Tuesday 27 March 2012
Friday 9 March 2012
Fandom (Film Industry)
One of the things that you could discuss in your exam is fandom. Below i've wrote a an exemplar paragraph.
Film fandom can involve participating in online discussion and posting to sites such as the Internet Movie Database (imdb.com), joining film clubs or groups, or producing one's own fan magazine or "fanzine." Being part of organized fandom—whether for a certain film or star—is, first and foremost, linked to values of participation and production. Henry Jenkin's argues that fandom exemplifies a participatory culture where film fans are interested in "further interaction with a larger social and cultural community" (Jenkins, 1992, p. 76). Film fans approach watching a film as just one stage within a wider process of consumption and production, with secondary texts such as promotional materials and reviews leading up to the moment of viewing, fanzine reviews and commentaries following the initial filmic encounter. It can be argued then, that web 2.0 allows for these processes to be realised. John Fiske outlines 3 categories of fandom: semiotic, enunciative and textual. It is enunciative and textual productivity that is enabled by the platforms of web 2.0. Enunciative productivity is fans communicating with one another about a film - web 2.0 allows this to occur through the use of online forums and fan review sites. Textual productivity exemplifies David Gauntlett's definition of web 2.0 as allowing people to be creative. Due to the proliferation of hardware and software and converging technologies fans can create media such as mash-up, tribute videos, posters and online fanzines and post them to sites such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and dedicated fansites. The Twlight Saga is a clear example of fans using the platforms of web 2.0 to their creative best (Here you would give examples of fan produced material). Moreover, the use of web 2.0 has seen a rise in comic cons whereby fans can meet up and act out scenes from films, dress up as characters etc. People from all around the world can communicate with each other and participate in such events. (Give an example of a comic con).
Fandom then, propelled by the platforms of web 2.0, can be argued to benefit and hinder the success of a film. Film producers can use the reaction to their film in order to gain an insight into it's impending success - this is a double ended approach as the negative of this is that a film doesn't do well at a box office following negative reviews. However, if those reviews are positive then it is a form of free advertising. Despite this form of viral advertising some would argue that traditional methods of advertising film are the better. Barbara Klinger argues that "Publicity texts can then focus on specific saleable items such as the star, the director, state-of-the-art special effects, or controversial issues or themes raised in the narrative. This means that any given film can be sold to different audiences by stressing different elements, whether matters of romance, special effects, or directorial "art."
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Thursday 1 March 2012
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