How has technology changed the film industry?

Production
The advancements in technology has helped with production of films. With better cameras and microphones the quality of the films has increased steadily over the years. Also, the post-production stage such as editing has become easier because it is now done on a computer as opposed to manually cutting and sticking film negatives together. Another component of post-production that has been affected by technology is special effects. Special effects have become much more realistic and therefore makes the film much more entertaining. Good special effects also a big selling point for the youth market. It is also worth noting that because filming and editing equipment is always improving, it lowers the price of the equipment that used to be used making it affordable for independent film makers. So with technology, low-budget films can now look high quality.

Distribution
In a world where social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter are very popular, film distribution companies have used this to their advantage. It is now very common to see films having their own facebook page where they can promote it by posting trailers, pictures and other information that can be viewed by millions in seconds.

In regards to Twitter, most actors have a twitter account and 'following' famous people on Twitter is a very common thing. The actors use Twitter as a promotion tool by talking about their films, such as when it is out, when the premiere is or even when they are going to have interviews talking about the film. Twitter is probably very successful because it makes the consumer feel like they are being spoken to on a personal level, especially because some famous people interact with other users.

Youtube is another tool for marketing, because it makes it very easy for film makers to show trailers, preview clips and viral videos to a wide audience. Videos are given tags which are specific words associated with the video, meaning that if that word is searched for the video will appear in the results. Also, when someone is viewing a video (a trailer for a film, for example), videos that are similar in subject will appear on the side of the screen, making it easier for a video to be seen.

Other ways that technology has helped marketing is through apps for smart phones and official websites for the film

Exhibition
The change in technology has changed the exhibition in many ways, not all positive. Being able to buy cameras at an affordable price has allowed for people to pirate films by filming a cinema screen and then either selling it for their own gain, or uploading it to the internet. It is very easy to find and watch films on the internet without paying a penny. This is harming the film industry because they are now recieving less money for their films and it could make it less common to see high-budget films

In a bid to fight off piracy, the film industry has begun to release many films in 3D. The 3D can only really be appreciated on a large screen so it encourages more people to pay to see the film. However, 3D films are starting to decline because many people do not like having to wear 3D glasses.