How does Star Wars and A Field In England use synergy

SYNERGY IS:... 

“The combined marketing of products or commodities across different media and other products which are often owned by the same corporation, so that the total effect is greater than the sum of the different parts” – Branston & Stafford (2010)

“Interconnected marketing and distribution of media products across a range of platforms and sectors” – McDougall (2008) 

“Creating a brand… requires an endless parade of brand extensions, continually renewed imagery for marketing, and most of all, fresh new spaces to disseminate the brand’s idea of itself” – Klein (No Logo 2009)

"The interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements" - Dictionary.reference.com

Star Wars

"The entertainment giant launched a Pixar clip where the characters personifying emotions in Inside Out react to the Star Wars trailer." This is synergistic as Disney is promoting inside out and Star Wars through one advert. This is used to advertise both films but mostly Star Wars due to the character of Inside out showing their emotions. This benefits both films as both are being promoted in the advert.

"LUCKY CHARMS ADIDAS. Pottery Barn. The force of strained Star Wars marketing tie-ins is strong with these brands. With these mi Star Wars Superstar 80s, Adidas wants your kids to pick from the Dark Side or the Light for their feet." This is used to promote adidas trainers and star wars the film which makes it synergistic.

A Field In England

Synergy is used in A Field In England by promoting Ben Wheatley's season 

A Field In England

A Field In England (2013 - Ben Wheatley)


Production Company: Rook Films / Film4 Productions
Distributor: Picturehouse
Production Budget: £316,000
Distribution & Marketing Budget (P&A Budget): £112,000 (£50,000 provided by BFI New Model Distribution Fund) 
Box Office Gross: £21,399 (Opening weekend only)

How was this film released? 

Ben Wheatley’s A Field in England will be the first ever film to be released in UK nationwide cinemas, on free TV, on DVD and on Video-on-Demand on the same day. (simultaneously)

Why was it released in this way?

The unique release will give audiences and fans of Wheatley’s previous films (Down Terrace, Kill List, Sightseers) the choice of how and where to experience his new film

What are the advantages of this method of release?

The film can be watched in a way that benefits the audience

What are the possible disadvantages of this method of release?

You could loose money as you would make profit through cinema tickets

 

Film Distribution

According to the UK Film Distribution Agency (UK FDA) film distribution is: 

Distribution is the highly competitive business of launching and sustaining films in the market place. Films don't become talking points, or find their place in the world, by accident. The distributor's challenge is to bring each one to market by:

1. Identifying its audience 
2. Considering why they’d go and see it 
3. Estimating the revenue potential across all the formats of its release
4. Persuading exhibitors (cinema operators) to play the film
5. Developing plans and partnerships to build awareness of and interest in the film
6. Aiming to convert as much interest as possible into cinema visits

How many of the 'Big Six' studios also own distribution companies? All of the 'Big Six' own distribution companies and this is what makes them a major studio.

work out what the following distribution terms mean, and find one example of a film released.

a) Limited 

a film, which is only sold within a specific location or through a specific chain of stores.

b) Key Cities

A film which is exhibited in big cities such as London

c) Wide

A film which is exhibited nationally

d) Saturation
A film which is exhibited everywhere

find out what these more complicated distribution strategies are:


e) Platform Release- based on a release in 2-3 stages, where you start of small in about 10-50 screens, then in the next step increases the number of copies somewhat, and finally  move over to the last step and open wide at 500+ screens. The strategy can also be applied in just two steps, where you move directly from small to wide.
f) Non-Theatrica- some of course go straight to video/DVD/VOD and to foreign TV-markets etcetera. However, it’s important to prepare such a release in about the same way as if the movie had a theatrical release – within the technical end economic restraint that comes with a non theatrical release.

MERLIN: How does this extract construct representations of class

At the beginning of the extract we are introduced to Merlin who's costume is very scruffy and clothes which look very cheap. From this we can straight from the start understand what type of class he is part of. From what he is wearing we can tell Merlin is represented as a lower class person. The cross cutting between the woman in purple and Merlin represents the different types of class in the Kingdom. The woman is represented as a very upper class woman due to her costume being a luxurious purple to represent her wealth compared to Merlin's costume which is brown and is represented as a completely different class to show contrast between the characters.

The tracking shot of Merlin walking through the market shows that he is free compared to the static camera shot of Merlin in the castle. This implies that that Merlin feels free when in the market as it represents that he belongs there. The market is very cheap looking compared to the nice kingdom he walked through before the tracking scene. Also the Asynchronous sound of sheep in the background represents the type of work the lower class people would have to do in the kingdom, this also represents Merlin as an "animal" compared to Arthur.

