What impact does media ownership have upon the range of products available to audiences in the media area you have studied?

What impact does media ownership have upon the range of products available to audiences in the media area you have studied?

Media ownership impacts the range of products available to audiences in film quite substantially. "The Big Six", including Warner Bros Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Walt Disney, 20th Century Fox and Universal Studios, dominate a huge percentage of the film industry. this is because Roughly 9/10 films shown in the UK are produced by The Big Six and 76.5% of the market is dominated by The Big Six. All are famous for creating such action films as Avatar, Iron Man 2 and Captain America. This may be the reason they are so famous within the film industry as 60% of the UK film audience would prefer to watch an action film rather than any other genre.

This fact is quite significant as to what impact they have on the range of audience. This is because The Big Six mostly produce this genre of film. This makes it harder for any smaller companies e.g. DreamWorks to produce films that can make a profit as big as the bigger production companies. This is for two reasons.

The first reason is because if a smaller production company tries to make a film in a genre that is not action/adventure, this is particularly hard for them because The Big Six are not mixing in other genres to their films to make them appeal to more audiences. For example, Avatar which was distributed by 20th Century Fox, has a science-fiction element to it. This is then appealing to a wider audience, as not only is it appealing to the 60% of the audience that likes action/adventure film, it is involving the audience that would normally not go see an action/adventure film, but love the science-fiction genre. This made the $246 million budget film have a box office of $2,782,275,172, just over 11 times its budget. Therefore The Big Six is etching its way into all the other genres as not this many people would have been to see the film if it was just listed under science-fiction and not action/adventure as well, especially as there are not A list stars involved with the film.

The second reason is, even if the smaller production companies make an action/adventure genre film, they are still competing with the bigger budget production companies which can afford the A List stars, lots of marketing and lots of special effects. This makes it harder for the smaller companies as they cannot afford this, and these are the essential items needed for an extremely profitable film. For example, Dredd (2012 version) and Kill List are both action/adventure films. These were distributed by companies such as Entertainment Film Distributors, Screen Yorkshire, Warp X etc. which are substantially less popular. These films could not afford to do the "blanket marketing" method, which many in The Big Six often use, therefore meaning that not as many people knew about and went to go see these films, making them both flop at the box office as they both loose money.


NOT FINISHED

30 questions

What % of global box office was the British film industry responsible for?
The British Industry was responsible for 15% of global box office, roughly 600 British films were made in between 2003 and 2010, and only a small percentage profit. The figure improves as budgets rise - with 17% of films that cost more than £10m making their money back.
 
What was this % in 2009?
6.8% global box office profit for UK films
 
What might this change indicate about British film?
Speaking at the British Independent Film Awards (Bifa), he described the British film industry as a "success story" and predicted it would continue to see international growth - especially in China.

What films have been responsible for this change?
Skyfall, Slumdog Millionaire, The Woman In Black and The King's Speech

What % of the British film industry makes a profit?
lower budget films - such as those made for less than £2m - were less likely to make a profit (4%).
The figure improves as budgets rise - with 17% of films that cost more than £10m making their money back. 

What % of Hollywood films make a profit?
17% figure for higher budget films was approximately the same rate of profitability as Hollywood.

How does that % differ between £2m and £10m budget British films?
Lower budget films (£2m), the percentage is 4%, whereas bigger budget films (£10m) percentage is 17%, which is significantly higher.

What might we infer from this difference?
By using a bigger budget and using the newest and best technology and stars, the film will have a higher chance of making a profit.

Which age group makes up the largest % of UK cinema goers?
From the ages of 18 to 24, both male and female.

Why do you think this might be?
They are able to see the most genres of films, of all age ratings. They are interested in more diverse films.

Which 'type' of film has seen an 18% drop in attendance?
The 18 per cent gross income generated by 3D in 2012 continues a slight decline, down from 20 per cent in 2011 and 24 per cent in 2010.

Within that 'type' which genre has seen the biggest fall?
Films for children and families e.g. Mars Needs Moms

What did Charles Grant put this decline down to?
The price of 3D films tickets, they were not acceptable to make an entire family pay for them

Who is Paul Greengrass?
Paul Greengrass is an English film director, screenwriter and former journalist. He specialises in dramatisations of real-life events and is known for his signature use of hand-held cameras.

How did he describe the British film industry?
Paul Greengrass says the figures do not not tell the whole story.

Speaking at the British Independent Film Awards (Bifa), he described the British film industry as a "success story" and predicted it would continue to see international growth - especially in China.

What did a BFI spokesperson say was the point of less profitable low budget British films?
A BFI spokesperson said the 7% figure included "tiny budget films that, while commercial success is always hoped for, are successful and beneficial to the industry for other reasons like skills and training development and for artistic and cultural importance".

What was the budget for Filth and how much money did it take?
It made £4m at the box office - more than twice its budget.

What advantage did James McEvoy feel £100m films have over low budget films?
He said $100m (£61m) movies that "sometimes aren't very good" had an advantage over smaller films because they had a massive budget to sell the film.

What is VOD?
Video on demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand.

What % increase did VOD see last year?
the VOD market has increased by 50% last year

What impact might VOD have on distributers and Studios?
"Maybe VOD is going to change everything because the distributor and the studio might become less important"

What impact has it had on Blockbuster rental stores?
It will outsell the Blockbuster rental stores and they will have to shut down

What was unique about Ben Wheatleys 'A Field In England'?
"An independent film managed to get people to come and see it without a studio and without hundreds of millions of dollars of advertising money. That's remarkable - it means British film can do it on its own."

What does director of The Machine Caradog James think is the toughest part of
film making?
"The toughest thing is you make a good film but can you get it to reach an audience? It's events like this and individuals who champion independent cinema that give us a profile and any chance of a mass audience."

Why have rules been relaxed on what makes a film 'British'?
The rules will be relaxed to help encourage more investment in the UK film industry

How has the use of visual effects in films been encouraged?
The increase in visual effects points will be very beneficial to the effects industry.

