Film Context Exemplar Grid

Contexts	Keywords from question and associated terminology	Describe the context - who, what, why it happened?	Explain the effect on/how it shaped/impacts film PDE	Give examples of Film texts
Technological 1. 3D 2. Online Piracy	- Digital cinema network - Greatly extended audience  choice - Since 2000 onwards	- Advanced broadband since 2000 – Therefore Online Piracy was invented. – For a “Unbelievable”/ Real experience, 3D was reinvented  - Don’t want to take risks (risk adverse) = Formulaic films (present)	Production – piracy has affected the revenue so they make more sequels and prequels to films – Distribution And Exhibition- they’ve now made Netflix, Hulu andletmewatchthis.com. The production companies have taken an ownership over them.	- Amazing Spider Man 2 in 3D - Captain America 2 in 3D - Rio 2 in 3D
				- Netflix - Youtube - Hulu
Social 1. Audience attendance 2. Audience attitude	- Recent years -Audience choice - In UK	- Due to the technological problems listed above – Cinema attendance started dropping, as people found movies just a click away. – At home means it’s free, and more convenient – So people don’t want to go to the cinema and pay so much money	Pre – production - Due to audiences decisions on watching pirated movies online. Studios put pressure on directors to make 3D films, for an unbelievable experience – Tis will bring the audience back into the cinema	-  People prefer staying at home because it’s free and convenience - 19% of theatrical sales have decreased whist ticket prices have been rising!
Economic 1. Recession 2. Piracy – Multiplatform devices (phones, iphone, ipad etc)	- Introduction - Agree with statement? - Audience choice	Recession – Renting more movie cause it’s cheaper compared to the cinema ticket prices. – Pirated videos have become available on mobile phones – This give audience more comfort and another reason to stay away from the cinema.	* Similar to the other points made above.	- 36% of people staying home due to recession - 93% increase in mobile data use of which 69% represented videos

Children of Men Revision

Exemplar from Luke Nutter

V for Vendetta Revision

THESIS STATEMENT

V for vendetta 2006 presents a dystopian vision of Britain in the near future where a corrupt and Fascist totalitarian government oppresses the citizens is challenged by a revolutionary Terrorist. The film's messages reflect the context of the early 21st Century the political and social unrest caused by the war on terror and 9/11. The film contains contentious and conflicting messages questioning the central character V's role as a both a Freedom Fighter and a Terrorist, and his motives condoning the use of violence for both personal revenge and to overthrow Fascism. Through the character of Evey the film makes the statement that the value of freedom is worth more than life, and that ideas are more powerful than the individual. Finally we are told that 'governments should fear their people' - that the rise of tyranny is the responsibility of the people's fear and willing dependency on government.

THEMES:

TERRORISM

Scene: Opening

V's mask is based on Guy Fawkes and celebrates him as a freedom fighter. He blows up buildings and uses acts of terrorism. Opening scene with Evey

MICRO – locations (blows up Old Bailey = Justice), mask- Guy Fawkes, music builds up to an overture – his monologue is all about vengeance

Message: Terrorism/violence is justified as a freedom fighter

OPPRESSION

Scene: Dietrich's house/Evey breaks curfew

MICRO - has a copy of the Kohran (threat of Islamic beliefs), sex pistols style poster of Sutcliffe (Punk rebellion), a protest poster (Coalition of the Willing) homosexual erotic images (also the Lesbian character in the flashback is taken away for being gay)

He is 'black bagged' - taken away by the Secret Police like Evey's parents (Nazis)

Message: Fascism = religious and sexual intolerance and restriction of rights of protest

TORTURE

Scene: Evey's is abducted, tortured and refusal to confess

MICRO – costume orange jumpsuits (Guantanamo), the small confined cell and shot in CU, her hair is shaved off – removing her femininity and fear/making her masculine and toughened, her rebirth is in the rain outside juxtaposed with images of Vs rebirth – one is fire, one if water (symbolism)

Message: Freedom is more important than the fear of death/Fear is a prison of your own making

REVOLUTION

Scene: Ending

MICRO - The population are shot together as one united, Evey pulls the lever to blow up Parliament (so her choice), the dead characters are behind the masks – everyone is V

Message: When the people are united behind an idea of freedom it cannot be killed

OR V's Monologue Revolutionary Speech, uses Terror tactics to take over the TV station. The people must take responsibility for themselves/not rely on government to protect them from Terrorism/take away their civil rights

VENGEANCE

Scene: Ending

MICRO - Evey pulls the lever NOT V to blow up Parliament the Revolution - is no longer about vengeance but the decision is taken by a Free person/V has killed everyone in power but has his own selfish motives for revenge.

