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