P2: Industry

Monday 28th October

Media Industries & Audiences

L/O: To explore the content of unit

• How and why media products are constructed to reach and address a number of audiences.

The Jungle Book, 1967

Disney research - homework

Ownership
The Walt Disney Company, commonly know as Disney, was founded by Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney. Disney also owns other companies partially such as, Marvel, 21st Century Fox and Hollywood Records.

Funding

Growth

Box office successes
Disney's highest grossing animated films are: 
The Lion King, 2019, ($1,654,653,262)
Frozen, 2013, ($1,290,000,000)
Incredibles 2, 2018, ($1,242,805,359)
Disney's highest grossing films in general are:
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, 2015, ($2,068,223,624)
Avengers: Infinity War, 2018, ($2,045,628,423)
Marvel's The Avengers, 2012, ($1,518,812,988)

Diversification
Disney began in 1923 in the rear of a small office occupied by Holly-Vermont Realty in Los Angeles. It was there that Walt Disney and his brother Roy, produced a series of live action/animated films collectively called the Alice Comedies, within 4 months the staff moved next door to larger facilities, where the sign on the window read "Disney Bros. Studio". During the next 14 years since then, many changes took place, Micky Mouse was 'Born' followed by Pluto, Goofy, Donald Duck and the rest of the original disney characters. Since then

Influence and brand values

Main characters: 
- Mowgli: A young orphan boy raised by wolves
- Baloo: A carefree Bear
- Bagheera: Black Panther who serves as friend, protector and mentor to Mowgli
- Shere Kahn: A man eating Begal Tiger
- King Louis: Orangutang
- Kaa

Narrative: Mowgli, a young boy, is found in a basket in the deep jungle of india by Bagheera and is then raised by wolves. As man-eating Shere Khan returns to the jungle Mowgli's existence is threatened. Facing certain death, Mowgli must overcome his reluctance to leave his wolf family and return to the man village, however he is not alone on this quest as Bagheera is looking after him and along the way he meets, Kaa, Baloo, and King Louis.

Themes:

Representation: how are children/adults represented, animals representing groups in society, men and women



Wednesday 30th October

The 1960s

L/O: To research the social context

- Black civil rights, anti war protests and feminism were key in the 60s
- Homosexuality was illegal along with divorce etc.

Timeline of key events in the UK/US from 1960-1967

1960:
- John F. Kennedy wins US Presidential election.
- U.S troops sent to Vietnam.

1961:
- Yuri Gagarin becomes the first person in space.
- WWF (world wide fund for nature) is created.

1962:
- Cuban Missile crisis.
- The Beatles release their first single, 'love me do' in the UK.

1963:
- John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald.
- Martin Luther King gave 'I have a Dream' speech.

1964:
- Civil Rights Act was put into Law.
- Sidney Poitier wins 'best actor' becoming first black actor to win that honour.

1965:
- The Voting Rights Act is signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson.
- Martin Luther King Jr. leads a peaceful civil rights march.
- The Vietnam war escalates and protests become more common.
- Death penalty is abolished

1966:
- Botswana and Lesotho gain independence from England.
- The Soviet Union's Luna 9 unmanned spacecraft lands on the moon.
- Walt Disney dies.

1967:
- Abortion and Homosexuality legalised in UK
- The Jungle Book is released.

The Jungle Book, 2016

Main characters: 
- Mowgli: A young orphan boy raised by wolves
- Baloo: A carefree Bear
- Bagheera: Black Panther who serves as friend, protector and mentor to Mowgli
- Akela: Leader of the wolf pack, adopts Mowgli and becomes one of his mentors.
- Raksha: Member of the wolf pack who also adopts Mowgli.
- Shere Kahn: A man eating Begal Tiger
- King Louis: Orangutang

Narrative: 
Mowgli is a boy brought up in the Jungle by a pack of wolves. When Shere Khan, a Tiger, threatens to kill him. A panther and bear help him escape his clutches.

Themes:
The themes shown in The 2016 Jungle Book include loyalty and family, Friendship, coming of age, acceptance of differences

Representation: how are children/adults represented, animals representing groups in society, men and women

Main changes in narrative:
- Mowgli doesn't leave the jungle in the modern one.
- Much darker themes
- Kaa changed gender - was male now female
- Females were represented as mothers or objects of desire in original
- No Vultures
- Back story to Mowgli in the new one
- A lot that wasn't in the original movie was in the original book

Monday 11th November

Disney (60s)

L/O: To research Disney's history

• Low point, competition from TV saw attendance figures far dramatically.
• Film companies who owned many of the cinemas found their finances struck fatal blows.
• Disney, unlike others, had a clearly fixed demographic whose tastes were unchanging.
• The continuity of expectation of their market meant that disney continued throughout the 1960s to produce products similar in intension to...
• The sixties was pre-video recorders and the possibility of home ownership of films. As such, film and film studio profitability was very much dependant on ticket sales at cinemas.
• TV did show films however it would take years for them to go from being at the cinema to being on TV.
• Disney however operated a 'no show' policy on their major animated releases ever being shown on TV. They would often archive and then re-release their classic animations every few years.

What were the differences between how disney operated as a film studio and how other studios operated at the time?

The differences between Disney and other film studios was that Disney had personal control of the whole studio which affected all the stages of production and distribution. Before production of The Jungle Book Disney had streamlined the whole production system so that he had one supervising director, one art director, four master animators and one story-man. This was different to other film studios as a job that would normally have a lot more than one person doing only had one. The story-man at the beginning of the production of The Jungle Book, Bill Peet, who had to write the screenplay, make the storyboards and record the voices complained saying 'More than 40 men had once been assigned to these tasks' showing how little people Disney's productions involved compared to other film studios at the time.

What was Walt Disney's own influence on the production?

The Jungle Book was the last film that Walt Disney had an influence on before his death in 1966. Because the last film The Sword in the Stone had disappointed at the box office, Disney began to become more personally involved in the production process of the new film The Jungle Book that was released in 1967. His nephew said that Disney 'Influenced everything about it, he got hooked on the Jungle and the characters that lived there'.
Disney thought the first version of the script was too dark and that the audience wouldn't be able to identify with Mowgli and he thought the villain was going to be to cliché and so Disney himself took control and changed the production team. He gave Larry Clemmons, the new scriptwriter, a copy of the original novel but told him that he didn't want him to read it but to turn the book into a successful film. Many of the original characters were cut out which then created a clear storyline for the film.

What techniques were used that differed from normal animation?

