Launching Films and box office sales

Please keep checking http://www.launchingfilms.com/current-top-15-films to see what's made it, what the release is like, any patterns etc

Look how much money the opera made this week. Remember box office success is mainly US then UK and worldwide sales. A lot of you are getting your figures messed up.

What big films have the big six made recently?

Conchita

Quick Lego facts

Warner Bros - Saturation release in UK opening first weekend of half term with previews 7, 8 Feb to build buzz

IMDB user rating 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes rating 96%

Budget: $60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: $69,050,279 (USA) (7 February 2014)

Gross (so far): $253,106,875 (USA)(2 May 2014) in UK £33 million (almost how much it cost made in UK alone)

http://www.launchingfilms.com/research-databank/current-top-15-films and it's still in the top 15.

 

And don't forget its solid marketing campaign:

 

• https://econsultancy.com/blog/63745-the-lego-movie-s-solid-social-marketing-strategy#i.ttthyl1674fl3s
•  http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/02/12/lego-movie-takes-over-whole-of-primetime-uk-ad-break/
• http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=lego+movie+and+mcdonalds&qpvt=Lego+movie+and+Mcdonalds&FORM=VDRE
• http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=lego+movie+advertising&qs=n&form=QBVR&pq=lego+movie+advertising&sc=1-21&sp=-1&sk=#a

 

 

What do the seven areas mean?

This revision booklet is a little out of date (exam questions, digital technologies and case studies) but it's an easy read and it covers quite comprehensively the seven areas the exam board wants you to be aware of. These are crucial.

 

 

 

 

Revision Booklet Film Industry

Interview with British film producer

At a recent conference ( www.ocrmediaconference2014.weebly.com  scroll down to Michelle Eastwood - film producer) we heard from a really interesting new producer who told us the story of her film from start to finish. Watch the presentation and read the questions I asked her with her responses.

• How much does it cost do enter a film into festivals? How long before registering and knowing whether you're in it? Would someone expect to spend their first year after film production going around the festivals? Who pays for this?

It depends on if it's a short or a feature. If a feature the sales agent would take care of it. If a short the producer takes care of it and should budget for festival entry. You can look at Withoutabox as that is the main site used by festivals to accept entries. Prices range from nothing to maybe $80. I don't know what a first year film is but I would say any decent film should be entered into festivals for exposure as soon as it is finished.

• Who are all the companies who's logos are shown at the end of the trailer, this is what confuses me and the students for example Big Talk made In Fear but Film4 say it's their film etc Is it everyone that's helped finance and distribute the film? It means the film belongs to a lot of people?

Yes, the distributor, sometimes sales agent, the production companies and the financiers can all have logos at the end of a film. In a way the film belongs to a lot of people but as in my presentation they all have very specific functions and roles and all take money from revenues in a different way.

• When you talk about taking risks do you mean doing something very different non genre/high concept? What is a film pitch that a small producer can guarantee interest in for example?

I don't remember what context I said this in but yes, low risk pitches/projects are those with a clear genre, a high concept, a known director and known cast attached. The less of those elements you have the more high risk the project tends to be for financiers. Sometimes financiers are happy to take risks. Film 4, for example. It's part of their remit.

• It's hard to find out how much smaller films cost to make and I've been told most production companies don't want to reveal this and that Ill Manors was definitely not made for £100K which is what is written, is it true the published information is not always true?

Yes, it isn't always true. Ill Manors was about £450k. There isn't really a place you find out this info. Only from talking to the people who made the films.

• At what stage do you know if your production will go straight to dvd or be screened?

You can negotiate this in advance to a degree. E.g. As part of my distribution deal we had a guaranteed theatrical release. However, it is more and more difficult to get distributors to guarantee a certain number of screens because theatrical releases are expensive.

• Do you think audiences being able to access films online (legally as with Curzon) as well as in the cinema is a positive thing for independent filmmakers and will be the norm?

Yes I think so. It's already the norm for films that have been released theatrically and more and more now films are available online at the same time as being in the cinema. It's how people are choosing to view.

• What is in your view the hardest aspect for someone in the UK trying to make and exhibit a film at the moment?

This is quite a big question! Unless a film is a clear commercial prospect it's very difficult to raise money at the moment and even more difficult to get it on a screen, which is why people are turning to Indiegogo etc. to fine their films. People are making films for less and less money which means it is very difficult to make a living from producing films at the moment, you have to make other things as well like commercials, promos, branded content and tv if you are lucky.

• What is the best way they can make their money back? Sales abroad you said? What's the breakdown between box office sales, dvd and lovefilm roughly?

Yes, foreign sales topped up by. Share in box office is the way films make their money back. I don't have those figures off the top of my head I'm afraid. There are percentages distributors work (theatrical, DVD etc) to but I'm not sure exactly what they are. With foreign sales you tend to get an overall figure from a foreign distributor and then they exhibit it on different platforms.