Lucy's view: Ben Affleck as Batman? Just think of it as a rebrand

The logo for the Batman and Superman
film to be released in 2015.

There seems to be a lot of negativity around the decision to cast Ben Affleck as the new Batman, and I can see people's concerns. But let's face it, this is not the first time this has happened and it will not be the last, I am sure people remember the media hype around Daniel Craig being cast as James Bond, and look how that turned out. For the record, I am aware James Bond is not a superhero, but his character is treated in a very similar way. Everyone has a favourite 'Bond' just like everyone has a favourite Superman, Spiderman, and obviously Batman, and I think it's pretty obvious that every actor brings something different to the role.

We oppose change

We humans are creatures of habit, and tend to resist change, and this is true across every aspect of our lives. And shaking up the casting of our favourite superheroes is always going to cause a stir. But superheroes are not the people in the suits, they are the characters with compelling stories, from comics dating back to the 30's (DC was founded in 1934, Marvel in 1939). Having a brother who is majorly into his comic books, I am learning that there are so many different story lines and variations in characters, that there is no way that the films can even keep up!

Also, these superheroes do not seem to age much. Kirk Alyn was the first actor to play Superman, way back in the 40s, there is no way he could still be playing the role now! And I am sure there was some upset when he was replaced, just like what's going on with Batman now.

Another factor to consider is that different comic book writers have brought their own spin to the characters, take the Tobey Maguire "Spiderman", and Andrew Garfield "The Amazing Spiderman", both actors are portraying a different Spiderman, created by two different sets of writers. Both required different actors, as both are essentially different characters, just they have the same name. It's a lot more complicated than it seems on the surface, which is why I trust the people casting for these roles, they know what they are doing! Ultimately, times change, roles and actors change, and thus people are replaced.

Tobey Maguire as Spiderman (left). Andrew Garfield as "The Amazing Spiderman" (right).
You can tell the character / icon is still Spiderman, effectively the character has just been rebranded.

"It's simple we kill [rebrand], the Batman" - The Joker

Whilst thinking about the news of Ben Affleck's casting, I couldn't help but notice the similarities between this situation and rebranding, as essentially, that is what's happening. Batman is still Batman, there is just a different guy behind the mask. He still has the same name, he just looks and acts a bit different, within the constraints of the character. Sound like a rebrand to you?

Batman is technically a brand, his suit and logo are icons of his brand, and it is a brand's icons that stick with you as a consumer. But, as Interbrand so succinctly put it:

"Icons are tremendous assets with incredible value, however they require regular updating to infuse them with new and relevant meaning."

As much as we like things to stay the same, we sometimes have to admit to ourselves that things have got a bit tired, or, if we're savvy, we may decide to freshen things up whilst we're still onto a good thing. And this is when we decide to rebrand. It's probably a good job Christian Bale got out now, soon we'd be complaining things had become too 'samey'. At some point, you, or in Batman's case Warner Bros., have to take a leap and change things, and wait for both the positive, confused, and negative reactions. Nobody is ever going to please everybody!

We feel strongly towards our favourite characters because we have empathy with them. When a different comic book writer writes about a well known character, or a new actor is cast for our favourite superhero, they are going to bring their interpretation to the table, it is still the same character, but just slightly different. Superficially our feelings may change towards the character, maybe because we don't like the new writer or actor as much, but remember, it's the writer or actor you're not keen on, not the character itself. The same rules apply to rebranding, people may initially not warm to a new look, but it's what's underneath that retain customers and keeps people interested. Like a brand, the suit and, the character's name, are just the first of many layers that people experience when interacting with a brand.

Change is good, but remember your story

The itv rebrand caused quite a stir when it was launched, now it is
accepted as "the norm".

In a rebrand, you may change your logo, colour palette and strap lines, you may even change your name! But underneath you are the same company, probably with the same mission and values. You are essentially the same, you just look a bit different, you may even act a bit differently. During a rebrand you might strengthen your policies, tighten your internal operations, and become bigger, bolder, and better. One of the most important things to remember in business is that your brand will mean different things to different people. Individuals will interpret your brand in different ways, and this is how a unique business to customer relationship is formed. If you change things peoples feelings may change, but you are likely to attract more people to your business if you are brave, change things, and throw yourself out there. What makes you shine more than any of this is your story, both as a company, and as an individual, this is your continuity, what carries through your old and new brands, this is what people buy into.

As previously mentioned, the decision to cast Ben Affleck has caused controversy, but the experts have selected him for the role, and I am sure they have considered Batman's characteristics when making this decision. In the same vane, when undertaking a rebrand, it is important to consult experts. You know your brand better than anyone, but it's the expert that will help you to unearth the true potential of your brand. An expert will help you to reinvent, reinvigorate and rejuvenate, whilst making sure that there is a clear continuity between old and new. 