The Jungle Book's animation process was pretty much backwards compared to the standard procedure of animation. Disney first had the actors and based the drawings of the characters on them, their voices and their vocal personalities, however the normal way of doing animation was to have the animators draw the characters first and then cast the actors, making sure their voices were suited to the character.
Disney wanted the characters to carry the film and he was creative in his vocal casting, for example he heard the band singer Phil Harris perform and then decided he would be perfect for the role of Baloo. The director, Wolfgang Reitherman, said that 'In The Jungle Book we tried to incorporate the personalities of the actors that do the voices into the cartoon characters, and we came up with something totally different'. The bear who had been intended as a minor figure, became the films co-star, converting the picture from a series of disconnected adventure books into a story of a boy and his mentor.

What places/people did they get their inspiration from?

Shere Khan was designed to resemble his voice actor, George Sanders, renowned in Hollywood for playing elegant villains, but his movements were based on live action big cats, the animator, Milt Kahl based both Bagheera and Shere Khan's movements on animals which he saw in two Disney productions, A Tiger Walks and The Jungle Cat episode of True-life adventures. Baloo was based on footage of bears, incorporating the animal's penchant for scratching. The wolf cubs were based on the dogs from 101 Dalmatians. The Monkey's dance during the song 'I wanna be like you' was partially inspired by a performance Louis Prima did with his band at Disney's soundstage to convince Disney to cast him.
The backgrounds in The Jungle Book were all hand-painted, with the exception of the waterfall, which mostly consisted of footage of the Angel Falls in Venezuela, and sometimes scenery was used in both foreground and bottom and filmed with a multi-plane camera to create a notion of depth.



Wednesday 13th November

The Film Industry

L/O: To explain the process of making a film and changes within the film industry


What was the process of making films? 
Shot with actual film, which meant they couldn't see what exactly they were filming as they would of had to wait for it to develop. They could only shoot for 10-15 minutes before they'd have to change the film over.

How has it changed in the last 20 years?
Change in technology, sound, cameras, editing, CGI

What impact has digitalisation had on the industry?
Its quicker and easier, you can share files easily and you can do a lot more with editing now. The cost is now reduced as they don't have to deliver and pay for all of the film to get to the cinemas and so are able to put that money into the production. Digitalisation has also made films much more accessible

How has changing technology effected the industry?
3D and 4D technology, surround sound, streaming sites such as Netflix

What's the future of film making?



Film Industry Terminology

Vertical integration - When the production company has the ownership of the means of production, distribution and exhibition of the film by the same company, because of this they receive all the profit.

Horizontal integration - Where a production company expands into other areas of one industry, this means that the company can develop in a particular area of production or they can buy out another company that deals with that area.

Digital convergence - The ability to view the same multimedia content from different types of devices.

Technical convergence - The tendency for different technological systems that were originally quite unrelated to become closely integrated and even unified as they develop and advance.

Standard convergence - The merging of previously distinct media technologies and platforms through digitisation and computer networking. Media convergence is also a business strategy where communications companies integrate their ownership of different media properties.

Pre-production - Work done on a product, especially a film or broadcast programme, before full scale production begins.

Production - The action of making or manufacturing from components or raw materials.

Distribution - The action of sharing something out among a number of recipients.

Exhibition - The retail branch of the film industry, it involves not the production or the distribution of motion pictures, but their public screening, usually at a cinema or theatre.

Exchange - What the audience does after they've watched it.


Wednesday 20th November

The Film Industry

L/O: To apply media terminology and debates to Disney

How can the values, ideologies and key events of the 60s be seen in The Jungle Book (1967)?
Some of the key events from the 1960s, values and ideologies can be seen through The Jungle Book, 1967. Some of the key events that are shown through The Jungle Book can include, The Beatles releasing their first single in 1962, as this is what inspired the characters of the vultures in the movie. A big event that happened in the 60s were all the Civil Rights movements such as Martin Luther King's, 'I have a Dream' speech, the civil rights act was put into law and Civil rights marches in 1965. This relates to The Jungle Book as in the movie there are racist stereotypes, particularly shown through the character of King Louis showing that despite all the civil rights movements that had been happening people did still think very racially stereotypical. The character King Louis is an example of this because of the way they have portrayed him in the film, he and the other monkeys are shown to be criminal and foolish and the character of King louis is based around the American Musician Louis Armstrong. The movie also includes racist quotes, one of which, when Baloo is fighting the monkeys, he shouts at them "Why you flat-nosed, little-eyed, flaky creeps" which shows the heavy racism that was happening at the time which clearly reflects in the film.


How can we see the impact of digitalisation and technical convergence in the production of The Jungle Book (2016)?
In the production of The Jungle Book, 2016, you can see the clear change in film production through the development in technology, digitalisation and technical convergence.
In The Jungle Book, 2016, they used a lot of new technology to create groundbreaking visual effects in comparison to The Jungle Book, 1967. Some of the modern day technology used to create these visual effects include, CGI, the animals were created digitally in post production and the one actor who played Mowgli acted against a blue screen. Motion capture was also used as they motion captured the whole movie before they actually began filming anything, the effects team then built the sets virtually, a process known as pre-visualisation. With this technology Disney were able to create 'One of the most technologically advanced movies ever made'.


Monday 25th November 

The Jungle Book, 1967

L/O: To explore the industry and social context of Disney in the 60s.
The 60s and Disney

• An era of change in the social context and film industry.
• Because peoples viewing habits were changing Disney were trying to protect themselves from this, in the 1950s disney had opened their theme parks which helps promote the films as well as the films promoting the theme parks.
• Theme parks became a major source of revenue and marketing of the brand focusing on a mix of adult nostalgia for childhood and the appeal to young children of making animated characters and their worlds real.
• Disney had branched into television, establishing a TV channel targeting young children and mining its back catalog cartoons whilst creating new TV shows.
• It had made the move into live action with the releases of Herbie and Mary Poppins in 1963 and 1964.

Conventional film marketing techniques:

• Trailers in cinema linked with a similar genre
• Teaser posters, billboards, theatrical posters
• Magazine features
• Press Marketing - allowing press to access the set - studio images of characters
• Reviews in magazines/newspapers
• Word of Mouth 
• Merchandise 
• Film soundtrack/ hit theme song
• Fandom
• Brand identity - The studio/director/franchise
• Brand reliability - The studio/director/franchise
• Disney was ahead of its time in grasping potential of what we would today call influencer marketing.
• Disney was able to use its growing financial muscle alongside its brand identity with an older audience to create positive attitudes towards its products.

