The realities of Apple!

                                          Thanks again to the ABC show, 'Hungry Beast'

What does Amazing Spider-man, The Truman Show and I, Robot have in common? Simple Commercialisation

The term Commercialisation is generally used in a negative manner, such as when referring to music or celebrities. However commercialization isn’t a dirty word, in fact it is required. For instance television networks, particularly commercial channels, depend on corporations to purchases advertising space to operate. A television network doesn’t gain its money from the series it shows but from how many viewers it draws in, their demographic and which companies want to market to them.

The entire concept of marketing for media is called ‘Political Economy’ and appears in all forms of public events from television to music to sporting events. Even the Olympics utilize advertising. The London 2012 Games has several multinational corporations sponsoring the event, such as MacDonald’s and Coca-Cola. But does this contract from the event? Well these companies don’t seem to overtly alter the event but do support the host nations in funding and supplying such a major undertaking.

Films contain ‘Political Economy’ just like other forms of media to fund production. The ‘Truman Show’ actually portrays this overtly by placing the main character in a life-spanning reality show and directing him to use certain items for profit throughout the film.

The recent comic book adaption ‘The Amazing Spider-man’ is a Sony funding film and is very obvious about this fact. Throughout the film the characters use Sony Phones, watch recording on Sony’s Xperia and the laboratories are filled of other Sony products.

The film ‘I, Robot’ is regarded as the movie with the most product placement in it. In the film there is a sequence where it focuses entirely on the products in Will Smith’s apartment including, Converse All-Star Sneakers, Samsung Stereo, Yamaha Motorbike and even an Audi Concept car in the next scene.

Realities of Google!

                                                 Thanks to ABC show 'Hungry Beast'

Galactic Empire or Global Empire? or, How the dark side can triumph.

Aside from the obvious Star Wars comparisons, if I had to create a media empire it would take the form of Walt Disney Company. As a multi-media conglomerate that owns and operates outlets from ABC Television Group to ESPN to Pixar Animation to Marvel Comics and they are still able to maintain its image as the “happiest place on earth”. The idea of Disney as a friendly and safe organization is ingrained in society through the prevalence of Mickey Mouse and animated films throughout the 20^th and 21^st Century. The public connects the films like Aladdin, Cinderella and Snow White with the identity of the Walt Disney Company and rarely perceives the media giant lurking beneath. This to me is an example of successful marketing in that a major company can operate with almost anonymity to the public which begets the question; Is Mickey Mouse Darth Vader?

I believe there is an inherent difficulty with balancing a media organization wile financial stability. Media corporations exist due to the support financial backers who might attempt to exert a form of control over the opinions and contents. The operation of Media Empire is a constant balancing act between accuracy and immediacy, criticism and pandering, Light and Dark!

The Artist of Definition...

In my last Blog I discussed the difficulty in defining globalisation while attempting to do it myself. I Failed! Even my best definition felt lacking in depth and understanding. But even academics fail to completely articulate globalisation. The three definitions I have posted are from the reading and each takes at different position and focus when dealing with globalisation.

Albrow states “Globalisation refers to all those processes by which the people of the world are incorporated into a single world society, global society”.

Thompson however, postulates, “Globalisation refers to the growing interconnectedness of different parts of the world, a process which gives rise to complex forms of interaction and interdependency”.

Rantanen adds “Globalisation is a process in which worldwide economic, political, cultural and social relations have become increasingly mediated across time and space.”

I believe the definition is all of these and by extension none of them. Albrow discusses globalisation through a social prism, where Thompson deals in a very broad term and to an extent is negative and finally Rantanen defines the relationship between facets.

I think the Academy Award winning film The Artist might help in defining globalisation. The film is a French-American production, similar to The Fifth Element, and is both a homage and portrayal of the silent film era. The film is black and white, and entirely silent, except music, and uses both facial and physical queues, with help from inter-tiles, to portray emotion and plot. This removal of voice allows it to ‘speak’ to a larger audience and the French lead actor was able to portray himself in a globally recognisible manner through physical troupes.

References:

Rantanen, T2005, ‘Theorizing media globalization’, The media and globalization, Sage, London, pp1-18

The Avenging Reality of Globalisation

Globalisation is a difficult concept to describe due to the multitude of facets and components. Jan Nederveen Pieterse claims that it “crosses boundaries” including business’s, governments, media and social movements. Pieterse further elaborates that it is can be defined through different “prisms” with each absorbing and displaying a facet of the human condition.

Personally, I would articulate globalisation as the interconnecting and interaction of different cultures, nations and demographics through technological, verbal and physical means. But even this description fails to describe globalisation.

The term is constantly evolving and being shaped through technological, social and political changes. Pieterse attempts to identify certain points of consensus and controversy when trying to define globalisation.

Pieterse’s claims a consensus that globalisation is shaped by technology but questions whether globalisation is multidimensional or economic. Personally I find globalisation a multidimensional concept and is personified in films.

The Avengers recently broke box office records in the USA but of its worldwide gross of $1.46 Billion over $800 Million is from outside the US. The film is VERY American, with a group of American heroes, excluding an Australian Norse God, trying to protect New York and eventually the world from invasion. The Film even has a man draped in the “Stars and Stripes” leading the team; CAPTAIN AMERICA.

Contrary to the American focus the film made nearly $90 Million in China and $50 Million in Russia, both high box office returns, from nations that have been characterised as enemies in the US or have actually spent a large portion of the last century opposing each other. Globalisation at work!!!

REFERENCES:

http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=avengers11.htm

Nederveen Pieterse, J 2004, ‘Globalization: consensus and controversies’, ’Globalization and culture: global mélange’, Rowan & Littlefield, Lanham, Md., pp. 7–21.

http://www.google.com.au/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1219&bih=684&tbm=isch&tbnid=C_Q9DFPNMX9VSM:&imgrefurl=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/new-avengers-posters-marvel-chris-evans-robert-downey-jr-299071&docid=HOvAknRCmc4w9M&imgurl=http://thr4.pgmcdn.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/blog_post_349_width/2012/03/Captain_America_Avengers_Poster.jpg&w=349&h=466&ei=UiMXUNPhM6WwiQeHz4CwBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=891&vpy=257&dur=56&hovh=259&hovw=194&tx=137&ty=152&sig=109255398516203709434&sqi=2&page=1&tbnh=157&tbnw=118&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0,i:98

LIGHTS! CAMERA! BLOG!!!

Welcome All to my blog for ACT215 Globalisation and the Media at Deakin.

My name is Christopher and I will be blogging about globalisation using films to relate the concepts in an easily understood manner!

I hope you enjoy and get introduced to films and media!