Sherlock Holmes-The Game

  I think that the style of gameplay that has been selected for this particular game tends to represent the personality of Holmes and Watson by giving it a stereotypical Sherlock Holmes theme: "Just as in the stories, you and your friend will investigate crimes, sift through evidence and solve mysteries".  The game is created to be a two-player game so that one person can play the character of Watson and a close friend can play as Holmes (or vice versa).  The game consists of eight chapters that must be played in a consecutive order that can takes up to roughly half an hour to complete if played straight, or it can also be played at intervals without affecting any data.  This allows the game to fit around the consumer's life and not the other way around, making the game more appealing and user-friendly due to its flexibility.  Each chapter's aim leads up to the opening scene of the new Sherlock Holmes movie.  I think that the purpose in doing this gives the consumer a taster of what the film could be like and through playing the game, it will make them want to see the film to find out whether it links in with any of the other aspects of the film.  It could also provide some jouissance to the consumer whilst watching the film.

  The game makes links with the messages that are concealed within the trailer and poster, using a sense of mystery to shadow the secrets that are to be revealed.  In the poster Holmes is shown in dark clothing, with a slightly cheeky expression on his face.  This makes it seem as if there is more behind the heavy clothing which is yet to be shown.  The facial expressions connote mischief which make the consumer think about what it is that Holmes has done that would make him express this audacious emotion.  Watson is shown as quite a typical Victorian gentleman, using costume to portray this.  This shows that he is a very respectable companion to Holmes and therefore can be depended on by him.  This ties in with the game's aspects: "Holmes relies on him for many things."  The fog around the base of the characters conveys a smoke-screen that connotes that a hidden meaning could lie beneath this facade.
  The trailer represents Holmes as an adventurous character.  It also displays him as very odd, witty and forward planning in his actions.  This gives him the attributes needed to be a detective and therefore the game reiterates this through its focus of being a detective game.  In the trailer it shows Watson helping Holmes which is reflected in the game when deciding who to be: "...one cannot succeed without the other."


  The game is played using Facebook which is a internationally known social networking site.  With over three hundred and fifty million active users, of which at least fifty percent log in every day, it is easy to pass information of new activities around to friends.  With the average of every person having around one hundred and thirty friends on the site, with each of them shown an update on new activities, it allows  the game to easily be able to show other users about the game.  The game fits around the users' life and not the other way around, this contrasts with most other Facebook games making the game unique.

Sherlock Holmes

Synopsis

  By using the repetition of both words 'legendary' and 'new' provides the effect that shows an original well-known collection of movies (that was originally a set of novels) being transformed into a modern piece of artwork.  It implies and reiterates the fact that contains both; a historical background and with a modern take-on.  This makes it appealing for both the Sherlock Holmes fanatics who know Holmes as his original 'by the book' character, and to modern day society by releasing the film as a new action-based adventure movie.


  Recent movies that contain legendary figures are 'The Wolfman' and 'Oliver Twist'.
  According to the International Movie Database the original ' The Wolf Man' was first released on 12th December 1941 (USA) and produced by Universal Pictures.  The genre is classed as a drama/fantasy/horror.  Directed by George Waggner and original screen play by Curt Siodmak, it lasted 70 minutes and was in black and white.  In the UK it was rated as a PG.
  The new film 'The Wolfman' was released on 12th February 2010 (UK) and was also produced by Universal Pictures.  The genre remains similar as a horror/thriller, and is now therefore certified as a 15 rating.  This means that it is aimed at a youth culture instead of a more universal one, which could restrict its viewers.  Directed by Joe Johnston with screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self and runs for 125 minutes.
  The entire original film was filmed at Universal Pictures while the new release has used locations purely in England alone, using the landscape to make it more authentic.


  Based on watching the trailer for 'Sherlock Holmes' I can seem to depict that it is an action movie from the vast amount of events, explosions and fast-paced editing that is used to represent the energy that lies in store within the movie.  The synopsis uses words and phrases such as "dynamic" and "lethal" to show the rapid energetic and somewhat dangerous theme that is being given to represent the movie.  It also shows the new-portayal of Holmes: "Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect".  This gives a new persona to Holmes and allows the viewers to see that there is more than meets the eye as Holmes is adapted to a new environment full of action and violence.  Watson is informed to be a-"war veteran"-which adds to the excitement as this immediately dubs him as a skilled fighting hero who is at the top of his game.  The synopsis conclusively proves that this new adaptation will be one of adventure and supports the move trailer in its genre representation.


  People would usually read a film synopsis to find out what the film is about and to get a basic description of who the film is made by and who it stars.  It also gives a brief summary of what the film is about which allows the audience to decide whether it appeals to them or not.  A synopsis can also be found in magazine or newspaper articles as well as on the film's website.
  Personally I have never read a synopsis before, due to the fact that I have never even heard of what a synopsis is till recently.  Although, now that I know what a synopsis is and what they are used for I think that I may begin to read them if I wish to view a particular film.  This is due to the fact that many movies can be a let down as they are over-rated or hyped-up and then fail to live up to expectations, therefore by gaining some knowledge before going to watch the movie I can judge whether it really appeals to me.

Purpose

  To me the word 'gallery' means a place where art work is stored and displayed.  It can also be defined as "a covered walk: a long balcony: a long passage: an upper floor of seats (usually referring to a theatre) : the occupants of the gallery: a body of spectators: a room or building for the exhibition of works of art: a horizontal underground passage" (Chambers Everyday Dictionary).  In the gallery shown on the Sherlock Holmes website, it displays a number of photographs that have been taken (as stills) from the movie itself.  This shows different scenes and events throughout the movie giving an overall visual summary of what lies in store within the movie.  This gallery differs to the ones that I have visited as they usually contain fine art or graphic art, but this one contains the art that is classed under 'photography'.