Disney's influence & values

• Disney himself exerted a massive and all pervading influence on the content, narrative and values of each disney major animated product.
• His emphasis on the importance of family and family values was clearly apparent - Disney saw himself as standing for what was good and decent in America.
• In an age of social upheaval and concerns over the damage such new ideas on sex and violence in cinema and TV might wreak, his products were trusted by parents as a safe haven of tradition and convention.
• However such views were also those of a man who was very much the right wing republican. Although Disney did not create each frame of his films, his influence was from everywhere.
• If a Disney film was released it had to be approved by disney, over time they had come to anticipate his demands and build these into each product, the institution was very much constructed in Walt's image.

How were these values shown in The Jungle Book?

• Lack of female representation highlights the patriarchal society.
• Segregation for the greater good view - sticking to your tribe.
• Songs all up-beat and fun loving.
• Right wing traditional views can be seen through the narrative.
• Vultures representing The Beatles - pop culture.

Huge Box Office Success

• The death of Walt Disney occurred a few months before the release of the film but his influence was such that the work and practices of the studio continued along the lines he had set out over the previous 30 years.
• With each new technology disney adjusted its production and marketing to align itself with the family values of disney and to protect the brand.

Technological Developments

• The age of the video player that began in the 1980s lead to availability of film on VHS tape for home purchase.

Monday 25th November

Disney Audience

L/O: To analyse the target audience for Disney

Target Audience

• Disney primary target audience is boys and girls of ages 4-12 which has been unchanging for decades.
• They are considered primary because they have the greatest influence over their parent's decision making and are most excited about the brand.
• These children are also heavy-users of the brand in that they experience the thrill of the rides, wear disney merchandise and use the brand as a source of entertainment.
• Secondary target market is men and women between 35-55 years old.
• This is considered secondary because they have already experienced the traditional disney atmosphere.
• Disney must advertise and appeal to this segment because they are the money makers and make the disney experience available for their children.

How has Disney exploited its brand image to construct a clear and consistent audience for its products over a period of time?

Disney has had a very consistent target audience from the beginning. Their primary target audience includes children, boys and girls, from the ages of 4-12 which has been unchanging for decades. Although quite a lot of Disney's audience are also older than this, the children are considered to be the primary target audience because they are the ones who will most likely use the brand the most, not just watching the movies but also, for example, wearing merchandise, going to Disneyland and listening to soundtracks from the movies. They will also be the ones who want to see the new films the most and therefore the parents will go along to the cinema with them making the parents Disney's secondary target audience.

The secondary target audience includes adults, men and women, from the ages of 35-55 years old. They are considered Disney's secondary target audience as they have already experienced the traditional Disney atmosphere when they were children and so they will also be attracted to the films due to nostalgia. These people are also the secondary target audience as they are the money makers and so they are the ones who make the Disney experience possible for their children therefore Disney must advertise and appeal to this audience as well as the primary target audience of children.

Because Disney has kept a consistent target audience through time they have created a trusted brand image and therefore gained a very trusting audience, where the parents can trust that the movie they are going to see will be suitable for their child, very family friendly and a good film as a whole. So they will be very confident with taking their child to see the latest Disney movie as the child will enjoy the movie while it still appeals to them, the secondary target audience.

Monday 25th November

The Jungle Book, 2016

L/O: To explore the industry and social context of Disney now.

Key events and issues going on here and in the US during 2014-2016

2014:
- Fatal use of force by police in America - Black Lives Matter
- Torrential rain and flash flooding cause travel chaos
- The Ferguson riots
- California drought
- ALS ice bucket challenge
- Malaysian airlines flight disappears

2015:
- The world strikes a deal on climate change
- European refugee crisis
- Charleston Church shooting
- On air shooting in Virginia
- Deaths by police officers
- Paris Terror attacks
- Same-sex marriage becomes legal

2016:
- Britain votes to leave the European Union
- Donald Trump wins US presidency
- Orlando nightclub shooting
- President Obama vists Cuba
- Syrian refugee crisis
- Women in congress


Wednesday 27th November

Disney in 2016

L/O: To explore the changes in the company and the industry since the 1960s

• The period between 1967 ad 2016 saw huge technological changes which influenced the 'new Hollywood era' 1960-1990 and the later modern Hollywood of 1990-present.
• The 2016 JB has a much darker tone, since 2010 disney decided on a strategy to create live action versions of its earlier animated classics.
• Zeitgeist - 'spirit of the times'

In what ways does the production of the Jungle Book 2016 offer evidence of Hegel's view of zeitgeist?

The production of The Jungle Book 2016 offers evidence of Hegel's view of zeitgeist in a number of ways. The 2016 version of the Jungle Book has progressed a lot since the original version in 1967 in terms of gender and ethnic representations. In the 2016 Jungle Book the characters of both Raksha and Kaa female, whereas in the 1967 version they were both male.

How does the film address the expectations of a 2016 audience? - CGI, new technology, desensitisation

The Jungle Book 2016 addresses the expectations of a 2016 audience through using the latest technology to make everything look as real as possible to make sure the audiences expectations are met. As the film is live action is does have a much darker tone to it than the original 1967 movie has while keeping Disney's usual target audience, this can play into the idea of desensitisation in the more modern society showing that children can now cope with a more darker toned movie while possibly a 1967 audience might have been scared of the darker toned and more scary scenes included in the modern Jungle Book.

How does it fit into the Disney brand? - Darker toned / more like the book / book at the start and end.

The Jungle Book 2016 fits into Disney's brand as, although it has a much darker tone to it than the original, it is still a family friendly movie with the same consistent target audience that Disney has had for decades. They have managed to keep this target audience with darker toned films through...They have also

Disney now

• They now own 27 percent of the film industry.
• Disney is an example of both horizontal and vertical expansion.
• In 2016 Disney's primary audience contained around 26 million young children, 40 percent of this audience are hispanic.
• The animal characters were deliberately created with a realistic look to target the older movie goers, The movie was also targeted at teenagers who could influence their younger siblings to watch it.
• The movie was aggressively and repeatedly targeted to male audiences.
• The Jungle Book came from the studio that made pirates of the Caribbean rather than the studio that created cinderella.

Wednesday 11th December

Disney in 2016

L/O: To explore the marketing techniques used to target audiences in 2016

• USA today reported that 49 percent of the sales were attributed to movie goers who were over 25 years old and 51 percent of the sales were attributed to audiences in the under 25 age group.
• Audiences in the age group of 18-24 led to 33 percent of ticket sales.

Marketing techniques 2016 

• Websites for the film with interactive content.
• Since 2008 and the presence of social media they had accounts for the film.
• Viral Marketing - 
• Jon Favreau showed sneak peak footage of JB at a 7800 seat arena at a Disney fan convention where thousands of posters were distributed.
• Interactive movie poster on snapchat, filter that turned your face into Kaa.
• Tie ins with other companies with competitions and other products.
• Merchandise, disney store - toys, clothing, homeware - they also licensed other manufacturers to produce related products.

