1. For the first essay choose one of the two following choices:
a. Find an example of a creative media product (either a film, TV show, music recording, or video game) that shows an interesting mix of input from creators, executives, and audiences (i.e. audience research) in its creation. Your essay should use class concepts to understand how the product was created and how these different inputs came together.
b. Find an example of a media profession that shows how media work has changed in recent years. You could discuss how digitization, disintermediation, self-financing, crowdfunding, casualization, and/or outsourcing have changed this profession. Note that this essay must be based on discussion of changes in a particular profession, not just media industries in general.
2. For the second essay choose one of the two following choices:
a. Distribution is an often-neglected part of media industries. Find an example of a media distributor, such as a TV syndication company or a film, music, or video game distributor. This could be an online, offline, domestic and/or international distributor. Using the textbook concepts, describe the work this company performs. Who do they deal with? How do they combine social, critical, marketing, and deal-making skills?
b. One of the most dynamic parts of media distribution/aggregation involves changes in the “windowing” of media content. Discuss how distribution windows in a particular media industry (such as film or TV) have changed in the past ten years. What technological and economic factors have driven changes in windowing? What are the potential risks and rewards of these changes? How is the windowing of content in this industry likely to change further in the next ten years, and why?
