. But the big screen will always have a place. I don’t think anything replaces that experience of sitting with an audience and being immersed by the sound as much as the image.

Dazed Digital: So you don’t advocate watching films on phones or tablets?

Clio Barnard: It’s not the best place, is it? But it depends what the film is – I was happy to watch Bridesmaids on an aeroplane and really enjoyed it. But then I also watched Amour on a plane and I know it diminished that and I need to watch it properly. By the way, Bridesmaids is a brilliant film too... (laughs)

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Glossary of Media Terminology

As requested I have put some media terminology on here. I will add to it as we go along.

Diegetic - sound that is recorded at the scene that characters can hear
Non Diegetic - sound that is added at editing such as music and sound effects
Synchronous sound - sund that is amplified for effect and is seen as part of the narrative
Asynchronous - sound that is part of the narrative but not seen on screen
Mise en scene  - everything you can see in the shot eg lighting, props, setting, costumes, make up
Iconography - props that are associated with a particular genre
Semiotics - the study of the meaning of signs
Mode of address - the way a text speaks to e audience. The words used, the order of the words, the tone etc.
Niche - an audience with specific interests
Mass - a very large audience group covering many interests
Demographic - a group of people with similar characteristics or interests
Polysemic - multiple meanings
Anchor - to fix one meaning to an image by use of caption for example
Enigma - a puzzle or riddle, clue
Connotation - the meaning that is suggested by a sign
Genre - classifying media into groups that have similar characteristics
Generic conventions - features of texts that link it to that genre

The Hunger Games Revision

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/24/business/media/hunger-games-studio-lionsgate-punches-above-its-hollywood-weight.html?_r=0

http://www.adoperationsonline.com/2015/02/18/sizmek-powers-breakthrough-campaign-for-lionsgates-the-hunger-games-mockingjay-part-1/

http://www.minttwist.com/blog/2014/11/11/hunger-games-mockingjay-digital-marketing-case-study/

Hunger Games Mockingjay Website

Hunger Games Mockingjay Website

Have a look at how the film uses its website to promote itself especially leading up to the DVD release on16 March.

This will give you information about marketing and exchange for your exam answer.