Film C1

23/2/24

Film Industry

L/O: to explore the aims and conventions of film posters

Do Now

• Warner Bros
• 20th Century Fox
• Universal pictures
• Disney
• Pixar
• A24
• Blumhouse
• Lucasfilm
• Sony
• Marvel Studios
• Paramount
• Dreamworks

Terminology

• Franchise - a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe
• Distributor - the company responsible for the marketing and distribution of a film
• Hollywood Major - large film industries that dominate Hollywood (Universal, Disney, Paramount)
• Teaser - a way of advertising a film by releasing a teaser months before the release of a film, initiating interest in a film with small details only
• Montage - a film technique for putting together a series of short shots that create an ultimate picture
• Ensemble Cast - a group of principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time; there is not always a main protagonist 
• Tentpole Film - a very high budget film which is expected to be very successful in order to support smaller, riskier productions.
• High-Concept - High-concept films sell themselves on an attractively simple yet compelling ideas.
• Enigma - elements of a movie that encourage the audience to keep watching such as mysteries/clues.

Research: INDUSTRY

1. The Big 5 Hollywood studios are: Disney, Universal, Sony, Paramount and Warner Bros.
2. The main aim of a film marketing campaign is to entice and excite the audience, give away slight details about the film and the plot, and to encourage people to actually go and watch it.
3. Marketing techniques such as trailers, posters, press releases, merchandise and TV advertisements are often used for film marketing.
4. A film poster needs to convey the title, actors, release date, tagline, genre, main characters, clues to the narrative, and where it is set.
5. The difference between a teaser poster and a theatrical poster is that a teaser poster doesn't contain much information about the movie, with not a lot of text, just a main simple image, whereas a theatrical poster contains a lot of text and information about the movie with a more complicated main image.
6. 
   Star Wars, Twilight, Harry Potter and the Avengers are all recent film franchises.

   
   
    
   
   
   
   
   

 

Homework

• Writer & inspiration - Ian Fleming, his own experiences during the war and the fellow soldiers, officers, and spies he came to know. 
• Timeline of films - 

1. Dr No (1962)
2. From Russia with Love (1963)
3. Goldfinger (1964)
4. Thunderball (1965)
5. You Only Live Twice (1967)
6. 007 On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
7. Diamonds are Forever (1971)
8. Live and Let Die (1973)
9. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
10. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
11. Moonraker (1979)
12. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
13. Octopussy (1983)
14. Never Say Never Again (1983)
15. A View To A Kill (1985)
16. The Living Daylights (1987)
17. License To Kill (1989)
18. GoldenEye (1995)
19. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
20. The World is Not Enough (1999)
21. Die Another Day (2002)
22. Casino Royale (2006)
23. Quantum of Solace (2008)
24. Skyfall (2012)
25. Spectre (2015)
26. No Time to Die (2021)

• Main characters - 

1. M.
2. Q.
3. Felix Leiter.
4. Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
5. Bill Tanner.
6. Sir Frederick Gray.
7. General Gogol.
8. Jaws.

• Typical storylines - He's a suave British spy and womanizer who is always sent on the hardest missions. His world is full of international intrigue, double-crosses, and elaborate fight scenes. He has the best cars, gadgets, lovers, and villains.
• Main themes/genres - Noir crime fiction, action
• Actors who played Bond - Daniel Craig, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Sean Connery, Timothy Dalton.
• Typical target audience - 12-40 year old males

28/2/24

Film Posters

L/O: to analyse the film poster set texts effectively 

Do Now

• James Bond is a British spy agent who is sent on difficult missions. 
• No Time to Die is the newest instalment in the franchise
• It's a well-known action franchise

Context - No Time to Die

• No Time to Die was released in the UK on the 30th September 2021, starring Daniel Craig as 007; this is his 5th and final performance as Bond. The release was significantly delayed from April 2020 but due to the pandemic it was pushed back. 
• The film was produced by the British company EON, and distributed by Universal.
• The film's budget was an estimated $250-301 million, making it the most expensive Bond film to date. So far it has grossed over $774 million worldwide at the box office,
• The poster was designed by Empire Designs, a British film promotion agency. The first teaser poster for the film was released on James Bond day, 5th October 2019, as part of a global marketing campaign for the film.

