Mark Kermode Film Industry Videos

Part 1:

-There are lots of complications with making a movie including media threats from the press.

-The film industry has to basically re-invent itself every year.

-High-risk, high-return business.

-Hollywood Studios are conglomerates and look to produce movies and work with brands that will spread worldwide.

-British film industries are like service providers for the American conglomerates. 

-Screen writers are the basis to all films.

-Screenplays will be re-written thousands of times before they are perfect.

-Actors and directions all come and go during the process of pre-production.

-Development is a long process because trends and ideas change all the time.

-Warner Bros. paid £10 million each to the actors of Spider man Lives which, in the end, was never made.  

-Movies must have a good script to be successful. 

-Directors have list of actors that desire to be in their film however the financial team don't always agree depending on the budget and how much the actor requires to be in the film. 

-Fixed ideas of actors from the director is always a mistake as if they can't afford that actor the won't be as involved in the film.

-Some people believe that if the director loves a film so much they should fund it.

Part 2:

-All audiences are different, some go with the current trendy films whereas others prefer originality. 

-Sequels are risky as they could let the audiences from the first film down.

-7/10 highest grossing films in 2012 were sequels.

-Independent films in the UK are paid for through companies like the BFI. 

-Timing, marketing, audience and distractions all effect when a film comes out.

-UK government give a percentage a film took in back to it. 

-Aside from tax credits, a crucial part played in the financing of the film is by the sales agent who sells the distribution rights.

-Films are made by production companies and screened by cinemas but the two are linked by distributors.

-Independent companies have to have many distribution deals which is done by the sales agent who estimates the distribution rights and assess the risk with distributing a film.

-Raising funding for an independent film company or first time director is hard as they need help to fund their film and produce it all.

-The public also help a film to make money as if they buy tickets to view it in the cinema the production company or director can make money.

-Now an everlasting list of investors that are financing some of the best independent films e.g. American Hustle financed by Megan Ellerson. 

-Buyers who want action films don't see women as good directors which is why women struggle to get films financed more. 

-Cinemas will show whatever sells and most people want to see Hollywood films.

-91% spent at box office goes to the studios.

-300 million dollars in China alone, Transformers 2014

Part 3:

-Movies are normally judged on their opening weekend.

-Production is now part of the promotion of the film.

-Some films are so talked about it influences more people to go and see it even after the opening weekend just so they can be involved in these discussions.

-Getting the stars on magazine covers and talk shows helps to make the film more of an event so it makes it seem that you can't miss this film.

-Every single other distributor is competing against one another and are trying to do the same thing.

-The trailer of a movie can be an event on its own.

-Some people think that all the funny jokes or endings are in the trailer which can ruin the film for the audience or draw them in even further.

-With a rapidly expanding cinema audience, China is now the 2nd largest box office in the World.

-Transformers was the biggest sold movie in 2014 because it targeted this audience as it was filmed in Hong Kong and some extras were picked up from a Chinese reality show. 

-15-35 year olds are the most common cinema audience.

-Window of release, time from America release to English or cinema to DVD.

-Video on demand challenges this as you can stream movies on the same day as it's theatrical release and watch it in the comfort of your own home.

-Some people think if a DVD came out the same day as a film came out in the cinema, the cinemas would be completely empty. 

-The effort of marketing really matters to promote films.

-Britain try to make original content not compete with Hollywood.

-When it comes down to showing films, the future is simultaneous distribution with audiences choosing when, where and how they watch their movies.

Evaluate the role of digital technologies in the marketing and consumption of products in the media area you have studied.

Disney is a multi-media conglomerate that has been around since the 1920’s and has expanded to become the well known industry it is today. It is vertically intergrated, having control of all the processes of making and showing it’s movies. It also owns it’s own companies to promote any of it’s creations – some even established by Disney itself, such as Disney Channel, Disney Media Networks and even theme parks and shops.

 During the production stage of Disney movies including new Star wars the force Awakens owned by new subsidiary Lucas film which they bought in 2012 for $4.05 billion, the role of digital technology is used to get the best out of the movie being created, such as CGI and live action, and Star Wars being part of a 10 movie industry based upon a SCI-FI outer space opera uses a mixture of CGI, face capture and blue screen mixed with live action to bring their universe alive. These go well when marketing a film by releasing a trailer, as the audience get a view of what has been incorporated in the film. Although the first Force awakens trailer released an action-packed trailer full with a mix of new characters as well as the nostalgic John Willaims score and introduction of the original characters Han Solo and Chewbacca, the director, JJ Abrams, failed to include a story along with it, to recreate the period of technology when the originals came out, not able to get all these spoilers and information about the film before it can come out, JJ wanted to recreate the magic and mystery that the 1970's had in film as technology like YouTube and on-line websites couldn't ruin films for audiences, as he personally felt that the magic in the film industry had been taken away by more modern technologies, this was affective in marketing as audiences went into the cinema with only speculation on what the film could be, which made the film only more talked about making it trend even more, with every trailer beating records set by the last trailer for the most views in 24 hours on a youtube video trailer.

