WHAT KIND OF MEDIA INSTITUTION MIGHT DISTRIBUTE YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT AND WHY?

EVALUATION QUESTION 3

SOCIAL REALISM DISTRIBUTORS & THEIR FILMSARTIFICIAL EYE:o FISH TANK (2009)

o LAST RESORT (2000)

VERVE PICTURES:o THE ARBOR (2010)

o BULLET BOY (2004)

PATHÉ DISTRIBUTION:o RATCATCHER (1999)

o ADULTHOOD (2008)

OPTIMUM RELEASING:o TYRANNOSAUR (2011)

o THIS IS ENGLAND (2006)

ICON DISTRIBUTION:o SWEET SIXTEEN (2002)

o LOOKING FOR ERIC (2009)

ARTIFICIAL EYEFILMS, GENRE, STYLE, THEMES/ISSUES, PRODUCTION STYLE, MEDIA LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS, NARRATIVE CONVENTIONS, TARGET AUDIENCE AND CULTURAL VALUE

ARTIFICIAL EYEVALUES: “ARTIFICIAL EYE HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO DISTRIBUTUING THE BEST IN EUROPEAN AND WORLD CINEMA SINCE ITS FOUNDATION IN 1976 BY ANDI ENGEL.”

EXHIBITION AND CONSUMPTION:“ARTIFICIAL EYE RELEASES ABOUT 20 NEW THEATRICAL FILMS, AND ANOTHER 30 NEW DVD AND BLURAY TITLES, EVERY YEAR. IT IS ALSO COMMITTED TO A STRONG PROGRAMME OF DIGITAL RELEASES VIA CURZON HOME CINEMA, SKY BOX OFFICE AND SKY PLAYER, ITUNES, VIRGIN FILMFLEX, LOVEFILM AND OTHER PLATFORMS, ITS LIBRARY INCLUDES MORE THAN 300 FILM TITLES.”

“WE ARE THE UK’S LEADING INDEPENDENT CINEMA GROUP, COMBINING LUXURY VENUES AND AN INNOVATIVE HOME CINEMA OFFERING WITH A PASSION FOR HIGH-QUALITY FILM PROGRAMMING. WE OFFER THE VERY BEST IN FILM, EVENTS AND ALTERNATIVE CONTENT FOR A DISCERNING AUDIENCE”

THERE ARE CURRENTLY 10 CURZON CINEMAS IN THE UK. CURZON CINEMAS ALSO WORK WITH OTHER ESTABLISHMENTS TO PROVIDE UNIQUE EXPERIENCES AND THE FINEST IN FILM TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.TARGET AUDIENCE:CONSIDERING THIS, CURZON ARTIFICIAL EYE’S TARGET AUDIENCE WOULD BE THOSE WHO HAVE A TASTE IN A WIDE RANGE OF FILM, SPECIFICALLY THOSE THAT ARE INDEPENDENT.

ARTIFICIAL EYEFISH TANK

ISSUES/THEMES: WORKING CLASS LIFE, RELATIONSHIPS, SINGLE PARENTING, VIOLENCE

CHARACTERS: MOTHER, DAUGHTER, BOYFRIEND

EVENTS: LOVE TRIANGLE

GENRE: DRAMA, COMING-OF-AGE PRODUCTION STYLE: LESS/ UNEXPERIENCED ACTORS, REAL LOCATIONS

KEY REPRESENTATIONS: AGE, GENDER

LAST RESORTISSUES/THEMES: IMMIGRATION, INCARCERATIONCHARACTERS: MOTHER, SON, LOVE INTERESTEVENTS: REFUGE, BREAK UP, CONFINEMENT, NEW RELATIONSHIPSGENRE: DRAMA, ROMANCEPRODUCTION STYLE: REAL LOCATIONS, LESS/ UNEXPERIENCED ACTORSKEY REPRESENTATIONS: ETHNICITY, REGIONALITY

ARTIFICIAL EYENARRATIVE CONVENTIONS:THE NARRATIVE IN BOTH FISH TANK AND LAST RESORT BOTH FOCUS ON SOME SORT OF RELATIONSHIP, IN WHICH THERE IS ANOTHER PERSON INVOLVED OR HAS JUST LEFT. THIS MIGHT BE CONVENTIONAL TO A FEW OTHER TITLES THAT ARTIFICIAL EYE HAS DISTRIBUTED, BUT MORE RESEARCH WOULD NEED TO BE CARRIED OUT.MEDIA LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS: THE MISE-EN-SCENE CAN BE LINKED IN THESE TWO FILMS, AS THE STORY OF EACH OF THESE TEXTS OCCURS IN AND AROUND A HIGH RISE BLOCK OF FLATS, AS A PART OF SOME SORT OF HOUSING PROGRAMME.

