| Linear | The events of the plot unfold in the order in which they have occured. |
| Chronological | Events are sequenced in order of time. |
| Sequential | Events which are arranged one after the other in a sequence within in a narrative. |
| Circular structure | When a plot begins in the same place or way that it ends. The characters undergo a transformation and a normal plot occurs in between. |
| Time based | A continuous moving image which displays a change in time. |
| Narrative arc | The path a story follows. Often a narrative will include ups and downs, moments of climax and resolution which is reflected in an arc shape. |
| Freytag’s Pyramid | 19th century German playwright ‘Freytag’s’ diagram of dramatic structure. |
| Exposition | The background information on the characters and setting explained at the beginning of the story. Earlier events are alluded to. |
| Inciting incident | The hook, the event that sets the main character or characters on the journey that will occupy the narrative. |
| Rising action | The incline of a narrative arc. Often, the events that lead up to the climax. |
| Climax | The point of highest intensity or major conflict within in a narrative. The steepest point of a narrative arc. |
| Falling action | The declining part of a narrative arc. Often, what happens after the climax and resolution of the major conflict. |
| Resolution | When an element of the plot is solved. And the exposition of the plot is revisited |
| Denouement | The final part of the narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved. |
| Beginning/ Middle/ End | How linear narratives are sequenced |
| Equilibrium | First stage of Todorov’s theory. The situation and characters are introduced in a normal circumstance. |
| Disruption | Second stage of Todorov’s theory. A change takes place causing an alter in the norm. |
| Transgression | Disequilibrium is often caused by societal / moral / ethical transgression. |
| New equilibrium | Third stage of Todorov’s theory. The change in circumstance is overcome and the situation reaches a new normal. |
| Peripeteia | A sudden reversal of fortune or change in circumstances. |
| Anagnorisis | A character discovers their own, or another character’s true identity. |
| Catharsis | The process of releasing and providing relief from repressed emotions. The purging of strong emotion. |
| The 3 Unities: Time, Place, Action | The 3 traditional unities of drama. The Aristotelian idea that a narrative should be set in once place, in one time frame, focused on one action. |
| Flashback | When the current narrative is interrupted by a previous event which could provide key information about a character etc. |
| Flashforward | When the current narrative is interrupted by an event that is yet to take place. |
| Ellipsis | The exclusion of action from a narrative because it can be inferred from dialogue and other action. |
| Pathos | A quality that evokes feelings of pity and sadness. |
| Empathy | The ability to understand and share the feelings of another. |
| Diegtic sound | Sound that occurs within the context of the story and able to be heard by the characters. |
| Non-diegetic sound | Sound that occurs externally to the narrative, it is not heard by the characters. |
| Slow motion | Visual effect created either by the actors or as a special effect in the edit. Time is slowed down. |
| Foreshadowing | When events that take place later on in the narrative are alluded to or hinted towards. |
| In Media-res | The practice of beginning a narrative by plunging into a crucial situation that is part of a related chain of events. ‘In the middle of things’. |
| Metanarratives | Drawing attention to the process of storytelling. |
Monthly Archives: January 2022
Filters
Blinded by the light
- Blinded by the Light is an example of low-medium budget film making.
- New Line Cinema is an American film production studio which was founded in 1967 as well as being the distributor of Blinded By The Light film. New Line Cinema is associated with ‘indie’ films and is a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment. This altogether being part of the global conglomerate of WarnerMedia.
- This low budget production cost around $15 million and was co-funded by New Line Cinema, as well as other production companies such as Levantine Films, Bend it Films and Ingenious Media.
- Directed by same person who made Bend it like Beckham: Gurinder Ghadha, WHY HAS SHE REPEATED THE SAME STORY AS HER PREVIOUS MOVIE? – “Media is a risky business” so the use of the repetitive strategies in the culture industries is appropriate. Bend it like Beckham was made on April 11th 2002, so she had waited till January the 27th of 2019, 17 years later to make another movie with the same premise and base story line as each other and says it’s “what she knows”, so the use of this repetitive strategy and using the same story from her previous movie which was very successful was used to minimise risk, appeal to nostalgia and generate the most profit.
- Its distributor New Line Cinema is associated with ‘indie’ films although it is a subsidiary of Warner Brothers Pictures, part of the global conglomerate, WarnerMedia.
