Media Studies

Film Industry

Starter

• Think about the last three films you have seen

• Why did you watch the film? What attracted you to it?

• Where did you watch it? Why did you choose this option?

• Were you satisfied with what you saw? Would you recommend it to others?

• Spend a few minutes thinking of the answers to these questions then discuss with others your responses

The Film Industry

• Your responses may help you consider some of the ways in which the film industry works

• You are essentially the target audience for the vast majority of mainstream movies

• Why?

• Remember, first and foremost the film industry is a businessengineered for profit

Big Picture• Candidates should be prepared to understand and discuss the processes of

production, distribution, marketing and exchange as they relate to contemporary media institutions, as well as the nature of audience consumption and the relationships between audiences and institutions. In addition, candidates should be familiar with:

• • the issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice; • • the importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production,

distribution and marketing; • • the technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels of

production, distribution, marketing and exchange; • • the significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and

audiences; • • the importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences; • • the issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically,

British) by international or global institutions; • • the ways in which the candidates’ own experiences of media consumption

illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience behaviour. •

The Film Industry

• The industry can be broken down into three distinct areas, each with individual responsibility for certain aspects of a films development

• The industry follows a chain that takes us from the original idea of a film through to the point where you are sat watching the finished product

• We class these stages as:

Production

Distribution

Exhibition/Consumption

What do you think falls within each area?

Production

• Pre-Production

• Production

• Post-Production

Film Pre-Production

• Getting a film made:

• Script is bought or optioned to film company (this in itself no guarantee a film will be produced from the material)

• Writers are often enlisted by the studios to work on proposed scripts

• The producer has the responsibility of overseeing the progress of a film from script to distribution. They organise financing, hire cast and crew, liaise with distribution for marketing.

• Working with the director the producer puts together a film package to try and get financial backing – this is a one or two page treatment covering the plot, plus also a list of names that are interested or have been envisaged for the project.

‘Reducing the Risk’

• When somebody has an idea for a film for a major studio, they will work with the producer to convert it into a package made up of individual elements that will help to create confidence in studio executives that the concept is profitable and low risk.

• Pre Production is essential in combining elements that will (on paper) indicate the film will succeed – remember the aim is to make money – if production companies and studios were not profitable we would have no films

‘Reducing the Risk’

• Study the supplied information for the film The World’s End (2012)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n__1Y-N5tQk

• Consider, from the perspective of a studio/production company potentially financing the film, what factors indicate this premise will be a profitable one?

A ‘Trilogy’

• The film was the third part of the Cornetto Trilogy, following Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz

• Shaun of the Dead – budget $6million, box office $30 million

• Hot Fuzz – budget $12 million, box office $80 million

• This shows that previous films in the trilogy were successful –thereby indicating the type of film produced has a recognisable fan base that will see the film

• This also explains why so many films released are franchises/sequels/adaptations/spin offs

‘Repetition & Difference’

• The film works on this principle

• It offers ‘more of the same’ in an attempt to replicate some of the elements that ensured the previous films were successful

• However, as audience members we don’t want to see the same film again and again – we want elements we like, but we want to see them presented differently

• Consider how many popular films follow formats or ‘cycles’ – if one film is successful then lots in the same generic area often follow offering the same but different

• Can you think of any examples?

Continuity

• Edgar Wright (director/writer)

• Wright had directed the previous two installments of the trilogy –from a studio perspective they know he is capable of delivering a successful formula

• From a fan perspective, he may have a following who will want to see a film he directed

• Simon Pegg (director/writer)

• Pegg is leading star/writer of previous installments (continuity)

• He has also built his name up as an actor in mainstream roles (Star Trek, Paul)

Continuity

• Nick Frost• Frost is reunited with Pegg – their ‘buddy’ format has proven

successful over three previous films indicating audiences enjoy seeing them together onscreen

• Martin Freeman• Audience familiarity due to starring appearances in the Hobbit films

• Pierce Brosnan• Former James Bond star

• Bill Nighy• Recognisable British actor from a number of popular films (POTC,

Total Recall, Underworld) also returning from previosu two installments

• The film also features other recognisable British talent (Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, Reece Sheersmith, Michael Smilie)

Genre

• The film focuses on popular generic elements

• Comedy

• Action

• Sci-Fi/Fantasy

• The actors involved have direct generic linkage

• Pegg, Frost known for comedy/sci-fi

• Brosnan famous for action/comedy

• Freeman famous for comedy/fantasy

• Therefore suitability/audience association is already established – there is also crossover appeal to other territories (eg America: more box office gross in US than UK)

