3D's influence on cinema: Revision

Blockbusters Revision

Video Nasties Revision

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/education-resources/student-guide/legislation/video-recordings-act

Props:

• 1950s dress
• Baseball jackets 
• Lab coat 
• News report 
• Red lipstick 
• Curly hair 
• Quiff hair for boys
• Moustache
• Glasses
• Guns
• Army uniform
• Army tanks 
• Spagetti 
• Toy soliders 

Setting:

• Woods
• Office 
• Lab

Revision: MACRO: V for Vendetta & Children of Men

How are different groups in society represented in the films you have studied?

• Masculine - hyper masculinity in both films - lack of infertility - phallic imagery
• Feminine - yonic imagery - rose in V for Vendetta - themes of birthing/rebirthing - nature - lack of nature in both films 
• Ethnicity 
• Sexuality - Valerie, Diestrich, Evie being over sexualised 
• Nation/UK - immigrants - link to ethnicity - UK represented as totalitarian, racist state = a warning/realism of what is going to happen if we do not put a change to our current values - Nazi, fascist values 

V for Vendetta written as if Germany won WWII 

Narrative: 

• Stock characters: V - Hero/villain = hybrid = subverting the typical conventions of narrative - people are not set character types = realism - the messages of the film become more relatable to the audience, can link to their own situations - is V actually a hero - one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist. - Questions the simplicity of film narrative = messages = questioning what you are told (by your government or film industry) 
• Resolution : Both clouded resolutions - allows the audience to decide / interpret the ending themselves 

To what extent are these films sci fi ? = realism factor - relatable to the audience, messages and values become more coherent in the film 

Genre: 

• Conventions - sci fi - aliens / lazers / technology 
• Stock characters - typical characters picked from a shelf - stereotypical - hero, villain, etc 

Style:

• Realism ( in terms of filming) : Children of Men - long takes = documentary style 
• Comic book style :  V for Vendetta - taken originally from comic book 
• Film Noir : Dark, shading filming linked with narrative / mysterious angles - "Chiaosuro" = low key lighting and shadows. V for Vendetta uses film noir in a chiaosuro style. 
• V tries to make you think through the stereotypical Hollywood film - broadens the audience, etc. 
• Both films are presenting a warning to the audience, however Children of Men conveys the warning clearly through a realistic style, whereas V for Vendetta incorporates a warning through the typical Hollywood film = giving meaning to typical empty blockbusters. 

Themes:

• Dystopia 
• Oppression - homosexuals / immigrants / women / curfews / cctv / government control, etc link to religion = government control 
• Revolution/terrorism - one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist 
• Religion 
• War 
• Infertility - link to oedipal complex - lack of parental roles - brought this upon ourselves - pollutions etc, or spirtual punishment
• Oedipal Complex - Lack of parental roles - Evie and Diestrich / Theo and Jasper - both father figures die after the protagonists have fulfilled motivation / parental figure role has been fulfilled = death 
• Survival 
• Totalitarian government / fascism - Nazi Germany state / fascist / Sutler being saluted / death camp style / lined up and killed, in Children of Men. 
• Birthing - rebirth - God is in the Rain scene - V for Vendetta / Children of Men - Kee gives birth scene - new generation = installs a new hope and survival / motivation 

V for Vendetta is simplistic, whilst Children of Men leaves you with questions. Requires us not to think. 

Exam structure

3 questions
1. section 1: 40 marks - comparison V for Vendetta and Children of Men= messages/why is this?/what is it trying to say?: 50 minutes
2/3. section 2: one question from rise of the blockbuster and another from developments in 21st century cinema : 35 minutes for q2/3 -> because this happened, this happened

http://leighmediaasfilmessays12.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/piracy-essay-b1.html

What is a video nasty? (D) 

A low budget horror film that was produced on home video. Considered to be violent and/or pornographic, used as a political scapegoat to explain the ongoings in society such as crime rates and riots. A video nasty is a set of 72 films that were considered to be inappropriate and were completely banned. 

However these films were banned on their reputation and word of mouth, the conservative government banned these films however not seeing these films in the first place. 

Many video nasties featured imitable behaviour. = realistic looking films = low budget. 

