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Readings, Experiences, & Feelings: Blog #1 (Ladoc)
Imitation, Hits, & Stars: Blog #2 (Ladoc)
I’ve always noticed that media networks in the Philippines show and follow some sort of pattern so it's fascinating to know that my observation is actually a concept in media studies. In general, commercial mainstream media workers are under significant economic pressure to make decisions that will result in profits for their employers (Croteau & Hoynes, 2019). Hence, it’s not surprising that media networks in our country continue to repeat their strategy as it’s working. In this blog post, I’ll talk about imitation, hits, and stars.
Art imitating art
The concept of imitation assumes that “hits and their makers beget more hits” (Croteau & Hoynes, 2019 p.236) which can be clearly observed in the media content in our country. The Philippines had a lot of adaptations or remakes from Mexican telenovelas like Marimar and Rubi to Korean dramas like Endless Love, My Love from another star, and Temptation of Wife. There are also a lot of Philippine dramas that had their own remakes such as Darna, Dyesebel, and Encantadia. This strategy is very common in mainstream media in order to boost their chances of success.
Moreover, there are a lot of variations of this strategy. Aside from making adaptations of shows from other countries, imitation can also be remaking hit movies. Ang Panday is a film adaptation of a film with the same name while Kampanerang Kuba is an example of a TV adaptation of hit film. Another variation of this strategy is making sequels to previous film hits. An example of this is Galema: Anak ni Zuma which is a sequel to the film Zuma. However, I would say that this variation also has another “variation” wherein the “hit” does not have a sequel but the media producers are prolonging the actual “hit”. Yes, I’m talking about Ang Probinsyano which is a remake of Fernando Poe Jr.'s hit film and is now a never-ending TV series due to its high ratings. However, making use of this strategy still does not guarantee economic success; it just offers a way for media companies to increase their chances of success.
Stars and the Hit System
Fame or stardom is another strategic asset in the media industry’s quest for success. Once major stradom is attained, fame tends to last and is rather steady (Croteau & Hoynes, 2019). Big names like Coco Martin, Jodi Sta. Maria, and Maja Salvador are some of the stars I can think of when it comes to TV series. Then, there are stars like Kathryn Bernardo and Vice Ganda when it comes to films. And these major stars are crucial to the hit system as they are the physical embodiment of hits. These stars greatly influence the public’s selection of movies and TV shows to watch. Stars increase the chances of producing hits. In our media’s case, it is almost 100% sure that any movie that Kathryn Bernardo stars in will be a box office hit or any TV series where Coco Martin is the lead will get high ratings.
However, acquiring existing stars is expensive and hard. Most especially, employing stars does not guarantee success but only reduces the risks. Hence, media organizations compromise by creating their own stars. This strategy is widely used in our media industry as evidenced by various talent search shows such as The Voice, Tawag ng Tanghalan, and even Pinoy Big Brother.
In a media world wherein uncertainty is constant, executives seek guidelines to make their decisions less arbitrary (Croteau & Hoynes, 2019). Thus, making use of various strategies to address the high cost of producing media and the unpredictability of audience tastes.
Reference:
Croteau, D. & Hoynes, W. (2019). Media/Society: Technology, Industries, Contents, and Users (6th ed.). Sage Publications, Inc.
B/Vloggers, Influencers, & Political Influence: Blog #3 (Ladoc)
References:
Baizas, G. (2021, July 17). Investigating troll farms: What to look out for. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/investigating-troll-farms-what-to-look-out-for/
Chua, K. (2021, January 28). PH remains top in social media, internet usage worldwide – report. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/technology/internet-culture/hootsuite-we-are-social-2021-philippines-top-social-media-internet-usage/
Croteau, D. & Hoynes, W. (2019). Media/Society: Technology, Industries, Contents, and Users (6th ed.). Sage Publications, Inc.
Cushion, S. (2019). The Political Impact of Media. In J. Curran & Hesmondhalgh, D. (Eds.), Media and Society (6th ed.). Bloomsbury Academic.
Shoemaker, P. J. & Reese, S. D. (2014). Mediating the message in the 21st Century: A media sociology perspective. Routledge.
© Ma. Diana Rose C. Ladoc - B.A. in Psychology IV
© Ma. Diana Rose C. Ladoc - B.A. in Psychology IV
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