Name five of these rules and link them to The Kings Speech, Kill List, The
World's End

Film set in the UK - The World's End

Lead characters British citizens or residents - The Kings Speech

Film based on British subject matter or underlying material - The Kings Speech

Studio/location shooting, visual and special Effects - The World's End

British lead actor/majority of cast - Kill List

What rules has chancellor George Osbourne announced for tax on British
films?
George Osborne announced tax relief would be increased from 20% to 25% on the first £20m of qualifying production expenditure.

What is the highest grossing film in UK box office history?
James Bond's Skyfall

How much has it taken and how many screens was it available on?
To date, the 23rd Bond adventure has earned £94.3m in the UK, beating the previous record holder, Avatar, which grossed £94m in 11 months. Skyfall opened in 587 cinemas across the UK and Ireland on 26 October, and is still on general release.

Rolan Barthes

Barthes codes theory from alexdabriel

Essay

“Successful media products depend as much upon marketing and distribution to a specific audience as they do upon good production practices”. 

To what extent would you agree with this statement, within the media area you have studied?

 

I agree with this statement, I think that they do depend on marketing a lot. If the film is not marketed to the right target audience, then no one will go and see the film, to see the good production practices used.

 Marketing is the main area of the film; it needs to be done right as it is the factor that can make a film a success or a flop. If the producers and distributors spend lots of time and money on marketing, it pays off. One film that did this very well was The Kings Speech, Harvey Weinstein spent a lot of his time and money pushing the film, marketing it everywhere, although the budget was only $15 million, which is a reasonably small budget, a vast majority of this was spent on marketing the film. This was proven a good method as the film managed to make $414 million in the box office, which is outstanding. This is because there was so much marketing throughout the UK that everyone knew about the film. Weinstein had thought of everything, marketing it by entering it into film competitions, making two posters, featuring two separate trailers for the UK and US etc. This proves that marketing is a key aspect of a film’s success as there was a slim chance that this type of film, with such a small budget was going to be such a success without the use of blanket marketing. This is because only 7% of British films make a profit and of films costing £10 million or more, only 17% make a profit.    

Marketing is key within the making of a film, and it needs to be timed right. To make a film successful, the timing, place and actual type of marketing need to be correct. 

All three are very important. Timing means that the film needs to be marketed at the right time, for example if the films trailer was advertised on the TV. Warner Bros would not advertise a new children’s Disney film at 10pm as they would not be showing the trailer to the right target audience. They would need to advertise the trailer either during or just after school times, not late at night when none of the target audience will be watching.

This links in with the place of marketing. This is equally important as the timing as they need to be making sure they are marketing to the right audience. For example, a horror film with an aged 18 rating, like Dredd, will not want to be marketed on the children’s channels at peak times.

 Distribution is also a very important part of film making. The film needs to be distributed around the UK and US as much as possible, because the more places and times the film is played, the more chances there are to view the film. If a film is only played in the cinema a few times, there is less chance of people going to see it. Tie-ins are also a very good way of helping make a film a success. The use of tie-ins helps create more of a buzz around the film before it is released. A recent example of this is the link between the new Hunger Games: Catching Fire film and Subway. When you buy a product from Subway, the sandwich shop, there is a code inside that offers you the chance to win free tickets to see the film and uncovers secret content about the film. This was release 2 months before the film’s release to help people familiarise themselves with the film before its release date. They have also partnered the film with a charity, which lets you help feed children if you take a picture of yourself with a cardboard cut-out of the stars of the film, which are located in Subway. This will help the film as it is partnering it with something helpful and people will learn about the film whilst helping the unfortunate.

In conclusion, I think that marketing and distribution to a specific audience are very important as they are vital to have if a film is to be a success.

King Speech Case Study

The Kings Speech
The King's Speech is a historical drama film. Colin Firth plays King George VI who, to cope with a stammer, sees Lionel Logue, an Australian speech therapist played by Geoffrey Rush. The men become friends as they work together, and after his brother abdicates the throne, the new King relies on Logue to help him make his first wartime radio broadcast on Britain's declaration of war on Germany in 1939.

Britishness
This film is quintessentially British. The setting, costume and dialect show this from the first scene of the film. I believe that this is why it was so successful, as it shows Britain is such a good light.

Box Office
Defying all odds, the film was the highest earning film on its opening weekend in the UK and Ireland. Taking in £3,510,000 and only showing in 395 cinemas around the UK and Ireland.

The film's reception
The film received great reception all around the world. This is proven with the fact that in the US, it made $355,450 out of only four cinemas. Then, there was such high demand for the film, they previewed it in 1,543 screens, to then make $138 million overall. For its success, it holds the record for the highest per-cinema gross of 2010.
As well as this, the film got great reviews.
Mark Kermode says "The American particularly loves films about British monarchs developing a relationship with somebody from.. and in this case, not only a commoner, but a commoner from the colonies, cause therefore, they love the idea of the monarchy, and they love the idea of being connected with the monarchy, and they love the idea of the friendship somehow transends the monarchic bounce, so you have all that... There is no doubt that this has got Oscar written all over it" also "The film is brilliantly played, it is a fantastic performance when Colin Firth wins his awards, as I am sure he will."


Criticism of the film
The King's Speech has received widespread critical acclaim. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 94% based on reviews from 233 critics; their average rating was calculated as 8.6/10. It summarised the critical consensus as: "Colin Firth gives a masterful performance in The King's Speech, a predictable but stylishly produced and rousing period drama." Metacritic gave the film a weighted score of 88/100, based on 41 critiques, which it ranks as "universal acclaim".  Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film a full four stars, commenting that "what we have here is a superior historical drama and a powerful personal one." Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave four stars out of five, stating, "Tom Hooper's richly enjoyable and handsomely produced movie ... is a massively confident crowd-pleaser." Richard Corliss of Time magazine named Colin Firth's performance one of the Top 10 Movie Performances of 2010. The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists welcomed the film, and launched their "Giving Voice" campaign around the time of its commercial release.
Le Monde, which characterised the film as the "latest manifestation of British narcissism" and summarised it as "We are ugly and boring, but, By Jove!, we are right!", nevertheless admired the performances of Firth, Rush, and Bonham Carter. It said that, though the film swept British appeasement under the carpet, it was still enjoyable.
Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms and the daughter of King George VI, was sent two copies of the film before Christmas 2010. The Sun newspaper reported she had watched the film in a private screening at Sandringham House. A palace source described her reaction as being "touched by a moving portrayal of her father". Seidler called the reports "the highest honour" the film could receive.

