Free Choice

Ratatouille DVD

http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/ratatouille/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382932/

The DVD has come to replace the video, with almost all films being produced only onto DVD (digital signal) rather than videos (analogue signal). The DVD and Blu-ray disc for ‘Ratatouille’ was released in 2008 after the film’s original release in 2007. The film is a Disney/Pixar animation that became the 3rd highest grossing Pixar film of all time.

The DVD contains two discs, one showing the main film, an animated short film, a behind-the-scenes feature and “Lifted”, which was shown before the film in cinemas. Disc two contains features on the creation of Paris for the film, character profiles, a documentary and three unseen clips. All of these extra features gives more to the viewer than the original experience in the cinema and is only possible because of technology developments. The film is designed for the whole family with extras that will also appeal to a variety of ages, from young child to adult. This leads to the product being used as a way of spending valuable time as a family and finding something that everyone would enjoy as the BBFC have declared that the film is a U therefore suitable for all.

The institutions are able to use the advanced technology to create a CGI film as well as more basic techniques which included an employee jumping into a swimming pool wearing a chef’s uniform in order to make the animation of the same event look realistic. Techniques such as light scattering were used to create a realistic effect on the animated food whilst 2D, 3D, live action and stop motion animation were all used as part of the production process.

The DVDs added extras included mean that an interactive experience is made possible for all who watch the film’s extras as well as a sense of personalization through they way in which each person will have an individual response to the content. The format itself is a miniaturisation of a video tape, with a DVD being a lot smaller and easier to store. The higher quality of the end product is allowed through the digital signals used to show the film as opposed to the previous analogue that was used for videos. However Blu-Ray is gaining in popularity and if that should become the dominant force in the market, the DVD would then be obsolete.

Newly Released NMT

Wii Fit

http://e3nin.nintendo.com/wii_fit.html

The Wii Fit is part of the Nintendo Wii range that’s designed to be used with the Wii Balance Board. The new technology has replaced the traditional idea of simply using controllers to play a game, you can now do it in a more interactive style, and it is like a modern version of the dance mat in some ways, as well as replacing traditional methods of exercise. The technology involved is sophisticated enough to calculate the players BMI, weight and centre of gravity whilst keeping track of a user’s “Wii Fitness Age”, increasing the loyalty and adding competition to the game. The game is able to appeal to all ages creating a wide reach through the variety of activities offered on the Wii Fit game. It also provides an easier option to going to the gym as you can exercise in your own home allowing a time-shift for the user.

The game itself has over forty different exercises to do which are divided into four different categories which the player can pick from: aerobic exercise, muscle conditioning, yoga poses and balance games, all of which provide something for every member of the family throughout the generations. Alongside participation is the concept of interactivity as a user is able to pick their own personal route through playing the exercises also adding the concept of the game being non-linear. One limitation to the game is that it cannot calculate any data from quick movements which would have to be improved before further games (that are currently under development) are released.

For Nintendo, the Wii Fit has again put the company ahead of its closet rivals who haven’t, as yet, unveiled a rivaling product (with the exception of the PS2’s Eye Toy, which is now obsolete after the release of the PS3) which in turn has bettered the company’s image and increased profits, for example despite being released only in Japan, sales figures are nearing 1.2million copies. As the game and board can only be used with the Nintendo Wii, it is an example of vertical integration which again adds loyalty to the brand whilst the design of the product is an example of miniaturisation as it is smaller than past consoles.

Converged, Portable Technology

Samsung SGH-G600

Released in August 2007 in the UK, the Samsung SGH-G600 is one of Samsung’s most popular phones in recent times. Replacing several previous models, it contains several converged features including a 5.0 mega pixel camera (only the 4th phone to do so) with flash and digital zoom, a video camera, MP3 player, digital radio, voice recorder and Java games. This convergence has reduced the need to carry so many different forms of technology, it’s replaced a video camera, digital camera, MP3 player and voice recorder to name just a few. The phone has been praised as Samsung’s best ever phone, making it more appealing to audiences.