Message: Mixed messages - is the Revolution for Freedom or for his personal vendetta? 

CONCLUSION

The film uses the themes of Terrorism, Torture and Government Oppression to express the values of Revolution and a message that calls citizens to be vigilant and mindful of their governments in the face of the threat of terrorism. It also appears to condone the use of violence for political ends portraying the terrorist V as a freedom fighter and a hero even though he is motivated by vengeance as much as he is freedom. The value of freedom is held greater than the life of the individual and the film communicates the idea that to be liberated from fear means to believe that the value of freedom is greater than personal safe or your own life – citizens ought to be wiling to die for this ideal. V for Vendetta addresses the conspiracies and fears surrounding the war on terror and the 7/7 bombings and 9/11, of governments using acts of terrorism to restrict of civil liberties and of protests.

Essay Mock

To what extent does internet piracy pose a threat to the film industry?

Internet piracy is the biggest threat for the film industry. Film industries are spending the money on making films but then gaining any profits from the audience as they are watching the films illegally. Audiences prefer watching the films online as its easier and cheaper than the cinema and really easily accessible. Also audiences find if the film is not good then they can turn it off and won’t have lost money on paying to go see it as the cinema. Cinemas are now reintroducing 3D to try and gain audiences back and also in attempt to halt people illegally pirating the films as 3D films are harder to pirate as you will loose the image quality. Due to the way technology has evolved we can now digitally distribute films ourselves to friends and each other. There are many sites that allow us to stream films easily and watch them such as MegaUpload.

The internet now allows us to share films so easily and quickly without needing to do much sites allow you to stream films straight to home and watch them straight away. Due to the amount of films that have been pirated the film industry have brought back 3D to gain more audience attendance and in attempt to stop film piracy. Films are much harder to pirate wen they are in 3D due to the technology used in making films 3D. Many directors are now being forced to make their films in the 3D to ensure audience attendance ad some form of profits. Some directors do not like the idea of 3D and feels it would ruin their work. Del Torro was being forced into releasing his film ‘pacific rim’ in 3D; he disagreed with the decision and so is releasing his film in 2D and 3D giving his audience members the choice on how they wish to view the film. Directors such as Cameron are very much pro 3D and his film Avatar is known as one of the best 3D films ever made making millions in profits. He felt 3D gave the film more depth and immersed the audience into the film.

By watching films online the audience are able to gain access to more films such as independent films as well as blockbusters. This means the audience would be able to gain access to many different film genres and watch something they wouldn’t normally watch. Therefore increasing their individual film consumption. Audience members may also feel “no risk free” and may watch genres of films they wouldn’t normally watch, as they don’t loose any money on doing so. If you were to find a goof film you can easily share the link to friends and ensure the film gets a good viewing, although this means that the film industry don’t make any profits and actually loose money. Another problem audience members have with cinemas is the cost. Now more and more films are being released in 3D as the cinemas the downside is how expensive it makes it going to watch the film. To see 3D film at the cinema can be quite an expensive experience. The good thing to 3D films is that they are much harder to pirate, as the image quality will be poor and blurry. Also cinemas are now releasing older films in 3D, as it’s cheaper to rerelease a film in 3D then making a new 3D film.

I think that piracy is a big threat to the film industry and could one day lead to the end of the film industry, as we know it. In some ways piracy has helped the film industry in bringing back 3D to cinemas and helping technology in making 3D in order to support the films. It has also meant the release of some great films 3D films, as the film industry has had to take bigger risks with films in order to gain back audience attendance. Overall I feel that piracy is damaging the film industry and is destroying cinemas and soon the traditional ways of watching films will no longer exists as the film industry can not afford to make films when they are not making profits. If there was a way to make viewing 3D films cheaper or to stop piracy on normal films and keep more options open to the audience would increase cinema attendance.

Film Censorship

"FILM CENSORSHIP IS MOTIVATED BY FEARS ABOUT AUDIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY"

 

Produced with Briony and Anna

Essay Mock

WHAT FACTORS LED TO THE DECLINE OF TOWN OR CITY CENTRE CINEMAS IN THE LATE 1970s AND EARLY 1980s?

