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

Internet piracy is a threat to the film industry in the 21st century because even though audiences can watch free pirate films online and be inspired to make their own films to share on Youtube, this would lead to films mainly being watched at home, further leading to a decrease in cinema attendance. Therefore, the film industry will produce risk-free, 3D formulaic films. This means films will lack creativity and originality and would not inspire future audiences. Overall this would cause negative affects for all parts of the film industry.

With films being available to watch and download online illegally, more people are staying at home to watch these films because they are easily accessible and free. This causes a large decrease in cinema attendance which meant that the film industry would lose vast amounts of money due to audiences not paying for films. As a result of this, Hollywood film makers and directors started releasing films in 3D in an attempt to bring back audiences for a "new experience" even though it is a method of resurgence. This is useful for the film industry because 3D films cannot be pirated online which means audiences would have to attend cinema again in order to see new releases. In other responses to bring audiences back to the cinema, ticket prices have been raised as well as the 3D glasses to accompany the cinema experience. 

Although internet piracy causes a hole in the film economy and vast amounts of money are lost, not all film-makers are negatively affected by it. Independent and foreign films gain vain amounts of recognition; more audiences were being opened up to these different style of films because they were free and easily accessible. This was a cheaper and easier way for independent films to widen their audiences and audiences then realised that Hollywood Blockbusters were formulaic and started looking for more choice. Although 3D cinema created spectacle, independent and foreign films had a stronger narrative which further pushed audiences to watch films online instead of going out to the cinema. Another advantage of internet piracy is that people would be inspired to create swedes and eventually make their own films to distribute on websites such as Youtube for audiences to enjoy. Audiences become more cine-literate after the expose to independent and foreign films.

In terms of social context, it was seen as fashionable to stay at home and watch films online. The main website that helped contribute to online piracy was MegaUpload which was shut down by the FBI. This was done in order for the film industry to make a point that internet piracy is causing them to lose large amounts of money and forcing them to return to the cinemas. Cinemas brought back 3D cinema to give the audience a new experience, when in fact it was just resurgence and the illusion of a new experience. Film directors like Guilermo Del Toro are resistant to using 3D because it ruins the quality of both the film and the narrative. The 30% colour loss that accompanies 3D cinema is off-putting to some audiences which lead to further decrease in cinema attendance and people continued to watch non-3D films on their computers at home.

In conclusion, internet piracy is a large threat to the film industry because there is a large decrease in cinema attendance which leads to revenue loss. This means that films directors are afraid to take risks and would continue to make formulaic Hollywood Blockbusters that are released in 3D only to make a profit, not taking into consideration that the narrative is more important than the style of the film.

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

Internet piracy is a threat to the film industry in the 21st century because even though audiences can watch free pirate films online and be inspired to make their own films to share on Youtube, this would lead to films mainly being watched at home, further leading to a decrease in cinema attendance. Therefore the film industry will produce risk-free, 3D formulaic films. This means films will lack creativity and originality and would not inspire future audiences. Overall this would cause negative affects for all parts of the film industry

Class notes - Tuesday 29th April 2014

3 Major Technology developments in the 21st century
-Digital Cinema Network: Arts Council, UK Charity
-Piracy: MegaUpload
-3D: Avatar, James Cameron

You don't have to write about digital distribution unless the question asks for it

-No risk-taking = formulaic
-Piracy websites = Pirate Bay, MegaUpload - led to the FBI shutting it down
-Avatar was successful because the budget was large

Internet Piracy
-Piracy has a negative impact on the film industry because people feel inclined to watch films at home
-Piracy encourages audiences to view non-mainstream films, this led to less people going to the cinema
-Audiences gain wider film knowledge
-Film-makers are afraid to take risks which causes formulaic narrative and CGI effects in massive Hollywood Blockbusters. Continuous franchises are a result of this
-Technology context: Main factor; 3D technology was an attempt to raise cinema attendance. This meant that 3D films could not be pirated on the internet
-Multiplexes have raised the cost of ticket prices and added cost of glasses to promote a "new" cinema experience
-Numerous directors want to use 3D, even if it involves changing parts of the narrative in the film to suit 3D

Digital Film Network

-Theatrical scales were falling
-Fewer film attenders, as a response, ticket prices increased
-DVD sales were decreasing also

Reasons
-Economic recession
-People were more likely to rent movies because it was cheaper. More audiences were watching films online and were looking for negotiable deals
-Technology was more developed (e.g. mobile devices)
-There are now more internet users = more subscriptions
-Consumers expect entertainment everywhere

"The introduction of the Digital Cinema Network in the UK in recent has greatly extended audience choice". How far do you agree with this statement?
-I think this because online distribution is a lot cheaper and more audiences would become aware of the independent and foreign film market. There are websites that showcase indie films
-Large-scale production companies pick up independent films e.g. Gravity, Oblivion, Grand Budapest Hotel
-Because Hollywood Blockbusters are so formulaic, audiences are getting bored and are looking for different films to enjoy
-Netflix and Hulu have categories of indie films for people to explore
-3D is just style over substance/narrative
-Indie films are starting to look like Blockbusters (Gravity, Oblivion) but they still have strong narrative

Class notes - Tuesday 22nd April 2014

Context - What factors caused/impacted reasons
Factors - analysis of what shaped the film

Context
-Technology: 3D, internet, digital film network
-Economics
-Social: audiences, attendance

