Synergy is the process by which media institutions use a range of platforms to promote, sell and distribute their products. Assess the impact of synergy in your cross-media study. Support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media platforms.
[32 marks]
As a class, we came up with the following plan:
Introduction
Introduce the industry we have studied (film industry), the texts we have studied (Ill Manors, A Field In England, your own case study), and briefly answer the question.
Section 1: Ill Manors brand
Print – synergy across print using the Ill Manors brand. Film poster, adverts, DVD packaging; font, tower block theme, urban iconography (Riz Ahmed’s costume, gun, setting etc.)
E-media – Ill Manors brand across official website etc.
Section 2: A Field In England
Synergy in releasing film across all platforms on the same day. Benefits to the institution in distributing film in this way. Difference between arthouse film and Hollywood blockbuster.
Section 3: Your own case study on a big-budget Hollywood film
You must answer the question – looking at synergy across different platforms.
Section 4: Ill Manors soundtrack/film
Synergy between the music and the film – the music video, YouTube channels, importance of attracting existing Plan B music fans.
The use of the soundtrack as a key aspect of the film – used in the narrative, referred to across different platforms by Ben Drew in promoting the film.
The Tag London Twitter campaign was launched to promote the soundtrack album but in turn cross-promoted the film and in particular the values and ideologies behind Ill Manors.
Section 5: Ill Manors and Politics
Synergy across different platforms in promoting the values and ideologies behind the film.
Broadcast – TEDx lecture on the motivation behind the film. Supported by the ‘Making Of’ documentary on the DVD extras and also chat show appearances (Jonathan Ross).
Print – magazine interviews such as NME feature (‘Watch out David Cameron’). Additional point – lack of synergy in Men’s Health magazine (article features £900 suit and ‘how I lost 2 stone’)
Conclusion
Answer the question a final time: synergy is crucial when promoting a film to ensure coverage across different platforms and a consistent brand that connects with the target audience.
Additional homework
1) Revise all the material we have covered this term - Ill Manors, A Field In England - as well as everything we looked at in the introduction to Media unit in the Autumn.
2) Spend 35 minutes writing an answer to today's question using the plan above. You have around five minutes to write each section so time management and training up the skills and stamina you need is absolutely vital.
Due: Tuesday 22 April
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