June 2010 Essay

What significance does the continuing development of digital media technology have for media institution and audiences?

The continuing development of digital media technology is very significant for media institution and audiences. All stages of making a film would be affected by the development of digital media. For example, the development in filming technology means that you can now film for a longer time period and at a cheaper cost because you aren't relying on a role of film. Specific audiences could be targeted due to an improvement in digital technology because a wider set of people can be targeted due to to increase use of social media and the internet. 

The production stage of film making is very important as it brings the storyboards and scripts to life. A lot of work goes into this stage and the improvements in digital technology would be able to develop the things that directors are able to do while filming a film, for example there would be a development in stunts. However there is a lot of be thought about during this stage. Mad Max: Fury Road is part of a franchise, it is the fourth installment of the Mad Max film, therefore they wanted to make it as action packed and as big as possible. Seale originally wanted to film with a 3D camera rig, however there was issues with this. The camera rig had to be small enough to go through the windows of the truck which was seeming unlikely. Seale explained how a raft of cameras would be needed because Miller didn't want to be delayed by simple lens changes on a 3D rig. On top of all of this, Mad Max was filmed in a harsh desert condition which required extra work. The camera had to be waterproof and dust proof. All digital cameras with high data rates generate a lot of heat which meant that an active cooling system was required, adding more complexity to the system. Due to all the issues, George Miller announced that they would be switching to filming in 2D which would be much more straightforward. This demonstrates that the digital technology is developing as 3D rigs could be used how there is still room for improvement because there was many problems linked with using this. The lack of development with 3D rigs means that the production stage could have been delayed, making them restricted with how long they have left. The cameras that they ended up using were Canon 5Ds and six ARRI Alexas. Seale had the 11-1 zoom on what he called the paparazzi camera. The development in camera technology would allow different angles to be reached, providing a satisfying experience for the audience.  
During the production stage of Ex Machina they used rotoscoping to create Ava. They filmed the scenes with and without Alicia Vikander. This allowed them to capture the picture behind her but then rotoscope the parts that they wanted to keep, such as hands and face, while the rest was digitally painted out and the background behind her restored. Camera- and body-tracking systems transferred Vikander's performance to the CGI robot's movements. In total there were about 800 VFX shots, of which 350 or so were robot shots. Later Vikander was shot wearing clothes which made it easier for them to shoot and edit her into. This technique demonstrates the development in digital technology and how significant it can be while making a film.The advance in rotoscoping allowed them to create Ava easier and very well. This would make more people want to watch the film as them would be intrigued in how Ava is made. The audience targeted mainly would be film buffs.

The post-production stage involves the editing of the film to create the final piece. The development in digital technology would allow editors to create the best action possible. Mad Max is controversial in the sense that it performed most of the stunts while filming. For example, the pole cats in the film involved men on poles which were attached to a moving vehicle. For them to be able to do this, it means that the action shown would be much better quality and more realistic for the audience watching. This would widen the amount of viewers because a good quality action film would be very popular as action is already the most popular genre of film. This demonstartes that the development in digital technology allows them to perform the stunts is significant as it would resut in a wider audience. CGI was mainly used to enhance the desert scenery, it changed the lighting and colours that could be seen. Also it was used to remove Charlize Theron's left hand. To do this she wore a green sock throughout the production stage to make it easier during editing to add the prosthetic arm. This again would make the film seem more realistic for viewers, creating an enjoyable and believeable film. This would appeal to a vast audience which the producers would want. During the filming process they used a IPhone to film some parts. This demonstrates that the development in digital media has be so great and significant that they are able to use camera phones to get high quality pictures for the final film- appealing to a wide audience.
Mad Max was converted to 3D during the post production stage due to the issues they had during production with using a 3D rig. There are many ways of watching a film in the cinema now, for example 3D, 2D or IMAX. This would mean that a film would appeal to wider audience as they can choose how they want to watch the film. 3D was first used in 1892 and seems like a brilliant concept. However it nevr got that popular due to the difference in cinema ticket prices. People would rather see the film in 2D and pay less money and not have to wear glasses. However some poeple still do enjoy watching films in 3D, which demonstates how a wide audience would be reached due to the significant development in digital technology.
Ex Machina is another example of how significant the development in digital media technology is when producing a film. Ava was created through the use of rotoscoping but her full elegance couldn't have to mastered without the use of special effects. Her actions demonstrate how well and realistic she was made. For any Sci-Fi film, too much CGI could be used which would distract the audience from the films story. However, CGI wasn't overly used in Ex Machina which is why it was such a success and appealed to it's audience. The development in digital technology allowed editors to create Ava in a way which made her elegant and sophisicated. This is significant as it would target a a specific audience and bring in a lot a viewers.

The advance is digital technology allows films to be distributed in a variety of ways. Video on demand is now avaliable and very popular. Netflix is used by many which means that it reaches a wide audience. Many people have an interest in watching a film that is in the cinema but can't find the time to go or don't have the money. Therefore digital pirates have been more active in swiping illegal copies of top Hollywood releases this previous summer compared to others. Mad Max was the most pirated film in 2015. The top most pirated films also performed well in theatres. This gives the producers an idea about how popular it will be and how big an audience is targeted. If a film does well at the box office, they know that it would do well when released as a DVD or on Blu-Ray. By a film being released in a variety of ways, it demonstrates how digital technology has advanced significally so that it can target a wider audience. This is because the audeince would have the choice of how they want to watch the film.

Marketing is very importrant as it targets the specific audience to watch the film. Mad Max spent $7 million on marketing and $1 million on adverts alone. They advertised in many ways including turning F-1 cars into Mad Max cars. This demonstartes how they concentrated on targetting a wide audience to watch their film, including car enthusiasts. This demontsrates how the advance in digital technology allowed them to advertise in a variety of different ways. This is significant as it allows them to target a vast audience as well as their specific target audience- mainstream viewers. 
Ex Machina challenged institutional practises by marketing in an unsual way. They took advantage of the development of technology by using social media and digital initiatives to target their specific audience (film buffs). They made a Tinder account for Ava where other Tinder users could be matched with her. Instagram was another social media site which was used to advertise. They screened the first film at the South by SouthWest film festival which would target their target audience. By Ex machina using viral marketing, they targeted their specific audience easier. The development in digital technology allowed them to use this un-traditional way of marketing to target the film buffs specifically. 

Overall, The development in digital media technology is very significant in targeting a films specific audience and media institutes. The advance and improvement has made films more successful as a wide audience is targeted and as well as the films specific audience. Therefore, there are many benefits due to the development in digital technology.