Furthermore, digital technologies were also used for viral marketing, as images of a real life sized Millennium Falcon, which is a ship that fans would instantly recognise and associate with ‘Star wars’ was leaked online, which meant fans could spread the pictures and publicity for the film was being created due to this association of a well-known actor and a vehicle from the films, so this is part of synergy, and digital technologies effectively helped to market the product, so it is very important for technologies to be involved in marketing. This also created "hype" for the film as fans online went hysterical knowing that there could be a chance for the original cast coming back, as this image was released before any details of the cast were also released.

Digital technologies are important in the consumption of the product as well, as many members of audiences would use it in order to view the product. As part of the exhibition of ‘The falling’, it was released in August 2015 on DVD, Blu-ray, 3-D Blu-ray and was available for digital download. This meant that that the audience members, mainly male and female aged under 25 in these two quadrants of the four, would be able to view the film in a way that appealed to them, as they could download it from iTunes, and provide digital technologies they couldn’t do so to consume the film, so the role is very important. In addition to this, Digital technology allows for apps for phones and tablets to be created and downloaded, as part of marketing the media product. This is extremely beneficial for both institutions and audiences.

The force awakens hasn't released on Blu-ray currently and there were apps created for ‘The Force awakens’ that could not have been made without digital technologies. The app included a ‘virtual reality’ of the scenes, in which users could walk around their favourite sets from the film, and there was another called ‘Disney infinity 3.0’, which was available to download from the App Store on iTunes. This allowed the audience to consume the product of disney toys and allow users to play with their favourite characters from star wars against favourite characters from other disney movies, this synergy allows users in a different way and interact ‘The Avengers’ franchise, Pixar films and as well as the star wars franchise, and as technology has developed, it meant a greater audience was being targeted and the role of digital technologies in marketing and consumption is extremely vital in generating awareness and create an appeal. 

 In the distribution stage, it is faster and more efficient to distribute your movie by digital means rather then by film reels. This also allows for more places to show your movie and for your movie to get a better review and promotion by the best method of marketing – word of mouth. Digital distribution also helps to get your movie out and exhibited on a deadline that is specified. Not only does this mean that you receive praise for not delaying the films exhibition, but you also can arrange special previews which boosts your marking. These could be made to be prize-draw previews creating digital competition so that people are aware of the movie’s release and will get them eager to see it.

 Finally, the exhibition is the part that confirms if the movie is a hit or flop. Usually, reviews are given via cross-media purposes but opinions on the film are also done by word of mouth. The proliferation of cross-media formats has made it easier for people to see movie reviews on sites such as rotten tomatoes, IMDB and the like. These also have apps, twitters and other forms so it is available on mobiles. People will be able to see whether a film is worth watching while at the cinema. Films can also be exhibited on websites like Netflix or Lovefilm – so doing premiers on such sites may further increase the movies popularity.

To conclude, the role of digital technologies has a large impact on the marketing and product consumption in my media area as the proliferation of technologies has now become so advanced that people are affected by this on a daily basis, making promoting products and film easier, and since Disney are a vertically intergrated, conglonerate they can use synergy to promote their movies/products, making it twice as easy for them.



The falling was released on blu-ray on 24th august 2015

Distribution of films

The force awakens

On November 28, 2014, Lucasfilm released a 90-second teaser trailer to promote The Force Awakens. It was screened in selected cinemas across the United States and Canada and in theaters worldwide in December 2014. It was also released on YouTube and the iTunes Store, generating a record 58.2 million views on YouTube in its first week. Critics compared the brief footage favourably to the production values of the original trilogy.

 The Hollywood Reporter called the trailer "perfectly potent nostalgia", praising its mix of old and new.

Empire was impressed by the continuity with the first films – "the feel of classic Star Wars" – but noted the absence of Hamill, Ford, and Fisher and speculated about the significance of the new characters.The Guardian wrote that the use of the Star Wars fanfare by John Williams reinforced brand loyalty among fans.

