Section A: Producers & Audiences

Fm2: Section A: Producers & Audiences EASTER CASE STUDY

The British Film Industry

Research:

http://www.cinemauk.org.uk/ukcinemasector/ukcinema-sitesandscreens/ukmultiplexsitesandscreens2000-2009/

How many multiplex cinemas were there in the UK by 2009?       

•  2735

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/gallery/2010/jan/22/10-best-independent-cinemas#/?picture=358359632&index=1

Look at the top 10 independent cinemas and explain what you think the appeal of such cinemas is compared to the multiplex.

·         I believe these top 10 independent cinemas have a much greater appeal compared to multiplex cinemas as they cater for all your needs. With most of these 10 cinemas you can buy alcoholic drinks from the bar and take those in with you or better still have a waiter do it for you. With delicious homemade food also being provided and easier access to tickets what could be better? The seating is also much more comfy than a multiplex with sofas and padded chairs. Overall I think these independent cinemas offer a much better experience of cinema and a greater deal for your money.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/7906746/Cinema-to-come-to-the-village-hall-with-1.2m-Film-Council-scheme.html

Read the article.

How might this exhibition opportunity it be a helpful thing for the UK film industry?

·         This will defiantly be a helpful thing for the UK film industry as it will boost profit makings and pull in a wider audience for more independent films. Furthermore it will also pull in a greater audience for people who perhaps don’t have a cinema close enough to their homes but enjoy going to see films.

The UK Film Council

http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/about

Summarise what the UK film council is and how it supports UK film. 

·         The UK film council ensures the economic, cultural and educational side of film are represented effectively and appropriately. It is a government backed agency.  

Give examples of 4 films that have been supported by the UK film council.

·         This is England

·         Touching the void

·         The wind that shakes the barley

·         Man on wire

What is the Digital Screen network initiative and what does it mean for UK film?

·         The digital screen network is a £12million investment which equips 240 screens across 210 cinemas in the UK with digital projection technology. This means for that non-mainstream film can now be shown in cinemas which reaches out to a wider audience.

What else can be screened at cinemas now due to digital screens? 

·         Independent films, documentaries, resorted classics and foreign films.

How may this aid the cinema industry?

·         This will aid the cinema industry in a huge way as cinemas will now reach out to a much wider audience as they are able to show a wider range of films.

Why is the closure of the UK film council regarded as a concern for the film industry?

·         It is a concern for the film industry as the UK film council ensure cultural and educational issues are represented effectively. Also the film council offer funding which would not be available if the council closes therefore less films can be made.

UK Film companies:

http://warp.net/films

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warp_Films

·         Warp Films is one of the most respected and creative independent film companies.

·         The company was launched in 2001. The company leads the way in exciting British film making. Wraps first film was ‘My wrongs’ by Chris Morris which went on to win the best short film award at the BAFTAS. Warp is also closely associated with Chris Cunningham who was responsible for the videos ‘Come to daddy’ and ‘Windowlicker’.  

·         Warp is based in London, Sheffield and now also Melbourne.  

• Warp is responsible for many films such as:

Ø  Rubber Johnny (Dir: Chris Cunningham - 2005)

Ø  Scummy Man (Dir: Paul Fraser - 2006) (short film/music video)

Ø  This Is England (Dir: Shane Meadows - 2006)

Ø  Grow Your Own (Dir: Richard Laxton - 2007)

Ø  Dog Altogether (Dir: Paddy Considine - 2007) (short film)

Ø  Fur TV (Dir: Chris Waitt - 2008)

Ø  A Complete History of My Sexual Failures (Dir: Chris Waitt - 2008)

Ø  Arctic Monkeys At the Apollo (Dir: Richard Ayoade - 2008)

Ø  Donkey Punch (Dir: Oliver Blackburn - 2008)

·         Wrap films has a small budget which comes from NESTA

·         Many wrap films have gone on to win BAFTA awards such as the Chris Morris film ‘Four lions’.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_Title_Films

http://www.workingtitlefilms.com/

·         Working Title Films is a British film production company

·         The company was first co-founded by producers Tim Bevan and Sarah Radclyffe in 1983 then in 1992 PolyGram became the company’s corporative banker.   

