DB Playlists

For now I'll add one linked to an exam board training course, but I'll add more here over time which are linked to some aspect of your GCSE work.

(Several gathered here)

AQA COURSEWORK TRAINING VIDS
A Dr Who vid on uStream, then a YT playlist:
Live Streaming

FILM WHITEWASHING Mulan may mark turning point

Doctor Strange was criticized for whitewashing with the Tilda Swinton role. Here we see Disney casting an Asian actor rather than a Caucasian (white) star in Mulan.

Hollywood has attracted widespread criticism for casting white actors to play Asian characters. Tilda Swinton, Scarlett Johansson and Emma Stone have all played characters who were Asian in the source material.

Liu Yifei gets starring role in Mulan, as tide turns against 'whitewashing' https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/nov/30/mulan-tide-turns-against-whitewash-as-liu-yifei-gets-starring-role?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

CSP FILM Doctor Strange

(just some key links to get started...)

IMDB

BoxOfficeMojo

The-Numbers

Wiki

Move over, Peter Parker – the new Spider-Man ushers in a bold superhero era

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/dec/07/move-over-peter-parker-the-new-spider-man-ushers-in-a-bold-superhero-era?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

DOES ASIAN-LED MCU FILM SOLVE MARVEL'S RACE PROBLEM?

Guardian.

MARVEL REGRETS DOCTOR STRANGE WHITEWASHING ... AND PREPARES A CHINESE SUPERHERO MOVIE

Men's Health.

CSP FILM I Daniel Blake

There is now an hour-long documentary on the film! (Arte TV)

I'll add resources here (and format text etc) on this over time.

For more than 50 years, Ken Loach has been making social-realist dramas tied together by a prevailing thread — the compassionate observation of the struggles of the working class to hold onto such fundamental dignities as a home, a job and food on the table within a hostile system that often views them unfairly as the cause of their own misfortunes. His latest feature, I, Daniel Blake, is quintessential Loach, which means you have a good idea of what you're getting as soon as the core elements are established. And yet while the framework and perspective are familiar, the veteran Brit director's films can still have the power to grip us in an emotional chokehold. (Hollywood Reporter)

This is the type of thing you need to research and analyse: the movie was partly funded by government grants (National Lottery payments through the BFI) - not loans, grants - and is available to stream through platforms such as BFI Player (which is highly selective).

This is the guidance the exam board have given to you on this CSP, which is focused on Key Concept INDUSTRY only.

































...

A NOTE ON BUDGET
In common with many Indie productions, there is no quoted budget to be found online. However, the cinematographer notes they saved £150k by filming digitally for the 1st time; there was a £300k FilmFund (BFI, funded by the UK government/National Lottery) grant and another €100k grant from Creative Europe, as well as tax breaks for filming in Britain and Belgium (as a UK, France, Belgium co-production!). Shane Meadows' 2006 social realist This is England cost Warp Films £1.5m, while Ken Loach's 2009 Looking for Eric was £4m and the 1920s war drama The Wind That Shakes the Barley a similar €6.5m.

Lets estimate IDB at a £2m budget, lacking the expense of Cantona or 1920s period costume, props and action. The important point, and I'm quoting the chief examiner in an email to me, is:

The production budget is unknown but certainly only a tiny fraction of the $165 million it cost to make Dr Strange. ...

Students need to know that in terms of actual production budget IDB costs were low, particularly in relation to Dr Strange.

RESOURCES

Director Ken Loach has a long, distinguished career, as reflected in the recent documentary about him and his films:


Here's a BFI 4min overview;
NB: it contains swearing, reflecting the frank, realistic style of his movies:


Loach is known for his social realist movies:

• low budget
• often reflected in handheld cinematography (quicker and cheaper to film)
• no stars (he often even uses non-actors)
• non-franchise (Warp's This is England is a rare exception)
• no CGI/SFX
• minority/underprivileged central protagonist (eg working class/poor, sexual or ethnic minority)
• as such people are under-represented in mainstream, commercial cinema, there is government funding to support such films
• but as Loach usually refuses to write a script, he typically finds the production budget by pre-selling rights to France, Germany and other European markets where his films have a following
• he also usually picks up funding from the BBC or Film4 (part of the Channel 4 group)
• he can struggle to get his films into UK cinemas (theatrical release); they are usually stuck in the arthouse circuit, meaning low box office prospects - but IDB was an exception...
• social realist movies explore serious social issues
• this lack of light relief is another reason these movies rarely make much money, but...
• Billy Elliot, The Full Monty, Secrets and Lies and Slumdog Millionaire are all exceptions to this general rule

