Task 2: Discuss Technology

Task 2 

P2 (U24): Explain the use of converging technologies within an identified sector

M1 (U24): Discuss how the industry has utilised developments in technologies

Converging technologies within the advertising sector

Converging technologies can be used much to our advantage in this day compared to what it was like in the past. In the past to make films or any form of advertisement we would not have the technology to complete certain processes in the fastest and easiest way, it would be more difficult and the outcome would be of lower quality.

Pre-Production:

In the past to complete research you would need to use books, or conduct primary research only, because you would have no source of unlimited information, whereas now we have access to technological devices such as Smartphones, iPads, Computer to help us with this. With the use of google we can search up anything we want, for example methods of how to complete certain tasks. This would typically be the first stage of pre production before creating any kind of commercial or advertisement.

There are 10 stages of pre production and this shows how important that part is when creating something like a TV advert 

These stages are:

Brainstorming - A time to jot down ideas for your advert and discuss options.  It is important to make notes in case you need to go back over older ideas and thoughts

Research- Collecting data and statistics on certain product, for example on the brand you are creating an advert for

Proposal-Pitch.  This is also one of the crucial stages of pre-production. If your idea does not pass this stage then you must review and revise your ides

Production Schedule - This is when you plan out exactly when you’ll be shooting, where and what equipment you will need.

Budget - getting all funding and budget for the commercial together

Storyboard - having a detailed design of what you want to shoot for the commercial

Location Recce -Risk Assessment - An important part of pre production is going to locations to see where you will be filming and also performing a risk assesment to ensure it is safe

Contingency Plan -Back Up Plan - It is important to have this in place in case anything goes wrong in your plans

Shooting Schedule - For actors and crew to know exactly what time they are needed to be available and also to help with your schedule.

Call Sheets - these go out to every single member of the cast and crew.

Here are a few examples of a few of the above stages and how technology convergence has enabled us to complete tasks more easily.

Storyboarding. This is because traditionally you would need to hand draw each scene to show what will need to be filmed at each moment. The way that converging technology has helped us with storyboarding is that we can now get storyboarding apps such as Studio Binder or Movie Storm which make the process much easier because you don’t have to sketch each part yourself, and it also makes the activity a lot quicker to complete as its on an app. Movistorm is promoted online as filmmaking tool for everyone, so you don’t need to be a professional editor

Software Movistorm

1950s photo showing Walt Disney and his cartoon  team

Technology convergence has also enabled us to carry out risk assessments more easily. Risk assessments are used in production when on a film set. It outlines the level of potential danger towards filming in certain places or from certain positions, and a solution is also outlined during this assessment. Before new technologies, we would probably have to write out a risk assessment or analyse them verbally etc, whereas now we can use apps such as Risk Assessor  or risk assessment on our smartphone making this a much quicker process, which everyone can access at all times, something that would not have been possible before digital technology, this is something that can be used to outline the cautions, solutions and level of risk and when creating it on an app it will prove to save a lot of time. There are also apps in which call sheets can be made. The daily call sheet is a filmmaking term for the schedule crafted by the assistant director, using the director's shot list. It is issued to the cast and crew of a film production to inform them of where and when they should report for a particular day of filming. There are apps that can be used for this such as one called "Pocket Call Sheet". Professional call sheets can be created and then sent out using this app. 

The production schedule is listed by call time, the time when people are expected to start work on a film set. 

Project management is also a factor in this, because in the past you would have to draw or write any diagrams or plans to complete certain tasks. However, now we have the technology to complete aims and objectives of the project, eg computers to edit clips or import them from a camera. 

Additionally, another component of project management is that you can manage your progress against your plan. Before technology, we would have to do this by using a written checklist or our memory, however computers now allow us to log information, meaning we can track what has been completed and what hasn’t and it therefore avoids a lot of confusion and saves us time.

Another example of a project management tool are apps that you can use to plan. EG: Monday.com. This is an app that allows multiple parties to see their schedule through the app and then update it once they complete their task. In the past we would not have been able to access these tools, it would require us to use checklists, and tell colleagues when tasks are done whereas using this app enables each party to see where others are up to and so on. As well as this, it allows individuals to keep track of where they're up to.

Production:

Modern technology has now helped us with the filming part during the production stage because we now have camera’s that are of much higher and greater quality than that of the past. The cameras are getting smaller and easier to use.  They record scenes in ultra HD, and even 3D or 4K meaning the videos recorded have the best possible outcome, and come across as more engaging because we can see clearly what is going on. In the past the video camera’s used were not as good quality because they were not digital, and were recorded to a film strip, or a  which was less practical. This would be the first thing you need to do during the production stage. Editing would occur later on.

