The main film going audience is young people from 10 - 40
years old. This is because many mainstream films are first to be shown in
cinemas and are then released online or on DVD. Many independent films do not
make it to cinemas because they do not attract a large enough audience, the
people who watch these type of films usually access them online or on DVD.
How do cinemas make
most of their money?
Cinemas make most of their money through ticket sales,
concessions and on-screen advertisement. Usually, ticket sales do not generate
a huge profit for cinemas, this is due to the split of sales revenue between
the movie studio and cinema itself. For the first couple of weeks, only 20% of
a ticket sale actually returns to the cinema, instead the remainder of the
money is rewarded back to the movie studios. As the weeks progress the
percentage tends to increase in favour of the cinema, for example after 4 weeks
the cinema could gain 50% or 60% of each ticket sale. Concessions such as, food
& drink generate a healthy revenue for cinemas, this is because they are
able to price the goods high as the demand is also just as high.
How do you get a film
into the cinema?
In order to get a film into the cinema the production team
needs to send it to a studio where they can make an agreement with a
distribution company. Once this agreement is made the distributor contacts the
representatives of cinemas and offers them with different films. The
representatives choose what films they wish to lease and then they are shown in
cinemas with an engagement contract which lasts for around two weeks.
What does a distributor do?
A distributor has a job to show films to all types of buyers
in order to gain as many agreements as possible so that the films are shown in
all cinemas. After the film has been showed the prints are given back to the
distributor and then make an agreement on the payment required. Here are some
major distribution companies:
The comparison between my chosen films suggest there are many differences between mainstream and independent films. The largest difference between the two types is budget and money made from the film. Mainstream films are evidently costly to produce therefore it is vital that this money is regained through international ticket sales and home entertainment. Color force, a production company was founded in 2007 and has since produced four Hunger Game films and three Diary of a Wimpy Kid films. These films attract a young target audience from the ages of 8 - 35, implying that mainstream film generally appeal to a younger audience.
On the other hand, the independent film, Kidulthood was produced by Stealth Films which is a private limited company based in London. In result the budget totaled to £600,000 which is less than one percent of the cost of producing The Hunger Games. Stealth Films ltd have also produced one other drama series based in London called West 10 LDN, made in 2008. This suggests that Stealth Films intend to inform their audience about living in the roughest parts of London.
Juno Task (made in Premiere)
For this task, we were again set in a group of three and we had to watch some footage from the film Juno and our challenge was to recreate this footage to a similar standard using the guidance of Abode Premiere.
Editing Evaluation
Story Board Part 1: This storyboard contains the first eight scenes we had to include. The advantage of creating this storyboard is that we had material to refer to when filming instead of trying to remember the specific shots in our minds. Another useful feature is that we decided to caption each scene with the number of seconds that footage had to last for in order to keep in time with the original piece.
Story Board Part 2: The second addition to our storyboard contains the final four scenes needed in our video. As it is seen above, we clearly labelled the end of the footage and we spent time creating this storyboard including lots of detail as we felt that every angle had to be precise so we could end with a professional and identical product.
Footage Editing on Premiere
Our group edited the footage individually because it is important to see where we could identify each other's strengths and weaknesses by comparing the videos. I felt that it was important to perfect every transition and if we could not add in the identical transition then I replaced it with a suitable alternative. At 0:14 seconds I used a wipe transition because it is exactly what is used in the original. On the other hand, between 0:22 and 0:25 seconds the original shows two clips overlapping each other as a transition into the following scene. However, I was unable to include this effect therefore I opted for a film dissolve transition which is a fairly suitable alternative because it slowly fades the previous scene and the next scene together. At 0:42 seconds we used a pedestal camera movement which at first pictures the legs but then rises to the upper half of the body. This is a movement we had to physically record because there is no pedestal effect on the software.
Who creates the content the media or the audience?
The media create the content that we see as an audience. The gatekeepers are the final stage on the assembly line and they decide what is shown to us and how it is presented to the audience. On the other hand, the audience has a huge influence on the content that the media produces therefore some may argue it is the audience that controls the content.
Can the media exist/function without an audience? Can an audience (public) exist/function without media?
An audience cannot exist without the media because the media must produce something that appeals to a group, this group becomes the audience. In addition, the media cannot function without an audience because a media production company would step into bankruptcy if they do not gain popularity therefore decreasing sponsors.