Loach is seen as an auteur:

1. a filmmaker with a recognisable style who...
2. tackles serious social and cultural issues in their work 

IMDB

BoxOfficeMojo

The-Numbers
Ken Loach career (use IMDB or Wiki for a full film list; use the average figure to work out a very rough new total figure)
Scott Derrickson (now compare the 2) 

Wiki

Facebook

Twitter

Cannes Film Festival 

BBC Films

Sixteen Films (Loach's company)

Wild Bunch (co-producer, selling distribution rights) 
Press pack. Includes the editor Jonathon Morris saying it cost about £150k less to shoot and edit digitally - all his previous movies were shot on film. Producer Rebecca O'Brien also explains the funding:

Mongrel media (Canadian distributor, includes press packs)

Transmission (Australian Indie distributor)

EU: Creative Europe fund (gave e100k grant)


BFI Player
Available to stream for £4.50


BFI 2016 Annual Report
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2: Supporting the future success of British film by investing in film
development, production, talent and skills.
DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION
In 2016, new British films backed by the BFI with National Lottery funding saw exciting festival
and box office success. Who’s Gonna Love Me Now? (2016), Barak and Tomer Heymann’s
documentary portrait of a young Israeli man finding a new family with the London Gay Men’s
Chorus, was an audience favourite at the Berlinale in February. In May, films by two of our most
renowned filmmakers capped a remarkable showing by British films at the Cannes Film Festival –
Andrea Arnold’s American Honey (2016), which took the Jury Prize (and went on to win the BIFA
for Best Film), and Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake (2016), which won the Palme D’Or and cemented
its position as one of the most talked about British films of the year, achieving the best UK box
office of the director’s career and winning the BAFTA for Outstanding British Film.

BFI 2016 Box Office Report
IDB was on the top 20 Indie list of the year ... but managed just 5% of the actual #1 (Rogue One), or about 15% of Dr Strange's UK take!

Guardian box office reports
Gant 25 Oct 2016.

The indie winner: I, Daniel Blake
It won the Palme d’Or in Cannes, comes from a beloved British auteur and has garnered critical acclaim, but would Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake prove too tough a sell for cinema audiences? If UK distributor eOne had any qualms, they have surely evaporated now that I, Daniel Blake has opened with an impressive £404,000 from 94 cinemas, and £445,000 including previews. Stripping out the previews, site average is a very robust £4,298.
Daily Mail 'Loach the Leech' [Chomsky: flak]

We don’t know exactly how rich — Ken is uncharacteristically discreet on this point. But we do know where a lot of the money that funds his films comes from.

The public. You and me. It’s hard to think of a Ken Loach film that hasn’t been subsidised, one way or another, by the public purse. ...

Over the course of his 50-year career, there has been a steady trickle of public-sector grants for his agitprop.

... The BFI is government-funded and distributes Lottery cash.

After all, if it weren’t for the EU, Sixteen Films wouldn’t have received a grant of £172,828 from Creative Europe, a quango funded by Brussels. That grant was divided between I, Daniel Blake and The Flickering Flame.

The latter is ‘an interactive documentary’ that explores the ‘uncompromising films’ of one Kenneth Charles Loach.

... Incidentally, one of the funders of the new film was BBC Films, whose head, Christine Langan, says she is ‘honoured’ by the association.

Variety - Euro co-financing key for Loach says his producer O'Brien

Financing an arthouse film is as tough as ever, but O’Brien learned at an earlier stage that European co-productions were a key component in launching a Loach film. France is the biggest box-office market for the director’s work, and so finding partners in that country is a logical starting point, and can provide the foundations on which the rest of the financing is built. “I, Daniel Blake” was co-produced by Pascal Caucheteux and Gregoire Sorlat at Why Not Prods. and Vincent Maraval at Wild Bunch, the film’s international sales agent. The French distributor is Le Pacte.
With backing from France in place, raising funding from the U.K. becomes much easier, and additional financing can be sought elsewhere in Europe. The British Film Institute and BBC Films both supported “I, Daniel Blake,” and the production also benefited from the U.K. tax credit. Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s Les Films du Fleuve in Belgium came on board as a co-producer, and Cineart took Belgian distribution rights. Support also came from French pay-TV company Canal Plus, Gallic free-to-air broadcaster France Televisions, Belgian teleco VOO and Belgian television operator Be tv.
“All of that adds up to a decent amount to put into the budget,” with the risk spread around, O’Brien says.