Digital Cinema Network
-£12 million scheme funded by the National Lottery
-Audiences are able to enjoy a wider range of film from their local cinema. This means that indie film producers can get their films into the cinemas - more people now attended cinema because a larger range of choice is made available
-Increase in specialised film screenings of up to 75000 people
-More choice for people with sight and hearing impediments
-Arts Council, UK charity
-People can upload their files to MegaUpload but it's illegal if they don't own the rights
-Films stay formulaic because Hollywood film-makers are afraid to take risks
-3D brings audience back in for franchise films
-Lack of money is being invested because of piracy
-Blockbusters are mainly watched online

Link your information to the question
-Pick out relevant points
-People aren't paying for films - in order to bring audiences back into cinemas, films are being released in 3D because it's harder to pirate. Critics think 3D is unnecessary and it takes awya the narrative because the film is centered around the spectacle

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

Digital Film Network (online distribution) helps independent companies get their films shown to more people - half a million films are traded every day
Because of 3D films, audiences don't want to be stuck with Blockbusters
Re-releases of previous Blockbusters in 3D franchise which leads to the studio making loads of money. Old footage can be converted to 3D to create a large profit for the film industry. This leads to economic exploitation with the heavy advertisement

Quick Quiz

21st Century Developments Name: ____Priscilla Nash__________________________  

  Fill in the circle beside the correct answer

1. What genres Films does 3D suit?
  Action Blockbusters - made the film look more dynamic and effective. Created spectacle
 
2. Did the UK digital cinema network succeed in exposing audiences to more varied types of films?
  Yes
  Independent films were being shown in cinemas which were giving audiences a larger variety of choice
 
 
3. Why has the film industry lost money from cinema attendance since 2000?
  broadband internet distribution
  illegal piracy
Films being leaked online is the start of online piracy, this allows audiences to watch films at home and not go out to the cinema for entertainment. This creates a decline in cinema attendance which yields the loss of money.
 

4. Is 3D successful in getting audiences back in the cinema?
  Yes
  It gives audiences the illusion of a new experience by the special effects used. it also hinders piracy because 3D films cannot be pirated and downloaded illegally
 
 
5. Does 3D have a negative impact on film production?
  Yes
Yes because 3D results in 30% colour loss, the quality of the film could be distorted and the special effects sometimes do not come off as well.
 
 
6. Which directors support 3D in their productions?
  James Cameron - Avatar (heavily reliant on 3D)
  Martin Scorcese - Hugo
 
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?
  Online through Netflix
  Cheaper to get into cinemas
  Harder to pirate

Mock Exam 2

 “Film censorship is motivated by fears about audiences and technologies.” Discuss this statement in reference to the concerns expressed about uncensored and unregulated video content in Britain in the early 1980s. [30 marks]

Film censorship was invented to "protect" audiences from explicit and inappropriate content that was shown in films and to also limit the probability of illegal downloading and piracy. The increase of VHS and home videos was becoming more popular which resulted in a decrease of cinema's economy.

Home video became the new and popular craze in which audiences could enjoy their films. This meant all films, and their content, could be accessible to people of any age. This meant that young children under the age of 18 could be watching inappropriate films that contain gore, violence and sexual scenes. This caused many people to buy home videos so they could watch said explicit content in the comfort of their own homes and not have to go to the cinema. The popularity among VHS and home video led to an economical damage in the film industry in the early 80's because people were not paying to go to the cinema anymore. The most explicit of films to be available on VHS contained copious amounts of gore, horror, blood, violence and sexual scenes were referred to as "Video Nasties". These Video Nasties were independent films and were not allowed to be shown in public cinemas due to their explicit content. These Video Nasties were popular because they were restricted. The BBFC created censorship so that audiences would not be exposed to such obscenities which could result in psychological damage - government and pressure groups decided what audiences should see. An example of a Video Nasty is Driller Killer.

These explicit Video Nasties created what was called a "moral panic". The conservative parties who were in power in the early 1980's (Margaret Thatcher being the leader) scapegoated the video nasties for the destructive behaviour that was going on among the people (which was actually because of the recession and economic hardship). These conservative parties also believed that the Video Nasties were seen as a threat to their current political views and promoted rebellion. Mary Whitehouse worked closely with Margaret Thatcher to try and put an end to the explicit content shown in Video Nasties and other media that was exposed on television in the early 80's. Video Nasties were influential which is what the government feared.

Half Term Homework

1) Why is 3D coming back? When was this tried before, what drove this back then and what is driving this now?
2. What is "Digital Cinema" and what are the benefits to studios & audiences?
3. In what ways is P- D - E of film changing in the 21st Century (since 2000?)
4. Why is Avatar and Pacific Rim such key important films - what are the directors views on 3D?
5. What are the competing debates surrounding piracy and online film (cine literate vs risk adverse Big Dumb Movies, artistic 2D cinematography or 3D set pieces)

1) 3D was first attempted in the late 1930s. All through the 1940s and early 1950s, 3D films were being made, but the 3D appeal properly launched and was adopted by the audiences in 1952 after the film Bwana Devil was released. In late 1953, 3D production started slowing down at it was eventually forgotten about. The Robe, September 1953, cinemascope. Simpler and cheaper than 3D. In 1971, The Stewardess 3D came back. Re-issues in early 1970s, house of wax, spacehunter, jaws 3D. IMAX 3D digital projection of films, Disney's chicken Little. 3D enhances the narrative of the films now. In 2009, James Cameron's Avatar re-launched the idea of 3D which was what everyone said the future would be built upon. The movie that demonstrates everything 3d can do - which is only a minimal amount.

