Creative Media Industry Awareness

1.1

GOOGLE vs. MICROSOFT vs. APPLE

A significant difference among these three "competitors" – is that they are NOT entirely in the same industry! However they are all tech related companies and I personally think they are all after the same  grip, power and control within the same industries, seeking it through the mediums such as the mobile platform, Internet, TV, software/apps and hardware. Apple is mostly a HARDWARE company, who creates great software products to attract consumers to purchase new hardware. Microsoft is a predominantly a SOFTWARE company, who doesn't care what hardware you purchase, providing you buy their software to run on it and if you’re not choosing PC then its Mac which presents a loss for Microsoft as Macs run OSX operating system instead of Windows. Google, in contrast, makes an estimate of 95% of their substantial revenue from ADVERTISING. They’re not concerned with what platform or software you are using, but how they can increase the number of consumers viewing their ads, providing them with further market research data at no cost. Apple's market is limited by the number of consumers willing to buy their hardware. Microsoft's market is limited by number of consumers willing to buy their software. Google's market is virtually unlimited -- any consumer on any platform willing to contribute some market statistics in exchange for using Google's services for free. Google also seems to have the advantage of agility. Any web browser and any Android phone are becoming "Cloud Computing Clients" that can instantly take advantage of any features, upgrades, or improvements that Google unleashes into the cloud in the backend -- no new hardware or software on the user's end is needed. This will allow Google to move faster in EVERY direction than either Apple or Microsoft. Google is getting fed something or the other, a million times per second. Every educated person on this planet is feeding it. We all want to search something on Google, many times a day. Kids know they can find anything on Google. So does my non-computer savvy mum. She knows she can search for any kind of stuff on Google. Now these are a lot of people using Google, not counting the other 20 Google services, like Gmail or Buzz, just Google Search. It’s so bad to the point when ever my default web browser page (Google) changes to a different search engine I get annoyed and change it rite back to Google.

We all are giving Google new 'thought' information. This collective information may be totally unknown in the past decade, but due to the coming of FB/Twitter, we all know what real time 'trending' is. When suddenly some odd topic becomes really hot. Like recently when Google itself was in the news for buying Motorola, or when Apple announced the release of the i-Phone 4, we could see for ourselves the trending spike on twitter, and of course, Google could see the spike in search.

Google has in it's hands a new kind of 'thought' currency that it is beginning to realize the value of only in recent years. The rich and the powerful Governments would kill for such a huge information PULSE. You have thousands of 'signals' coming from all parts of the world, all the time. What are people thinking, in New York, in Sydney, what is going on in peoples minds? Whatever it is, we only thought it knows what we, as individuals search. But they just don't see our search, they see everybody's Google search, and can know about search trends, moods, fears, secrets, and problems/solutions like no one else can. The real power is the 'collective thought' pulse and it is the emerging currency that is going to dominate the future. It's more than just eyeballs, this is truly interactive and intuitive, along with being totally real time.

Another factor is that Google is so omnipresent. It has embedded itself in cellphones, iphones, droids, Google phones, netbooks, almost everywhere. It wants people to use it, to feed to it what they are thinking, all the time. No matter how personal or intimate a search is, Google is filing it and indexing it, trending it, geo-locating it, and comparing it with other searches.

So much information to one single company who has already monetized it through advertising, using sophisticated and automatic online tools like ad-words/ad-sense.

Google has been fair though, and does offer some insight to what it finds, through Google TRENDS, and Google INSIGHT. But in a few years the value of the thought pulse is going to increase manifold, and the Governments can kill for such valuable information about the masses.

Such information can effect elections, marketing campaigns, and even cause big disruptions in sensitive countries like the middle east and China.

A totally new, super valuable currency of the future in the hands of one company? This means that Google at this time, is considered the leader, the winner, the best. What does this mean? It means that right now Google almost owns the way a mega search engine works. Google and their rules decides how webmasters and web-authors create web pages and content thanks to all the rules of do-follow, no-follow, keyword density, etc. In order to bring in the most traffic, a webmaster can either be a rebel and gather only sub par search engine traffic from the little guys, or play Google's way and follow Googles rules so that they can be listed first page on the master of search engines.

Google decides what information is going to be seen in front of all else. People go to Google.com first, so ultimately because of it's loyal following, Google has been given by many the authority to decide what gets seen on the internet and what doesn't.

The media industry links a cluster of industries together. Most of these sectors have their individual outputs and specialist areas of work. Others provide dedicated services to support or supplement the work of other sectors.  These are the main industries that make up the creative media sector:

• Advertising                            
• Animation
• Computer games
• Facilities 
• Fashion and textiles
• Film
• Interactive media
• Photo imaging
• Publishing 
• Radio
• Television.

1.2 Describe cross industry ownership in the creative media sector

Cross industry ownership usually involves a major player in the media industry looking to expand its resources, influence, audience and revenue accumulating in more power, control and market share. Two companies merge together as a result of the more powerful of the two buying out the other company. A good example of this is Microsoft buying Skype and Google buying Motorola. Both major companies Microsoft and Google seem to have their eye on the mobile platform, which could result in the world witnessing both titans going head to head for their place in the mobile platform market.

1.3 Relationships between industries

 

I have been looking at a range of shows, films and products and learning about the different parties involved, roles they played and the relationships formed during the lifetime of a product. Many of the interactions seemed to spark a merging of companies and long-term contracts. I have decided to write a brief break down on the show called CSI: Miami to show simple overview outlining parties involved, their roles and relationships.