Web 2.0 and Exchange
The film had a Facebook page, where people could write their reviews of the film and to help promote the film. The distributors launched a YouTube account so that the trailers could be released on YouTube as well as being shown on the TV and in the cinemas. This also means that when people are talking about the film, they can show their friends the official trailer of the film as it is in the internet, this will then increase sales as more people may be able to watch the film if it is shown using more medias.

Production Issues

 They could not get Geoffrey Rush at the beginning as his agent would not read his script, so they had to post the script for the film through his letter box, which is considered a bad thing to do in the film industry. Geoffrey then read the script and immediately liked it and took on the role. If they had not posted it through his letter box, or he had not decided to read it then they would not have one of the big stars they had hoped for.  

 

The film's origins

The film origins from the original happening of the kings speech in 1939.
"Seidler (the writer of the film) read about George VI's life after overcoming a stuttering condition he endured during his youth. He started writing about the relationship between the monarch and his therapist as early as the 1980s, but at the request of the King's widow, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, postponed work until her death in 2002. He later rewrote his screenplay for the stage to focus on the essential relationship between the two protagonists. Nine weeks before filming began, Logue's notebooks were discovered and quotations from them were incorporated into the script"

The finance
The film had two investors, Prescience Film Finance/ Aegis who put in almost $10 million and Molinare, invested $320k.

The production companies

 The film was produced by Momentum Pictures and The Weinstein Company. The Weinstein Company are famous for pushing their films to be a success by marketing them, this is why The Kings Speech succeeded like it did, because Harvey Weinstein pushed this film.

 

Distribution and Marketing IssuesMomentum Pictures(US), Aegis Film Fund(UK), Weinstein Company and FilmNation Entertainment were the distributors. The issues associated with the film's distribution is the fact that one company is more famous than the other, for example the US company are bound to be more famous than the UK company.

 

Major Issues Facing British Film Makers

http://www.witteringproductions.com/documents/The_British_Film_Mainfesto.pdf

Regional identity!

I am from Warwickshire/Leicestershire.

When someone is in a bad mood, I say they are "Mardy". Recently I found out that's not a word that's used all around England. I have been told, even by people who live 15 minutes away from me that I speak poshly. 

I think I can tell where someone is from by their accent but not by their clothes or the way they spend their money.

I believe that people from rural and urban areas are slightly different in the way they have been brought up, but that doesn't mean that they are completely different in their personalities. In some people, you can tell where they grew up, some you can't. It doesn't define you as a person. 

In the past, you could definitely tell between rural and urban backgrounds as they were so much more different years ago, now there are some aspects that are the same. 

Essex- Stupid, dumb, silly, no education, rich, fake tan

Essay Research - Big Six

MONEY.

- Budget.

• Bigger budgets
• Bigger investments
• Multi billion dollar companies
• Internation conglomerates
• Bigger stars
• More SFX
• More location
• Higher profile director
• More/better marketing

- Directors

• Attract well known directors
• Quentin Tarantino
• Peter Jackson
• Michael Bay
• Steven Spielberg
• Christopher Nolan
• James Cameron

- Marketing

• Do more/more expensive
• Blanket marketing (lots of it)

- Studios

• Well known
• Famous brands
• Successful
• They make 'good' films

- Cast/stars

• A list stars
• B list?/well known
• Robert Downey Jnr
• Angelina Jolie
• Christian Bale?
• Tom Cruise
• Leonardo DiCaprio

- Screens

• More screens
• Longer runs

- Producers

• Famous
• Will aggressively push their films
• For example, Harvey Weinstein (not big six though)
• More money (again)

- Technology

• Latest developments
• e.g. 3D, 4D etc.
• For example, Avatar took 10 years, developed cameras to shoot film

- The Big Six dominate 76.5% share of the market
- 60.1% of audience members prefer action/adventure genre
- Roughly 9/10 films shown in the UK are produced by The Big Six

Star Trek Into Darkness Research

Star Trek Into Darkness Research

Kill List Research

WARP X-

• Brittish film production company
• Based in sheffield, with furthur offices in Nottingham and London
• Founded in 2005
• Produces feature films
• Its a digital film studio, that produces feature films in the UK with budgets usually between £400,000 and £800,000
• Serves as a format for new directors to create movies for the first time on a lower budget scale
• It began with support from organisations such as Warp Films, Film Four, the UK Film Council etc.
• Its filmography includes "Donkey Punch", "Kill List", "Hush" and "For Those in Peril" 

STUDIO CANAL-

• French based production and distribution company
• Owns the third-largest film library in the world
• Owned by the Canal+ Group and Universal Studios
• Founded in 1988 by Pierre Lescure
• Has strong links to Universal Studios
• Its film library includes Terminator 2:Judgement Day, The Carry On series, The Ladykillers, Total Recall etc.
•  It acquired UK-based distributor Optimum Releasing in 2006
• Also acquired german distributor Kinowelt in 2008, who distributed their films up to that point
• Both these companies have now been renamed as StudioCanal#

FILM YORKSHIRE-

• Its a registered charity
• It finds, preserves and provides public access to moving image made in or about the Yorkshire region.
• Their growing collections currently contain over 50,000 titles

FILM FOUR-

• Digital television channel available in the UK and ireland
• Owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation, that screens films.
• Offers films in standard definition free of charge
• Viewers must have a paid subcription with Virgin Media or Sky
• Started in 1982
• Has been responsible for backing a large number of films made in the UK
• Costs £5.99 a month, eventually rising up to £7
• Spin-off channels include Film4 +1 and Film4 HD