Let's not write Ben off just yet, let's embrace change and give it some time to become the norm, then we can start complaining all over again when Warner Bros. decide it's time for another recast, sorry, rebrand!

We'd love to hear your opinions, tweet us @ubd_studio

Lucy's View: Dolby Atmos- bringing sound in the cinema to life!

I love the cinema. For ages I just didn't go but recently I can't get enough! Maybe it's because production companies are bringing out films that I simply can't wait to see, Despicable Me 2 being the next on my list. Or maybe it's the atmosphere, and sharing the hype that goes with being one of the first to see a new release. When Iron Man 3 came out I was there for the 00:01 showing, because that's how excited I was, call me sad / nerdy, but we all have things we 'geek out' on!


That being said, you can probably imagine how excited I was when, flipping through E&T magazine, I read about the latest advances in cinema sound. What with 3D now common place, sound needed to catch up with the visual feast that goes on when you go and see that latest blockbuster on the big screen, and that's where Dolby Atmos comes in.

What is Dolby Atmos?

So far, in the UK, there is only one cinema that has this new technology installed, and of course you will find it in London: Empire's Leicester Square complex. This 3D sound system will integrate up to 64 speakers, all of which can be individually isolated to pin-point sound to a certain location in the cinema. Not only that, but because of the isolation of the speakers, the sound can move, dragging you further in to the cinema experience and immersing you deep into the movie atmosphere.

Diagrams comparing the three Dolby sound systems available at present. (From the Dolby website)

A few films have already been released supporting this new sound format, including Star Trek Into Darkness, in which people have claimed they found themselves ducking to avoid overhead space craft! This is the first time speakers will be placed in the ceiling, leading to a depth of sound never experienced before in the cinema. However it seems that the home cinema craze have already adopted this trend, Bang and Olufson, Bose, and Harmon Kardon have developed speakers specially designed to be installed into the ceiling.

Not only is the new technology exciting news for the average cinema buff, but film developers will no longer have to mix their sound to suit the number of speakers in the cinema, Dolby Atmos will do this for them, making the most of the speakers available, whether it be in a huge cinema, or a smaller independent establishment.

Rollout of this new sound technology may take some time. Cinemas will have to close in order to have their systems upgraded, and I doubt that it will be cheap. But I for one am looking forward to my cinema experience being all the more exciting!

Source of Information:
http://techland.time.com/2013/06/06/dolby-atmos/
http://www.dolby.com/gb/en/professional/technology/cinema/dolby-atmos.html
http://www.dolby.com/gb/en/consumer/technology/movie/dolby-atmos-details.html
E&T Magazine Vol. 8 Issue. 6 July 2013

Lucy's View: Clash of the Titans- Sony vs. Microsoft E3 showdown

The claws were out at E3 last week when Sony released this very tongue in cheek response to Microsoft's Xbox One announcement, which explained that new DRM (digital rights management) restrictions will result in harsher controls on lending, sharing and trading games:



Microsoft claim that the new restrictions will actually improve the gaming market. With a new cloud-based system, Microsoft explained how a user will simply be able to log onto any Xbox One console and access their full games library, and that up to 10 family and friends can have accounts on the same console, and access all content stored on there. Furthermore, this system will allow downloads of new releases at the same time as the disc version enters the shops, so no more late night queuing. And really, what would be the point now that a disc will only be needed once to install the game, then it becomes surplus to requirement. (Anyone else think this screams of PC gaming?)

However, there is a downside to all this. Get banned from Xbox Live and you lose all your game licences, oh, and you can't play offline, and the console has to connect to the internet once every 24 hours if you're playing on your own console, once an hour if you're playing your games on a friend's console.

The Xbox One- someone commented it looks like a VCR,
I can't help but agree.

As far as trading goes, you can digitally give your games to your friends if you no longer want them, as long as they have been your friend on your Xbox account for more than 30 days, and you can only give your game away to one person. As far as I can tell you will be able to trade games developed by Microsoft through traditional means, for example CEX in the UK, but the retailers must pay a fee to be able to resell.


Trying to clear up the confusion

I must state at this point that there is an awful lot of confusion over what these restrictions mean / don't mean for the average gamer. I have done my best to decipher the endless rants (there are literally hundreds), and the occasional bit of praise for the new system. The general consensus though, is that Microsoft brought nothing but bad, and confusing, news to the E3 table.

But before we take our hats off to Sony and claim, as others put it, that they 'won' E3, I decided to have a deeper look into what Microsoft are trying to do, and why.

Under the surface of what seems like a power trip from Microsoft, it appears that the Xbox One, and its new restrictions, are designed to sustain / encourage, (depending on your opinion of the gaming world), social gaming. At the same time Microsoft are handing power back to the publishers and developers, allowing them to opt in to allowing re-sales of their games, and in turn giving them control of the distribution of their products. In fact, this guy argues a pretty good case as to why the new DRM restrictions are not all doom and gloom, and raises the point that developers have to make a living too!

