Film distribution

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Mock exam grade

Film Censorship Mock

"Film censorship is motivated by fears about audiences and technologies." Discuss this statement in reference to the concerns expressed about uncensored and unregulated video content in Britain in the early 1980s.

Many films during the 1980s had very graphic and gory images, which people didn't like to watch. Therefore, they didn't watch the films like that leading to a downfall in cinema attendance and a lose in profit for film producers, and the studios selling food and drinks. This didn't apply to certain age ranges, because the films are certificated, for example 18 or 21. But this didn't stop people who were under age to watch horror 'video nasties', and technology has introduced VHS, so anyone can watch these films. The main fear is that the younger generation will be influenced and like what they see on screen and try and copy some of the things they see. Studio's also fear that no-one will ever attend the cinema ever, due to VHS.

Owning a VCR in the 80s made people look wealthy and 'cooler' than people who didn't own one. As this was new to people, they found it fashionable to stay at home. VCR allows people to easily watch videos in the comfort of their own homes without having to go out and pay for an expensive cinema ticket. This was also more convenient for people who couldn't easily travel to cinemas. The disadvantage of this was that film piracy had risen, creating a threat for cinemas and a huge drop in cinema attendance.

Secondly, video nasties caused a lot of discussions about whether these types of  films should be shown to the public. Low budget films, like The Evil Dead, should have some film censorship due to the explosive images that people see when watching films like it. The fear of some people not liking these types of films cause a threat to cinemas earning money. This is because people were too afraid of going to see video nasties, for reasons such as not liking blood or disliking the idea of death and guts on big screens. The reason people were so shocked about video nasties is that it was so uncommon to see it in films in the 80s.

There was a way of preventing younger people from seeing nudity and violence, through the use of pro censorship. This protected the viewer from seeing any pornographic material and harmful information. It also prevents violent events from being viewed, only promoting good morals. That meant that inappropriate material could not be viewed by. UK pressure group, national viewers and listeners association was a campaign founded in 1965. It was against broadcasts of media that contained sex, violence and blasphemy  It was a follow on from the "clean up TV campaign" which was released the year before.

Overall, I feel that film censorship is motivated by fears about audiences as they will be restricted from what type of films that are available at the cinema. Many people don't like the idea of seeing very explicit and sexual content on their screens. But this was only in the 1980s as they didn't expect that kind of material which shocked them. In the present day, we have become de-sensitized to this sort of material as many films contain it. Also, younger people have had easier access to horror films due to the quick development of films. To quite a high extent, some parts of the films should have been censored due to how they might play with peoples minds and make society corrupt. On the other hand, this will make films boring as some people find it entertaining to watch. Therefore, some people may not watch censored films.

3d homework

Directors on 3d
social - everybody feels uncomfortable wearing 3d glasses, which makes them less popular for certain people.
technology - despite 'extraordinary work' being carried out in 3d, Danny Boyle doubts the technology will survive.
Martin Scorsese says - 3d is special with that extra element.

'Pacific Rim' to get 3d conversion
economic - other big budget production companies aren't spending money to do 3d post-modern films, but warner bros isn't.

Kermode: 2d or not 2d?
How 3d works:
In 3d you can tell whether something is further away and with 2d you can't.
3d glasses take 3d pictures and turn them into 2d so there is no point in watching a 3d film.
3d is supposed to draw into the drama and it isn't about things that point out at you
technology: films are better in 2d as the image is clearer and brighter and not alienated by the 3d glasses.
cameras developed by NASA.
2009 was the year of 3d - when 3d looked like it could be the future of the cinema 
3d is all about the image, it doesn't add to the story/drama, it can't do that much

Resurgence of 3d
online movie piracy:
you can't watch 3d films at home
The industry is the problem for online movie piracy, and the consumers aren't. Hard copies are taken from somewhere within the industry so the public are not to blame.

3d is not the answer to cinema's problems
people are being ripped off
tech: Avatar used 3d as a cinematographic tool
social: audiences for films in 3d are projected to decline in 2013, first drop since 3d exploded with Avatar in 2009. ground breaking digital 3d technology
having to wear glasses puts people off the idea of 3d viewing
economic - avatar became the biggest grossing film of all time

people now have HD smart/3d enabled TV's therefore don;t need to go to the cinema and watch 3d films

Questions and Answers - Multiplexes/Cinema Attendance

When was the first Multiplex in the UK?
The Point, Milton Keynes, was the UK's first multiplex and opened in 1985.

