General feedback from mock exam

I was quite impressed with a lot of the knowledge in the essays. These are a few points I keep raising on your exams so I thought I'd share with you here

- Keep linking back to the question, it's so easy to trail off, PEEL!

- be specific with examples from big and small case studies and by that I mean films as well as cinemas

- Do not take exchange for granted - 3D/4D/IMAX/IMPACT or Netflix/amazon prime or if you love indie/world cinema but don't live near a big city there's always Curzon online/BFI player to find out what other films are well reviewed around the world

- different audiences - why they like sequels, why they only go and see Hollywood blockbusters
IT'S ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY AND AVAILABILITY (so lack of choice and variety largely limited to Big Six fare which is high impact and franchise) 

- ability to watch on the go and advertise on the go this is all digital - phones, ipods, tablets, laptops

- not enough terminology being used and if it is it is thrown in randomly with no application

- have a look at how your films can be accessed now so if you look up '71 you can rent it for £3.50 on BFI player but you can also watch it on putlocker for free (issues there)

- remember at the BFI we had the marketing director of Jurassic World - that film was a success due to its excellent marketing including amazing website. He mentioned the Waterloo PR that had great coverage - expensive to set up (above the line) cheap to spread the word (below the line)

http://www.jcdecaux-oneworld.com/2015/06/welcome-to-jurassic-world-waterloo/

Revision booklets

Revision booklets

• A contents page
• Ten tasks
• Case study notes - Learn about your big company and what they do  AND independent companies and what they do 
•  Exemplar essays – ownership and media convergence (re-write using your own case studies)
• Exam board requirements – seven areas - which bits don't you understand -research
•  Mock exam
• Terminology
• Past papers
• Comparison of both case studies (fill in chart with both) and add anything that was missing - make sure you've got reviews
• This is a pack OCR produced for film industry it has some helpful charts you could fill in for revision http://gbhsasexam.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/film-industry-revision.html 
• Keep checking www.launchingfilms.com and look at releases and distribution
• Go through twitter feed for any interesting media news you can to add flavour to your essay

Final tasks/tips before the big day

- Please make sure you've taken the feedback on board, was it missing any areas? Did you over complicate the presentation of reports and mark schemes. Remember it's for everyone's revision.
- Make sure you've fed back on teachers' comments and asked about any area in particular you're still not sure about
- Mocks will be returned Friday 6th May - upload any gaps, comments and focus your areas of revision
- As a general observation, areas not covered enough are consumption/exchange, audiences (local, national, global) and independent films and companies
- Go through past A grade papers for ideas on how to structure and what to include
- give yourself timed essays to do

Film Industry Revision

Revision guide audiences and-institutions-the-film-industry from Great Baddow High School Media

Students become the masters

Aim: 20-30 minute presentation tackling how to answer previous exam questions

We are going to cover all past papers and you are going to teach us how to answer the questions.

http://www.ocr.org.uk/i-want-to/download-past-papers/

Scroll down - subject Media and Communication/ Type AS/A level/Qualification Media

Choose the month and year you've been assigned and print off the mark scheme and the report for that series. So you should have an exam paper, a mark scheme and a report. Read through and highlight comments that will be useful to share.

Find ways of making your presentation interesting, think of any good ways your teacher has helped you in revision and understanding of exams in the past. Plan a useful and practical q and a perhaps, a memory task etc

At its most basic your presentation should include:
- question, report and overall pointers for students
- underlining the main points of the question, what is it really asking you for?
- a breakdown of how you would plan the question if it was given to you in the exam with a paragraph by paragraph suggestions
- time at the end for questions and discussion

Interesting Film thanks Sarah - Hardcore Henry (first person perspective)

45 years and VOD

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/45-years/VOD-boxoffice-success/

Easter Revision Tips

TV Drama

• Practise writing excellent what, where, why notes looking on youtube for G322 clips and applying it to representations. Excellent notes makes an easier essay to write.

FILM INDUSTRY - learn this 

Superman thanks Toby

Kinder and Play Dough

Star Wars cereal - really stand out on cereal shelf - Marketing and Synergy

Past exam questions

JUNE 2015 - To what extent does media ownership have an impact on the successful distribution of media products in the media area you have studied?

Chelmsford Odeon

Thanks Max - Films coming up and new loyalty scheme all the films you want for £20. No Sausage Party in August though.

