Film C1

23 February

do now

Film Studios:

Warner Bros, 20th century fox, Disney, Pixar, Universal Pictures, Paramount, Dreamworks , Sony

Film Industry

L.O. to explore the aims and conventions of film posters

Research: Terminology

franchise - a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe or are marketed as a series. based on an origional idea or adapted from a book (Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings etc.)

Distributor - company that markets and organises the distribution of a film 

Hollywood major - large film production studios that dominate Hollywood, eg. Walt Disney Pictures, Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures.

Teaser - a short trailer or poster that initiates interest in a film with small details only-a form of teaser campaign advertising

Montage - combining a collection of different images edited together i one place

Ensemble Cast - an ensemble cast is one that comprises many principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen (more than 1 main character, usually a duo or a group)

Tentpole Film - very high budget film aimed at a broad audience film that is expected to make a lot of money and also to help persuade people to spend money on smaller, riskier productions connected with it. 

High Concept - type of movie with simple yet compelling premise. designed to have a very wide audience appeal. striking and easily communicable idea. 

enigma - a question that encourages an audience to watch/read on to find the answer 

1)  Big 5 major Hollywood studios?

Walt Disney, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros, Universal, Sony

2)  What is the main aim of a film marketing campaign?

They generate excitement, give a little bit away, and excite and entise your audiences to actually watch your film.

3)  What marketing Techniques are often used?

Poster campaigns, Adverts/trailers, Social media, Using the actors, Press releases, Reviews, Collaborations, Merchandise, Premiere

4)  What information does a film poster need to convey? 

The name of the film, the genre, the main character/actor(s), narrative

5)  Whats the difference between a teaser poster and a theatrical poster? 

Find an example for both for a recent film:

Typically, teaser poster will be quite sparse and contain little information about the film in order to make you curious and draw you in. Theatrical posters usually are a lot more revealing in order to excite the audience. 

Teaser Poster:

Theatrical Poster:

6) Movie Franchise:

James Bond, Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars

28 February

do now - James Bond & the 007 films. 

James Bond is a British M16 spy / secret service agent: 007

"licence to kill"   "Bond, James Bond."

The movies are an action franchise, starting in 1962. The most recent instalment is No Time To Die

There are multiple films with different actors playing James Bond:  Daniel Craig, Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan

Based on books written by Ian Flemming

Film Posters

L.O. to analyse the film poster set texts effectively

Context

No time to die is the most recent bond film, released in the UK in September 2021. There was a global premiere at the Royal Albert Hall on 28 September 2021. 

Starring Daniel Craig as 007, this is his fifth and final performance as the fictional MI6 agent. 

The release was significantly delayed from April 2020, following a change in director and the COVID-19 pandemic. Produced by British company EON. Productions and distributed in UK cinemas by Universal Pictures. No Time To Die is available to stream on Amazon Prime. 

The films budget is an estimated $250-301 million, making it the most expensive Bond film to date. So far it has grossed over $774 million worldwide at the box office. (tentpole film)

 The poster was designed by empire designs, a British film promotion agency. the first teaser poster for the film was released on James Bond Day, 5th October 2019, as a part of a global marketing campaign. 

Main Image:

The montage of characters on this film posters tells the viewer these are the main characters. The dominant image is a mid shot of James Bond, establishing him as the main protagonist, as he is larger and therefore more important than everyone else. The second biggest character on the image is centrally framed 

Colour Palette:

The colour palette is a contrast of warm and cool colours, suggesting opposition. The colour has two general colours, orange and blue. Having blue hues on the larger male suggest he is the hero as the connotations of the colour blue are wisdom, serenity and calm. The colour orange are a common convention for action movies, helping us make a connection to what sort of genre the film is. 

Typography:

The classic 007 logo has a gun at the end of the text, clearly establishing the genre as action. This is on this film poster twice, telling us that this is a Bond Film poster. Serif fonts can look professional and authoritative, making the genre of action more clear. Block capitols connotes masculinity. It is quite a modern looking font, suggesting the film is set in the modern day. 