Video nasties were popular with a teenage audience. This created a status as these videos were banned and seen as bad. 

What is a moral panic? 

The moral panic was emphasised by the media (newspapers; conservative such as the daily mail. ) 

The moral panic was a political scapegoat that blamed the ongoings such as riots and crime rates in society. 

Who is Kim dot com?
-internet entrepreneur

What was his company and how would this effect the film industry?
- Megacar / less people buying films legitimately

What was the response?
-His house was raided

Because Kim dot com did this, this resulted in more films becoming formulaic; style over substance.

Is the video recordings act a morally legitimate law?

Thesis:

The Video Recordings Act was brought about in 1984 to censor, regulate and ban films that were seen as being immoral; containing images such as pornography and violent behaviour. The law was sought to protect society from this, as these so called video nasties introduced imitable behaviour, and attracted a youth audience. The Video Recordings Act enforced age restrictions and banning of films. However, there is controversy throughout the topic of the VRA being a legitimately moral law. Some argue that the VRA protects a certain amount of society. The VRA were set up by the conservative government and therefore it holds the traditional, middle class views of how moral society should be. Whilst others believe that the VRA does not protect society, and that it should be down to individuality and choice. In my opinion the VRA is a moral legitimate law as these video nasties were being viewed by vulnerable audiences that could commit an imitable behaviour. I believe that the VRA are legitimate and moral for banning and censoring films as age restrictions only account for a particular part of society's vulnerable groups. Video nasties were produced on VHS, meaning that anyone could purchase and watch these films.
The teenage audience that these video nasties were attracting, was because of the controversy and status that came along with the viewing of the film. Therefore if the VRA were to only age restrict these films, I believe the youth audience would view these films in another way, and therefore be even more attracted to them due to their further restriction.

Video Nasties

Political:
-Conservative government sought to protect
-Government censorship and VHS police raids on dealers
-Mary Whitehouse, Margret Thatcher, BBFC and the media scapegoated the video nasties for immoral behaviour which led to a moral panic
-Video Recordings Act 1984 - 72 banned list
-Moral campaign against video nasties ; Mary Whitehouse (NVLA), Margret Thatcher, BBFC and the media
-Regulated videos have age restrictions by BBFC
-Video nasties were exploited to explain responsibility for moral decline in society
-Watching video nasties helps put in context of narrative, the campaigners did not actually watch them

Social:
-Videos being distributed by corner shops, market traders and garages
-The covers on the boxes were often more gruesome than the content
-Moral panic created by media the term 'video nasties'
-Riots, civil unrest, unemployment and recession
-Video nasties were niche films and popular with teenagers due to their controversy
-Video nasties were exploited to explain responsibility for moral decline in society
-Censorship or individual judgement

Economic:
-Riots, civil unrest, unemployment and recession
-Video nasties like Evil Dead were realistic because they were low budget

Technological:
-Cinema attendance declined massively due to the rise of VHS
-Video nasties were made for distribution for VHS

The rise of the blockbuster mutliplex and homevideo

1973/4 - 1984/5

Blockbusters
Rise of the multiplex
Home video and video nasties 



2000 - post 

• Technological (internet piracy)/ new special effects CGI/3D = less likely to be illegally downloaded
• Social
• Economic (internet piracy = formulaic movies = safe)
• Political 

Entitlement = audiences do not expect to pay
AVATAR -> spectacle; the way it looks vs. the narrative / quality of the CGI vs. quality of the narrative/ style over substance


What is the significance of home video and the format wars for audiences?
Home video did not have to be regulated, therefore these video nasties could be produced without restricting any images.

What were the concerns around home video and regulation/censorship?
Home videos were not censored or regulated as these video nasties were being produced illegally. This therefore created a concern and moral panic, that these video nasties were influencing crimes, etc. The government, and the media blamed these video nasties for imitable behaviour, influencing the ongoings in society.

What is a video nasty and why did they become popular?
A video nasty is a low budget horror film that were banned, they became popular as people wanted to watch these for the status of being banned.

