Seven Key Areas

The Seven Areas:

1. the issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice;
2. the importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing; 
3. the technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels of production, distribution, marketing and exchange; 
4. the significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and audiences; 
5. the importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences; 
6. the issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically, British) by international or global institutions; 
7. the ways in which the candidates’ own experiences of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience behaviour. 

The Seven Areas (Translations):

• the issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice; (how does who owns a media company influence the type of film made and its potential success? For example do BIG companies make BIG films and therefore make all the money? Is it possible for small companies to succeed?) 
• the importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing; (how do companies work together to produce, distribute and publicize a film? How can Disney use their size to promote and publicise a film? How can small companies work together to promote their business' when making and promoting a film?) 
• the technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels of production, distribution, marketing and exchange; (how has the introduction of digital film, 3D, DVD, Blue Ray, internet streaming, downloadable content, home cinema influenced the types of films made, the way we watch them and the way we 'buy' them?)
• the significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and audiences; (how and why have film companies had to alter the way they work now everyone has web enabled phones, PC's, consoles etc? How have audiences changed their viewing habits now we no longer need to go to the cinema to watch a film)
• the importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences; (can you think of examples of how different technologies have come together to help the film industry?)  
• the issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically, British) by international or global institutions; (how do film companies try and attract their audience? Do they do different things in different countries?) 
• the ways in which the candidates’ own experiences of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience behaviour. (what is your opinion on the above? Do you see the developments as a good or bad thing?) 

30 Questions

What % of global box office was the British film industry responsible for? 

The British Film Industry  is responsible for 15% of global box office.
What was this % in 2009?

The figure from 2009 was 6.8%.
What might this change indicate about British film? 

This positive change indicates that the British Film Industry is getting bigger and being more successful.
What films have been responsible for this change? 

The Kings speech is a main film responsible for this and it grossed over 9 times its budget.
What % of the British film industry makes a profit? 

Films with a low budget (under £2 million) have a 4% of making a profit. But films with a bigger budget have more chance of making a profit at 17%. 
What % of Hollywood films make a profit? 

Hollywood films have a 17% chance. 
How does that % differ between £2m and £10m budget British films?

A smaller film with a £2 million budget has a 4% chance of making a profit and a bigger film with a £10 million budget has a 17% chance of making a profit.
What might we infer from this difference?

Having  a bigger budget means that there is more chance of having success.
Which age group makes up the largest % of UK cinema goers? 

18-24 years old.
Why do you think this might be? 

This age group has the most time and disposable income to go to the cinema.
Which 'type' of film has seen an 18% drop in attendance? 

3D films have seen a drop.
Within that 'type' which genre has seen the biggest fall? 

Big family films have seen a drop.
What did Charles Grant put this decline down to?

Grant put this to 3D films prizes and that families would want to save a little extra money.
Who is Paul Greengrass? 

Greengrass is a British director, screenwriter and former journalist.
How did he describe the British film industry? 

Greengrass describes it to have change from what it used to be.

How did he describe the British film industry?

"British film is on a very positive journey. If you look at the biggest movies in the world, like Star Wars, Gravity – a hugely cutting edge movie - they’re being made in Britain. British technicians are world class and audiences are queuing up to see these films. Distinctive British voices, like Stephen Frears, and all the emerging voices on show here highlight where the industry is. Strong leadership from the British Film Institute helps too. There’s a real vibrancy among British film making and all these elements have been growing for the last 10-15 years and it shows no signs of stopping.”

What did a BFI spokesperson say was the point of less profitable low budget British films? 

What was the budget for Filth and how much money did it take?

Budget = £2 million

Money taken = £4 million

What advantage did James McEvoy feel £100m films have over low budget films?

He had an advantage over low budget films because he felt that films with a larger budget have much miore chances to sell the film in different ways.
What is VOD?

Video On Demand.

What % increase did VOD see last year?

VOD had a 50% increase last year.
What impact might VOD have on distributors and Studios?

Because VOD is becoming larger it might outsell distributors and studios.

What impact has it had on Blockbuster rental stores?

It could easily outsell these stores meaning the stores would hardly get any profit.

What was unique about Ben Wheatleys 'A Field In England'?

It was unique as it was the first UK film to be released in cinemas, DVD, on TV and through VOD at the same time.

What does director of The Machine Caradog James think is the toughest part of film making?