The phone is able to appeal across audiences, it is easy to use and unlike many competitors it involves no fiddly buttons that may alienate areas of the consumer industry. Its sleek and stylish looks make it stand out and is currently available in four different colours (black, pink, purple and silver - a range that will appeal to a wide audience) which means that anyone who buys it is able to personalise the colour to their own preference. The enhanced experience they get with the G600 may lead to greater loyalty with consumers staying with Samsung to upgrade their phones in the future. This would also be one of Samsung’s aim’s – to attract a loyal customer base with such a converged phone. The wide range of abilities contained on the phone makes it easy to market to the audience that it’s most relevant to for example the camera may be marketed at teenagers whilst the document viewer may be targeted at business people. The higher cost of producing such converged technologies is reflected in the price of the phone, it is one of Samsung’s most expensive phones, but audiences are willing to pay for such a good product. However, there is a newer model due for release that features an optical zoom on the camera rather than digital (as the G600 has).

The G600 offers a distinct amount of miniaturisation of several forms of technology, leading to greater portability. There is also an improvement in quality of the technology with the phone being only the 4th to offer a 5.0 mega pixel camera. However there is an element of vertical integration with the phone as you have to buy specifically Samsung accessories (such as chargers if you needed a spare) as well as extras (such as larger memory cards)

Leisure Time Activity

Online Shopping – Topshop
Website: http://www.topshop.com/

The Topshop website allows customers to browns images of clothes on sale in the shops as well as having the facility to buy clothes online. This is replacing the need to visit the shops as products can be returned if they are the wrong size as well as often having a wider range of products offered in one store. This convenience is being exploited by many online shopping sites because they are now able to receive custom 24/7 anywhere around the world. However shopping online does have some drawbacks, the cost may be higher due to delivery costs as well as many shops not offering all of their instore deals on products.

Topshop’s website isn’t just about clothing though, there is the facility for users to subscribe to a podcasting service, an example of convergence between Apple and Arcadia benefiting both institutions and audiences who are able to exploit this to keep them up to date with fashion. Alongside this there is increased interactivity through the option of downloading a “Daily Fix Widget” to deliver “fashion ideas straight to your desktop”. This free service is an attractive prospect for the buyers who may save time by using this service. As well as this interactivity, there is the option to sign up to Style Notes, a weekly newsletter sent out to those who subscribe and there is the option of an RSS feed that allows immediate access to fashion news, keeping audiences up to date.

This development in shopping is frequently used by young people, which fits with Topshop’s main demographic of young people who follow fashion because it can be fitted around their life as they want in a time-shift not seen until quite recently. This also allows an element of portability as the web page can be accessed through any device with an Internet connection (e.g. Blackberry or iPhone) allowing portability through the convergence of technologies. This change in lifestyle has led to shops having to become more competitive to keep custom as it is far easier to access stores online than to travel to the shops. One way in which shops attempt to increase spending is through online surveillance, Topshop’s “other items you might like…” facility, to generate interest in other items that the shopper my buy, again adding a personal touch to their experience (almost like an online personal shopper).

Another import aspect of the personalisation is the “Shopping Bag” and the ability to create your own account so that your buying habits can be tracked and you are able to save items that you would like to buy rather than having to remember individual items, providing an individual experience for everyone. The easy navigation of the website is appealing to the audience as it allows fast and easy access. This is supported by the search box application which allows you to search by product name or code.

Indepenent Or Fan Site

The Onion - America's Finest News Source

www.theonion.com

The Onion is an American based fake news/parody website founded in 1988 that features satirical articles on a wide variety of news stories that is predominantly popular with 18 to 44 year olds.