Discuss how ideas of identity are present in the production and marketing of The Jungle Book, 1967 and The Jungle Book, 2016.

Consider what role the Disney brand and its film products have in contributing towards constructing and sustaining the identity of audiences and how their marketing seeks to exploit this understanding of different audiences.

- identity of brand & identity of audiences.

Ideas of identity are present in the marketing and production of both The Jungle Book, 1967 and The Jungle Book, 2016. The ideas of identity present in the marketing and production of The Jungle Book, 1967 is very different to the ideas of identity shown in the marketing and production of The Jungle book, 2016. This can be seen through the different ways in which they have marketed the product in the 2016 movie and how the production has changed and become a movie that a lot more adults would want to watch as well as children.

In the production and marketing of The Jungle Book, 1967, the brand identity of Disney was in its beginnings but still a very known brand of its time. Disney had just experienced a downfall in their last film release 'The Sword and The Stone' and so Disney wanted to make sure the Jungle Book was up to the best standards for its audience. In the 60's Disney had a brand identity of being known for just children movies or programmes that have a very clear primary target audience...


Random facts:

How do both films reflect the changing social and historical context of the time? [15 marks]

Answer

In both The Jungle Book 1967 and The Jungle Book 2016 you can see the reflection of the social and historical context of the time and the changes in the social and historical context through time.

Starting with The Jungle Book 1967, this version of the movie shows that the time it was made was very racist and had very traditional views of women, along with showing different themes throughout the movie to JB16. 

The Jungle Book 1967 shows heavy racism and racist stereotypes throughout the movie through the characters of King Louis, the other monkeys and a lot of Baloo's comments towards the monkeys. The monkeys in the movie representing black people and portraying them as 'scoundrels' and 'outsiders' shows that the society of the time was very racist, this can also be seen through Baloo's many racist comments to the monkeys including "Why you flat-nosed, little-eyed, flaky creeps" when Baloo is fighting the monkeys. At the time of this film being made there were Civil Rights movements happening including, the Civil Rights Act, marches and Martin Luther King's famous 'I Had A Dream' speech; and so the movie showing a lot of racism still, shows that despite these significant Civil Rights movements the society at the time was still very racist and discriminative.  Comparing this to The Jungle Book 2016 it is clear how society has moved forward since then as in the modern film there is no racist comments from Baloo.

JB67 also lacks in female representation as there is only one female shown at the very end of the movie who is represented as an object of desire and all of the other characters were voiced by males. However in JB16 a big change they made was that they made the characters of both Rashka and Kaa female and so again this shows how society has moved forward since 1967.
The ending of the movie was also a very big change as in the modern Jungle Book Mowgli does not end up going back to the man village, whereas in JB67 he does. This shows the difference in the themes and values of each movie, the old JB shows values of sticking with your own tribe, this is shown through Mowgli going back to the man village as this is his 'tribe'. On the other hand in JB16 Mowgli stays in the Jungle with the wolf pack and so this shows different values of acceptance and loyalty, which shows that todays society is a lot more accepting than what it was in the 60s.

Another point referring to the social context of the time is that a lot of the characters were based on people in popular culture at the time for example the vultures are supposed to represent The Beatles who were a very popular band and are still well known today. Another example of this is King Louis as this character was based on the popular jazz player Louis Armstrong, and so this gives an insight on what pop culture was in the 60s.
JB67 compared to JB16 also shows much people have become desensitised through the years as JB67 was made to be a very family friendly movie aimed at 4-12 year olds and when making it the director was told by Walt Disney to not read the book as it was too 'dark' and would not have suited the Disney audience at this time. However JB16 is aimed at the exact same audience but clearly has a much darker tone to it as it is based more on the book than the original Jungle Book was, and so this shows how much children have become desensitised as the audience has not changed.

To conclude both films reflect the social and historical context of the time and shows clearly how society has moved forward through time and so the audience can get an insight on what society was like in the 60s and how it has changed up until now.



Monday 6th January

Minecraft, 2011

L/O: To explore Minecraft & the history of gaming.

Loop task:
Analyse:

Layout:

• Main image - main character 
• Title of the game at the top in the centre - looks like its been built which goes with the purpose of the game

Images:

• Main image of the main character in the game holding a pick axe
• Everything looks as if its been built which again goes with what you do in the game.

Connotations:

• Colourful colour palette - Blue and Green showing primary target audience of young boys.

Representations:

• 
  

Main developments:

• 1977 - First at home console was released
• 1980 - Pac-man sells 350,000 arcade units, bringing in $2 billion in revenue
• 1982 - Arcade industry reaches $12 billion in revenue
• 1985 - Nintendo is released 
• 1989 - Nintendo releases first handheld arcade system
• 1993 - First two player fighting games are released in arcades
• 1995 - Sony releases playstation, sales reach 104,250,000
• 2001 - gameboy is released
• 2004 - Nintendo DS was released 
• 2005 - Microsoft releases Xbox 360
• 2010 - Minecraft is released for PC 

What are the different types of games you can get and how do they differ?

• Action games - Player is at control and is in the centre of the action.
• Adventure games -  Most frequently incorporate two game mechanics, game long quests or obstacles that must be conquered using a tool or item collected, as well as an element of action where the items are used.
• Role-playing games - Mostly feature medieval or fantasy settings.
• Simulation games - All designed to emulate real or fictional reality, to simulate a real situation or event.
• Strategy games
• Sports games
• Puzzle games
• Idle games

Which are the main game companies?

• What are some recent statistics about audience demographics?
• The average gamer is aged 35
• 42% of gamers are female

When was Minecraft released, who designed it, which company produced it?
Minecraft was released by Mojang in 2011 and purchased by Microsoft in 2014, designed by both Markus Persson and Jens Bergensten.

What is the idea of the game?
Minecraft is a 3D sandbox game that has no specific goals to accomplish, allowing players a large amount of freedom in choosing how to play the game. However, there is an achievement system. Gameplay is in the first-person perspective by default, but players have the option for third-person perspective.
Who was the target audience?
The target audience was 5-15 year olds, however it does have a wide appeal.

How has it developed?

Minecraft is an example of an independently produced video game. It is worth considering how a simple PC Java game has become a globally successful phenomenon across all consoles and hand-held devices; Minecraft is now a multi- platform game which is not only just for PC gamers but those who own smartphones, Microsoft consoles (Xbox); Playstation 3, 4 and PS Vita; and more recently Nintendo consoles (Wii U) and hand-held devices (Nintendo Switch and Nintendo New 3DS, New 2DS XL and New 3DS XL).
Modern versions of the game, notably Minecraft: Story Mode, follow more of the recognisable institutional conventions of game development including tutorials on how to play the game, something the original Minecraft series never had.
Minecraft has now sold over 150 million copies and the game has over 90 million online active players each month.
Who owns it now?
Microsoft, as they purchased Mojang Studios for US $2.5 Billion.

