FILMS INSTITUTIONS RESEACH

What is a film studio?

A film studio is a major entertainment company or motion picture company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to make films, which is handled by the production company. There are currently 6 major film studios these include Paramount, Warner bros, Columbia pictures (sony), Walt Disney pictures, Universal pictures and 20th century fox.

Paramount:

Paramount studios have been running since 1912 and is currently the longest operating and only major studio remaining in Hollywood. In 1927 paramount won the very first award for best picture in 1927, before moving to the current studio lot they are now working in. They worked with many legendary industry talents such as directors like Cecil B, Alfred Hitchcock and more recently Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Tom cruise, Angelina Jolie and many more. They don’t only just share the love for films, in the 1960’s they discovered a passion for TV and decided to expand into this market, creating TV programmes like ‘The Brady Bunch’, ‘Star trek’ and ‘Happy days’. The genres best known for paramount was family films for example ‘Titanic, ‘Top gun’, ‘Forrest Gump’, ‘Saturday night fever’, ‘Grease’, ‘Shrek’, ‘How to train your dragon’ and many more. Paramount had also recently entered into production and distribution arrangements with DreamWorks. Paramount’s most successful blockbuster was titanic bringing in a gross profit of $1.843 billion.

Warner Bros:

Warner Bros studios was founded in 1923 in Hollywood, it was created by the 4 brothers Sam, Albert, Jack and Harry. Their headquarters is now in Burbank, California. With many unsuccessful attempts to make it as one of the top film studios, there turning point for Warner Bros was when they released ‘The jazz singer’ in 1927. The film has seven subsidiary companies (have shares in the business) for example ‘Telepictures’, ‘Cartoon network studios’ and ‘New line cinema’. Warner Bros are most famous for their action, adventure and thriller genre, example of their most successful films include ‘The dark knight rises’, ‘Suicide Squad’ , the ‘Harry Potter’ films and ‘Batman vs Superman’. Warner bros most successful film in terms of the gross profit was ‘The dark Knight’ which was made in 2008 and brought in a gross profit off $534,967,647.  The dark Knight was probably most successful as Morgan freeman, Williams Fichtner and Heath Ledger and many more award winning actors and actresses played a part in this film.

Columbia Pictures (Sony):

Was originally set up as CBC film Sales Corporation in 1918 in Los Angeles, California but in 1924 was re—named Columbia pictures. Its headquarters is now in Culver City, California. Stars such as Rosalind Russell, Glenn Ford, and William Holden around the 1940’s/50’s were very successful actors or actresses for a period of time for Columbia pictures. By 1951 they became a major producer for TV comedies for example ‘Father knows best’, ‘Bewitched’ and ‘The Monkees’. In the 1990’s Sony put in billions of dollars to buy a higher interest of Columbia and bought out Time Warner. Columbia pictures release a lot of action, adventure and Sci-fi films for example ‘White house down’, ‘Men in Black’, ‘Skyfall’, ‘Total Recall’, ‘Spider man’ and ‘Karate kid’. However they also do release some animation films like ‘The Smurfs’ and ‘Surf's up’.

Walt Disney pictures:

Walt Disney pictures was founded in 1928 in Burbank, California, it is a division of Walt Disney studios and is owned by Walt Disney Company. The majority of Walt Disney pictures release with Touchstone Pictures and Hollywood Pictures films. In 1926 Walt Disney released the first short film of ‘Mickey mouse’ and in 1937 saw the release of ‘Snow white and the seven dwarfs’. Walt Disney pictures mostly produced comedies or dramas, some of their most successful films include ‘The jungle book’, ‘Toy story’, ‘the princess diaries’ and ‘Monsters inc’. The most successful film based on gross profit was ‘Star wars; the force awakens’ bringing in a total of $936,662,225.

Universal Pictures:

Universal pictures is owned by Comcast through the Universal Filmed entertainment group, it was founded in 1912 in California but its headquarters is now located in Universal city. It has a number of subsidiaries including ‘Dreamworks animations’, ‘Focus features’ and more. The top 5 grossing films worldwide include ‘Despicable me 2’, ‘Jurassic park’, ‘Minions’, ‘Furious 7’ and ‘Jurassic world’. With ‘Jurassic world’ bringing in a grand total of $1,670,400,637 in gross profits in 2015 worldwide. With famous actors and actresses like Jennifer Aniston, Tom Cruise, George Clooney and many others being in many of their films.

