LO1: Ownership and Integration

Conglomerate: 

Large digital media organisation that owns subsidiary companies.

an example of a conglomerate is 21st Century Fox. They own 20th century fox, fox TV, fox home entertainment, sky news etc.

Deadpool is one of their recent success stories with a sequel in 2018.

However 21st Century Fox is now owned by Disney as of March 2019.

A conglomerate whose subsidiaries make more than one type of product is called 'cross media ownership.'

A subsidiary can also be a conglomerate

Advantages of being a conglomerate:

1) Lots of different revenue streams

2) Established brand name 

3) Cheaper and Easier to produce and distribute your products

4) Can target a mass audience 

• Vertical integration/ value chains

Means a conglomerate has the ability to 

1) Produce - Make

2) Distribute - Making it available to the audience includes marketing and advertising 

3) Exhibit/Exchange - Audience pays to access the product

by THEMSELVES due to their SUBSIDIARIES. 

PDE - Produce, Distribute and Exchange called 'The Value Chain.'

• Horizontal integration

If a conglomerate doesn't have a Value Chain then they cannot use horizontal or vertical integration.

It is a conglomerate having the ability to distribute a product on multiple platforms that they OWN. Such as a Disney film being distributed to Disney+, ABC (TV), ESPN (TV), Disney Land ride. The more platforms there are the bigger the audience and therefore higher revenue.

• Synergy/ cross promotion

Synergy means cross promotion, it is an effect that is created by H.I (Horizontal Integration.)

Independent:

Means working on you own without outside help. An independent company operates the complete opposite way to the way a conglomerate does is integrated. Therefore a independent company doesn't own subsidiaries.  

The fact that an independent company has no subsidiaries means that there are disadvantages.

1) More difficult to distribute products as they don't own different platforms unlike a conglomerate. Also the most expensive part of PDE and therefore don't have the revenue. They usually use a conglomerate to distribute their product for them.

2) from PDE can only Produce on their own meaning they struggle with distributing and Exchanging on their own, meaning they have to depend on conglomerates for the second two stages.

3) Not able to reach a mass audience, usually targets a niche meaning there's a smaller audience and less profit.

An example of this is Warp Films, who made the film/TV programme This Is England.

Commonly work in a joint venture with another company or conglomerate to produce or distribute (Warp and Channel 4/ Film Four.) 

Four: is a conglomerate

TV - Channel 4, E4

Film - Film 4

This is England: Started off as a film (Film 4 + Warp) but was later turned into a TV series on Channel 4.

Audience differences conglomerate V independent:

1) Independent companies -> Niche audience (small, specific) + targets hobbies and interests. Whilst conglomerates -> mass audience much wider and general. 

2) Higher production value (conglomerate) Action, Blockbuster V Indie -> Horror, Social Realism -> realistic, society, very "gritty." Prime example Dead Man's Shoes Has topics about torture, death, gritty violence and disability, shows people on the fringe of society that aren't usually shown on screen especially in Hollywood.

Public Service Broadcaster:

Public - available/targets everyone "mass", Service - product(s), Broadcaster - distributing TV and radio.

BBC largest PSB in the UK

Funded by the public via TV license

Remit to 'inform, educate and entertain.'

How does the BBC similar to a conglomerate?

1. Produce and Distribute different types of media

2. Both target a mass audience

3. BBC -> TV -> BBC One: Doctor Who 

-> Radio -> BBC Radio One 

-> Magazine -> Radio Times 

BBC has Cross Media Ownership and vertical and horizontal integration.

The main difference between a PSB and a conglomerate especially the BBC is they cannot be seen to be making a profit as they are publicly funded.

Production Process:

1. Pre-Production -  The steps taken before a media product has begun being produced

2. Production - The steps to create a media product 

3. Post-Production  - The steps to finalise production and Distribute and Exhibit a media product

For a film/magazine/ radio show, what 3 job roles would be involved in each stage?

1. Designer, Producer, Planner/Writer

2. Producer, Actor(s), Camera/Sound/Film/Lighting Crew

3. Editor, Voice Actor(s), Ad company

Film - Filming <- planning into action to produce the sets for production

Magazine - Writing articles

Post- production - mainly involves research and planning