He thought the hardest part of making films is "The toughest thing is you make a good film but can you get it to reach an audience? It's events like this and individuals who champion independent cinema that give us a profile and any chance of a mass audience".

Why have rules been relaxed on what makes a film 'British'?

They have been relaxed because they want more British films to be made so they become more of a success.

How has the use of visual effects in films been encouraged?

The use of visual effects have been encouraged to be used because it makes the film more interesting to watch.

Name five of these rules and link them to The Kings Speech, Kill List, The World's End

Keeping a British Theme through culture -Kings Speech
'LAD' like actions and ways about them - Worlds End
British director - The King's Speech
British Cast - Kill List, Worlds End
Location set in Britain - Kill List, Worlds End, King's Speech 

What rules has chancellor George Osbourne announced for tax on British films?

films will now only need to spend 10% of their budget within the UK ti qualify for tax relief whereas before they would of had to pay 25%. Tax relief would be applied to 25% of the first £20m of a production and 20% on ant remaining budget regardless of the overall total.

What is the highest grossing film in UK box office history?

James Bond - Skyfall 

How much has it taken and how many screens was it available on?

Skyfall took £94.3m in the UK alone and it was opened in 587 cinemas across the UK and Ireland on the 26th of October. 

The Kings Speech

The Kings Speech is a film about King George IV (Colin Firth) overcoming his stammer using the help from a very different speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). King George IV works past his problems to become the great war time speaker he father intended and give the country hope during the second time England has faced war.   

Bitishness

This film is thought to be a very British film. This is because it is a very British theme of the film; you can’t get much more British than British royalty. The Kings Speech is also classed as a very British film as it is set in the capital of England and in a time which is a key part in British history. This film also has predominately British actors, director (Tom Hooper) and writer (Davis Seidler).

Exhibition

The Kings Speech did very well on its opening weekend, it grossed £3,523,102 (UK) (7 January 2011)(IMDB). This film was also well received, Will Chadwick from We Got This Covered said ‘The King's Speech features a fantastic, awards courting performance by Firth and is also brilliantly written, resulting in a surprisingly tense and very entertaining watch.’ November 9, 2013. The film was not received well by everyone and had criticism, Jeremy Heilman from MovieMartyr.com ‘The tone shifts, lamentably, from one buoyed by awkward comedy and very British charm to one that is more concerned with decorum and duty. What was a remarkably entertaining costume drama soon becomes a remarkable slog.’ February 25, 2011.

Production Issues

This film was produced by The Weinstein Company, UK Film Council, Momentum Pictures, Aegis Film Fund, Molinare Investment, FilmNation Entertainment, See-Saw Films and Bedlam Productions. All these production company’s put together and produced a budget of $15 000 000(IMDB) for the film to be produced
.

Distribution and Marketing Issues

The Kings Speech didn’t have a big budget so the marketing was simple and relied a lot on word of mouth, posters were produced. One of these posters (poster shown) is relatively simple, it has the two main actors name above the title to try and draw more appeal. This poster shows a familiar scene from Buckingham Palace and draws together the whole film.

Selected Key Terms for Institutions and Audiences - The Film Industry

Selected Key Terms for Institutions and Audience

An institution (in the film industry)

Definition: any company or organisation that produces, distributes or exhibits films. The BBC makes films with their BBC Films arm; Channel4's Film Four produces films, Working Title also produce films, as does Vertigo Films, etc. Some institutions need to join with other institutions which distribute films. Vertigo Films is able to distribute its own films, Channel Four distributed Slumdog Millionaire through Pathe. Working Title's distribution partner is Universal, a huge US company which can make, distribute and show films. The type of owner ship within an institution matters as, for instance, Channel 4 and the BBC are able to show their own films at an earlier stage than other films made by other institutions. They are also better placed to cross-promote their in-house films within their media organisations. Use you work on Film Four as the basis for most of what you write, Moon is a good cross comparison as Duncan Jones had to create his own institution just to get the film made.


Distribution and Marketing

Definition: the business of getting films to their audiences by booking them for runs into cinemas and taking them there in vans or through digital downloads; distributors also create the marketing campaign for films producing posters, trailers, websites, organise free previews, press packs, television interviews with the "talent", sign contracts for promotions, competitions, etc. Distributors use their know-how and size to ensure that DVDs of the film end up in stores and on supermarket shelves. Distributors also obtain the BBFC certificate, and try to get films released as the most favourable times of the year for their genre, etc.