UK FILM COUNCIL-

• Was a non-departmental public body set up in 2000 by the labour government to develop and promote the film industry in the UK
• Was constituted as a private company
• Was funded through sources including the National Lottery
• The Chief Executive Officer was John Woodward
• On 26th July 2010, the Conservative - Liberal Democrat coalition abolished the council
• It closed on March 31st 2011, with many of its functions passing to the British Film Institute
• The councils distribution and exhibition department worked to make non-mainstream films more widely available to cinema audiences
• The UKFC also funded the Skillset Film Skills Fund, nine regional screen agencies, the British Film Institute

ROOK FILMS-

• Film production company

Essay on gender

"How is gender represented in 'doctor who'?" (Martha clip)  Martha, master, women in red dress & doctor

 

Within TV dramas, females are normally portrayed as the weaker sex. This clip challenges that statement as Martha is the hero within this. She defeats the Master, who is meant to be the stronger sex, but is still under command  by the Doctor.
This is proven within the first scene in this clip, where Martha walks in. This could be perceived as being the male gaze, as she is walking in and everyone looks at her, this is backed up by the fact that she is wearing a tight, black costume, and she is quite an attractive girl. Martha has a worried look on her face that could be interpreted as her being vulnerable because of her facial expression. This is then challenged by the fact that when Martha throws back her teleportion device, she throws it with passion, in an angry manner, even though the Master is above her. 

The wide shot that is showing that Master above everyone is significant because is shows the power that he has over Martha, it shows his male dominance. This is expanded by the Master commanding Martha to kneel before him. Making her obey his command shows who has the power to the viewers. The significant of the kneel is it shows Martha in a vulnerable pose, as she is lower than everyone else. Also, the kneeling pose is a sign of forgiveness, and even though Martha is not that bad guy and was forced to kneel down, it is still signifying her apology. This can be seen as the male gaze as men seem to 'get a kick' out of women on their knees, begging for their mercy as it can be seen as quite a sexual pose for a woman to have towards a man. 

I could also interpret the male gaze into the woman who stands behind the master throughout the clip, this woman is nameless as she has no main role in the clip. She stands there throughout the clip and doesn't say much, she is there for the male gaze only. The costume and posture of the woman is important as she is wearing a tight, revealing red dress and is standing in a very sexually womanly pose throughout the clip. This shows women in a bad way as they are shown as objects, something to be looked at, this is proven by the lack of dialogue from the sexy woman. 

Another way this can be looked at is the fact that the only dialogue by this woman in the red dress is her disobeying her master. She is obviously on the side of the master at the beginning of the clip as she is up on the podium with him and is standing behind him, supporting him, this is then changed as she is shown saying "", which in fact, makes the master have less powers and restores the powers of the doctor. This shows women as being disrespectful and not loyal because she so easily goes against the master. 

Martha is the complete opposite of the "normal" female character in TV dramas, she is independent and strong willed. Although Martha obeys all of the Masters commands, making the audience think she is vulnerable, she turns it round into the Master towards the end. Showing the power has changed to Martha, a woman. Being in control of a man. Although this shows women in a good light, that they cannot be controlled and are independant, it can still be classed as the male gaze. This is because many men are attracted to high power, independant women as this is what Martha is. However, she is still under the control of the Doctor, who she sets free. 

In conclusion, I believe that gender is shown in both lights within this clip. Woman are shown as weak and vulnerable but also as strong and independant. I do not think it is possible to stereotype women as being the weaker sex within tv dramas as they are not in many cases. 

NOT FINISHED

Male Gaze

Choose an advert, a clip from a music video, film or TV show, analyse and apply the gaze theories (Laura Mulvey et al) to both. Apply the looks (listed above) to your advert and video where appropriate. You will present your video clip or advert period 5 today (6/11/13)



- Woman turn from sophisticated looking "office" worker type to animal, jumping in fountain.
- Emphasises boobs when jumper into fountain, see bra through shirt
- Given the "invitational" look at the beginning when first smelling the perfume
- Girl has nothing to do with the product
- Insinuates that men will be more powerful and attractive to women if they use the product

Four types of facial expressions

Chocolate Box: half or full-smile, lips together or slightly parted, teeth barely visible, full or three-quarter face to camera. Projected mood: blandly pleasing, warm bath warmth, where uniformity of features in their smooth perfection is devoid of uniqueness or of individuality.










Invitational: emphasis on the eyes, mouth shut or with only a hint of a smile, head to one side or looking back to camera. Projected mood: suggestive of mischief or mystery, the hint of contact potential rather than sexual promise, the cover equivalent of advertising’s soft sell.









Super-smiler: full face, wide open toothy smile, head thrust forward or chin thrown back, hair often wind-blown. Projected mood: aggressive, ‘look-at-me’ demanding, the hard sell, ‘big come-on’ approach.











Romantic or Sexual: a fourth and more general classification devised to include male and female ‘two-somes’; or the dreamy, heavy-lidded, unsmiling big-heads, or the overtly sensual or sexual. Projected moods: possible ‘available’ and definitely ‘available’.

Selected Key Terms for Institutions and Audiences - The Film Industry

An institution (in the film industry)

Definition: any company or organisation that produces, distributes or exhibits films. The BBC makes films with their BBC Films arm; Channel4's Film Four produces films, Working Title also produce films, as does Vertigo Films, etc. Some institutions need to join with other institutions which distribute films. Vertigo Films is able to distribute its own films, Channel Four distributed Slumdog Millionaire through Pathe. Working Title's distribution partner is Universal, a huge US company which can make, distribute and show films. The type of owner ship within an institution matters as, for instance, Channel 4 and the BBC are able to show their own films at an earlier stage than other films made by other institutions. They are also better placed to cross-promote their in-house films within their media organisations. Use you work on Film Four as the basis for most of what you write, Moon is a good cross comparison as Duncan Jones had to create his own institution just to get the film made.