“’Jimmy’s Hall’ was at the top end of our budget scale,” says O’Brien, while “I, Daniel Blake” was made on a “modest budget,” though she declines to state the amount. [This, with grants of around £500k from BFI/National Lottery and an EU fund (see Daily Mail + BFI links) suggest a budget of around £1m]

EXECREVIEW - Majors + TV boom putting squeeze on smaller movies

A combination of an increasingly risk-averse Hollywood movie system addicted to blockbuster franchises and the global explosion in mega-budget TV drama is putting the squeeze on smaller films. Cannes prize-winners are among the few lower-cost productions that are guaranteed a berth in the modern cinema market.

The BoxOfficeMojo foreign (non-US) list

The UK is a sombre case study for the mid-to-low-budget film industry. The number of domestic UK films costing from £500,000 to about £30m to make, such as T2: Trainspotting and Florence Foster Jenkins, fell from 77 to 60 between 2014 and 2015. This is the lowest number made since 2006, according to annual figures published by the British Film Institute (BFI). The number of small to mid-sized budget co-productions, funded by mostly European producers, such as the Oscar-winning The Lobster, and I, Daniel Blake, fell from 37 to 30 – a level not seen since 2008.

... says David Hancock, a film analyst at IHS Markit. “The Theory of Everything, films with budgets of that sort of range, are quite often the first to get the squeeze.”

He cites the mechanics of the $11bn (£8.5bn) US box office as a perfect example of the difficulties facing film-makers who lack big budgets. “Films from the major studios take more than 90% of that,” he says. “That leaves about 650 films in the US chasing 9% of the box office.”
As well as the changing focus of the film industry, pressure is being ramped up by the boom in big-budget drama flooding TV, typified by shows such as Netflix’s £100m co-production The Crown.
In the US the number of scripted shows being made annually has more than doubled since 2010 to more than 500 this year; Netflix recently revealed it has 90 original productions under way in Europe alone – Sky has 80 – and traditional broadcasters such as ITV and the BBC have upped their game with huge hits such as Broadchurch and Line of Duty.

“There is not a lot of difference between high-end TV and many films these days,” says Richard Johnston, chief executive of Endemol Shine UK, maker of forthcoming dramas including the BBC’s Troy and Sky’s Tin Star. “Most drama now is a minimum of £1m an episode and the quality and the experience is very high. And the way the market has changed means that is where a lot of the money and funding now is.”
The BFI says the figure for inward production investment in TV, mostly from US companies such as Amazon, Netflix and HBO, nearly doubled from £252m in 2013 to a record of almost £500m last year. This boost has been in part fuelled by a film industry style tax break for glossy shows costing at least £1m an episode to make which was introduced in 2013. By contrast, the spend on UK domestic films dropped to £198m in 2015, the lowest level since 2007.

There is a lot on YouTube: suggested videos from trailer page

The lure of pots of money, and the overlap of skills, related to glossy drama has drawn many of the UK’s well-known film production companies to expand into the sector. Working Title, arguably Britain’s best-known film producer, Ridley Scott’s Scott Free and Heyday – producer of the Harry Potter films, the Paddington films and Gravity – have all launched TV divisions in the last few years.

However, last week Entertainment One, distributor of films including La La Land, Arrival and Luc Besson’s forthcoming $180m Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, said it was getting out of small-budget films. Following a similar model to the Hollywood majors, the Canadian media group said that its film strategy will now focus on “producing and sourcing a reduced slate of premium films”.



MARK COSGROVE (Watershed)
'Mark Cosgrove Cinema Curator at Watershed and Chair of the Film Hub South West & West Midlands feeds back on weekly Watershed programming successes and challenges and hopes for up-coming titles.'

[24 October 2016] In the back of my mind I wondered whether Ken Loach’s state-of-the-austerity-nation address I, Daniel Blake was going to engage a big audience. It is undoubtedly the filmmaker at his most distilled (and angry) bringing to mind this portraits of contemporary British working class life:  Cathy Come Home and Kes but could I, Daniel Blake replicate those films’ impact? On the basis of our admissions - and response from audiences -  this weekend Loach has achieved it. I Daniel Blake registered one of our highest opening weekends with tears and applause during and after each screening. Here are a couple of comments: [the site carries pics of letters received, including from an emotional 15 year-old]

[31 October 2016] I, Daniel Blake continued its powerful emotional impact with an insignificant drop in its 2nd weekend. Audiences responses have been in incredible. We - MA Curation student Dave-Taylor Matthews and I - wondered if Loach could have the same impact today as his Cathy Come Home did in the 60s which was watched by a quarter of the population on TV. I, Daniel Blake certainly seems to be generating a national conversation with plenty of press/social media and Ken appearing on Question Time. Credit must go to Eone who have positioned the film brilliantly and also released it on just the right scale, increasing prints in week 2.

