Mock Exam- Question 2- Industry

Technological convergence and synergy is extremely important for the institutions creating the film and the audiences watching as it allows the film to be accessed in many audiences ways by many different people.  This increases enjoyment for audiences and profit for institutions.

My case studies come from Marvel Studios and MARV films.  Marvel Studios was created in 1993 and was called Marvel Films until 1996.  It is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios but owns Marvel Worldwide Inc. also known as Marvel Comics.  They have created 3 multi-film-franchises, which have earned over $1 billion in revenue each.   One of my favourite films from them is my case study Guardians of the Galaxy.   The current present is producer Kevin Feige.  MARV Films, also known as MARV was founded in 2004 and is owned by Matthew Vaughn, who also directs the films.  Their most famous and successful films to date have been Layer Cake, Stardust, Kick-Ass and Kingsman: The Secret Service (here on called Kingsman).  Both case studies used a variety of synergy and technological convergence throughout the creation of their films, Guardians of the Galaxy and Kingsman.

Both Guardians of the Galaxy and Kingsman were adapted from comic books.   Guardians of the Galaxy was created after writer Nicole Perlman created a script for it (which James Gunn, the director and writer, ended up re-writing).  Kinsman came about after Matthew Vaughn was complaining about the loss of fun spy movies and wrote the screenplay based off the comic "The Secret Service".   The Guardians of the Galaxy comic book had the same name.  Both directors updated the audience throughout the pre-production and production of their films via social media, notably Twitter.

Gunn decided early on in pre-production that he wanted as much reality in his film as possible.  This resulted in over 1,000 prosthetics being made and over 2,000 moulds.   When in production, three of the main characters in the film- Rocket Raccoon, Groot and Thanos- were made using a lot of visual effects (VFX).  This ended up making 90% of the films scene having some kind of VFX in them, with over 2,800 VFX shots created.   Rocket Raccoon was created through a convergence of computer generated imagery (CGI) motion capture and rotomotation.   His fur was created through CGI- a layer of short fur and a layer of long fun had to be animated separately before being put on top of each other, to imitate real raccoon hair.   Groot was created with each branch being animated one at a time, to make the brunches appear like muscles.   Thanks (shown as a hologram through the majority of the film) was partially created through motion capture with Josh Brodin's face being used to make Thanos' speech seem realistic.   Despite the large amount of computer animated scenes, a lot of real life scene were shot as well.   Some of the sets were completely created in real life, such as the prison, which was made of 30,000 pound of steel.   Millennium Bridge in London was used as a location double for the planet Xandar.  The camera used were mostly Arri Alexa T's with Spherical Panavision Primos lenses.   However, during the 1980s scene at the beginning of the film, JDC Cooke Xtal (Crystal) Express anamorphic prime lenses as they were used to provide realistic aberrations.

During production of Kingsman, the film was also shot with almost entirely real scenes.  The church scene, for example, was created of three large chunks of continuous shots, at 1,000 frames per second, sped up to make the video more appropriate to the 15 rating given by the BBFC.   The scene set in near-space was done with blue screen with the balloon created using weather balloons as a guide.   Kingsman was a lot more traditional with its filming, with a lot less CGI.

Kingsman was also a lot more traditional with its advertising campaign.  Trailers for the film could be accessed through YouTube or seen on the television.  Posters were also created for the film and TV interviews were also done.  A Kingsman website was also created, including a Kingsman web game to test if you could become a secret agent.  A sixty piece collection of clothes was also created with the tailoring company Mr Porter.  Kinsman remains as one of the only film where you can buy full costumes from a film, that were made by the same people who physically made the costumes, specifically made to fit you.

