What impact does media ownership have upon the range of products available to audiences in the media area you have studied? NOT FINISHED

Media Ownership arguably has a huge impact on the range of products available at the cinema, this being because 87.5% of films seen in the cinema involve at least one of these. There are six major companies which dominate the film industry; Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney, Columbia Pictures, Universal Studios and 20^th Century Fox. These are all very rich companies and will have even more money available from investors.

These huge, global companies will have a lot of contacts in the film industry and also have second-to-none resources, unlike smaller companies.  This will impact on the range of products available as they will be able to be involved in more than 1 film at the same time meaning that the range of media will be wider. Adding on to this they will also be able to get the production finished quicker, and arguably, better than companies which are miniscule to them.

Some companies such as British ones like DNA films and See-Saw productions will not have an excellent quality of sets. Compared to that of Warners Bros and Walt Disney it is clear to see which 2 excel. As the main type of film seen at the cinema is action these companies already have an advantage as the sets which they are able to work with are absolutely amazing compared to that of others. This would make the film seem better overall with high quality effects. The range of products would increase as these firms will be able to produce films such as Spider Man and Batman whereas smaller firms will not.

Companies like these will also be able to specialise in more than one genre of film, giving them a significant advantage. This means that there will never be an overload in a certain type of film, consequently expanding the range of films available. They will also be able to produce these films to a very high standard.

Next, the big six are also very reputable. People know who they are and some will even go to see a film as they have high expectations – just because these have been involved. This means that films could have more screenings, again making the range of products significantly more. It also means that other films will not have a chance if these companies are involved, hence why 87.5% of the films which are seen in cinemas have involved these.

Smaller corporations will also turn to these to look for a partner in synergy. One instance of this is with the film Paranormal Activity, this film would have been very small and hardly known if Paramount Pictures were not involved.  The maker of said film, Orin Peli made the movie for just $15,000. He really needed to be good on the distribution front therefore he turned to Paramount. This decision made him over $190 million. This stresses how just one single bit of input from a company can widen the range of films available for everyone to see – clearly media ownership plays a big part.

30 questions

30 QUESTIONS

• •        What % of global box office was the British film industry responsible for?
• ·         The British Industry was responsible for 15% of global box office, roughly 600 British films were made in between 2003 and 2010
• •        What was this % in 2009?
• ·         In 2009 there was 6.8% global box office profit from British Films.
• •        What might this change indicate about British film?
• ·         This could indicate that the British film industry is starting to rise in popularity. This would also mean that they are starting to produce even more films as they are starting to actually succeed unlike before.
• •        What % of the British film industry makes a profit?
• ·         Lower budget films (under £2 million) like Kill List are supposed to only have a 4% chance of making a profit whereas British films with a budget of over £10 million have a 17% chance of making a profit
• •        What might we infer from this difference?
• ·         We could infer that if films look more realistic e.g. have better special effects then people will be more inclined to buy/watch them.
• •        What % of Hollywood films make a profit?
• ·         The percentage of Hollywood films that make a profit is 17%.
• •        Which age group makes up the largest % of UK cinema goers?
• ·         18-24 year olds are the most likely to go to the cinema and make up the largest percentage.
• •        Why do you think this might be?
• ·         I think this may be because these people have more free time and more disposable income, they also fit into the majority of the 4 quadrants.
• •        Which 'type' of film has seen an 18% drop in attendance?
• ·         3D films have seen an 18% drop in attendance
• •        Within that 'type' which genre has seen the biggest fall?
• ·         The films type that has seen the biggest fall is family films, films that don’t involve a lot of action/horror
• •        What did Charles Grant put this decline down to?
• ·         Charles Grant basically said that 3D films are just a little bit too expensive, with them not deserving the extra money over ordinary films.
• •        Who is Paul Greengrass?
• ·         Paul Greengrass is a British film director, he is known to be involved in 2 of the Bourne films and Bloody Sunday
• •        How did he describe the British film industry?
• ·         He called it a ‘success’ story showing how it has transformed
• 
  