Task 9 Terminology

 (10 Marks out of 50 are awarded for use of terminology) 

Film Industry Terminology Quiz – a definition and an example from the movie industry please

1.       Mainstream film/ Mainstream cinema

2.       Independent film/ Independent cinema

3.       Production

4.       Distribution

5.       Marketing

6.       Exchange

7.       Multinational Conglomerate

8.       Monopoly

9.       Oligopoly

10.    Name the Big Six (bonus question % of box office takings?)

11.    Horizontal Integration

(also known as cross media ownership)

12.    Vertical Integration

13.    Synergy

14.    Merchandising

15.    Ultra Violet

16.    Above the Line

17.    Below the Line

18.    Technological Convergence/Cross media convergence

19.    Consumption

20.    Exhibition

21.    Piracy

22.    Hollywood Franchise 4S Model – synergy, spectacle, sequelisation, story

23.    Tie-In

Batman vs Superman

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_v_Superman:_Dawn_of_Justice

Warner Bros $250 million budget hoping to make $110 million opening weekend.

Read release and marketing sections - interesting! Didn't want to clash with Captain America and also biggest film markets North America, China and Japan.

Tangerine $100,000 budget shot on two iphone 5S

How one of the best films at Sundance was shot using an iPhone 5S
(and a couple of lenses and an $8 app)
http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/28/7925023/sundance-film-festival-2015-tangerine-iphone-5s

Overview and terminology lesson

Production,distribution,exhibition an intro final for media from robertclackmedia

EXAM

299960759-intro-to-unit-2015-doc

Ex Machina

The last low budget British film we'll look at is Ex Machina as it only cost USD 15 Million. We don't have to watch it but we'll learn about all the special effects it has to lead is into film technology.

https://www.fxguide.com/quicktakes/ex-machina-wins-oscar-for-visual-effects/

https://www.fxguide.com/featured/ex-machina-the-making-of-ava/

Mainstream vs Independent Cinema (notes from class)

Indie vs Mainstream 

·         Profit aim over narrative

·         Mainstream can better cast

·         Indie has limited marketing – basic trailer, poster, website

·         Mainstream more superficial storylines

·         Indie – deep, real life storylines

·         Audiences differ blockbusters are mainstream

·         Learning about, values and messages

·         Critically acclaimed

·         Political and social themes

Tasks

Task 1 Surveymonkey findings Due w/c 25th Jan

set up blog, read through the prezi - surveymonkey - links to home and twitter feeder @baddowmedia

task 2 on prezi intro to the film industry

Task 2 click on audience link on right Due 22nd Jan

• Audience and Exhibition

Task 3

Blockbuster presentations - Jurassic World, Spectre, Star Wars, Avengers Age of Ultron

prepare presentations

Task 4
Independent film research - follow the Ill Manors marketing presentation and try as find as much as you can on production, marketing, technologies and the industry as well. Make sure you also look at how the film was received and who the audience was and find the reviews in rotten tomatoes and imdb,com as well as UK press articles. http://gbhsasexam.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Independent%20Filmhttp://gbhsasexam.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Independent%20Film

prepare a similar slideshare/emaze for one of the following:

- Selfish Giant

- My Brother the Devil

- Wild Bill

- 71

- The Riot Club

Task 5 
Like the Fox Searchlight slideshare on the blog, please do the same for the following companies. What films have they made in the last five years? Audiences and genres. Be aware of what they do/produce and the budgets if you can find them.
Film 4/Summit/Icon/Warp Films

Task 6
As well as HOME Manchester film listings have a look at this list.

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/cinemas/32887/51-brilliant-independent-cinemas-in-the-uk

Choose ten cinemas (including five closest to Chelmsford) and have a look the listings.
Consider the following and type it up -

• What are the genres of the films?
• Who would be the typical audience member?
• How do they differ from a multiplex - Vue, Cineworld, Odeon etc how do they look, what do they sell, what makes it attractive? How do the prices differ.

Also have a look at the Cramphorn theatre and the Chelmsford film club. What films, when are they on and how much.

Netflix vs Amazon - what's their role in the film industry?

Latest marketing findings

Marvel competition

look what Clare found

and Jordan

and Molly

and Mel at Subway

Intro to the Film Industry

Indie Film Case Studies

Film Case Studies

- Selfish Giant

- My Brother the Devil

- Wild Bill

- 71

- The Riot Club

Film industry questions for your Indie film
Labels for your blog
1.Pre-production - How long did it take your film to get the red light. How long had it been someone's project etc
2. UK release date?
3. Institutions behind the film’s production and distribution?
4. What’s the film’s production budget?
5. Nationality of the film?
6. What kind of production is it?
7. Any connection with other films?
8. Who’s the director?
9. Any star names in the cast? What is the main cast?
10. What’s the film about?
11. Who will this film appeal to?

