Tuesday 22 April 2014

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

Monday 21 April 2014

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.


Tuesday 1 April 2014

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.