Main Image and Mise-en-scene

• Montage of characters suggesting an ensemble cast
• The larger size of the male lead shows that he is the hero of the story
• The central, secondary character in the image displays a sinister look, connoting to the fact he is the villain of the story, and is the second largest character in the poster
• The mise-en-scene in the poster such as the flaming car and guns shows that it is an action movie
• The way in which the characters are typically either wearing suits or formal wear emphasises that it is a spy movie
• Woman holding a gun, with a military costume, connoting that she is an agent, which is not conventional for historical Bond films as women were presented as quite sexy and were objectified, indicating to a new take on the films.
• All of the people's expressions are serious and calm, suggesting they are in control and are experts.
• Direct address used to show a personal connection with the audience.
• Exotic location - typical settings for action/adventure movies

Colour Palette

• Colour palette of oranges and blues suggests evil and good, a villain and a hero
• Contrast of warm and cool colours - binary opposites
• Orange links to action - connotations of fire and explosions common to the genre
• Blue could connote to a lack of emotion as it is a cold colour, or relate to cool, level-headedness
• Blue suggests a sombre mood, gritty

Typography

• Block capitals are typically masculine and action-type fonts, and also could connote to war themes as it is similar to a military stencil font

Release Date

• The original release date of the film is during the easter holidays, due to more people being available to go to the cinema during that time, encouraging a mass audience for the opening week as it is very important to the film's overall success.

Logo

• The same logo has been used throughout the franchise, and therefore is familiar to fans, generating attention towards the poster and film.
• The 007 with the gun is very iconic and recognisable
• Darker colour suggests a more sombre tone than typical Bond films
• Holds connotations of the entire franchise
• Blue colour links in and matches the colour of the poster
• Bond is placed in front of the 007, showing that he himself is 007, but also that you don't need to see the whole logo to recognise it.
• The smaller gold logo has connotations of luxury and wealth.

Film Title

• "No Time To Die" - suggests the film is action-packed and fast paced but also could give off a more sombre tone as it shows it's not a good time to die, or that someone could potentially die

Film Poster Conventions

• Doesn't match film poster conventions in terms of the fact that it doesn't include actor names - could be due to the fact it is more of an ensemble cast or that the actors are recognisable.

1/3/24

Film Posters

L/O: to analyse the film poster set texts effectively.

Do Now

1. James Bond is a spy for the British SS
2. The target audience is men aged 12-40
3. He has many advanced gadgets
4. There are a lot of films in the franchise
5. M is his boss

Intertextuality

The montage design, where separate images are laid over each other, references previous Bond films, providing a sense of familiarity, nostalgia and pleasure to fans who recognise the link. The 007 logo acts as an intertextual link between No Time to Die and previous Bond films. It has become synonymous with Bond.

It is significant that there is no intertextual reference to Ian Fleming on this poster - this is a departure from the previous Bond films, signifying No Time to Die is not based on one of his original books. 

1. Italy is exotic, and is where part of the movie is set, connoting to it being an action movie as they are typically set in foreign countries. Also, there are other exotic locations on the poster, showing that the film takes place in many different exciting places.
2. On the poster, we can spot Propp's theory: the hero (Bond), the villain, the princess 
3. Questions could arise such as why there is a flaming car, who is the guy behind the mask, who are the new characters etc.
4. There are clues about what the narrative might contain through the locations and the fact they all look serious.

Representation Context

• James Bond is an action hero who, since the 1960s, has been constructed to embody historical stereotypes such as strength, skill, independence, etc.
• The representation of women in the franchise has also historically been stereotypical: 'Bond Girls', who are the beautiful 'love interests' for Bond, are often insignificant to the narrative and ultimately disposable.
• The representation of gender in the Bond franchise has evolved over time, to an extent, in a bid to reflect the changing social context. It would be useful to consider the poster for The Man With the Golden Gun here.
• Craig's Bond is noy as sexist and overtly stereotypical as the earlier incarnations of the character and reflects some contemporary notions of masculinity as his Bond is older, more thoughtful and shows more signs of vulnerability. The poster, however, only lightly reflects some of these character developments and continues to represent Bond as the familiar action hero.
• Hollywood's representation of race and ethnicity has shifted significantly over the decades. Mainstream audience expectations have changed because of numerous events and individuals.
• Aston Martin has a longstanding brand relationship with the James Bond franchise. In NTTD several different models appear, but not in the poster. 
• Dr Madeleine Swann is pictured twice on the poster, a french psychiatrist and one of Bond's love interests, she would be recognisable to fans, as she also appeared in Spectre.
• James Bond has retired to Jamaica in NTTD, and his 007 title is re-assigned to a new MI6 agent, Nomi. This was widely reported before the launch of the film and the announcement of a black, female 007 led to a minority of racists trolling the actor online.