3) Large amounts of money is spent on digital distrubution to advertise new film releases, even if the film budget itself wasn't huge. The internet is a huge resource in terms of advertising films. Trailers are the cheapest form of advertisement and the most effective. Marketing in the 21st century has become more sophisticated due to developments in technology, mainly the internet and other social media. Blu-ray and DVD have contributed largely to the exhibition of films in the 21st, profits made from DVD sales help the film industry get their money back. The invention of cable and satellite television allows audiences to watch films at home which could result in film piracy. Test screenings allow film-makers to see the quality of their films before they are shown to the public and to see if anything can be changed/improved.

4) Avatar and Pacific Rim are important films because they define what 3D cinema stands for; In 2009, James Cameron's "Avatar" was released and set the bar of expectations for 3D films. Many critics and a vast percentage of the general audience who saw the film said that "Avatar" wasn't just the future for 3D films, but the future for cinema as a whole. "Avatar" became the film that properly defined 3D. James Cameron is persistent on the development of 3D cinema and sees it as a positive commodity. Pacific Rim on the other hand was referred to as the film that initiated the decline of 3D cinema. The director of Pacific Rim, Guillermo del Toro, was reluctant on using 3D in this film because he thought it would take away the quality of the film and derive the audience away from the narrative. True enough, he was correct; certain CGI effects used in the film were distorted when shown in 3D and the quality of the film was tampered with. Guillermo del Toro decided to show Pacific Rim in 2D also so that audiences could decide for themselves whether they preferred 2D or 3D cinema.

5) Film industries are the ones who are responsible for leaking films online - not the consumers. However, it is the consumers' own fault for giving in to piracy and continuing to illegally watch films online.

What factors led to the decline of town or city centre cinemas in the late 1970s and early 1980s?

Due to the recession that was happening in throughout the 70s, cinema attendance decreased drastically because people were unable to afford cinema prices. Film industries (specifically Hollywood film makers) attempted to market and re-introduce people to cinema. Because the recession was so great in the 70s, it was mainly teenagers who could afford to go to the cinema which gave film makers the opportunity to create the hype around films and their new releases. In 1985, Hollywood film industries created the multiplex cinemas which was a place where large-scale Blockbuster films would be showcased. Multiplexes were mainly built in places like shopping centers to attract a large audience and primarily to make a profit. This new creation and its results ended up devaluing films, but due to their increasing popularity, young audiences still continued to attend, leaving independent cinemas to become less important and noticeable. The technology involved in production and film-making in the late 70s was improving/becoming more developed in these newly-introduced Hollywood Blockbusters which attracted a large scale audience. The film that launched this craze was Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (released in 1977); the special effects created by George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg contributed largely to the film's success because these elements in a film had never been seen before. This created spectacle and further pushed audiences to desire Hollywood Blockbusters. When the recession hit, people were reluctant to go to the cinema and watched films in their own homes on televisions, causing a decline in cinema attendance. Video piracy became more common throughout the late 1970s which damaged the film industry greatly; the lack of people going to the cinema meant film-makers lost large amounts of money. In 1982, ET was the most pirated film of all time - this devalued films and the principal of going to the cinema was rarely followed/appreciated.

The 1970s recession had a large impact on cinema attendance; the higher prices. Because of the three day week people were working due to lack of power and resources, cinema was one of the few leisures available and the prices were raised due to economic conditions.

Distribution contributed to the decline of town or city center cinemas in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In order to help promotion of new Blockbuster releases, the film industry sold a vast amount of merchandise, created many public posters and advertisements to appeal to the audience. By doing this, the audience were "buying" into the whole cinema experience, not just the film. The multiplexes which showcased these Hollywood Blockbusters was the most accessible place to buy merchandise, which contributed to the profits being made from Hollywood Blockbusters. This led to the decline of town or city center cinemas in the late 1970s and early 1980s because these cinemas did not have the resources/could not afford such large-scale merchandise to promote the films they're showing, causing them to lose popularity. Another factor that led to the decline of town and city center cinemas was that people were watching films on their home televisions instead of paying for the cinema. This was mainly due to the recession in Britain at the time because people could barely afford cinema prices, but it also created a hole in the film industry and led the downfall of cinema attendance. The 1970s British recession also affected cinema attendance because of the three-day-week due to lack of power and electricity, this damaged cinema economically because they could no longer showcase their films for as long as they usually would. Developments in technology also contributed to the decline of town or city center cinemas in the late 1970s and early 1980s; VHS and VCR made is easy for people to illegally pirate films and watch them at home instead of going to cinemas.

The heavy marketing and advertisements of Blockbusters brought back regular cinema attendance - hype was also created due to all the advertisements. Many teenagers were attracted to this and bought into the franchise of the film, along with the new multiplex cinemas that were now available. Star Wars: A New Hope was one of the first Hollywood Blockbuster films to be released that had large amounts of special effects - this caused it to be an event movie due to the large spectacle that had never been seen before. Despite the recession that was still going on, people (mainly teenagers) attended the cinema and purchased merchandise. Small town and city center cinemas were neglected because teenagers were buying into the franchise and were attending multiplex cinemas instead. Hollywood film-makers decided to built multiplex cinemas to make more money and so they would have a place to showcase their Blockbuster films - these were a huge success financially. The technology development of these multiplex cinemas also led to the decline of town or city center cinemas because the better quality of sound and special effects appealed to the younger audiences more.