What was cinema attendance like in this time?
Cinema attendance was relatively low during the 80s, and even in the late 60s and 70s.

What films were being played in the new Multiplexes (name and year)?
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Who's That Girl (1987)
Godzilla (1985)

How were these Multiplexes encouraging audiences to go to the cinema?
Newly converted multiplexes were big, spacious and had new screens which delivered films with a high quality compared to flea pits  Multiplexes main audiences were teenagers as they are the most likely age group to go out and visit the cinema. They attracted them by many attractions such as fast food, free parking, and making the films look interesting.

Where are these Multiplexes built instead of the High Street and why?
They are usually built in out-of-town sites close to motorways that allowed plentiful space for surface car parking and offered fast food outlets/shops/other attractions for their target audience.

What had happened to audience leisure patterns that meant 'Flea pit' cinemas lost popularity?
VHS was introduced allowing people to watch films and rent them at home. People were reluctant to spending money due to recession, and preferred to stay at home to watch a movie.

What advantages did Multiplexes offer cinema audiences and film distributors over Fleapits?
Multiplex guarantees a larger audience due to more screens, with a higher sound and picture quality, whereas flea pits are run-down and have very little quality.

What reasons was cinema attendance low?
As technology is developing very quickly, people are finding ways of illegally downloading films online and watching them for free instead of having to pay high cinema ticket prices.

Fleapits & Multiplexes

How multiplex cinemas saved the British film industry 25 years ago

Technology:
several-screens-in-a-shed phenomenon
the point - with ten screens, the UK's first true multiplex, had arrived
start-of-the-art technology (made an impact on British market)
Cannon opened the second British multiplex at Salford Quays in December 1986, and between 1987 and 1991 around 500 new screens sprung up nationwide
The multiplex is currently pupating, waiting for it's next phase of evolution, as digital projection and 3D arrive.

Economic:
copious free parking space
a vast array of snacks on sale
The point sold 2m tickets in its first two years

Social:
Mid-80s - cinema attendance was in the doldrums (low)
The impact the Point had: "You couldn't move in the foyer on a Saturday night. There were so many people there waiting for shows to start."
increased choice of films (impact on British market)
a miracle in a climate that had seen the national cinema attendance drop to just 55m by 1984 (the peak had been 1.6bn in 1946)
new screens sprung up 1987-1991, by which point British cinema admissions had risen to 100m.
The Point was the beneficiary of a push to revive the UK film industry: 1985 was declared British Film Year, and a PR campaign was launched on behalf of cinemagoing.

Cinemas and Cinemagoing: More screens, more choice

In the early 1970s, the circuit cinemas in the smaller towns and suburbs began to be subdivided into three-screen 'film centres'.
Many Odeons were inexpensively converted into 'triples', without closing, by blocking off the rear stalls and subdividing the space into two small cinemas.
These provided poor sightlines and tiny screens had sound penetration problems.
ABC cinemas closed for conversion into three auditoria - new screens - greater capacities.

Technology:
60s/70s - low cinema attendance due to further television channels and arrival of video (enabling renting of films)
1985 - new ten-screen 'multiplex' cinema*
Modern generation of multiplexes - large screens in large auditoria, state-of-the-art sound systems, stepped seating and generous leg room.
'Premier screens' charge higher prices for more luxurious seating, private bars and other extras.
From the late 1990s, the range of titles reduced as several prints of major attractions are shown in different auditoria with staggered starting times.

Economic: 
Cinemas became dependant on sales of food

Social:
Late 60s/Early 70s - attendence continued to decline because of high ticket prices, and widespread of feeling that cinemagoing was no longer a fashionable activity.
Annual admissions reached a low of 54m in the 80s - half the figure of 5 years before.
* 1985 (info cont.) - ten-screen multiplex attracted over 100m within first year. Many attractions such as fast food for their key audience, teenagers.

The cinema boss who made room for a Vue

Economic:
The great depression of 1929 ushered and the repeated in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.
UK box office grossed £1.05bn in 2009.
Data shows cinema attendances held up in the recessions of 1974 to 1976, 1980 to 1982, and 1990 to 1993.
Vue has saved billions of dollars processing and transporting the 35mm prints into digital projectors.