Dave had organised a Cinema of Dissent season around I, Daniel Blake picking up on Loach’s Cannes speech. The season included Leviathan, Taxi Tehran, Cathy Come Home and a talk by Cathy Come Home producer Tony Garnett which all individually attracted 80 plus admissions and helped build on the debate generated by I, Daniel Blake.

Elsewhere at Watershed it’s been one of the quieter autumn weekends: I, Daniel Blake and Nocturnal Animals were the highest performing but they are definitely winding up in their 5th and 4th weeks. 

[23rd November] Elsewhere at Watershed it’s been one of the quieter autumn weekends: I, Daniel Blake and Nocturnal Animals were the highest performing but they are definitely winding up in their 5th and 4th weeks.

...

CSPs

...

CSP list from DB3igs

...

...


Class DVD;
Dr Who DVD;
I, Daniel Blake DVD;

TV INDUSTRY how much do ads cost to place?

Have you ever wondered how much it costs companies to get their ads on TV?

Here's a great article which provides a range of examples, from the big terrestrial channels (thats BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, C4, C5 - though the BBC doesn't carry any ads as its funded by a compulsory license fee of around £150 a year per household) to smaller, niche digital channels...

TheDrum on TV ad costs.

Examples: a 3-second ad on primetime ITV1 can cost £30,000, but on digital channels such as the Horror Channel and Animal Planet daytime ads can cost less than £50 - you can even get an ad on some of BT Sports' less popular strands for ... £5!!! The article gives the rate for Hollyoaks on C4, a show with a similar audience to BBC3's Class.

Comparing 2 music videos Smiths v Sheeran

TBC

Its tempting to suggest viewing the EdS example with the audio off, but sadly you couldn't analyse the editing properly then...

There are many ways to approach analysing one, or comparing two, music videos. The key for you is to ensure that you give SOME consideration to ALL 4 Key Concepts: Media language, Audience, Representations, Industry ['Institutions'] - MARI Christmas!

Lets start with the one that may seem least obvious, INDUSTRY.

THE TWO VIDEOS
THE SMITHS: "This Charming Man"


ED SHEERAN: "Bibia B Ye Ye"


APPLYING KEY CONCEPT INDUSTRY
Your 1st question is: major label or Indie?
However, you can also look at the distribution of the video itself; its number of views; and the same for the track on the likes of Spotify.

KC REPRESENTATION Golden Girls and countertype v stereotype

You have 4 Key Concepts to carefully consider throughout the course: MARI...

The clip below contains a mix of stereotype and countertype for you to consider. This show was broadcast in the pre-digital era on a mainstream channel, therefore it couldn't simply target 'older' people as its primary target audience. How does the use of countertypes and stereotypes widen the potential target audience for this show?


...

TV DRAMA MEDIA LANGUAGE Class and Downton clips

Two short clips to look at, one 30-second trailer for Class (Season 4, BBC3) and ITV's Downton Abbey season 1 trailer (60 seconds).

CLASS, BBC3 SEASON 4 TRAILER

SOME WIDER CONTEXT:

• a BBC3 (online via iPlayer youth [15-34] channel) sci-fi spin-off from Dr Who, but for YA audience (slightly older than Dr Who)
• here's a BBC summary
• there is lots of content, including fan art and other UGC, on this BBC page
• ...and the Wiki.
• Skip to the bottom for more videos which help put Class in context

HOMEWORK FOR MONDAY 18TH: Storyboard this trailer. Drawings don't need to be complex - stick men/shapes are fine. Denote (write) the basic framing (ELS-ECU range; 2-shot, OTS etc) and angle (LA/HA/MA/DA; worm's eye; helicopter shot). Comment on the media language used.

NEW DRAMA STORYBOARDING TASK: BBC3 is a youth (15-34) channel. BBC4 goes for an older, upmarket audience, and is launching a new drama series called Home, about the goings on in a retirement ('old folks') home. Your job is to come up with a storyboard of at least 12 shots for a trailer that (1) sets the scene (2) introduces 3 key characters (3) one of which is a terrifying bully. EXTENSION: If you have time, you can also add notes on the non-diegetic music you would use; how costume or props would signify or connote [symbolize] character; and any transitions or SFX you might use.