VERVE PICTURESFILMS, GENRE, STYLE, THEMES/ISSUES, PRODUCTION STYLE, MEDIA LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS, NARRATIVE CONVENTIONS, TARGET AUDIENCE AND CULTURAL VALUE

VERVE PICTURESVALUES:“AT VERVE PICTURES, WE SPECIALISE IN THE RELEASE OF INDEPENDENT FILM IN CINEMAS AND ON DVD, OFFERING AUDIENCES THE CHANCE TO ENJOY ORIGINAL AND THOUGHT PROVOKING CINEMA FROM THE UK AND AROUND THE WORLD. WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT FILM AND DISCOVERING NEW TALENT, AND ARE COMMITTED TO RELEASING FILMS THAT HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY LOST IN TODAY’S MULTIPLEX CULTURE.”

EXHIBITION AND CONSUMPTION:“OUR SUBSIDIARY DRAKES AVENUE DISTRIBUTES ACQUIRED TITLES, SPECIALISING IN DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT ICONS AND HAS ALLIANCES WITH ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS NEW WAVE FILMS, ICA FILMS, BUNGALOW TOWN PRODUCTIONS AND GREEN LIONS TO RELEASE CUTTING EDGE WORLD CINEMA PROGRAMMING IN CINEMAS AND ON DVD.”

TARGET AUDIENCE:VERVE PICTURES TARGET AUDIENCES THAT AGREE WITH THEIR STATEMENT ABOUT RELEASING FILMS THAT HAVE BECOME LOST IN TODAY’S MULTIPLEX CULTURE. MEMBERS OF THIS AUDIENCE WILL KNOW WHERE TO LOOK FOR THESE TYPES OF FILM, AS THEY WOULDN’T BE COMMONLY SHOWN IN MAINSTREAM CINEMAS.

VERVE PICTURESTHE ARBOR

ISSUES/THEMES: SUBSTANCE ABUSE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, TEENAGE PREGNANCY, PROSTITUTION, POVERTY

CHARACTERS: FAMILY, NEIGHBOURS, EX-BOYFRIENDS OF ANDREA DUNBAR

EVENTS: FAMILY BREAKDOWN, GRIEF, ALCOHOLISM, DRUG TAKING, ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS

GENRE: BIOGRAPHY, DOCUMENTARY, DRAMA PRODUCTION STYLE: REAL LOCATIONS KEY REPRESENTATIONS: CLASS, GENDER, ETHNICITY

BULLET BOY ISSUES/THEMES: GUN CRIME, GANG VIOLENCE CHARACTERS: TWO BROTHERS, GIRLFRIEND, OLD FRIEND, MOTHER

EVENTS: IMPRISIONMENT, CAR ACCIDENT, CRIME GENRE: DRAMA PRODUCTION STYLE: REAL LOCATION, A FEW UNTRAINED ACTORS/ ACTORS WITH LITTLE EXPERIENCE

KEY REPRESENTATIONS: CLASS, REGIONALITY

VERVE PICTURESNARRATIVE CONVENTIONS:THERE ARE A FEW SIMILARITIES IN THE NARRATIVES IN THE ARBOR AND BULLET BOY, INCLUDING THAT OF THE PEOPLE BEING, OR BEING VICTIMS TO, VIOLENCE. STORYLINES THAT INCLUDE VIOLENCE MIGHT BE CONVENTIONAL TO THE FILMS DISTRIBUTED BY VERVE PICTURES.MEDIA LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS:THE LOCATIONS OF BOTH OF THESE FILMS SUGGEST THAT OF A COMMUNITY, AS THEY ARE BOTH SET IN A PLACE WHERE ALL OF THE CHARACTERS ARE FAMILIAR WITH ONE ANOTHER, SUCH AS A NEIGHBOURHOOD OR HOUSING PROGRAMME.

