There is a clear repetition of some features that make it onto the most popular films. Some of these consist of the genre, the distributor and what the film is about.

As we can plainly see, 9/15 of the top films in 2022 cinemas were sequels of either series like the Marvel Universe or independent films like Sonic the Hedgehog. Not only that but 2/15 of the films were based on other things, such as Uncharted (based on a videogame) and Elvis (Based on a person). This shows that the majority of the top films are not original or solo ideas.

Moving on to the Distributor, we can see that they are all big household names and that there are no independent film companies on the list. The largest distributor to make it onto the top 15 movies was Universal, with Disney and Paramount falling shortly behind.

Lastly, genre plays one of the biggest roles in the films that make it on the most popular list. As we can distinctly see, Action is in the majority with 6 in the top 7 movies. This shows that this is the most viewed genre in cinema.

All of these things play a big role in what makes the top 50 list of movies which made the biggest income.

Mise-En-Scene is what is placed in a scene. This may include setting, lighting, spatial relationships between actors, casting, costume, make-up and props.

GENRES –  

Art Films: 

The Shape of Water 

Alphaville 

Mainstream Film:  

A Bugs Life 

The Breakfast Club 

The Wizard of Oz 

Love Simon Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 

Historically Significant Film:  

Battleship Potemkin 

The Seventh Samurai 

The West 

Fitzcarraldo 

IB LEARNER PROFILE 

Knowledgeable: Learning terminology, e.g. Mise-En-Scene, Lighting, Cinematography. 

Risk-Takers: Choosing to create or study films you do not usually go for. 

Balanced: When creating a film, focus on more than just one genre or filming type.  

Open-minded: Be open-minded to different ideas and thoughts, especially when working in a group. 

Reflective: When watching films try to reflect on what you are watching and the techniques that the director used in the film.  

Caring: Care about the feelings of others in your class.  

Principled: Admitting to your wrongdoings and being open-minded to the ideas of others.  

Communicators: Be open to communicating openly with teachers and students in your class—organising group projects.  

Inquirers: If you have writer’s block or do not understand something in class, do not hesitate to ask for help and speak up.  

Thinkers: Having to think of film ideas and being creative with your scripts and cinematography. 

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Mise En Scene is the arrangement/setting of the background and scenery in a film or any sort of theatrical production.
Mise en scene can be anything you can see on the screen when watching a film; this can be any props that actors handle during scenes.
The colour and state of the props and the overall aesthetic all adds a hidden/deeper meaning to the scene.

A film can be placed in categories such as Mainstream Film, Art Film or Historically Significant Film. An example of an Art film could be Alphaville; art films typically portray the work of artists in the form of a documentary and they are independent films rather than mass market films such as “Love Simon” which is a mainstream film.

BOX OFFICE HITS- This is also a way that films can be categorised based on economical contexts and budget and also based on the most popular and viewed genres/types of film.
From the top ten 2022 films based on worldwide box office returns we can see that sequels and franchises such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse and Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

The way these categorisations work depends on the target audience the films are aimed at but also on the cultural context which could be:
Geographical- where the movie is directed/produced and the actual location within the film

Economic- The budget needed/used for the film and profit made

Historical- what historical events take place within the film or the time it is made (past)

Institutional- the specific film studio or streaming company that produced/released the film eg Netflix

Technological- this includes development of technological advance during years eg. black & white films, CGI, aesthetics, high definition movies; these all helped to make the audience feel as if they are in that specific place and enhance their experience.

Social- this could refer to any social interaction between people in film eg. body language between the characters that could indicate a deeper meaning which can be used to analyse the social context of that film.

Political- this could be any political references in the film and what impact the film might have on the political opinions of the audience.

Open minded- being open minded in film is being curious to what other people have to say while taking their ideas into consideration.

Knowledgeable- be aware of the basics of film production and filming

Thinkers- think of what makes a film good and all of the steps to take to achieve that

Reflective- reflect on what you have done wrong/ right and how to keep improving

Balanced- know what will appeal more to viewers/ the audience and have a balance between the themes you choose for your film also be aware of when you need to reflect on feedback.

Caring- take into consideration other peoples opinions and avoid producing content that is offensive.

Risk Takers- be creative with your film and always go beyond your ideas; use different camera techniques/ angles etc