Q1. What were the aims of the script & 9 key frames?
Q2. What codes and conventions identified in the textual analysis essay were used in the script & 9 key frames?
Q3. How was the location report used in the construction of the 9 key frames?
The council estate was chosen as my location as it also links to the actual Harry Brown film and therefore is a continuation through my prequel idea.

Q4. How successful was the script & 9 key frames in achieving the aims?
I decided to create a disruption scene, but now reflecting on it I could have been more congruent through telling this in the script.

Tuesday 25th March 2014 - Video Nasties

Video Nasties

-Quality on pirated films were horrible
-Tapes were being advertised for people to record
-Censorship in horror films - is it okay to show graphic images? Unregulated and uncensored
-Video nasties were available for the first time in the UK around the mid 80's

-Film censorship is motivated by fears about audiences and technologies
-Video certificated and age restrictions
-Censorship was very much honed in on and strict
-Before video nasties came about, boundaries were very rarely pushed
-When you distribute pirated films, it becomes illegal
-VHS's wear out over time
-If you copy two VHS's it becomes a criminal act

Video Nasties - Censorship
-Graphic gore and violence
-Horror films
-Explicit sex scenes
-Rape scenes
-Spectacle
-Couldn't be shown in cinemas due to censorship, they were indie films that were shown on VHS
-Video Nasties were popular because they were restricted
-Government and pressure groups deciding what audiences should see

-VHS then was equivalent to the internet nowdays
-British Board of Film Classification = BBFC
-The reason you have censorship is so it doesn't effect people; people may act upon it. An example of this is Clockwood Orange

-Video Nasties case study on the 1980's - very few people had seen the films and were calling it out as "morally wrong". Conservative pressure groups were right wing, held traditional values, were mainly upper class and claimed to be "protecting" audiences with censorship
-The Nanny State - upper class people making decisions for everyone. The government has ultimate control
-Moral Panic

Video Nasties
-Driller Killer, Cannibal Holocaust
-Gruesome, extreme - packaging was explicit
-No censorship which meant that children could be exposed to this material
-"People indulged in the thrill of the forbidden"
-BVA
-1982 - cuts were made
-Mary Whitehouse - friends with Maragret Thatcher
-The fear of something supernatural and evil
-Video nasties influenced moral decline
-Campaigns led to the Obscene Complications Act
-1982 - police took 22000 casettes to be withdrawn from distribution
-Video Nasties were an extravaganza of gory violence
-The Video Nasties List - obscene films

Technology - Home Video
Political
-Conservative government sought to protect.
-Regulated videos to have age restrictions
-Morality, video nasties, censorship
Social
-Riots, campaigns against video nasties; Mary Whitehouse, Margaret Thatcher, the media and the BBFC.
-The above mentioned scapegoated the video nasties for immoral behaviour which led to a moral panic
Economic
-Cinema attendance declined massively due to the rise of VHS
-Video Nasties like Evil Dead, I Spit On Your Grave and Driller Killer were realistic because they were low budget
-Video Nasties were niche films and really popular
-There were restrictions on re-makes
-Video Nasties were influential
-Watching video nasties helps put it in context of narrative
-Video Nasties were made for distribution only via home-video
-Censorship or individual judgement
Video Nasties created diversity of films

Class notes - Friday 21st March 2014

What factors led to the decline of town or city center cinemas in the late 1970's and early 1980's?
-In your response, include: multiplexes, Jaws, Blockbusters, Star Wars, attendance numbers, VHS, home video, ET, The Godfather, PDE

-Write one paragraph for Production, one paragraph for Distribution and one paragraph for Exhibition. Include context in each paragraph

-Introduction must include: your biggest points for each context.
-Devaluation of films-multiplexes in shopping centers-money making scheme-exhibition
-ILM- George Lucas, Stephen Spielberg

-Blockbusters were made to fill multiplexes
-Multiplexes were made to show more blockbusters

Class notes - Tuesday 18th March 2014

-Collect evidence from texts
-How did the rise of Blockbusters and Multiplexes affect PDE?

-Technology created an event movie, e.g. Star Wars
-Economic aspects; Jaws was heavily advertised
-Hollywood Film Studios invented Multiplexes
-For an A grade, talk about context and cinema attendance
-Recession in the 1970's led to the decrease of cinema attendance
-People become dependent on Multiplexes
-Multiplexes create the illusion of choice
-Do multiplexes devalue films and create a separate experience?

Political context in the 1970's
-Character restricted
-Britain was in complete chaos
-3 day week due to lack of energy

Exhibition includes VHS, Piracy, Social, Technological, Economical

Social context in the 1970's
-Because power-cuts and lack of resources were frequent, cinema attendance declined drastically
-Hype influenced cinema attendance in the late 70's and early 80's
-It was mainly children and teenagers who went to the cinema because the adults were working

Technological context in the 1970's
-Multiplex cinemas
-Growth of TV ownership and growth of VHS nearly killed cinema

Economic
-Box office
-With growth of car ownership, people had choice of less traditional entertainment
-Cinema admission

Rough essay plan

What factors led to the decline of town or city centre cinemas in the late 1970s and early 1980s?