Wednesday 8th January

Minecraft, 2011

L/O: To analyse the format and industry bodies linked to Minecraft

Mojang

• A Swedish based software house formed specifically to develop and publish Minecraft and was originally funded by money made from a developmental version published in 2009.
• At the time, and for the first 3 years after the launch in 2011, Mojang covered everything concerning Minecraft, from further software development through to promotion, marketing and even direct distribution through its site minecraft.net.
• Initially the game was only available for PC however now it is multi-platform and available on Xbox, iOS devices and Android.

Microsoft 

• In 2014 Mojang and its principle, Minecraft was acquired by Microsoft for over $2 billion, such a figure implies how much they thought they could make from it in the future and how much its brand value was.
• The game sold directly to subscribers for around $20, half the price of most platform games, with no further add on costs either for the offline or online players unless they consciously make the decision to enhance they're game.

Microsoft takeover

• Minecraft inspired videos were key in the early marketing of the game by Mojang, swiftly gaining popularity on Youtube and generating viral hype about the game
• The game was was marketed to audiences as an online version of lego. Although there was no actual connection, by implication Minecraft aligned itself with one of the most iconic construction products.
• The block cell graphics and its well publicised 'maverick' origins created interest and made the game far more desirable in appearing to be outside the direction and creative control of major distributors.
• By 2012 there were millions of youtube videos based around the game, that such impact came without a major studio backing enhanced the reputation and standing of the game and Mojang.
• Regardless of how Microsoft approached paid mods, some backlash was inevitable and Minecraft players, unlike Minecraft creators are wary of monitization schemes.

Inside Microsoft's quest to turn Minecraft content into a business

• The company wanted to discuss an official marketplace for Minecraft creations, which would allow groups like Noxcrew to sell their work directly to players.

How has Minecraft evolved as a brand?

Minecraft has evolved as a brand through time as it began as an independently produced video game that people could play online for free and went on to be published by Mojang, that was specifically created for Minecraft, so people could physically buy the game and then in 2014 the game was purchased by Microsoft for $2.5 billion which shows how much they thought they could make from the game and the brand value and Minecraft today is still a huge success with over 90 million online active users.

To what extent did Mojang exploit its unique brand identity to construct a clear and consistent audience?

Mojang's unique brand identity was created by the way there game looked. Minecraft has a very distinct look, they have created this by having a purposely pixelated look which looks a lot like older video games. Minecraft did all their marketing and development through their audience, through the developments made were all from audience feedback and so the game was very well suited to the audience. Because the game was so popular most of their marketing was through youtube videos of people playing the game.

In what ways has the ownership of Microsoft changed this relationship?

Microsoft purchasing Mojang did receive backlash as they were turning something that you could have otherwise played online for free into a business which many of the original game players were unhappy about, so they did loose quite a few players due to the fact it was being monitored and players weren't happy about it, however this was nothing compared to the amount of people who were still playing the game and the amount of attraction they would still get from the game even though the ownership had changed.

In what ways does the evolution of the game indicate the practice of modern media institutions?

The evolution of the game indicates the practice of modern media institutions as it  

Monday 13th January 

Minecraft (2011)

L/O: To analyse the audience profile and appeals

Audience demographic

• Primary target audience is wide encompassing gamers from 8-50, it is widely diverse as it is one that includes the 8-12 year olds.
• These children/ young adult segments are often considered primary because they are often most excited about the brand.
• These children are also heavy users of the brand in that they buy into the add ons, memorabilia and use the brand as a source of entertainment.

Uses and Gratifications

• The game seems to challenge older, stereotypical representations of gamers as inactive and antisocial.
• This conventional stereotype established itself in the 80s at a time when video gamers were new and viewed as a niche activity with gamers represented in film and tv as a 'nerd' dressed in dark clothing, listening to heavy rock, sexually unattractive a narrative function of offering comedy.
• Video games over the past 20 years have since become a much more accepted leisure pursuit and one with greater mainstream appeal. However frequent mass media repetition of the trope gamers has meant that the nerd stereotype remains deeply ingrained.
• Minecraft can be seen to challenge this stereotype in making the fundamental mechanics of the game involve co-operation.

Explain the appeal of Minecraft for the target audience.
Personal identity
- Players can express themselves as there is a lot of creative freedom as it is a sandbox game. You can choose your own skins (character). You can explore other peoples worlds.
Information
- People create real buildings in Minecraft so players can see why it looks like and they might not have before.
Entertainment
- Players won't loose interest due to the number of different modes you can play in.
Social interaction
- People playing Minecraft can choose the mode where you can play with other players.

• A prime gratification offered by the game is that of social interaction. Ever since the home console explosion, the playing of video games has slowly moved from the communal world of gaming arcades and mall to the home and has become what is today often a solitary pursuit.
• Minecraft presents a world of perfect green fields and locations where players can create their own idealised structures and world, its mine-en-scene is positive and uncluttered and its setting is tranquil and safe and so Minecraft can be a form of escapism for the players.

Mode of address

• The game offers a complex mode of address because it has such a wide target audience.
• The lexis of the game is what we could describe as informal, simple words, non complex sentences and a lack of graphic violence, the use of primary colours, and appealing block like cartoon construction of the characters and location this conventionally implies a young target audience.
• The marketing of special packs such as Moana and Harry Potter imply this market as well.
• However the game still does have a lot of older players playing it this can be explained by nostalgia.

Audience task:

1. First viewing gather wider ideas of purpose/function

2. Second viewing make detailed notes

How does the trailer construct the audience? Consider the mode of address, lexis, miss-en-scene and representations.

How might this be seen as an example of intertextuality?

What ideas of modern media convergence are shown?

Wednesday 15th January

Minecraft (2011)

L/O: To explore the appeal and changes in the game more fully


Modding & Extensions

• Mojang have provided an almost endless supply of extension strategies for when players get bored of the core gameplay.

Updates

• Even since the games official launch in 2011 its only had 6 major updates.
• Minecraft was updated with 1.6 adding new horses with new armour options.
• The update was provided entirely free to owners of Minecraft, with no need to purchase DLC or expansion packs.

Community

• Community support is a really valuable trait in any app, especially when changes to the software or game are effected by community feedback.
• That has been the case in Minecraft where updates have been partially crafted based on community demands.

In less than a year Microsoft had taken Minecraft and injected it into two additional industries.

