Regional Identity Essay - Doc Martin

Task 10

Intro what is film distribution?

Film distribution is the process of making a movie available for viewing by an audience. This is normally the task of a professional film distributor, who would determine the marketing strategy for the film, the media by which a film is to be exhibited or made available for viewing, and who may set the release date and other matters. Distribution involves advertising.

What is the distributor's role?

A distributor will work out who will want to see a film, how it should be distributed and why.

What's a distribution plan?

The plan a distributor would make when considering how to market the film. They would consider audience and genre along with marketing techniques.

What's a P + A budget?

This is called a print and advertising budget. It is the budget a distribution company would use for marketing.

What is the average distribution cost for a big six film?

The average cost is around $50 million.

What does the distribution budget include?

Advertisements, commercials, radio adverts, posters, billboards, press release, online adds,

What is a simultaneous release?

This is a new method of releasing films. Some companies have decided to release there film on DVD and in Cinemas at the same time. Or online and in Cinemas ect.

What are some main distribution companies?

20th Century Fox Film Co. Ltd.

Aardman Animations

Artificial Eye

Axiom Films

Ayngaran International (Tamil films only)

Buena Vista International

Cinema International Corporation (CIC)

Columbia Pictures

What do you think is the link between audiences and distribution?

A distributor has to highly consider audience when marketing the film. If the advertisements aren't going to reach the target audience then no one will be able to see the film.

Define target market audience? What's audience positioning?

A target audience is the intended audience or readership of a publication, advertisement, or other message. In marketing and advertising, it is a specific group of people within the target market at which a product or the marketing message of a product is aimed. With audience positioning - Created by Stuart Hall who was a cultural theorist, it has 3 objectives:

1. To understand the relationship between the audience and the media text

2. To understand the position that the audience will take dependent on certain factors

3. To understand how audience are constructed by media producers

Why is the release date crucial?

People want to release films around the same time as holidays and school breaks so that children will go and see there film in this period. Batman Vs Superman was released on Good Friday which is good as it allowed people to go and watch the film throughout the Easter holidays.

What is self distribution?

People who distribute film themselves by handing out leaflets and advertising online for free by themselves.

Torchwood Clip

Merlin Essay

Merlin Essay - 45 minutes.

Merlin represents class and status in many different ways. It uses Mise en Scene, Camera, Editing and Sound throughout the clip to reflect on different classes and statuses. In the first scene the costumes reflect that there are a difference in classes between Merlin himself and the women. The lady is wearing a long dress with different types of jewelry which portray her as a rich and wealthy member of society, which is seen as the upper class. In contrast there is Merlin who is wearing brown rags which small tears in them, this shows his lack of wealth and this leads the audience seeing him as a lower class citizen.
Also in the first scene there was a significant difference in screen time. The lady was given a considerable amount of screen time compared to Merlin. This would reflect how that she is of more importance and therefore a higher class to the undermined Merlin. The lady is reflected to have higher authority over Merlin.
As Merlin leaves this upper class building, the camera shot is a long shot of Merlin and is tilted down onto him, making him out to be smaller than he actually is. Almost showing that people inside the building look down on him as he is of a lower class.
Although when he starts the fight then the two fighters are given the same amount of screen time, this is due to them portraying them as being equals in a fight,

Task 9 - Terminology for Exam

Terminology List :

Mainstream – mainstream films are the big blockbuster films that the majority of the public will watch or at least know about. These are often high budget and is produced by the big six – often used by ordinary people for escapism.

Independent – contrasting with the mainstream, independent films are more intellectual and often focuses on social issues. They are less known, low budget and targeted at niche audiences. These are often produced by small independent companies although not always.

Production (stages) – there are three stages of production – pre production which is deciding the genre of the film, casting, writing the script, setting the budget etc. Actual production would be filming the scenes. Post production would be editing.

Distribution – launching and sustaining films in the market place.

Marketing – advertising the film to the public to attract the intended or a wide target audience – usually through the use of billboards, social media, posters, trailers 

Exchange – how a product has reached the consumer.

Multinational Conglomerate - a combination of two or more corporations engaged in entirely different businesses that fall under one corporate group.

Monopoly – when one company dominates the market.

Oligopoly – the control of a market for a particular product by a small group of companies in which no one is dominant.

Name the Big Six (90% of box office takings) – Paramount Pictures, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros Pictures, Walt Disney, Columbia Pictures

Horizontal Integration - this is where an organisation develops by buying another company within the same section of the market at the same stage of production (also known as cross media ownership).

Vertical Integration – when two firms in the same industry come together but at different stages so for example, a television studio may buy a production company to produce some of its television programmes.

