29th April

Digital Network- National lottery, arts council
Piracy/ internet - MegaUpload, pirate bay
the resurgence of 3D- Guillerimo del Toro director of Pacific Rim

Thesis- goes through all details then come to the conclusion 

Piracy- no risks- formula

Audience grown up with blockbusters 

Avatar- highest grossing film 2billion

Transformers- franchise 

"Audiences have a larger variety of films to choose film since the introduction of digital technology" Do you agree with this statement?"




How much does internet piracy negatively effect the film industry?

25th April

Christopher Nolan- Had the opportunity to shoot inception and Batman into 3D and he turned it down.

Michael Bay- Transformers although using a lot of FX and not having much of a story he still turned down using 3D. 


Many non 3D films with more narrative have often beaten films with 3D in the box office.

From 2011 the box office numbers for 3D films have decreased.


3D included in films unnecessarily. 

Oblivion and Gravity- Case Studies 

Gravity- could be seen as a blockbuster but it isnt because they have strong narratives so therefore it isnt a "big dumb movie"

Mock Exam 2- Video Nasties

In the early 1980s' moral panic was spread through the public by the conservative party as they feared that the progression of technology would allow inappropriate film content to be seen.  When cinemas were the only way of people watching films the government were able to regulate and censor things containing violence, sexual content or what they believed to be damaging to people and therefore caused a concern. Mary Whitehouse was the person put in charge to regulate films as part of the conservative party which at this time Margaret Thatcher was in power.

As videos became for fashionable and people did not want to pay for the cinema because of the recession, piracy became more apparent. Video recorders meant that people were able to pirate films and sell them on illegally. The result of this meant that people of any age could buy films containing damaging content as the criminals selling them do not care about regulating the films as the government did. The most often censored films were "video nasties", these included things which the government at the time saw as obscene and therefore made it their aim to remove them from the viewing public. The argument of this is whether the people should decide what they watch themselves, but the people in power believed it could spark ideas for people.  

The Video Nasties were scapegoated by Margaret Thatcher as during the time Britain was corrupt and in poverty as it had hit a recession, this was arguably her fault. By blaming the state of Britain on the video nasties, it took the attention off of her and also was removing the idea of rebellion as this is what they believed was included in them. The BBFC, was put in place by the government to regulate films and categorise into what ages they should be shown, they are still in place today. However in the 80's they were set up by people apart of the government meaning that their views were very biased on what was shown. 

Quiz

What genres Films does 3D suit?
	Action Blockbusters

Did the UK digital cinema network succeed in exposing audiences to more varied types of films?
	Yes By making it cheaper for people to distribute films and also cheaper to exhibit dilms in cinemas, independent studios were able to afford putting their films in cinemas.

Is 3D successful in getting audiences back in the cinema?
	Yes As 3D can only be seen from the cinema it has brought in more people to the cinema, however once the experience is over it is likely that people will soon become bored of it and of the formulaic plots. Does 3D have a negative impact on film production?  Yes  As well as making film production more expensive, it also means that the films become very formulaic as they cost a lot of money and the studios will want to make a surplus so they wont take risks. 6. Which directors support 3D in their productions?  James Cameron James Cameron is the director of Avatar, which was one of the biggest 3D event movies because of the effects and 3D used. What reasons were given by the FBI shutting down Megaupload?  Breaching intellectual property copyright They were sharing files which they did not own. How has film distribution online/digital cinema helped Indie films get exhibited?  Cheaper to get into cinemas Independent directors can now afford to distribute their films through cinemas and websites meaning that they are more likely to be recognised.

Action blockbusters use a lot of effects which is what 3D films often have as the fights or effects look good with it.

Why has the film industry lost money from cinema attendance from 2000?

 illegal piracy

Piracy has allowed people to watch films online for free, which means they are very unlikely to pay for a film when they have to also go out of the comfort of their own home.