PATHÉ DISTRIBUTIONFILMS, GENRE, STYLE, THEMES/ISSUES, PRODUCTION STYLE, MEDIA LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS, NARRATIVE CONVENTIONS, TARGET AUDIENCE AND CULTURAL VALUE

PATHÉ DISTRIBUTIONVALUES:“WITH A REPUTATION BUILT ON INDEPENDENCE, INNOVATION AND QUALITY, PATHÉ IS THE WORLD'S LONGEST ESTABLISHED FILM COMPANY, AND NOW ENCOMPASSES A DIVERSE RANGE OF MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT INTERESTS.”

EXHIBITION AND CONSUMPTION:“FOLLOWING THE TAKEOVER OF GAUMONT THEATRES, PATHÉ IS CONTINENTAL EUROPE'S LEADING CINEMA EXHIBITOR, WITH OVER 1000 SCREENS IN FRANCE, THE NETHERLANDS AND SWITZERLAND. PATHÉ IS ONE OF THE LEADING DISTRIBUTORS AND PRODUCERS OF FILMS IN FRANCE.”

TARGET AUDIENCE:PATHÉ’S TARGET AUDIENCE IS MUCH LARGER COMPARED TO SOME OF THE OTHER DISTRIBUTORS MENTIONED HERE. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN MULTIPLEX CINEMAS ACROSS THE REST OF EUROPE, AND DISTRIBUTES A WIDER RANGE OF GENRES THAN MOST DISTRIBUTORS.

PATHÉ DISTRIBUTIONRATCATCHER

ISSUES/THEMES: POVERTY, FAMILY BREAKDOWN, ALCOHOLISM, WORKING CLASS LIFE, DEATH, GRIEF

CHARACTERS: MOTHER, FATHER, SON, DAUGHTERS, FEMALE FRIENDS, OLDER MALE FRIENDS

EVENTS: DEATH/GRIEVANCE, DUSTMEN STRIKE, NEW FRIENDSHIPS

GENRE: DRAMA, COMING-OF-AGE, PRODUCTION STYLE: LESS EXPERIENCED ACTORS, REAL LOCATIONS

KEY REPRESENTATIONS: AGE, CLASS, REGIONALITY

ADULTHOOD ISSUES/THEMES: VIOLENCE, CRIME, GANG CULTURE, DEATH, GRIEF

CHARACTERS: PROTAGONIST, GANG MEMBERS, EX-FRIENDS

EVENTS: PHYSICAL ATTACKS, CAR ROBBERY, BEING HELD AT GUNPOINT, ANTAGONISTS ARRESTED

GENRE: CRIME, DRAMA PRODUCTION STYLE: REAL LOCATIONS KEY REPRESENTATIONS: AGE, CLASS, REGIONALITY

PATHÉ DISTRIBUTION NARRATIVE CONVENTIONS: BOTH FILMS FEATURE THE DEATH OF THE PROTAGONIST’S FRIEND. DEATH WITHIN A CLOSE COMMUNITY, SUCH AS A GANG OR A FRIENDLY NEIGHBOURHOOD MAY BE A CONVENTION WITHIN FILMS THAT PATHE DISRIBUTES.

MEDIA LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS: ONCE AGAIN, BOTH NARRATIVES ARE SET IN AN AREA WHERE EACH PERSON LIVES IN AN AREA WHERE EVERYONE KNOWS EACH OTHER, WHETHER THEY LIKE ONE ANOTHER OR NOT.

OPTIMUM RELEASINGFILMS, GENRE, STYLE, THEMES/ISSUES, PRODUCTION STYLE, MEDIA LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS, NARRATIVE CONVENTIONS, TARGET AUDIENCE AND CULTURAL VALUE

OPTIMUM RELEASING VALUES: “SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1999, OPTIMUM RELEASING HAS STEADFASTLY ADHERED TO ONE MANTRA: SUPPORTING FILMMAKERS WITH A VISION, AND BRINGING THESE VISIONS TO THE WIDEST AUDIENCE POSSIBLE.”

EXHIBITION AND CONSUMPTION: “WITH A COMMITMENT TO DEVELOPING OPTIMUM RELEASING IN THE FUTURE THE COMPANY WILL BE FURTHER EXPLORING ITS ACTIVITIES THROUGH PRODUCTION, OPTIMUM HOME ENTERTAINMENT WHILST ALSO LOOKING AT NEW MEANS OF DISTRIBUTING FILMED ENTERTAINMENT.”