 Stereotypes

• Stereotypical Bond girl (attractive, dress), geek (glasses, nerdy clothes), action hero and villain (mask, gun) are included in the poster.
• The villain has deformities, stereotypical for a Bond movie
• The Aston Martin is stereotypical for a Bond movie as they are the main use of transport for Bond.
• The fact we can only see side of Bond's face shows that there may be another side to him, maybe a more emotional side that isnt seen in the previous representations of him.

Representations of Gender

• The fact that the new 007 agent is a female is anti-stereotypical for a Bond movie, as women were often objectified, and as she is higher up on the poster shows that she is on the same sort of level as Bond is
• The representation of the Bond girl is stereotypical as she is wearing a dress and is attractive, which is conventional for a Bond film.
• Bond himself is pictured 3 times, and in all instances he is pictured to be strong, dominant, a hero, masculine.
• Bond doesn't have a weapon in any of the pictures in the poster, which could suggest that he himself is the weapon, showing how strong he is
• Male-dominated aspect of the franchise shown through the larger pictures being male, both main protagonist and antagonist are both male
• All women are represented as beautiful - conventional for Bond films

Representations of ethnicity

• It is historically anti-stereotypical for a Bond film to involve a black woman
• The cast is quite diverse, including a range of ethnicities - unconventional - shows the shift in Hollywood
• The cast is predominantly white - typical for Bond movies - but it shows a wider range of ethnicities than regular Bond posters
• Safin's ethnicity is not white-british, conventional for Bond movies as villains are usually opposite to Bond, with an accent or differing skin colour etc

Representations of age

• Bond is older than his previous incarnations, which is anti-stereotypical for a James Bond film in the franchise - wisdom, experience - and in contrast to this, the rest of the cast are younger
• There are no children or elderly people, stereotypical for Bond films

Representations of sexuality

• No specific representations of any sexuality - although we do know that Bond is heterosexual

6/3/24

Do Now

Stereotypical characteristics for a male hero in a spy movie:

• Attractive
• Suave
• Articulate
• Intelligent
• Well-trained
• Formal
• Expert
• Detached from regular life
• Calm under pressure
  
  
  

Homework

The poster for No Time to Die (NTTD) communicates multiple meanings through the use of imagery. One way in which imagery is utilised is through the use of character hierarchy, as we can see that the male lead is the largest and highest up character in the poster, symbolising his importance and vitality to the main narrative. We can see this character hierarchy used also in the villain's image, as he is the secondary image in the montage, connoting to his rivalry with the male lead. These are used effectively in order to portray to the audience the dominant characters of the narrative, if they haven't ever seen any Bond movie before. This plays into film poster stereotypes due to the fact that this style of action movie poster is conventional for the genre.

The poster for NTTD communicates multiple meanings through the use mise-en-scene. One way in which mise-en-scene is utilised is through the characters' attire: they are all dressed in formalwear. This form of clothing connotes to sophistication and wealth, but is also a conventional clothing choice for typical spy-action movies. Another way in which mise-en-scene is used is to portray to the audience that the film is of the action genre, as they include: fire, explosions, guns, exotic locations etc. All of these elements have the connotations of violence and are typical of action movies. I think that the producers have made these decisions in order to inform the target audience of potential themes and plot-lines, but could also be to entice them into watching by utilising exciting, action-packed images. 

The poster for NTTD communicates multiple meanings through the use of layout and design. One way in which this is used is through typography: the block-capital sans-serif font represents the genre of the move (action) but also could be connoting to the target audience - males from ages 12-40 - as it is a stereotypically masculine type font. A different interpretation of the font could be that it holds links to war, due to the way that it looks like a military stencil style. This could be seen as stereotypical for a film poster of the action genre, but the fact that no actor's names are included anywhere on the poster is unconventional: this may just be because the actors featured on the poster are recognisable, or it could connote to the fact that the film has an ensemble cast. 

