Case study SECTION A part 1

What happened during pre-production of your chosen films?

• Whose idea was the film? Did the idea start with the writer, or were writers brought in to develop a preconceived idea?
• Where did the idea come from? Was it an original idea or a book, TV series etc. first?
• Was the film based upon an original script or developed over time by many writers?
• Who financed the film - Production company?
• Casting
• Who was the producer?
• Who was the director and why did they take the project on?
• Did they have a track record of success?
• Was there anything interesting about the soundtrack?

What is a star? - Kera Knightley (ex.8)

1. Keira Knightly has been in many movies. She started off acting in British movies such as "The Hole" but has been closely involved with Hollywood films since Pirates of the Caribbean. The series made her globally famous and secured her a role in many movies. She has been nominated for multiple awards such as the Academy Award for Best Actress (Pride and Prejudice), the Golden Globes Award for Best Actress (Pride and Prejudice, Atonement) and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Atonement).


2. Her presence on posters and in other marketing material is an important factor in giving investors potential financial security. She always has an important position on movie posters, drawing attention to herself and attracting her large amount of fans.

                        


3. Keira Knightley is one of the world's highest earning actresses. The amount of money she brings back to producers by being in their film allows her to regularly demand a high pay. Director's are desperate to have her in their films which also helps here secure large amounts of money as they are trying to compete with other directors.

4. She is very active in media. She's been interviewed for magazines, TV shows etc. She doesn't have Facebook or Twitter because she believes that they're "dehumanizing", but her recurring presence in printed and online media as well as television make up for this and helps her promote films and ensure they remain in the public consciousness.

          

5. Since Pirates of the Caribbean, Keira Knightley has been mostly associated with period dramas such as "Pride and Prejudice", "Atonement", "Silk", "The Duchess" and "Anna Karenina".

      
     


6. The film viewer generally can't identify with the characters portrayed by Keira Knightley as most of her movies are period dramas meaning that they are set in a different time. This means that there are many aspects of her movies that viewers don't necessarily understand or relate with.

Producers and audiences (ex. 7)

1. How many times a month do you go to the cinema?
2. Do you watch films in a multiplex cinema, an independent cinema, or both?
3. Do you make your decisions about which film to see based on genre, stars, the film's director, or any other consistent factor?
4. Would you say that you go to the cinema to be entertained, educated, inspired, or any other motivating reason?
5. Have your viewing tastes changed in the last few years? If so, why?

• Bader Ben Hirsi

46 years old, British screenwriter and film director, originally from Yemen, husband and father of 3 children (9, 14, and 16).

1. About twice a month

2. Both

3. The film's director, genre, stars, and reviews

4. To be educated and entertained

5. Yes, because the standard of film has gone down and it's harder to be fully satisfied with the film experience.

• Mursal Butt

16 year old student at Hampstead School, London, originally from Pakistan

1. Once a month

2. Multiplex

3. Genre

4. To be entertained

5. A little bit, changed from comedy to action and keeps going back and forth

• Koshin Ahmed

17 years old, student at Hampstead school, London, originally from Somalia and Holland

1. Once a month

2. Multiplex

3. Genre

4. To be entertained

5. yes, used to choose horror but now prefers more action and comedy

• Martin Cook

Teacher at Hampstead School, London, from Australia

1. Once, if lucky

2. Both

3. The director most of the time

4. To be educated, to make yourself think and be reflective or to feel something

5. No, you get stuck in your style, same actors, directors etc., likes going back to the same groups of cast and crew who continuously work together (e.g. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp; Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale)

• Thea Al Hirsi

16 year old student at Hampstead School, originally form Yemen, lived in France, daughter of film director and screenwriter.

1. Only when there's a film I want to watch (every couple of months)

2. Multiplex most of the time, occasionally independent when with dad

3. Genre, stars

4. To be entertained

5. Yes, moved on from kid's movies, then went through Romance phase and now watch pretty much anything

Kermit The Frog

Star power

With reference to specific examples of stars and films, discuss the role of the star within the marketing of a new release film.