·         The company is based in London

·         Working title films responsible for films such as:

Ø  Nanny McPhee

Ø  Paul

Ø  Shaun of the dead

Ø  Senna

·         Funding from Universal

Cinema admissions

http://www.cinemauk.org.uk/ukcinemasector/admissions/annualukcinemaadmissions1935-2009/

Using the above link what can you say about cinema attendance in the UK?

• The attendance of cinema in the UK gradually began to decline in 1984 to an all time low of just 54 million. Since then the introduction of multiplex and high concept movies the attendance has now rose again.

TV Film Channels

Film4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Film4_share_of_viewing.png

How has the move from subscription channel to free to air increased potential audiences to independent films?

·         As the channel if now free it is available to more people therefore a wider audience watch the channel causing a wider audience to watch the independent films.

Search the internet for 2 examples of UK film festivals that take place each year.  Give an overview of the 2 festivals covering dates, locations, types of films, examples of what happens.

·         Cambridge film festival was first established in 1977 and has been committed to delivering high quality independent films to the widest possible audience.  The main venue is the Arts picture house. This years festival will take place between 15^th and 15^th September.

·         Edinburgh international film festival has been around for 65 years. Past premiers at Edinburgh film festival include: Blade Runner, ET, Back to the future and Pulp fiction. The festival takes place over a range of different cinemas in the area such as  the film house and cineworld.

How important are film festivals in your opinion?

·         For me I believe film festivals are very important. They allow you to say a range of different films you perhaps wouldn’t go to see at the cinema. Furthermore they allow small companies or independent films to reach out to a wider audience, also normal people can summit their films which could lead to them having a huge career in the film industry.

New Hollywood

New Hollywood refers to the period from early 1960 to early 1980. A new generation of film makers arrived influencing the types of films produced, their production and marketing. The films they made were part of the studio system. They introduced subject matter and styles that set them apart from the studio traditions. 


Following the Paramount case attempts were made to try and keep the audiences interested such as widescreen, 3D, techni-colour and sound improvements. However these were generally not successful in increasing profits. By the mid 60's studios reached seriously low levels. By the time the baby boomers were coming of age studios did not know how to appeal to this teen audience. The studios began to bring in new young directors who brought a sense of excitement back to cinema. 


At this point realism became very important in style. Many films were anti-establishment. Sex, drugs and rock&roll


The most significant film of new Hollywood was 'Bonnie and Clyde' produced by Warren Beatty who also stared in the film. The films mix of graphic violence, sex and humor as well as its theme of glamorous disaffected youth was a hit with audiences, and received Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress and Best Cinematography.

The hays code

The black swan
Released 21/1/2011
Classified 15

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/BFF273237

BLACK SWAN is a film about a young New York based prima ballerina, portraying her psychological deterioration while preparing for her first leading role. The film was classified '15' for strong sex, strong language and bloody injury.

The film contains a number of scenes of strong sex and sexual activity. In one scene, the lead character appears to receive oral sex from another ballerina. The scene does not include any sexualised nudity or sight of genitalia or breasts. The scene does, however, present a strong impression of a sexual act. The film also includes scenes of implied masturbation, but again without any strong detail. The BBFC's Guidelines at '15' state that 'Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail'.

The film also shows some sight of bloody injuries. These include a stabbing and some self inflicted wounds. Although occasionally bloody there is no strong detail of the infliction of any injuries. At '15' the Guidelines state that 'Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable'.

The film includes frequent use of strong language, including aggressive and sexual uses. At '15' the Guidelines state that 'There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, 'fuck')'.

The film also includes a sequence in which two characters take an unspecified drug in a nightclub. The effect on one of the characters is for her to become disorientated and to experience hallucinations. The Guidelines at '15' state that 'Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse'.