Mise En Scene:

All of the characters in this montage are dressed in dark and sophisticated clothing, e.g. ties, cocktail dresses, suits. These are general conventions of action films as it connotes professionalism and looks expensive. One woman in the montage is holding a gun, has an earpiece in and is wearing military clothing. This connotes a female agent, going against the stereotype of women being weak. It also goes against the typical 'Bond girl', suggesting a more progressive and anti stereotypical representation. There are 3 characters that are using direct address, showing they are trying to make personal connections with the audience.  

06 March

Do Now

Stereotypical characteristics you would expect a male hero in a spy action film to have:

Physically fit, attractive, intelligent, strong, charming, masculine, formal attire, expert at wielding/ carrying weapons, quite detached from regular life, calm under pressure, good initiative/reflex, quick thinking, daring, brave  

Representation Context

James Bond is an action hero Historically following very masculine stereotypes. Bond girls are the beautiful 'love interest'. Representation of gender in Bond films has evolved over time, to an extent, in a bid to reflect the changing social context.  It would be useful to consider the poster for The Man With The Golden Gun. Craigs Bond is not as sexist and overtly stereotypical as the early incarnation of the character and reflects some contemporary notions of masculinity as his Bond is older, more thoughtful and shows vulnerability. Aston Martin has a longstanding brand relationship with the James Bond franchise. Madeline Swann is a french psychiatrist and one of bonds love interests. she would be recognisable to fans as she also appeared in the previous film, Spectre. this is very unusual as there is usually a different bond girl for each film. 

Representations of gender:

Bon is in this film poster three times and in all instances he provides an image of masculinity that connotes skill, intelligence and strength. 

This film poster represents women as both stereotypical and anti stereotypical. There are three women on this poster - the first one is wearing a smart, military costume, dressed with and holding weapons. This is an anti stereotypical representation of women because it has masculine/action hero connotations. This is especially unusual for a James Bond film as we haven't previously seen any female spy's in the franchise. However we have also seen an example of a stereotypical Bond girl. She is dressed in a black slip dress, made to look really glamorous.

Representations of Ethnicity:

This cast is predominantly white, typical of Hollywood and the James Bond franchise. However Nomi is British Jamaican and is represented as skilled and determined. The second most dominant character to Bond in this poster is Rami Malik, who plays Safin, the villain. Representing multiple non-white actors as dominant & important characters in a tentpole film shows that the James Bond films are becoming more progressive and inclusive. However, Safin's non-white ethnicity is quite typical for a villain, particularly in the Bond films. 

Representations of Age: 

There are no children or old people represented in this film poster which is pretty conventional for James Bond. 

08 March

Do Now

Old Bond film stereotypes: Predominantly white cast, misogynistic man, outdated ethnic stereotypes, glamorous/ attractive Bond girls, heterosexual relationships

Film Posters

LO. to analyse a historical film poster effectively

Man With the Golden Gun: 

Roger Moore as James Bond, his second bond movie. His first film was Live and Let Die. Roger Moore had become a household name in the 60's.

Based on a book of the same name, written by Ian Flemming. Tentpole productionFilm was created with an estimated $7 million, budget and grossed over $97 million at the world box office. 

To reflect the popularity of the martial arts film genre, with the rise of stars such as Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, there were also several Kung Fu scenes and the film was filmed predominantly in Asia, having been shot in Hong Kong, Thailand and Macau. 

The artwork for the poster itself was produced by artist and illustrator Robert McGuines.

The film came out in 1974 but was set in the middle of the 1973 energy crisis, when the oil producing Arab nations proclaimed an oil embargo causing an oil crisis which had bong long-term and short-term effects across politics and the economy across the globe.

1) The montage of images allows the viewer to get a better idea of what the films about/theme. Easier to represent the genre. 

2) Bond is centrally framed in this film poster, establishing him as the main protagonist. The Gun connotes violence, murder and action, and this paired with his suit which is a conventional outfit of a spy/ agent, helps hint to the viewer what his character is and does. The suit has connotations of being formal, smart and professional, both typical characteristics of Bond. His facial expression is neutral, and the direct address suggests to us he is a serious, confident and non comical character. 

3) The gun is pointing to Bond, and considering the negative and violent connotations of guns, this can suggest to the viewer that the man holding the gun is Bonds enemy/ the films antagonist. The golden colour of the gun also connotes wealth, power and luxury.  