8/3/24

Film Posters

L/O: To analyse a historical film poster effectively.

Do Now

Stereotypes you would expect to see in an older bond film:

• Objectification of women - e.g. the Bond Girls not having much of a role except to be attractive
• Villain having a deformity
• Sexist/misogynistic 
• Outdated, ethnic stereotypes
• Heteronormative

Context - The Man with the Golden Gun

• The Man With the Golden Gun is a James Bond film released on 19 December 1974, starring Roger Moore as 007. This was only Moore's second appearance as 007.
• Based on the book of the same name, written by Ian Fleming, was produced by British company Eon, and distributed by United Artists. 
• Created with an estimated 7 million dollar budget, and grossed over 97 million in the box office. 
• To reflect the popularity of the martial arts film genre, there were several kung fu scenes in the film and it was filmed predominantly in Asia. 
• The artwork for the poster was produced by Robert McGinnis.
• Prior to the 1990s, illustrations were more commonly used on film posters due to the limited technology that was available.
• Th film was set in the middle of the 1973 energy crisis, when the oil producing Arab nations refused to sell their oil causing an oil crisis that had both short and long term effects across politics and the economy across the globe. This is hinted at through the poster's iconography of the power plant in the lower left and the energy beam directed at Bond. 
  
  
  

Media Language

• They have used a montage of images to show the premise of the movie as it is of the action genre to the audience as well as main characters, villains and locations.
• The fact that Bond is the central image of the poster connotes to the fact he is the main protagonist of the film; the gun Bond is holding connotes to violence and action, his costume is formal such as a businessman's is, showing that he is very sophisticated and is a professional and has the attire of a typical spy; Bond's facial expression is very serious connoting to the fact he has very important business, and his direct address forms a personal connection with the audience.
• The connotations of the man holding the golden gun could be that he is the villain; the fact he is faceless makes him seem mysterious and possibly elusive. Also, the fact that the bullet he is holding has a "007" engraved on it implies that the bullet has been made specifically to kill him, establishing the man with the golden gun as the villain. The gun is gold, connoting to luxury and wealth. 
• The text is used to appeal to different types of audiences because many people will know who Roger Moore is, even if you don't watch Bond films, and Bond fans will recognise the "Ian Fleming" as well as the main title of the movie's mention, as it will appeal to fans of the books.
• Enigma codes are created such as:
• Who is the man with the golden gun?
• Why is there a laser pointed at Bond? 
• What is the explosion in the background?
• Why does the man with the golden gun want to kill Bond specifically?
• The Propp's character types we can see are: 
• The hero: Bond
• The princess: the women in bikinis
• The villain: the man holding the gun, the man in the laser seat
• The action/adventure genre conventions created are:
• Explosions
• Weapons
• Exotic location
• Karate/kung fu fighting

Exam Style Question: (b)

In "The Man With the Golden Gun" poster, mise-en-scene is used to create meanings. One example of this is through the use of the golden gun: the colour palette of gold suggests luxury and wealth, suggesting the villain could possibly be quite an affluent character, and the fact that the bullet has an engraved "007" placed on it gives the audience the impression that the man with the golden gun is the antagonist of the film, as it implies that the bullet was specifically designed to kill Bond, which creates the enigma codes of why the villain wants to specifically target James Bond. The fact that there is a weapon included in the first place immediately informs the audience that this movie is of the action genre.  Another element of mise-en-scene used is the use of costumes: Bond's attire is very formal, connoting that he is a sophisticated and wealthy character, but also that he is a spy due to the fact that tuxedos and suits are very commonly used in spy films. 

13/3/24

Film Posters

L/O: to analyse a historical film poster effectively

Do Now

1. Black suit - sophistication, wealth, formality, classic
2. The colour gold - luxury, royalty, riches
3. A power plant - pollution, radioactivity, fumes 

Representation Context

• At the start of the 20th century, many depictions of minority ethnic groups supported the dominant stereotypes of the time: to pitied, to be laughed at, the exotic and/or dangerous.
• While society was progressing towards racial equality by the 1970s, some of these stereotypes were still evident in mainstream films.
• In addition, it's interesting to consider this context of the move towards gender equality and increased women's rights in the 1960s and 1970s.

