Industry - Revising the film industry

 Defining industry terms

1. BBFC - Stands for the British Board Of Film Classification, the BBFC is a regulatory body in the UK which regulates films, TV shows and video games distributed in cinemas, physical media and online in the UK. For example, Black Panther was awarded a 12A in the UK, a particularly profitable age certificate. 
2. Target audience - the group of people intended to view a media product. For example IDB clearly targets working class people in the north of the UK. 
3. Synergy - refers to the benefits of convergence. Convergence is the coming together of two previously separate industries, for example the combination of film and music to make music videos. Additionally, Black Panther has a synergistic relationship to many other companies, eg Lexus, Hasbro and of course Marvel
4. Subsidiary - a company that is owned by a larger company (or conglomerate), for example Disney acquiring Marvel Studios in order to ensure financial success. 
5. Right wing - a school of politics that favours the conservative party. Features of right wing politics include traditional values, anti immigration policies, capitalist ideologies and private ownership 
6. Marketing - the process of actively promoting or selling a media product. For example, Black Panther was actively marketed towards black American audiences using iconography from the black lives matter movement 
7. Conglomerate - a large corporation that owns a number of other companies, through the process of buying out other companies. An example of a conglomerate is Disney, who own Marvel Studios, Pixar and a number of other business interests 
8. Vertical integration - when a company buys out other companies on different levels of the supply chain. A great example would be Disney, who also own distribution services such as the digital Disney +, various adult programs and ventures, theme parks, merchandise and so on. 
9. Horizontal integration - where a company buys out other companies in the same sector, for example Ubisoft, a VG producer also opens a number of other VG producers 
10. Monopoly - refers to where a company controls a certain section of the industry through buying out almost all of a sector. An example would be Disney, who through their acquisition of Marvel and Lucasfilm now hold a monopoly big budget family action blockbusters
11. Regulation - the rules and restrictions a media company must follow. For example the film industry is regulated by the BBFC

Black Panther - a mainstream Hollywood blockbuster

(c) Explain how the producers of films ensure their financial success. Refer to Black Panther to support your points. [15]

Black Panther fact file: how can we use basic facts to prove that the producers ensured financial success?

• Premiered in LA Jan 2018 - Huge visibility, glamorous event, highly conventional 
• Nominated for 7 Oscars and won three - Oscars generate a huge amount of buzz, and being nominated will appeal to mainstream film fans 
• Initially optioned in 1992, and suffered a development hell. It was assumed that a film with a predominantly black cast would not achieve mainstream success and would not appeal to mass audiences. However, opinions shifting over time, and high profile events such as the BLM movement eventually helped the film to be produced.
• Genre fluidity: genres change over time, and the definition of a superhero film changes over time
• Film used established actors, including Chadwick Boseman, who had a cameo in Captain America, 21 Bridges, and 42. Killmonger was played by Michael B Jordan, famous for the Creed series. Also the same director as Creed films, Ryan Coogler. Having established stars helps the film’s financial success by appealing to a presold fan base
• Hegemonically attractive actors
• Budget without advertising 200$millions, ensuring higher production values and arguably a higher quality film 
• Run time 134 minutes, a standard Hollywood film runtime which again minimises risk and maximises profit 
• Huge revenue! 1.3$billion worldwide gross, the kind of money that could only be made by a blockbuster film produced by a multinational conglomerate
• Began filming in 2017, ensuring financial success through it’s comparatively swift production 
• Extensive digital postproduction with a range of extremely expensive and high proof value SFX shots 
• Generated 89 million views of the teaser trailer in 24 hours. Teaser trailers are essential at targeting fans, active audiences who have deep relationships with Marvel franchises 
• Official website helps to target and maintain a hardcore fanbase by drip feeding information to the audience
• March 2018: 35 million tweets on Twitter, most tweeted film. Excellent example of viral marketing #wakanda forever
• #BLM…

3. (a) Briefly explain what is meant by diversification in media industries. [2]
Diversification refers to when a media company begins to produce different media forms that they are not traditionally associated with. For example, Disney has diversified to also focus on videogame production.

I, Daniel Blake - An independent British social realist film 

3. (a) What is meant by an independent cinema? [2]

Independent cinema refers to films produced without the aid of a major production and distribution company. Independent films are often financed in  a range of different ways. For example, I, Daniel Blake was funded by…

I Daniel Blake Fact File

• Directed by Ken Loach 
• Written by Paul Laverty 
• Ken Loach’s directorial debut was KES (1969)
• The film is a social realist film
• Produced by 16 Films, BBC films, Why Not? Productions and Wild Bunch 
• Independent films are often produced by many companies to share funding costs!
• Distributed by Entertainment One and BFI distribution 
• Blake is played Dave Johns
• Estimated Budget: 3.5million
• Estimated gross (worldwide) 15.8 million (4 million in UK, 6 million in France!???)
• Won Frances Prestigious Palme D’Or award, a huge honour!
• Second time Loach has won the award
• Interesting distribution, including a pay what you can system in non-traditional locations like village halls and community centres
• Guerilla marketing techniques for example projecting quotes from the film on the houses of parliament 
• Set in Newcastle, and featuring mainly non-professional actors, partly to save money and to increase relatability 
• Premiere held in Newcastle, highly unconventional

(c) Explain the effect of digital technologies on the distribution of Films. Refer to Daniel Blake to support your points. [9]

• The film was not only distributed theatrically, but has been distributed digitally, including through YouTube and Amazon Prime, and also available for streaming on Disney +. While IDB is clearly not targeting a mass audience, it being streamed on Disney + allows the indie producers to minimise risk and to maximise profit. 
• Digitally convergent distribution method
• How3ver, there are ethical issues with a social realist film being distributed on Disney +. D+ is renowned for favouring profit over ethics. However. IDB was made to challenge political ideological perspectives. This contradiction underlines the fact we live in a capitalist society, and films ultimately must make money
• Minimising risk and maximising profit through being distributed in a variety of ways, booth digital and traditional 
• The digitally convergent distribution of this film allows a socially conscious social realist film to target younger people through digitally convergent distribution methods
• Filmed and edited digitally, which presents a quicker and cheaper production values, and allows the film to be made and therefore distributed more quickly 
• Traditional and Guerrilla advertising for the film, and not digital marketing helped ensure financial success 
• Ultimately the film has been relatively financially successful due to winning the Palme D’or, and Loach's comparatively large and devoted fanbase
• The #Idanielblake allowed the film to obtain viral success using social media platforms