Examples:
Universal distributed Working Title's The Boat That Rocked; Pathe distributedFilm4 and Celadors' Slumdog Millionaire after the original US distributor, Warner Independent went out of business. TRONwas heavily marketed across a variety of mediums, Moon struggled to get press attention and Duncan Jones had to really push the film  in obscure places like Popular Mechanics etc. The Kings Speech was distributed by Momentum (a susiduary of Aliance films) who are a major independent film distributor.


Exhibition
Definition: showing films in cinemas or on DVD. Media attention through opening nights and premieres How the audience can see the film: in cinemas, at home, on DVD, through downloads, through television, including premieres, the box office take in the opening weeks; audience reviews which includes those of the film critics, ordinary people, cinemas runs; awards in festivals, The Oscars, BAFTAS, etc.


Examples:
Slumdog Millionaire almost never got distribution. Its early US distributor, Warner Independent was a victim of the economic downturn and went out of business. The film's makers then struggled to find a distributor! Then Fox Searchlight stepped up and "the rest is history". The 8 out of 10 Oscar nomination wins ensured that the film has been the greatest British success in awards and in box office for nearly 60years.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/boyle-reveals-slumdog-millionaire-was-nearly-never-made-1331821.html

Motherhood took just £86!
Moon. Initially Sony Pictures Worldwide were due to distribute the film but they specialise in straight to DVD features. Following positive reaction following its Sundance film festival the rights were acquired by Sony Classic Pictures who gave the film a limited release in the US in Cities like New York and LA.

Exchange

Definition: The unintended use of an institution’s media text (i.e. a film) by OTHER PEOPLE who use the film or parts of it to form new texts. What happens to a film, etc. after the public get their hands on it using digital technology.  

Examples:
People unconnected to the institution/ film using WEB 2.0 applications such as YOUTUBE, Blogger, Amazon film message boards, TWITTER, Face-Book, discuss the film or edit parts of together to form a new text which the may then put a new soundtrack to and publish on YOUTUBE, etc. When you add a trailer from a site like YouTube on your blog you have been engaging with exchange. Look back to MArk Kermodes video regarding piracy and the new release strategies for films like Ken Loach's "Route Irish" (Loach has reportedly steeled himself for a frosty response from critics and anticipates an underwhelming box office, noting the difficulty he faced securing a distribution deal. Though pragmatic in his view that “people don’t make films to communicate; they make it as a commodity”,an unorthodox release strategy utilising Sky Movies Premier - which will place the film (and by extension, its subject matter) in a wider public sphere than it might otherwise have reached – suggests he hasn’t given up on pedagogy entirely.) or the Jack Ass 3 release on DVD and Sky Box Office.


Vertical and Horizontal Integration

Definition: Absorption into a single firm of several firms involved in all aspects of a product's manufacture from raw materials to distribution.


Example:
Vivendi Universal have integrated film, music, web and distribution technology into the company, including owning big stakes in cables and wires that deliver these services. Therefore they are vertically integrated because they own all the different companies involved in film, from production to distribution to exhibition. They are also horizontally integrated because they have all the expertise for producing media content under one roof – films, TV, magazines, books, music, games thus being able to produce all the related media content for one film under the same roof (see synergy). This is important for the control the institution has over their product/film.


Synergy/Synergies  

Definition: The interaction of two or more agents (institutions/companies) to ensure a larger effect than if they acted independently. This is beneficial for each company through efficiencies in expertise and costs. 

 

Examples:
Working Title know how to make films and they have formed a business partnership with Universal, a massive US company, who have the experience and size in the marketplace (cinemas, stores, online, etc.) to distribute them. (They create the marketing campaign to target audiences through posters, trailers, create the film’s website, free previews, television and press interviews featuring “the talent”, drum up press reviews, word of mouth, and determine when a film is released for the best possible audience and the type of release: limited, wide, etc.) Channel Four’s Film 4 and Celador Films(Celador also produce Who Wants to Be A Millionaire and films, too) benefited by pooling their know-how, experience and expertise to jointly produce Slumdog Millionaire. These companies formed a business relationship with France’s Pathe to distribute this film. In the UK Pathe helped create the poster, trailer, website, etc. In the USA the film found another distributor after being nominated for the Oscars.


