Media Literacy Exercise―Synergy

Based on what you have read, you are to write an essay (500 words) that answers the following questions:

Pick a popular current movie. What studio produced it? What major media corporation owns the studio that produced it? Next, identify as many cross-promotion partnerships as you can. For example, how many magazines owned by the same corporation are featuring articles about the movie? What books have been published that tie in with the show or movie? Is there a soundtrack CD (or even a series of CDs)? What products are being sold with the movie’s image on it? (These can range from games to posters to clothing.) Try checking the movie or show’s Web site and the parent company’s site. What non-media products include the movie or show in their promotions? (These could include food, beverage, and even car companies.)

You can find helpful information for this exercise at the Internet Movie Data Base: http://imdb.com You can find a good estimate of many movies’ budgets at: http://www.boxofficemojo.com A second useful site is: http://www.the numbers.com/

I use a rubric-based system, where I assume that most students will complete the assignment in a competent manner and should earn a grade of B.

Levels of Achievement | Criteria | Deficient | Less Than Assigned | As Assigned | Superior | Length Weight 35.00% | 0 %Assignment is significantly under length. | 65 %Assignment is under assigned length. | 85 %Assignment is approximately 500 words. | 100 %Assignment is fully developed essay that goes beyond basic assignment. | Movie Background Weight 35.00% | 0 %Assignment omits multiple required details; makes incorrect claims. | 65 %Response on who produced and funded the movie isincomplete. | 85 %Assignment names studios/production companies, discusses what is known about ownership; clear evidence of research. | 100