Representation

  Stereotypes -

• James Bond is represented as the stereotypical spy, dressed in the conventional formal black-tie suit.
• The poster plays into the stereotypical action-movie conventions: explosions, exotic locations, weapons, fighting.
• The typography is also stereotypical for the time frame as sans serif, block capital fonts were often used as they are easy to read.

Representations of gender - 

• Women are highly sexualised and objectified in the Bond poster, as they are seen wearing barely any clothes. This is stereotypical for Bond movies as women were often unimportant to the plot and only used for sexual scenes.
• Men are represented stereotypically as strong, respected, high-status, as the lead characters like the villain and the hero are both men. This is what a man was expected to be at the time. 
• A way in which women are anti-stereotypically portrayed is through the woman in the middle who is fighting, which is unconventional as women were seen as weak and unable to fight.

Representations of ethnicity - 

• The cast is predominantly white, which is stereotypical for Bond films but also for the time as in the 1970s, barely any other ethnicity other than white could be seen in film.
• The fact that a person of a different ethnicity is fighting in the poster plays into stereotypes due to the stereotype that minority ethnic groups were exotic and dangerous. 

Representations issues and events - 

• There is a power plant involved in the poster, which reflects the global energy crisis of the 1970s where oil was not being distributed.

Feminist perspective - 

• The portrayal of women in the poster plays into the male gaze theory, as they are objectified for almost a decoration or male pleasure.

15/3/24

Film Industry

L/O: to explore the process of film making

Do Now

• Production - the process of creating the film itself 
• Distribution - when a film is published/released on multiple platforms by a distributor
• Marketing - a form of promotion for a film, includes things such as posters or merchandise
• Exhibition - when a film is shown 

The film industry is broken down into three main processes:

1. Production
2. Distribution and Marketing
3. Circulation

Sometimes different companies will complete each process for a film.

• E.g. Film4 produces it, Studio Canal distributes and markets it and all cinemas show it.

Some big film companies (conglomerates) will complete all three processes for a film. This is known as vertical integration. This is a good thing for big conglomerates as it means that they do not have to give away many cuts to different outside companies to distribute or exhibit their film, and increases their profit.

• E.g. Warner Bros produces it, Time Warner Companies (companies owned by Warner Bros) distributes and markets it, and then Warner Village cinemas get the first rights and a longer time window to show it than other cinemas.

Production

Development stage: This is when the ideas are created, if necessary, the rights are bought, the screenplay is written and financing is sought from producers. 

Pre-production: 

Consists of the finalisation of the script, a plan for the production, and securing everything needed for the film such as cast, budget, equipment, crew, costumes, production schedule, set and locations.

Production: 

The actual shooting and recording of the film, with cameras, actors, and location licenses.

Post-production: 

When all of the pieces of your film come together, it involves various techniques include, editing, colour grading, and visual effects to turn raw footage into a finished film. 

What do producers do? -

• Producers are the individuals who:
• Secure funding by convincing investors that a film will be successful
• Secure the rights to screenplay
• Manage crew, cast and directors
• Manage locations, equipment and schedules
• Manage any problems that occur

Because there is so much to do, most films have an executive production team who delegate specifif production jobs to other production companies e.g if they're shooting a part of the film in a different country, then a local production team would be hired to manage it over there.

Set Text

1. The executive production company for NTTD is Eon Productions
2. Eon Productions are part of a conglomerate - Danjak and MGM hold the rights to the Bond films
3. Eon is a film studio with high production values
4. The production companies involved with NTTD are: Eon Productions and Metro-Goldwyn Mayer (MGM)
5.  It was produced by EON productions and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, although Eon oversaw most of the film's requirements.
6.  It is estimated that NTTD's budget for production was £214 million
7. NTTD was filmed in Italy, Jamaica, Norway, the Faroe Islands and London
8.  NTTD took 10 months to film
9.  No Time To Die had 1486 VFX shots. 

