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    FilmFour

    Section B exam prep

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    In order to succeed

    Develop a case study on a film studio which

    produces or distributed films to the UK

    Your study will cover production, distribution,

    exhibition and consumption

    FilmFour/ working title is the chosen company

    and you MUST focus on this in the exam with

    specific films used

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    the issues raised by media ownership in contemporarymedia practice;

    the importance of cross media convergence and synergy inproduction, distribution and marketing;

    the technologies that have been introduced in recent yearsat the levels of production, distribution, marketing andexchange;

    the significance of proliferation in hardware and content forinstitutions and audiences;

    the importance of technological convergence forinstitutions and audiences;

    the issues raised in the targeting of national and local

    audiences (specifically, British) by international or globalinstitutions;

    the ways in which the candidates own experiences

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    What is a British film?

    A setting in the UK? or

    A focus on British people abroad?

    A predominantly British cast? A storyline about some aspect of British life?

    Based on the work of a British author?

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    The importance of a national film

    industry

    Significant returns for the UK economy

    through film making, inward investment, filmexhibition, DVD rentals and sales, film exports

    The UK Film Council estimates that a

    successful Brit film will make up to 70% of itsrevenue outside the UK

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    Question

    If a film addresses a domesticaudience about culturallyspecific themes, is it likely tofind wider distribution

    difficult? Will non British people want

    to see the film?

    What significant advantagedo British filmmakers haveover European filmmakers?

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    British Cinema and Hollywood

    British film production companies have co-production and distribution with Hollywoodstudios

    British films can be funded and distributedby US companies

    Decisions on which British films to produce

    and how to market them are often based onthe tastes of both domestic and Americanaudiences

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    Hollywood a brief overview

    Hollywood is built around studios

    Companies who aim to make money from

    films

    Why are Hollywood blockbuster movies so

    successful?

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    The Challenge of Hollywood

    In general Hollywood has been able to

    continually re-invent itself by responding to a

    changing marketplace and taking advantage ofnew opportunities offered by new

    technologies

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    Recent British Cinema

    British film has become more confident in

    expanding its range to include a wider cross-

    section of ethnic groupings, gender groupings

    and cultural groupings

    Promoting diversity and offering a more

    representative and inclusive national identity

    Slumdog is a recent example!

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    A distinctive cinema?

    180 million tickets sold yearly

    Inward investment to

    improve the cinemagoing

    experience

    80% of admissions come out

    of mainstream American

    distributors

    British themes and values

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    Hollywood realised that there is serious money tobe made in international distribution so theyinvest heavily

    They retain the rights to their films so secureprofits for many years

    British film industry is production led wherebydistribution is usually through an Americancompany

    Any money made is not going back into theBritish film industry

    Cottage industry

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    More challenges

    British film industry unable to respond to

    increasing audience demand

    Hollywood has diversified and strengthened to

    develop links with other media and delivery

    platforms creating vast media empires

    examples?

    Global market at $63 billion in 2003

    US takes 80% of this global market

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    FilmFour

    A British production company finances British films

    1982 1998 known as Channel 4 film

    Part of channel 4s remit was to experiment and

    innovate and cater for audiences not addressed byother channels

    Nowadays they fund around 20 films per year

    A number of films are by first time feature

    screenwriters or directors They look for distinctive films which will make their

    mark in a competitive cinema market

    Television premieres on FilmFour Channel and Channel

    4 2 years after theatrical release

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    David Rose, commissioningeditor, a preference forcontemporary and socialpolitical topics

    My Beautiful Laundrette(1985) portrayed thehomosexual relationshipbetween a white fascist

    and a Omar, born in Britainto Pakistani parents.

    Main audiences werecontemporary criticalaudiences in the 20 30

    age ranges Before Laundrette, a large

    percentage of the Britishpopulation went largelyunrepresented

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    1996

    Starring Ewan McGregor in his 2nd film Directed by Danny Boyle a British director

    A co-production with Figment Films, Polygram

    and The Noel Gay Motion Picture co. Budget $3,500,000

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    Research the marketing of

    Trainspotting

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUOTs55K

    Y40

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iKFn8dlx

    X8

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN90xB7

    DswE

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbGhC47

    NSmY

    http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=N8X9BtN

    mSi &feature=related

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUOTs55KY40http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUOTs55KY40http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iKFn8dlxX8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iKFn8dlxX8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN90xB7DswEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN90xB7DswEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbGhC47NSmYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbGhC47NSmYhttp://www.youtube.com/watchhttp://www.youtube.com/watchhttp://www.youtube.com/watchhttp://www.youtube.com/watchhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbGhC47NSmYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbGhC47NSmYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN90xB7DswEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN90xB7DswEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iKFn8dlxX8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iKFn8dlxX8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUOTs55KY40http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUOTs55KY40
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    Marketing

    David Aukin, Head of Drama at Four Films it

    isnt really about drugsits a buddy movie

    US critics compared the movie to Kubricks A

    Clockwork Orange Both are anti-social-realist films dealing with

    subjects gangs, violence, drugs which are

    stylised and fast-paced. Both are independent films which shocked the

    critics and audiences

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    Marketing

    However Trainspotting was more an object of youthculture or popular culture than it was cinematic

    Britpop was Trainspotting's main vehicle to integrateyouth subculture into popular culture.

    Polygram put large sums of money into a sophisticatedmarketing and branding strategy including posters anda soundtrack

    Knew film would appeal to clubbers and ravers sotargeted theseUnderworlds Born Slippy became amassive hit from the soundtrack

    Film gained distribution in the US although it did needsubtitles!