Distribution and Marketing

Definition: the business of getting films to their audiences by booking them for runs into cinemas and taking them there in vans or through digital downloads; distributors also create the marketing campaign for films producing posters, trailers, websites, organise free previews, press packs, television interviews with the "talent", sign contracts for promotions, competitions, etc. Distributors use their know-how and size to ensure that DVDs of the film end up in stores and on supermarket shelves. Distributors also obtain the BBFC certificate, and try to get films released as the most favourable times of the year for their genre, etc.


Examples:
Universal distributed Working Title's The Boat That Rocked; Pathe distributedFilm4 and Celadors' Slumdog Millionaire after the original US distributor, Warner Independent went out of business. TRON was heavily marketed across a variety of mediums, Moon struggled to get press attention and Duncan Jones had to really push the film  in obscure places like Popular Mechanics etc. The Kings Speech was distributed by Momentum (a susiduary of Aliance films) who are a major independent film distributor.


Exhibition
Definition: showing films in cinemas or on DVD. Media attention through opening nights and premieres How the audience can see the film: in cinemas, at home, on DVD, through downloads, through television, including premieres, the box office take in the opening weeks; audience reviews which includes those of the film critics, ordinary people, cinemas runs; awards in festivals, The Oscars, BAFTAS, etc.


Examples:
Slumdog Millionaire almost never got distribution. Its early US distributor, Warner Independent was a victim of the economic downturn and went out of business. The film's makers then struggled to find a distributor! Then Fox Searchlight stepped up and "the rest is history". The 8 out of 10 Oscar nomination wins ensured that the film has been the greatest British success in awards and in box office for nearly 60years.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/boyle-reveals-slumdog-millionaire-was-nearly-never-made-1331821.html

Motherhood took just £86!
Moon. Initially Sony Pictures Worldwide were due to distribute the film but they specialise in straight to DVD features. Following positive reaction following its Sundance film festival the rights were acquired by Sony Classic Pictures who gave the film a limited release in the US in Cities like New York and LA.

Exchange

Definition: The unintended use of an institution’s media text (i.e. a film) by OTHER PEOPLE who use the film or parts of it to form new texts. What happens to a film, etc. after the public get their hands on it using digital technology. 

Examples:
People unconnected to the institution/ film using WEB 2.0 applications such as YOUTUBE, Blogger, Amazon film message boards, TWITTER, Face-Book, discuss the film or edit parts of together to form a new text which the may then put a new soundtrack to and publish on YOUTUBE, etc. When you add a trailer from a site like YouTube on your blog you have been engaging with exchange. Look back to MArk Kermodes video regarding piracy and the new release strategies for films like Ken Loach's "Route Irish" (Loach has reportedly steeled himself for a frosty response from critics and anticipates an underwhelming box office, noting the difficulty he faced securing a distribution deal. Though pragmatic in his view that “people don’t make films to communicate; they make it as a commodity”,an unorthodox release strategy utilising Sky Movies Premier - which will place the film (and by extension, its subject matter) in a wider public sphere than it might otherwise have reached – suggests he hasn’t given up on pedagogy entirely.) or the Jack Ass 3 release on DVD and Sky Box Office.


Vertical and Horizontal Integration

Definition: Absorption into a single firm of several firms involved in all aspects of a product's manufacture from raw materials to distribution.


Example:
Vivendi Universal have integrated film, music, web and distribution technology into the company, including owning big stakes in cables and wires that deliver these services. Therefore they are vertically integrated because they own all the different companies involved in film, from production to distribution to exhibition. They are also horizontally integrated because they have all the expertise for producing media content under one roof – films, TV, magazines, books, music, games thus being able to produce all the related media content for one film under the same roof (see synergy). This is important for the control the institution has over their product/film.


Synergy/Synergies 

Definition: The interaction of two or more agents (institutions/companies) to ensure a larger effect than if they acted independently. This is beneficial for each company through efficiencies in expertise and costs.

 

Examples:
Working Title know how to make films and they have formed a business partnership with Universal, a massive US company, who have the experience and size in the marketplace (cinemas, stores, online, etc.) to distribute them. (They create the marketing campaign to target audiences through posters, trailers, create the film’s website, free previews, television and press interviews featuring “the talent”, drum up press reviews, word of mouth, and determine when a film is released for the best possible audience and the type of release: limited, wide, etc.) Channel Four’s Film 4 and Celador Films(Celador also produce Who Wants to Be A Millionaire and films, too) benefited by pooling their know-how, experience and expertise to jointly produce Slumdog Millionaire. These companies formed a business relationship with France’s Pathe to distribute this film. In the UK Pathe helped create the poster, trailer, website, etc. In the USA the film found another distributor after being nominated for the Oscars.


Viral Marketing

Definition: A marketing technique aiming at reproducing "word of mouth" usually on the internet and through existing social networks. YouTube Video pastiches, trailers, interviews with cast members, the director, writer, etc. You can find interviews of “the talent” trying to gain publicity for your case study films on YouTube. Find some clips from the films we have studied to help you in the exam.
Guerilla MarketingDefinition: The use of unconventional and low cost marketing strategies to raise awareness of a product. The aim is usually to create “buzz” and “word of mouth” around a film. Unusual stunts to gain publicity (P.R.) on the film’s opening weekend, etc.

Examples:
Sasha Baron Cohen created “buzz” before the release of his film “Borat” by holding fake press conferences. The studio also accessed the popularity of YouTube by releasing the first 4 minutes of the movie on YouTube, a week before it’s release, which can then be sent virally across the nation. At a special viewing of “Bruno” Cohen landed on Eminem “butt first” from the roof MTV Awards venue, dressed in as an angel outfit with rents in the rear end.


Media Convergence
Definition 1: Convergence of media occurs when multiple products come together to form one product with the advantages of all of them.

 

Examples:
More and more films are being marketed on the Internet and on mobile phones. You no longer need even to buy the DVDs or CDs as you can download films and music directly to your laptop, Mac or PC. Blue Ray DVDs can carry more features than ordinary DVDs and can be played on HD televisions and in home cinemas for enhanced/cinematic picture quality. You can save films on SKY digital, Free-box digital players, etc. You mobile phone has multiple features and applications. With media and technological convergence this is growing year on year. Play-Stations, X-Boxes and the Wii can can connect with the Internet and you can play video games with multiple players.