The style of the website is very much like a professional news page such as CNN which provides a sense of familiarity to those who may be interested in the satirical nature of the news, with the target audience of the site being educated, politically interested individuals who would be able to understand and appreciate the content. The audience will use the stories for the comical content to fill their spare time. The audience is very narrow as The Onion is an example of narrowcasting and within this the audience is further broken down by the categories on the page, an example of audience fragmentation. The institution has taken this to their advantage, using this hugely fragmented audience to have very specific stories. For example within the ‘Election 08’ category, there is one story titled ‘Black Guy Asks Nation For Change’ whilst another is titled ‘Hillary Receives 3am Phone Call From Drunken Bill Clinton’, appealing to both sides of the Democratic voters in different ways.

The website itself contains written, video and radio links as well as Photoshopped images and an online store as different medias for the audiences to use. This also increases the ways in which the distributors of The Onion are able to reach the audiences. There is a sense that the team behind the satires are actually benefiting just as much as the audience as they are able to comically portray often serious or controversial issues. The improved technology has also led to better quality production, newer Photoshop programmes have better tools that allow for a better outcome when editing pictures for example.

The Onion is an example of narrowcasting and fragmentation of audiences as it has a very specific appeal and therefore quite a small reach – an estimated 710,000 readers a month – however there is a high quality of reporting used. The fact that everything is posted online allows a time-shift for users, they can access the content at a time convenient to them as well as looking at archived stories if they wished to.

Podcasts

Broadcaster: BBC Radio 2
Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/brand/
Podcasts: Russell Brand

Russell Brand's weekly podcasts are around an hour long and contain the highlights of the show that he has presented on Radio 2 on Saturday nights. A new one is released every Tuesday for fans to download to their iPod. Currently, Brand's podcast is the second most popular on iTunes behind Stephen Fry's PODGRAMS.

The concept of a podcasts allows listeners to listen to the show anywhere they want, using the concept of portability to allow a time-shift in the listening pattern. Each podcast contains certain regular things for example a chat with Noel Gallagher based upon the contact that listeners have had with the show.

The podcast forms part of a much bigger concept, that of vertical integration. The podcast can be downloaded via Apple's iTunes which can then only be played on an iPod that has been made and bought at an Apple store or retailer. The BBC have also exploited this concept, Russell Brand uses his radio show to encourage the downloading of his podcast in order to reach the number 1 spot on the iTunes chart, as well as a note on the web page saying "join our campaign to keep Russell at Number One of the podcast charts where he belongs. Tell your friends". This is encouraging interactivity from listeners who can help to spread the word about the podcasts as well as increasing the reach of the podcast.

Podcasts can be used by the industry to replace the conventional radio shows in the future, with the shows being broadcast in a miniature form on iPods rather than through a conventional radio.

Youtube Video

Sims 2 Music Videos – Sk8er Boi by Avril Lavigne

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeZIIgbPzzI&feature=related

These music videos have been created using the Sims 2 with the video closely mirroring either the song lyrics or what happened in the original video (if there was one made) by YouTube users. YouTube itself is “a free online video streaming service that allows anyone to view and share videos that have been uploaded by our members". Using YouTube you can upload videos that are up to 10 minutes long to share in a horizontal network. This is replacing the conventional method of having to email a video or having to have people round to view it on TV; you can simply upload it to YouTube.

This ability to stream videos around the world has allowed the biggest reach possible, often making stars out of the people behind the videos. The site allows the greatest access to those viewing with easy navigation and the ability to search the videos to speed up the process. There is a greater choice every day as more people upload their videos. The service is able to provide immediate satisfaction to the viewer who has to wait only a matter of seconds for the page to load and video to start. This satisfaction is vital for a user to return to YouTube again.

The audience for YouTube is huge, each using it for a different purpose, some to catch up on TV shows, some to watch comedy clips and some just to pass the time of day. The time-shift element involved with YouTube allows the videos to be watched at a viewer’s convenience as well as allowing democratisation with anyone being able to become involved. The diverse nature of YouTube’s content allows a large reach however within this scope there are many niche audiences which leads to narrowcasting and then fragmentation of the audience. There is also an element of online surveillance with YouTube, there is a list of similar videos or other related links to the video you have chosen to watch which may also introduce the viewer to a new are of interest.