20/3/24

Distribution & Marketing

L/O: to explore the process of film making

Do Now 

• Production - the process of creating the film
• Distribution - when the film is published on various platforms by a distributor
• Marketing - how the film is advertised using promotional tools like trailers or posters
• Exhibition - when the film is shown in cinemas

Distribution

Distribution is the process of making copies of the film for cinema, VOD (video on demand), DVD, and SDV (streaming and digital video) release and marketing & production.

Sometimes producers will show their films at festivals in order to persuade distribution companies to take on their films.

Sometimes a conglomerate (large company that owns lots of smaller companies in other areas of the industry) will delegate the distribution to a smaller company they own. This is called vertical integration.

Distributers need to:

• Work out and stick to budgets for both creating copies of the film and all the aspects of marketing.
• Consider release dates and theatrical windows (time the film is in the cinema) very carefully. 
• E.g When is the best time to release a romance film? Is it during a major holiday when people have more free time and more disposable income? Are there any other high value films coming out at the same time? Could that cause problems with getting people in their showings?

Set Text

1. The UK and USA distributors of NTTD were Universal Pictures following the expiration of Sony Pictures' contract after the release of Spectre in 2015. MGM holds distribution rights for North America.
2. They are part of a conglomerate.
3. This means that the films production and distribution is vertically integrated. 
4. The film was released on 30th September 2021 in cinemas (8th October in USA), 20th December on DVD, November 9th on VOD and November 12th on SDV. 
5. The film was originally going to be released on April 20th due to it being the Easter holidays, meaning more people were available to see the film during the opening week. However, when it was actually released on September 30th, this was also during the holidays.

Marketing and Promotion

Every institution, within every media industry, has one important task above all others. To make a profit. The more money you make (revenue) the more you can invest in other movies.

A film's success is largely judged upon how much money it makes at the box office.

Bond is an established franchise which has backers (financiers) lining up to either advertise a product within the film via product placement or finance part of the film. 

Films are very expensive to make. For instance, the budget for NTTD was £214 million.

Hollywood and movie institutions are very cautious about spending too much on movies and roughly want 2x what it cost to make the movie back in profit.

The advertising for a film is known as film promotion or film marketing and the people who are responsible for this are the distribution company, so called because they distribute (give out) the films to the cinemas and distribute the promotional material around the country.

Key ways to market:

• Celebrity interviews
• Taglines
• Posters
• Trailers
• Sponsorships
• Product placement
• Endorsements
• Social media

Delays in the release of a film will have effected the marketing as all of the material used for promotion would have to be amplified in order to keep the interest for the film going, increasing the required profit for marketing.

22/3/24

Marketing & Promotion 

L/O: to explore the marketing methods in NTTD

Do Now

1. Posters 
2. Teasers
3. Taglines
4. Social media
5. Celebrity interviews

For NTTD, they promoted the film with:

• 20 posters
• Celebrity interviews
• Behind the scenes sneak peak teasers
• 2 Trailers
• Product collaboration (Adidas, OMEGA)
• Song
• Super Bowl commercial
• Product placement - motorcycles
• Casting announcements
• Teasers
• Premiere
• Bond podcast/radio

The brands linked to the film (synergy) are:

• Aston Martin
• Triumph motorcycles
• OMEGA
• Dell + LG
• Microsoft
• Billie Eilish 
• Land rover
• Tom Ford
• Nokia
• Heineken 

27/3/23

Exhibition & Regulation

L/O: to explore exhibition and regulation in the film industry.

Do Now

The delayed release of NTTD was an issue for the team behind the movie due to the fact that marketing resources had to be made more of so that viewers would be kept engaged in the film, but in turn meant that they had to spend a lot more money. 

Exhibition

• Exhibition is the process of exhibiting (showing) the film across a range of different media platforms.
• Historically this used to only include cinema release, but as digital technology evolves so does the way in which we watch films. 

Exhibition takes place in the following order:

1. Cinema release
2. DVD release, Pay per view (PPV)/ video on demand (VOD) - recently DVD and PPV/VOD have been released simultaneously as audiences are becoming more demanding and turning more to digital download.
3. 'Free to air' television (available on standard TV channels for free to the viewer)

In the last few years there has been a massive change in the way that we consume films. The rise of Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streaming sites has made film more easily accessible to viewers. They can stream digital copies straight to their TV, laptops, tablets and phones. This is known as SDV (streaming and digital video).