Merchandising

• The film featured a soundtrack composed heavily of popular music – this gives it a good opportunity for a studio to release a soundtrack album

Merchandising

• The film has also been released to buy on:

• Blu Ray – limited edition steel book

• Blu Ray – standard edition

• DVD

• The Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy Box Set (Blu Ray & DVD)

• A host of digital platforms

• http://www.waystowatch.com/the-worlds-end-blu-ray-dvd-and-digital-buyers-guide/

• Sky Store

• Merchandise includes T-shirts and

• Themed pub glasses

Production: British Film

• Is there such a thing as the British Film Industry?

• Think of the last five or so films you have watched – how many were British?

• Try to think of some films you believe to be British productions

• What makes a film ‘British’?

12 Years a Slave

Chicken Run

Tyrannosaur

Filth

This is England

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Skyfall

A Field in England

Gravity

British?

• 12 Years a Slave – Plan B, Lionsgate, Regency, River Road (all US), Film 4 (UK)

• Chicken Run – Aardman (UK), Dreamworks (US), Pathe (Fr)

• Tyrannosaur – Film 4, UK Film Council, Warp X (all UK)

• Filth – I Vast (Swe), Steel Mill (UK)

• This is England - Film 4, Warp Films (all UK)

• Harry Potter – Heyday Films (UK), Warner Bros (US)

• Skyfall – Eon (UK), MGM/Columbia (US)

• A Field in England – Rook Films (UK)

• Gravity – Heyday Films (UK), Esperento (Mex), Warner Bros (US)

Defining a British Film

• Cat A: films made with British money, personnel and resources

• Cat B: films co-funded with money from Britain and from foreign investment, but majority finance, cultural content, personnel are British

• Cat C: films with mostly foreign (non USA) investment and small British input either financially or creatively

• Cat D: films made in the UK with (usually) British cultural content, but financed fully or partly by American companies

• Cat E: American films with some British involvement

Defining a British Film

• What do you notice about the completely British funded films in comparison to the others?

• Why is there such a mixture of companies involved in these films?

• What does this tell you about the British film industry?

Film Production in the UK

• There are no major studios in Britain on a par with Hollywood (Warners, Disney, Paramount etc)

• It is very unusual for films in Britain to have just one source of finance

• Most British films are collaborations between several sources of film financing, and as such are much more complexly financed than traditional major studio films

• They can receive support from the governments Film Council, a distributor, a broadcaster (such as BBC or Film4, and an equity investor)

Film Production in the UK

• British film production can be seen on three levels:

• Big Hollywood co-productions

• Typified by Bond movies. Often include transnational casts and Working Title are owned by Universal – often hard to identify as ‘British’ – much of the funding comes from abroad

• Large independent companies

• These produce or distribute - Vertigo, Warp, Momentum. Although they are large they will still seek to co-finance films

• Small-scale self financed productions

• Often short films, the vast majority are financed personally – the biggest independent festival in Britain is ‘Raindance’

Defining a British Film

• There are few well known ‘purely British’ films

• At what stage do we consider a film to be ‘British’?

• Are successes down to the British Film Industry or foreign investment?

• Do we really have an ‘industry’?

British Film: How to compete

• Example Study: Vertigo Films• Baring in mind some of the issues of British cinema, how might a British company like Vertigo

films ensure business success?

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBk8At1YfRI

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO6JXIrLP0s&noredirect=1

Case Study: Vertigo Films

• Founded in 2001 by James Richardson and Allan Niblo

• Believed there was a gap in the market for commercial appealing contemporary low-budget movies

• Films shot on High Definition Digital Video – crucial for keeping budgets low

• “we are making films for an eight of what other people call low budget”

• Outlaw - £2.5 million

• The Sweeney - £3 million

• Complex financing – secured backing from a range of investors (e.g. Rockstar Games – Football Factory)

• Cast and crew paid low amounts upfront but would receive more if the film was a success

BBC News

• “Vertigo Films was set up with the specific purpose of making two low-budget, commercial British movies: The Football Factory and It's All Gone Pete Tong. That goal has now been achieved, but the company is already planning bigger and better things.

• They make no bones about what they're aiming to achieve: a conveyor belt that makes four movies a year and releases another four under their own distribution company, and at the kind of cost which most Hollywood studios spend on their star's personal trainer.”

Plenary

• Name five things that you have taken from this session

• Consider how those five things may impact you as aconsumer of film