I'm still not convinced...

The Play Station 4- definitely smarter looking in my opinion.

Others have also argued an excellent point though: would this set up work in any other market? Look at books for example. Do I have to have known someone 30 days before I can give them a book? The same goes for DVDs, pens, or anything tangible really. If I have bought a disc, surely that is my copy to do with as I please (within the constraints of the law of course). And this is where Sony's argument sits, they are quite realistic about the fact that people may want to lend or even pass / sell games on. It could be argued that lending leads to more sales, in a 'try before you buy' sense.

Maybe, like hundreds of others out there, I have got the wrong end of the stick. What worries me more is the hundreds that have no idea about any of this, and who's brand-loyal children will be going crazy for the £429 Xbox One this Christmas (it's due for release in November). Yes, that's how much it's going to be. The Play Station 4 undercuts it by £80, at £349, but does not include their camera add on. So there is a lot of money to be invested here. And as a friend rightly pointed out, he is a lot less inclined to spend another £50 on a game, that after a period of time, (either after completion or out of boredom), he cannot sell on to get a bit of money towards their next purchase.

Here at the studio we would love to hear your thoughts on this. I may have opened a can of worms, but who doesn't love a good debate? Leave us a comment or tweet us @ubd_studio



Source of Information:
http://ubersocialmedia.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/sonys-social-agility-thwarts-new-xbox-one/
http://www.wpcentral.com/lets-talk-xbox-drm
http://www.neowin.net/news/anonymous-xbox-engineer-explains-drm-and-microsofts-xbox-one-intentions
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-06-07-xbox-ones-used-game-policies-to-lie-with-publishers
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22850409

Annabel's View: Mr. Waterstone's new app 'Read Petite' in development

The new service
expected this autumn.

A new reading app, called Read Petite, is due to be launched to the public in autumn. For any traders who've missed this piece of news, it was launched to trade at the London Book Fair in April.

Read Petite is founded by Tim Waterstone (founder of the book retailer Waterstones) along with literary agent Peter Cox, the former editor of The Bookseller magazine, Neill Denny, and founder of book supply chain specialist, Batch, Martyn Daniels.

The app will allow more people, who may be interested in literature but are short on time, to get in on some wonderful literary pieces. You could expect short stories by Graham Greene and Aldous Huxley.

"A lot of the best short fiction has never been properly exposed, because publishers don't find it commercially comfortable," says Waterstone. "Even with a collection, how do you package it? It's difficult in print: traditionally, money was used up on production and distribution, and not enough was left for promotion. In the digital world, production costs are virtually nil, and distribution costs don't exist, so you're left with a much cleaner sheet."

Each book will be under 9,000 words, and many will be serialised, allowing the reader to dip in and out of series comfortably. Denny and Waterstone, when chatting to the Guardian, spoke of their excitement at reintroducing the art of the cliffhanger, and how e-readers have increased people's appetite for a short story.

Some have dubbed Read Petite as the Spotify of the literary world, which some claim has poor quality control. However, Waterstone guarantees that only high quality material will be featured, and authors appearing on this new service will already be "an established, published writer". Although this does not mean the actual works themselves will have been published in the past.

Interesting news, not only for this commuter consumer, but also for the writing industry.

There is no doubt the service will provide a great platform for published authors everywhere. However, I do think it is slightly unfair that those wishing to be published on the site must have been published in traditional print first. Read Petite could be missing out on some great works by those wishing to publish, but who are short on time and resources. The site could have provided the opportunity for authors' first short(s) to be earning the money to fund the next in the series. That way Read Petite would be good news for new writers, as well as those who are winding down their writing careers. (In any case, bad news for printers – sorry.) It will be interesting to see if policies change over time.

Further to this, the possibility of Read Petite publishing journalism is also on the cards if the funds keep coming; "if the site works, if the total subscriptions are high enough, it should leave a decent sum", Waterstone told The Guardian. The details of how this will run have yet to be confirmed.

An interactive app that allows you
to be part of the story.

Another reading app that came to my attention while researching Read Petite, is Versu.

Versu is an interactive app, that allows you to become one of the characters in the story, and to make choices about what your character will do next, to see how your fellow characters react, and react to them. Less likely to be literary genius, but will perhaps attract a younger market than Read Petite.

Either way, at least we might be reading more.

As a twenty-something who is often short of time and can often feel uncommitted to a lengthy tome, I look forward to Read Petite. And, as someone who knows a few young writers, I am very happy at the new opportunities that may arise here for them.

To subscribe for more information from Read Petite, see readpetite.com.
To find out more information about Versu and to get the app, see versu.com.

Are you looking forward to the release of Read Petite?

Sources of Information:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/digital-media/9985362/Waterstones-founder-to-launch-Spotify-for-books.html
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2260971/waterstones-founder-will-launch-a-spotifylike-digital-book-service
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/09/tim-waterstone-reading-entirely-digital