What did these films have in common? 
Low budget, horror genre, appealing to a teenage audience, similar narrative/storylines

Who were Margret Thatcher and Mary Whitehouse and why were they significant?
They campaigned to ban these video nasties and blamed things going on the in public as an influence of these films, for example rise in crime rates. NVLA was a campaign set up to ban these video nasties, and to restrict audiences from viewing these films, whilst regulating and censoring graphic images.

How did video nasties become political and how was this moral panic being exploited by the government?
The media exaggerated and created the moral panic around these video nasties, blaming these video nasties as an influence for crime, etc. The government also used video nasties as a scapegoat to explain crime, riots etc.

"Censorship is motivated by fears surrounding new technologies" Discuss this statement referring to video nasties and the impact of technological, social, political contexts of the early to mid 80s.

The NVLA created a moral panic around video nasties. Their main concern was 12-16 year olds getting hold of these films and being influenced under imitable violence. It was said that they replaced party games. Because these video nasties were banned, this created a hype and a status to get hold of and to watch these films. These films were banned but illegally sold by video dealers in garages and sweet shops. Therefore these films were still accessible to 12-16 year olds, even though they had been banned. Pressure groups and activists such as Mary Whitehouse wanted video nasties such as Evil Dead to be censored, due to the concern of imitable violence. However, this became clearly corrupt when the police began to converse with these pressure groups, whilst Mary Whitehouse befriended Thatcher over similar interests.
Campaigns by the NVLA and Mary Whitehouse were put out into the media, in conservative newspapers such as the Daily Mail.

Video nasties created a moral panic and were used by the government and the media as a scapegoat. They targeted the recession, riots and protests as a result of the influence of these video nasties.
As well as political, there was also religious conflict. These video nasties incorporated demonisation and possession, which the religious upper class opposed. The media portrayed video nasties as 'evil' through forms of propaganda. Video nasties were used as an example for everything evil in society.

However, companies and advertisement discovered that the censorship and banning of a film resulted in an increase of demand. For example, Evil Dead was deliberated constructed to be banned and therefore increase the demand and it's number of viewings. With censorship, along came a sense of the thrill of the forbidden.

Home video was unregulated, meaning that anyone could get hold of a particular film. This created a fear of who was watching and being influenced by these video nasties, resulting in a mass censorship of 80 films.

Banning a film increases the demand

What years are we looking at?
1974-1984
What makes Evil Dead significant to video nasties?
It was the first film that was banned and started off the video regulation act
What role did Mary Whitehouse have in this period?
She was an active christian who thought against video nasties, fighting to ban and regulate films such as Evil Dead.
What was the role of the BBFC at this time?
They were in charge of regulation, restrictions and banning films
What is the VRA 1984?
Video Recordings Act, 1984

Video nasties

Social 


Technological 

• VHS

Economical

• Cinema attendance in decline

Political



Video recordings act 1984

Moral panic -> scapegoat: 
"kids aged just five tune into nasties"
Media hyped up the regulation of films because the people who owned the media backed up the conservative government.
Blamed the video nasties on the violence against the government etc, -> miners fighting etc

Mary Whitehouse -> traditional values etc, did not like what younger people and society as a whole could view without the films being regulated

Video nasties -> blood, gore, horror, violence - low budget, unregulated films

Nothing in place to regulate the films, to stop accessibility and graphic images. The video record created a fear about audiences being able to get hold of this.

Implicit -> not showing anything violence or nudity - implied, the opposite to explicit - Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Evil Dead -> biggest selling video of 1983  - people wanted to watch something with violence etc, and thats controversial =  advertisement - pencil stabbing scene = influential and imitable behaviour


What do the trailers Evil Dead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre & Last House on the Left have in common in terms of :

style:
-rape 
-violence/imitable violence / dismemberment
-gore
-night / woods
-unknown actors 
-young -> marketing 
-female victim 
-violence - chainsaw
- young -> marketing 
-female victim 
-documentary style - realistic 
-woods
-teenage targets - audience 
- chainsaw 
-based on reality? true story??

budget:
-very low and poor 
-woods 
-VFX = terrible / plasticine animation / stop motion 
-poor low budget 
-No VFX - more realistic 

narrative/themes:
-style over substance 
-banned / moral panics to promote and advertise 
-moral panic - peace symbol??

genre:
-horror 
-targets the morally wrong 
-demonic vs christian belief 
-horror but more realistic
-horror but realistic 

Evil Dead 
Last house on the left 
Texas chainsaw masscare 

Directors and where are they now / what did they go on to do?  
Evil Dead -> Sam Rammy -> Spiderman and Dawn of the Dead -> mainstream Hollywood film direction 
Wes Craven -> Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, The Hills have Eyes -> popular mainstream hollywood horrors 

Essay 1: What factors led to the decline of town or city centre cinemas in the late 1970s and early 1980s?