• ·         What did a BFI spokesperson say was the point of less profitable low budget British films?
• ·         "tiny budget films that, while commercial success is always hoped for, are successful and beneficial to the industry for other reasons like skills and training development and for artistic and cultural importance"
• ·         What was the budget for Filth and how much money did it take?
• ·         Its budget was just under £2 million it took  £4million
• ·         What advantage did James McEvoy feel £100m films have over low budget films?
• ·         james McEvoy said that $100m movies that "sometimes aren't very good" had an advantage over smaller films because they had a massive budget to sell the film.
• ·         What is VOD?
• ·         Video on Demand
• ·         What % increase did VOD see last year?
• ·         They increased by 50%
• ·         What impact might VOD have on distributers and Studios?
• ·         With recent rises of demand with Netflix love film and sky , there is a chance that the demand companies will out sell Hollywood studios
• ·         What impact has it had on Blockbuster rental stores?
• ·         They have had to clos several stores in the UK and globally and move online . they are becoming extinct.
• ·         What was unique about Ben Wheatleys 'A Field In England'?
• ·         ‘A Field in England' was special as it was released in several formats simultaneously, dvd cinemas demand.
• ·         What does director of The Machine Caradog James think is the toughest part of film making?
• ·         "The toughest thing is you make a good film but can you get it to reach an audience? It's events like this and individuals who champion independent cinema that give us a profile and any chance of a mass audience."
• ·         Why have rules been relaxed on what makes a film 'British'?
• ·         To encourage wider audiences so the profit percentage can rise
• ·         How has the use of visual effects in films been encouraged?
• ·         Visual effects are used in films to make it more interesting for the audience, to aid boosting of ratings as a more attractive picture is a better seller.
• ·         Name five of these rules and link them to The Kings Speech, Kill List, The World's End
• ·         Keeping a British Theme through culture -Kings Speech
• ·         'LAD' culture - Worlds End
• ·         British director - The King's Speech
• ·         British leading Cast - Kill List, Worlds End
• ·         Location in Britain - Kill List, Worlds End, King's Speech
• ·         What rules has chancellor George Osbourne announced for tax on British films?
• ·         George Osborne has announced tax relief would be increased from 20% to 25% on the first £20m of qualifying production expenditure. Productions will also only have to spend 10% of their budgets on UK expenditure to qualify - down from 25% - to help more independent production companies and make the UK a more attractive co-production partner. previously only films under £20m were eligible for the higher rate.
• ·         What is the highest grossing film in UK box office history?
• ·         James Bond - Skyfall
• ·         How much has it taken and how many screens was it available on?
•   $1,108,561,013 was taken and it was on 527 screens in he UK

The Kings Speech - Research

The Kings Speech Research

Brief Overview

Director - Tom Hooper
Distributors - Momentum Picture
Budget - £8 Million
Box Office - £414,211,549 Million
Studio - See-Saw Films, UK Film Council
Producers - Iain Canning
Main Actors - Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Guy Pearce

The film is the private story of a famous public man, King George VI (known in his family circle as Bertie), the woman who loved him and became his queen, and the innovative Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue, who helped him control and come to terms with the stammer that had tortured him since childhood.

hat makes a film British?

Most people would describe a 'British' film was a reference to obvious cultural elements many of these elements include: 

• A setting in the UK.

• The focus of British people abroad.

• A British cast.

• A film based on aspects of British life.

• A film based on a book by a British author.

Under The Film Act 1985 states that in order for a film to be registered as a British film it must comply with the following statements:

• The Maker Test: The film must be created by a UK company that is registered and managed in the UK or in another state of Europe.

• The Production Cost Test: 70% of the production cost of the film must be spent on film making activity in the UK. 

• Previously Filmed Material: No more than 10% of the playing time of the film should 

• comprise a sequence of visual images from a previously certified film or from a film by a 

• different maker.

• The Labour Cost Test: 70%  (minus - if desired - the cost of one person whose nationality must be non- Commonweatlth/ EU must have been paid to citizens or ordinary residents of the Commonwealth. EU/EEA or a country with which the European Community has signed a agreement with.

• 75% of the total labour cost - after deducting the cost of two persons who nationality must be non- Commonwealth, and one of whom must be a actor- must have been paid to citizens or ordinary residents of the EU with which the European Community has signed a agreement.

• Previously Filmed Material: No more than 10% of the playing time of the film should comprise a sequence of visual images from a previously certified film or a film by a different maker.

:

Dr Who essay on gender

Dr Who essay.docx

Hotel Babylon - Ethnicity.

Hotel Babylon essay.odt

Beyonce - Ferguson gaze theory.

In the video 'Single Ladies' by Britney Spears all of the 4 features of Ferguson's gaze theory are utilised. Two istances happen throughout the entire video. Firstly, all of the 3 dancers are dressed in tight leotards to show their figures off and obviously they have all been selected as they have nice bodiews which can be shown off.
Also as Beyonce is miming the song the 2 women o either side are doing the 'chocolate box' pose the whole way through the video, with a few exceptions.
At around 1:05 Beyonce does the invitational pose where she tilts her head towards the camera and hints at a smile.
Finally at around 2:00 Beyonce uses the super smiler pose and does it facing directly to the camera.

Majorie Ferguson gaze theory

 

In this piece of work I am going to be analaysing these followig types of facial expressions associated with the male gaze. I will be pairing up pictures with the definitions below.

1) Chocolate Box: half or full-smile, lips together or slightly parted, teeth barely visible, full or three-quarter face to camera. Projected mood: blandly pleasing, warm bath warmth, where uniformity of features in their smooth perfection is devoid of uniqueness or of individuality.

2) Invitational: emphasis on the eyes, mouth shut or with only a hint of a smile, head to one side or looking back to camera. Projected mood: suggestive of mischief or mystery, the hint of contact potential rather than sexual promise, the cover equivalent of advertising’s soft sell.

3) Super-smiler: full face, wide open toothy smile, head thrust forward or chin thrown back, hair often wind-blown. Projected mood: aggressive, ‘look-at-me’ demanding, the hard sell, ‘big come-on’ approach.

 

 

4) Romantic or Sexual: a fourth and more general classification devised to include male and female ‘two-somes’; or the dreamy, heavy-lidded, unsmiling big-heads, or the overtly sensual or sexual. Projected moods: possible ‘available’ and definitely ‘available’.