Arthur is represented as extremely arrogant due to his body language as he walks as if he is superior to everyone else. Also, his costume represents him as very wealthy which shows contrast between him and Merlin. The diegetic sounds represent Arthur as superior to Merlin as the dialogue quotes "You shouldn't address me like that". This portrays that Arthur is represented as powerful. However, Merlin responds with more dialogue. "I told you, you was an arse" which contradicts the representation of Arthur's upper class being superior. The shot reverse shots between Arthur and Merlin gives the audience and idea of the different classes however this contradicts the stereotype that classes do not mix as from the dialogue we can tell that they know each other.

The Mise en scene and in particular the props portray the contrast in classes when Merlin and Arthur are about to battle. Arthur is carrying a mace for him and Merlin to battle. The props he owns portrays he is from a higher class as servants would not carry weapons around as they would not be able to afford them. When fighting there is a slow motion edit used of Arthur to show he is superior and he is trained in what he does and there is no slow motion of Merlin to represent him as clumsy and untrained which sows the upper class is stronger and better at fighting compared to the lower class. The fast paced editing also shows him as clumsy compared to the slow motion of Arthur. During the battle, the cutaway to the old man in the tower portrays that he is worried. This is because he knows that the two different classes shouldn't be fighting as their will only be one outcome with Arthur winning as he is trained due to him being wealthy and from an upper class.

The asynchronous sound of the chicken portrays the Merlin is a "chicken" himself compared to Arthur which represents his class as cowards compared to Arthur and the upper class. The High angle shot and low angle shots nearer to the end of the extract portrays power. This is shown through a high angle shot of Merlin to show he is inferior to Arthur and there is a low angle shot of Arthur to portray his power compared to Merlin and this represents upper class as superior to Merlin's class.

Digital Technology & Technological Convergence in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

"Evaluate the role of Digital Technologies in the marketing and consumption of products in the media area you have studied" 

Digital technologies play an increasingly important role in the distribution, marketing and consumption of media products in the film industry. One film that has fully utilised modern digital technologies and taken advantage of technological convergence is Disney's Star Wars: The Force Awakens. One of the ways Star Wars: The force awakens has used digital technology is through the Star Wars App. The app uses technological convergence as you can do many things in the app such as taking selfies, buying tickets and watching the trailer. This makes it easy for people to buy tickets and find out information on the film which encourages the people using the app to go and watch the film.

Another way the film is marketed is through the Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Hashtags such as #Forcefriday which can allow the fans to interact with each other. This helps market and distribute the film as millions of people use social media so will be able to watch trailers, use the hashtags and enter competitions which allows the audience to engage with the film which will encourage them to watch it. Also retweets on twitter can help market the movie as famous actors will retweet something about the film to make it even more hyped about.

Another way the film is marketed is through the digital release of films. These films are previous released star wars films and is released on iTunes. This is used to create hype as the audience will want to know what happens in the next movie also allows new audience to understand the story line.  

Class Picture

Class review

Representation of Class in Television Drama

Article by Gareth McLeon of The Guardian

• TV Drama is too middle classed
• TV Drama is too metropolitan
• It is loosing touch with reality
• "Ordinary people with extraordinary lives"
• you wonder whether commissioners, producers and writers would recognise "real life" if they were confronted with it.
• Decision makers in TV drama haven't lived much beyond their middle class lives
• Producers and writers seem to be from the same class now as well
• In shameless there was no understanding of the real life world
•  it's a problem that stems from those making drama not being terribly au fait with reality. (I know there are all sorts of issues with terms such as "ordinary people" and "the real world").
• drama could be losing its truthfulness
• aspirational and ultimately untruthful drama will only get worse, as drama commissioning becomes more metropolitan, and drama writers become more middle-class.
• Is television drama now afraid of, alienated from, bewildered by – or worse contemptuous of – the majority of its audience?

Representation of Gender: Hustle

The male shop assistant is represented as very flamboyant.  This representation is usually associated with women who are seen to be hysterical and emotional. This is shown through the mise en scene :in particular the body language as he runs off to find the dress in a very feminine way.  This is in conjunction with a wipe and an ellipsis which cuts time. This implies that the woman is the main subject and is superior to the man as he is "wiped" out of the scene.