Viral Marketing

Definition: A marketing technique aiming at reproducing "word of mouth" usually on the internet and through existing social networks. YouTube Video pastiches, trailers, interviews with cast members, the director, writer, etc. You can find interviews of “the talent” trying to gain publicity for your case study films on YouTube. Find some clips from the films we have studied to help you in the exam.
Guerilla MarketingDefinition: The use of unconventional and low cost marketing strategies to raise awareness of a product. The aim is usually to create “buzz” and “word of mouth” around a film. Unusual stunts to gain publicity (P.R.) on the film’s opening weekend, etc.

Examples:
Sasha Baron Cohen created “buzz” before the release of his film “Borat” by holding fake press conferences. The studio also accessed the popularity of YouTube by releasing the first 4 minutes of the movie on YouTube, a week before it’s release, which can then be sent virally across the nation. At a special viewing of “Bruno” Cohen landed on Eminem “butt first” from the roof MTV Awards venue, dressed in as an angel outfit with rents in the rear end.


Media Convergence
Definition 1: Convergence of media occurs when multiple products come together to form one product with the advantages of all of them. 

 

Examples:
More and more films are being marketed on the Internet and on mobile phones. You no longer need even to buy the DVDs or CDs as you can download films and music directly to your laptop, Mac or PC. Blue Ray DVDs can carry more features than ordinary DVDs and can be played on HD televisions and in home cinemas for enhanced/cinematic picture quality. You can save films on SKY digital, Free-box digital players, etc. You mobile phone has multiple features and applications. With media and technological convergence this is growing year on year. Play-Stations, X-Boxes and the Wii can can connect with the Internet and you can play video games with multiple players.


Technological ConvergenceDefinition 2: The growing interractive use of digital technology in the film industry and media which enables people to share, consume and produce media that was difficult or impossible just a few years earlier.

Examples:
For instance, the use of new software to add special effects in editing; the use of blue-screen; using new types of digital cameras like the one Danny Boyle used in “Slumdog Millionaire” (The Silicon Imaging Camera to shoot high quality film in tight spaces); you can use the Internet to download a film rather than go see it in the cinema; you can watch it on YouTube; you can use special editing programs like Final Cut Pro to edit bits of a film, give it new soundtrack and upload it on YouTube; you can produce illegal, pirate copies on DVDs from downloads and by converting the film’s format; you can buy Blue Ray DVDs with greater compression which allows superior viewing and more features on the DVD; distributors can use digital software to create high concept posters; cinemas can download films to their projection screens and do not have to depend on a van dropping off the film! The is also the Digital Screen Network. There are tons of ways in which technological convergence affects the production, distribution, exhibition and exchange by prosumers. ( A prosumer is someone who not only consumes (watches films) but also writes about them the Net, blogs and make films out of them, often uploading them on sites like YouTube, etc.

A Mainstream Film

Definition: A high budget film that would appeal to most segments of an audience: the young, boys, girls, teenagers, young people, the middle aged, older people, the various classes in society. Distributors often spend as much or more than the film cost to make when distributing mainstream films that are given wide or universal releases.


Example:The Boat That Rocked was a mainstream idea and was given the mainstream treatment on wide release. The film flopped at the UK box office on release ( and has not done too well since mid November 2009 on release in the USA. This was mostly because of its poor reviews, particularly from “Time-Out”. However, when young and older audiences see the DVD they generally like the film because of its uplifting storyline and the well-chosen soundtrack.


Art House Films

Definition: A low budget independent film that would mostly appeal to an educated, higher class audience who follow unusual genres or like cult directors that few people have heard of. Therefore it is usually aimed at a niche market. Foreign films often come under this category.


Examples:
The low budget film, Once (2007) which found a specialised, boutique distributor in Fox Searchlight fits this label. (FOX the mainstream company usually distributes big budget film and blockbusters); So does “Juno” from 2008 which began as a low budget film about teenage pregnancy that the big studios thought too risky to touch – but it found popularity through its touching storyline, engaging music and its Oscar nomination for best script. Like “Slumdog Millionaire” the film crossed over between art-house cinemas and audiences to mainstream ones because of the recognition it received from Canadian film festivals and award ceremonies like Britain’s BAFTAS and the Hollywood’s Oscars.


Ratings bodies BBFC - The British Board of Film ClassificationHow your institutions films are rated will affect audiences in so far as WHO can see them. Remember that sex scenes, offensive language, excessive violence, the use of profanity, etc. can affect the rating and certificate the film receives and therefore affect who is able to see the film.

The issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically, British) by international or global institutions

In today’s modern 21st century most studio titles are no longer household names. Modern day actors don’t always get a huge audience waiting to view the latest film; many movie studios have had to study the art of audience creation allowing them to know what the audience wants. Big studios use their big budgets to design vast showy marketing campaigns around blockbusters often incorporating merchandising tie-ins with other companies such as McDonald’s and other fast food companies.

The studios control when and where their films will be released, which means they can shape the films themselves to suit the marketing campaigns. They also place teasers in coming-attraction reels, in hopes of getting viewers to eagerly anticipate their films. These days, with so many entertainment options competing for a viewer’s free time, even a movie with an Oscar-winning star may not draw an audience unless it’s part of a really good marketing campaign.

To start the marketing scheme Abrams designed a series of questions and the prize for answering would be two extra roles on the film, this was after the release of Super 8 in 2011. After that three frames of the film were released on October 4 2012 and then two months later the official poster was released on December 3. In the United States nine minutes of the opening sequence was shown before The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on December 14^th,2012. A 30-second teaser premiered February 3, 2013 during the stadium blackout of Super Bowl XLVII. The same day, Paramount released apps for Android, iPhone and Windows Phone which enabled users to unlock tickets for showtimes two days before the film's release date. On April 8, Paramount released the final international one-sheet featuring solely Benedict Cumberbatch's character. On April 12, 2013, iTunes Movie Trailers revealed the final domestic one-sheet featuring the USS Enterprise, and announced that the final US domestic trailer would be released on April 16. Into Darkness was dedicated to post-9/11 veterans. J. J. Abrams is connected with The Mission Continues, and a section of the film's website is dedicated to that organization. More recently, Bryan Burk, an “Into Darkness” producer, went on an 11-city foreign tour — South America, Asia, Europe — to show 35 minutes of the movie

The Male Gaze Specific Looks

Marjorie Ferguson

Chocolate Box

Chocolate Box: half or full-smile, lips together or slightly parted, teeth barely visible, full or three-quarter face to camera. Projected mood: blandly pleasing, warm bath warmth, where uniformity of features in their smooth perfection is devoid of uniqueness or of individual

Invitational

Invitational: emphasis on the eyes, mouth shut or with only a hint of a smile, head to one side or looking back to camera. Projected mood: suggestive of mischief or mystery, the hint of contact potential rather than sexual promise, the cover equivalent of advertising’s soft sell.

Super-Smiler

Super-smiler: full face, wide open toothy smile, head thrust forward or chin thrown back, hair often wind-blown. Projected mood: aggressive, ‘look-at-me’ demanding, the hard sell, ‘big come-on’ approach.

Romantic or sexual

Romantic or Sexual: a fourth and more general classification devised to include male and female ‘two-somes’; or the dreamy, heavy-lidded, unsmiling big-heads, or the overtly sensual or sexual. Projected moods: possible ‘available’ and definitely ‘available’.

Trevor Millum

Seductive

When a model is posing in the Seductive look they should have their eyes slightly closed, the expressions will be small, but will still show through, they will also aim to look confident.

Carefree

A Carefree look, can be linked to sports because it seems as if they are active and healthy.

Practical

A pratical will include a model who seems to be concentrating something, so thier eyes will be focussed and their mouth will be closed but not tightly.

Comic

This will be seem as if the actor/model is being studpid, comical, funny and it will normally be exagerated, to make the most as if to seem that what they are laughing at is very funny.

Catalogue

This will make the model have their eyes wide open, with a big smile as if they are not stupid but quite dumb.

Male gaze Video Clip

This is a clip from the film The Mask, and this is the scene we first meet Cameron Diaz's character Tina Carlyle. This scene is a intra-diegetic scene because Jim Carrey's character Stanley Ipkiss is gazeing at Tina Carlyle who is depicted in the same world of the text. Male gaze is in this scene because the camera fixates on the curves of Cameron Diaz and how the men in this scene look at her. Cameron Diaz in this scene is bent over doing up her shoes and as she stands up the camera follows her cleavage. This is where men would be looking at. This scene also contains one of the main things about the male gaze, this is that the women is relegated to an object and men only view her as an object. Overall the male gaze is focused on Cameron Diaz to please the male viewers.

Male Gaze

The Big Six

Major Film Studios

A major film studio is a film producer and production company that releases a substantial number of films annually.

