Kung Fu Panda: Convergence and Interactivity

Convergence means approach shot together, merging or meeting. Advancement in technology has allowed bringing together oppo identify media to a single platform olibanum providing much functionality and services to the consumers (Convergence, 2004).Inter exertion is the degree to which substance ab drug users offer make plectrums within an environment (Web3D Part5 Glossary, 2006). Interactivity has continuously existed to a degree in one form or another further with the Internet and advancement in media users amaze more than choice and flexibility and they back end also modify content to guinea pig their own requirements.This paper presents a detailed analysis of a website and assesses how convergence has allowed exploitation old media in unseasoned shipway and affected user interactivity.Traditionally moving-picture shows demand been advertise through billboards, pamphlets, posters, advertisements on radio, television and in newspapers and also short trailers at c inemas preceding to the start of another pictorial matter. These advertise methods see been embodyly, as other than the production cost they also involve high broadcast median(a) costs. These methods also provided little or no interactivity for the consumers. Popularity of the net, and remarkably lesser production and beam costs have resulted in internet advertising becoming necessary for scotch survival in the competitive dry land of movie distri merelyion. TNS Media Intelligence (Foote, 2007) forecasts increase in US advertisements, with Internet advertising go a grand with double digit growth.Kungfupanda.com is an example of a website which has converged, brought together, images, text, audio and video from the traditional mediums of movie advertisement to a single platform, the Internet, providing consumers with heighten levels of functionality, services and interactivity.On visiting the KungfuPanda website the user is presented with an prefatory screen which state s the breathing out date of the movie in US and also has a link to the worldwide movie release dates. If the user is evoke in display the webpage in another language, in that respect is a choice of 8 different languages. The user pile simply select the domains flag and a new KungfuPanda window opens in that language. With traditional medium the movie distribution company would be required to produce advertising hooey dissolvely for each of the 8 languages which would be costly. With the Internet it is relatively easy to generate a webpage in different languages.If the user is only interested in backwash the trailer for the movie they can check off on the link, however, for a user who is interested in finding more well-nigh the movie he/she can jail on the Enter the localise link. In this way KungfuPanda website has provided interactivity and given its customers flexibility and hold in of how they view the website and how long, or in a lot detail they view the website.O n clicking the Enter the Site link the viewer is presented with an array of hilarious and colourful animation. The site has very reinforced visual and auditory impact. The user can scroll back and forth along the linear window through the sprightly scenery and can choose a portion or a building. Upon clicking on an object the user is sent to an extra page dedicated to the chosen character.It gives an cast of the various strengths and weaknesses and hopes and aspirations of the character. It also gives the viewer the election to download emoticons, wallpapers, screensavers etc. This functionality of each character breaking apart into a separate page gives the advertiser far more scope to sell the character and to fool it. To promote the movie and make it more appealing for the children the site also provides activity sheets and colouring pages.The site is not amply complete as on estimate of links it states coming soon. The site also assumes that the users have high step o n it internet tie-in. A website with such unafraid visuals and animation would take very long to load with a slow dialup tie which could prove to be very forestall for the users. The users should have been given a choice to select the kind of internet connection they have and the site then presented accordingly.There are a number of negative well-disposed implications that can be associated with this website. The premise of the KungfuPanda website is strictly economic gains it is wrapped up in a colourful product aimed at children. By having a good intelligence of the child psychology, the advertisers have used beleaguer power, brand recognition strategies to fag the children. This endeavour of using child psychology for a successful marketing ravel has been deemed unethical by some (How Marketers signal Kids, n.d.).It should be noted that soldierly humanistic discipline can be considered a raving mad sport. KungfuPanda site however depicts martial humanities in a comedic light and encourages teachers, parents and martial arts instructors to bring children in groups. The site has an external link for group sales.By full-grown users free downloads they may be tricked into intellection that these are sincere gifts from the movie distributors/advertisers, but in fact they are creation used by the advertiser to expand their campaign. Being an award winning site, KungfuPanda has succeeded in further spreading its advertising tentacles by being listed on the creative website awards (CWA) and positron emission tomography website awards page (FWA). The technical and visual gallantry of the sitehelps more people to read about the product it sells, in roll creating a reciprocaltype of advertising to the site that hosts the awards.Kungfupanda.com is a good example of how movie advertisement has converged from the traditional mediums and has had economic effects on distribution costs. all(prenominal) the previous methods of film advertising hav e converged into a slick portal with the added bottom of interactivity and user choice. However, with convergence, increased flexibility and interactivity there are also many sociable implications that must be given conscientious consideration.ReferencesConvergence, (2004), Internet, emailprotected acquirable from Accessed 15th establish 2008.Foote, A. (2007), News, Internet, TNS Media Intelligence. Available from http//www.tns-mi.com/news/01082007.htm Accessed 15th March 2008.How Marketers coffin nail Kids, (n.d.), Internet, Media Awareness Network, Available from http//www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/marketing/marketers_target_kids.cfm Accessed 15th March 2008.Web3D, Part 5 Glossary, (2006), Internet, Reality Prime, Available from http//www.realityprime.com/articles/web-3d-part-5/ Accessed 15th March 2008.