In my response I need to include: multiplex, Jaws, Blockbusters, Star Wars, attendance numbers, VHS, home video, ET, The gODFATHER, PDE

Due to the recession that was happening in throughout the 70s, cinema attendance decreased drastically because people were unable to afford cinema prices. Film industries (specifically Hollywood film makers) attempted to market and re-introduce people to cinema. Because the recession was so great in the 70s, it was mainly teenagers who could afford to go to the cinema which gave fim makers the opportunity to create the hype around films and their new releases. In 1985, Hollywood film industries created the multiplex cinemas which was a place where large-scale Blockbuster films would be showcased. Multiplexes were mainly built in places like shopping centers to attract a large audience and primarily to make a profit. This new creation and its results ended up devaluing films, but due to their increasing popularity, young audiences still continued to attend, leaving independent cinemas to become less important and noticeable. The technology involved in production and film-making in the late 70s was improving/becoming more developed in these newly-introduced Hollywood Blockbusters which attracted a large scale audience. The film that launched this craze was Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (released in 1977); the special effects created by George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg contributed largely to the film's success because these elements in a film had never been seen before. This created spectacle and further pushed audiences to desire Hollywood Blockbusters. When the recession hit, people were reluctant to go to the cinema and watched films in their own homes on televisions, causing a decline in cinema attendance. Video piracy became more common throughout the late 1970s which damaged the film industry greatly; the lack of people going to the cinema meant film-makers lost large amounts of money. In 1982, ET was the most pirated film of all time - this devalued films and the principal of going to the cinema was rarely followed/appreciated.

PDE Qualities and values

Production
-Test screenings
-VFX Studio
-Legal
-Producer and writer
-Artists and designers


Distribution
-Marketing
-Youtube/Vimeo = advertisements
-Web distributor
-Film lab
-DVD retailer
-Merchandising
-Distributor

Exhibition
-Youtube/Vimeo = advertisements
-Web distributor
-Cable/Satellite TV
-DVD retailer
-Film subscription service
-Multiplex cinema

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?
What reasons was cinema attendance low? (Technologies and Audience Leisure Patterns)

1) The first multiplex in the UK was in Milton Keynes
2) The attendance of cinema audiences at this time was on a constant decline due to the recession
3) Star Wars (1977), Jaws (1975), The Godfather (1972)
4) Because it gave a new experience and gave the illusion of more chice
5) In shopping centers to attract more audiences and potentially make more money
6) Because multiplexes gave audiences more choice and had a lot more to offer which pushed independent cinemas aside, causing the general public to become dependent on multiplex cinemas for entertainment and a new experience
7) Distrubution costs less and multiplexes had more to offer with merchandise and commercial resources (restaurants, arcades, etc)
8)

Mark Kermode and the Multiplex

What are the arguments about the multiplex?
What is PDE?

-Multiplex audiences are smart; they can keep up with complex narratives and properly written stories.
-Multiplex cinemas' main goals are to make money
-Multiplex cinemas give audiences more choice but shouldn't have to put independent cinemas out of business
-People may eventually become dependent on multiplexes
-Audiences have high expectations when it comes to multiplex cinemas
-Hollywood film makers keep creating ideas for the multiplex (3D ticket prices)

PDE = Production, Distribution, Exhibition

Class notes - Tuesday 4th March 2014

-Big Dumb Movies include CGI over story-lines (style over substance)
-SPECTACLE; something you don't see everyday
-Directors need to focus on the story-line
-Big Dumb Movies encourage people to go to the cinema more
-Piracy
-Jaws was the first event movie
-Lots of money is spent on marketing - selling the audience an experience
-Make your budget newsworthy, that will make it an event movie
-Spends loads of money on a film to get more money, adds to the hype
-Audience is bought into the franchise so they keep seeing terrible films
-An actor is part of the marketing process
-Blockbusters are a Mcfilm - easily repeated process that is mass produced
-McDonald's always tastes the same, like the Hollywood Blockbusters

What is the value of the Blockbuster formula?
-People are paying to see advertisement
-Product placement
-Guaranteed return

Contexts
-Social
-Technology
-Economic

-Context means "justify" or "give reason for"
-Audience want spectacle
-Films dominated by CGI make it look like a new experience - cinemas are losing money because of piracy
-You can't pirate 3D. Different experience from what the director intended. Different atmosphere and quality
-All films are pre-sold now, definite fanbase

Class notes

Class notes - Tuesday 11th February 2014

$220 million - Avengers Assemble
$225 million - Dead Man's Chest
$225 million - Prince Caspian
$230 million - The Amazing Spiderman
$237 million - Avatar
$250 million - Half-Blood Prince
$250 million - John Carpenter
$258 million - Spider Man 3 (the most expensive Spiderman movie)
$260 million - Tangled
$300 million - At World's End

-All the films listed above are Hollywood movies, widely advertised and are either reboots, sequels, prequels
-The average cost of a Hollywood Blockbuster would be around $245.5 million
-If the film doesn't make the same amount of money or more than the budget, it may be considered as a flop
-They all have massive fan bases
-Advertising is included in the production budget

Formulaic structure to Hollywood films

Why are Hollywood films so formulaic?

-Don't know how to break away from original storyline

-Film piracy and the internet

-CGI = money. All you're left with characters and story

-The economy

-There's a difference between analysing reasons and context

-Recession

-3D

-Online reviews

The context effects the making and the experience of watching cinema

What is the "Film Flop Formula"?