YOUR BBC4 DRAMA - QUICK DECISIONS TO MAKE:
(A) TWIST Like Class, is there a twist or 'hybrid' element? It adds Dr Who sci-fi to the school drama, yours can be outrageous too. 
(B) CHARACTERS - decide on the age, gender and position (resident or worker, manager or owner) HERO - a resident or a worker/boss? VILLAIN/BULLY - a resident or a worker/boss? Male or female? Age? 3RD KEY CHARACTER -  a sidekick, love interest, perhaps the boss/owner? Male or female?
(C) SCENES TO INCLUDE IN TRAILER You might have one longer scene, but include some shots from multiple scenes just as you'd expect a trailer to. Think about shots that help establish the setting; the nature of characters (eg angles, two shot); create some mystery.


DOWNTON ABBEY, ITV SEASON 1 TRAILER


...

Shoes like Class arguably exist because of the high school/horror hybrid Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which also blended comedy and romance into its hybrid genre approach. We call an early influential example, almost a template for further efforts, an archetype.


Here's a longer Class trailer (the 19 seconds trailer is a teaser trailer) which should give you a better idea of how the show works.

...

Video games books and resources

...
Amazon UK search;
Understanding Video games (2016);
Routledge Companion to Video Games (2016);
The Video Game Debate (2015);

MUSIC VIDEO Miley Cyrus task

We will explore and discuss one example as a class, and your task will be to summarise your findings on a PowerPoint for the lesson on Friday 8th September, including screenshots to illustrate. Homeworks will usually be for Tuesdays.

You have two weeks to complete/improve your summer work, submitting for Tuesday 19th September lesson, applying learning from Miley and other examples (as PowerPoint or Word).



The following 5 steps are one simple, quick way of exploring a music video. You should see the link to the Key Concepts (MARI). There is much more you could also consider, and there should be plentiful use of precise terminology as you go.

STEP 1: BASIC MEDIA LANGUAGE
As we view, shout out if you see a shot type or angle we have not seen yet. Make a note, including the timing, so you can easily get a screenshot.
EXTENSION: can you link this to any of Andrew Goodwin's points? (He wrote a book in which he set out the features of media language that defines the music video format - you have notes on this)

STEP 2: ASSESSING THE MEDIA LANGUAGE
What is typical about the media language we've seen in this video? [Again, it will boost your grade to draw on theory such as Goodwin's] What media language do we think is typical of music videos?
Is there anything that is unusual (atypical) for the music video format?
Does it make any difference to the media language if we think more about genre?
[As part of your homework, count the number of cuts in the video EXTENSION: work out how many cuts that makes per 60 seconds. HINT: Convert 3:41 to seconds]

STEP 3: WHO IS THE AUDIENCE?
Remember to use your handouts to keep key terms/concepts in mind (eg uses and ...? theory)
Who do you think is 'the' audience, and why? [Think about why I've written 'the' audience, and be specific with your evidence]

STEP 4: STEREO/COUNTERTYPE OF GENDER?
Is this stereotypical, counterypical ... or both?
Would a feminist approve?
EXTENSION: Would a post-feminist approve?
Are there other aspects or themes of representation you want to raise?

STEP 5: WHAT IS VEVO?
Explain clearly who/what this is.

What terms can you use from your film work to help explain the company types? Use these again to denote (state) and explain the type of record label or distributor that Miley Cyrus is signed to.

OPTIONAL STEP 6: CAN YOU IMPROVE NOTES BY MAKING LINKS BETWEEN TOPICS?
Now you have considered some key aspects of the video you might be able to improve, extend your earlier notes and analysis.
Perhaps you can see themes you'd like to write about under your own heading, not the simple single Key Concept-linked headings I've used.
Ultimately you will be submitting 12 pages of evidence which samples or summarises your research AND pre-production work (location scouting, drafting, costume, make-up, audience feedback etc). You don't need to immediately start on laying out beautiful Word documents (PowerPoint may help you to produce good notes quicker) - focus on building up well-evidenced/illustrated research that you will be able to adapt.

Over to you...
...

TV reboots

Even better this time round: The Crystal Maze, Twin Peaks and our golden age of TV reboots https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jun/23/the-crystal-maze-twin-peaks-golden-age-of-tv-reboots?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

Summer work 2017

For current Year 10s entering Y11 in September 2017, your summer work tasks have been discussed, and are detailed in pages 9-10 of the guide below:

Mvid assgmt3 planning from DB3igs

OPTIONAL: You will also have returned work from assignments 1 and 2, and can get ahead by re-drafting these during the summer.

As explained, email replies will be minimal until late July, but you will get a response. You should use your Office365 account to do so - and look out for new resources being added in August (which will be announced through Office365). You need to access your Office365 mail and click to join the class you've been invited to!

FILM POSTERS Cannes examples

TBC

Guardian list of some atrocious but REAL examples from Cannes.