The editing reinforces stereotypes of women. The cutaway to the blonde woman shows she is very judgemental towards the other woman as the other woman does not have the money to buy the dress. This reinforces the stereotype that women are very judgemental about other women.  However the facial expression of the blonde woman, as she looks at the older lady, was very sympathetic and contradicts this judgemental stereotype.  Instead it arguably reinforces the stereotype that women are selfless.

The woman is objectified throughout the extract. This is shown through the camera work. The tilt shot showing the woman from top to bottom of her body reinforces the stereotype that women are viewed as objects by men. Also, the dialogue contradicts the stereotype that women are prudent as the women spends £3,000 on the dress which shows she is not careful with her money.

The wipe from the clothing shop to the gentlemen's club juxtaposes two different representations of gender. The gentlemen's club is very male dominated and the women's shop is woman dominated which portrays two different environments. In conjunction with the editing, the mise en scene also portrays the two different environments. The shop is modern, clean, full of expensive dresses and light colours representing women as superficial, glamorous and flighty.  The club, on the other hand, is filled with smoke and old mirrors and paintings, wood and dark colours.  This represents men as old fashioned, boring and not so glamorous.

Desperate Housewives: Representations of gender

The first scene of the title sequence is an animated painting of Adam and Eve. It implies that men are crushed by women's actions. It is reinforcing the stereotype that women are devious and manipulative.

In the second scene an Egyptian Goddess is seen surrounded by her children. However, she is then drowned by her children. This portrays that women are supposed to look after the children but the scene implies that she is not doing a good job as she is being 'drowned' by them.

The third scene within the sequence shows a man whom had eats a banana and then throws it carelessly in the direction of his pregnant wife who sweeps it up. This reinforces the stereotype that women are very domesticated and shows that the man is superior in the marriage.

The fourth scene shows an old couple who look bored of their relationship and then a younger more attractive women appears and tempts him away from the wife. The wife is then sealed up in a sardine can which says "age" on the tin. This portrays that men are very impatient and once they are bored of women they move on. This scene also implies that women are seen as an object for example a sardine can.

The fifth scene shows a woman who is struggling to hold all three groceries. She then drops all of the objects she is carrying. This implies that women struggle under pressure of being a household wife and that she is incapable of doing simple jobs.

The sixth scene shows a woman facing her lover and she is crying. However, she stops crying and unexpectedly punches him across the face and gives him a black eye. The is a counter stereotype as it portrays women to be violent. The tear running down her face also reinforces the stereotype that women are emotional.

  

Glen Creeber: Representations of Gender

Stereotypes of women

Stereotypes of men

Emotional	Prudent	Co-operative
Community minded	Compliant	Rational
Efficient	Competitive	Individualistic
Ruthless	Submissive	Sensitive
Dependent	Independent	Demure
Controlling	Confident	Strong
Ambitious	Aggressive	Assertive
Selfish	Selfless	Domesticated
Violent	Powerful	Competent

Case Study: Indie Film

FRANK

http://www.magpictures.com/frank/

Produced by: Film 4

Released: 9th May 2014 (UK) | 2nd May 2014 (Ireland) 

Comparing to star wars: the force awakens

Frank the Film cost £1 million to produce whereas Star wars the force awakens had a budget of $200 million to produce and $243 budget for marketing. As Frank was made by a independent company it is produced by many different production companies such as film 4 showing how they require more help to produce a completed and finished movie as they do not have the resources and financial power the major companies do such as Disney who produced Star Wars.

Production- The film shot in County Wicklow, Dublin, and New Mexico in 2013. The music performed by the band in the film was recorded live by the cast while filming.
-The film was directed by Lenny Abrahamson.
-Frank the film cost £1million to produce

Marketing-   Frank was mostly marketed on social media such as Twitter and Facebook for example the younger target audience could create their own masks and post them on their twitter accounts, this was to promote the movie without a lot of money which shows independent companies need interaction with people to market their movie. The film premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and at the festival everyone was given a mask. It was released in Ireland on 2 May 2014 and was released on DVD and On-Demand on 12 September 2014.It was released in cinemas in the United Kingdom on 9 May 2014. 

Exhibition-  Here is a list of many ways you can watch Frank.

Here is how much money was made in the first day of screening and in the first weekend of screening.