Technological ConvergenceDefinition 2: The growing interractive use of digital technology in the film industry and media which enables people to share, consume and produce media that was difficult or impossible just a few years earlier.

Examples:
For instance, the use of new software to add special effects in editing; the use of blue-screen; using new types of digital cameras like the one Danny Boyle used in “Slumdog Millionaire” (The Silicon Imaging Camera to shoot high quality film in tight spaces); you can use the Internet to download a film rather than go see it in the cinema; you can watch it on YouTube; you can use special editing programs like Final Cut Pro to edit bits of a film, give it new soundtrack and upload it on YouTube; you can produce illegal, pirate copies on DVDs from downloads and by converting the film’s format; you can buy Blue Ray DVDs with greater compression which allows superior viewing and more features on the DVD; distributors can use digital software to create high concept posters; cinemas can download films to their projection screens and do not have to depend on a van dropping off the film! The is also the Digital Screen Network. There are tons of ways in which technological convergence affects the production, distribution, exhibition and exchange by prosumers. ( A prosumer is someone who not only consumes (watches films) but also writes about them the Net, blogs and make films out of them, often uploading them on sites like YouTube, etc.

A Mainstream Film

Definition: A high budget film that would appeal to most segments of an audience: the young, boys, girls, teenagers, young people, the middle aged, older people, the various classes in society. Distributors often spend as much or more than the film cost to make when distributing mainstream films that are given wide or universal releases.


Example:The Boat That Rocked was a mainstream idea and was given the mainstream treatment on wide release. The film flopped at the UK box office on release ( and has not done too well since mid November 2009 on release in the USA. This was mostly because of its poor reviews, particularly from “Time-Out”. However, when young and older audiences see the DVD they generally like the film because of its uplifting storyline and the well-chosen soundtrack.


Art House Films

Definition: A low budget independent film that would mostly appeal to an educated, higher class audience who follow unusual genres or like cult directors that few people have heard of. Therefore it is usually aimed at a niche market. Foreign films often come under this category.


Examples:
The low budget film, Once (2007) which found a specialised, boutique distributor in Fox Searchlight fits this label. (FOX the mainstream company usually distributes big budget film and blockbusters); So does “Juno” from 2008 which began as a low budget film about teenage pregnancy that the big studios thought too risky to touch – but it found popularity through its touching storyline, engaging music and its Oscar nomination for best script. Like “Slumdog Millionaire” the film crossed over between art-house cinemas and audiences to mainstream ones because of the recognition it received from Canadian film festivals and award ceremonies like Britain’s BAFTAS and the Hollywood’s Oscars.


Ratings bodies BBFC - The British Board of Film ClassificationHow your institutions films are rated will affect audiences in so far as WHO can see them. Remember that sex scenes, offensive language, excessive violence, the use of profanity, etc. can affect the rating and certificate the film receives and therefore affect who is able to see the film.

Four Quadrant Picture

A Four Quadrant Picture is a marketing term used to describe a film targeted to all audience quadrants: men over 25, men under 25, women over 25, women under 25.

Usage
In the movie business, and it is most definitely a business, everyone is looking to maximize the audience for their picture. A four-quadrant picture is that magical type of film that attracts parents and kids, men and women, and brings in huge amounts of revenue on opening weekend. In the term “four-quadrant,” the quadrants refer to gender (male and female) and age (under 25 and over 25).
For most studios, the goal is to get enough details to line up so that they have broad-based, family-friendly appeal in designing a blockbuster or four-quadrant film. An important aspect of getting that appeal is the ratings system. An 18 Rating can be the kiss of death for a studio trying to market a film featuring pre-teen characters. A lowering from PG-13 to PG can mean millions more in revenue as parents feel more comfortable bringing young children to a given film like Evan Almighty.

Examples
One of the most famous four-quadrant, blockbuster films is Star Wars and all of its sequels. Jaws is another landmark blockbuster film. Other more current examples include Night at the Museum, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Shrek (1-3), Spiderman (1-3), Pirates of the Caribbean (1-3), andWall-E.

Implications
Another interesting by-product of the rise of four-quadrant films in the industry is cross marketing. Those films often are associated with toys and other products that both advertise the film and bring in revenue on their own. In addition, four-quadrant films are powerful vehicles for product placement advertisers looking to show their wares to the largest audience possible.
On the down side, many wonder how much effort is placed on credible, engaging story lines as opposed to marketing opportunities in these behemoth cinematic endeavors.

6 Big Film Distributors

1. Warner Bros. Pictures. Comprising a whopping 19.7 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures), Warner Bros. Pictures is the biggest player in the film industry. Securing the rights to major films like Harry Potter, Superman, Batman, The Matrix and Star Wars have made Warner Bros. the No. 1 name in the business.

2. Paramount Pictures. With 15.5 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures), Paramount Pictures continues to be one of the most successful film production companies in the world. Star Trek, War of the Worlds, the Mission Impossible series, Transformers and Tropic Thunder are just a few of the popular films produced by Paramount Pictures.

3. Walt Disney. One of the most renowned film production companies in the history of the business, Walt Disney now holds 15.3 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures). With highly successful movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure, Meet the Robinsons and Enchanted, there's no doubt that Disney will continue to play a key role in the industry for years to come.

4. Columbia Pictures. Comprising 12.9 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures), Columbia Pictures remains a big player in the business. Some of this company's recent successes include Casino Royale, The Da Vinci Code, the Spider-Man series and Step Brothers.

5. Universal Studios. 12.2 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures) belongs to Universal Studios, which continues to make millions for the film industry. With major hits like the Bourne series (Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum), The American Pie series, Knocked Up, American Gangster and The Incredible Hulk, it's very clear that Universal Studios knows what it takes to make money in this industry.

6. 20th Century Fox. Also known as "Twentieth Century Fox," this highly successful movie production company makes up 11.9 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures). Some of the biggest and most successful movies from this empire include the X-Men series, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Star Wars Episodes II and III, and the Fantastic Four.