TV Game Show presenter - justifying your choice

There are similarities with your magazine cover star and film leads in what you need to consider and be prepared to write about:

AUDIENCE: Everything comes back to this in the end; all decisions need to be justifiable with reference to target audience. Remember you can split up and discuss the audience (type) in many ways:

• primary (main; core), secondary
• mainstream (eg a family audience!), niche
• four quadrant (really a film term - say so if using it - but still a useful concept)
• ABC1C2DE (socio-economic groups: high to low incomes, where ABC1s are targeted with complex, sophisticated media productions and C2DEs with simpler, less sophisticated productions; your range may be any range within this, eg C1C2DE for a gameshow with ANY element of sophistication or audience (intellectual) challenge
• sophisticated, upmarket (ABC1) and tabloid, downmarket (C2DE) is another way of describing these
• Uses and gratifications model!!! Also vital for...

TV Game Show exam tasks

You have now been given your exam prelim material (see below). You need to research a range of issues in preparation for this...

2017 prelim tv game show from DB3igs

KEY POINTS FROM THE BRIEF

Key points to consider:

1. your idea would be pitched to a digital channel, NOT a terrestrial or free-to-air channel
2. they've asked members of the public to pitch, perhaps further connoting low budget...
3. it must have a USP
• you'll quickly see there are MANY competing game shows
• what will make YOURS stand out?
4. it must appeal to all the family, younger, older, male, female (four quadrants)
• look at how shows like Family Fortunes tried to appeal to a family audience
• think carefully about Key Concepts Representation/Media Language: the presenter/s, set, contestants, task or competition - and difficulty level of any questions or challenges (can younger viewers engage, or (U+G theory!) identify?) 
• the programme title itself is very important - and, just like a magazine masthead, you need to plan the look of this: you could search for a specific font and mock this up, just be prepared to denote the font (serif, bubble, case, colour etc)
5. "the focus on the family audience must be clear from the opening title sequence" 
• be prepared to storyboard your title sequence
6. the slot is Saturday evening primetime, scheduled for autumn
• research what shows currently hold these slots
• a good sign of success is it coming back for more than one year or season!!!
7. viewers at home must be able to play along in some way: audience interactivity, engagement
8. social media/e-media are vital to promoting the show and brand + increase the audience
• this could also be about monetising: SMS/premium rate phone voting or competition entry, but also (freemium?) apps, board games, DVD games etc
• be prepared to draw a website, app or social media home page (or more)
• research existing examples
9. your idea needs to be backed up with evidence from existing, successful game shows

TRAILERS The It remake

This is a side-by-side comparison of the upcoming 2017 version and the original 1990 TV minseries, a useful example of how important UNoriginality plays in a film industry that recognises the difficulty in marketing new ideas, and seeks to draw in secondary older audiences through nostalgia.


...

FILM pitching

Use your practice pitch, and notes/handouts to help develop a strong pitch - the process of presenting a film proposal to film financiers/distributors, trying to convince them to risk money on your movie.

Your pitch should be backed by a PowerPoint or video with plentiful, frequent, relevant illustration.

This needs to be emailed (a YouTube link if video) before the Friday 7th April lesson. You will also Monday's lesson to work on this.

It should address:

1: SYNOPSIS
In no more than 2 sentences, sum up the narrative.
State at least 2 films this has similarities to (explain how), noting their box office + which audience/s you think those examples appeal to.
RESEARCH TIP: if you google 'film title box office https://www.theguardian.com/uk/film' you might find useful analysis on the audience, or just try 'film title audience' - Avatar example1; example2.

TV Game Shows lists and clips

TBC

BBC game shows Wiki;
UK Game Shows (site dedicated to this);




CLIPS

EVERY SECOND COUNTS 1993


CATCHWORD 1989


PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT 1996


SPIN OFF


THE WALL 2011


PASSWORD 1950s


STRIKE IT LUCKY


FAMILY FORTUNES 2000s


FAMILY FEUD





 
SPORTS/PHYSICAL CHALLENGE GAME SHOWS
There have been many of these, from It's a Knockout to Channel 4's disastrous The Jump, a hybrid with reality TV in which contestants kept getting seriously injured (so it was axed).

GLADIATORS 1990s
This became a successful international format/franchise, and even saw international spin-offs, with various national champions facing off against each other.


THE KRYPTON FACTOR 1980/90s + SPECIALS



DATING SHOWS
A classic format, with Blind Date the queen of the format, fuelled by 60s pop star Cilla Black's catchphrases delivered in a broad scouse accent. Take Me Out is a more modern version, losing all the gentleness of its predecessors and putting an unsubtle meat market on screen. Mr and Mrs was a long running, very old-fashioned show.

