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 

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"

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.

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.

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.

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.