Convergence is when various types of technology are brought together into one. For example, a mobile phone no longer has the single purpose of making calls, it can now be used to take photos/videos, watch movies, listen to music, surf the internet, play games and other app usages, send/receive emails and even see the people you are talking to on screen through camera!
This technological convergence means that it is much easier to make a profit from technologies other than that which the media product was originally intended. Avatar's broad use of different technologies to draw in their customers shows this.
Avatar was originally a film, but aspects of the film have been converged using other technologies, making an even vaster audience with a much wider variety of entertainment which in tern promotes the film.
The first thing seen on the website is a trailer of the film, which instantly reminds those who have previously viewed the film of the highlights, and to those who have not it inspires to venture further into the site.
Once you have selected your current state, you are able to view the many ways in which these technologies have all been used in different ways to help you enjoy this one movie.
This is achievable from the slide bar at the bottom of the screen (shown below)
You are able to:
Purchase the film (this means that the producers instantly make money)
Download images / wallpapers of scenes from the film (the audience are happy to have received something for free, they feel that the producers are reaching out to their needs, to give them things that they desire... for free! However, the intention of going to effort to give things away for free is that people will be reminded of the film every time they see their desktop image and most importantly, when their friends see an image, they are likely to be interested and ask about the film which is sure to receive a positive response if they love the film so much that they have changed their background image to it! Word of mouth is the most effective way of informing people about media. Even if your film or media product relates to a certain niche of people, if you have already appealed to one person in that niche, it is likely that their friend will have similar interests too and will be influenced by their friend and purchase the film)
Campaign to save the Brazilian Rainforest and the tribe of the Amazon River - as the film touches on subjects of deforestation and depriving creatures of their natural habitat, those who are interested in these aspects of the film and want to do something about it are more likely to find out what they can do to help this way. As the site has a connection with charity, you automatically think better of the site - and the film, as you associate giving to charity as positive)
Purchase a video game (instantly money is made)
Download mobile games from iTunes (instantly money is made)
View Twitter feed (if you enjoyed the film, you might make positive comments about it on twitter - it is unlikely that you would go to the effort of going to the site etc if you did not enjoy the film! Other people who have not seen the film will then be able to read these comments and make an informed decision whether or not to purchase it)
Purchase Avatar toys which require the site to use (by bringing people back to the site every time, they will not only be reminded of the film, which may make them watch it again, show it to a friend etc, but by bringing them back to the site, you are making them more likely to purchase something else)
Purchase a 3D collectors book (instantly making money)
Make yourself an Avatar using a photo of yourself (this is free and again promotes how people feel about Avatar and makes them more likely to tell their friends about it and get them interested)
This is me as an Avatar:
Read Avatar news feed (for those who have not seen the film it allows them to find out information about it, and for those who have watched it, they are updated on new disc format releases etc)
Download interactive news and updates to your desktop (if you are constantly reminded of the film, your positive association with it sticks in your mind. Then when you are informed that a Blue Ray or 3D version is being brought out for example, you are more likely to purchase it)
Technological convergence has allowed people to access and purchase a wider variety of media products based on one thing, which Avatars website has clearly illustrated.
This means that people can obtain more of something that they desire and that producers make more of these desired products. This creates more jobs for creating video games etc and also creates more advertising jobs as the way in which media products are advertised has changed drastically. Rather than creating awareness of a film through TV/radio adverts and trailers in cinemas, there are much more sophisticated ways of finding out exactly who is likely to want the product and advertising it to them. For example: when you add to Facebook your interests such as movies, TV shows, music etc, the adverts that appear to you are ones which are similar to things that you have already displayed an interest in as you are seen as someone who is likely to respond to the advert.
The internet and new media has allowed us to access what we want, when we want it and how we want it e.g. watch it on TV, computer, cinema, phone, iPad etc. This means that we are no longer 'pushed' to watch Hollyoaks on Channel 4 at 6.30 every weekday if we want to see it, we can now watch all episodes of the week on one day from the computer on 4oD when it is convenient to us - we have changed the way in which producers distribute their products due to our personal needs. It has become more a matter of the producers impressing the audience to watch/purchase their media product than it has telling them what to watch and when and where to watch it.
No comments:
Post a Comment