Who is more powerful: the media or the audience why/how?
The audience is arguably more powerful because audiences dictate what the media produces. The media will look at the latest trends all over the world and then produce work which will appeal to a large audience in order to gain revenue.
Can the media control an audience?
In my opinion, the media can influence what an audience wants to see therefore they control the audience to an extent. However, the media must follow latest trends in order to gain an audience in the first place, this explains how social media controls what topics appeal to the audience.
Uses & Gratifications
When looking at this theory we can use an acronym known as 'PIES'. This stands for Personal identification, Information, Entertainment and Social Interaction. One way in which personal identification applies to me is that I must go and watch the latest films or series in order to keep up to date with the latest trends in the media.
Furthermore, I will sometimes read articles on BBC News online to gather information on the important things that are happening in the world right now. For example, I have looked into the reason behind the ongoing conflict in Syria whereas previously it did not concern me as it is taking place on the other side of the world.
As for entertainment, I enjoy watching sport related media either on TV or on social media. This is because sport, football in particular, is one of my many hobbies and anything linking with football entertains me. Using social media I am constantly informed with the latest news and rumours via Twitter, Facebook or even the Sky Sports App.
Finally, in terms of social interaction, it is important for me to know about the latest celebrity news in order to spark conversation between friends at school or colleagues at work. In my opinion, this is important because it gives the opportunity to share interests and opinions on very popular topics at any given time.
Editing
For this task we were introduced to a new type of software, Adobe Premiere CS5. This software allows you to import any video file (.mng) or any audio file (.mp3) and then edit it yourself using the huge variety of special effects.
I used a series of video effects to enhance my first experience of Adobe Premiere. Firstly, is used a colour inversion effect when the tiger scores a basket, i found this effect very useful as it enhances a significant moment in the video, making it stand out from the rest of the footage. Secondly, I decided to use a vertical warp effect when the bear performs the splits, and this effect lasts for one second. Initially, I placed a standard circular warp effect at this time however it disfigured the entire image so it was not suited for this particular scene. Another effect I used was the lightning bolt whilst the bear is free-styling. I chose to use this effect because it represents a striking moment yet it is a subtle way of doing so, therefore it is perfect for this video. One of my favourite effects I installed was the black & white effect. This gives the video a retro style and also captures the fine details in the footage which you would not usually see in an old-style black & white film.
Finally, to end my video I ensured to install the fade out transition to end the footage and then i also used an exponential fade when deciding to end the music. In conclusion, I enjoyed my first experience of Adobe Premiere and I eventually adapted to the different controls in the software. On the other hand, I feel that i could have included more effects in the latter part of the video, yet our time on this task was limited therefore it was difficult to perfect the entire footage.
The setting of this film is South Central Los Angeles in a time where the area's gang and drug culture was vastly on the rise. There are several themes that are noticeable in the opening sequence such as racism and crime. We see this when the children walk into a crime scene and also when the school teacher is on the phone to Tre's Mum. The red 'stop' sign is a key icon as it represents the worrying rate of crime and how it needs to come to an end before the next generation becomes hooked into a life of misdemeanor and corruption. The narrative of the opening sequence is displaying a day in the life of a child in South Central LA, starting with a group walking to school and then sitting in a Geography lesson. The final part of this short narrative shows how the young boy Tre, walks home encountering a young man being beaten up and finally entering his house after a long day at school.
When looking at the use of Camera techniques, we need to use three different criteria; frame, angle and movement. The first shot we see is a group of children walking down a street. The producer uses a long shot to picture the entire group of children while using a trucking movement to show how they are walking to school. The next scene is the location of the crime scene involving a shooting, here the producer uses a close up of a poster with bullet holes in it and then transitions this into an extreme close up to emphasise the danger of the children trespassing into this recent crime scene. In the classroom scene, Tre and another boy have a confrontation. A series of high angle and low angle shots are used to show the angry facial expression on Tre's face and then it returns into a long shot when a fight breaks out between the pair. The camera becomes still when Tre is making his way home from school, the producer does this to show how Tre does not take any notice of a man being beaten up behind him, as if it is normal for things like this to happen in broad daylight.