Dredd Essay

Why did Dredd flop at the box office?

Dredd flopped at the box office for many reasons. What I think is the most important reason, is the post-production. The producer of Dredd, Pete Travis, made many mistakes within the post-production stages.

Marketing was the major issue with the success of Dredd as simply, there was not enough money put into the marketing as there should have been. The film had only one trailer and I, myself have never seen this trailer on anything I have watched. This can be shown in comparison, to the Marvel comic book film Avengers Assemble, which was released in the same year, this marketed all over the UK and there was no way that anyone could have not have seen even one piece of The Avengers marketing, they marketed the film in the cinema, on the TV and even on the side of buses. The Dredd distributor teams needed to think more about how they were going to market the film to their target audience as they have not done this. The trailer, I think, does not appeal to their target audience, adults.

The fact that Dredd was competing against other big blockbuster films that were released at the same time, in the year 2012, the year that Dredd was released, can be used as a reason for the film flopping, Avengers Assemble, The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man films were all released within a year of Dredd. This made great competition for Dredd to fit in with these blockbuster Marvel films as they were all competing in the comic book genre style film, this was made more difficult for Dredd as these films had a bigger budget than Dredd’s budget of $45 million, this means that they can afford to sell their film before it is released.  These kinds of films have spent a lot of money making sure that there was a big enough buzz around the film in the media so that when the film is actually released, enough people go to watch it, so that the film makes its money back, this can affect Dredd as even if the film wasn’t released at the same time, the marketing from the Marvel films could over run the Dredd marketing.

The lack of a big star is also very important when it comes to why Dredd flopped. All major comic book movies have a big star that plays the main character, whether it is an A-lister or not. This is vital when creating a film with no buzz around it as it will help attract attention from the media. This cannot be fully to blame as the previous film version of the Dredd comic books stared Sylvester Stallone, who was a huge film star in 1995 when the first Dredd film was made, this also was a flop. The film needed a character that the viewers had previously heard of to add to the story line. The story line is also a problem with the film, as there is a significant lack of story line. The film shows a little back story at the beginning but then doesn’t carry it on.

This can link in with another reason. Many critics believe that the film does not have a sufficient ending, at the end of a comic book film, the super hero is meant to “save the world” and everything be restored at the end. Whereas Dredd’s ending is quite different, Dredd does not save the world, but a block of flats and carries on with life at the end like nothing has happened. This has a major impact on the film as at the end, the viewer is left to realise that nothing significant would have happened if Dredd would have not saved the day.

Another reason why the film flopped was the use of special effects. The film was filmed in 3D and added special effects in later, but it was the kind of special effects that were used.  The “Slo-mo” effects that were used in the film, where the characters are slowed down and the audience are allowed to see the bullets that have been fired enter the flesh of the character, were meant to be the highlight of the film as they are the only effects that stood out within the film, but the audience was not impressed with these effects because they were too simple. The film was said to have been trying to “replicate the effects of hallucinogenic drugs”, but this was not appreciated, as some critics have picked up on. The New York Daily News says “Dredd is a lot of murk and grunt with no inner engine. And the unnecessary 3-D only makes it look muddier”.  These special effects were also not necessary in the films storyline, and have made this film rated 18. This has then lost the film even more money as the main target audience that I would see this film having is younger teenage boys, the boys that have read the comic books, whereas the ridiculous fighting scenes and gruesome special effects has stopped them being able to see the film.  I believe that if the rating had been lowered to a 12A, or even a 15, or the “Slo-mo” scenes were removed, the film would have been a success. This has been the case for many of the rival Marvel films, as they have violence in them but not to the extent that Dredd has, this has enabled them to be shown to the younger generation who has read the comic books, making them even more money.

The special effects in the film have been said to be very basic and that any film-editor could have edited this film. This does not attract people to see the film as viewers want to see things that they have never seen before and expect to be “wowed” when watching a film. Especially with the film genre that it is. People would like to be showed things that they could not be able to see if they were not watching a film. This is where Dredd lacked as it did not involve this.

Ethnicity essay

This clip is a part of an episode of Hotel Babylon, in this episode, the Hotel is raided by immigration so that they can take a majority of their staff and send them back to their own countries. The immigrants then have to hide within a small cupboard so that they are not found, but one is and is sent back home, even when begged not to.

Within this clip, ethnicity is shown in many ways. In the beginning of the clip, the front of the hotel is shown, this women is a white British woman, dressed in all white, this can be symbolised as her being pure. This is shown in controversy to the Asian woman that is shown in the next scene, this woman is wearing a black suit with a red shirt on it. This can be interpreted that the English white woman is 'purer' than the Asian women. 

This is also shown within the surroundings of their jobs. The white woman works on the front desk, where she is able to be seen and interact with other people, whereas the Asian probably has the same authority as the white woman, but she is located in a cupboard/office downstairs where she cannot be seen. The asian women's office, is shown as not meant to be an office as there is a lot of supplies for the cleaners in her "office", so even though she has a high authority office, so that she gets an office, because of her ethnicity, she is not given the office she deserves. This could be interpreted that Jackie doesn't need a bigger office as she should be proud of her office as the other immigrants do not have one, even though it is not an acceptable place for Jackie to spend her time in.  

The whole of this clip is very interesting within ethnicity as the plot of the clip is to do with hiding immigrants from different countries within a hotel, this makes the immigrants, who are mixed race e.g. African, black, Asian etc. look like they're not wanted within this hotel as they have to hide within a small cupboard to hide from immigration. The jobs of the immigrants are important as well as they are not "front of house" jobs, they are hidden behond the scenes as many of the immigrants are cleaners or chefs. Even the asian Women, known as Jackie, who has a higher role within the Hotel is hidden away in her office. This is also important as when all of the immigrant are hidden away in the cupboard and one of them faints because she is diabetic, one of the cleaners, Adam, knows exactly how to help her and is asked why he knows what to do, he replies with "I wasn't always a cleaner", this can be seen as Adam was a doctor before he moved to the UK and was given a demeaning job. This showns ethnicity in the worst light as he has the right skills to do a highly skilled, well paid job but becuase of where he is from, he has to work as a cleaner.

