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Film industry

Component one section b - film industry - how have the films you have studied been shaped by economic factors?




Industry theory revision


Curran and Seaton - The media industries tend to be owned by a small group of people, limiting the ideologies that are presented to the audience

Conglomeration: where one company 'buys out' other companies, in order to become later and to eliminate competition

David Hesmondhalgh - media industries: Vertical integration: where n organisation acquires another another organisation 'up or down' in the production chain. For example Paramount Pictures own Showcase cinemas. Horizontal integration: where an organisation buys others in the same sector, eg stream publishing focuses purely on magazines. Digital/multimedia integration: "They buy into other related areas of cultural industry production to ensure cross-promotion".

Livingstone and Lunt - Regulation

Underline


How have the films you have studied been shaped by economic factors?

Knee-jerk


Both films have been significantly influenced by economic factors, with I Daniel Blake being an independently produced film with political themes, and Straight Outta Compton being a major release with mass market appeal.

Plan


Curran and Seaton - power and politics
Livingstone and Lunt - regulation 
Hesmondhalgh
Vertical integration
Horizontal integration
Multimedia integration 
eOne films
Universal
BFI - royal charter 
BBC
Legendary Pictures
Biopic
Social realist 
New Line Cinema
Conglomeration
Ken loach
Indie
Major
Advertising strats
Social media
hashtag straightoutta___
hashtag wearealldanielblake
15.8 vs 201.6 million box office 
Distribution
Exhibition

Content


How have the films you have studied been shaped by economic factors?


Straight Outta Compton



  • Trailer - Uses remixed, modernised versions of the original songs, targeting not only an existing fanbase, but also a new audience. Primarily for financial purposes
  • Budget of 28-50 million is a mid to huge budget Hollywood film. High stakes in terms of budget
  • Trailer - 7.5 million views, indicates a viral online success
  • Targeting a mass, generalised audience, with particular focus on young, black men. 
  • Predominantly black cast, and a black director 
  • Teaser photos released days before the film's release, on social media. Downloaded 6 million times. Innovative marketing strategy and an example of viral marketing
  • Regulation: BBFC 15 certificate when released theatrically. Film was re-edited to ensure a lower age certificate to reach a bigger audience and teenagers with expendable income.
  • Film also released as an 18 rated directors cut
  • Distributed through Netflix reaching a larger home audience. Also Now TV
  • Produced by Legendary Pictures, a huge producer specialising in big budget blockbusters
  • Distributed by Universal pictures, a vertically integrated, international conglomeration
  • An international marketing campaign, targeting the big movie territories
  • Social media marketing, viral, hashtags...
  • Star appeal: sold through the likeness and appearance of NWA


I Daniel Blake



  • Trailer: 1.2million views! Word of mouth, viral media
  • Small, independently produced film
  • Co-produced by many smaller organisations and stakeholders
  • A British, French and Belgian co-production, demonstrating internationalisation
  • Small specialised, niche audience necessitates it's budget is met through a variety of sources
  • Risky from an economic perspective: 
  • heavily politicised ideological message, favouring the left wing labour party
  • Depressing hard hitting theme
  • Largely unknown actors, lacks star appeal
  • Low budget leads to low production values
  • Subsidised cinema tickets at £3.50 in order to ensure a working class audience are able to see it
  • However, the film predominantly attracted a white middle class audience, which is typical of Loaches films
  • Also released in other European countries, Moi, Daniel Blake
  • Won the Palme D'or, the biggest prize and the Cannes film festival
  • Screened in social clubs in events round the UK

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