The acronym we use to describe editing in media is STOPS, standing for screen time, transitions, order of narrative, pace and special effects. The most significant character in this film is Tre. In this opening Tre receives the most screen time as he features in every scene in the first six minutes. The transitions of scenes in this opening are straight transitions. Although, there are several fade ins and fade outs especially after the children visit the crime spot and even in between the different drawings that are shown. The last drawing that is shown belongs on the wall in the classroom, therefore the camera zooms out and the classroom becomes the new setting. This same feature also shows how the narrative naturally flows chronologically throughout the day. The pace of the opening is consistent all the way through until the final scene where Tre is shown walking home. The pace slows because Tre may be reflecting on his eventful day and replaying it all in his head in slow motion. Special effects are not used in abundance for the Boyz n The Hood opening, this is intended because the producer wants for the audience to feel a sense of reality and naivety of society in this era. This is achieved because the narrative corresponds to any other child's day at school but it shows how society in LA is divided between gangsters and ordinary civilians.
Mise En Scene can be analysed using the acronym CLAMPS which stands for costume, lighting, actors, make-up, props and setting. Firstly, the costumes used are very basic and casual representing the community as an average working class society. At the start of the film it quotes "One out of every twenty-one Black American males will be murdered in their lifetime" therefore it is clear that the film focuses on black people in society and this is why the majority of the actors are black. There is one prop that stands out due to its ambiguity, which is the long, thin wooden stick that the teacher hands to Tre when he is asked to teach. This prop is ambiguous because it could be interpreted as a weapon or simply just a teaching tool. Notice how Tre becomes increasingly aggressive towards a classmate when he holds the wooden stick. This could represent how a weapon makes young people subconsciously aggressive and it could even tell us how easy it is for a young person to access weapons in a community controlled by gangs rather than a stable government.
The sound techniques in this film opening vary from in different scenes. The first taste of dialogue is presented almost immediately when the group of children are walking to school and we hear them talking about homework. The accents of these children are typical Los Angeles accents suggesting they are all local characters.When the group take a detour, we experience several non-diegetic gunshots because there are posters with bullet holes pierced through them. This creates an intense atmosphere and it gives the audience a sense that the children are trespassing into a dangerous area. Additionally, there is more use of non-diegetic sound a few seconds after the children first step into the police lined region. Instead, this time the music is sorrowful implying this dangerous place is the location of a very recent casualty.In the final scene of the opening of Boyz n The Hood, Tre is walking home from school and you can hear the non-diegetic sound of a phone call which is also voicing over the surrounding sounds of Tre's journey home. This conveys to the audience that the phone call is very important in the context of the film and that the sound of violence is less relevant because it is a daily occurrence in South Central LA.
The Matrix
Colour & Binary Oppositions
This scene from The Matrix is played at night and there is very little light throughout. The darkness represents mystery and evil and this is achieved by the producer as there is an intense chase on a woman who holds supernatural abilities. Furthermore, there is one clear opposite portrayed in this clip and is the split of men and women. One woman is trying to escape from a swarm of police officers and undercover agents, yet with her superpowers she is able to escape unharmed.
Up: Married Life
Sound, Mise en Scene and Camera
In this clip from Disney Pixar's Up, the same music is played throughout, however at happy times the tempo is quick but at sad moments it slows down. For example just as the couple get married the music is joyful which represents excitement for the many happy years to come. Additionally, when the couple hear that they cannot have children the music slows down immediately creating a sense of sorrow for the audience. In terms of Mise en Scene, there is one use of props which is the house the couple live in. At the start, the house is in desperate need of renovation and the couple are seen decorating and re-building the house. At the end when Ellie passes, Carl is pictured sitting on a step in front of the house and is similar to the first image we see of the house. One camera angle, the close up, is used throughout this clip. One significant close up is when Carl's tie changes as each day goes by, this is also key when showing how time passes.
Cape Fear Opening
Camera & Mise en Scene
Immediately, we see an extreme close up of the posters and books on the wall of the prisoner's cell. This implies that this particular prisoner has been an inmate for an extended length of time therefore he needs to keep himself entertained in order to survive. When the scene progresses we actually realise that he is due to leave the prison, this is because the costume that he puts on is very casual suggesting he is returning to a normal lifestyle.
Film Pitch
For this activity, our class was split into three groups and we were sent off to create our own film and to also structure a presentation to pitch it to the rest of the class to see if they would buy the film rights.
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