Opening Weekend

$16,056 (USA) (17 August 2014) (1 Screen)
$341,649 (UK) (11 May 2014) (146 Screens)
HUF 2,023,028 (Hungary) (3 August 2014) (21 Screens)

Gross

$606,053 (USA) (28 September 2014)

Weekend Gross

$18,205 (USA) (28 September 2014) (36 Screens)
$103,122 (USA) (7 September 2014) (75 Screens)
$178,104 (USA) (1 September 2014) (52 Screens)
$55,161 (USA) (24 August 2014) (12 Screens)
$16,056 (USA) (17 August 2014) (1 Screen)

Lenny Henry: Racial Representations

• Significant effort made by programme and film makers to be more inclusive of black people and Asians.
• Even though there has been a change over the years this change has been very slow
• Lenny Henry wants the media to be diverse not only in front of the cameras but also behind the cameras
• All top 100 broadcasters of the BBC were white
• Entry level training for young people needs to change to create a more diverse future in the media productions
• There needs to be jobs offered to different ethnic backgrounds to see a change in the future
• Structural change
• Lenny and a group of black and Asian minority groups speaking together/ standing up together
• opened a door to conversations
• beginning of something 
• America has seen a lot of change in the media with black actors 
• Inspiration to other black actors

Hotel Babylon

Camera

Within this sequence the camera conveys representations of race.  The tilt shot onto a close up of the hoover after Ibrahim is arrested, implies that Ibrahim's hoover job is what gets him into trouble/arrested.  This metonymic shot is used to make the audience sympathise with his situation.

The close up on officer shows he knows about their 'code' routine, when the lady at reception says to get the forms, the white people knows that a game is being played.

The shallow depth of field when the vent is out of focus and you see the immigrant hurry to the stock room. The vent represents bars in a prison and is a metaphor for what is going to happen which also shows it is a foreshadowing shot as it represents what is going to happen to Ibrahim.

At the beginning of the clip the camera is stationary in most shots however when the panic starts most shots are hand held for example the tracking shot this implies that the immigrants are

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - A Distribution & Marketing Case Study

Marketing

Selection of two teaser trailers- build up hype- main trailer was then premiered during an American football match to make the trailer an event.

Six big brands including McDonalds involved in the merchandise.

Characters in Madame tussauds

Social Media Presence

#Forcefriday released all the merchandise on a Friday

Rides and attractions at Disney

The forecast now assumes that consumers will spend $3 billion a year on licensed toys, clothing, and other assorted SW-related stuff, with about $215 million going back to Disney.

Disney has also created a game on the app store to promote the movie even further which is for Android and IOS. There is also a regular app which is used to explain the previous 6 films for new fans or for people that have forgot

Disney also film the reactions of fans/celebrities for example on BBC they show peoples views of the trailer.

Disney has brought a whole new level of marketing savvy to an already popular product: Dergarabedian cites the decision to make all six existing Star Wars films available on streaming services as “a brilliant way to stoke the fires and build the anticipation for the new film and reinvigorate the idea of Star Wars in the minds of the fans”.

Distribution

Exhibition

Odeon and Picturehouse and also vue.The film will be released across our various cutting-edge projection technologies including our xenon digital system, IMAX 15/70mm film and our next-generation laser system.

Love Thy Neighbour: Race Representations

In Love thy neighbour blacks are represented as the inferior race to whites and whites such as Eric see blacks as lower than him. This is shown through the dialogue when Eric quotes "bloody big-nogs, everywhere I turn theres a big-nog." This represents Eric as very racist and intimidating towards the black character as she (the black character) is behind him at the door as he turns. The programme represents interracial neighbourhoods as very strange and abnormal as it is meant to portray that it is abnormal for a black family to be living next to a white family. The show represents white people as middle classed and very sophisticated and represents black people as quite violent people. This is because in one episode the white woman is supposed to be fixing the TV and the black woman smacks the TV to try to help which could imply that blacks are more violent than whites.

Case Study: 20th Century Fox

History
For many years, 20th Century Fox claimed to have been founded in 1915, the year Fox Film was founded. For instance, it marked 1945 as its 30th anniversary. However, in recent years it has claimed the 1935 merger as its founding, even though most film historians agree it was founded in 1915.
The company's films retained the 20th Century Pictures searchlight logo on their opening credits as well as its opening fanfare, but with the name changed to 20th Century-Fox.


Key film releases by the company
Avatar
Titanic
Star Wars
Independence day


Types of films released by the company
Most films released by the company/studio is action adventure or sci-fi.