Technology:
Cinemas have been showing many basic forms of 3D films since the 1920s.
The leap of digital 3D began in earnest with the release of Chicken Little in 2005.
Vue has 68 cinema sites - 654 screens across the UK - state-of-the-art digital projectors to replace 35mm film.

Social:
Many industry executives feared the downfall box office grossings "many people were nervous"
People have scaled back on buying cars and holidaying abroad, and spend more on activities at home. Recession leads to an "increased demand in escapism as a psychological response".
Cinema attendance was the high-water mark for 2004 - 176 million, but in 2006 it was in the doldrums.
C.A was boosted by the success of Slumdog Millionaire and the latest Harry Potter movie, then Avatar.

Cinema Attendance Notes

Cinema Attendance:
There was a gradual decline in the 1950s, before a dramatic drop throughout the 60s and 70s.
Why did the cinema decline so rapidly in 1960s, 70s and 80s?
- Growth of TV Ownership. People could watch films or other television for free.
- With growth of car ownership, people had greater choice of less traditional entertainment.
After 1970s, the growth of VHS and video rental, nearly killed the cinema industry. It now became fashionable to stay at home, rent the movie of your choice and save the money of going to the cinema.


Since 1984, Cinema attendance has grown so strongly because:
- change in culture preferences: people like the opportunity to get out of the house and enjoying a film without distractions
- even though the price of the cinema has increased above inflation, demand has continued to rise due to rising incomes.
- growth of the multiplex cinemas which are easily accessible by car and also offer a wider choice of films.
- new technology such as digital screens and 3D screens have offered new dimension
- cinemas have benefited from the growth in the movie market as DVD sales and online films have grown even faster than cinema attendance.

More notes on Cinemas and the movie market:
- the three major UK exhibitors cineworld, odeon UCI, and Vue account for over 70% of the total box office receipts and 60% of screens.
- the rest of the market is smaller multiplex operators and independent, non-multiplex cinemas (less than 5 screens)
- greatest earning film is Skyfall (over £100m) beating Avatar into number 2, and Toy Story 3 in third.

Cinema Attendance (cont):
- During the 1930s and 40s cinema was popular because there was no TV, internet or games consoles.
- they went as escapism from the war and hear news about it.
- high employment also played a role.
- late 40s/early 50s attendance began to fall due to television ownership

Skyfall lifts cinema attendance in 2012:
- ticket admissions were up 24 per cent in october and 36 per cent in november, as Skyfall became the first film to rake in more than £100m at UK cinemas

Blockbuster Homework Notes

Task 1 - 
Question 8. Describe the rise of Cineplex and the resulting changes to film distribution:
Cineplex has risen from the 70s and 80s, and was known as the decade of blockbuster hits, and publicity campaigns, of new technology such as CGI and special effects, which appealed to a wide audience. Previous trends such as "the buddy film", "the vigilante film" and "the disaster film" began to fade away in the film industry during the mid-70s.  They were replaced with slasher films, space operas, youth films and slap stick comedies. Many film-makers remade films, by referring to old, original film ideas and including their own material. In some cases, parodies or comic send-ups were made. Others simply reused the exact plot of an old film, and modernized it completely. This has made films become boring and repetitive, therefore people are becoming reluctant to going to the cinemas as they know that the story will be the same. On the other hand, people are falling into the trap of thinking that they are going to see this amazing, original and new film, when they are not.

Question 9. Discuss the phenomenon as a contributing factor in the rise of the blockbuster:
The factor that contributes the rise of the blockbuster is CGI and Special Effects, as technology is developing everyday and many film makers are being benefited by this as their films will look more exciting. This will entice the viewer to go to the cinema and watch these high quality explosions and 3d effects. This means that the film will make a higher profit as more people will have paid money to watch the film in the cinema or buy the dvd.

Task 2 -
How Jaws spawned the modern blockbuster:
- Jaws was the film that made Spielberg
- It would become the first film ever to gross over $100 million at the Box Office giving him A-List director status, only at the age of 27.
-It is directly responsible for the genesis of the Blockbuster and the Hollywood Summer movie mould as we know it today.
- It marks the true beginnings of Spielberg as we have come to know it.
- It has all the hallmarks of a Spielberg film: the everyman, the father/son relationship and an iconic score from John Williams.
-Jaws taps into one of our most primal fear - the fear of the unknown
- The Jaws poster gives us the feel of a lurking predator.
-The mechanical shark had many technical difficulties.
- Jaws changed how major Hollywood studios treated the release of their large-scale productions.
- Product tie-ins and colossal advertising became the norm for large studio pictures.
- As production costs began to rise, instead of original and exciting material, studios didn't want to take risks so they have endless sequels, remakes, reboots, and adaptations.