Set Text

1. NTTD was in cinemas in. the UK for 31 days.
2. NTTD made $774.2 million at the Box Office overall
3. NTTD was not released on DVD, VOD and PPV simultaneously - digital download a month after cinemas, DVD a month after that.
4. NTTD went free to air on ITV in the UK on New Year's Day 2023.
5. NTTD is available on all SDV sites - available on Apple TV, Google Play and YouTube.
6. The DVD/VOD/PPV sales of NTTD were very successful, achieving the highest-selling digital title of 2021 (430,000+ units sold) along with the DVD/Blu-ray selling 380,902 units in the first week of release ($9.7m)

Regulation

• Regulation is where certain areas of media such as TV and film are enforced with guidelines, and have classifications in which that piece of media fit under to protect the most vulnerable people in society.
• Film is regulated before it is released.
• Film and video releases in Britain are amongst the most tightly regulated in the Western world.
• Age restrictions are placed on all commercially released films by the BBFC and some are even expected to make cuts or alter the film in some way to conform to the guidelines.

When classifying films the BBFC consider:

• Context
• Themes
• Tone and impact
• Depiction of discrimination
• Depiction of drug use
• Depiction of sex and nudity
• Use of language
• Depiction of threat and violence
• Depiction of imitable behaviour

Set Text

1. NTTD was given the 12A age classification for theatrical release, and for video release it was a 12, due to moderate violence and infrequent strong language.
2. The financial positives of NTTD being given this age rating is that the audience is wider than if it was rated a 15 so they can generate more profit as more people are able to go see the film in cinema, but also that if it had a PG rating it might put off adult viewers as it implies that the film is immature or doesn't include the realism. 
3. The digital age ratings of NTTD are also a 12. 

17/4/24

Audience Appeal

L/O: to explore the uses and gratifications of films.

Do Now

• A 12 film suggests that you have to be 12 or over to watch the film.
• A 12A film suggests that you can watch it if you are 12 or over or if you are accompanied by an adult if you're under 12, as it contains adult content. This means that the responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the adult.
• 12A is only placed on films in the cinema, 12 is for DVD.

Why do we use the media?

• Entertainment
• Information
• Trends
• Communication 

Uses & Gratifications Theory

U&G is a theory that audiences take an active role in using the media.

What people do with the media, not what media does with people.

The theory states that an audience will use a media form for either one of four reasons:

1. Personal identity
2. Information
3. Entertainment
4. Social interaction

Personal Identity

• Media products allow audiences to find role models and other people with similar values. 
• Use of media to reinforce personal values by coming closer to similar and desired people/products.
• An example of this could be a soap opera such as Eastenders 

Information

• Any information can be learned through different forms of media.
• The media keeps the audience informed with current events.
• People can acquire information, knowledge and understand through media products.
• Media allows the audience to get an insight into other people's lives.
• An example of this could be the news.

Entertainment

• Use of media to escape the humdrum of their boring everyday lives.
• Access media forms to forget about worries and troubles for a while (escapism).
• To give a sense of happiness and release from the daily 'grind' (work, school, obligations).
• An example of this could be video games.

Social Interaction

• The ability of media to produce a topic of conversation between other people.
• Media products allows the audience to break down barriers of time/ distance to communicate with others.
• An example of this could be a messaging app such as Whatsapp.

The uses and gratification theory category of information applies to the news due to the fact that it informs viewers/readers of the current affairs and events of the world, and gives insights into other people's lives around the world such as how people in war-zones are currently living etc.  Another category that fits under the news could also be social interaction as the newest information from the platform could spark conversations between people. Band5/6

No Time To Die PIES

1. A viewer might be entertained as it is of an action genre which is exciting to watch and keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, thrilling, and the fact they can escape to a fictional spy world also makes it entertaining.
2. The film would promote social interaction due to plot twists or new interesting characters, and it's part of a franchise that will trigger fans to discuss their opinions. 
3. The film would contribute to personal identity as the audience may share similar beliefs/values with certain characters, and see them as role models. 
4. The film would give information such as facts about other parts of the world that are shown in it. 

