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?"