Vanity Fair was the first magazine to release an exclusive cover issue devoted to The Force Awakens. The magazine, released on May 7, 2015, featured exclusive interviews and photos of the cast photographed by Annie Leibovitz.

 At the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con International, in addition to a panel with many of the actors, a behind-the-scenes look at the film demonstrated the film's use of practical sets and effects. It was positively received, with Nigel M. Smith of The Guardian writing: "The featurette's angle is a strong one and connects with fans of the original trilogy in an incredibly poignant way. It also does a sly job of teasing Fisher's new look as Leia and Simon Pegg's mysterious involvement as a rumored alien in the movie, without actually showing the actors in action." 

Smith compared the marketing strategy for the film to that of a previous Abrams film, Super 8, saying "the promos... are notable for what they tease, not what they give away."On December 11, 2014, Abrams and Kennedy released a series of eight mock Topps trading cards revealing the names of several characters. On April 16, 2015, a second teaser trailer, this one lasting two minutes, was shown at the opening panel at the Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said the reaction to the trailer was "staggering... the entire room of almost eight thousand people just leapt to their feet and roared, I mean I can't think of anything I've ever been to – other than a rock concert – that felt quite like that." The trailer was viewed over 88 million times within the first 24 hours of release, breaking the record.

According to the Guinness World Records, the second teaser trailer amassed 30.65 million in 24 hours, setting a new world record for the "most viewed movie trailer on YouTube in 24 hours."The event was broadcast live by Verizon on YouTube, StarWars.com and in movie theaters. The trailer shows many of the new characters and the first footage of Chewbacca and Han Solo. 

The Huffington Post's Graham Milne wrote that the trailer "was an affirmation of something that we'd long been told was never going to happen. This was a gift. This was faith rewarded. About damn time."

Walt Disney Studios and Lucasfilm presented a look at The Force Awakens at Disney's D23 Expo in August 2015. Drew Struzan—who designed the poster artwork for the previous Star Wars films—produced a commemorative poster given to the event's attendees. In October 2015, Lucasfilm unveiled the theatrical release poster and a third trailer. 

The poster omitted Luke Skywalker and revealed a Death Star-like "orb." The trailer debuted during the halftime break of Monday Night Football, before being released online. The reaction to the trailer by fans on social media was "frenzied", with Lizo Mzimba of the BBC writing that "perhaps the most significant thing about the final trailer before the film's release is how little of the story it reveals." Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph felt the trailer was "a perfect blend of old and new, in keeping with the old-fashioned Star Wars aesthetic." The trailer received 128 million views in 24 hours, a new record for the most views of a trailer in 24 hours. 

16 million of the views came from its airing on Monday Night Football. At the end of October, Air France announced a "Flight and Cinema" package, providing customers who book select flights to Paris transportation to a theatre to see the film, since France is one of the first countries to release the film On November 6, a Japanese trailer for the film was released. After seeing the new trailer Forbes' Ollie Barder stated the trailer gave him "hope" that the film would not "let us all down like the prequels did... [with] a worthwhile story this time." 

On November 23, a partnership with Google was announced, in which Google users could choose to affiliate themselves with either the Dark or Light Side, which would change the appearance of their Google websites. Additionally, Disney teamed up with Verizon to create a virtual-reality experience for Google Cardboard.

On December 17, 2015, select theaters across North America aired a Star Wars marathon, airing the six previous Star Wars episode films in 2D, followed by The Force Awakens in 3D. Attendees received a special lanyard featuring exclusive marathon art.

BBFC 12A rating for

VIOLENCE

There are frequent scenes of moderate violence, including use of blasters and lightsabers, and dogfights between spaceships. Sight of blood and injury detail is limited and brief.

THREAT

Occasional scenes of moderate threat include characters being interrogated using 'the Force', which it is implied causes them pain, and characters being held at lightsaber-point.

There is infrequent use of very mild bad language ('hell', 'damn').

The falling

BBFC 15 rating for

sex

The strongest sex scene features significant thrusting and partial buttock nudity, although there is no strong detail. In other scenes, sexual activity is mainly implied, with an emphasis on characters' faces, rather than on any mechanical detail. One scene is incestuous. A man is also seen with his hands down his trousers, implying masturbation, although once again there is no strong detail.

There are also strong verbal sex references to orgasms and virginity.

Distribution

What are the FDA?

Film Distributors' Association Ltd. (FDA) is the trade body for theatrical film distributors in the UK - the companies that release films for UK  cinema audiences.