Below is a state of the art camera that would be used today to film any kind of footage, which is one of the most important parts of the production stage, as well as gathering any images that may need to be used. 

The above photo is showing a 1950s car commercial.

Location Scouting.  This is when producers visit and photograph prospective filming locations, before bringing back all of their findings to the producer. This can be a long and expensive process. Producers can now use their smart phones to map, photograph and email info back to the executive producer quickly and easily, speeding up the production process.

Films can now be shot and edited entirely on a phone and emailed back to the editing suite via the internet.  Se example link here

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xe76gu?search_algo=2

Post-Production

We now also have editing apps like iMovie on our smart devices that can help us with post production, and more additional features that we can add or change. Previously we would have to record the clips on cameras and then just put it straight next to the following clip. The clips can be exported and edited into the apps. This is much better because it is easily accessible and simple, rather than involving complications etc. It also allows multiple people in the same post production team to edit or view an existing document.

With iMovie for iOS and macOS, It’s easy to browse your clips and create trailers as well as high quality 4K-resolution movies. You are able to use smart devices to start creating your movie and then screen them via your mac.  Garage Band for iOS is also used with this to add music and sound to your movie, which is something that allows us to add enhanced music and songs in a film for example, something which required a lot more work in the past. 

Video editing in general has improved. The software that is available to use in this day means that the quality of film scenes is much greater and realistic than it ever was in the past. For basic films there is software such as Final cut Pro or Sony Vegas, whereas professional film companies would use special top of the range software. Before converging technology it would have been a case of very basic editing or no editing at all (Before computers were invented), meaning that films were a lot more difficult to put together because editing opportunities were limited.

This photo shows Apple editor software

Camera’s now record sound which in very early days wasn’t possible. The ability to record sound on camera means that we don’t have to record it separately and then insert it into the clip. Video editing software enables us to also edit the sound. For example, make it higher or lower pitch, change the tempo and so on. Sound can be created through the use of FX. The ability to play with sound so much would not have been possible without computers or apps to help us do so.

There are also project management apps that are available through the use of smartphones. For example one of them is called "Monday.com". This app allows multiple parties to see the schedule on their own app and to update it once they have completed a task. This is much more reliable than handwritten schedules because the manager can distribute the tasks to everyone’s phone and so it saves time.

Monday.com management software

As mentioned there are now apps to complete editing, which comes in handy during post-production to finish off the final tweaks and so on. However the main aspect of post-production that converging technology has been able to help us with is distribution methods. We are now able to share content and short films on platforms such as Youtube, which is a social media websites that you can only access via electronic devices (Computers, Tablets, Smartphones). These are devices that many people own. Additionally, Youtube is a widely used platform and so posting content on there will be greatly effective since lots of people will see it. For this reason, the distribution of film content has been made way easier by platforms such as those like Youtube.

Converging technologies can be used for advertising and marketing purposes through a number of ways. The first being that the use of smartphones and computers enable us to access social media a lot easier. Social media is constantly growing in popularity and so there are many people that are likely to see different firms advertising and showcasing their products. This is one method of distributing products in a modern world. For example, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram are all platforms where this advertisement can be viewed, and posts can spread around rapidly to ensure that they are seen by many. Computers with software such as photoshop can be used to create advertising content that can be uploaded to these social media accounts. This is a really modern method of marketing and advertising which shows how converging technology has impacted this change.

You can also view interactive adverts on your phone. Sometimes when you are on different websites or apps, there will be links that appear which can take you to a website of a company. This way, they are easily able to invite you to look at what they are showcasing, and might post these links through their social media platforms.

M1 (U24): Discuss how the industry has utilised developments in technologies

We, as the consumer choose the media we want to consume and how. Giving us more power and also to the advertisers who are always looking for more info about us.

The digital age has seen a great change in the way we do things. We now download single tracks over albums, link directly to stories instead of buying newspapers and pick the exact TV channels we want to pay for instead of being given a "bundle" that we have no choice over.

Brands can communicate directly with their audience  Films, TV, music are all produced and distributed in a tightly controlled way but the internet has completely changed that concept because now everyone can distribute with maximum efficiency to everyone else.