TARGET AUDIENCE: OPTIMUM RELEASING, AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED IN THEIR ‘ABOUT’ PAGE ON THEIR WEBSITE, SAY THAT THEY WANT TO BRING FILMMAKERS’ VISIONS TO THE WIDEST AUDIENCE POSSIBLE, AND SO THEY WOULD PROBABLY TARGET THOSE WHO HAVE AN INTEREST IN A LARGE VARIETY OF FILM, AS THEY WOULD BE THE ONES WHO ARE MOST LIKELY TO ENJOY IT.

OPTIMUM RELEASINGTYRANNOSAUR

ISSUES/THEMES: VIOLENCE, ALCOHOLISM, DOMESTIC ABUSE

CHARACTERS: PROTAGONIST, LOVE INTEREST

EVENTS: FIGHT, MEETING LOVE INTEREST

GENRE: DRAMA PRODUCTION STYLE: REAL LOCATIONS

KEY REPRESENTATIONS: CLASS

THIS IS ENGLAND ISSUES/THEMES: WORKING CLASS LIFE, RACISM, XENOPHOBIA, DEATH/GRIEF

CHARACTERS: PROTAGONIST, SKINHEAD GANG, EVENTS: PROTAGONIST JOINS GANG, SKINHEAD RELEASED FROM PRISON AND JOINS RACIST POLITICAL PARTY, BINARY OPPOSITION BETWEEN PARTY AND GANG

GENRE: DRAMA PRODUCTION STYLE: REAL LOCATIONS, LESS EXPERIENCED ACTORS (PARTICULARLY PROTAGONIST)

KEY REPRESENTATIONS: AGE, ETHNICITY, CLASS

OPTIMUM RELEASING NARRATIVE CONVENTIONS: WHILST BOTH FILMS ARE VERY DIFFERENT, THEIR NARRATVIES CAN BE LOOSELY CONNECTED THROUGH THE DISCRIMINATION FACED BY SOME OF THE CHARACTERS. IN TYRANNOSAUR, HANNAH IS INSULTED FOR BEING CHRISTIAN, WHILST THE POLITICAL PARTY IN THIS IS ENGLAND IS OPENLY RACIST.

MEDIA LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS: THE COLOUR PALETTES WITHIN BOTH OF THE FILMS FEATURE MUTED, NEUTRAL COLOURS. RARELY, THERE ARE SCENES THAT ARE VERY COLOURFUL. HOWEVER, TYRANNOSAUR FEATURES DARKER COLOURS AND LIGHTING THAT THIS IS ENGLAND TYPICALLY DOES.

ICON DISTRIBUTION FILMS, GENRE, STYLE, THEMES/ISSUES, PRODUCTION STYLE, MEDIA LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS, NARRATIVE CONVENTIONS, TARGET AUDIENCE AND CULTURAL VALUE

ICON DISTRIBUTION VALUES: “FORMED IN 1999, ICON FILM DISTRIBUTION IS ONE OF THE UK’S LEADING INDEPENDENT FILM DISTRIBUTORS GENERATING IN EXCESS OF £150M AT THE BOX OFFICE WITH A LIBRARY OF OVER 200 TITLES RANGING FROM MAINSTREAM HITS SUCH AS PARANORMAL ACTIVITY AND TRANSPORTER 3 TO SPECIALIST BREAK-OUT TITLES SUCH AS TOM FORD’S A SINGLE MAN, AND MULTIPLE BAFTA AND OSCAR®NOMINEE NICOLAS WINDING REFN’S DRIVE.”

EXHIBITION AND CONSUMPTION: “ON 23 SEPTEMBER 2013 IFD WAS RE-LAUNCHED BACKED BY INVESTMENT COMPANY NEW SPARTA FOUNDED BY DR JEROME BOOTH. THE ACQUISITION , WHICH INCLUDES TITLES RELEASED THOUGH IFD’S OUTPUT DEAL WITH LIONSGATE AND THE UK LIBRARY, WILL SEE IFD ACQUIRING AND RELEASING FILMS IN ALL MEDIA. IFD WILL WORK WITH EXISTING AND NEW PARTNERS TO DELIVER EFFECTIVE CAMPAIGNS FOR QUALITY DISTINCTIVE MATERIAL.”

