Media Imperialism

Domination over media. Big media companies are like empries.

What is the danger of few companies dominating the worlds media? Makes it harder for small companies to be successful. Harder for countries to represent their own cultures.

BIG FILM COMPANIES

- Warner brothers

- 20^th century fox

- Lionsgate (up and coming)

- Universal

- Pixar

- Paramount

- Columbia

- DreamWorks

Is like Britain taking over many parts of the world and Britain occupied those countries and imperialism is an empire that takes over for their own reasons. These media conglomerates are empires creating media imperialism. It makes it more difficult for independent companies to represent their own country and make a difference in the industry and have their own industry. Imperialism creates cultural imperialism. For example: Foreign language films being dubbed represses culture.

Whatever is being said by David Gauntlet about anyone being a prosumer it is difficult for it to make any sort of difference to the industry because the main conglomerates are still dominating the world, they are still very powerful.

PIRACY Massive media companies, just how threatened are they? Piracy isn't really a threat, not worth criminalising.

The same companies are still dominating the world, they are very powerful.

Warp Films: This is England, 4 Lions...
Also a British film company.

Online age has changed consumption massively. The way we watch films has changed completely. Example: Blu-ray, dvd, streaming via games consoles, online, cinema...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-80% share of the UK box office goes towards American films.
-2004: 27 films total output of the UK film industry
-$63 billion global market for the film industry.
-Film 4 funds 20 films each year
-1996: Channel 4 releases Trainspotting
-$3,500,000: Budget for Trainspotting
-1994: Channel 4 films help release Four Weddings and a Funeral
-$6,000,000: Budget for Four Weddings
-Andie MacDowell: American star who features in Four Weddings and a Funeral

Attracting wide audiences into British rom-coms.

-2008: Slumdog Millionaire released (Danny Boyle- Started with Trainspotting)
-$15 million: Budget for Slumdog Millionaire
-"Route to Market" Providing a way for a film to get a market
-300,000 audiences in 2006 to 18,.000,000 today via freeview

WORKING TITLE:
The King's Speech, Slumdog Millionaire...
Part of Universal Studios, they are a British company.
Simon Pegg turned very American in Paul and it was not as good or interesting but it was because working title company made it, they made Slumdog millionaire and the kings speech but are also part of universal. The advantages of working title is that they have a lot of money to spend on the film, they can spend 30 million on a film without even asking for it from universal.

-Tim Bevan and Sarah Radcliffe founded Working Title
-Established in 1984 (Similar time to Film4)
-Started out as a British company
-1991: Set up an office in Hollywood
-Bought out by Polygram
-Released Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994
-Polygram bought out by Universal
-Universal is the American company thart now owns Working Title Pictures.

Individual companies end up being swallowed up by big companies.

UNIVERSAL IS A MULTI MEDIA CONGLOMERATE$35,000,000 amount of money working title can invest without consulting Universal

1999: Working Title 2 Film: Billy Elliot

Doesnt always work out in their favour: Captain Corelli's Mandolin Budget: £13,000,000
UK box office takings for it: £9,800,000
Made a loss at the UK box office.

2000: Bridget Jones Diary budget £14,000,000
UK Box office takings for it: £42,000,000

Love Actually budget: £30,000,000
UK box office takings for it: £36,000,000
As a company: working title has made £4.5 Billion