4)  "Roger Moore" is appealing to people who are fans of Roger Moore and his films, making them interested in watching. "James bond 007" establishes this as a Bond poster and is appealing to fans of the previous films. "The Man with the Golden Gun" will be recognisable to readers and fans of Ian Flemming's books. 

5) Why is the gun golden? Why are there explosions? Who is the man with the golden gun? Does he kill James Bond? Why is he specifically targeting James Bond? 

6) The hero, The villain, The princess, 

7) Explosions, guns and weapons, man as the protagonist, fighting

Exam Style Question: Explore how the film poster for The Man with the Golden Gun uses the following elements of media language to create meanings. 

(b) mis en scene

In the Man with the Golden Gun film poster, mis en scene is used to create meaning. The man is wearing a suit, which follows the typical conventions of James Bond, confirming him as the protagonist. The man in the suit is centrally framed in the montage, and the only one using direct address. Considering the confident and serious connotations of both direct address and his facial expression, we can confirm  him as the main protagonist of the film. 

13 March

Do Now

1 Black suit:  professional, formal, wealth, timeless, classic

2 The colour gold:  wealth, rarity, luxury, high status

3 A power plant:  radioactivity, energy

Film Posters

LO. To analyse a historical film poster effectively

Representation Context:

At the start of the 20th century, many film depictions of minority ethnic groups supported the dominant stereotypes of the time: to be pitied, to be laughed at, the exotic and / or dangerous character.  

While society was progressing towards racial equality by the 1970's some of these stereotypes were still in evidence in mainstream films. In addition, it is interesting to consider this poster in the context of the move towards gender equality and increased women's rights in the 60's and 70's. 

Representation

Stereotypes - The main protagonist is a man, dressed formally in a suit and with a gun, stereotypical for James Bond. The explosions, weapons and characters are all the stereotypical conventions for an action adventure film. 

Representations of Gender - This poster has represented gender stereotypically for a 1970s film. The women in the poster have been sexualised as they have minimal clothing on. The man in the poster is clearly established as the main character with his central placement in the poster. This and the use of direct address represents men as the more dominant gender. Bond was already an iconic character, creating ideas that this is what men (of the time) had to be: confident, intelligent, heterosexual, willing to put themselves in danger. The sexual representation suggests they are little more than body's to look at.  

Representations of ethnicity - This film poster has predominantly white cast/ characters. They have underrepresented minority ethnic groups by hardly featuring them in a tentpole production,  this is stereotypical for a 1970's film. The only minority ethnic group featured in the poster is far smaller than others on the poster, making her appear as less important. She challenges the sexualised stereotypes of women overall, but however follows the stereotype that these minorities are 'dangerous' as she is shows doing martial arts. 

Representations of issues & events - there was a global energy crisis going on at the time, so the audience would have recognised the depictions of the power plant of the poster  

Feminist perspective & male gaze theory - This film poster sexualises the women that are featured by dressing them in minimal clothing. Considering the target audience for this film is men, we can argue that this film poster feeds into the male gaze theory as the women are there to look good for the men. 

15 March

Do Now

Production: The making of the film 

Distribution: When and where the film is released or showed - getting the film out there to the audience

Marketing: Advertising and publicising the film

Exhibition & Circulation: Showing the film - events, screenings, premieres. 

Film Industry

LO. To explore the process of film making

Film industry is broken down into 3 main processes: Production, Distribution & Marketing, Circulation.  Usually three different companies will do each process.  

Big film companies (Conglomerates) will complete all three processes of the film. This is called vertical integration. E.g. 1. Warner Bros produces it, 2. Warner Bros distributes it and markets it using it Time Warner Companies (companies owned by Warner Bros) 3. Warner Village cinemas get the first rights and a longer time window to show it than other cinemas. 

Vertical Integration is a good thing for the companies that are able to do it because they don't have to share their profits with other outside companies - they do their 3 steps within the company and get to keep considerably more profit than they would if they did it using other companies. 

Production

Development stage:  ideas created, right are bought, screenplay is written and financing is sought from producers, partner studios and (for big productions) product placement relationships. 