20th Century fox:

20th Century fox was founded in 1935 by Darryl Zanuck and Joseph Schneck. Its current headquarters is in Los angeles, America. 20th Century fox did go through financial and production problems in the early 1960’s  but shortly afterwards they were back on track, releasing in the tv production and music label industries not just films. ‘Avatar’ was there highest grossing film worldwide bringing in a total of $2,787,965,087 in 2009. There most successful films made were predominantly in the action and adventure genre for example ‘X men’ and ‘Star wars’. The famous actors and actresses include Sandra Bullock, Tom hanks, Will Smith and many others featuring in their many releases of films.

CERTIFICATE RESEACRH

U (universal):

A universal film should be suitable for all audiences aged four years and over however it is difficult to predict what can and can’t upset any child in particular. A U film should be set with a positive image and should offer reassuring outcomes to any violence or horror. The content of a Universal film includes no reference to illegal drugs/ drugs misuse however if it does it should have a clear educational purpose or anti-drug message for young children. Discriminatory language or behaviour is very likely to be acceptable, language used must only be infrequent or very mild bad language. Also there should be no potentially dangerous or antisocial behaviour as it can influence young children and they could copy it, there is a big emphasis on not including realistic or easily accessible weapons. Occasional nudity is okay as long as there is no sexual context and only very mild sexual behaviour should be used eg. Kissing. Threats and violence should both be mild and only accepted if it’s unrealistic or justified by context eg. Comedic/animated. Even though a U film is predominantly aimed at younger children it can also be viewed and enjoyed by parental figures of younger children or watched as a family film. A  U certificate can also enhance the success of a film because it can be watched by anyone and is widely available compared to a 15 for example because that certificate is aimed at anyone over the age of 15.

An example of a film rated U is Toy story 3, which was released on the 23rd July, it includes a storyline of animated characters Buzz, Woody and the rest of their toy-box friends being dumped in a day-care centre after their owner, Andy, departs for college. This film was equally split 50% females and 50% males viewed this, highlighting how it is open to anyone to watch it and is enjoyed worldwide by both genders. Surprisingly the largest number of people who viewed this film was aged between 25 years old to 34 years old, with a total of 25%, however all the percentages for the other ages were similar including aged 7 to 11 being 20% and ages 15 to 24 being 18%.

PG:

A PG film is general viewing but isn’t suited to younger children as they could find some scene unsettling, however it wouldn’t unsettle a child aged 8 or older. Unaccompanied children of any age may watch this film but parents are advised to consider whether the

content may upset or be sensitive for their child/children. A PG film should contain the following content, discriminatory language or behaviour should only be used if it is an educational or historical format, if there is any reference to illegal drugs or drugs misuse it must be to carry a suitable anti-drug message. Nudity is allowed but without sexual context also sexual activity may be used but should be discreet and infrequent (mild sex references). There should be little mild bad language and any constant repetition of bad language may lead to the film being put up into a higher category. Frightening sequences or situations where characters are in danger should not be prolonged or intense and violence should be mild. Even though a PG film is aimed for a younger generation eg. Age 8 to 12 it can be viewed by anyone under the age of 8 if they have an appropriate adult with them and it can also be viewed and watched by families and parental figures. A PG certificate can also enhance the success of a film because it can be watched by anyone compared to an 18 which is aimed and restricts only people aged 18 and over to view it.

An example of a film rated PG is Monster house, which was released on the 11th August 2006, it is an animated film which includes a storyline of three children who realize a neighbour’s house is really a monster, although no adults will believe them. They then must find a way to stop the house and save the neighbourhood. Similar to the universal example it is a mix percentage of age ranges who watched the film, however the largest percentage who viewed this film were aged between 35 to 44, with a total of 21%. 57% of females watched the film compared to 43% of males who watched the film.