At the beginning of the 1970s, there was a decline in independent cinema's called 'fleapits' as the development of multiplex's increased. This was partly due to the distribution of merchandising and marketing. When film producers spend money on these then the film is longer just a film, but an event. Films then become a spectacle and encourages others to see it, this leads to the rise of the blockbusters. An example of this would be Jaws (1975). Jaws had such an extremely large amount of publicity and hype towards it, to the extent where people started to believe they could see sharks in the water. Similarly to production this also resulted in large volumes of people in which the multiplexes were better equip to dealing with. However, multiplexes were also established around town centres and within shopping centres. This allowed for people to spend the day on other various leisure activities such as bowling and eating, all in one location. This caused Fleapits to suffer even more as less people just wanted to watch a film on its own. 

Production of films from 1970 to 1980 had to deal with legal matters such as what content can be included in the film and contractual agreements with stars. The Godfather (1972) included big names such as Al Pacino and James Caan. This brought in a larger audience and appeal, and also the establishment of sequels, all of which contribute in the generation of a franchise. This benefits multiplexes as they have multiple screens, capable of coping with the volume of people that which to view the movie. This ensures a return on any investments made, resulting on partnerships and deals with multiplexes, whilst Fleapit cinemas miss out on opportunities to screen popular blockbusters. This is partly because the involvement of A-list stars, raises the production cost of a film, meaning the money grossed from the films are required to be significantly higher.

Changing marketing tactics created event movies which started the idea of marketing a film for money using merchandise, advertisement, posters and promotions.The movie that started this formulaic marketing tactic is "Star Wars" (1977), which was the first event movie. It was so big and hyped because it was the first movie that introduced spectacles that was visually big and great for the audience to enjoy. Star wars was the first movie in Milton Keynes. It was shown because the Multiplex had bigger screens (spectacle), better seating arrangements and louder sound. Therefore more blockbuster films were made to make more profit from them.

Essay Mock

"FILM CENSORSHIP IS MOTIVATED BY FEARS ABOUT AUDIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY" 

DISCUSS THIS STATEMENT IN REFERENCE TO THE CONCERNS EXPRESSED ABOUT UNCENSORED AND UNREGULATED VIDEO CONTENT.

I agree with this statement because I believe that fears from organisations such as the Media Watch, affect the views that the government have on what films are allowed to be aired. The Media Watch was run by Mary Whitehouse, who disagreed against violence, gore, rape, psychological effects and graphic scenes. On one hand I agree with Mary Whitehouse, because I think that films should be monitored because some scenes should not be seen by younger views and now, because of technology and piracy, younger viewers are able to watch films online that are censored. However, I also believe that restricting certain scenes from films could be reducing the awareness of that subject. For example, rape scenes are often restricted, and although this can be disturbing for most viewers, it shows that it happens and more people could possibly tell someone if they need help. Margaret Thatcher is another person who wanted to 'protect' the public from psychological effects. Thatcher blamed media and video nasties such as Evil Dead and I Spit On Your Grave as a scapegoat to deflect from real problems. She alerted a moral panic which meant that people that these video nasties must be the cause of peoples psychological problems. However, this meant that socially, people wanted to rebel and see them anyway.

Technology helped people to see the films that they couldn't see in cinemas because of government regulation. VHS tapes helped made this happen because they were regulated which meant that the government couldn't control who saw the film. It also made it possible for some people to see films in their comfort on their own home using a VHS player. VHS players also made it easier for people to record films that have been aired on TV. However, this made piracy easier which meant that younger viewers could see films that would've been regulated if they went to the cinema. Fortunately, in 1984, the regulation of VHS tapes came about which meant that sellers could know who is allowed to watch the recorded films which made the process more ethical. 

The economical effects of the new technology such as VHS recording meant that less people were spending money in cinemas. For the public, this was a good thing, but for film producers it meant that they lost money. However, people watching films more frequently, it meant that some films got their films promoted more so for some people they would still liked to go and see the film again in the cinema for the technological and social experience. Even though some people owned VHS recorders, these were newly released and many people couldn't but it. Though often it would be criminals who had the money to buy one as it meant that they could make money out of it.

In conclusion, I believe that social effects such as the moral panic caused by Margaret Thatcher and the government, had an effect on how films are censored then and today. This caused the government to control what films were censored and that films were regulated because they feared that it had psychological effects on them.

Digital Cinema Network

“The introduction of the digital cinema network in the UK has greatly extended audience choice: foreign, indie & smaller films and created a desire for 'better' movies"

I agree with this statement as people are able to choose from a more diverse range of films which means that more people will attend cinemas as there is not just formulaic blockbuster films. 

The digital cinema network links to technology because they install more screens and cinemas which allows for more choice and better technology.