-In order for a movie to make it's money back, it has to take 2 times what it costs

-The budget has to be big enough so it was newsworthy

-Special effects have to be included in the film

-The film mustn't be a comedy

-The film needs to have at least one A-list star

-DVD sales will help the movie get it's money back

-If you follow the rules you won't lose money

-Film makers should take risks using the Film Flop Formula because they know that as long as they stick to the rules they won't lose money

-The budget doesn't guarantee success, it depends on the quality of the film

-Story-line over effects - a budget can weaken a film because it could ruin audience's expectations

-The star's demanding fee could be a huge part of the production budget

Class notes - Tuesday 4th February 2014

Script Feedback

-I put INT and EXT in the correct places

-My script represented the MACRO well

Content included in the Level 4 Mark Scheme

-Use of film terminology and applying stereotypes, shows deep understanding of how scripts are created, conveying controversial ideas

-Relates to your chosen MACRO

-Showing your creativity through planning, key frames and possibly making the sequence

-Acknowledging the terms involved in film-making

-Themes and messages are clearly conveyed are clearly conveyed throughout the film

-Deadlines are met and work is complete/checked to a high quality

-Film language is a MICRO

-9 Key Frames are more important than your script

-Make an effort with location and actors

Identify requirements of MES for your sequel/re-boot

-Ladder

-Glass bottle of "drugs"

-Open space of field or greenery

-Table

-Backpack

-Dark lighting to show thee underground world

-Dark and low lighting for the scene set at night

-Girl wearing white clothes to represent/symbolise innocence and virginity

Class notes - Tuesday 28th January 2014

-Dialogue moves the story along
-Characterisation
-Classic Hollywood Narrative is built around character motivation

Django Unchained clip
-To understand what segregation was like in those days but the dialogue makes it more extreme
-"Like I said, who's this nigger up on that nag?" Demonstrating that there's hierarchy within the same race. "You two should hate each other"
-"And you- you old decrepit bastard...are gonna show them hospitality. Do you understand that?" Calvin Candie has jurisdiction over Stephen and in his dialogue he gives orders and has authority

Film dialogue is stylised and not real

Juno Sequel
-Has main characters, Juno's baby, principal, adoptive parent
-Juno's only been recently introduced into her child's life
-Juno's appearance has an effect on Britney
-Conflict between the principal and Juno
-Conflict between Juno and the adoptive mother
-The argument in the dialogue is the disruption
-Division of class with Juno and the principal

Class notes - Tuesday 21st January 2014

Script Writing Tips
-Everything said must move the story forward
-No "ums" or "errs"
-Dialogue must be short and mustn't be long-winded sentences.
-Include lots of sentence fragments
-Mimick how people really talk
-Be mysterious in your dialogue - it keeps the audience's attention

Class notes - Friday 17th January 2014

What to include in your pitch:
-What is going to happen
-Genre and location
-What MACRO are your reinforcing?

You need dialogue because
1) The story demands dialogue to move it forward
2) Characterization - psychological motivation
-To understand why the character does everything they say/do

Blockbuster Trailers and explanation

The God-Father was classed as a Hollywood Blockbuster because it has a load of A-list stars.
It didn't have loads of special effects

Jaws didn't have special/visual effects and was the first event movie
Jaws was character driven and didn't entirely rely on style
Didn't have a simplistic story-line
Merchandise and marketing
HYPE

Star Wars (A New Hope) "defined" the Blockbuster
Beginning of the formulaic film structure

Recession was going on in the UK. People lost their job, didn't have dollar so they stayed at home and watched telly instead.
Teenagers were a profitable audience and were the ones going out to socialise
Before blockbusters came about, cinema attendance went down
Spending money on cinema goes back to the film studios
Multiplex cinemas were invented by American film studios to help lure the audiences back to the cinema. Invested in this idea.
ILM- George Lucas and Steven Spielberg

Post-it notes of Blockbuster context

Social, Technological and Economic aspects of Blockbusters

Location Report

The following images are the two locations I will be using for my dystopia reboot of Moonrise Kingdom.
The first location is a downstairs hall/basement of a church in Greenwich - this will be where the scene of underground world would be set. These photographs were taken at night which is the time that the scene will be set to fully illustrate the darkness and bleak lives the underground people are living in. These pictures were taken with most of the lights on but in the reboot sequence certain lights will be turned off to create the eerie, depressing and uncomfortable atmosphere. I think that the first part of the underground scene where Gabe is set at a table should take place on the stage which is lit by a single light, creating an intimate atmosphere. This reinforces the MACRO of my textual analysis with the representation of childhood being altered - the young children handling and exchanging drugs shows their rebellion and detour from an innocent childhood.
The health and safety aspects of this location are making sure the actors do not injure themselves when getting on and off the stage and that they are careful when going up and down the wooden steps to avoid injury.
There will be at least two people in this underground scene and a maximum of six people.

The second location I will be using for my dystopian reboot of Moonrise Kingdom is Stone Recreation Ground. This will be used to film the scene where Gabe and Andrea meet up to exchange the pharmaceuticals. Although these pictures are taken during the day, the scene will be set at night to represent the secretive acts Gabe and Andrea are committing by meeting. I also chose this location because the large amount of space would make the characters look inferior and clearly illustrate the fact that they're only children. I chose to set this scene at night to portray that they're carrying out adult tasks by performing a drug exchange when they're only thirteen. This links to my MACRO study which is how representation of childhood becomes both altered and conformed to.

There are no health and safety precautions for this location. but the weather is an aspect that needs to be considered. 

There will only be two characters in this part of my Moonrise Kingdom reboot so only two actors will be used. 