Jaws - The First Blockbuster? Arguements:
- very different from blockbuster movies as it has a sense of place, character driven, no special effects, rubber shark didn't appear much and wouldn't work 100% of the time

Star Wars was more of a typical Blockbuster:
- star wars changed a generation 
- people wanted to marry some of the stars
- hype/excitement to buy it on DVD

- The Jaws creature and comparatively tiny young swimmer became iconic in the 70s and was seen everywhere: t-shirts, pin badges, posters, billboards, book shops etc.

Context groups:
Star wars: 
- M&Ms (tie-ins)
- Special Effects (technology)
- got money from sales of star wars action figures and toys (economic)
- terrible Star Wars merch:
christmas album
scarf
perfume
ear muffs
cardboard cut-outs
books
bath products
tongue pop
playsets for action figures

How Star Wars changed the business:
captured imaginations (social)
official fan-clubs - waiting outside for new releases(social)
society became sinical
teenage cruising

The high concept movie: every film we see has a formula and small details are changed, such as character names and locations, as films have been told in thousands of different ways.
High concept films are:
-easily recognisable/digested
-one-line pitch
-instant iconography
-consumer appeal
-easy marketability
-star-name
-the plot can be summed up in one or two sentences
- a simple title tells you most or everything you need to know about the film
-based on an idea that breeds easy-to-sell marketibility: tie-in pop music, soundtracks, star vehicles and franchises, consumer goods and dominant, impact-inspired themes.
They introduced cinemagoers to bite-size movies.

Summer Blockbusters Info

Summer Blockbuster	How much spent on production	Director/s	Director’s other films	Other films stars are associated with	What they made at box office	Is it in the top 50?	Rotten tomatoes rating
Avengers Assemble	$220 million	Joss Whedon	Much Ado about nothing, and serenity.	Robert Downey Jr: Zodiac, Iron Man, Sherlock Homes	$623.2 million	Yes	8
Brave	$185 million	Brenda Chapman and Mark Andrews	The Prince of Egypt	Billy Connolly: The Last Samurai, The Boondock Saints, Lemony Snicket’s A series of unfortunate events Emma Thompson: Love Actually, Nanny McPhee, Sense and Sensibility	$ 535.2 million	No	6.9
The Amazing Spiderman	$230 million	Marc Webb	500 days of summer	Andrew Garfield: The Social Network, Never Let Me Go Emma Stone: The Help, Easy A, Zombieland	$753.2 million	No	6.7
Men in Black III	$225 million	Barry Sonnerfield	RV, Wild Wild West, Adams Family	Will Smith: Hancock, I am Legend	$624 million	No	6.1
Total Recall	$125 million	Len Wiseman	Live Free or Die Hard, Underworld, Underworld: Evolution	Colin Farrell: Total Recall, Phone Booth, In Bruges, Alexander	£198.4 million	No	5
Prometheus	$130 million	Ridley Scott	Alien, Kingdom of Heaven, Body of Lies, American Gangster	Micheal Fassbender: Inglorious Bastards, 300, X-men	$403.3 million	No	6.9
The Bourne Legacy	$125 million	Tony Gilroy	Duplicity	Jeremy Renner: The Hurt Locker, Avengers Assemble, Mission: Impossible – ghost protocol	$276.1 million	No	5.9
Dark Knight Rises	$250 million	Christopher Nolan	Memento, The Prestige, Inception	Christian Bale: The Prestige, American Psycho, The Dark Knight	$1.08 billion	Yes	8

Dialogue for Submarine Sequel

The dialogue moves the story forward as it is the disruption of the sequel. The character Oliver will have to confront being apart from Jordana, now that she is dead. It follows the theme of coming of age as he will have to overcome the fact that she has gone, and move on with his life to become a more independent person with having to rely on her. I feel that the dialogue is believable as it has the typical language that Jordana has used in the first film, for instance, swearing.

To improve I will need to show a clearer relationship between the two characters by saying about past experiences and show their bond through actions.