 

• Content Creators and Distributors

• CSI: Miami (Crime Scene Investigation: Miami) premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS
• The series is produced in partnership with Jerry Bruckheimer Television, Canadian media company Alliance Atlantis, CBS Television Studios and is distributed by CBS Television Distribution and Sony Pictures Television

• Advertising and Publishing
• Under License outsourced companies may produce advertising with content creators to design posters, film adverts, edit trailers etc.

• Articles about the popular show may also be written to sell papers/magazines, which coincide with the seasons or additions to the show.

• Multiple platforms – They also have a series of comic books, novels, and video games based on the show. In addition, the show CSI: NY spun off from a second-season episode of CSI: Miami.

• Third party companies may also be hired to produce merchandising, iPhone applications, website, pop-up banners etc.

• Broadcasting

o CSI: Miami is broadcasted in the UK on Living TV, 9pm on Friday Nights

o Repeats: Repeats are shown on Five, Five USA and Living TV

2.1 Describe the stages of a specific Creative Media project life cycle

The website life cycle

An effective website is managed around the perception that they have a life cycle. The same goes for websites that are created for a short-term purpose. Below is a diagram I produce in Adobe Illustrator to breakdown the stages of a website life cycle.

As you can see from my illustration above, at any point in time a businesses website is either being planned, under development, maintained, assessed, enhanced or promoted.

2.2 Explain and justify resources required for a specific project

In most organisations the project manager/project co-ordinator handles a lot of the planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to accomplish specific project goals.

I have chosen to cover the resources required for a film project

o   Cast – Well obviously without a cast there would be no film at all, but it’s not about just choosing anybody. We all have our favourite films, shows, directors, producers and actors for a reason and which mainly comes down to choosing the right people to play the roles. It is absolutely vital that the cast chosen for each role can convey the story as it was intended, which isn’t easy especially when you have to weigh up market appeal, budget along with the rite person to fit the character.

o   props – Props have become increasingly more popular over the years significantly because of the movie memorabilia and its importance to look like the real thing e.g. mock-glassware made of crystallized sugar used to be smashed on purpose giving a real authentic look but un-harmful unlike real glass debris. Props are just as important these days as the film set. For example take a film set back in 1989, you couldn’t use a modern piece of technology such as an i-phone If the film was based on true events or true to life. Check out this site to see some the props on sale and there crazy prices http://www.propstore.com.

o distribution & advertising – For a film to gain media and public attention it has to have a force behind it and that force is advertising

o   Crew

o   production equipment

o   contracts

o   locations

Unit 3.1

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the most prominent character-based entertainment companies this realm has ever seen, with an established collection of over 8,000 characters presented in a range of media over seventy years. Marvel makes use of its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, toys and publishing. Areas of emphasis include feature films, DVD/home video, action figures, video games, and role-playing toys, consumer products, television and promotions. Embedded in the creative success of many years of comic book publishing, Marvel's aim is to drive its character franchises in an increasing array of opportunities around the world. 

Unit 3.2 

The UK Film Council (UKFC) was set up in 2000 by the Labour Government for the purpose of evolving and supporting UK film through the funding of projects. It was constituted as a private company directed by a board made up of 15 directors and was funded through sources including the National Lottery. John Woodward was the Chief Executive Officer of the UKFC. Sources say around the 30th June 2008, the company had 90 full-time members of staff. It is believed to have distributed more than £160m of lottery money to over 900 films. The UKFC provided a range of funding aimed at reaching their objectives. The areas eligible for funding were Film production and development, Film distribution and export, Cinema, Film education/culture and archives and Festivals/audience support schemes. 

Unfortunately for many film enthusiasts, on the 26 July 2010 it was declared that the council would be put to an end. UKFC closed on 31 March 2011, with many of its roles passing to the British Film Institute. 

I sourced my research and information based on facts provided by the official UKFC website: http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk

 

3.3 Explain the role of a specific team within the organisation and 3.4 explain the relationship between the specific team and others within the organization

As you may already know, I am part of the UK design team at Live Nation/Ticketmaster (Live Nation Entertainment) within the ecommerce department working under the title of Apprentice Web designer. I have been working as an Apprentice at LNE for 4 months and have had the pleasure of learning how the company is set up, which is why I have chosen to discuss the design team at LNE.

       

The design team provides support for the world’s top live music promoter; producing digital marketing solutions on time, in budget and to exceptional quality. Working in a fast-moving and creative environment, it is important that we know the music industry and understand critical deadlines. The team of designers, developers, and content editors, deliver online marketing solutions, and impressive digital presence.

The designers and developers (design team) go through stages of concept, design and build. Once the client has signed off the project, it is then tested for QA (Quality Assurance) by the quality assurance team before going live. The Quality Assurance and Design Team work closely together at amending and fixing problems concerning graphics and layout, plug-ins and content. It is important for these two teams to communicate in order for a site to be successful and remain successful as many of the sites content will be updated regularly, therefore incurring regular testing.

Conducting quality assurance testing should address editorial, graphics, and coding conventions. After the site has been built, it should be put through a rigorous post-production process. In the end, there should be a provision for user feedback, which can determine the ongoing maintenance of the site.

Some areas covered in quality assurance testing:

1. Content
• Spelling, grammar, mechanics
• All critical information is present
• Titles, headers, and navigation labelled correctly
2. Documentation
3. Graphics and layout
• Image quality
• Download time
• Text layout
• Alignment of elements
• Colour accuracy
4. Browser compatibility
• Check on different platforms
• Check on different browsers
5. User preference compatibility
• Font size
• Link colours and underlining
• Plug-ins
• Window size

4.1 Explain the individual roles within a specific team and 4.2 Explain their responsibilities and outputs within a specific project life cycle

A diagram explaining the structure of the Live Nation UK Design Team.

Below is a diagram showing the approach taken to deliver a website project and who is involved at each stage.