The Walking Dead Movie

A-Lister: Andrew Lincoln

Spectacle: The society of the film is in reverse; it's the zombies who are seen as normality and the humans who are inferior. The zombies 

Set piece: The humans are the ones who are struggling for survival

Half Term Homework; Task 1

Released in 1975, Jaws was the first event movie in the history of cinema. It was also the first film to be released internationally at near enough the same time. Jaws already had an existing fanbase due to the novel of the same name published a year earlier which helped the film gain popularity and also gave advertisers a chance to extend the merchandise to wider audiences. Jaws became the largest earning movie within that time period. It was the first movie ever to go past the 100 million dollar box office and collected numerous awards due to it's massive success. To this day Jaws is still classed as one of the most revolutionary films to exist

What are the characteristics of a blockbuster?
A blockbuster is a film with great financial success
Elements of a blockbuster:
Franchise
Event movie
Blur between video game and movie experience.
Non CHN
Literature
Great advertisement
Other Sources
Wide audience appeal
Post-genre
'Stars' (However not always a guarantee).
Producer/Director (Still not always a guarantee, reputation and style can affect this).
Global Appeal
Culture Neutral
Simple Characterizations
Stereotypes followed
Save the world
Love interests
Spectacle, CGI, production and pyrotechnics.
Visual film or dialogue based.
Branding (Helps continuity).
Merchandise
Pre-existing audience

Task 3: Mark Kermode

1) What are the criticisms of Big Dumb Movies?
2) What is your stand point on this - how did we get to the point where the cinema is dominated by these films?

1)
-The main criticisms of "Big Dumb Movies" is that they are hyped up and heavily reliant on CGI and special effects.
-If you spend a large amount of money your film becomes a big event movie.
-In some cases, in order for the film to not be classed as a flop the budget has to be newsworthy.
-The budget doesn't guarantee success, it depends on the quality of the film
-Not all Blockbusters have to be dumb just because they are release in the summer where all the supposedly exciting films are to be released
-The summer is usually the time when people go out to the cinema and spend money on film, causing Big Dumb Blockbusters to be hugely successful. For example, Mark Kermode reviews Pearl Harbour as a terrible film, but the fact it was released during the summer helped it make money
-The first massive summer blockbuster was Jaws

2) My stand-point on this is that the makers of Hollywood Blockbusters are so contempt in their comfort zone they keep repeating the same story-line and adding more special effects to the film, they've lost heart about actually making a decent film which is why there are a lot of "Big Dumb Movies". If writers, producers and directors put as much time and effort into the story-line of a movie as the special effects they use, there would be amazing-quality films and if more risks were taken with characters, budget and other aspects of movie making, there wouldn't be repetitive story-lines and bored audiences.

Task 2: Characteristic of Blockbusters - Robocop review

Newly released Blockbuster I went to see - Robocop

-The post-genre of the 2014 remake of Robocop would br something close to a science-fiction action movie
-The reboot of the movie Robocop was heavily reliant on CGI and visual effects to emphasize the futuristic aspects of the film.
-The main target audience of this film was males aged around 15-25
-This reboot was supposed to be an "event movie" due to it's existing fan-base and the huge success of the 1987 original, but the lack of advertisement disallowed the reboot to be hyped up
-This re-make was just about classes as a big budgeted movie with the budget of an estimated $100,000,000
-Robocop 2014 was not star-driven, but did have one A-list star which was Samuel L. Jackson. Without him in the movie, the film would have been considered a "flop" because it did not conform to all the conventions in the Mark Kermode's Film Flop Formula. Another aspect of the film that contributed to it's downward spiral was the director, Jose' Padilha, who is not widely known and doesn't have a history of making widely known films (or that many films at all for that matter)
-This film was not heavily advertised, marketed or hyped up which could lead to a large decline in sales and making double the amount of money spent on the budget. The lack of well-known actors resulted in audiences being resistant to wanting to see the re-make. There was also a lack of merchandise prior to the film's release
-The Robocop reboot was heavily character-driven and followed the protagonist for the duration of the film in a way so the audience understands his motives and reasons for personal gain. Classic Hollywood Narrative was applied heavily in the story-line of this film
-Visual excess and set pieces over story-line was a trait that followed throughout the film - the heavy use of cinematography and CGI outweighed the narrative, possibly to distract the audience from the fact that there was hardly any narrative to be followed
-There was already an existing fanbase from the 1987 original so this re-make has a large expectation to live up to.

Rough Draft of Script

New Script Ideas

Questions

1) How do you start a scene?
2) What do these opening script instructions mean?
3) What do you write in capitals?
4) INT or EXT?

1) Transitions - editing techniques
2) The description of the scene and what's happening; the positioning of the characters and their stage directions.
3) Location and character names
4) INT means the scene is taken place inside (interior) and EXT means the scene is taking place outside (exterior)

Rough Script Idea

Sam's step-mother Helen is washing dishes in the kitchen with her back to the door.
Sam enters the kitchen and stands in front of the door

Sam: There's something that's been bugging me and i must ask you a question
Helen: What?
Sam: Why don't you like me? Is it my personality?
Helen: No
Sam: My glasses?
Helen: No, Sam, It's not your glasses
Sam: Then how come you haven't been nice to me since you moved in?
Helen: I don't need to explain myself to a stupid, whiny khaki-scout reject of a kid
*Sam walks up to Helen until he is standing next to her at the sink*
Sam: Personally, I don't know why Captain Sharpe finds you attractive. Also, I resigned from the scouts. There's a difference
Helen: Why are you still talking?
Sam: You're not that smart, have no common intrests and probably only in it for the money
*Helen slams down a plate that she's holding and scrunches down to Sam's level*
Helen: Watch it kid, keep talking to me like that and i'll make sure you get sent to an orphanage
*Sam leaves the kitchen, runs to his bedroom and grabs pen and paper. He begins to write a letter*
Sam: Dear Suzy...