Pre-Production: Create a vision for your film. The script is written, casting, planning the equipment, filming locations, costumes, production schedule, building the set. 

Production: "Principal photography" the actual shooting and recording of the film. 

Post Production: Editing: music, final touches, cutting scenes, colour grading, visual effects, mixing audio, animators/cgi, fixing mistakes in shooting and picking up shots (not usually required/doesn't happen often). Putting it all together. 

Producers

Producers have to: Secure funding by convincing investors that a film will be successful $$$

Secure the rights to a screenplay

Manage crew, cast and directors. 

Manage locations, equipment and schedules

Manage any problems that occur. 

No Time To Die

1 ) EON Production Limited 

2 ) They are the sister company of Danjaq so they are technically part of a conglomerate. 

3 ) It is a studio film production with high production values. 

4 ) Other production companies involved: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).

5 )  EON Productions oversaw most of the production duties. 

6 ) The budget for the production was £214 million (just production!)

7) This was filmed in Italy, Jamaica, Norway, the Faroe islands and London, in addition to Pinewood studios. 

8 ) It took about 10 months to film, between March and December 2019. 

20 March

Do Now 

Production: The making of the film

Distribution: When and where the film is released, getting the film out to the audience 

Marketing: Advertising and publicising 

Exhibition: Showing of the film e.g. cinemas

Distribution and Marketing

LO. To explore the process of film making

Distribution is the process of making copies of the film for cinema, VOD (video on demand), DVD and SDV (streaming and digital video) release and marketing promotion. Sometimes producers will take their films to festivals in order to persuade distribution companies to take on their films. (this applies to smaller productions, not tentpoles or Hollywood films). 

Sometimes a conglomerate will delegate the distribution to a smaller company that they own. This is called vertical integration. This means majority of the profit stays within the company instead of paying other companies. 

Distributors need to: Work out and stick to budgets for both creating copies of the film and all the aspects of marketing. They also have to consider release dates and theatrical windows (the time the film is at the cinema) to ensure their films will get all the attention it can. 

Set Text, No Time To Die 

1) Universal Pictures and Metro Goldwyn Mayor. It is the first Bond film to be distributed by Universal Pictures, which acquired the international distribution rights following the expiration of Sony Pictures contract after the release of Spectre 2015. 

2) Yes it is part of a conglomerate 

4) The release date in the cinema was originally April 2020, but got postponed and was finally released 30th September 2021, and 8th October in USA. 20th December on DVD. November 9th on VOD. November 12th on SVD. 

5) Is there an significance in the time it was planned for release (April 2020) and then finally released (30th September 2021) ?

Easter then Winter. The decision to delay the release was made when it became apparent that theatrical markets, especially in the US, would not see full demand due to the pandemic. 

Marketing and Promotion

Every institution within every media industry has one important task above all others. TO MAKE A PROFIT! The more money you make (revenue) the more you can invest in other movies. A films success is largely judges on how much money it makes at the box office A.K.A bums on the seats in cinemas. Bond is an established franchise which has backers (financiers) lining up to either advertise a product within the film via product placement or finance part of the film. Films are very expensive to make. The budget for NTTD was £214 million! Hollywood and film institutions are very cautious about spending too much money and roughly want two what it costs to make back in profit. 

Marketed their films using popular celebrities to lure in the fans, promoting the film, doing interviews, being in trailer, on posters, posting on their social media. Graphic designs are a good visual aid to spark interest. Brief memorable catch phrases (taglines and quotes). Movie trailers. Consulting marketing departments before making the film, considering release dates, target audience etc. Product Placements: companies pay to have their products be featured in a film with popular actors. Marketing budget for a film is equal to between quarter and a half of the budget. Film festivals help to show critics the film who will spread the word about the film. 

A) List the various ways a film can be advertised and marketed.

 Movie trailers. Teaser videos. Using popular celebrities to promote it using their social media, going on tour, appearances, being on posters and in trailers. Product Placements. Memes. Film Festivals can help to represent. Merchandise. Brief and memorable taglines. Collaborations. Social Media pages and accounts, websites, targeted adverts. In person events like premieres. 

B) How will the delays in the release have effected the marketing?