TARGET AUDIENCE: ICON WILL BE TARGETING THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN INDEPENDENT FILMS IN GENERAL, AS THEY DO NOT DISTRIBUTE A SPECIFIC GENRE. SOME MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE WILL JUST VISIT MULTIPLEX CINEMAS TO SEE THE ‘MAINSTREAM HITS’ WHILST OTHERS WILL VISIT INDEPENDENT CINEMAS TO SEE THEIR MORE ‘SPECIALIST’ TITLES.

ICON DISTRIBUTIONSWEET SIXTEEN

ISSUES/THEMES: DRUG USE, WORKING CLASS LIFE, POVERTY

CHARACTERS: PROTAGONIST, MOTHER, MOTHER’S BOYFRIEND, GRANDFATHER

EVENTS: DRUG DEALING, HOMELESSNESS, IMPRISONMENT, VIOLENCE

GENRE: DRAMA, COMING-OF-AGE PRODUCTION STYLE: UNTRAINED ACTORS, REAL LOCATIONS

KEY REPRESENTATIONS: AGE, CLASS, REGIONALITY

LOOKING FOR ERIC ISSUES/THEMES: DRUG USE, CRIME, FAMILY CRISIS

CHARACTERS: PROTAGONIST, EX-WIFE, STEPSON, DAUGHTER, GRANDDAUGHTER, FOOTBALL HERO

EVENTS: CONSIDERING SUICIDE, DRUG CONSUMPTION WHICH LEADS TO HALLUCINATION, REBUILT RELATIONSHIPS

GENRE: DRAMA, COMEDY. THIS IS A SOCIAL REALISM HYBRID.

PRODUCTION STYLE: REAL LOCATIONS KEY REPRESENTATIONS: CLASS, REGIONALITY, DISABILITY

ICON DISTRIBUTION NARRATIVE CONVENTIONS: BOTH NARRATIVES INCLUDE THE USE OF DRUGS. THIS MIGHT BE CONVENTIONAL TO THE FILMS THAT ARE DISTRIBUTED BY ICON.

MEDIA LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS: THE MISE-EN-SCENE FOR BOTH FILMS USUALLY INCLUDES COMFORTABLE AND BAGGY CLOTHES THAT LOOKS AS IF THEY WERE DESIGNED TO BE WORN FOR SPORTS. THESE CLOTHES SUGGEST THAT THE WEARER IS OF WORKING CLASS AS THEY ARE VERY CASUAL.

MY FILM GENRE, THEMES/ISSUES, PRODUCTION STYLE, REPRESENTATION, TARGET AUDIENCE

MY FILMISSUES/THEMES: GENDER DISCRIMINATION, VIOLENCE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, WORKING CLASS LIFECHARACTERS: PROTAGONIST, FRIENDS, FOOTBALL TEAM MEMBERSEVENTS: FOOTBALL MATCH, FIGHT, ALCOHOL/DRUG USE, FAILED EXAMSGENRE: DRAMA, COMING-OF-AGEPRODUCTION STYLE: REAL LOCATIONS, UNTRAINED ACTORSREPRESENTATIONS: GENDER, CLASS, AGETARGET AUDIENCE: THOSE WHO IDENTIFY WITH THE KEY REPRESENTATIONS

EVALUATIONFROM LOOKING AT THE ISSUES/THEMES, CHARACTERS, EVENTS, GENRE, PRODUCTION STYLE AND KEY REPRESENTATIONS OF THE FILMS THAT I HAVE EVALUATED, IT SEEMS THAT THE ARBOR AND FISH TANK ARE THE MOST SIMILAR TO MINE, IN THAT THEY LOOK AT SIMILAR THEMES/ISSUES, AND HAVE SIMILAR KEY REPRESENTATIONS. THE ARBOR AND FISH TANK WERE DISTRIBUTED BY VERVE PICTURES AND ARTIFICIAL EYE RESPECTIVELY.ACCORDING TO THE CONVENTIONS THAT I IDENTIFIED, VERVE PICTURES SOUNDS THE MOST SUITABLE TO DISTRIBUTE MY FILM, AS THE NARRATIVE INCLUDES VIOLENCE, AND THE MEDIA LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS WILL INCLUDE A SETTING THAT SUGGESTS A WORKING CLASS ENVIRONMENT, AND A SENSE OF COMMUNTIY. ARTIFICIAL EYE’S CONVENTIONS WERE SIMILAR, ALTHOUGH I SUGGESTED A NARRATIVE CONVENTION OF HAVING A LOVE INTEREST, AND I HAVE DECIDED THAT MY FILM DOES NOT HAVE ONE.