127 Hours 

Released 7/1/2011

Classified 15

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/AFF274267

127 HOURS is a survival drama based on the true story of Aron Ralston who suffers a fall while canyoneering alone in a remote part of Utah and finds himself in a narrow ravine with his right arm trapped by a boulder. The film was classified '15' for one scene of strong gory injury and strong language.

Aron's predicament, as he suffers the effects of thirst, hunger and cold, becomes increasingly tense and desperate and begins to take a toll on his mental state. Realizing that he is likely to die in the ravine, Aron makes a desperate decision which offers him the only means of surviving. The outcome presents a scene which places a focus on self-inflicted strong gory injury. The BBFC's Guidelines at '15' state that 'Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable'. The injury is not the result of violence as such, but is self-inflicted out of necessity and although there are moments of graphic detail in the scene, they are not dwelt upon for sensationalist reasons but to show the real-life extremes to which an individual had to go in order to survive. Those intending to see the film are advised that the scene carries the potential to cause distress and physical discomfort.

There are several uses of strong language in the film, most of them uttered by Aron as expressions of anger, frustration and helplessness in the course of his ordeal. The Guidelines allow for the 'frequent use of strong language (for example, 'fuck')' at '15'.

The war genre

Codes and conventions

• Usually war films focus on 5 main characters and follows the story of one character, these are usually soldiers. Other characters that can be found in war films could include: villains, heroes, civilians, a leader and the challenger and usually there is a comic character. 
• Locations that are generally associated with the war genre include beaches, trenches, baron landscapes and also Iraq as that is where war is taking place at the moment. 

• There are many iconic objects and symbols that people would expect to find in a war film: flags, sandbags, weapons, bombs, vehicles, uniform (determines two sides), medals

• War films use dramatic music to create atmosphere and make the audience feel an emotion. Visually everything is very dark to represent the consequences of war as dark colour are usually associated with death.
• The narrative of a war genre usually consists of somebody dieing. We then see how their friend copes with their death, we see their life story (home life). There is usually a sense of battrle and sometimes a resolution
• As for the stars of the war genre they generally consists of a strong, athletic, masculine male.
• Actors seen in war films: Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson

Todorov's Theory

Tadorov's 3 key acts: Equilibrium - Disruption - New Equilibrium


A film that follows the 3 act structure -
Juno series follows this structure:
The equilibrium is that Juno is a happy teenager
The disruption is that Juno gets pregnant
The new equilibrium is that Juno gives her baby up for adoption
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuN0Z65sp5c


A film that does not follow the 3 act structure -

M*A*S*H 1970 A closer look at Robert Altman

1. Who is Robert Altman?
American film director Robert Bernard Altman was born in Kansas City, Missouri on Febuary 20th 1925 and died November 20th 2006. Altman entered film as a whim selling to RKO the script for the 1948 picture Bodyguard. This immediate succesus encouraged Altman to move to New York where he attempted to forge a career as a writer. He returned to Kansas City in 1949 where he accepted a job as a director and writer of industry films for the Calvin Company. In 1956 a local buisness man hired Altman to write and direct a feature film in Kansas City on Juvinile delinquency. The finished product (The delinquents) made $60, 000 was purchased for $15, 000 and released in 1957. 1969 was the year Altman was offered the script for M*A*S*H Altman agreed to direct the project. The stars of the film Elliot Gould and Donald Sutherland attempted to have Altman fired over his unorthadox filming methods but the film still got relaesed in 1970 going on to win many awards.