The Big Six film studios are:

1. Warner Bros. Pictures. Comprising a whopping 19.7 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures), Warner Bros. Pictures is the biggest player in the film industry. Securing the rights to major films like Harry Potter, Superman, Batman, The Matrix and Star Wars have made Warner Bros. the No. 1 name in the business.

2. Paramount Pictures. With 15.5 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures), Paramount Pictures continues to be one of the most successful film production companies in the world. Star Trek, War of the Worlds, the Mission Impossible series, Transformers and Tropic Thunder are just a few of the popular films produced by Paramount Pictures.

3. Walt Disney. One of the most renowned film production companies in the history of the business, Walt Disney now holds 15.3 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures). With highly successful movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure, Meet the Robinsons and Enchanted, there's no doubt that Disney will continue to play a key role in the industry for years to come.

4. Columbia Pictures. Comprising 12.9 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures), Columbia Pictures remains a big player in the business. Some of this company's recent successes include Casino Royale, The Da Vinci Code, the Spider-Man series and Step Brothers.

5. Universal Studios. 12.2 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures) belongs to Universal Studios, which continues to make millions for the film industry. With major hits like the Bourne series (Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum), The American Pie series, Knocked Up, American Gangster and The Incredible Hulk, it's very clear that Universal Studios knows what it takes to make money in this industry.

6. 20th Century Fox. Also known as "Twentieth Century Fox," this highly successful movie production company makes up 11.9 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures). Some of the biggest and most successful movies from this empire include the X-Men series, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Star Wars Episodes II and III, and the Fantastic Four.

Roughly 9/10 films in the UK are seen as a result of these distributers

Four Quadrant Picture

A Four Quadrant Picture is a marketing term used to describe a film targeted to all audience quadrants: men over 25, men under 25, women over 25, women under 25. 

Usage
In the movie business, and it is most definitely a business, everyone is looking to maximize the audience for their picture. A four-quadrant picture is that magical type of film that attracts parents and kids, men and women, and brings in huge amounts of revenue on opening weekend. In the term “four-quadrant,” the quadrants refer to gender (male and female) and age (under 25 and over 25). 
For most studios, the goal is to get enough details to line up so that they have broad-based, family-friendly appeal in designing a blockbuster or four-quadrant film. An important aspect of getting that appeal is the ratings system. An 18 Rating can be the kiss of death for a studio trying to market a film featuring pre-teen characters. A lowering from PG-13 to PG can mean millions more in revenue as parents feel more comfortable bringing young children to a given film like Evan Almighty.

Examples
One of the most famous four-quadrant, blockbuster films is Star Wars and all of its sequels. Jaws is another landmark blockbuster film. Other more current examples include Night at the Museum, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Shrek (1-3), Spiderman (1-3), Pirates of the Caribbean (1-3), andWall-E.

Implications
Another interesting by-product of the rise of four-quadrant films in the industry is cross marketing. Those films often are associated with toys and other products that both advertise the film and bring in revenue on their own. In addition, four-quadrant films are powerful vehicles for product placement advertisers looking to show their wares to the largest audience possible.
On the down side, many wonder how much effort is placed on credible, engaging story lines as opposed to marketing opportunities in these behemoth cinematic endeavors.

Dredd Presentation

A full presentation could not be added due to problems

Dredd Essay

Dredd failed at the box office because of many reasons. One of these reasons was that it was up against three massive comic book films that year. These were The Dark Knight Rises by DC, The Amazing Spiderman by Marvel and The Avengers Assemble by Marvel. All these films made a massive success. Dredd was rival to these films but could not compete as it didn’t have the massive budget like these films and it had no major stars. Another reason why it didn’t win compared with these films is that 2000AD is not a major comic book series unlike Marvel and DC.

Pete Travis (the director) did not help this film either because he is an inexperienced poor director. Travis has only made two real films before he made Dredd, these were Vantage Point which was a success and nearly doubled its profits then End Game which did very poorly only grossing nearly 10 000 at the box office. These two films are not well known so intern Pete Travis is not well known as well. Karl Urban (the main actor in this film) also thought that Pete Travis (the director) was not a very good actor so he turned to Alex Garland (a producer) for directing tips.

Dredd has many film types; these are action, crime and sci-fi. This is another reason why it flopped. Sci-fi is not liked by all audiences and fits into only a certain crowd. This film is also recognised as a cult film, this is because it tailors to the ‘comic-con’ crowd and tailors to the comic book lovers who have followed 2000AD since it began. The next reason why it flopped was that it was an 18 certificate. An 18 certificate is not usual for comic book films as comic book films usually have a certificate of 12a like The Avengers Assemble, The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spiderman; they make these films 12a so the films appeal to a wider.