22nd April

Homework- revise v for vendetta and children of men 

21st century film- 

Piracy- criminals make money, inspires people to have new ideas as they see more films 

Digital distribution- alternative films 

Resurgence of 3D- cannot be pirated, new experience, money for film studios 

Context- what factors caused/impacts

Social- audience attendance

Technology- 3d, digital distribution, Internet 

Group task- megaupload, pirate 

 "Megaupload" acts as a digital locker, allows file sharing 

Megaupload resulted in rubbish blockbuster films and allows spoilers 

  

3d resurgence & film production-

Loads of money spent, grossing budget 

3d remakes if preexisting movies

Adverts- quick don't see anything because the films are rubbish 

3d made in late 1930s

Illusion of a good new experience 

Digital distribution-

New scheme takes over big film reels 12 million pounds put into it, cinemas wouldn't pay themselves 

Digital screening- cuts costs of film release, a tenth of what it would cost on a reel 

Beneficial for film studios 

More open to piracy

Uk film council and arts council created the digital screen network 

Cinemas began screening independent films- greater risk eg. Casablanca 

Films that are in now eg. Captain America, Tarzan (only in 3d) Khumba 

Independent films- the quiet ones, gods not dead

"3d is a gimmick it lends itself to certain tacky genres & forces the director to make cinematography decisions to make it work rather than to create meaning"

3d was bought back everytime cinema attendance decreased, suggesting it is not for the experience but to get more people in the cinema.

More profit for film studios so they re released films in 3d. 

 

Digital distribution has led to people losing jobs as people don't go to the cinema. Which is why they introduced 3D again to increase cinema attendance and profit.

Action and horror genres dominate 3D, devaluing these genres.

Mock Exam 1- The Rise Of The Blockbusters

What factors led to the decline in cinemas in towns and city centres in the late 70's and early 80's?

 During this time there were social, economic and technological factors which resulted in the decline of cinemas. In Britain there was a large recession, causing people to stop going to the cinema as much as the price was increasing because of new technologies. As people began to purchase their own VHS recorders and televisions, they didn't need cinemas for the news. The more people that didn't need cinemas meant that the studios weren't making as much money which is why they created multiplexes to offer more activities and things to do to encourage people to visit cinemas.

To also encourage audiences they began creating ideas which would appeal to a variety of people, mainly teenagers. Teenagers became the main target audience because the recession had left adults with debt and therefore their priorities were the essentials. The teenage generation resulted in having more excess money, so more to spend on the cinema. To encourage them into the cinema they created films which would appeal to them. During the summer the blockbuster jaws was released, the trailer showed included violence and showed the film was wet on the beach allowing the teenagers to relate.  The effects of the violence from the shark appealed to teenagers as they had not seen anything like this before, as it was said to be very realistic. 

 As Technology was progressing, the production of films were becoming more expensive to compete with the film studios which were using special effects. The large production budgets caused publicity, making films into spectacles which in turn made the films events. Event movies make people come together to have the experience of a new technology, increasing cinema attendance, however to put the suitable technology in cinemas to play blockbuster movies made from Hollywood film studios costs a lot for small independent cinemas. The film studios in Hollywood, created multiplexes to play their own blockbusters with the suited technology this meant that people were more likely to visit a multiplex than an independent cinema as it gave them more choice of film. The first multiplex built in England was in 1985 in Milton Keynes.

 When multiplexes arrived they took the audience which would have previously attended independent cinemas which decreased cinema attendance but increased in multiplexes. Star Wars is the main example for an event movie, because the majority of their production budget was spent on technology for FX. These FX would only be plausible in multiplexes, as they provided bigger screens and better sound systems. 

1st April

Q1. What were the aims (purpose) of the script & 9 key frames? 500 words 

Outline the purpose of the script which was to create a disruption or resolution scene for sequel or prequel for [which one of your films?] that explored  of your MACRO . The purpose of the 9 Key Frames was to select key moments in the script that would be filmed to construct [your MACRO study] through [discuss your decisions regarding location, costume, props, character] & camera angle/shot types 
Q2. What codes and conventions (genre, character & narrative threads, how films use mise-en-scene, camera & sound to create meaning), identified in the textual analysis essay were used in thescript & 9 key frames? 500 words

Analyse & make connections, what aspects of genre & narrative/character threads did you continue in you prequel/sequel?  