Quiz

1. What genres Films does 3D suit?

 

  Horror and Action Blockbusters. Horror movies are enhanced with 3D so that the gore that people go to see is shown in it's fullest and Action Blockbusters have 3D because the special effects match the often Sci-Fi storyline.

 

2. Did the UK digital cinema network succeed in exposing audiences to more varied types of films?

   

        Yes because there is now a more diverse choice of films which means cinema attendance goes up and independent producers get their films in the cinema for less.

 

3. Why has the film industry lost money from cinema attendance since 2000?

 

   Illegal piracy because people are now able to watch movies for free rather than pay for it.

   

4. Is 3D successful in getting audiences back in the cinema?

   

        Yes because they get across the idea that 3D is a new experience and this gains more money because of the technology. Producers try to sell their movies as 3D to gain more money. However, 3D has deterred piracy makers because they can't pirate 3D, which loses profit from that but at the same deterring piracy is a good thing.

   

5. Does 3D have a negative impact on film production?

   

   No because when film-makers think about incorporating 3D into their film the would be making it better because they are thinking about ways to enhance the style of the film which could lead them to being more creative. However, the more money spent on 3D, the less money spent on other things in the film, which could decrease the quality of the storyline.

 

6. Which directors support 3D in their productions?

  Guillermo Del Toro (Pacific Rim), James Cameron (Avatar), martin Scorcose said all his future movies will be in 3D.

 

7. What reasons were given by the FBI shutting down Megaupload?

   

  Breaching intellectual property copyright

 

8. How has film distribution online/digital cinema helped Indie films get exhibited?

 

  Cheaper to get into cinemas

   

How are films impacted by the Digital Screen Network/Digital Distribution?

The Digital Screen Network is a £12 million scheme, funded by the National Lottery. It has installed 240 screens in 212 cinemas.

Audiences are now able to enjoy a wider range of films at their local cinema. Plus there is more choice for people who have hearing or sight impairments.

Cinemas now show more specialised film screenings, with an increase in specialised film screenings of up to 75,000.

This means that independent film producers are able to get their film out in cinemas instead of just blockbusters.

There are now more people visiting cinemas because of the diverse range of films.

Textual Analysis

The reason of my textual analysis is to study the representation of parenthood in We Need To Talk About Kevin and Juno. In both films I will study how the parents nurture their child and how this will have an effect on their future or whether their relationship with their child has already suffered. In Juno, the story shows us the struggles that Juno MacGuff goes through to ensure that  her unborn child has a good future. At the beginning of the film, she believes that a couple would be the best for her unborn baby, but when the couples relationship becomes unsteady, she questions relationships and what makes a family. For example, before she comes to this decision she talks to her father, who tells her that she should find a person who likes her for exactly who she is, which is referring to when Juno questions her relationship with Paulie Bleeker. Near to the end of the film, Juno gives birth and makes the difficult decision to still give away her baby even though the couple has separated. This could show how Juno realises that her baby might have a better future with a mother who is single than two teenage parents. The decision could also help Juno have a better future as her and Paulie are able to continue with education rather than starting of their life as young parents. The baby's adoptive parent shows that even though she is now single, she can still provide love and care for the baby. 

In comparison to this, Eva in We Need To Talk About Kevin struggles to be alone with Kevin and that without her husband and Kevin's father, Franklin, she wouldn't be able to raise him on her own. However, in some scenes it shows that Eva stills loves and cares for Kevin because that is her stereotypical role of the mother, but the film plays on the idea of unconditional love.                  

The film Juno plays on the idea that there can never be a prefect relationship and there  is always struggle. Ellen Page, who plays Juno MacGuff in the film Juno, portrays a teenager in the stages of her unplanned pregnancy. The style in Juno is similar to We Need To Talk About Kevin because they have both clever and quick dialogue. Juno is shown as a struggling teenager who forms a bond with her unborn that leads to difficult decisions later. This could relate to We Need To Talk About Kevin because Kevin could be because of the relationship between him and his mother. In Juno, she faces the fact that giving her children up for adoption would result in changing her child's life and breaking the bond between her and her child.

The main point to question in We Need To Talk About Kevin is whether the result of Kevin is because he was naturally a born sociopath or whether it was result of bad parenthood from the mother Eva, played by Tilda Swinton. I think this is what the film is trying to get across in the film as they mainly focus on the relationship between the mother and son, this is because they want to show the struggle that Eva has to go through. The father, Franklin, doesn't seem to get blamed for the outcome of Kevin because throughout his son's childhood he seemed ignorant of Kevin's chilling actions that results in a mutual hate with Eva, the mother.