The delay would mean it would be harder to stay relevant and keep the hype going for such a long time, people could eventually forget about it or loose interest because of how lengthy the delay was. It is a waste of resources and money, because the timeline of the marketing goes on for so much longer.

22 March

Do Now

Film marketing methods:  Trailers and teasers, Posters, Social Media, Celebrity interviews, Collaborations, premieres, merchandise 

Marketing & Production

A) Find examples of the promotion used for no time to die:

Theme tune - Billie Eillish, No Time to Die. Official video for the song was released. Eillish was nominated for a grammy for the theme song and won. 

Posters

Teaser trailer released before the Official trailer 

Casting announcements 

Additional behind the scenes videos for fans. 

Celebrity Promotions - Billie Eillish did an interview where she talked about writing her song and how she got involved with the producers and more(Synergy)  Daniel Craig (James Bond) was then profiled in UK & US editions of GQ. Craig appeared on "The Tonight Show"

Podcast - an official James Bond podcast was launched featuring interviews with cast member and crew

Superbowl Advert - They dropped the first trailer. 

Bond instagram account, Actors, directors etc used their social media to promote the film too. 

World Premiere in the Royal Albert Hall, London, 2 days before cinema release. 

B) Which brands were linked to the film / Product placement :

Aston Martin - James Bonds signature car 

Nokia technology appeared in the film

Land Rover

Triumph motorcycles

Omega watches

Tom Ford - suits & tuxes

Heineken 

27 March 

Do Now 

Delaying the No time to die release date was a issue for the team behind the movie because they had to keep the film relevant for a longer time, and keep the hype going. This means lots of extra expenses and would have cost the company a lot of their profit. The brand deals and product placement in the film were not going to be up to date by the time the film finally came out, so they would have had to edit and maybe even re film. The money spent on advertisements like the Superbowl trailer would be worthless. 

Exhibition & Regulation

LO. to explore exhibition and regulation in the film industry 

Exhibition

Exhibition (circulation) is the process of exhibiting (showing) the film across a range of different media platforms. Historically, this used to only include cinema release, but as digital technology evolves so does the way in which we watch films. 

Exhibition takes place in the following order:

1. Cinema release 

2. DVD release, Pay per View (PPV)/ video on demand (VOD) have been released SIMULTANEOUSLY as audiences are becoming more demanding and turning more to digital download) 

3. 'Free to air' television (available on standard TV channels for free to the viewer) 

In the last few years there as been a massive change in the way audiences/ viewers consume (watch) film. The rise of Netflix, Amazon prime and other streaming sites and made film more easily accessible to viewers. They can stream digital copies straight to their TV, laptops, tablets and phones. This is known as SDV (streaming and digital video)

1. No time to Die was in UK cinemas for 31 days. 

2. It made $774.2 million at the box office 

3. It was not released on DVD, VOD, PPV simultaneously.

4. It went free to air in the UK on New Years Day 2023, ITV. 

5. It is available on these SDV sites: Amazon Prime, Google play movies, Youtube & Apple TV. You have to pay to stream the film on all of these sites. 

6. The DVD, VOD, PPV sales were very successful. The film was the highest selling title on disc in the country during 2021 with 1.15 million units being sold. 

Regulation

What does regulation mean? - Regulation is the film (or most bits of media) being looked over and decided who its appropriate for etc. It is to protect vulnerable audiences from graphic or potentially disturbing material

How are films regulated? - Films are regulated before they are released. TV is regulated after they have been broadcasted. 

BBFC - British Board of film classification. This is the company that regulated UK films. This means deciding the age rating, and if its a higher age rating then what you want, you may have to make cuts and edits in order the get the age rating that you want. This is so that you can have a larger target audience 

Films and video releases in Britain are amongst the most tightly regulated in the Western world. Age restrictions are placed on all commercially released films by the BBFC and some are even expected to make cuts or alter the film in some way to conform to the guidelines. 

When classifying films the BBFC consider:

Context, Themes, Tone and impact, Depiction of discrimination, Depiction of drug use, Depiction of sex and nudity, Use of language, Depiction of threat and violence, Depiction of imitable behaviour.

Set Text. 