12A:

A 12A film is where an adult would need to accompany a child under the age of 12 to view the film in the cinema, the film industry (BBFC) advice the adult to pre plan whether they think the film is suitable for them to watch it or not. No one under the age of 12 would be able to buy or rent the film. A 12A/ 12 film could use discriminatory language or behaviour but shouldn’t be a major role in the film and if it is used it should be minimal but only if it is clearly condemned by the film industry.  Misuse of drugs must be infrequent and shouldn’t be encouraged or glamorised in any way. There should be no promotion of potentially dangerous behaviour which children are likely to imitate, no emphasis on knives or other weapons and no endorsement of anti-social behaviour. Nudity is allowed and used in a sexual context but it must be brief and discreet. Sexual activity may be briefly portrayed and could include some moderate sex references but if it is cruder it is unlikely to be acceptable. Moderate physical and psychological threat and horror could be used although some scenes may be disturbing, the overall tone shouldn’t be also moderate violence may be used but not in lots of detail. There should be no focus on blood or injuries but some gory scenes are approved. Sexual violence may only be implied if it is justified by the context. A 12A/ 12 film can attract different audiences as it is upon up to a larger audience as long as a child under the age of 12 is accompanied by an adult and also to anyone over the age of 12. 12A/12 films are most likely targeted at young teenagers eg. Ages 12 to 15 as the storylines of films become more detailed and the film itself becomes more intense.  A 12/12A film can also enhance how successful the film is because it is opened up to a larger target audience.

An example of a film rated 12A is Mean girls which was released on the 18th June 2004, it includes a storyline of an adolescent girl who moves from being home schooled in Africa to a public school where she falls in love with the ex-boyfriend of the most popular girl in school.This spirals into things getting out of hand and she soon becomes one of these mean spirited girls, the audience watch her develop and learn from her mistakes. This follows the storyline of a coming of age film and helps justify the target audience of predominately females who would watch this film.  

15:

A 15 film is where no one younger the age of 15 can view the film in the cinema or buy and rent it, however anyone over the age of 15 can view it. Discrimination may be in a 15 rated film for example racism or homophobic language or behaviour, but must not be endorsed or encouraged in any way. Drug taking may be shown but not promoted in any way, also any misuse of easily accessible drugs could be used. Dangerous behaviour like suicide, self-harming or hanging could be used but shouldn’t dwell on detail. The allowance of weapons will all depend on the realism of the film, the context and the setting. Strong language may be used and very strong language is permitted but depends on the manner in which it is used, who is using it and if it is frequent or not. Nudity can be used if it has an educational purpose, similar to sexual activity it is permitted but references are to be displayed with little detail and strong references are likely to be acceptable unless justified by context. A strong threat/ horror may be used however a strong focus on sexual threat is unlikely to be acceptable. Violence used may be strong but shouldn’t dwell on injury or pain and strong images of gore are unlikely to be accepted. A 15 film can attract different audiences as it is aimed at anyone over the age of 15 and different genres can entice different people whether they are teenagers, middle aged adults or an older generation. A 15 film can also enhance how successful the film is because it can attract anyone over the age of 15 and in particular the majority of people aged 16 onwards work so they would be able to pay for there on tickets to view the film in the cinema.

An example of a film rated 15 is Purge; Election year which was released on the 26th August 2016, it follows a storyline of a two years after choosing not to kill the man who killed his son, former police Sergeant Barnes becomes head of security for Senator Charlene Roan, the front runner in the next Presidential election due to her vow to eliminate the Purge. It includes content of violence, horror and gore following the genre of Horror. It was predominately viewed by males (55%) however the remaining 45% (still high) was watched by females, a possible reason could be due to the attractive hero character James DeMonaco featuring as a main character. However the largest number of people who watched the film were aged between 15 years old to 24 years old, the total being 66%.

18:

An 18 film is where no one younger than 18 may see, rent or buy the film, this is also the age where adults should be seen to choose their own entertainment. 18 rated films can include violence, sexual violence, drugs abuse, dangerous or graphic features however there are some exceptions including the breach of the criminal law or has been created through the commission of a criminal offence, where material or treatment appears to us to risk or harm individuals through their behaviour to society for example a detailed use of drugs abuse. Where there are more explicit images of sexual activity in the context of a sex work. Where sex material genuinely seeks to inform and educate in matters such as human sexuality or safer sex and health, explicit images of sexual activity may be permitted. An 18 film can attract a wide range of audiences as it is targeted to anyone over the age of 18 (this is an age range where the majority of people have an income). However it is restricted to any of the younger viewers aged 18 and below. An 18 film can also enhance how successful the film is because it can attract an audience of anyone over the age of 18 which is a larger range as a certain type of viewer goes to watch it.