Originally established in London in 1915, FDA liaises and works with many individuals, companies and organisations. FDA's Council, or board, comprising a senior representative of each member company, normally meets six times a year and considers only matters of generic interest to film distributors.

FDA is a voice for UK film distribution

We represent a distribution stance in regular representations to and consultations with the BFI, the government and other trade organisations in the film industry. We are also a passionate advocate of distributors' pivotal role in the well-being of the whole film economy.

We are a founder member of Cinema First Ltd, a generic marketing body which works to increase and broaden the UK cinema audience across the board.

Film is an influential, dynamic part of the UK's creative economy and FDA is engaged in the industry's on-going efforts to combat film piracy and theft. We are members of the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) and the Alliance for IP. Visit our dedicated section on film piracy.

We are also represented on the British Screen Advisory Council (BSAC), a forum for the discussion of policy issues affecting the audio-visual industries.

FDA is a substantial supporter of the UK film industry - geared mainly towards the next generation of filmmakers and audiences

We are a long-standing key sponsor of the National Film & Television School at Beaconsfield Studios, whose graduates usually populate the crews of several feature films released in UK cinemas each year.

What is a Distributor?

 In terms of shorts, a distributor is an individual or organisation who will represent your film at festivals and markets around the world and who will attempt to sell it to television (including terrestrial, cable and satellite), airlines and other companies that show short films. The major short film distributors in the UK are (in alphabetical order): Dazzle, Futureshorts, Network Ireland TV and Shorts International.

In terms of features, a distributor is generally an organisation who handles the theatrical release of a film in a particular country as well as the marketing and circulation of films for home viewing (DVD, Video-On-Demand, Download, Television etc). Often feature films have different distributors representing them in different territories and different distributors handling the home-viewing circulation. Independent film distribution in the UK is generally managed by indie distributors such as Metrodome, Optimum Releasing and Momentum.

For a film to be distributable, you will need to make sure you have all the right assets in place. As well as assets, distributors will require a clear paper chain - clear contracts and license deals so that they know that you are legally allowed to sell all the different elements of your film on to a third party


Distribution Deals
 It is up to you to negotiate the rights a distributor will acquire in your film i.e. you may want to hold back distribution rights in certain territories. If you conclude a deal it should be formalised in a written distribution agreement. Some clauses to look out for are:

Territory: this specifies the countries in which the film can be distributed by the distributor.

Term: this sets out the period of time the distributor will hold distribution rights in the film.

Rights granted: the agreement should distinguish between the media rights granted to the distributor (theatrical, video and DVD, television rights etc.) and those media rights which are reserved to the producer e.g. radio rights. You should determine whether the rights granted are exclusive or non-exclusive. If you agree to exclusive rights, it will stop you allowing others to show your film within the specified media/territory/term.

Producer's warranties and representations: the producer will be asked to provide assurances that there is no infringement of copyright. 

Gross receipts: this means all monies actually received by the distributor from the exploitation of the film before any deductions have been made.

Net proceeds: this is the amount payable to the producer from the proceeds derived from the exploitation of the film after costs incurred by the distributor have been deducted. Costs can include distributor fees, commission and expenses.

Expense caps: there should be expense caps in order to prevent the distributor claiming unreasonable amounts, which would reduce the amount left for the producer to recoup.
Distributor's obligations: Distributors should use their best efforts to realise gross receipts from marketing and exploitation of the film.
Accounting: The distributor should be under obligations to maintain accurate and true records of sales and expenditure and the producer should have the right to receive regular accounting statements on the film. 

Termination: You should pay special attention to the circumstances in which you can terminate the relationship with the distributor. If your distribution agreement is for a long period of time and a better deal comes along during that period, the wording of such a clause will often determine as to whether you can end the existing agreement.


UK film distribution guide
You may hear or read a great deal about some actors and filmmakers. You may go regularly to local cinemas and watch lots of films at home.

But did you know that, right at the heart of the film industry, there's a dynamic sector working to deliver the largest possible audience to every new release? This is the distribution sector andGet the full picture!Get the full picture! it's vital to the health of the whole film economy.

 Distribution is the highly competitive business of launching and sustaining films in the market place. Like other forms of entertainment, the film business is product-driven: the films themselves are the reason why most people buy cinema tickets. But how do people get to know about the range of films on offer, or coming soon, in the first place?

 How do they come to feel they want to see particular films and go to the cinema to do so? UK film distributors alone spend around £300 million a year on bringing new releases to market, and building awareness and interest among audiences. It's a fast-moving, highly competitive, high-stakes business.