Guardians of the Galaxy had a larger marketing campaign.   Going along with the same traditional methods as Kingsman, with the trailer having been mentioned 88,000 times across social media within a 12 hour period of the trailer being released, Galaxy Getaways was also created.  This website was a fake travel agency, meant to introduce the planets mentioned in the film to viewers about to watch the film.  The launchpad sites were the locations of cinemas showing the film.   The characters of Guardians of the Galaxy were also featured on a Subways meal.   A variety of of different merchandise such as toys, stationary, and films were made, as was a game for the phone (Windows, iOS and Android) called Guardians of the Galaxy: Universal Weapon.  The soundtrack of music not created specifically for the film was released called Awesome Mix: Volume 1 and since the release has been downloaded more than 1 million times.  The sales of the trailer's main song "Hooked on a Feeling" were raised by 700%.

Despite being distributed by different companies Guardians of the Galaxy had a very similar release compared to Kingsman but on a larger scale.  Guardians of the Galaxy was shown in 4,080 cinemas in North America alone, being shown IMAX, 3D, Large Format and D-Box.  Kingsman was shown in normal cinema size only.  Both were released on DVD and Digital HD, but Guardians of the Galaxy was also released on Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray 3D.  Kingsman earned $413.3 million at the box office despite a budget of $84 million.   Guardians of the Galaxy had a budget of around $300 million (after spending over their original budget) and earned more than $700 million.

Overall, despite using technological convergence and synergy differently, both were successful.  They allowed their audience to become involved in the film in a number of ways which increased happiness and profit.

Mock Exam- Question 1- Class and Status

Mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and sound all used together to create meaning.   In this clip from episode 1 of the first series of Merlin, Jones and Hawes work together to create a clip which comments on class and status, showing both royal characters and poorer ones.

We begin the clip with the establishing shot of a young man (Merlin) walking down the corridor.   We can tell he is a poorer character due to the mies-en-scene of his clothes- they are plain and slightly shabby and ragged around the edges.  The soundtrack is extremely ominous, the non-diegetic sound suggesting that something is wrong.   We are then given an action match shot as Merlin walks in the room, adding to the continuity.  As we look at a wide shot of the room as the camera is panned, we can tell it's not his- it is lavish and feminine with pretty fabrics and a huge ornate mirror.  We watch as he walks to the table and slams down the small jar of yellow mixture on the table.  This once again adds to the idea that he has a low status- he is not elegant in any way but more heavy handed, and appears to be fetching and serving for the elite.   The camera is zoomed in as Merlin picks up the straw doll.   Due to it's shape and the ominous music playing, we could believe this this is some sort of voodoo doll.   We also watch as he picks up the leather book with ornate gold on the cover and watch as he picks up the leather book with gold on the cover, and fabric sticking out.   Once again, this appears somewhat magical.

The audience then watches a woman walking down the corridor.   Compared to Merlin walking down the corridor, the woman is much more poised and appears to glide.   She is wearing a large, purple, period dress.   As purple is an iconic signifier of royalty, we can assume that this woman is of high class.  The women goes towards the room and we watch through the quick editing how Merlin has to hide what he has been doing as simultaneously the woman comes towards the door.   We have a close up of her face as she talks to Merlin, in a crisp English accent.   Merlin is a lot more coarse with his speech, using gap fillers such as umms and ahhs.   This once again shows the difference between high class and low class citizens.

We have a mid long shot of the ornate mirror as Merlin turns around to retrieve the jar.   We see the woman transformed, through CGI, into an old woman.   Through VFX this is edited onto the mirror.   The seems sped up as if to demonstrate her haste to get Merlin away.   She is obviously keeping secrets from Merlin and everyone else.   Despite her being supposedly royal their lying appears to make Merlin a better person, despite being a peasant, as we see later, through his argument with Gaius that he believes in some form of justice. They are also both on par due to their magical abilities.

From the beginning, the fight between Arthur and Merlin already seems unfair.   Arthur is a trained soldier, which we can see from his armour; Merlin is merely a poor man.   We also see how Merlin almost gets in trouble for it later, when the guards lift him up, as if to arrest him.   This also links in to the fact that Merlin and Arthur's diegetic dialogue ended up with Merlin, a peasant, calling Arthur, the future king, a prat.  Merlin appears to be above Arthur with his wit and words despite being a peasant.   However, since Arthur's command allows Merlin to be freed from the guards, this demonstrates the power of royalty and having status- he controls Merlin's life and death.