19/4/24

Audience Appeal

L/O: to apply Uses & Gratifications to NTTD.

Do Now

1. Social interaction
2. Information
3. Personal identity 
4. Entertainment

Personal identity - trailers and posters

Information - website, poster, billboard, trailer

Entertainment - trailers

Social interaction - trailers, posters

On the NTTD official homepage, we can see social interaction through the social media links, entertainment through the trailers and posters, as well as information as it includes info on aspects of the film, the posters on the page also offer personal identity U&G as it portrays a range of ethnicities.  

In the NTTD trailer, we can see the entertainment U&G as it includes a previous villain, stuff blowing up, cliff-hangers such as how Madeline's identity is questioned which would cause the viewer to want to know more, mention of a "new 007" which could intrigue them, various vehicle actions like on motorbikes and cars which causes excitement due to the high action 

In the NTTD trailer, various examples of the U&G of entertainment can be seen. Firstly, one method i n which entertainment would be piqued is how characters from previous films are included such as the old villain and Bond girl; action sequences are shown such as motorbike scenes and car chases. Another portrayal of entertainment is when Madeline Swan's identity is seen to be questioned, which could leave the viewer intrigued and excited to see who she really is, as well as how there is mention of a "new 007" which may leave them confused and needing answers, ultimately entertaining them. 

24/4/24

Film Industry Roundup

L/O: to consolidate our knowledge of the film industry and to apply it to exam style questions.

Do Now

1. Trailers/clips of the film
2. Posters/teasers
3. Information on the film's premise/ clues as to what could happen
4. Link to a store page 
5. Social media links

Designing Bond

• Built the Jamaica house from scratch
• Bond's fashion in this film needed to look as though he was trying to blend in, naturally looks stylish
• Massive, detailed sets
• Classic outfits such as the tuxedo 
• Recurring lines such as the "Bond, James Bond" appeal to longtime fans 
• Sense of familiarity of old returning characters

Exam Structure: C1, Section B

There will be TWO questions:

QUESTION 3: a stepped question that will focus on one of the four media industries we will look at (Film, radio, newspapers and video games)

QUESTION 4: a stepped question that will focus on audiences in relation to one of four industries.

There will be no unseen sources. You will have to use the case studies as examples. 

Work to 1 mark = 1 minute.

Question 3: Industry

3a) Name one of the companies that produced NTTD. [1]

  -Eon productions

3b) Briefly explain what a media conglomerate is. [2]

  -A big company made up of smaller companies

3c) Briefly explain what convergence is. [2]

  - Lots of different technologies placed into one device such as a phone with a camera etc

3d) Explain how films use technologies to reach audiences and promote the film. Refer to NTTD to support your points. [12]

  - Films use technologies to reach audiences and promote the film by utilising materials such as posters and trailers, which offer information and excitement for the film's release, and also are a great way of spreading awareness of it: this method is used in NTTD, as they released various character posters and teaser trailers to perpetuate the anticipation of the movie during the pushback of the release date. Furthermore, another form of promotion could be collaboration with brands, as they can create synergy and assist in the advance of the film's popularity. This promotion method is portrayed in NTTD's marketing as they have collaborated with many brands such as OMEGA and Adidas. 

Question 4: Audience

4a) Identify two ways in which media producers categorise audiences. [2]

  -  Age, gender. sexuality, ethnicity

4b) Briefly explain how NTTD targets audiences. [4]

  - There's a range of ethnicities in the cast which would appeal to a wider audience that might relate to      these characters.

4c) Explain why users visit the NTTD/007 website. Refer to the Uses & Gratifications theory in your answer. [12] 

 - Users may visit the NTTD website in order to gain the U&G of information on the film, such as its release date and actors starring in it, but they may also choose to watch the various promotional materials placed on there such as posters and trailers, which would entertain them, which is another way in which U&G theory is utilised. These posters that they view would also fulfil the U&G of personal identity, as NTTD has quite a diverse cast, so they might feel a connection with these characters that are similar to them - such as ethnicity. Also, users might visit in order to have social interaction with other James Bond fans, as there are links to various social media platforms on the website.

26/4/24

Do Now

1.  There are 2 questions in component1, section B.
2. 1 mark per minute.
3. Each question will focus on the media industry and audience.