Social, economical and technological factors have influenced the decline of cinema attendance throughout the years of the 1970s to the 1980s. These factors had an effect on the production, distribution and marketing and exhibition aspects of cinema. After the war, town and city centre cinemas, also known as flea-pit cinemas experienced a major decline in attendance. One reason for this is that they were not refurbished, and therefore an audience would not want to experience these conditions. Another factor could be the impact of a recession, piracy, technological factors such as the introduction to VHS and VFX and the youth audience.

The recession meant that the public no longer had a disposable income to spend on leisure items and the time to socialise. This therefore resulted in a decline in attendance to town and city centre cinemas. The recession influenced major factors that link to the decline of flea-pit cinema attendance. One was the introduction to VHS.
The introduction of home video became a fashion and a trend to watch films in the comfort of one's own home. Families could watch films together and more than once, meaning that this was cheaper and more economical. The introduction of VHS therefore lead to the decline in cinema attendance, having a major effect on town and city centre cinema's profit and income. This therefore resulted in the cinemas staying in their 'flea-pit' run down state, as they did not have the money to refurbish the cinema.
However, the introduction of VHS impacted the exhibition aspect of the cinema. The new technology of VHS led to a rise in piracy. This had a profound effect on town cinemas. Not only were people not attending cinemas to see new films but buying them to watch at home, they were now illegally purchasing these videos. As a result film production companies and town cinemas were not gaining any profit. A key example of the extent of piracy at this time was the film E.T, which was the most pirated film in 1982.

In the UK, Milton Keynes was the first location of the multiplex cinema in the UK. It was successfully run by film production companies from America. These production companies only distributed their own blockbuster films in these cinemas. The blockbuster was hyped up and seen as an event movie in which became a trend that a large audience wanted to see. Flea pit cinemas therefore could not showcase these films and therefore these independent cinemas suffered as a result. These multiplexes showcased blockbusters, which incorporated a range of VFX. At this time VFX were new and exciting to an audience, and encouraged people to watch the film at the multiplex cinema to gain the full experience, rather than from home video. This was successful for the increase in cinema attendance to multiplexes and as a result made flea pit cinema attendance decline rapidly.
Multiplexes were located on the outskirts of towns, near motorways and usually in shopping malls. This meant that the cinema experience became a part of the shopping experience, devaluing the ideology of the cinema. The location of the multiplex cinemas largely appealed to the new audience; the youth audience. Although the recession was still in tact, the youth audience had a disposable income, due to having no bills and liabilities to pay, they also had the time to socialise. The majority of the new audience already hung around in shopping malls on weekends, therefore the placement of new multiplexes drew and attracted this market easily, increasing attendance and profit to multiplexes.  Blockbuster advertising created a hype and a fashion around the film, making it an 'event movie'. Due to the multiplex location, merchandise could be sold in a range of stores and services.
The youth audience, combined with the location of the multiplex guaranteed a large audience. The youth audience is and was very perceptible to the works of advertisement; buying into the event movie and blockbuster as a fashion and becoming competitive amongst one another. Whilst the location of the multiplexes already held an existing footfall; increasing the likeliness of attendance.
The fact that film production companies owned these multiplexes gave them the opportunity to advertise their own other films before the exhibition of the film the audience member gone to see. This created a vicious circle; blockbuster films advertising other blockbuster films in multiplexes. This encouraged the audience to return back to the multiplex rather than the independent, town cinemas. This of course, resulted in a decline in flea-pit cinema attendance and an incline in multiplex cinemas.