During the fight scene, the fun folky music demonstrates that the fight is meant to be in the realm of slapstick comedy.   We know that no one will really get hurt.   We watch in slow motion at a close up as fruit explodes as the flails hit them.  Compared to this, when Merlin does magic, the actions are sped up, such as the close up of the box moving.   The fight now appears fair, despite the difference in class.

The old man (Gaius) appears to take on the role of parent within the scene, chastising Merlin as the shot reverse shot shows the audience their argument.   This highlights hierarchy in the lower classes.   Gains has a higher status between the two due to the difference in age.

Class and status is represented in many different ways in the clip.   Despite Merlin's poorer roots, he appears to be a better person than the lying royal.   Despite Arthur's confidence in his training due to his riches.   Arthur and Merlin still have an equal fight.   Even in the poorer areas we see Gaius' status above Merlin's as he chastises him.

The Film Industry (Documentary)

Production

• Producer- finds the idea, gets the script, director, cast, money, make it, gets it ready and out. Protects the director's idea
• Choose Idea and Script- explores an idea consistently and truthfully. What is the script referencing? Beginning, middle and end. Instincts and knowledge help
• Package- Producer and director plan- screenplay, key crew, budget, cast----> helps make a judgement
• Investment- television companies, regional film field, groups of potential financiers 
• Foreign Investment- look for co-production deals, more investors= more control, package will tell you where to look 
• Planning- what are the hardest scenes? Do them first. Casting next. Find people on the same page
• Budget- all film is based on investment, finance plan, analysis of the script to make it
• Above and Below the Line Costs- Above= creative costs= key crew, stuff to tell the story. Below= stuff to make the story
• Audience- think of the audience, definable but not formulaic
• Marketing- hidden cost, is there a marketable place for it. America- films are not greenly without an audience being thought of. Britain= production led

The role of a distributor

• Who? Why? How?- promotion is important- arrive at the cinema knowing what you want
• Major vs Independent Distributor- M= makes films. I= buy films
• USP- find it= easier to market. Cast, genre thought of
• Target Audience- core audiences= families and younger adults
• When to release?- what will give it the best chance?
• Research- demographic audiences, ideas, what do audience want
• Budget- experience and guesswork, what can the movie take at the box office ------> how much to spend to get it there
• Advertising/ Publicity- advertising (media), promotion, premiere, actors=star tour

The Campaign

• The Public- stimulated by 200 things by the time they get to work. Looking at the parts to formulate the plan
• The Poster- sell the concept and the genre, first look, stepping stone campaign
• The Trailer- most important key, first and only look= teaser- first, main- tell you the film is out (voice over vs captions, depend strongly on genre
• Foreign Language Films- cover up it's a foreign language film in the trailer
• TV Spots- film title, who's in it, when is it on- pick a piece of film to put in
• The Internet- viral marketing, official websites
• Publicity- PR and press, free editorial space
• Reviews- how a film has been reviewed generally
• Tracking- what percentage of people are aware of it
• Word of Mouth- most powerful marketing strategy ------> previews- advanced screenings
• Opening Weekend- opening day (Sunday), Saturday, Sunday- Monday is make or break

Exhibition

• 2007- highest point in 40 years
• Multiplex Cinema- important change in cinema
• Location- don't mind driving to the movie, parking then needs to be good
• Which Films?- specialised- hollywood, art house, independent, world -----> movies people want to see. Cater to different groups. Personal vs commercial
• Audience- actual and potential, local market business, qualities of the cinema are important, specialised taste but a market
• Digital Cinema- embrace new technology- 3D, streaming, votes. Young audience and old audience. Events out of home experience- no substitute

Piracy

• Hurts production/distribution/exhibition- millions in lost revenue
• Who Loses- cinema, production company, smaller parties suffer most
• Changing World- appalling quality, streaming online, copy DVDs, computers, DIY piracy
• Consequences- makes a difference, not victimless. Bigger budgets are fine, less will be affected. DVD sales are important
• Attack- educational outreach