Task: Independent research on the way Minecraft was used to penetrate these two industries: education and VR.

Education

• Immersive stem learning - Through project based lessons, students build critical 21st century skills like collaboration, creative problem solving and digital citizenship.
• Classroom friendly features - There is an education version of minecraft that is easy for teachers to track a students progression
• Creativity and innovation -

What impact did the acquisition of Mojang by Microsoft have on Minecraft? [12 marks]

Plan:

P1: Intro - what was the deal, how much, why?

P2: What were people talking about in relation to this acquisition?

P3&4: The impact Microsoft had within one year.

P5: Conclusion

In 2014 Mojang and its principle, Minecraft, was bought by Microsoft for over $2 billion, such a figure implies how much they believed they could make from the game and how much the brand value was worth.

When Microsoft took over Mojang they did get quite a bit of backlash due to the fact it would be monetised, and so because of this they did end up loosing quite a lot of players, however this would of been nothing compared to the amount of people who did still actively play the game. After Microsoft took over the game sold to users for $20, which is almost half the price of most platform games, and Minecraft had no further add on costs so users payed $20 for everything they needed unless they consciously chose to enhance their experience in the game; Whereas before the game was free for all players and this monetisation was what a lot of people were not happy about.

In less than a year Microsoft had taken Minecraft and injected it into two additional industries, these include education and VR. Microsoft added the educational industry and created classroom friendly features and immersive stem learning...


Monday 20th January

Minecraft (2011)

L/O: To explore exam focus and apply to the case study


The specialised and institutionalised nature of media production, distribution and circulation.

• Digital convergence - The ability to view the same multimedia content from different types of devices.
• Minecraft began as a simple PC Java game of which the company Mojang was created especially for.
• Minecraft is now a multi platform game which is not only just for PC gamers, but those who smartphones, Microsoft consoles (Xbox); playstation 3, 4 and PS Vita; and more recently Nintendo consoles such as Wii U and hand held devices such as Nintendo switch / Nintendo 3DS etc. All of which opens up new markets of profitability and increased exposure to new and existing audiences.

The relationship of recent technological change and media production, distribution and circulation.

• Due to the original nature of the game most players simply logged in to play Minecraft and didn't need a physical copy of the game.
• When the Xbox and playstation versions were created there was often a chance to offer digital versions of the same game across the windows 10 operating system to promote the microsoft brand across home computers, a form of synergy.
• Users were often encouraged to download the game through the cloud servers rather than the physical copy of the game which would incur more of a cost for the institution.
• The pattern of release for Minecraft shows that physical copies are often released six months after the downloadable version, most likely to limit the impact of piracy, hacking and file sharing.
• The introduction of Minecraft realms in 2013 has tried to give the producers more control over the distribution and circulation of the game since since some pro-am consumers were creating their own virtual spaces and hacks across illegitimate servers.
• Some players who play the game through illegitimate servers wouldn't be included in the official user figure and so shows more people play it than the amount on the official figure showing the popularity of the game.

The significance of patterns of ownership and control, including conglomerate ownership, vertical integration and diversification.

• Vertical integration - When the production company has the ownership of the means of production, distribution and exhibition of the film by the same company, because of this they receive all the profit.
• The developer, Mojang studios, which is now owned by Microsoft studios, a devision of the parent company, Microsoft.
• Mojang studios is their only first-party studio in Europe.
• Given the nature of the parent company and the loyal fan base of PC gamers, it was in the company interest to invest US$2.5 billion to purchase Mojang for long term revenue.
• Other collaborations with game developers includes Telltale games who helped develop the Minecraft: Story mode in 2015. The Playstation versions were developed by 4J Studios.

The significance of economic factors, including commercial and not-for-profit public funding, to media industries and their products.

• Marketing campaigns for games often have worldwide and simultaneous releases across each video game market. Budgets for games vary and Minecraft is a good example of a game that was made and developed using readily available open source software within the gaming community.
• Creating the original Minecraft using Java gave it the advantage of of being cross-platform: it will run on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.
• This can be compared to other mainstream games that require entire teams of programmers, artists and engineers to make video games that have budgets equal or exceeding that of mainstream films.
• Minecraft has also been linked to non-profit projects such as the UNs Block by Block project, which encourages communities around the world to redesign their neighbourhoods using Minecraft.
• An educational version has also been developed, MinecraftEdu (2012), which has several applications to help teach subjects and develop a culture of computer programming amongst digital natives.

How media organisations maintain, including through marketing, varieties of audiences, nationally and globally.

• The cultural impact of Minecraft is significant. Much of Minecraft's success was due to word of mouth and audiences sharing their own mods and game footage across web forums and video sharing sites such as Youtube.
• Different versions of Minecraft were released to entice different audiences, moving away from creation only narratives to include story modes, spectator modes and multi-player functionality across Minecraft realms.
• Further developments included the introduction of a physical lego set to encourage younger audiences as well as merchandise opportunities and bonus content for buying more than one version of the franchise across platforms. 
• Culturally, other developers and game studios have made intertextual references to Minecraft across games such as Runescape and The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim to name a few; Lady Gaga, South Park and The Simpsons have also parodied Minecraft. All of this benefits the game by heightening its exposure to audiences.
• In 2019 there was a joint venture with Warner Brothers to release Minecraft the movie, this will be anticipated as having as much commercial success as The Lego Movie, also a Warner Brothers Movie.

The regulatory framework of contemporary media in the UK and the impact of 'new' digital technologies on media regulation, including the role of individual producers.

• It is regarded as family friendly and the initial Minecraft series was rated a PEGI 7 but the later introduction of Minecraft stories were classified higher because narratives and dialogue were being introduced.
• You could consider whether a game such as minecraft even needs regulating and perhaps consider the impact of freely available, fan made videos, where some of the content and language is likely to be less child friendly and unregulated. A direct comparison to similar games and their ratings would also be useful e.g. Tetris is a PEGI 3.
• Minecraft Realms are hosted on specialised servers by Mojang. The terms and conditions are extensive and bring into debate issues of ownership of intellectual content and the disclaimers that now have to be issued by media industries.
• Most interestingly, there are stipulations by the company that they own everything created using blocks within these virtual worlds and that accreditation for worlds and structures created by fans is not guaranteed.
• In 2016 a marketplace was created for communities to trade in maps, skins and texture packs.

The impact of digitally convergent media platforms on media production, distribution ad circulation including individual producers.

• The nature of the game and development in Java has meant that there are several rival and clones of the game Minecraft, this is open for debate as a game with such similarities there is question as to how you go about copyrighting ideas if everyone is using open source software.
• When Microsoft purchased Mojang there was a surge in clone titles for rival consoles, such as nintendo.
• One could argue that Minecraft was simply the right version of a block building game at the right time; it also highlights the importance of the emerging portable device market and capitalising on audience desires.