2. Some of the films he has been involved in throughout his career:
M*A*S*H
McCabe and Mrs. Miller
The long goodbye
Thieves like us
Nashville
Brewster McCloud
A wedding
3 Women
Quintet

3. What kind of comments can you find to help to describe his style of filmmaking?
Elliot Gould and Donald Sutherland "unorthadox filming methods"

4. How did Robert Altman come to direct M*A*S*H?
 Altman was offered the script for M*A*S*H in 1969 he accepted and the film was released in 1970 he then went on to be established as a major American director

5. How old was he when he directed M*A*S*H?
Altman was 44/45 when he directed M*A*S*H

6.What had he done prior to directing M*A*S*H?
in the 1950's in his home town Kansas City Altman made industrial and documentary films for the Calvin Comapany. His debut feature directorial was the drama 'The delinquents' in 1957. He then wen on to spend many years to direct series of top television programmes. He then moved on to direct feature films such as 'Countdown' and 'That cold day in the park' bfore being offered the script for M*A*S*H.

7. Interviews from Donald Sutherland and Elliot Guold explaining what happened during the filming of M*A*S*H in regards to Robert Altman and the crew:

8. Wich film studio produced M*A*S*H and what was the estimated budget for the film?
The estimated budget was $3,500,000 and the film was produced in 20th centuary fox studios.

Coursework

Film Synopsis

When Sophie was younger she took her toy doll, dotty dolly, everywhere with her. As Sophie gets older she begins to neglect dotty dolly more and more. On her 16^th birthday Sophie clears out her bedroom, she puts her old toys in a bin bag, including dotty dolly and puts them in the bin. Dotty dolly seeks revenge. During the night when Sophie is sleeping dotty dolly brutally kills Sophie’s mum. Sophie finds her mum the next morning cut to shreds, laid in her own blood. Sophie looks up to see written on the wall in blood ‘you threw me away now its time for you to pay’. Dotty dolly begins to kill all of Sophie’s family and the people she loves one by one, leaving riddles for Sophie. Sophie tries to confide in her best friend, Eve about what’s been happening. Eve thinks Sophie’s gone mad and tells Sophie she never wants to see her again. When Sophie has no one left dotty dolly comes for her. She tortures her before violently killing Sophie. Eve finds Sophie dead with dotty dolly stood next to her holding a knife dripping in blood. Eve screams and starts running as dotty dolly chases her. They end up in an old stable, dotty dolly backs Eve into a corner. Just as dotty dolly is about to kill her, Eve finds some matches. She quickly lights one and the whole stable goes up in flames. Eve tries to escape but the building starts to collapse and she doesn’t make it out. The fire bagrade arrives along with an ambulance, they find Eve’s dead body but there is no evidence that dotty dolly was ever there.

Aims and context

The genre of my film is Horror. I would use low key lighting in my film to create a dark, spooky atmosphere. I would also use back lit subjects to create silhouettes, again to create an atmosphere of the unknown. Lots of non-diegetic sounds would be used to build up the atmosphere and to make the audience feel emotion. The target audience for my film would be ages from 15 to about 28. My film is similar to Chucky as it is about a doll that comes to life. Additionally my film is slightly similar to Saw as like Saw my film uses traps and clues to who the killer is.

Character profiles

Sophie Green

Sophie plays the main character in the film. She’s 16 and plays a very stereo typical role of a popular school girl; she’s tall with long blonde hair and green eyes. Sophie is used to being the centre of attention and she is very self obsessed. Sophie plays the victim in the film; her role is to make the audience feel sympathy for her.

Julie Green (Sophie’s Mum)

Sophie’s mum does not play a huge part in the film as she gets killed off at the beginning, however, what we do see of her shows her caring nature and loving personality – the opposite to her daughter Sophie.  

Eve Smith

Eve’s 16 and is Sophie’s best friend. Like Sophie Eve is very much the popular girl at school; she’s tall, dark skinned and has long dark hair with big brown eyes. Eve enjoys being one of the popular girls at school and is very flirtatious with the boys. Her role in the film is supporting actress. Although we do not see much of her at the start of the film, Eve plays a vital role towards the end of the film.

Dotty Dolly

Dotty dolly is a toy doll, even though she is not a real person her age would be 16 as Sophie has had her all her life. Dotty dolly plays the villain in the film. Her role is to make the audience feel scared.