  The reason that there are multiple posters to promote this film is due to character appeal.  Which characters seem to appeal to the audience.  For some it could be those of Robert Downey Jr. as the main character the movie os based around him.  For others it could be Jude Law who connotes action as he is taught to be a war veteran, and for others it could be the villain who also connotes action but in the way of causing havoc.  It could also possibly be Rachel McAdams who would therefore possibly appeal to a female audience or even to a male audience as she connotes a sexual presence.

  I think that the 'DOWNLOADS' section is aimed mainly at teenagers and Sherlock Holmes fanatics, as the certification for the film is aimed at the teenage community.  To support this, a stereotypical teenager uses the internet for more than several hours per week and therefore would be liable to download products from the website.  Boys are more stereotypically attracted to action movies and therefore would make up a greater percentage of visitors for the website.

  Personally I think that these three sections are all definitely aimed at Sherlock Holmes fanatics, as they tend to want a production that will satisfy them and that will live up to their expectations.  As the film is aimed at teenagers it is designed so that is appeals most to the youth of society.  On the other hand the synopsis would be aimed more directly at adults, as teenagers and older children are not usually interested in textual information but more impressive graphic work.  The photo gallery is aimed at more of a universal target audience as it contains photographs of all main characters.  It also provides an insight to the movie without containing any real footage of film itself, therefore acting as a teaser.  The downloads that are provided are possibly aimed more at the youth, as they enjoy exploring and updating new information on their computer.  This means that there should be a range of downloads provided (which there are) in order to keep the attraction of the public.  

Scope of operations

Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT)

  The Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT) was originally developed by Walt Disney in the layer years of his life.  It was intended that the property that he had purchased near Orlando, Florida to become a "community of the future" which was designed to inspire American corporations to create new ideas of urban living.  This eventually became the Walt Disney World Resort, including EPCOT, which was previously known as the EPCOT Centre.   Walt Disney is quoted saying, "EPCOT will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are emerging from the forefront of American industry.  It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed.  It will always be showcasing and testing and demonstrating new materials and new systems".

  The concept was to eventually transform into the Epcot theme park, which opened in 1982 at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Walt Disney and Competition

 Disney has been one of the top leading animation studio for a number of years but this leaves them under threat from being over taken by one of the large number of competitors that are  becoming more well known.

These companies include Dream Works Animation and Warner Bros. Animation.  Despite the fact that Disney have been a major impact and success in the animation industry, many businesses have developed skills just as powerful in the same field.  This now means that Disney has to remain able produce new ideas and understand the market in order to remain number one.  One of the main ways in which Disney have achieved this is by introducing the Pixar company into their work.  This gives Disney the advantage of using an experienced CGI company in order to break barriers in the media.

Present Finance      

How Disney uses synergy

The idea of synergy within the Disney company is not new. We see much of it today -- such as cross-branding from The Disney Channel into retail outlets, movie theaters, and theme parks. But this is not a new idea by any means. In 1967, Disney's synergy among its various organizations was alive and well. The company went so far as to create an updated diagram of the creative and marketing links shared within. This was not the first such diagram to be created, but given the time period, it tells many great stories. (click on the image to view a larger version)

The first thing that jumps to attention is that the studios were central to the Disney operation. The studios command the largest amount of real estate on the diagram and have more links than any of the others. In 1967, the company was still deeply rooted in its studio beginnings, and this entity formed the core of all the company's activities.

Other divisions of note include Disney World Florida which was in planning stages, the Mineral King ski resort which never found its way to realization, and the Celebrity Sports Center which was a short-lived recreation center in Denver, CO.

Some of the more interesting synergies:

•Disneyland plugs motion pictures and keeps characters before the public - As much as many Disney theme park purists may dislike the seemingly rapid growth of characters in the parks in the recent years, this was a planned strategy forty years ago. Sleeping Beauty Castle was named while the film was still in production as a means of building interest in the character and story.
•Disneyland and Disney World Florida provide a major sales outlet for merchandise licensing - The company has always carried various souvenirs for sale in the parks, including ones branded with characters from television and film.
•WED master plans, produces audio-animatronics, and imagineers and designs attractions for Disneyland, Disney World Florida, and Mineral King - It is no surprise at WED's involvement in the theme parks that we know today, but the Mineral King ski resort was to be home to a small set of imagineered attractions, as well. The Country Bear Jamboree was originally conceived for Mineral King.
•TV promotes the theme parks and the talents of WED - Walt Disney viewed television as a great promotional tool since its inception. Even after his death, the company still realized the potential that this outlet had in getting audiences excited about the theme parks. We still see this today with such things as the fairly new Disney Travel on Demand series.
•Music, TV, publications, comic strips, studios, and theme parks promote each other through use of characters, stories, and settings - There are many links amongst these divisions that showcase how the company viewed its intellectual assets as a means of advertising and providing source material to other divisions.

How does Disney represent reality?

Despite Disney basing their stories around fictional tales, i.e. Snow White and the seven Dwarfs, they remain to contain a teaching or moral.  For example in Snow White and the seven Dwarfs Snow White takes the apple from the old woman and eats it resulting in her death, despite the fact that she had no idea who the woman was.  This presents the perfect example for the moral "don't talk to strangers".  Disney also confronts other issues such as single parenting (The Little Mermaid) and death (Bambi).  These representations of reality allow a large audience to relate with the issues that are dealt with in the films themselves.