Mock Exam - Stereotypes

In the two films I have studied, Children of Men and V for Vendetta, there are messages behind the typical stereotypes they use. Although, Children of Men doesn’t follow the typical stereotypes whereas V for Vendetta does. V for Vendetta follows the typical stereotypes to a much higher extent than Children of Men. There are many views and stereotypes, such as, the final girl, hyper masculinity, objectification of women and phallic/yonic imagery.  

Firstly, the final girl is conveyed as sexually pure, independent and the last one to survive. In V for Vendetta, Evey is the final girl and has to make wise decisions and actions on her own. The resolution to the film is tragic, but she is the one who confronts the oppressive government and blows up the parliament, helping V to achieve the freedom he has wanted all along. Although, Evey isn’t seen as a sexually pure character as she visits Dietrich to have sex, this shows that, even though the audience doesn’t see it, she flaunts her body around men. Although, later on in the film her hair is shaved off to show a more masculine side to her, which challenges the view of the final girl. In Children of Men, the final girl is Kee but she is not alone as she still has her baby. This is shown in the scene when Theo dies on the boat, and there is no specific ending to whether Kee has survived or not. It is typically stereotyped that the final girl has brown hair which is what colour Kee’s hair is. Kee doesn’t confront the threat, which doesn’t make her look like the typical strong, independent final girl. The message that is trying to be put across by the director is that we can only survive as a human race, as long as we have our child.

Secondly, another stereotype is hyper masculinity, which is clearly presented in V for Vendetta and less in Children of Men. For instance, in V for Vendetta, V is portrayed as a typical super hero, as the clothing her wears looks like a costume. Throughout the film, he is shot many times which gives him very unrealistic strength making him seem immortal. He uses his physical strength to fight of his enemies. V also has a very feminine side, as he cooks breakfast for Evey wearing a typical feminine apron. On the other hand, in Children of Men there is no hyper masculinity because Theo is shown as a quite a feminine character. This is because when his former lover is killed, he shields himself behind a tree and cries for a few seconds. But he gets back up and carries on trying to save Kee. The only very masculine characters are the police forces that have guns and the rest of the society, apart from the women.

Thirdly, the objectification of women is used more in V for Vendetta than in Children of Men. For example, the opening scene in V for Vendetta shows Evey pampering herself in her room. She also gets changed and her bra is revealed, with close ups of intimate parts of her body such as her stomach. This is known as the male gaze as the female character is being invaded of her privacy by an anonymous viewer. The audience also sees her being almost raped by the finger men. In contrast, Children of Men doesn’t have any female characters that may be an appeal to the audience. Therefore, it challenges the objectification as the only women in the film are the Kee; a pregnant woman, Miriam; who doesn’t look the type of sex appeal, and Julian; who is killed almost half way through the film. The director has done this to try and keep focus on the child who is the only one that can save the human race.

Finally, the use of phallic/yonic imagery is used in both films to show the status of a man, but also represent the objects used as sexual. In Children of Men, the character Luke and the other police officers use guns which convey the idea that they are men with power and control. The film also challenges phallic/yonic imagery as the main protagonist, Theo, doesn't use any guns or weapons. He uses his knowledge to guide Kee to her safety. This suggests the message that you don’t need violence and weapons to win, which is a more positive influence for the audience. Likewise, in V for Vendetta, we clearly see that V uses a knife which is symbolic of sexual penetration. It also conveys that he has power, but it gives us a strong idea that it’s a slow painful death and mirrors the idea of physical torture which Evey receives in the Lark hill concentration camp. V for Vendetta also challenges phallic imagery as he uses he hands to strangle Creedy, which informs us that you don’t need a weapon to kill someone as you can do it with your own physical strength. Moreover, Evey sends the train which is yonic imagery as she is giving birth to the revolution. There is also the rebirth of her when she goes out into the rain, which symbolises that she is cleansing away her fear and turning into someone new.

Overall, both Children of Men and V for Vendetta conform and do not conform to the typical stereotypes. Although I feel that V for Vendetta conforms to the stereotypes to a higher extent that Children of Men. This is because the character Evey acts more like the final girl and is shown as a sex object; V is more of a hyper masculine character with eternal strength; and there is a lot of phallic/yonic imagery. Whereas, in Children of Men Kee doesn't act like the final girl as she doesn't do anything to help protect herself or the baby. Theo doesn't have any special powers and acts feminine at one point of the film; there are no sex objects and there is very little use of phallic/yonic imagery.