Prompt: In relation to the media area you have studied, discuss the ways audience consumption has changed over time.
If one were to examine the ways in which audience consumption has changed over time, in the film industry in particular, they would find that there are many. Looking back at the late 19th century, the very first motion picture films were projected. In today’s age, there are so many different ways films can be consumed. These changes in consumption are due to many factors that include developments in technology, a broader range in marketing and distribution of the films, and many new and accessible ways to view films.
If one were to examine the ways in which audience consumption has changed over time, in the film industry in particular, they would find that there are many. Looking back at the late 19th century, the very first motion picture films were projected. In today’s age, there are so many different ways films can be consumed. These changes in consumption are due to many factors that include developments in technology, a broader range in marketing and distribution of the films, and many new and accessible ways to view films.
One of the primary ways film consumption has changed overtime is through technological advances over the years. The very first form of technology used to project and show films was the projector. As time passed, the television was invented. More years passed and computers, smart phones, tablets, and other technology was invented. These new technologies have not only changed the way in which viewers watch films, but has allowed for the production of movies that would have never been possible before. Cameras have developed from only filming in black and white, to filming in color, to shooting in way higher definition allowing for the audiences to take in the complete and amazing set designs of the films. In the article, “How Is Digital Technology Reshaping the Film Industry,” another technological advancement in the film industry is discussed. Algorithmic video editing is a type of film editing that creates remarkable features that will blow a person’s mind. Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, high definition films and advanced editing features were not possible. These new advances have created films that are far more unique and fascinating to the public, and for that reason the interests of audiences have spiked drastically and caused an increase in the demand of movies for entertainment. This, technological advancements have played a key role in the change in audience consumption over these years.
Out of all the ways audience consumption of films has changed, the way in which movies have been viewed plays the largest role in the change. Many years ago, people could only view movies when they appeared on screen in movie theaters. Now, they are almost endless ways people can watch movies. These include, but are certainly not limited to: DVDs, Blu-Ray, video on demand, streaming sites, television, and of course, movie theaters. As the years have passed and more ways to view movies have come along, audience consumption of films have without a doubt increased drastically. Movies are so accessible to viewers, it is as simple as clicking a button on ones phone. Entertainment is at an all time high and with the streaming sites and technology available, movies are definitely watched more than they were many years ago. My family and I pay for a monthly subscription of the streaming service Netflix, and we also have cable that comes with Video On Demand. With these services, we have watched an endless amount of movies from the comfort of our home. We were able to watch some of these movies while they were still in the theater. Some of these movies include the Marvel movie “Black Panther,” “Jurassic World,” “Spider-Man Homecoming,” and “Ugly Dolls.” Shortly after these movies were released to the movie theaters, they were available to rent on Video On Demand for our cable company and on Netflix. In the article, “How Comcast and NBCUniversal Used Minions to Fuse an Empire,” it was expressed how the era we live in has become an era where people increasingly watch what they want when and how they want to. This is proven true by my personal example of the way my family and I tend to view movies in the comfort of our home, and by all the many ways people can watch movies nowadays. Because of the increase in ways people can access films over the years, audience consumption has most definitely increased.
Aside from technology and different ways to view, marketing has also played a large role in the way audience consumption has changed throughout the years. Marketing of films has always played a main role in the success of a film because it generates popularity and exposure to the films before they are released. That way, the hype for the films have been built up so that when they are released people rush to watch them out of anticipation. When motion picture films first started to become popular, they were promoted to the public in the ways that were around at the time. These include through the radio, newspaper, and even posters around the cities. Similar strategies of marketing are still used, but more ways of advertisement for films have definitely developed over the years. As television became popular, commercials and movie trailers were used to promote new movies that would be coming out. During those times, not everyone had access to television, so while commercials and trailers were effective in increasing awareness for the movies, they didn’t have the same impact that marketing has now. Today we live in a world where mainstream social networking is the biggest it has ever been. There are so many more different platforms that movies are advertised on now, such as social media, the internet, television, radio, and so many more. It can be said that almost everyone has access to these platforms, or can be exposed to them, so marketing of films is so effective in today’s world and really has an impact on audience consumption of films. Cross-media ownerships, such as Disney for instance, have an advantage of promoting films because they own so many platforms that they can promote the films on. This is one of the reasons certain movies make more money than others and become bigger than others. Cross promotion, among many, is a really big marketing strategy. Production companies develop campaign partners that promote films so they can reach more people. An example of this would be with the movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Marvel Studios and Walt Disney were partnered with many companies including Hasbro, Lego, Dairy Queen, LB Kids, Wrigley Company. These companies advertised the movie by putting the characters on chip bags, board games, water bottles, and other items available for purchase. This was for the purpose of gaining more exposure for the movie before and as it was released to gain more views for it. One more marketing strategy production companies tend to use is getting they trailers played on television. This helps a lot in audience consumption because when viewers see an interesting movie trailer on television, they remember that they would like to watch the movie when it comes out.
There are so many factors that have played a role in the change of audience consumption of film as the years have passed. As far as technology, there have been so many advancements that have allowed for more unique and appealing films to be produced. New ways to view movies have been developed that have made it far more easy for people to access movies whenever they want, increasing the consumption of films drastically. Marketing has also been a key role in this change of audience consumption, creating much exposure for many films. Audience consumption of films has definitely come a long way, and it will definitely go further as more years pass.