In conclusion, I found out that both films play on the idea of relationship between a mother and child, however, the film Juno plays on the struggles during pregnancy, and the film We Need To Talk About Kevin talks about the struggles after pregnancy. Juno and Evie both show that their bond with their child is unexplainable because it is unique between them and their child.

Essay Planning

"FILM CENSORSHIP IS MOTIVATED BY FEARS ABOUT AUDIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY" 

DISCUSS THIS STATEMENT IN REFERENCE TO THE CONCERNS EXPRESSED ABOUT UNCENSORED AND UNREGULATED VIDEO CONTENT.

"WHAT FACTORS LED TO THE DECLINE IN CINEMAS IN TOWNS, CITY CENTRES IN THE LATE 70'S AND EARLY 80'S?"

Evil Dead II

This semi-sequel to Sam Raimi's cult hit The Evil Dead is filled with hyperkinetic camera acrobatics, rapid-fire editing and "splatstick" gore effects ... not to mention a truly goofy performance by Bruce Campbell. Nearly the entire storyline of the previous film has been re-shot and presented in a drastically condensed form within the first few minutes: rock-jawed but clueless "hero" Ash (Campbell) now visits the mountain cabin only with girlfriend Linda (played here by Denise Bixler). Upon arrival at the cabin, Ash discovers the Sumerian Book of the Dead, the ritual dagger and a reel-to-reel tape containing the professor's translations of the book's hieroglyphics. The incantations summon an unseen, growling spirit from within the woods, which bursts into the cabin and takes possession of Linda's soul. Ash is forced to decapitate her with a shovel, after which he buries her in the forest. At first dawn, Ash tries to make his escape, but is promptly set upon by the spirits, given a solid thrashing and nearly possessed himself, saved only by the arrival of sunlight. Cut off from the outside world, Ash is forced to hole up in the cabin and wait for the next demonic onslaught -- which arrives sooner than expected, led by Linda's rotting corpse. After being bitten by Linda's chatty decapitated head, Ash's hand becomes independent of his body and begins pummeling him repeatedly. 

The story then jumps to a local airport, where the professor's daughter Annie (Sarah Berry) and her partner Ed Getley (Richard Domeier) have just arrived with the missing pages to the Necronomicon. They employ a cranky pair of local rednecks, Jake (Dan Hicks) and Bobbie Joe (Kassie Wesley), as guides to lead them through the dense woods to the cabin ... where, at that very moment, Ash is removing his belligerent hand with a chainsaw, creating yet another ambulatory foe. Driven to the brink of insanity, Ash fires blindly at a noise outside, unaware that the new arrivals are Annie and company. Bobbie Joe is injured by the gunshot, which incurs the wrath of Jake, who knocks Ash senseless and locks him in the fruit cellar. Believing her father was murdered by Ash, Annie plays the rest of the professor's recording to learn the truth, and discovers her possessed mother was buried in the same cellar -- and not exactly resting in peace. This touches off a string of unbelievably gruesome (and hysterically funny) events, including Henrietta's transformation into a stop-motion creature (reminiscent of a Ray Harryhausen creation), Ed's sudden metamorphosis into a toothy, levitating ghoul, and Ash's climactic confrontation with the forest demon itself. The obvious glee with which Raimi and company present this cavalcade of slime-drenched monstrosities and Three Stooges pratfalls makes it impossible to take seriously as a horror film, but Evil Dead 2 is nevertheless essential viewing among connoisseurs of truly demented cinema. 

Film distribution ppt

P-D-E Video Essay Clips

TECHNOLOGICAL
VHS (Piracy)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spY_AIOLV2g


Old VCR Ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p_M7kyy1Uo


SOCIAL

Old Cinema 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8X9ivsAgZo



Star Wars Merchandise
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y65N3q12lgY

ECONOMICAL
Gaining money from videos that are bought
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p_M7kyy1Uo

Social Context in the 70s

They liked to have the best quality, whoever had the best, was better.
Britain came into trouble with oil and it was embarrassing to not have it all.
Miners saw an opportunity to make money. They took a strike which halfed the production of coal. People had to cut down on electricity bills. This meant they had to go elsewhere for entertainment.
Music tried to cheer up the spirit of people and look to the future.
1974 began with shortages and blackouts. Food, heat and light we're precious resources.

Production, Distribution and Exhibition

PRODUCTION
Test Screenings
Film Lab
VFX Studio
Legal
Producer/Writer

DISTRIBUTION
Marketing
Web Distributor
Merchandising
Distributor

EXHIBITION
Youtube
Cable/Satellite TV
DVD Retailer
Film Subscription Service
Multiplex Cinema

Starter: How blockbuster effected P-D-E?