The use of sound through the entire clip changes quite frequently. There are two types of sound, diegetic and non-diegetic, both are used within this clip. The diegetic sounds is the dialogue, and actual sounds within the clip. This is shown when Jackie runs through the kitchen as there are sound effects e.g. knives dropping, pans boiling etc. The use of non-diegetic sounds are more important though as they create tension within the clip. There is quite a lot of background music played within this clip, ranging from up-tempo music during the chase, to slow music when the immigrants are hiding to create tension within the room.
The use of camera angles with this scene is interesting, the camera angles that are used are extreme close up, close up, over the shoulder and mid shots. These are important as they may make different things stand out in each camera shot, that you may not have noticed if they used a different camera angle. This is proved when the immigrants are locked in the cupboard and there is a knock on the door, the camera zooms into Jackies face to show her worried expression, the audience may have not been worried for the immigrants before the camera zoomed into her face. The camera angles are also important as, going back to Jackie in her cupboard office, when the two men burst into Jackies office, the camera then uses a high angle shot to show Jackie from above. This can be interpreted that because the two men are not in trouble as they are not immigrants, so they are shown as "higher" than Jackie.
Editing is essential to this clip as the editors have used parralel editing whilst the immigrants are in the cupbaord, to show what is happening outside of the cupboard, this is important as they do not know what is happening outside of the cupboard and the viewer does. This is called dramatic irony.

 

Ethnicity- child genius

Channel 4's new programme, Child Genius shows lots of different ethnicities within it. 

The two main ethnicities are English white and Chinese. These two families are shown as completely different. Stereotypically, Chinese families are quite strict within their teaching methods and are very educational based, this is very much shown within the programme as the Chinese children in one family are told that they will win the educational competition that they are both competing in. This is shown in controversy to the 'typical' English White family where the children are told that even if they fail, the parents will still love them and are shown a lot of affection. 

At the end of the programme when neither of these families children win the competition, more division is shown between the families. The Chinese families children are just left and shown in a slight disappointment by their parents, whereas only slight, the facial expressions of the parents shows this. The cut then shows the English White family hugging their children and telling them how proud they are of them when they are crying, the mother also explains that the children are more 'artsy' than educational, as a way of making her children feel better. These two families are completely different with their children's upbringing as they fit in the stereotypical parents of their ethnicity. 

Dredd Research Task Video

Dredd research

• Producer- Pete Travis
• Distributor- Entertainment Film Distributors, a brittish distributor., whos deal was 7 million dollars
• The film was also released in north america and the distributors for what was Lions Gate Entertainment.
• Script writer- Alex Garland, who began writing in 2006
• Budget- $45 million
• Box office gross- Just over $36 million
• Directors & Actors-
• Karl Urban- Judge Dredd.  Who has also been in Star Trek, Lord of the Rings & The cronicles of Riddick
• Olivia Thirlby- Judge Cassandra Anderson. Who has also been in Juno
• Wood Harris- Kay (hostage). Who is normally a TV star, staring in The Wire and Hawaii Five-0.  
• Lena Headey- Ma-Ma (madeline madrigal). Who has also been in St Trinian's, The Purge and The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
• Donhall Gleeson- "clan techie". Who has also been in Harry Potter as Bill Weasley in Deathly Hallows
• Marketing-  Dredd Report was opened for the film, a website features news about the film. A comic book was also published with the same story line as the film. Film posters http://www.judgmentiscoming.net/motionposter/dreddposter.swf 
• Critical reception- Dredd got a very good critical reception, scoring a 78% from Rotten Tomatoes, a popular film critic website. They also said that 73% of the audience liked the film.
• Whereas Metacritic, another well know film critic website said differently. They gave Dredd a 59 out of 100, this can be seen as more accurate as it is a mixed score of 29 different critics.
• Reasons for lack of success-
• Marketing- The film didn't put much money into the Marketing of the film, which has been picked up by critics and said to be the main reason that the film didn't succeed.
• The R rating- Many critics believe that the reason Dredd shouldn't have had an R rating because they have the wrong target audience and that they didn't believe it deserved an R rating as the swearing within the play was not needed.
• Awards- The film won an Empire award for Best 3D and was nominated for Empire awards in Best british film and best science-fiction/fantasy. Surpirisingly, the trailer was nominated for 6 awards and won a Golder trailer award for Best thriller TV spot.
• Technology used- Judge Dredd's weapon 'Lawgiver' was a real gun, which was made specifically for the film out of a 9mm firing system, this was the same for Dredd's motorcycle 'Lawmaster', which was a real motorbike which had machine guns and an extended wheel base added onto it to make it look like the comic version, Karl Urban would actually drive the motorbike top stop use special effects people having to use Chroma key visual effects. The Slo-Mo scenes when killing people was made using blood bags and prosthetics, but what made them so special was the use of real bullets and compressed air to give the slow motion scenes their edge.
• Tie-ins- a tie-in comic book was made, which carries on the story and shows the story before it, showing Ma-Ma's life as a prostitute, controlled by her pimp Lester Grimes. No childrens toy was ever made from the Dredd film.

Personal opinion-
I think that the film is very good, even though I don't normally watch this type of Gory style film. The film effects are well excecuted and are a real credit to the film. Whereas the constant fighting within the film is not. I think that there should have been more of a story line within the film and that should have developed at the same time as all of the shooting, instead of monotonous violent scenes. The reason I feel that this film did not succeed is that they have picked the wrong target audience. A fim filled with violent scenes and guns should be aimed at a target audience of teenage boys, which it typically is. Whereas this film is an 18 which makes it unable to be seen by what should have been their target audience. The only other thing wrong with the film is the lack of a well known character. I think that it would have been nice if I had heard of one of the actors before watching Dredd as it would make the film more interesting and may have helped the marketing of the film, I don't think that an A-list star would have fitted in with this film but atleast a known actor.