Examine the links to your textual analysis MICRO points in your essay - reflect on how this influenced your decisions for your script scene & 9 key frames (Terminology: mise-en-scene, location, costume, props, actors, camera angles, composition, shot type] used meaning from your film analysis
Q3. How was the location report used in the construction of the 9 key frames? 500 words 

Explain the connections, how scouting & reporting for locations was used to create the 9 key frames or revisions to the script, what influences did it have on your ideas for the script or vice versa?

 Q4. How successful was the script & 9 key frames in achieving the aims (its purpose)? 500 words

Justify the strengths & weakness by being critical of your work, reflect on it's success as a sequel/prequel (look again at the as films we have seen) suggest improvements

question 1-
David-
The purpose of the script was to create either a disruption or resolution scene (I did a disruption scene) for a prequel film (I did the film Harry Brown).

Rebecca-
The aim of the script was to show a disruption of the sequel of One Day

Benn-
 I decided to make a disruption to the film and called it Stakeland 2: Evolution (As the genre is evolving).

question 2- 
David-
I used the conventions of a hybrid genre thriller-drama 


Benn-broke conventions

Codes and conventions

Conventions in your macro

Blood is not a theme

A theme is an idea 

As an audience member you need blood to tell it's a horror film because it is a convention of the genre. 

A convention has to be something that is repeated and recurring. 

Racism towards black people, Quentin Tarantino style films. 

I also colour graded the 9 key frames to match the dark mood I wanted to convey for a thriller drama. 

What he used, how he made it. 

 I changed the composition, colour 

I layered my photos to make it look dystopian, and that was by cutting my actor out and putting them in a hospital.

25th march

"Film censorship is motivated by fears about audiences and technologies" Discuss this statement in reference to the concerns expressed about uncensored and unregulated video content in Britain in the early 1980s.

Piracy - no check on certificate

Devalues technology and film 

Developing technology allows people to pirate them and steal 

Longer lasting videos- lower cinema attendance

Illegal but video certificates can not be checked when at home 

Censorship- graphic violence, rape, pornographic sex scenes 

Censored movies- can't see at the movies, made the popular to see what the fuss was about 

Being told it's bad by Margaret thatcher, Conservative party 

The human centipede 2- censored 

People might act upon it

Clockwork orange- rape as violence, teenage character 

Morally wrong 

Government- censored films but they hadn't watched them 

Upper class protecting working class

Nanny state- treated like children 

Moral panic

Scape goat

Low budget- more realistic 

Remove phalic images 

Nudity 

"Lesbians and homos"

Teddy boys 

Years later the wild one was allowed to be shown 

1971- scandal movies

The director had death threats to his family so he withdrew clockwork orange from being shown in England 

Video nasties horrific enough to seized by  the police 

Moral panic- introduce classification 

News- links disasters to films 

Technology; home video 

Political; conservative government sought to protect by putting age regulations and restrictions 

Mortality, video nasties- censorships

Social; riots against Margaret thatcher, so they waited for campaigns against video nasties to step in, Mary whitehouse 

Media, scape goat, moral panic 

Economic;cinema attendance declined, low budget made for a niche audience 

Modern day, horror films which were censored have now been remade as society has been exposed and therefore are more lenient- Texas chainsaw 

Influential to the film industry 

Case studies;

Texas chainsaw 

I spit on your grave 

Evil dead 

Driller killed 

Dawning of the home video age

Format Wars:

• Beta- best picture 
• VHS-plays longer 

Cinema attendance decreased after VHS was introduced, as people could keep the film and watch multiple times.
Attendance dropped in the 1960s due to television.
Censorship became more liberal at the time the conservative party were in power.

Advantages to censorship;
Protection of minors
Protection of information/ national security
Promotes good morals
Suitable age limits.

PDE Plan.

21st of March

READ THE QUESTION

Homework- 
3. The dawning of the home video age - format wars (VHS and Betamax) and the moral panic about the uncensored Video Nasties and unregulated video content and move to regulation of film in the home.

70s

Political-

Chancellor cuts on spending

Ugandan dictator-tribute money to Britain 

Africa master of Britain 

Miners demand more money 

Overtime ban 

Priminister- cut down on electricity 

Recession 

Electricity ban means cinemas would've had to shut early.

3 day working week.