Earning revenue is also hard, as now it is not as easy to be able to charge consumers for news, for example as they are able to get this for free.  Our use of social media has changed the digital age.  Usage has rocketed and we expect to be able to use the likes of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, in exchange for our data, for free. This is all there due to the availability of smart phones and modern technology that enable us to access these social media sites in the first place. Smartphones are a very recent way of accessing a companies products, and they enable easy access to platforms such as Twitter, Facebook in which companies can advertise their products through different posts and so on.

The industry has utilised developments in technologies in many ways. It is impossible to discuss media and the ways that we communicate without addressing the fast-moving pace of technology.

Twenty years ago, if you wanted to share news of your baby’s birth or a job promotion, you phoned or wrote letters.  Now, by tweeting or posting your big news, the circle of communication is wider than ever. Therefore, when we talk about how societies engage with technology we must take media into account, as they use these fast moving technologies to their benefit.

Companies use advertising to sell to us, but the way they reach us is changing. They can utilise new technology and ensure we are receiving the same message from a variety of sources. For example, you may see billboards for Heineken on your way to a football stadium, sit down to watch a game preceded by a beer commercial on the big screen, and watch a halftime advert in which people are shown holding up the trademark bottles.

Advertising has changed, as technology and media have allowed consumers to bypass traditional advertising venues. Conventional advertising is in decline as we are able to watch TV programmes any time we like which allows us to skip through the commercials. Now they have to find other ways to use technology, like social media where consumers spend much of their time and you cannot help but see adverts when you are surfing the internet.

Production technologies have improved so much over the years.  Various media are also changing how we perceive and interact with each other. We do not only use Facebook to keep in touch with people, we also use it to like certain TV shows, products, or celebrities.

Even television is no longer a one-way medium but an interactive one. We are encouraged to tweet, text, or call in to vote for contestants in everything from singing competitions to chefs—this brings our own lives closer to the people we are watching on TV.vThe fast moving trends mean that there will also be a change in the way products are marketed and distributed. 

We also now have QR codes. These can be used on a range of different types of adverts EG posters and they enable anyone that sees it to scan the code on the smartphone, to which it takes them to a certain place. For example, the companies website. This is a lot easier than having to type out a website address and so it shows how the change has benefitted us greatly. 

Audio/visual billboards have also come into action in recent years due to the improving knowledge of technology and innovative ideas. These allow short videos or clips to actually take place on a billboard. For example, one location very well known for these would be Times Square in New York City. This location is full of adverts that show animation or video on what looks like a huge billboard. It makes advertisement a lot more exciting to look at, which affects the audiences interpretation of the product. The image shows this location, and the colours make the entire street glow. The adverts can catch a lot of attention. 

HD TV's are the last example of all of this. They allow audiences to watch advertisement and any shows/films in the best quality. They enable us to look at detail a lot more closely and understand what we are seeing without having to squint or look closely at the screen. It is essentially similar looking at things in real life, showing how far technology has come from how it started, where anything on a TV screen would be black and white and quite blurry. 

Social media plays a big part in marketing and there has been evidence of 3 particular trends in social media marketing

1. The rise in cost of social advertising.  The days of free social marketing have now gone and to gain any kind of traction with social media marketing you need to have an advertising budget of some kind.The overall cost of digital adverts have increased year after year and most brands realise that social media marketing provides an effective and cost effective way to reach your target audience.

2. Video takes centre stage.  The importance of social media video content grew in 2017 - however in 2018, video marketing will prove to be an even more important part of content strategy.  It is thought that by 2019 over 80% of all consumer traffic will be video related.

3. Influencer marketing maintains popularity.  Studies show that 74% of people look to their networks on social media for advice on buying decisions, and 40% of people have bought something based on seeing it being promoted by an influencer on Instagram or Twitter.  There are many celebrities on social media who have millions of followers, such as Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and David Beckham.  It is so valuable to a brand if someone mentions their product on twitter or Instagram and the brand could sell thousands, maybe millions of products.

Audiences can now access products in more ways, not just online purchases.  There is an app called Adidas Confirmed where the artist Kanye West endorses a particular type of trainers.  These specially designed shoes are launched at strategic times through the year and can only be purchased through the app...if you are lucky enough to win a pair (to buy) via a lottery system where you tap the app.  There are only a certain amount of pairs produced and this adds to the interest in the product.

Something like this has captured the interest of millions of kids around the world desperate to get their hands on a pair.  You simply cannot walk into a store and buy them.