Unlike The Avengers Assemble Dredd was not a four quadrant film. Dredd isn’t a four quadrant film as it does not appeal to women and doesn’t appeal to people under 25. A survey was completed which found out that 69% of viewers were over 25 and 75% of viewers were male.

Another reason why Dredd flopped was that it had no major a list stars. Even though Karl Urban is a great actor and has been in many films he is not well known and neither is his fellow actor Olivia Thirby. Olivia Thirby is a very inexperienced actor and has not made any big appearances in any films so she not well known either. Overall there were no main stars and people look for big name actors to figure out if the film will be good.

Dredd was produced by DNA films and IM global, these are not major production companies as they are not one of the big six. This means that they are not well recognised and people because people look for the big names in the film business. This film was distributed by Lionsgate and Alliance; these are more recognised than the production companies.

Dredd had a small budget of $35 000 000 which is nothing compared to the $200 000 000 budget of The Avengers Assemble. This small budget means that they had to stay relatively cheap. This led them to filming in Cape Town, South Africa as it is a cheap place to film. On its opening weekend Dredd only grossed $6 278 491 and grossed only $13 401 683 at the boxbox office making the film a failure. Dredd eventually will make a profit from DVD and Blu-ray sales but this will take a long time. One way which was used to speed up the chance of making a profit was when the makers of Dredd announced there would be a greater chance of a sequel if DVD sales went well, this prompted the lovers of this film to go out and purchase copies of the film.  

Filming of Dredd was mainly in Red Mysterium X camera, these cameras shoot 14 megapixels and are used for slow motion footage as they are capable of 120 frames per second at 5K and 300 frames per second at 3K. This camera is capable of 3D capture as well which is suitable for IMAX screening. There were other cameras used in the filming but the Red Mystrium X was used mostly. Anthony Dod Mantle was the cinematographer for this film, this was his first time shooting 3D so he is inexperienced with the cameras. Anthony was a risky move for the production team but he paid off as he managed to do well and possibly won Dredds Best 3D Empire Award. Filming for Dredd was mainly in Cape Town South Africa as it is a cheap place to film and they didn’t want to spend money building sets. Cape Town was chosen for this reason as well because it was noticed that there was a three-walled external space that looked like an interior when filmed at night.

Marketing of Dredd was poor and is the main reason why Dredd flopped. The marketing scheme started with the release of viral advertising site launched in August 2012. This site was called the ‘Dredd Report’ and this site featured a video condemning the use of slo-mo and links to news about the film. This website was not well constructed and was not as effective as the producers had hoped. The marketing scheme also included a comic book tie in; this was published on the 5^th of September only 16 days before the release of the film. The comic book was designed to be a prequel to the film and inform people how slo-mo was created and Ma-Ma’s life before Dredd. To add to the marketing scheme an exclusive film poster featuring artwork by Jock was released in September 2012 at the 2012 Fantastic Fest. All of this marketing was very close to the release of the film so it didn’t have time to make effect. Lionsgate contributed $25 million to the advertising and print costs. 

In the UK Dredd was shown on 415 screens and gained only $1.7 million on the opening weekend. This is nothing compared to the 2506 screens running Dredd in North America, on these 2506 $6.3 million was gained on the opening weekend. This is nothing compared to The Avengers Assemble as The Avengers Assemble was shown across 11 800 screens in North America alone.  Dredd was mainly shown in 3D as distributers denied the request for the 2D version of the film. This decision was a bad one as 2D is the preferred format as people don’t like 3D because of high ticket prices, bulky, uncomfortable glasses, dim pictures and literal headaches. Dredds run in North America ended on the 1^st of November after 42 days.

The final reasons for Dredds flop was that it was classed as not ‘British’ enough and because of developments in CGI superhero films are easy to make and therefore are everywhere.  