Synergy – the interaction of two or more forces working together to create a larger effect in comparison to working independently. For example, an artist may sing the theme song of a movie and the song is repeatedly featured in the film – they are both promoting each other.

Merchandising – selling a variety of products that is related or is focused on a specific film to maintain the popularity of the film as well as adding to the profit made e.g. clothing, household items

Ultra Violet – allows consumers to have a proof-of-purchase so that they are able to view the content in a variety of different devices – also allows users to share their library with up to 5 people.

Above the line- All the objects you pay for in marketing/the budget.

Below the line- Free adverting- word of mouth/Peoples tweets about the film.

Technological Convergence/Cross media convergence – when different types of technology come together to create a new technology.

Consumption – how much people buy at the cinema – e.g. tickets, food, drinks

Exhibition – showing films in cinemas or on DVD – making the film available on different platforms.

Piracy – the act of stealing, copying, distributing movies.

Hollywood Franchise 4S Model – synergy, spectacle, sequelisation, story

Tie-In – the creation of marketing synergy between two products so for example a book and a film - a book that inspired or was inspired by a motion picture.

Task 8

Task 7

When do audiences go to the cinema?

Most people go to the cinema during the weekend because they have these days free from their working weeks or school weeks. There is also incentive to visit the cinema during the week when there are certain deals and subsidies, such as Orange 2 for 1 Wednesdays.

What are the most popular genres?

The most popular genres are generally used by blockbuster films and these tend to be Action, Comedy and Animated films. These seem to be the most mainstream movies.

What was the top film in each of these genres?

Action - Fast And Furious 7: An extremely popular series, and this installment was in the memory of the late Paul Walker and so any Fast and Furious, or Paul Walker fans would've watched the film.

Comedy - Minions: Very popular for younger children, based on the success of the previous films 'Despicable Me' 1 & 2. Released in children school holidays which means that it can be viewed by a larger volume of people.

Animated - Inside out: Appeals to families and younger children, meaning a larger audience went to see the film. Once again it was released in children school holidays which means that it can be viewed by a larger volume of people.

How do audiences hear about films?

Most poeple now hear about movies online, via social media, such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. This is because most people nowadays use social media everyday and it provides companies with below the line advertisement.

Another way however, is trailers before watching the film itself in the cinema

Do audiences prefer US, UK or other nationality films?

The biggest film production and distribution industries are in the UK and the US, so popularity varies between the two.

But since 90% of cinema viewings are The Big Six films, these companies are American, which may increase the territories film popularity.

Do audiences like 3D films?

Most cinema goers prefer the 2D experience rather than three dimensional due to wearing the glasses which may cause annoyance when watching a film in the cinema.

What other ways do audiences watch film aside from the cinema?

The way in which the audience watch films alternatively involve monthly subscription to Netflix or buying films at home through Sky Store or Amazon Prime.

However, the majority of audiences can watch movies through illegal sites such as Putlocker which means the cinema industry are losing money.

Who do audiences go to the cinema with?

The cinema is very socially orientated which means that audiences tend to visit the cinema with friends as an outing. It is relatively cheap and is suitable for everybody.

Depending on the target audience of the film, parents can take their families to see more family orientated films or a group of friends could go and see a horror film etc.

When and where are most audiences likely to go to the cinema?

Many audience members tend to visit a local mainstream cinema. This would include for instance "The Odeon" for Chelmsford. This is due to the amount of available screenings they can have at one time and the wide range of films they can show.

Hotel Babylon

The What?

The Where?

And The Why?

Mise en scene

What?	Where?	Why?
White male power	When entering the hotel.	This shows that they have the power as they have badges and they are wearing suits to show they have power in the hotel.
Women dressed in all white	At the counter of the hotel	She is in all white present’s innocence.
Dark cupboard and all crammed in	In the cupboard scene	This shows that they have no power once they are in there because they are isolated whilst the males are walking around.
Locker had pictures	After the man is taken	This shows that he is now a memory and he has lost his freedom to make the audience feel the way the characters do.

Editing

What?	Where?	Why?
Fast paced when rushing to get immigrants to safety	Once white male enters	This shows that they are all in danger.
Quick zoom to oriental woman	When door is knocked	This is to show her protection of everyone else and furthermore to show that she wants them to stay.
Shot reverse shot	Between who is in charge	This shows the equality between the white male and female because they have the same screen time and therefore they are as important as each other.
Depth of field shot	When the man was leaving	This shows the power difference between the oriental woman and the white male and therefore he has more power as the camera focuses on him.