1. When was the first Multiplex in the UK?
2. What was cinema attendance like in this time? 
3. What films were being played in the new Multiplexes (name and year?)
4. How were these Multiplexes encouraging audiences to go to the cinema?
5. Where are these Multiplexes built instead of the High Street and why?
6. What had happened to audience leisure patterns that meant 'Fleapit' cinemas lost popularity?
7. What advantages did Multiplexes offer cinema audiences and film distributors over Fleapits?
8. What reasons was cinema attendance low? (Technologies and Audience Leisure Patterns)

Final 9 Key Frames

KEY FRAME 1

KEY FRAME 2

KEY FRAME 3

KEY FRAME 4

KEY FRAME 5


KEY FRAME 6

KEY FRAME 7

KEY FRAME 8

KEY FRAME 9

Homework

What social, economical & technological context gave rise to the Blockbuster film 1975-1983? Refer to specific films in your answer.

Write a 30min timed response to the question.

From 1975-1983 there were many films that gave rise to the blockbuster industry. Examples would be Jaws, The Godfather and Star Wars. These films were the starting point for a generic formula that blockbuster films follow by. The first out of the films that was released was the Godfather, which was star-studded so it became an event. Godfather was not shown in Multiplexes, as well as Jaws, because they didn't have a spectacle about them like special effects. However the Godfather brought in lots of profit because it was star-studded. Whereas in Star Wars, the actors where unknown before the film. Jaws was the next film to be released and it was the first event movie because it was released in the summer so lots of people went to see it. Jaws is actually character led so it was different to other blockbuster plots. Star Wars was the next blockbuster to be released and it was the beginning of blockbusters because they had visual effects that generated the formula that blockbusters have to include special effects in order to gain a profit.

The rise of multiplexes came about, and the first multiplex in the UK was in Milton Keyne. This changed the way people viewed cinemas as there were more cinema screens, which were bigger and had better sound for films that had spectacles such as blockbusters. People also had more choice on films, this means that they wanted more, so this means better effects and even bigger screens. This started the hype marketing which meant that movie producers relied on their effects to sell their movies. This comes under economical context because without effects that produce hype, film producers wouldn't be able to gain enough profit for their film. This caused a changed in marketing tactics and producers started to sell merchandise to promote their films. This changed films into events that people would go together with and in turn created a social meeting place. Blockbusters changed the way films were produced because more money was spent on effects because this is what gained lots of money. Producers didn't want to take a risk because film  budgets rose when visual effects rose. An example of this would be Star Wars, because they were the first film to spend money on visual effects, this made it a blockbuster. Star Wars then brought in audiences because of its effects. This audience was often the youth which invested their time in watching Sci-fi films such as Star Wars and E.T. The cinema started to become a place where video games became a reality. Pre-sold films brought in more money because they wanted their fantasy to become a reality. An example of this would be Superman because it was previously a comic book. Jaws and Star Wars were the highest grossing films in the 70s and 80s, their news-worthy budgets made people want to see the films because they believed that the larger the budget, the better the film. Nowadays, this isn't always the case. Blockbuster films also became popular because people also wanted to escape from reality, such as war and the economy. They would pay to see something different on the cinema screens, they enjoyed seeing films on a larger scale as this became something special. VCR's were then introduced, which meant that people could watch films at home instead of paying the expenses of going to a cinema. This meant that film producers wouldn't gain as much profit as they would've from cinema ticket sales.

Cinema in the UK

MID 70s: There was a recession in the UK.

What did people do if they didn't go to the cinema?

They watched TV.

TEENAGERS

They had more money, pocket money, able to spent, social context (disposable income).

1960s

There was rock and roll. Teenagers didn't exist before the 1960s. Kids went to work before then. Cinema attendance was down before the blockbusters. back then blockbusters saved the cinema as they bring people in.

NOW

Because people are downloading films online for free, it reduces the amount of profit for films and films get more generic.

Why did multiplex cinemas come about?

America created the idea that it also matters where you watch a cinema as well.

FILM DISTRIBUTION

Film distribution was hard because the film reels were heavy. Film companies create the films then sell in the multiplex cinemas that they own, their not going to let independent cinemas sell their films so thats why independent films went out of business.

INDUSTRIAL, LIGHT AND MAGIC Special Effects Company:

George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the company and they both created Star Wars and E.T. Shows that they created the films to show off their special effects.

