Digital Revolution Analysis

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Michael Curtin, Jennifer Holt, and Kevin Sanson discuss the concept of digital distribution in their book Digital Revolution: Conversations about the Digital Future of Film and Television. They state that, “the digital distribution revolution is… a dynamic and multifaceted process, affecting almost every aspect of film and television industries.” Distribution has become a top concern and the most profitable area of the industry. As Time Warner’s CEO has indicated, “he no longer considers digital delivery simply an ancillary aftermarket.” As digital delivery has become an important asset in the profitability of film, the cause of this change has quickly been determined to be advancements in technology. Curtin, Holt and Sanson assert that …show more content…

Smart phones not only save contacts, make calls, and text, but also act as GPS, mini-computers, calendars, secretaries, and more. Mobile phones are a highly normalized patrician of the technological advancements the world has come to rely on, and the changes that technology has enacted on the film industry in regards to distribution are still being realized. It is easy to determine the “what” that has changed, but another angle to work from is the origins of the choices to adapt new technologies. Curtin, Holt, and Sanson argue that “the digital distribution revolution emerged in part as a consequence of corporate maneuvers” and that “…commercial competition took place in the context of common perceptions about the role of media in society and political struggles about free expression and the public good.” Industry executives are constantly looking for ways to make high profits from their products. Not only has the industry been given the tools to make films more efficiently with greater spectacles of special effects via props, camera work, and editing, but the ways in which they can offer their products to their consumers has transformed as …show more content…

Duy Dao and Hyoduk Shin explore the decreasing windows between theatrical and home release, and the implications of day-and-date releases in their recent article, Optimal Timing of Sequential Distribution: The Impact of Congrestion Externalities and Day-and-Date Strategies, in the journal of Marketing Science. The changes in the film industry are not solely due to technology. Industry officials are interested in maximizing profit, therefore are challenging previous norms in place of innovative advancement in distribution. In their study, Dao and Shin find an unexpected correlation between film quality and the subsequent success in multiplatform releases and the push from companies to shorten the distribution window to continue to increase profits, through a marketing model that examines consumptive preferences, industry inputs, and profitability. Effective marketing takes into account not only the consumer, but the quality and cost needed to meet expectations while turning the largest profit possible. Audiences are only willing to pay so much money for a film based on its perceived value. This “value” is considered to be the quality of the film. Quality can range from shooting definition, special

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