Just for Selfish Giant  (label) upload adverts, promotions, trailers, newspaper and magazine reviews, exhibition and how long it was in the cinema for. Look at Curzon cinema too. Money made?

• Create a label called Tracking and start tracking or backtracking if it's already been released your film’s promotion on twitter, facebook, newspaper reviews, fans, billboards, cardboard cutouts in cinema etc

• Three examples on how the internet is being used to promote a movie release in the UK.
Using the internet to promote a movie release in the UK

EXAMPLE 1
What is it? (e.g. newspaper article, a competition, an event, etc.)
Competition to win a holiday to New Zealand - 7 night stay with activities e.g. film location tours, etc.
What is the source?
ODEON cinema
Who is it attempting to reach?
Specifically Hobbit fans - they are the ones who would enter
More a campaign so they will buy tickets to see it at the Odeon rather than another cinema e.g. Vue or Cineworld
In what way is it a valuable marketing opportunity?
Encourages fans to see the film at the Odeon rather than anywhere else so the cinema makes money
Gives the fans an opportunity to be involved with the film
Of course dedicated Hobbit and LOTR fans would want to visit the location of Middle Earth
They enter simply by booking tickets online - easy and accessible
No extra costs for fans since all they have to pay for is a ticket, which they would do anyway

EXAMPLE 2
What is it? (e.g. newspaper article, a competition, an event, etc.)
Article on the Hobbit's official blog - "Ed Sheeran on working with Peter Jackson"
What is the source?
The Hobbit's official blog - link is on the official website
Is it an above the line or below the line example?
Below the line
Who is it attempting to reach?
Hobbit fans (they see this via Hobbit blog), people who want to find out more about the film (blog/wesbite)
Ed Sheeran fans
Music fans in general (discussing the soundtrack)
In what way is it a valuable marketing opportunity?
Ed Sheeran has a big fanbase - they will be attracted to this as well as Hobbit fans and so will be more interested in seeing the film
Synergy: website --> blog
Non-linear
Free

EXAMPLE 3What is it? (e.g. newspaper article, a competition, an event, etc.)
Feature article shown on The Hobbit's official blog
What is the source?
The Hobbit's official blog
Article: Empire Magazine
Is it an above the line or below the line example?
On the blog: below the line
Magazine: above the line
Who is it attempting to reach?
Hobbit fans - it is shown on the official blog, which fans would be most likely to see
People interested in finding more about the film, looking on the blog
Empire Magazine: FILM FANS
In what way is it a valuable marketing opportunity?
Empire Magazine targets film fans in general - The Hobbit on the cover makes it very noticeable - it is being shown as a big movie
Synergy: Empire Magazine --> blog
Hobbit fans who wouldn't necessarily buy film magazines like Empire are shown the article anyway, for free, instant and accessible

Student Film Case studies

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - A/S Media Studies Rea from GDBrew

Thor 2 from bethbraine

Billericay Cinema - non profit project

http://www.bfi.org.uk/neighbourhoodcinema/billericay-community-cinema

TV Drama Revision Booklet

CAMERA - FAM MISE EN SCENE - CLAMPS SOUND - MCDOVED EDITING - TOPS

TV Drama Revision Booklet.pdf by katrinabrookes

Tortoise in Love - read all about it! and Cabin in the Woods trailer goes viral

What is special about these small films, their financing and their marketing campaigns.

Find out as much as you can about it and write 500 words on it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortoise_in_Love

http://www.tortoiseinlove.co.uk/

https://hammynotthehamster.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/cabin-in-the-woods-film-review/

Cross media Convergence and Synergy

These two terms confuse students no end:

Media convergence and synergy from hasnmedia

Synergy from jphibbert1979

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Fox searchlight pictures from Great Baddow High School Media

What significance does the continuing development of digital media technology have for media institutions and audiences ?
(Look at the question - underline and highlight the different areas that need to be addressed)

- Technology chart completed - make sure it includes blockbuster as well as low budget film examples
- pros and cons of technology with examples
- think about the future

Similarities and Differences between blockbuster and low budget film

Unit G322 – Section B – The Film Industry

To begin comparing both ends of the industry to use this as a model. Create a two column comparison between your low budget film and your blockbuster

Although the institutions are clearly very different there are some similarities which you need to be aware of so make sure you have a clear journey from planning to exhibition of both your case studies.

Here is an example, answer each bullet point with facts from your own films and this will serve as one of your revision sheets.

FILMS

Ill Manors / Skyfall

Any Similarities between the two films in terms of genre and narrative

·     They’re both British films – Ill Manors is more ‘British’ than Skyfall (deals with social issues and themes relating to British society). Funded and filmed in Britain.

·     They were both filmed predominantly in Britain.