Blockbuster Trailers

JAWS (1975)

GODFATHER (1972)

STAR WARS (1997)

E.T. (1982)
)

HOW DO THEY COMPARE AS BLOCKBUSTERS?

• At this point as Blockbusters, these films are not the same which shows that they are not formulaic.
• Star Wars is a blockbuster because there was loads of special effects in it. 
• The Godfather was a blockbuster because it was star-studded so it became an event. Whereas in Star Wars, the actors where unknown before the film. 
• Jaws was the first event movie because it was released in the summer so lots of people went to see it. Jaws is actually character led - it had a story line where you sympathised with the characters.

SYNTHESIS:

You can bring back good blockbusters like the Godfather because it didn't have special effects but it did bring in lots of money. Godfather was not shown in Multiplex's as well as Jaws because they didn't have a spectacle about them like special effects. Star Wars was the beginning of blockbusters because they had visual effects that generated the formula that blockbusters have to include special effects in order to gain a profit.

Context Notes of the Rise of the Blockbuster

About Multiplex's

• The first multiplex built was in Milton Keynes, Star Wars - explosions, effects, lightings, sounds etc.
• Multiplex were built by film studios who built Blockbusters.
• THE PEOPLE WHO BUILT THE MULTIPLEX'S WERE THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THE FILMS.
• Blockbusters became known when cinema viewing became better with bigger and more cinema screens. 
• More seats were included for a better comfort. This changed the way people watched films, Blockbusters were displayed on theses bigger screens to captivate audience.
• Better sound.
• They had more choice on films, the bigger the spectacle, the bigger the film. 
• Started the hype marketing. 
• The audience wanted more, better effects, bigger screens.
• New experience.

Mini Mock

What social, economical & technological context gave rise to the Blockbuster film 1975-1983? Refer to specific films in your answer.

Technological: 

• Rise of the multiplex's- Blockbusters became known when cinema viewing became better with bigger and more cinema screens. More seats were included for a better comfort. This changed the way people watched films, Blockbusters were displayed on theses bigger screens to captivate audience. 
• They had more choice on films, the bigger the spectacle, the bigger the film. Started the hype marketing. The audience wanted more, better effects, bigger screens.
• VCR's made cinema attendance drop, they were able to watch at home, but bigger screens were at the multiplex.
• Blockbuster's and Multiplex's came around at the same time which means that theres a link between the two.

Social:

• Cinemas became a place to go as films were seen on a bigger scale, they were becoming an event, a marketing strategy.
• People came to watch a Blockbuster because they were spectacles and that they became an event to go to.
• Cinemas were places to go, they gave them an escape from reality, fantasy characters (Star Wars, E.T.), and heroic stories (Superman etc).

Economical:

• Because viewing films became more of a spectacle, the price of a cinema ticket rose, therefore it was easier to gain a profit from producing a film.
• Big budget on Blockbuster meant it changed the way they produced films, they rely on effects to gain a profit, no spectacle no money.
• Leads to sequals - easy to follow, pre-existing audience brought in more money, fans wanted to see what they like.

Film Context

Breaking Bad film

Breaking Bad has a previous audience, therefore it would be good to make a blockbuster out of the TV series.

Movie Name: ?---

Actors: Bruce Willis, Jared Leto

Iconic moment:  Gustavo Face off scene

CGI: meth explosions, 

How does your film fit the blockbuster criteria?

It would be hard for the film to be a global appeal because Breaking Bad is set in New Mexico, so it would be hard to sell to other countries such as the UK. However Breaking Bad has a really large fan base so devoted fans would flock to the cinema to see the film. There is also a lot of products for the TV series. Stunts and explosions could come under SFX/CGI because the production that goes into stunts and explosions still costs a lot. Fans would find a Breaking Bad film enjoyable because there is meaning behind the plot rather than the same bad Vs good plot. Walter White is seen as more of a vigilante by fans even though his acts are illegal. But because they are justified, his means to keep his family alive and greed, drives his determination, which is something that many people can relate to.

With new technology developing, such as Television (advertisement and trailers), internet (piracy), this has changed the way the audience look at films and expect from them (more spectacles). New markets, 3D, these are all the aspects that have developed since 1973. Most movies are childish as the main target audience are the youths, who see the grand marketing and trailers (which is all hyped up to gain the youth attention), those youths decide to go to the cinema to watch the movie. They're making pre-sold films to gain the attention of the youth audience who are distracted by games and internet (interactive audience). Therefore they have to bring the "old" stories back in a new light (CGI, spectacles). They bring in spectacles and do hyped marketing, inorder to bring the youths back into the cinema. They use I-max, 3D effects, high technology to attract the young audience back into the cinema. 