TAKE ME OUT 2010s


BLIND DATE 1980s


MR AND MRS 1970/80s + 2010s CELEBRITY REMAKE


KIDS/TEENS GAME SHOWS
The format is adopted not just for mainstream mass 'family' audiences (primetime, teatime and lunchtime slots, not to mention endless re-runs throughout the day on channels such as Dave or Challenge, with very occasional post-watershed 'adult' shows too), but also for younger niche audiences. Runaround and Crackerjack are two classic examples, combining quiz and physical competition elements, and Crackerjack being something of a hybrid, almost a variety or chat show with its special guests. 

Blockbusters was a hugely popular quiz show in the 80s and 90s with school and uni students, featuring sixth formers (Year 12/13; age 16-19). Slightly older university level students have become a key part of the audience for other daytime quiz shows, not least Countdown.

RUNAROUND 1970s


CRACKERJACK 1982



BLOCKBUSTERS 1991

...

MUSIC VIDEO audience research

These A2 students created a video survey, embedded below

As this is a new topic for GCSE here, there aren't any past examples to show you - but you can take inspiration from some A2 Media work.

This document, aimed at A2 students, sets out some of the ways you can evidence audience research:

MVid Audience research from DB3igs

Here's the video questionnaire created by some past IGS A2 students, the greenscreen dream team of Amber and Conal; you see further down an example of other students answering this. A video questionnaire is a great way of organising this: it creates buzz, you can open it up to others by sharing the link (ask respondents to simply to note their answers (numbered!) including DN for don't know), and it helps to get a specific focus on music video.


You need to show you TESTED your initial judgement on a suitable target audience, and gathering SOME survey data on whether teens (or others) recognise your genre, artist or specific track is a good starting point. Getting some brief descriptions of what those vaguely familiar with the genre/artist expect to see is also useful.

Warp v Working Title Film examples

EXPLORING THE FILM INDUSTRY FOR ASSIGNMENT 2

We'll watch and compare these two trailers shortly



You can find additional resources in these posts:

• Video of summer 2015 hits + the (UK Indie) posters/trailers from page2 of the handout
• Pitching pointers and gallery of hybrid movies

We'll focus on two contrasting companies to begin exploring this industry.

• Working Title is owned by a huge US conglomerate (company that owns other companies), and so can make high budget movies
• Warp is an Indie (not owned by a larger company), and so makes low budget films

You can see the trump cards below for a selection of these. NOTE: I've blogged on many of these films in much more detail over on my Cinema blog.

Here are the boxofficemojo links for each (this site gives budgets, box office figures):

WORKING TITLE

2 contrasting companies in trump cards (gallery further down)

Bridget Jones's Baby (Maguire, 2016)
Sequel to Bridget Jones' Diary and Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason
Green Zone (Greengrass, 2010)
Marketing of this action/spy thriller tried to tap into the Bond rip-off Bourne's success by focusing on Matt Damon, with disappointing resultd
Hot Fuzz (Wright, 2007)
Second of the 'Cornetto Trilogy' this cop buddy satire was a sizeable hit despite its low budget.
Legend (Helgeland, 2014)
International audiences just weren't familiar with the Kray Twins (real life post-war London gangsters), and so box office was low outwith the UK
Les Miserables (Hooper, 2012)

Global IP/brand + A-list stars = global hit!

The sort of A-list star-studded movie, based on a globally successful IP (the long-running musical), that Indies couldn't dream of, this was a solid success
Notting Hill (Michell, 1999)
The company's second global hit rom-com starred megastar Julia Roberts, and made a star of Hugh Grant, fresh of Four Weddings and a Funeral success.
Paul (Mottola, 2011)
Featuring the (British) Cornetto Trilogy leads, this sci-fi/comedy hybrid used an A-lister (Seth Rogen) and a US setting to boost its US and international appeal
Shaun of the Dead (Wright, 2004)
Still popular with today's teens, the zom-rom-com that kickstarted the Corentto Trilogy
The World's End (Wright, 2013)
The budget was much higher than the previous Cornetto Trilogy movies, but the box office wasn't - I've blogged on why in detail
Theory of Everything (Marsh, 2014)
Typical Working Title: well off white southern English characters in a grand setting, with the romance framework boosting appeal to this biopic of Stephen Hawking.

Budget: just £48k!