Camera

What?	Where?	Why?
Focus of ‘John’ the white male who walks in with a suit and a badge.	In the hotel lobby	His face is centralised in the shot and it is focused on his face whilst he is walking towards the female dressed all in white. The man has the power over everyone else. The serious face shows how he is the villain in this clip.
Focus on hand opening door	In the staff room	This is to show that she is opening door and she doesn’t know there is danger on the other side of the door.
Tracking shot showing each ethnicity	In the canteen	This tracking shots shows that even though before they were all scared together in the staff room and all ethnicities were scared and with one another. As soon as all of that is over they all in their own ethnicities and each in own group showing that they were all together at one point then alone showing how fear brings them together.
Close up shots of the immigrants hiding	In the staff room cupboard	Shows fear and vulnerability but also in a small space and when women passes out and they all surround her and are scared.
Low mid shot angle in kitchen	In the kitchen with all of the illegal immigrants	The camera shakes and this shows that people are scared and shows that the tension between all of the  immigrants.

Sound

What?	Where?	Why?
Sound of struggle increased	In the final lobby scene	To make the audience empathies for the actor and his struggle for his freedom.
‘I wasn’t always a cleaner’	In the closet scene	To counter the stereotype and to show that Africans aren’t stereotype of the uneducated and undeveloped Africans.
‘Just here to stop anyone from getting out’	In the first scene	To make the officers seem the evil characters and they are stopping freedom of people.
Many different languages and ethnicities.	Throughout the clip.	To show the different cultures to present although they interact with one another in fear but do not talk the same language.
Rattling of key in the door	When entering closet scene.	To show the panic of the people and also that she wants to protect.
Music is fast paced	When the white male walks in	This is to increase the intensity of the scene and to show he has power.
Silence as the staff enter the cupboard	In the cupboard scene.	This is to show the lack of power and that they are alone in the cupboard with danger walking around, the men.

Task 6 - Cinemas

Cinemas

The 5 closest cinemas to Chelmsford are;

1. Odeon - which is based in Chelmsford Town Centre

2. Rayleigh Hi-Fi - which is based in Moulsham Street Chelmsford

3. Cinema rooms - which is also based in Chelmsford

4. Cineworld – Located in Braintree

5. Empire- Located in Basildon

Some more cinemas are:

6. View - Which is in West Field Shopping centre

7. Prince Charles Cinema - which is in London (Independent cinema)

8. Lexi Cinema - which is also in London (Independent cinema)

9. Curzon Soho - which is also in London (Independent cinema)

10. Electric cinema - which is also in London (Independent cinema)

The more mainstream Cinemas will attract kids between the age of 12-29

All the Mainstream Cinemas are showing the new Block Busters e.g. Dead pool, Triple 9, Grimsby, Star Wars and Zoo lander 2

The independent cinemas are showing films such as; The Bigger Splash, The wave, Emelie, Knight of Cups and Men Go to Battle

Task 5 - Film Companies

Summit entertainment, film4, icon, fox warp from harryhazell4

Task 4 - My Brother the Devil

My Brother the Devil (2012) from harryhazell4

Task 3 - Blockbuster

Here is our presentation with all the things you need to know about Fast and Furious 7.

Fast and furious 7 (1) from harryhazell4

Task 2 - What films did well in 2015?

1. Stars Wars Episode VII : The Force Awakens

2. Jurassic World

3. Avengers Assemble : Age Of Ultron

4. Inside Out

Star Wars was number 1 despite only having 12 days to make more money than Jurassic world. The film came out two days before children broke up from school but people went to see it over the Christmas break. Star Wars has had a big following since the original trilogy came out over 30 years ago. Star Wars was the only blockbuster film which was released at this time, this was probably because it was going to be the biggest film of the year.

The films above are all from the big six. The top 3 films are part of franchises with lots of other films. All of these films are a 12A or lower, this is so that the main film going audience (14-24) would want to see these films.

The top three films are of a similar genre, they are action adventure. All of the films have an elements which would appeal to all audiences such as romance, comedy and action. The fourth film was marketed really well, it is by Disney Pixar and is animated. It is a similar style to all of the films previously made by this producer which there target audience loves. Films like 'Inside Out' also usually have an element which would appeal to a mum, who would take the child to the cinema (something relate-able or comical), for example in the trailer for inside out the dad isn't paying attention and the mums emotions in her head are like a women's chat show.

The 3 of the films came out in summer which meant that more people would go and see it because they wouldn't be at school.

Films which didn't do well include horror films which don't generally appeal to the cinema going audience. Independent films also don't do as well because they don't have as much spending power as the big budget blockbusters do.

Task 1 - My Survey

Here is the survey I made using survey monkey.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/PQK2GHL