Evaluate the opportunities and threats offered to media producers by the internet

The internet has transformed media production in a variety of ways, especially through Film and TV. One example would be through programmes such as Netflix and Lovefilm which you subscribe to, and can watch movies and TV series online. Another example would programmes like BBC IPlayer and On demand.

The advantages of this would be that you don’t have to disrupt your busy schedule to watch something; you are now able to catch up whenever you’re free. Especially during the recession, instead of going out to the cinema, you can save a lot of money by staying and watching a film via Netflix and Lovefilm. YouTube also has changed; there are even free movies to watch on there. Another advantage for YouTube is that it is easier for aspiring filmmakers to get their foot in the door in the filming industry through the likes of YouTube, as it’s more global, there is more of a chance that someone would see it and like it and recommend it to someone else and so on. TV station managers could also use social networks online, to check comments from audience members regarding certain programmes in order to increase ratings or also maybe think about cancelling shows if ratings have gone down. One other good thing about YouTube is that production companies can use above the line advertising which could involve promoting upcoming films by having YouTube promote it by showing behind-the-scene videos, sneak peak previews and featurettes and also showing trailers. They are also using social networking to promote their films and entice the audience in e.g for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, YouTube has lots of never seen before footage, and Peter Jackson, also has his own channel so fans can always check out what he’s doing whether he’s got any other upcoming movies.

However, there are some disadvantages to how the internet has changed media production and one would be that unlike watching programmes or movies on the TV, with the watershed, it is more likely that young children would watch unsuitable things through programmes like BBC IPlayer and On Demand, which could influence their behaviour. One other bad thing is that Netflix and Lovefilm tend to have full series and episodes, which could be bad as they get addicted to it, and watch a whole series all in one go, this can be linked to Flow Theory, which is the study of how people immerse themselves within a certain type of media, it is a form of escapism, which is bad as it takes over your life and your schedule. One other disadvantage is that because there is so much choice online, you end up taking hours to make a decision about what to watch and end up wasting time. Another one is piracy, more people are now watching films and TV series online illegally instead of through legal means, which lowers box office ratings, the production companies then lose money and in the future could become insolvent.

So looking at this as a whole, in my opinion, the internet has negatively transformed media production, especially through Film and TV, through Netflix and BBC IPlayer, audience’s schedules will start to change, because of watching illegally online, business could go bankrupt, but also a few positive things is that promotion for films are more global nowadays thanks to social networks and production companies and TV stations could use this to keep up with what the audience of today wants in order to succeed and make a profit. 

The figures for cinema admissions are fluctuating, which shows that piracy isn't really affecting the film industry as previously thought, the fluctuating figures might be down to something else as opposed to piracy, however film production companies will lose some money as less people are going to the cinema, and instead turning to ileegal downloading or streaming of the movies.