WARP FILMS/WARP X
'71 (Demange, 2014)
Set at the start of the Northern Ireland 'Troubles' (armed conflict verging on civil war), this action/thriller could have been a hit with a star or two
Four Lions (Morris, 2010)
Such a bizarre idea: a comedy about a su*icide b*mber! A suprise hit in the UK, but it didn't do well in the US
She a Chinese (Xiaolu, 2011) [no entry]
You can't get much more uncommercial (unlikely to make money) than this: a Chinese woman illegally stays in Britain after running off from an official tour
Submarine (Ayaode, 2010)
Ingenious Welsh teen rom-com
This is England (Meadows, 2006)
The franchise continued on TV, with 3 series of sometimes brutal social realist drama
Tyrannosaur (Considine, 2011)
Another dark drama, despite the (sort-of) romance, it proved a hard sell with its two unglamorous middle-aged leads
Le Donk and Scor-Zay-Zee (Meadows, 2009)
Shane Meadows shot this mockumentary in just 5 days! Its entire budget wouldn't cover the catering on some tentpole Hollywood shoots!

Crossword challenge 1

You can type directly into this; click through to https://crosswordlabs.com/view/gcse-some-major-terms
If you're really stuck, I can give you a list of the words used for answers - though you'll still need to match them up to the right answer!

2017 Y11 crosswords are below the read more link...

FILM POSTER media language to audience analysis

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The high angle and shocked facial expression (of Pegg especially) connotes the vulnerability of the two humans in the picture. As well as a convincing alien figure achieving verisimilitude for this, the sci-fi genre is also signified through the purple/violet circle of light. More anchorage for the genre is given through the graphic design of the 'a' in Paul, featuring an alien figure.
The choice of a white bubble font signifies a less serious tone, and a target audience that includes teens, even though the uses and gratifications theory suggests teens might not so easily identify with the mature adult pair.
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FILM drafts

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2016 poster drafts jan 2017 from DB3igs

CW's alt version:

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MAGAZINE your drafts

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2016 17 mag drafts jan 2017 from DB3igs

Missed HI's (click to expand):

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MAGAZINE audience research - get the advertiser profiles!

Just above this caption you'll see 'Media Pack' - this is for advertisers, detailing the readership of the magazine (Conde Nast Britain)

Most magazines take in more revenue from advertising than from the cover price (from which, don't forget, distributors and retailers get their cut!).

In a very real sense, if you go out and buy a magazine, you're not buying anything ... you're being sold to advertisers!

Giant multinational conglomerate Time Inc. UK boast to advertisers of their music mag Uncut readership's spending habits

At A-Level we look at theories such as Noam Chomsky's 'propaganda model' which argues advertisers play a highly ideological role in the media industry, acting as a 'filter' to keep out radical ideas that might threaten the rich and powerful.

Part of Dennis Publishing's blurb on 1 of their many titles

For GCSE, just be aware that they play a key role in magazine branding: every title is seeking to attract an audience that will appeal to certain advertisers. This might be niche (narrow, specific, highly selective) or mainstream (broad, general) but the bottom line is that advertisers will not risk wasting valuable resources paying for space in a magazine that doesn't fit their customer profile. They MUST know who they'll be reaching with their ads - the age range, gender and income levels at a minimum.

Part of Haymarket Media's advertiser pitch for glossy footie mag FourFourTwo

Therefore, magazine publishers are under pressure to provide detailed information, including demographic data (the % of readers within categories such as age, gender, income) to advertisers. This can often be found on the main websites of publishers, and accessing some examples should help you make your own audience analysis much more sophisticated.

Bauer, one of the leading UK publishers, provides advertisers with an interactive tool to match their needs to magazine brands!

Just a few of the many magazine brands owned by Time Inc. UK

To find these you need to know who the major magazine publishers are. In the UK, the focus for this blog, these change over time as there are mergers, closures and launches of new titles and categories too, but at the time of writing that includes (with examples of their publications):

Future (MacFormat, PC Gamer - here's a full list)

Bauer UK (Empire, Grazia, Kerrang! - audience finder; case studies)

Conde Nast Britain (Vogue, GQ - here's the GQ Media Pack)

DC Thomson (WWE Kids Magazine, Shout - Shout [girls mag] Media Pack - scroll to the bottom of main site for full list of titles)

Dennis Publishing (Cyclist, Cross Stitcher, PC Pro)

Haymarket Media Group (Autocar, FourFourTwo, Senior Living)

Hearst Magazines UK (Good Living, Hello, Cosmopolitan, Inside Soap - rate card for Elle)

Time Inc. UK (NME, Golf Monthly, Yachting World, Women's Weekly)

Find more magazines by using online shops such as this.