As a result of the introduction to VHS and piracy, the town and city centre cinemas saw their attendance plummet. The rise of the multiplex resulted in a further decline in attendance figures as these cinemas were easier to get to, their location guaranteed a larger audience due to the existing footfall in the shopping mall. Multiplexes showcased a number of blockbuster films (which the flea pits did not) and at a range of times, (whilst the town cinemas still had one single screen.) The large audience that the multiplex attracted also effected the town cinema, as this audience was already hanging around in shopping malls, as well as having a disposable income to spend on the cinema. Film production companies had the control over where their films were distributed, as these production companies owned multiplex cinemas, they showcased these films at their own venues and restricting showcase in independent cinemas. As a large dominant audience wanted to see these blockbusters compared to the films that were being shown in the town cinemas, this led in a major decline in the attendance to the town cinemas and an incline in attendance to multiplexes, resulting in flea pits being ruled out as the competition for multiplexes.
The most influential factor that led to the decline of town or city centre cinemas in the late 1970s and the early 1980s, in my opinion is possibly the influence of the recession. From the recession, other factors formed; for example if there was no recession, families may not have bought the VHS and home video. There also would not have been as greater target towards the youth audience.
Although, it is also arguable that the rise of the multiplex is the most influential factor that lead to the decline of the flea pit cinema attendance.

Social 

• Youth audience - marketing (hype) & Exhibitions (shopping centres) VFX - simple narrative (production) 
• Audience leisure patterns - recession - little disposable income 

Technological 

• Multiplexes guarantees a larger audience -> more screens and times available = an audience more variable 
• Piracy and home video 
• Flea pit - one screen, independently run, no blockbusters shown here = audiences did not want these - distribution - productions companies owned multiplexes therefore they sold their films only in multiplexes. Film distributors control who and where shows their films to gain a profit. This results in a decline in flea pit cinemas so that multiplexes rise and gain the profit. The flea pits were the competition. 

Economic 

• Recession -> decline in cinema attendance  
• VHS 
• Rise of the blockbuster and event movies 
• Piracy 

AS Past Papers

http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/82299-unit-f631-film-text-and-context-specimen.pdf

http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/175046-question-paper-unit-f631-01-film-text-and-context.pdf

Video Nasties and E.T

• VHS; home audiences can see things that the government don't want you to watch, because these were banned and not put into cinema showcases. 

Quality of the cinema experience: more special effects and CGI
Narrative has suffered as a result of this. Recycling the narrative to adapt it to a moving image and incorporating VFX. We have sacrificed the narrative over the visual effects.

3 stages of film from being made and being produced in the cinema

Stage 1. Production :

• Making of the film 
• Not all films that are pitched are made
• Based on audience trends
• Budget and actors needed = financing 

Stage 2. Marketing :

• Advertising; posters, trailers, etc 
• 
  

Stage 3. Distribution:

• Sending the film out 
• Getting it out there

Stage 4. Exhibition :

• Showing the film 
• Blockbusters in multiplexes 

Production:

• Test screenings : a registered research company i.e. Mori can carry out research into audience preferences. This information can be used to shape the final film £500,000
• Film Lab: is essential for processing the footage converting it to a high resolution 3D digital format, £500,000
• VFX Studio : a modern visual effects production studio allows you to create all of your CGI sequences and use a virtual backlot is a cheaper alternative to shooting on location £1m 
• Legal : contracting star appeal factor for your film and securing the rights to a movie franchise protects your investment £1m 

Distribution:

• Marketing: creating hype for the film to become an event - everything from psoters, trailers, street campaigns, to free online games £250,000
• Youtube/vimeo : advertise your trailers and allow audiences your films pay to stream in HD £250,000
• Web Distributer: a web distributer can provide online streaming of your film in HD to prevent illegal piracy i.e. Netflix £1 m
• Cable/satellite tv : licensing your iflms through a cable or satellite Tv operator for Movie Service captures revenue from the home audience rental market £1m
• DVD retailer: collect extra revenue from your franchise with Blu ray experience or collectable Box sets £500,000
• Merchandising : a merchandising compay is responsible for producing toys, lunch boxes, tie-ins etc. Can prove to be a huge way of increasing revenue £2m
• Distributor: a distributing company can make sure that your film gets to cinemas across the country in a digital format securely and without the threats to quality or piracy £1 m