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    Synergy

    The brand Trainspotting

    Soundtrack

    Posters

    DVDs

    Copied of the screenplay

    Reprinting of Welshs novel featuring the

    poster on the cover

    Music cross-promotion

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    Four Weddings and a Funeral

    1994

    Starring Hugh Grant and

    Andie MacDowell

    Co-production with Polygramand Working Title

    Budget $6,000,000

    http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=four+wed

    dings+and+a+funeral+trailer&

    aq=3

    http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=four+weddings+and+a+funeral+trailer&aq=3http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=four+weddings+and+a+funeral+trailer&aq=3http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=four+weddings+and+a+funeral+trailer&aq=3http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=four+weddings+and+a+funeral+trailer&aq=3http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=four+weddings+and+a+funeral+trailer&aq=3http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=four+weddings+and+a+funeral+trailer&aq=3http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=four+weddings+and+a+funeral+trailer&aq=3http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=four+weddings+and+a+funeral+trailer&aq=3
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    Marketing

    Played upon aspects of nationalidentity

    Played upon the more nave

    elements of Britishness

    Hugh Grants quintessentialfumbling middle class gentleman

    Appealing to an Americanaudience

    A universal storyline of romanceand a feel good happy ending

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    Slumdog Millionaire

    2008

    Funded by Film4

    Co-production with Celador and Pathe Directed by Danny Boyle

    Budget $15,000,000

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIzbwV7on6Q

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIzbwV7on6Qhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIzbwV7on6Qhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIzbwV7on6Qhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIzbwV7on6Q
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    1990s under David Aukin

    Typical cost rose from 400k to 1.8million

    Trainspotting and Four Weddings were hugely

    successful although appealed to very different

    audiences

    Trainspotting was a low budget film which had

    carved itself a niche audience

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    Representation and Cultural Identity

    FilmFour films explored and developed ideas

    of cultural hybridity

    East is East

    The first British film representing hybrid and

    ever changing cultural and social mix in Britain

    making it into mainstream multiplex cinemas.

    Brick Lane (2007) won a BAFTA

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    Problems

    One of FilmFour's biggest problems has been

    competing for cinema space with

    multinational film companies, whose films

    account for more than two thirds of UK boxoffice takings. FilmFour blames the poor box

    office results on its lack of clout in the

    distribution market rather than the quality ofits films. (BBC on Film Four Partner Search)

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    Film Four channel

    Originally only subscribers could access thechannel

    The company wasnt making enough moneythrough subscriptions alone

    Relaunched the channel in July 2006 as afreeview channel

    Believed they could make more money throughadvertising

    Has become the Uks largest free film channelavailable to 18 million homes

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    Supply and Demand

    Why do you go to the cinema?

    What other options are available to you if you

    want to see a film?

    What are the pros and cons of these options?

    So why do you still go to the cinema?!

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    Changing patterns of consumption

    Young people are increasingly watch films onsmall screens using various models of DVDplayers

    Cinema admissions in Britain fell by 4% in2005 and US box-office by 9%

    Trend towards home consumption began in

    the 1960s when studios realised they coulduse television to show films long after theyhad passed their sell-by date in the cinema

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    VHS to DVD

    1970s VHS was introduced

    1980s satellite was introduced

    DVDs have pushed VHS out of the home What are the advantages of DVD over VHS?

    What are some drawbacks for the studios?

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    Synergy

    Massive corporations may be able to

    Publicise and advertise their films via their

    own print, sound and visual media arms

    Put out associated books and music, again

    from within their own organisation

    Show their films via their own various TV and

    cinema outlets

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    Film Four and synergy

    A major issue for FilmFour is that it does NOT

    own its own exhibition theatrical chain

    What issues might this raise for FilmFour?

    Synergy was not always apparent at the

    company as in 2003 Ali G went to Working

    Title!

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    New technologies and the consumer

    An improved overall experience as a result of better soundand images reproduction

    A heightened emotional experience as a result of a strongersense of empathy with characters who in some way seemmore real

    Enhanced spectacle

    Improved ease of access

    New, easier and intensified ways of using film to pleasurethemselves e.g. IMAX

    Enhanced intellectual experience The chance for new, ever cheaper and more compact

    devices to make films for themselves

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    New technologies and the film industry

    The chance to repackage and resell old products,esp cult films, thereby establishing a newaudience base for an old product

    An opportunity to place products for sale in anew window thereby lengthening thecommercial life of each film

    The chance to encourage multiple purchases of

    essentially the same product A means of still managing to make profit on films

    that initially perform poorly at the box office

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    New technologies and the cinema

    experience

    New technologies have always added to the

    cinema experience

    The size/quality of the spectacle have been

    enhanced

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    Also available in a standard DVD edition, the Blu-ray version ofSlumdogMillionaire argues effectively for a conversion over onto the new format.The film looks sensation here, and this is coming from someone who sawthe movie twice in theaters. The use of color that Boyle excels at isheightened here, the attention to detail and panoramic vistas recreatedsuperbly within the 2.35:1, AVCX 1080p encode. RememberBoyle

    utilized both 35mm stock and digital cameras to capture the action, sothere will be a definite distinction between the two. The use of grain, theoccasional muddiness and lack of clarity are artistic choices on thedirector's part (his accompanying commentary track assures us of same).Sonically, the Blu-ray comes with only one audio mixan English-Hindi5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio that engages all the channels withoutsubjecting us to aural chaos. Indeed, the balance between dialogue and

    ambient elements is excellent, and the use of music and effects reallyelevate the overall immersive effect. While the film itself is subtitled outof necessity, there are optional SDH, French, and Spanish translationsoffered.

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    Slumdog Blu ray

    Boyle and Patel take the audience through thebackstreets and countryside of India

    Interviews with Beaufoy

    Deleted scenes Making-of

    Music video for Bombay Liquid Dance

    Trailers Short film entitled Manjha