PLAN FOR:

Identify how media products from your case study make links with other media platforms. What are the reasons for these links?

In your answer you should:
● consider possible links such as targeting audiences, promotion and revenue
generation
● support your answer with reference to a range of examples from three media
platforms. (32 marks)

My first product is the Bridesmaids film. My second product is The Holiday film.

1. Film is broadcast, but it makes links with e-media very strongly. Firstly it links to e-media in terms of its inetractive official website. For the audience, the reason for this link is probably either surveillance, diversion or social interaction (according to the uses and gratifications theory). It allows the broadcast product to be made into a larger brand, and it gives the target audience/fans somewhere to go for extra information, fun and games. Films need to be brands, and the official website ensures that this is possible.
2. Secondly, the broadcast (Bridesmaids film) links to e-media in terms of social networking. The film has both Twitter and Facebook pages. This is perfect for social inetraction (uses and gratifcations), and opens the film up to a wider range of people. All socio-economic classes use social networking, and so they can all access information about the film. Furthermore, linking broadcast to e-media is beneficial for the institution. It enables them to gage public opinion on their work, improve what they have done, and communicate with the audience. In the early stages of making Bridesmaids, the film was not expected to be a very big hit. It was expected to be 'just another comedy'. The director of the film took to Twitter, adn was able to communicate globally with the target audience. He was able to gain feedback and opinions which would help the film achieve what the fans wanted. The film was a great success. This shows that these links which have been created between platforms are beneficial to both the institution and the target audience. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bridesmaids-paul-feig-golden-globes-265027
3. Videos that the fans make can help the institution to advertise the film. For example, I previously posted one on the blog about Bridesmaids.
4. Fan made twitter accounts of quotes or certain characters for comedy purposes. There is a Twitter account made by fans which features tweets of quotes from the film. It is for comedy purposes but has carried on much longer than the film was in its peak.
5. Fan websites.
6. Some websites might have character profiles.
7. There are links which occur within broadcast such as podcast reviews. They need this in order to gain publicity, even though they dont actually choose to be reviewed. This shows lots is out of their hands, but is still just as important for them.
8. Twitter trends.
9. Magazines do reviews such as Total Film or Empire. Her is the link for the Total Film review of Bridemaids. I believe it was also published. http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/bridesmaids. Here is the link for the Total Film review of The Holiday which is my second film product: http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/the-holiday.
10. Actors and Actresses get inetrviewed in magazines through prepared interviews and photoshoots. Here is the link for a mgazine interveiw which main character and writer of Bridesmaids Kristen Wiig did with Vogue magazine: http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/kristen-wiig-funny-business/#1.
11. Buy merchandise.
12. Marketing and actually make the audience go and do things such as on the website. (EXAMPLE)
13. Gaming- online games or separate games on consoles eg xbox. Harry Potter and James Bond have games for example. Look into this for Bridesmaids.
14. Album of the film soundtracks. They are often availble on music download services such as iTunes Spotify. iTunes also provide the option of being able to download films onto your iPod, iPhone or iPad. This provides the audience with lots of viewing freedom, and ensures that the brand will be more wide spread.