Exhibition:

• Multiplex cinemas 

The Success of Star Wars/ increasing popularity of blockbuster

The era of independent films was known as the new hollywood; filmmakers who went to film school - art


Social

• New Hollywood films, for example the God Father that were about current affairs and realism, then Star Wars cam out introducing fun and entertainment 
• Event movie and marketing/ fan base/ sequels - the film becomes a business rather than an art form 

Technological

• Jaws demonstrates some of the characteristics of being a new Hollywood and a blockbuster. It is a blockbuster due to the hype with merchandising and advertising and the fact that it was out in the cinema for 6 weeks
• Development of VFX makes Star Wars new and exciting, also making people go to the cinema. Jaws however did not use VFX because the shark sank, POV shots had to be used, however this led to psychological effects as people could not see the threat
• VHS meant that people were staying at home and watching films, this became and trend and fashion to watch films at home. E.T was the biggest selling VHS in 1981. Criminals sold pirate copies as this was prohibited. 

Economical

In the 1960s films were more realistic and reflecting on their times/era dealt with the issues of the Vietnam war
1970s was the era of independence
Sci-fi operated narrative
Star Wars was inspired by the 1930s Flash Gordon
Stock character types - Propp's fairytale characters - not independent or socially realistic
Wanted to get away from reality/ escapism - futuristic and new
Every type of person went to see it over and over again, this created a massive fan base, making an event movie. Seeing this film became the fashion, and a huge group of merchandise was everywhere, included on everything.
20 billion since 1997


Effect on - what is the effect of these things on the rise of the blockbuster:

The effect of Star Wars becoming an event movie resulted in it becoming a business rather than an art form, selling merchandise and other sequels and prequels

The VFX resulted in more people going to multiplexes and cinemas as the exhibition of the film = experience.

The fact that it was an event movie meant that people went to the cinema to become a collective audience and share the experience

Mutliplex cinemas

-No projectionist and no ushers needed with the development of technology (the electronic projection)
-From 1965-1970, 100 multiplex cinemas were opened in shopping centres in the US
-Before multiplexes were introduced, there was a big decline in cinema attendance
-Multiplexes put smaller cinemas out of business
-"Success of a few expansions in 1980s"
-'Megaplex' = 20 or more screens - 1985 -Milton Keynes
-1984 - the multiplex was designed to get people back into cinemas because of the introduction of    VHS (home video) became a trend, resulting in a decline in cinema attendance
-Technological
-Social
-Economic
-Success led to an expansion in 1980
-Rotate films of biggest films; release the biggest on the main screen and the smaller ones on the smaller screens
-Multiplexes increased attendance to cinemas due to the introduction of technology and VFX, which enhanced the experience


- In 1944, cinema attendance was at its peak due to the war = to escape reality and a distraction, to see the news, or as a propaganda form, to reinforce moral. War films were also at its peak, but this was not a true image of the war, it was more idealistic, reinforcing moral and comfort about the war.

-Cinema attendance has risen from 2003 -2011 due to technological advances such as 3D, making the experience of the cinema greater and the lack of experience if watched at home or pirated.

-The pricing of the cinema attendance has risen because the price of tickets have increased, it is not that more people are going to the cinema, but the increase of ticket pricing.

-3D impacts the amount of pirate copies. This happened again in the 1980s and is repeating again now. online and the threat of home videos / piracy. You can't watch 3D at home, therefore the risk decreases.

1970s-1980s Rise of the Blockbuster and Multiplex cinemas

Economic:

• Box office - cinema attendance 
• Budget / production budget (+100 mil) 
• Marketing budget = hype - Jaws was the first movie that marketed hype - the summer event movie - pre-sold audience; fear; iconic posters = need to see it, wanted to be scared = part of the event 
• Economic recession - no throwaway money - UK 
• Multiplexes located in shopping centres = a leisure or social experience - part of the teenagers weekend - it becomes a product and entertainment item, rather than an art form

Jaws and Star Wars were successful, therefore people saw these as safe and repeated these and types of films like this to make more money, similarly to these circumstances. = Blockbuster Formula - Production

Special effects = money = Star Wars

Film studios built multiplexes so that they could show and sell their films - used as outlets to advertise and show their blockbusters - Exhibitions - the only thing you could watch, therefore it will make money if this is the only thing you can watch and is on the menu 

Film studios make films and show them in their multiplexes 

Multiplexes put smaller 'fleapit' cinemas out of business - they were independent and located in towns, however, now smaller cinemas have refurbished and adapted their cinemas - they served a neish audience. 