·     Both enjoyed strong opening weekends at the Box office

·     Large British cast in both.

·     They both have a high profile musician linked with the film whose music was released close to the film’s release.

 Ill Manors / Skyfall – Differences between the two films in terms of genre and narrative

·     Different genres – Skyfall is an Action/Adventure and Ill Manors is a gritty social realist drama.

·     Bond is a part of long running (47 years and counting) franchise. Ill Manors isn’t.

INSTITUTIONS

BBC Films & Film London Microwave /Sony  – Similarities

·     Both involved in film production.

·     Both are companies whose main goal is to make profit – both are driven by the bottom line.

·     Both split production across different companies “film is fundamentally a collaborative medium”.

BBC films & Microwave / Sony – Differences

·     Budget – Ill Manors £100,000 Million 

·     Skyfall $150-200M.

·     BBC Films and Microwave are low budget independent film making companies – Sony is a major global conglomerate with a diverse range of interests.

·     Sony work on lots of films each year such as…..enabling them to spread their risk; BBC Films and Microwave only work on a few each year (what other films have they made?)

·     Sony are involved in production (MGM), distribution (Columbia Tristar and Sony Pictures Entertainment) and exhibition (Sony Blu-ray machines/ Sony DVD Players/ Sony TVs / Sony phones.) THIS IS CALLED VERTICAL INTEGRATION.

BBC Films and Film London Microwave are ONLY involved in film production.

Sony – well established.  Microwave – new company in its infancy.

Sony are better placed to withstand losses.  BBC Films and Film London Microwave cannot sustain losses.

Sony make films with leading directors – BBC Films and Film London Microwave focus on new directors.

BBC Films and Film London Microwave films will mainly be distributed in the UK to a selection of cinemas

Sony – makes films distributed globally and  internationally

AUDIENCES

BBC Films and Film London Microwave

 –  AUDIENCE DIFFERENCES

·     Skyfall was aimed at a huge mainstream target audience:15 – 55 year olds.  Core male target audience with a wider secondary female audience, straddling broad cross sections of class, ethnicity and sexuality. 

·     Ill Manors was aimed at a niche audience – urban 16-24 year olds, heavily pitched at a male audience.

·     Skyfall is aimed at an international audience so the dialogue/script is less specific than Ill manors which uses contemporary urban colloquialisms.

PRODUCTION / DISTRIBUTION / EXHIBITION

BBC Films and Film London Microwave – PRODUCTION DIFFERENCES

·     Skyfall had a huge budget – Ill Manors didn’t.

·     Skyfall used a host of well known famous ‘stars’ – Daniel Craig, Judi Dench etc – Most of the cast of Il Manors were unknown or first time actors (apart from the main star) so cast were less recognizable.

·     Skyfall used exotic and varied locations round the world – Ill Manor’s setting was much more geographically specific, as exotic locations weren’t called for in the story.

·     Skyfall used a lot of expensive special effects.  Ill Manors didn’t.

·     Skyfall utilized product placement within the film – Heinekein, Coke, Aston Martin, Omega. Ill Manors didn’t.

·     Skyfall had expensive action sequences – highly produced fight and chase scenes. (writing off various cars!)  Ill Manors’s dramatic scenes were less full of action.  

Ill Manors / Skyfall –  DISTRIBUTION DIFFERENCES

·     Skyfall’s marketing campaign was huge and extensive. Ill Manors’s marketing was very specific and highly targeted.

·     Skyfall used synergy Eg Sony PS3, phones, games, DVD, TV, soundtrack and film were released at the same time.  Whereas Ill Manors didn’t/couldn’t use synergy to the same extent by releasing just the DVD and soundtrack at the same time as the film

·     Skyfall had a series of huge international premieres – all over the world.  Ill Manors didn’t.

·     Skyfall used cross promotion through a range of companies all advertising Skyfall – Heinekein, Omega, Sony TVs, Coca-cola, etc.  Product placement earned $50Million plus ($44 M for just Heinekein alone)

·     Sony had blanket advertising  with tease trailers in cinemas, TV adverts, newspaper and radio adverts and interviews with main stars 

·     Ill Manors had much smaller advertising.

EXHIBITION DIFFERENCES

Skyfall opened in 580 cinemas – over 1000 screens in the UK and Ireland

Skyfall broke box office records and overtook the highest grossing film of all time, Avatar in terms of takings on opening night and opening weekend and overall profits globally.

Skyfall landed straight into number 1 spot on UK DVD chart. Quantum of Solace did too and hit number 2 on Blu-ray chart and became the UKs biggest selling DVD and Blu-ray release of 2009.  A worldwide box office phenomenon, broke countless records and now scores as the top grossing film of all time.