Dredd Review And Research

Dredd

This film is an adaptation of a 2000AD comic series called Judge Dredd. Dredd is based on two judges fighting against the drug slo-mo and the mama clan who run peach trees where the most of the film is filmed. The main character, Dredd, is played by Karl Urban. He is perfect for this role as he plays the character which the story dictates not his own version like Sylvester Stallone. Karl Urban’s partner is rookie Anderson who is played by Olivia Thirlby. Dredd was directed Pete Travis who is not a big director but has his own style which makes dredd a good film. Travis was not announced as the director until 2010 which is late in the production as the film was green lighted in 2008. The script writer Alex Garland began writing in 2006 and finished in 2007 but the film was not announced until 2008 and not screened until 2012. Filming was in 3D and began in 2010, it was filmed mainly in Cape Town and took 13 weeks. It was shot primarily in 3D using a range of cameras but some scenes were shot it 2D then converted to 3D. As for some of the scenes though a slow motion camera was used to capture more detail. This film had a $45 million budget, which is a relatively small budget but made even less at box office grossing only $36 million which is an unexpected loss as the movie is filmed in 3D.The marketing of the film is fairly shocking because it only used posters and a website which was not successful. The main problem was it was marketed in 3D and not many cinemas showed 3D when it was released. Dredd had a comic book tie in when it was released, the comic book was to serve as a prequel to inform people how slo-mo was made and what Ma-Ma’s life was before Dredd. This comic was written by the Judge Dredd Magazine editor Matt Smith and was drawn by 2000 AD artist Henry Flint. The Comic book was released on the 5^th of September, 16 days before the release of the film. Dredd was received by the critics in mixed responses because some people thought it was a great action movie when others thought it dragged and the ‘hyperviolence added up to nothing’, the overall Metacritic score was 59%. The critics from Rotten Tomatoes received the film better and gave Dredd an overall of 79%, this was because they thought Dredd was ‘violent, gory and faithful execution of the character that fans should rejoice at’. The reason why the film wasn’t a success was because the marketing of the film was poor, this was because there idea to have a news website like The Dark Night Rises wasn’t a success. Another reason why this film wasn’t a success was that it was tailored to the comic con crowd as a devotion to the comic book series. Dredd was also a remake of a very poor version of Judge Dredd with Sylvester Stallone in it which made people have a bad opinion of it before it was released. Although the bad response the film managed to pick up 2 awards, these were a UK empire award for Best 3D and a Golden Trailer for Best Thriller TV Spot.

My opinion of Dredd is that it is a very good sci-fi action film because it has immense fighting scenes and gore. The film also doesn’t follow the line of comic book violence but branches into realistic violence which I enjoy as no other comic book adaptation has done that. I think that both Karl Urban and Olivia Thirby made the film what it is and especially Karl’s performance as dredd was spectacular. Karl stayed true to the role not removing his helmet and his facial expression made the character. Another part of the film I enjoyed was the slo-mo scenes as they don’t just show detail in the scene but they add an element of beauty to the film.

The Dark Night Rises 

Pre Production 

This film is a sequel to Batman Begins and Dark Knight which have all been directed by Christoper Nolan. The Dark Knight Rises is a production from Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures, with an estimated $250 000 000 budget. This film has Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine as the a list stars.

Production
The Dark Knight Rises was mainly filmed in Downtown, Los Angeles, California. Some of the filming was done in studios such as the batcave scene, that was filmed in Sony Pictures Studios and other parts of the film was filmed in places all across the world. Christopher Nolan had problems casting Selina Kyle (catwomen) as they didn't have an idea of who would be right for the role, eventually they had some tests with Anne Hathaway and she blew then away. They also had a problem casting bane as they believed no one would want to play that role and they struggled with his voice as it would be covered in a mask. They fixed this when tom hardy wanted the role as he fit the character perfectly. 

Post Production
This is the first batman film to not really on special effects as it is the first to have a really heavy characters and not spend its money on producing special effects. The main scene of special effects was the scene at the football stadium, to produce this scene they mainly used cg special effects but most of it was stunning stunt work and physical effects. 3D was not added to this film as 'nobody likes 3D' because of high ticket prices, bulky, uncomfortable glasses, dim pictures and literal headaches. I can not find any information to prove that The Dark Knight Rises required any re-shoots. 

Marketing 
The first step of The Dark Knight Rises marketing began with a story of batman going round the world painting bats in urban scenes, this then was followed by the locations of all of them and people were told that once a photo of every bat had been received the trailer would be released. This sparked people to find them and it took less than a day for all to be received and the trailer was released. Some other ways  they marketed this was in the generic ways of posters and trailers. They also sent the bat mobile to different places promoting the movie by giving out handouts and letting people enter competition to win cinema tickets. The Dark Knight Rises premier was on the 16th of July in New York City.