Multiplexes only allowed their blockbusters to be shown within their cinemas rather than the fleapit cinemas. This puts the smaller cinemas out of the business as these are the films that people want to watch. = Multiplex cinemas = one big factory industry

Cross promote = advertisement of their own films = revolving circle of multiplex cinemas and the decline in fleapit, smaller cinemas.

Homework due Monday 12th January 2015

Task 1:

-Read through the notes and state why Jaws was so significant

Present as a mindmap:
-Look at the now blockbuster - advertising, marketing, poster, trailer, merchandise etc
-Compare and see how the characteristics have developed, increased, changed and/or intensified
-Budget of the film -IMDB
-Showings of the film - cinema -fleapit or multiplex
-What else is showing at the cinema - Blockbusters ? Independent? Hollywood?

Task 2:

Make a presentation:
-Read case study
-Watch trailers
-Analyse characteristics using the above reading
-Does it compare with the trailers of the Godfather, Jaws and Star Wars - are there notable similarities and differences

-To explain how old films influence new Blockbusters
-Politics and social values (audience) influence censorship for example, Korea etc
-How the cinema is now a multiplex, showing multiple blockbusters at one time
-Effects of film piracy
-Special effects drive the cinema = no piracy and make one go to the cinema, the experience and    quality, etc
-Formulaic / repeated ideas  
-Told to enjoy films with special effects through the advertising - these films are only put into the cinema or multiplex cinemas. Cinemas only play blockbusters 

Why do we have special effects in films?
To encourage an audience to go to the cinema as a preference to going online and illegally downloading films.

An event film is a film that entices a large audience. For example, Star Wars 2015. A shared experience of a film, etc. An event film will have advertisement everywhere, for example in McDonalds toys. An event film is part of a franchise, therefore products can be sold further on from the actual film itself. An event film makes even more money from the merchandise.

Fleapit -> independent, local cinema. Not on the outskirts of town attached to a shopping centre.
Multiplex -> large screening of a film at multiple times. Usually found in a shopping centre.

Conclusion: Monday 5th January 2015

Why do we have CGI and VFX in these films?
To stop piracy and therefore increase the film's profit earn in the box office. To give the audience a reason to see it at the cinema and not to illegally download it. If it is 3D, you will be less likely to download it illegally because the experience and quality will be poor. This therefore reduces the risk of piracy.
Do audiences actually want to see CGI and VFX in a film or are we just encouraged and told to watch it? - Advertising technique. The audience is dependant on special effects.

Is the blockbuster formula still working?

What is a flop?
-An unsuccessful or unprofitable film
-A film's profit needs to earn twice the production and marketing budget to not be considered a flop

What is the flop formula?
-A-list star = more money
- Cannot be a comedy - no special effects or not as much - no hardcore audiences or fan base/          followers
-Spend a lot on visual effects -> budget headlines
- If you spend money, you'll make money


How much does a film need to earn to be considered a success?
-Star wars episode 1: $1,027,044,677  Budget : $115, 000, 000
-Avatar: $2, 782, 275, 127 Budget: $237 million

Franchise: A collection of media that exists in multiple forms; film, lit, video games etc. i.e. jaws with the franchise and products that were made from it

Multiplex: Multiple or group of cinemas; showcase cinemas etc
Multiple screens showing multiple viewings of the same film
In these cinemas blockbusters are popular and commonly shown

Cinema budget:

What is considered to be a blockbuster budget: 

Marketing is not including in the production budget 

What factors effect the success of the film: 
-Based on box office figures at the cinema (how many times you see it at the cinema, not downloading it, etc).

Boxofficemojo OR imdb -> box office figures and data OR Mark Komode BBC film critic