Wednesday 22nd January

Minecraft (2011)

L/O: To discuss audience appeal and reception

• The game is a global and commercial success and also praised by several high profile critics and gaming institutions.
• The game has amassed such a following that MineCon conventions can be found all around the world and further support popularising the game.
• There is evidence to suggest that mobile and hand held devices are really driving the sales of Minecraft forward. For example, the release of the Playstation Vita version of Minecraft boosted sales of Minecraft by 79%, outselling PS3 and PS4 releases and making it the largest launch on a playstation console.
• The appeal is being fuelled by a new generation of gamers who prefer hand held devices over traditional consoles.

How audiences are grouped and categorised by media industries, including by age, gender and social class, as well as by lifestyle and taste.

• Minecraft has universal appeal. It is useful to explore how such a game can appeal to different ages, genders and audiences from different social and cultural backgrounds.
• The variety of different modes is certainly a contributing factor to the games success, but also the way in which the audiences can control and shape their own worlds and create new identities through mods and altering textures, maps and craft kits.

How media producers target, attract, reach, address and potentially construct audiences.

• Minecraft and subsequent versions and variations of the game offers familiar pleasures to existing fans (narrative features, open world gameplay, etc.) along with new elements to target a wider audience (e.g. Story Mode).
• The creation of Minecraft realms was a well-considered way to attract and encourage audiences to use the game on dedicated servers and increase subscription revenues.
• There already exists and established network of fans across the internet who share game footage, tutorials, mods and hacks so that gamers can get new experiences from the game.

How media industries target audiences through the content and appeal of media products and through the ways in which they are marketed, distributed and circulated.

• Initially there was a little work to advertise the original version of Minecraft  it was simply word of mouth across forums that created a buzz about the game.
• Now that Minecraft is established and owned by a division of a conglomerate, the methods used to distribute and market the game are similar to popular mainstream releases.

The interrelationship between media technologies and patterns of consumption and response.

• Youtube, Facebook and online fan communities has enabled Minecraft's audience to have an active voice in its ongoing production through detailed feedback and commentary on modifications and beta tests.
• There are several niche forums that should also be investigated across the internet.

How audiences interpret the media, including how they may interpret the same media in different ways.

• There are now several formats and versions to play Minecraft, however one of the most important developments has been the introduction of 'cross-play' which means that players no longer need the same console to play against each other.
• The development of Minecraft's 'cross-play' is just one example which enables gamers to experience online play with other Minecraft players at the same time.
• Cross play was released in 2017 and is available across all devices which can support Windows 10, iOS, Android, Xbox One and Nintendo's switch.

How audiences interact with the media and can be actively involved in media production.

• The establishment of Minecraft Marketplace is a great example of the industry listening to their audiences, and allowing the trade of different maps, textures and add ons in a legitimate setting.
• The nature of the game has also allowed audiences to learn new skills such as programming.
• There are several prosumers on Youtube and across blogs who have their own dedicated channels discussing Minecraft, offering tutorials or who just want to show off their gameplay or promote their own maps.

Monday 27th January 

Minecraft (2011)

L/O: To review key areas and exam style questions

Independent production:

• Traditionally video games made by teams of developers for a production company. Markus persson is an example of independent designer developing a game outside of mainstream media.

Development:

• Use of user generated, online marketing is an example of the power of collaboration. Persson's concept is an example of a media concept that developed among a game community independently of the video game industry.
• When the game was officially released in 2011 across multiple platforms, it became a franchise. Struck a deal with Sony to release it on Sony Xperia Play, then available for Android & IOS. Key feature to its success.
• Multiplatform release increased audience interactivity
• Packaged as a brand for a wider global audience, not just gamers.

Distribution:

• Game exploited media convergence which enabled digital distribution and global access to markets.
• Minecraft developed at a time when gaming went online - not just for consoles.
• Microsoft takeover enabled game to extend its reach through offline merchandise and diversification.

Marketing:

• The games early community provided the initial growth and adoption through the power of collaboration and connecting with other users - filtering content and shaping the games development
• Microsof has marketed and synergised the brand by having a website, Minecraft realms, social media feeds, marketplace, youtube, Minecraft wiki, fan sites and forums and Minecraft for education.

Audience:

• Audience demographic, 12-30, Europe and North America, mainly males play.
• Audience appeals include: Game mods, Minecraft wiki, fan sites and forums, multiple gameplay and Minecraft realms.

Proliferation of technology:

• How technology has developed through time.
• Despite audiences owning more than one devise, or a console or handheld device by the same company. There does seem to be a focus for only developing content for the newer devices. (Disadvantage).
• audiences have more control, more available when they want it, audiences in control of scheduling (Advantage).
• So many more ways to watch things e.g. a film, cinema, youtube, sky anytime, on demand Blue-ray, DVD, internet streaming, iTunes etc. (Advantage).
• Piracy is easier - bad for institutions (Disadvantage).
• Cost - expecting audiences to keep up to date with latest developments (Disadvantage).
• More chance of technology not working - disrupting viewing experience (Disadvantage).
• Industries have less control (Disadvantage).

Exam Q:

Explain the impact of digitally convergent media platforms on video game production, distribution and consumption. Refer to Minecraft to support your answer. [15 marks]

Exam Q:

How does the interrelationship between media technologies and patterns of consumption and response in work in relation to Minecraft. [15 marks]

Exam Q:

How do media industries target audiences through the content and appeal of media products and through ways in which they are marketed, distributed and circulated. [15 marks]
Points to write about:
Early advertising of the game vs more recent advertising after it was taken over by Microsoft
Distribution - Where available to play?
Use of online forums to make modifications to the game
Audiences can buy extensions and Mods

Answer:
Media industries target audiences in a number of different ways including the content of the game and appeal through the ways in which the media products are marketed, distributed and circulated.

Wednesday 29th January

Radio 1 Breakfast Show

L/O: To research the background and industry behind the BBC Radio 1 Show

What is public service broadcasting and what does this mean for the BBC?

In the UK, the term 'public service broadcasting' refers to broadcasting intended for public benefit rather than to serve purely commercial interests. All of the BBC's television and radio stations have a public service remit, including those that broadcast digitally.

How is the BBC funded?

Its work is funded principally by an annual television licence fee which is charged to all British households, companies, and organisations using an type of equipment to receive or record live television broadcasts and iPlayer catch up.

Who are the target audience for BBC radio 1? What are their expectations of the Breakfast Show?