Ill Manors didn’t break box office records, nor did it get to top of the DVD or Blu-ray charts on day of release.

It played in much fewer, selected and niche cinemas.

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/04/transformers-4-product-placement?CMP=ema_861

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/04/the-oscar-winning-experiments-that-might-change-the-future-of-film?CMP=ema_861

Twitter at the movies

Launching Films and Micro budget list

Go to www.launchingfilms.com - for distributor info and go to uk film release schedule link

Your indie research should take the same form as the ill Manors presentation

Ill manors production, distribution, exhibition from sandraoddy2

Here are the UK recent indie films I have suggested. If you don't like the one you've been assigned choose another and let me know.

• In Fear
• Selfish Giant
• Tyrannosaur
• Anuvahood
• Shank
• Spirit of '45
• Wild Bill
• My brother the Devil
• A field in England
• Locke
• Ill Manors
• Fast Girls
• Starred Up
• Gone Too Far

The UK film with highest global gross (under £1m, Jan 2008 to Aug 2014) was Searching For Sugarman.

§  The UK film with highest global gross (under £1m, Jan 2008 to Aug 2014) was Searching For Sugarman.
§  Between January 2008 and August 2014, there were 1,419 films made in the UK budgeted under £1 million
§  Only 7 of these grossed over £1 million in cinemas worldwide
§  0.17% of the 1,190 UK films made on under £500k grossed over £1 million worldwide.
§  20% of UK films budgeted under £1 million grossed at least £1 in any cinema around the world.
§  That figure drops to 16% for films under £500k and 10% for films budgeted under £150k.
§  Rotten Tomatoes provides data on just 24% of UK films budgeted under £500k and Metacritic only rated 4% of the same group.

• The UK film with highest global box office gross released between January 2008 and August 2014 wasSearching For Sugarman.  This film alone accounts for almost 24% of the combined gross of the top 50 films.

NO.	FILM	YEAR	GENRE
1	Searching for Sugar Man	2012	Documentary Music Biopic
2	Marley	2012	Documentary Music
3	Locke	2013	Thriller Drama
4	Anuvahood	2011	Comedy Spoof
5	Still Life	2013	Comedy Drama
6	Redirected	2014	Action Comedy
7	Weekend	2011	Drama Gay interest Romance
8	The Disappearance of Alice Creed	2009	Thriller Crime Drama
9	The Act of Killing	2012	Documentary Socio-political Drama
10	Tyrannosaur	2011	Drama
11	Tormented	2009	Horror
12	Shank	2010	Crime Action Drama
13	Ill Manors	2012	Crime Drama
14	The Spirit of '45	2013	Documentary Socio-political
15	Of Time and the City	2008	Documentary
16	Kill List	2011	Horror Thriller Drama
17	Papadopoulos & Sons	2012	Comedy Family
18	The Caller	2011	Horror Crime
19	Exam	2009	Thriller Horror
20	Archipelago	2010	Drama
21	Fire in Babylon	2010	Documentary Sport
22	Metro Manila	2013	Thriller Drama
23	Jig	2011	Documentary Music/Dance Comedy
24	Dreams of a Life	2011	Documentary Drama
25	The Summit	2012	Documentary Sport
26	In Fear	2013	Thriller Horror
27	How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr Foster?	2010	Documentary
28	Cheerful Weather for the Wedding	2012	Drama Period drama Comedy
29	The Pervert's Guide to Ideology	2012	Documentary
30	Sket	2011	Thriller Crime
31	Wild Bill	2011	Drama
32	Leviathan	2012	Documentary Horror
33	Wagner & Me	2010	Documentary Music Biopic
34	No Greater Love	2009	Documentary
35	Offender	2012	Thriller Drama Crime
36	Pusher	2012	Crime Action Thriller
37	McCullin	2012	Documentary War
38	The Shock Doctrine	2009	Documentary
39	DeadTime	2012	Horror Thriller Music
40	The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)	2011	Horror Drama
41	She, a Chinese	2009	Drama
42	Letters to Sofija	2013	Biopic Drama Music
43	Tortoise in Love	2012	Comedy Romance
44	Tonight You're Mine	2011	Romance Music
45	My Brother the Devil	2012	Drama Gay interest
46	The Arbor	2010	Biopic Documentary Biopic
47	Payback Season	2012	Thriller Drama
48	1 Day	2009	Drama
49	A Field in England	2013	Horror Drama Historical
50	Afghan Star	2009	Documentary

You will then produce a comparison between your big six and your small film like this one:

Similarities and differences skyfall ill manors from sandraoddy2