An example of a certificate rated 18 film is Saw I which was released on the 1st October 2004, it includes features of horror and gore. The largest number of people who watched the film were aged between 15 years old to 24 years old, the total was 42%. It also reveals that the majority of the audience were male (67%) compared to females (33%), reflecting the genre of the film (horror) as in previous research I found out that it is predominantly males who watch horror films.

TOP TIPS AND TO DO LIST REFLECTIONS (USING EXAMINERS REPORT)

To do list (what additional posts to include):

1. Research into a number of locations, visit them and analyse their pros and cons, way up the options and choose which location is the best to film our trailer at

2. When filming our final piece take a number of different shots from different angles, helping us to compare and choose the best one (make a post which highlights why we did or didn’t choose a shot)

3. Complete a risk assessment for the location we choose to film in, enabling us to work out whether it is safe to film their or not

4. Audition potential actors to play roles within our trailer, to make sure we select the best actors for the roles

5. Attempt to make our own soundtrack so our work is original and unique (if unsuccessful write a post about the implications)

Top tips:

1. Check literacy eg. Spelling throughout so no mistakes are made and easily marks are dropped

2. Keep a similar layout throughout my blog posts

3. Attempt to make more individual posts, this will prove that I have the capabilities to research, plan and evaluate on my own. It will also prove I am a vital member of our group.

If I follow both of these checklists successfully it will enable me to potentially improve my final piece and my overall coursework.

ADDITIONAL SUMMER POST - HOW DOES THE FILM ATTACK THE BLOCK ATTRACT ITS TARGET AUDIENCE?

How does the film attack the block attract its target audience?

Attack the block follows a hybrid genre of sci-fi, action and comedy as it tells the story of a young group of teenage boys and girls living in South London fighting against alien invaders. The trailer entails a journey of character building and strength as the teenagers combine their skills and work together with some of the older characters also living in their flat, ultimately to try and stop these aliens from taking over their council estate. This unique story line can attract a very British audience predominantly teenagers as it should be a reflection and representation of how they live their lives and how similar they are to some of the characters within the film. Another unique selling point for the film is the director ‘Joe Cornish’ he is very well known and has directed films such as ‘Hot fuzz’ and ‘Shaun of the dead’. These films reflect similar hybrid genres, hence the audience would have high expectations of the film itself.

The trailer helps to show glimpses of the whole story without giving major events or outcomes away. Todorov’s theory explains the order in which the narrative is shown, it generally follows the pattern (equilibrium, disruption, recognition, attempt to repair and once again an equilibrium). Todorov’s theory can be seen within the trailer, however the order is different and some sections for example the final equilibrium aren't shown as it will reveal to much about the film. The trailer opens with an immediate ‘disruption’, 3 close up shots are quickly cut alongside each other showing puzzled faces of some of the characters as they watch something falling from the sky. This was closely followed by a medium shot of a car exploding combined with non diegetic enhanced explosive sounds, this opening instantly engages the audience and potential draws them in to continue watching.

A ‘recognition’ is discovered through a point of view shot from the main character's eyes ‘Moses’ merged with his dialogue filling in his surrounding neighbours/ friends that an alien invasion is taking place. The trailer then shows an ‘attempt to repair’ through a number of fast cuts highlights close up shot of weapons being used, medium shots of the friends standing together almost like an army and a number of extreme close up and close up shots highlighting characters anxious and frightened facial expression as they prepare to fight back. Whilst this is happening fast and intense non diegetic music is played over the top of the action in sync to reflect the tension and excitement within the trailer.