Use your home learning to support your response.

Exercise 5

	Multiplex	Independent
Name	Vue (Finchley Road, O2 center)	Everyman cinema (Hampstead)
Screen number	12	2
Location	Shopping mall, Finchley Road	Hampstead, hidden, next to a school, quiet street
Other entertainment on offer	Food and drink on sale	Events including Metropolitain Opera fron New York and the National Theatre, live Q&As, film festivals etc.
Food and drink	Sweets,popcorn, B&Js , soft drinks	Fine wines, champagnes, beers, cocktails, freshly made pizzas
Types of films	Hollywood films, action, comedy, drama, blockbusters etc. -Annabelle -The Maze Runner -Fury -Minions	Foreign film, world cinema, indie films, theatre, opera -A New Day in Old Sana'a -L'elisir D'amore -Les Contes d'Hoffmann
Audience profile	Teenagers, families, kids, "hip",modern looking to socialise, have a good time, enjoy a movie	Older, more sophisticated people; experienced in film, critics, higher class, work in the film industry

Exercise 3

                                          

	Amelie	Spiderman
1 Mise-en-scene	Expensive looking French restaurant im background suggest french culture, riches,luxury ect. Lights floating around restaurant=magical, enchanting, eerie Superposed image of famous french actress also refers to French culture Lighting is similar to colour of fire, warm, cosy yet somewhat eerie.	Famous Spiderman costume, easy to recognise City buildings, tall, shiny, expensive, American-looking
2 Actress	Audrey Tautou= famous French actress Other films:The Da Vinci Code, Un Long Dimanche De Fiancailles, Dirty, Pretty Things Genre: Fiction, mystery, romance, drama, world cinema, crime fiction, thriller, suspense - people who know her will think know this film corresponds to her style Position of actress: Front of the poster, attracting attention; poster focused on her, attracting fans; only person in poster symbolising independence and emphasising her importance	Actor not visible because of mask: mysterious; people know it's going to be a big actor because it's a big character but they can't see who
3 Camera angles	Close up of her face creates bond with potential viewer, eye-contact compells the viewer to keep looking and makes them feel more connected. Extreme long shot of restaurant sets scene	Interesting camera angle: high-angle shot of Spiderman climbing a building with the city visible underneath.Shot edited to make it look like he's crawling on the floor towards the viewer. As well as empahsising his character (spider), this gives the poster an action-feel, it's different and "magical" - attracts comic fans and fans of fiction.
4 Target audience	People who are interested in foreign film or who study film because she is a famous french actress	Younger people, fans of Marvel, DC etc., superheros, action films because you can see Spiderman climbing on a building.
5 Writing	Title in big, emphasised Director's name to attract his fans Other successful films by the same "maker" to encourage fans of those films to watch it Tagline: "one person can change your life forever" = arouses curiosity, romantic connotations, mysterious, presents point of film Critc's review: shows that it had a good reaction from film specialists. Big, bold words to emphasise good points made about film.	Title in big, almost only writing on poster which emphasises it. Suggests the word "Spider-man" is strong enough to stand on it's own, it speaks for itself. The fact that there isn't a lot of writing also doesn't distract the viewer's attention from the picture. Also suggests that the film is "just action" without too much happening around it, easy to watch.
6	References other films by same director which encourages fans of theirs to watch this film
7 USP		The editied shot to make it look like Spiderman is crawling towards the viewer like a spider shows action and the "superheroness" of the film

Exercise 2

What factors do you think helped secure such huge amounts of investment in these films?

I think that the factors that helped secure such huge amounts of investments in these films are:

• Famous actors with a formed fan base
• Blockbuster-type story lines that will be understood and relateable globally.
• Famous, reliable production companies (e.g. Disney, Warner Bros.)
• Well-known and liked directors (e.g. Christopher Nolan)
• The fact that they're "Hollywood movies" - the most well-known and expensive home of film which has high production values and editing facilities such as CGI and IMAX.