 A study of a specific key film released in the last five years by the company, including how successful the film was.
Avatar is a 2009 American science fiction film directed, written, produced, and co-edited by James Cameron,  The film is set in the mid-22nd century. It also became the first film to gross more than $2 billion and the best-selling film of 2010 in the United States. Avatar was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director,and won three, for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects. Following the film's success, Cameron signed with 20th Century Fox to produce three sequels, making Avatar the first of a planned tetralogy.

Case Study: Film4 Productions

History
Prior to 1998, the company was identified as Channel Four Films or FilmFour International. Later, the outfit was re-branded as FilmFour, to coincide with the launch of a new Digital TV channel of the same name. The company cut its budget and staff significantly in 2002, due to mounting losses, and was re-integrated into the drama department of Channel 4.

In 2004, Tessa Ross became head of both Film4 and Channel 4 drama. The name "Film4 Productions" was introduced in 2006 to tie in with the relaunch of the FilmFour broadcast channel as Film4.

Key Film Releases

12 Years A Slave

Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire

Four Lions 

In Bruges

This is England

Sightseers

The Selfish Giant,

Under the Skin

Starred Up.

Types of film typically released by the company (genres, etc)

There is more than one genre, the main genre is mostly Period Genre (12 years a slave) but also there is some comedy Films (Inbetweeners two). There is not much sci-fi or action based films.  

A study of a specific key film released in the last five years by the company, including how successful the film was.

A key film released in the last five years was 12 years A slave (although Film4 Productions was not the main producer) . It was released in 2013 and was a period drama, it received widespread critical acclaim, and was named the best film of 2013 by several media outlets. It proved to be a box office success, earning over $187 million on a production budget of $22 million. The film won three Academy Awards.

Ownership of the company

Film4 Productions is owned by Channel Four Television Corporation.

Race and representation

Feed The Fish Preliminary Task

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG9LFkjJUSY&feature=youtu.be

Institution & Audience Key Terms

Production Company: A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.

Distributor: A film distributor is responsible for the marketing of a film. The distribution company is usually different from the production company. Distribution deals are an important part of financing a film.


Exhibitor: is the retail branch of the film industry. It involves not the production or the distribution of motion pictures, but their public screening, usually for paying customers in a site devoted to such screenings, the movie theatre  What the exhibitor sells is the experience of a film. 


Vertical Integration: The combination in one firm of two or more stages of production normally operated by separate firms.

Major Studio: A major film studio is a production and distribution company that releases a substantial number of films annually and consistently commands a significant share of box office revenue in a given market.


Independent Studio: An independent film is a film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment.

1. 
   

Saturday Night Fever Exam

Terminology: 5

Example: 13

EAA: 10

28: D  

Terminology: Some terminology used but inaccuracies- Level 2

Example: Range of examples from at least 3 areas, mostly relevant- Level 3

EAA: Basic understanding of how technical aspects construct representations- Level 2

Don't give definitions for key terms, be specific about representations made.

Sound Definitions

Foley:  Foley is created by the sound artist mimicking the actual sound source in a recording studio. Often there are many little sound effects that happen within any given scene of a movie. The process of recording them all can be tedious and time consuming.

Diegetic sound: Diegetic sound is any sound presented as originated from source within the film's world. Digetic sound can be either on screen or off screen depending on whatever its source is within the frame or outside the frame. Another term for diegetic sound is actual sound Diegesis is a Greek word for "recounted story

Non diegetic sound: Sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has been implied to be present in the action

Pitch: the quality of a sound governed by the rate of vibrations producing it; the degree of highness or lowness of a tone.

Rhythm: a strong, regular repeated pattern of movement or sound.

Sound bridge: When the scene begins with the carry-over sound from the previous scene before the new sound begins.

Sound motif: A sound effect or combination of sound effects that are associated with a particular character, setting, situation or idea through the film. 

Score: A film score (also sometimes called background score, background music, film music or incidental music) is original music written specifically to accompany a film.

Crescendo: a gradual increase in loudness in a piece of music.

Ambient sound: In atmospheric sounding and noise pollution, ambient noise level (sometimes called background noise level, reference sound level, or room noise level) is the background soundpressure level at a given location, normally specified as a reference level to study a new intrusive sound source.

Asynchronous sound: Asynchronous sounds match the action being performed however is not precisely synchronised with the action.

Dialogue: a conversation between two or more people as a feature of a book, play, or film.

Timbre: the character or quality of a musical sound or voice as distinct from its pitch and intensity.

Hyperbolic sound: having the nature of hyperbole; exaggerated. Using hyperbole; exaggerating.