Technology reasons:

• Cut costs by generating effects on computer, style over substance.
• Better quality, better viewing experience.
• Special effects attract audience, spectacle.
• Audience goes to cinema to see big screen, 3D, event etc.
• 3D gets people back in the cinema.

Economic reasons: 

• Easier for people to download films therefore they don't go to the cinema, therefore it's harder to gain  a profit.
• More money put in creates an event, you get money back.
• More money means it difficult to be creative.
• Pre-sold films sell for more because they stick to an idea that sells.

Social reasons:

• Recognisable fan-base, come back to see what's changed, reboot? Have to be pre-sold in order to gain money back, fans buy into franchises.
• Losing interest in cinema, less people go, watch it online.
• Pre-sold films get interest back.
• The audience doesn't just watch films, into interacting (gaming etc)
• Blockbuster's rely on marketing not just word-of-mouth.
• Producers don't want to make a original film incase they lose money so they follow what they know has sold well.

Review on RoboCop Screenshots

Last Key Frame

For my last key frame I will draw the attention away from a fight scene, which would be hard make realistic and most likely too gruesome. Therefore instead I will have a shot of a blood splatter on significant objects, like a toy or family photo. This will insinuate that there has been a murder but doesn't show any gruesome details.

NEW Script Draft

Feedback for Broken Soul Script

I got feedback on my script for my short film Broken Soul. I was asked by Mr Barton to cut down on the description for the scenes in my short film. I was also asked to change a location in one scene. 

Internet Piracy

To what extent does the Internet piracy pose a threat to the film industry?

Piracy has always been always been a issue for the film industry, but now in our contemporary society, Internet piracy is the biggest the industry has ever seen. Internet piracy, has become a big problem to the industry, this mean they are losing money, and the problem with piracy is worse than it has ever been, just because of the Internet.

The way modern technology is evolving means that any thing the film industry are doing to prevent piracy such as putting the films in 3D are not working, as the technology Is being developers that allows people to pirate them still. People can still pirate the film from torrent websites such as pirate bay and torrent hound, these websites are seen as organised crime so they get shut down occasionally by the FBI. But it is not long before the websites are up and running again. 

Piracy also make it easier for people to watch films from home, so they can watch it with there friends and family. Piracy is most common with people of younger generation. The reasons behind this is due to fact they are to young to see the films in the cinema, so they resort to piracy to watch them and they can have there friends round and make an event of it. 

As piracy is organised crime, the criminals make money from this, this is one of the biggest threats for the industry, as people are making money from the pirated films the industry are not making any money's from these film, this means people stop paying to see the film, this means a decline in film profit so this is why you can only see blockbusters at cinemas now a they know they are defiantly going to make money from then, they also release the films in 3D as well to body there revenues. 

Internet piracy, has become a big problem to the industry, this mean they are losing money, and the problem with piracy is worse than it has ever been, just because of the Internet.

History of Hollywood

The famous sign in Los Angeles, California was put up in 1923 to advertise a new housing development. Later it was modified to read as it does today, simply 'Hollywood'.

Why did the American film industry eventually base itself in Hollywood?

Hollywood was established in 1853, with a single adobe hut on land outside Los Angeles, California. Growing crops was so successful there that by 1870, Hollywood became a thriving agricultural community.

In the early 1900s, filmmakers began moving to the Los Angeles area to get away from the strict rules imposed by Thomas Edison's Motion Picture Patents Company in New Jersey. Since most of the moviemaking patents were owned by Edison, independent filmmakers were often sued by Edison to stop their productions.

To escape his control, and because of the ideal weather conditions and varied terrain, moviemakers began to arrive in Los Angeles to make their films. If agents from Edison's company came out west to find and stop these filmmakers, they escaped to Mexico.

Social Context

Hollywood Since 1975

• E.T. was a hit, so was star wars (Sci-fi, extra terrestrial, space-age technology)
• Close Encounters of the Third Kind by Spielberg (combined Rocky and Stars Wars) - audience feedback
• Sitcoms and superheroes become popular
• Saturday Night Fever (1977) became a trend because of disco.
• Rise of dance (musical films) - Flashdance, Grease, Fame, Purple Rain, Dirty Dancing
• About making the audience fell good about themselves
• Young audience
• Money-making films were comedies for teens
• Self-conscious - refer to other films
• Rise of videos - buy or rent 
• Young people wanted to see more realistic teen portrayals - rise of teen movies - Porky's, Breakfast club, Pretty in Pink