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