The characters shown within the trailer are predominantly young, british, teenagers dressed stereotypically in hoodies and flat caps, mainly shown in shots where they are standing together in a gang, using threatening language and behaviour. Another character shown within the trailer was an older man named ‘Ron’ who is shown to be a bit scruffy looking and weak. Also one female character stood out in the opening, she was in her early 20’s and was shown quite independent but willing to help. These characters reflect a theorist named ‘Propp’ who believed every story had certain character types, these were known as (the hero, the villain, the donor, the princess, the helper, the princess’ father and the false hero). Not every story will include all character types but some do, the attack the block trailer indicates a couple potential character types. One being the ‘Hero’, I have previously mentioned him as ‘ Moses’, he is shown to be the hero through a number of close up shots showing his aggressive facial expression as well as shots indicating his bravery and leadership. Moses reflects a stereotypical hero as he is shown to be strong, wise and courageous. The gang/ friends who help to protect their flat could potential be seen as the ‘Helpers’ they reflect a helper mentality as they are seen to be like side kicks and aid the hero with completing the mission of defeating the aliens.

Overall I think that attack the block is a successful opening trailer as it excites the potential young audiences and is easily relatable for many teenagers.

ADDITIONAL SUMMER POST - STRUCTURE OF ANALYTICAL POSTS OF TRAILERS

1st para includes:

-Intro/ brief description of film

-Unique selling point of film

-Audience attraction to film

-Genre

2nd para includes:

-Genre

-How is the narrative recognised?

-Analyse opening trailer shots

-Editing/ camera angles/ sound/ enigma codes

3rd/ 4th  para includes:

-Does the trailer involve Todorov’s theory

-Analyse trailer further relating to Todorov’s theory

-Editing/ camera angles/ sound/ enigma codes

5th para includes:

-Propp’stheory

-Editing/ camera angles/ sound/ enigma codes

-Wrap up analysis

YEAR 12 REFLECTION ON CREATIVITY AND COURSEWORK

1. Where did your ideas come from for your film opening? How did you work collaboratively to share ideas?

We sat down as a group and shared our favourite horror/ thriller films which we had watched, for example some were ‘Final destination’, ‘The Purge’, ‘Saw’ and ‘Sinister’. We thought about their individual storylines and how they were all different but had unique characteristics. For example we took the idea of our opening from the start of ‘Final destination’, we believed that it would be interesting to link the end of the film to the beginning, this was similar to the visions that the actors have at the start of final destination. We also took the gore element from ‘Saw’ as we believed it would excite the potential audience and draw them into to continue watching the opening 2 minutes. We used these ideas to initiate some potential ideas and then choose from the best ones.        

2. How can you work better as a team this year? What will you do to ensure this happens?

In enable to work more efficiently as a team we will make sure to set and meet solid deadlines, sharing out the tasks effectively helping to save time for potential meetings we could organise. Timing is massively important when planning and creating the magazine, film poster and trailer this year.

3. How did you use tools like the Adobe etc to achieve something imaginative? How will you improve these skills this year?

Last year we learnt how to predominantly use ‘adobe aftereffects’ and ‘adobe premiere pro’, these editing resources enabled us to produce more exciting and stand out shots to contribute to our final piece. These skills have developed throughout the year enabling us to be speedier and more time efficient. For example we added effects such as fake rain or smoke to enhance the horror aspect and make it look more realistic.

4. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? Is your work generic or experimental, or both?

Our film was generic to the horror genre as we conformed to most of the codes, conventions and stereotypes that would be recognisable in any other horror film, for example the props included in our opening were fake blood, ropes, petrol cans. However the setting was more experimental as horrors are not usually filmed at train stations but generically the storyline involved the victims being stalked and tortured.     

5. Have you developed a style? Will you utilise the same style this year or work on developing a different style?

I think if we were to carry on researching and produce another horror piece we may have potentially used the same style, in the way we filmed and edited the work. However this year we hope to try a different genre, so I assume we will use similar skills to help produce a new product.

6. What do you hope to learn this year? What areas or skills would you like to develop?

I hope to further develop my skills working with modern day cameras, maybe capturing irregular shots. Also be more involved in the editing process, potentially watching more clips about the adobe software, and finally I would love to learn about the different ways of promoting products and what makes them successful by looking at other film posters and magazine covers.  

7. How will you ensure that you have a professional product?

I believe the best way to ensure we have a professional product is to plan and arrange enough time to film everything we need, allow enough time for editing or re- filming and ensure all shots taken are to a high quality. Alongside selecting the right font, pictures and design for our promotional poster and magazine cover.