Terminology

Mainstream - safe genre films that are distributed to mass, national and often international audiences

Independent - films that have more localised appeal and niche audiences and that often utilise digital technologies to create 'brand awareness'. Independent films do not have access to extensive distribution networks.

Production - the physical film making process

Distribution - getting the films out to cinemas and paying for the advertising and marketing

Exchange - OCR's commonly used terminology

Multinational Conglomerate - large organisations whose business interests are global, utilising synergy and convergence and also cross media ownership.

Monopoly - where one company dominates the market

Oligopoly - where four or more companies dominate the market

The Big Six - the four international organisations that dominate film distribution and form the oligopoly of ownership (owned by multi national conglomerates

Globalisation - where films are distributed around the work through elaborate cross media networks

Horizontal Integration - where one media company acquires another media company in the same sector eg Vue acquiring Warner Village Cinemas in 2003

Vertical Integration - where the means or production and distribution are controlled by one company

Digital technologies - primarily this refers to how the internet has changed the industry including advertising through and on websites, online distribution, streaming, legal and illegal downloading eg. through YouTube (file sharing)

Synergy - where two or more compatible products sell each other eg. a film and CD (8 Mile)

Merchandising - where the popularity of film are manipulated through the sales of spinoff goods eg. t-shirts and associated clothing, wristbands, stickers, badges and mugs

Cross media ownership - where companies have interest in a range of media eg Sony and Gaming, film Distribution, electronic (media related) devices

Convergence where film is advertised using a range of media platforms but also becomes available on one platform - the internet.