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Audio / Moving Image / Publishing / Interactive Products (last assessment 2023) Notes
Page: Summary of Topic
Products
This subtopic is designed to take you through the many different types of media product you should be aware of before your assignments. Media products can be generally categorised into three different sectors that make up the creative industry...
- Audio / moving image products – Any piece of electronic media that incorporates sound and/or a fluid visual component
- Publishing products – Any piece of traditional media made available to audiences in print format
- Interactive media products – Any piece of digital media that functions and responds based on the actions of the consumer
Each sector consists of various different media industries, each of which produces its own range of products to suit a particular audience and purpose. Key examples of media products and the sectors they fall into can be found below…
| Audio/moving image | Publishing | Interactive media | |||
| Products | Examples | Products | Examples | Products | Examples |
| Film Trailer Film Music Video News Programme Radio Programme Television Advert Podcast TV Episode Animation | American Animals Trailer 1 (2018) Dog Day Afternoon (1975) Bad Guy – Billie Eilish (2019) Good Morning Britain – ITV Desert Island Discs – BBC Radio 4 Waterslide Advert – Barclay (2008) Best Pick Movie Podcast (2017–) Felina – Breaking Bad (2013) Lawnmower Dog – Rick & Morty (2013) | Film Poster Comic Book Brochure Advert Magazine Graphic Novel Photograph Leaflet/Flyer | Us – Jordan Peele (2019) Civil War: Black Panther (2007) Summer Collection April Edition – TUI Come Alive! – Pepsi-Cola (1965) Vogue Magazine – June 2019 Watchmen – Alan Moore – 1986 Starving Child and Vulture – Kevin Carter – 1993 See: https://www.printmag.com/print-design-2/10-showstopping-leaflet-examples/ | Website Mobile Game Video Game E-magazine MMOG RPG Interactive Adverts Mobile Apps Social Media Site | Zoella.co.uk Mario Kart Tour (2019) Apex Legends (2019) Empireonline.com World of Warcraft (2004) The Outer Worlds (2019) “Pee on this” – Ikea – 2018 Hinge – 2012 Facebook (2004–) |
Tip
The examples in the table above reference a variety of past and present media products. You may find it useful to analyse some of these products in preparation for your assessmentPlatforms
Different media products become available on different platforms, i.e. they are distributed in different ways. For example, blockbuster films have traditionally been distributed through cinemas while video games have traditionally been distributed through physical copies. Nowadays, it is incredibly rare for a media product to be distributed through a single platform. Furthermore, products that previously slotted into a specific sector are now distributed through multiple platforms that link to more than one sector.
For example, films can now be distributed through the following audio / moving image platforms: cinemas; TV broadcasts; DVD, Blu-ray; 4K release, etc. as well as more interactive platforms such as pay-per-view, streaming services, digital download and mobile apps.
Certain types of content can be distributed through platforms that span all three sectors. For example, the details of a breaking news story are usually made available to audiences across television broadcasts, published newspapers and interactive web pages.
Devices
Every electronic media product will be made available through a device, i.e. a technological object. Certain products such as popular radio shows can now be accessed through laptops, television sets, computers, MP3 players, MP4 players, radio sets, mobile phones, etc. Other, more niche, products such as certain video games can be accessed only through a specific gaming console.
The following list shows the initial year of release for some of the major media devices:
- Television Set – 1927
- Mobile Phone –1973
- PC – 1975
- Laptop –1981
- PlayStation – 1994
- Tablet –2001
- Xbox – 2001
- Wii – 2006
- MP4 Player – 2001
- MP3 Player – 1997
- Firestick – 2014
Media Ownership
It is worth looking at the structure of these various media industries, i.e. how individual companies are organised and who owns them. This structure will largely determine the kinds of products that a company makes and the relationships it forms with other companies. Listed below are some industry terms worth remembering:
| Explanation | Examples | |
| Cross-media Producer | A conglomerate that creates a range of different media products | Sony creates films, music videos and media devices, among other products |
| Cross-media Formats | When conglomerates ensure that their products can be accessed on a range of platforms and devices | Many video game producers will ensure their product is accessible through physical copy, digital download, etc. to secure a large audience |
| Multimedia Conglomerate | A large company, with ownership over a number of smaller companies, that creates content across multiple sectors for multiple platforms | The Walt Disney Company has ownership of companies producing films, television, video games, magazines, etc. |
| Subsidiary | A media company that is owned and often run by a larger corporation | Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central are both subsidiaries of Viacom |
| Multinational Media | Corporations that produce media on a global scale for audiences all around the world | Comcast owns companies in America (e.g. NBC) and Britain (e.g. Sky) |
| National Media | Corporations that produce media within and for a particular country | The BBC produces content for the British public |
| Small-scale Media | Corporations that produce local or regional-based media content – usually with fewer resources and a greater reliance on local advertising revenue and audiences from specific geodemographics | Leaflets or print adverts for a town or village event |
| Synergy | Two or more media sectors ‘working together’. The combined effect is considered to be greater than the lone effect of media sectors working individually | News Corporation delivers news to the public through publishing (The Sun, The Times) and audio / moving image (Fox News) |
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