Exhibition - Which films are shown, where and the experience (Box Office numbers/cinema attendance of the early Blockbusters & emergence of Multiplexes).

Hype influenced cinema attendance, during this time. As it gave people a new experience and something to do, this applies to teenagers especially as their parents were sorting debt from the recession and using their money to provide for the children. Apart of the hype is the merchandise, which would be unlikely to have large sales as people did not have as much excess expenditure. This means that there would be less hype and therefore a lower cinema attendance.

PDE categories

Production:

• Test screenings
• FX Studio
• Legal
• Producer/Writer
• Artists and designers

Distribution:

• Marketing
• Youtube/imeo
• Web distributor
• Film lab
• DD
• Merchandising
• Distributor

Exhibition:

• Youtube/imeo
• Web distributor
• Cable/Satellite T
• DD
• Film subscription service 
• Multiplex Cinemas

18th March

1. When was the first Multiplex in the UK? The first multiplex in the UK was built in Milton Keynes in 1985.
2. What was cinema attendance like in this time? The attendance during this time was continuing to decline due to the recession.
3. What films were being played in the new Multiplexes (name and year?) Star Wars 1977, Jaws 1975 Godfather 1972
4. How were these Multiplexes encouraging audiences to go to the cinema? They provided a new experience in the cinema for example technology. They also included bigger seats and food.
5. Where are these Multiplexes built instead of the High Street and why? In shopping centres to attract bigger audiences, and potentially make more money.
6. What had happened to audience leisure patterns that meant 'Fleapit' cinemas lost popularity? Parents were using their money for important priorities so the teen generation had more excess expenditure.They used this money to get a new experience, and to follow social trends.
7. What advantages did Multiplexes offer cinema audiences and film distributors over Fleapits? The film studios owned the multiplexes so they didn't have to transport the film reels. They also offer audiences more things like food.
8. What reasons was cinema attendance low? (Technologies and Audience Leisure Patterns)Because of recession.

Mark Kemode on Multiplexes

No one trusts film critics.
People don't like to hear they are wrong, but miss the good films when they're gone.
Just because people pay to see a film, doesn't mean they enjoyed it. "Make them pay on the way out" Multiplexes don't care about their audience, they think of them like cattle.
Making films 3D is unfair for people who don't want to pay the extra charges for the effect. The distributors, cinemas and studios want 3D to make money, but the audience don't.
People have become dependent on multiplexes, because blockbusters put independent cinemas out of business.

Exhibition considers the films being shown in cinemas.
The main cinemas in the UK are multiplexes and independent cinemas.
There were no multiplexes until 1980.
Multiplexes presented as competition to independent cinemas.
Multiplexes had to exhibit other studios films as well as theirs.
Multiplexes were made to exhibit movies to places who they feared would not see them.
Exhibitors rent films from distributors to show. They decide on what will suit the audience.

Blockbuster comparison

What makes it a blockbuster?
Special effects
Action





What makes it a blockbuster?
Stars
Action




What makes it a blockbuster?
Shark- effects
Soundtrack
One liner
Franchise- novel
Director
Summer blockbuster- Event movie


Although these are all classed as blockbusters they are not the same. Star wars has a lot of effects in it making it expensive and therefore an event movie however The Godfather and Jaws do not include these. The Godfather is classed as a blockbuster because of the stars involved it. Jaws was released in the Summer and also set during the Summer meaning that it was hyped up and turned into an event movie which is why it is a blockbuster. Jaws is also the only film out of the three which has been adapted from a novel.

The merchandising and hype of Jaws resulted in it becoming one of the most grossing film during this time. Jaws also challenged the multiplex as people would not be bothered to pay more money to see it in there as it didn't not include effects, the story is character driven. Where as Star Wars, was made to be a spectacle meaning it gave more of an experience in multiplexes.

The recession left teenagers with disposable income, and therefore increasingly young audiences. This is because parents were using their money to look after their children and pay for essentials.

The American studios who owned the multiplexes only distributed the film reels to their multiplexes, so that people would only go to their cinemas. As if they loaned them to independent cinemas (flea pit) they would lose money.
The directors George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, created their own special effects company so that once their films had been a large success and people began making films like theirs new directors would then come to their company making more profit for them.

Essay plan