The remit of Radio 1 is to entertain and engage a broad range of young listeners with a distinctive mix of contemporary music and speech. Its target audience is 15-29 year olds. Audiences today have much higher cultural expectations of interactivity and participation.

Radio 1 Breakfast Show: times, presenters, audience figures, regular features?

The breakfast show begins at 6:30am and runs until 10:00am, it was presented by Nick Grimshaw, however is now presented by Greg James, The show now attracts over 5 million listeners 

How can audiences access the Breakfast Show?

Audiences can access The Breakfast Show through the radio, BBC sounds app and BBC iPlayer.

• The BBC aim to inform, educate and entertain.
• The BBC has 10 radio stations covering the whole of the UK

Analyse the radio 1: Breakfast show homepage. How is it made clear that they are fulfilling the remit to: entertain and engage a broad range of young listeners with a distinctive mix of contemporary music and speech. Its target audience is 15-29 year olds.

The BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show's website includes all of the most recent episodes that people can listen to and also episodes of the podcast, this makes listening to the show very accessible and targets their audience of 15-29 year olds as they are more likely to listen online if they missed an episode and still want to listen to it at some point, or because this target audience is less likely to have a radio in their house it gives them an opportunity to still listen if they are not driving somewhere as you can listen to the show live on the website as well.
The website also includes social media links to both their Twitter and Facebook page, this gives the audience interaction with the show, particularly when its live as their comments can get read out. This  also caters for the target audience as they are more likely to be on social media than others who are not in the target audience.

Wednesday 5th February

Radio 1 Breakfast Show

L/O: To research the host and production process.

Research on Greg James:

• He presented several shows on the students' union radio station live wire, becoming the station manager in 2006.
• He also presented several breakfast shows on future radio in Norwich and also on Pulse rated in Salhouse before he got his Job at BBC Radio 1.
• During University holidays he presented stints on Galaxy North East.
• James was the host of the official chart update.
• James also co hosts 'Not just cricket' on 5 live.
• He also hosts a weekly podcast with BBC Radio 1 newsbeaa presenter Chris Smith.

Why do you think he was chosen as the new host?

• He was good friends with Nick Grimshaw
• Views were dropping with Nick Grimshaw

Breakfast Show Trademark features:

• Yesterdays Quiz
• Ten Minute takeover 
• Game of Phones
• Unpopular opinions

How does the show target its audience?

The show targets its audience by playing appropriate music that people of that age would like, this being the popular songs at the time, they also use audience interaction through social media while the show is live and so the audience can, for example, tweet the show and there comment might get read on on air.

What is the use of language like? Formal or Informal? Give clear examples.

The language Greg James uses in the show is very relaxed and informal, examples of this could include ...

What sort of features does the show have?

The show has special regular features including yesterdays quiz, unpopular opinions, ten minute takeover, game of phones and secret 3 letter word game. 

What prior knowledge are they expecting the audience to have e.g. are they assuming that the audience would know who certain celebrities are?

They are expecting the audience to know certain celebrities such as Billie Eilish when they were talking about her wins at the Grammys, also they would be expecting the audience to know all the people playing at the Big Weekend which they announced in the episode we listened to as they would expect the audience to enjoy this type of music.

Episode analysis:

The Breakfast Show should be:

• High quality
• Original
• Challenging
• Innovative
• Nurture UK talent
• A mix of music, information and entertainment
• Bring the UK to the world and the world to the UK.

Explain, with specific examples, how your chosen episode meets the criteria that a typical episode should hit. Explain how it appeals to its target audience.

The episode on the 27th of January, 'Big Weekend Reveal, Jan Slam & New Quiz Team' meets the criteria that a typical episode should hit. The show hits all of the criteria by entertaining the audience with regular features, educating and informing the audience with the latest news and trends and they also play a range of popular music some from the UK so that they are giving UK talent a platform.

The show contains regular features such as yesterdays quiz, Unpopular opinions where they read out an unpopular opinion on the show and see what other people think about it through social media interaction with the audience. They also have Jan Slam throughout January where they do competitions to win things for example in the episode that we looked at they did a secret 3 letter word and the audience had to text in to the show and if they got it right they could win tickets to the Big Weekend which they had just announced, and they also do the ten minute takeover where the audience can text in songs they want to hear and they will play these songs for 10 minutes. This would appeal to the target audience because they are likely to want to go to the Big Weekend as there would be artists they are interested in and so they would enter the competitions to try and win tickets.



Wednesday 12th February

Radio 1 Breakfast Show

L/O: To explore the distribution of the show.

• The BBC only broadcast the show in the UK. So people outside of the UK cannot listen to the show on the radio (They can however, listen to the show online).
• They also film a lot of the interviews they do and upload them on to Youtube. 

L/O: To explore the industry regulations and ratings.

How does the show inform us?

• Regular news updates every half an hour.

How does the show educate us?

• News updates
• Big weekend
• New music

How does the show entertain us?

• Music
• Games
• Humour 
• Social media interaction

1. Top 3 BBC Breakfast shows with listener statistics.

BBC Radio 2 - 8.24 million weekly listeners

2. Top commercial Breakfast Show

Heart Breakfast - 4.6 million weekly listeners

3. Who regulates the radio?

- Ofcom 

Listening figures & Trends

Who is RAJAR? what do they do?

The official body that regulates listening figures and trends in radio.

• More than 230000 extra listeners have been tuning in to the radio 1 breakfast show since Greg James took over from Nick Grimshaw in August
• According to industry body RAJAR, his reach in the last three months of 2018 was 5.3 million - up on the 4.8 million recorded between July and September.
• However Radio 1 as a whole went down: The station dropped from 9.6 million in the third quarter of 2018 to 9.37 million in the fourth.

Radio listening figures are at an all time low, with the Radio 1 Breakfast Show pulling in 2 million less listeners compared to 2010. Explain the reasons why radio listenership is decreasing. Refer to a specific example in your answer. [8 marks]

Hints/tips

Young demographic more reliant on smart phones and pick and choose what they listen to - may use the app to listen to podcasts or youtube to listen to key sections of the show only.

Change of host? Criticism etc.

Competition from other stations?

Radio 1 & the music

• The music is largely play-listed - what is going to be played is decided by a committee, they choose around 40 records each week.
• Choices are partly guided by whats already popular with young people online, many older artists are not included as the network is trying to keep an under 30 audience.
• 61% of all additions to its playlist are from UK artists (2016).

Audience Interaction

• The mates around the table collective presentation style and mode of address makes the audience feel as if they are part of that group of friends, talking about where they went last night and who they saw.
• Social Media is one obvious was that the audience is interacting with the programme, even if most of the interaction is not 'heard' within the programme itself it shows the nature of the programme and the involvement gains and keeps the audience.