Institution and Audience Essay

Antonio Gatica-Moreno

          There are different types of audience consumption that has changed over time. There have been multiple ways to involve a film with other things with advertisement. Advertisement and propaganda have been an essential when it comes to film marketing. There have been different ways that the audience can partake into a film. Audience consumption has changed in the past couple of years.

            One of the most successful franchises in Universal Pictures is the Fast and Furious. If you don’t know about the Fast and Furious franchise you probably don’t know anything about Universal Pictures. According to Arts & Culture, “the Fast & Furious film franchise has made more than $2.3 billion at the worldwide box office, and Forza Motorsport games are the most-played racing simulations on the current generation of consoles.” This means that two successful companies are coming together to make an experience for people who play these consoles. This would allow an experience of what it would feel to drive one of the movie cars. This is great because people want to associate themselves into films to get the full experience. Now not only can you enjoy the film in theaters but, you can control the cars at home on a console.

            Another famous franchise is Jurassic World also owned by Universal Pictures. Jurassic World original came from Jurassic Park. A way to go gain audience consumption was to have a partnership with Lego and now this can gain the attention of young children. The official Jurassic World website stated, “Fans embraced LEGO Jurassic World with our initial product launch, and we couldn’t wait to come back and give them more of what they love with new ways to play and new opportunities to interact with the brand.” That was a direct quote from the President of Universal Brand Development. This is perfect because since the original 1993 film, people have been wanting to see this. The only thing that helps a company is giving the people what they want.

            Marvel Studios is the owners of the Spiderman franchise and their recent film is Spiderman Homecoming. They had a recent commercial with Audi and Audi Media Center had to say, “Before the official world premiere, the new Audi A8 appears on the silver screen. The flagship of the premium brand makes a guest appearance in the Marvel blockbuster ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming,’ in theaters worldwide in July.” This was great for families because in the commercial they showed Peter Parker having his drivers test. This is a target to families with teens showing how they can drive safely and easily. To add on they added the film to multiple streaming sites.

            Another example of audience consumption is AT&T and their promotion with the film Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. According to AT&T themselves, “AT&T*, together with Warner Bros., begins the national rollout of the first joint, large-scale marketing campaign since the merger was approved in June.” AT&T did this by hanging up huge posters of Fantastic Beasts worldwide. This is good for both companies because now the audience will have a place to watch it in the comfort of anywhere they desire. To access the film, anywhere is beneficial to certain people in the audience because some might not be able to go out to the theater and acquire a ticket. They can watch it on the go with AT&T app and services.

            To conclude, the evolution of audience consumption is a great thing to see. How films are giving people the chance to participate in activities similar to the film is wonderful. More companies should focus on this because even if people don’t enjoy the film, they can still find a way to pay and watch the film and money can come in.