1. The age classification for NTTD theatrical release is a 12A. DVD is 12. This is because the film contains moderate violence and frequent strong language. 

2. The financial positives of NTTD being given this age rating id that it is quite a low age rating, so the target audience is bigger meaning more people can watch it, therefore, more profit. 

3. Digital age ratings are used across different platforms to guide on what is suitable for different ages. No time to Die's digital age rating is 12. 

17 April

Whats the difference between a 12 and a 12A rating in the UK?

12 - relates to a dvd or home video

12A - films released in the cinema, people younger than 12 can go to it as long as they are accompanied by an adult. This means the responsibility for letting the child watch the film lies with the accompanied adult, not with the cinema. 

Audience Appeal

LO. to explore the uses and gratifications of film 

Why do we use the media?

Entertainment, easy access to new information, communicate with people, to learn, online shopping and trends

Uses & Gratifications Theory

U&G is a theory from two men called Blumier and Katz that audiences take an active role in the media. What people do with the media. NOT what the media does with people.

The theory states that an audience will use a media form for either one of four reasons:

Personal identity

Information

Entertainment

Social interaction 

Put it together: Personal identity + Film/TV

The use of gratifications theory applies to film and TV. Lots of people use film and TV to feel a sense of personal identity as they can relate to the content they are seeing. An example of this would be if a person came from a small ethnic group and found it hard to relate to people, watching a Netflix show that represented them equally would make it easier for them to feel comfortable within their identity.

Self Assessment: Band 4 / 5

The film No Time To Die can be applied to each category of the U&G theory.

1. The film is entertaining to the audience as it is an action film, meaning it has frequent high speed chase & fight scenes. The dramatics of the film including soundtrack and graphics is entertaining. 

2. Being from a franchise, it is easy to promote social interaction as the already existing fans have new things to relate to and speak about. The plot twists and new characters development will also spark conversation between fans. 

3. The film contributes to personal identity as fans may find it easy to relate to certain characters by sharing similar values or traits as them. Some people may see certain characters as role models. 

4. The film gives information about certain props, weapons or jobs used in the film, and can educate us by showing different cultures by including multiple foreign countries in filming. 

19 April

Do Now 

1 - Social Interaction

2 - Information

3 - Personal identity 

4 - Entertainment 

Audience Appeal

LO. to apply Uses & Gratifications to NTTD

Personal identity - Merchandise

Information -  Film posters, Film trailers, Billboards, Sponsorship, Website, 

Entertainment - Film trailers

Social Interaction - Billboards, Website, Merchandise, Sponsorship, Film trailers, Film posters

NTTD Website:

The No time to die website follows the U&G theory by offering information to viewers. They do this through social media links, and featuring posters of the characters. These would also promote social interaction as they also feature posters of new characters that aren't in any of the films previous to No Time To Die. This would spark conversation and new content for fans. This website would also falls into the entertainment category, as it features multiple trailers and teasers. Personal Identity is also a part of this website as they feature posters and videos of characters that viewers may be able to relate to. 

Social Interaction in the NTTD trailer:

The NTTD trailer promotes social interaction by featuring multiple new characters, unseen before by the audience. One of these new characters is a black woman, referred to as the "new 00 agent". This, her weapons, and the numerous action scenes she was shown in would draw in fans and create conversation of new characters. It would particularly interest the viewers as this is anti-stereotypical of a tentpole production film, especially a spy film, to have a leading character to be both a woman and from a small ethnic minority. 

26 April

Do Now

1. There are 2 questions in component 1, section B.

2. You work out the timings by working 1 mark per minute. 

3. One question will focus on industry and the other question will focus on audience. 

Question 4: audience

4a) Identify two ways which media producers categorise audiences. [2]

Age, Race, Gender, Sexuality, Hobby's /interests. 

4b) Briefly explain how NTTD targets audiences. [4]

It appeals to people who like the cast, the genre, who are already fans of the Bond franchise and the ongoing traditional Bond character, 

4c) Explain why users visit the NTTD 007 website. Refer to the Uses & Gratifications theory in your answer [12]

Information: The website offers information about not only NTTD but the franchise as a whole. 

Personal Identity: You align with the values that over the years Bond has supported or shown.