Elevator Pitch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_pXrEgAKz0&feature=youtu.be

Class notes - Friday 10th January 2014

For end of module
-Have your draft of sequel script
-Page per minute of screen time

By next week
-Record your elevator pitch - 30 seconds

Iconic moment; narrator's appearance
Representation of childhood becomes both altered and conformed to

Final idea for Moonrise Kingdom Sequel
-One year later: Captain Sharpe gets married, providing Sam with a step-mother. Blinded by love, Captain Sharpe is oblivious to the terrible way she treats Sam. Sam and Suzy devise a plan to expose her by using their childish antics (Sam's scout training, Suzy's scissors and binoculars). Captain Sharpe confronts his wife at a family event and realises he actually married his fiance's mad twin sister by mistake. All is revealed and Sam gets his loving family. Narrator appears - iconic moment

Moonrise Kingdom Sequel Ideas

Genre: Comedy drama
Protagonists: Sam and Suzy

Ideas
-Sam and Suzy are now a grown up married couple
-One (or both) of them goes away to college, they'll be separated
-One year on, Suzy has to move away/go away for a little while to get better with her mental health. The both continue to write letters to each other like they did in the first movie
-Suzy's parents finally separate and she has to go away from time to time
-Captain Sharpe gets married, providing Sam with a step-mother. Blinded by love, Captain Sharpe is oblivious to the terrible way Sam is being treated by his new step-mother. Sam and Suzy attempt to expose her

Class notes - Thursday 17th December 2013

Coursework
40% = Textual analysis
10% = Planning - Recce - Location Report
30% = Prequel/Sequel, 9 key frames/script
20% = Evaluation

Iconic Moment
-Defining moment that changes the direction of the film. Emphasizes the theme.
-Something for the audience to be familiar with
-Alien iconic moment; the alien bursting out of they guy's stomach
-Lord of The Rings iconic moment; the ring/Gollum

Prequels are about making money
The back story of the prequel links up to the original film - narrative threads

MICRO's
Mise-en-scene
-creates symbolism
-Location/setting/set design/space
-Costume
-Props
-Colours
-Lighting

Cinematography
-Lighting
-Camera angles
-Shot types

Class notes - Friday 13th December 2013

Think of V, Sutler, Fingermen, The Resistance, Theo and Jasper. Do they reinforce or challenge stereotypes?

-V has feminine traits because he dances, enjoys music and cries when Evey leaves him
-Theo shows his nurturing side when he helps Kee take care of the baby. Challenges stereotype because he fits a motherly role of nurturing and care

-The heroes don't conform to the male stereotype, where as the other male characters do. For example, the priest is driven by sex and Sid is shown as quite aggressive towards the females. Theo and V hold feminine traits; V enjoys dancing and arts whereas Theo is very paternal and nurturing.

Femininity
Women are quite masculine; Evey has her hair shaved and gives birth to the revolution. In Children of Men, women are seen as weak and dependent on men

National Identity
Fascist views in the past - V for Vendetta referring to Nazi Germany. Children of Men is futuristic

Class notes - Tuesday 10th December 2013

Similarities in V for Vendetta and Children of Men
-Dystopia
-Thriller
-Themes of government conspiracy
-Terrorism
-Oppression
-Narrative

Class notes - Tuesday 2nd December 2013

Genre
-Determines what category the film is in
-What makes Children of Men a thriller?
-What is a thriller?
-What makes V for Vendetta?
-Genre changes over time
-Can be merged to make a hybrid genre

-Look at the use of acting/casting - what does it add to the narrative?
-Genre is heavily influenced by the music
-Find key scenes that demonstrate genre conventions the most effectively
-What genre are these films?
-Using genre from a critical perspective, compare both films and how the use genre
-Which conforms more to the genre and why?
-How do they apply to concept of genre?
-Four key scenes from each film to make a point

Perfectionist shot
-Actors can make a good-looking movie
-Talks a lot about directors
-Visuals, effects and story
-Surrealism

Dystopian sci-fi in V for Vendetta in the clip "Pathogen path to power"

Class notes - Tuesday 26th November 2013

Mock Exam will be comparing Children of Men and V for Vendetta.
Talk about key scenes from both films

Sequel Idea for Children of Men
-The people on "The Tomorrow" help Kee and her baby get on the boat but they realise she's an immigrant, take her baby and put her in one of the deportation cages

Style reinforces the atmosphere of the film
-We see the film from Theo's bleak perspective
-The world is dead which is reflected in the colours used in the film
-Style ties in with the narrative

Stock Characters in Children of Men
-Theo is portrayed as the byronic/reluctant hero
-Jasper is seen as a father figure to Theo
-Kee's stock character is the damsel in distress
-The police in this film are a reflection of society in this film which is corrupt
-Luke's stock characters are the town bully, tycoon and rake
-Sid is portrayed to be the super soldier

V for Vendetta is stylised and non-realistic

Wreck It Ralph clip
-Human centered: individual characters are the casual agents of the narrative
-Is driven by desire - the narrative defines a lack or need

Children of Men doesn't conform to the Classic Hollywood Narrative because the hero doesn't get the girl, the final scene of the film is open ended, not determining whether things will change or not