- Bruce Springsteen’s music is featured in getting the film financed and in the marketing of the film. The use of this artist is to appeal to nostalgic elements in a manipulative manner in media to get more people interested in the movie.
- Diversity and innovation is needed for bigger companies such as Warner Bros, so they use smaller company for new ideas to then, in this case, be co-funded by New Line Cinema which is an American production studio owned by Warner Brothers Pictures Group. So, although the movie is produced by companies including Levantine Films, Bend it Films and Ingenious Media, Warner Bros still helped fund it in order to own the film.
- So then this independent movie to then be put onto exhibitors such as Netflix, Apple TV or Amazon Prime which is in contact and in business with Warner Bros, who are one of the main conglomerates and part of the big main parent companies, a company that was the first to be in film and founded 99 years ago.
- In the distribution, exhibition or consumer stage, this movie like many others used popular social medias: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, all owned by another conglomerate, Meta, owned by Mark Zuckerberg. ^^ How many followers does their accounts have??
The Importance of Film Festivals
The following link discusses the use of a film festival to secure a distribution deal.
The Importance of recognisable Generic Conventions (and the use of familiar music)
Blinded by the Light has been described as a feelgood jukebox musical film using the music of Bruce Springsteen.
This link offers ideas about the importance of genre and this link about the use of recognisable music in the marketing of the film,
It was directed by Gurinder Chada, a British director known for Bend it Like Beckham
MOVING IMAGE NEA
Definitions
- Linear: progressing from one stage to another in a single series of steps; sequential.
- Chronological: (of a record of events) following the order in which they occurred.
- Sequential: forming or following in a logical order or sequence.
- Circular structure: A story that ends in the same place it began is commonly called a circular or cyclical narrative
- Time based: used to describe payment that is related to the time you spend working, rather than the number of things you do, produce, etc.
- Narrative arc: A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, video games, and films with each episode following a dramatic arc.
- Freytag’s Pyramid: Freytag’s Pyramid is a five-part map of dramatic structure itself.
- exposition: a comprehensive description and explanation of an idea or theory.
- inciting incident: The inciting incident of a story is the event that sets the main character or characters on the journey that will occupy them throughout the narrative
- rising action: a related series of incidents in a literary plot that build toward the point of greatest interest
- climax: A key moment in a story that is filled with drama
- falling action: Falling action is what happens near the end of a story after the climax and resolution of the major conflict.
- resolution: a firm decision to do or not to do something/the quality of being determined or resolute.
- denouement : the final part of a play, film, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.
- Beginning / middle / end: different stages of a story
- Equilibrium: a state of physical balance.
- Disruption: disturbance or problems which interrupt an event, activity, or process/radical change to an existing industry or market due to technological innovation.
- New equilibrium: Equilibrium is a balance between several different influences or aspects of a situation.
- Peripeteia: a sudden reversal of fortune or change in circumstances, especially in reference to fictional narrative.
- Anagnorisis: the point in a play, novel, etc., in which a principal character recognizes or discovers another character’s true identity or the true nature of their own circumstances.
- Catharsis: the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.
- The 3 Unities: Action, Time, Place: they require a play to have a single action represented as occurring in a single place and within the course of a day. These principles were called, respectively, unity of action, unity of place, and unity of time.
- flashback / flash forward: A flashbacks occurs when the writer decides to insert details from the past into a present narrative in order to provide necessary plot information or insight into a character’s motivation. A flash forward, on the other hand, is when some event that has yet to happen in the present narrative time intrudes.
- Foreshadowing: be a warning or indication of (a future event).
- Ellipsis: the omission from speech or writing of a word or words that are superfluous or able to be understood from contextual clues.
- Pathos: a quality that evokes pity or sadness.
- Empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
- diegetic / non-diegetic: Diegetic sound is sound that comes from the setting of the film. Non-diegetic sound is sound that comes from our world, such as the soundtrack or scoring
- slow motion: the action of showing film or playing back video more slowly than it was made or recorded, so that the action appears much slower than in real life.
essay notes
Blinded by the Light is an example of a US/UK co-production and distribution.
Its distributorNew Line Cinema is associated with ‘indie’ films although it is a subsidiary of Warner Brothers Pictures, part of the global conglomerate , WarnerMedia.
New Line Cinema – is an American Film production studio and a label of the Warner Bros.
WarnerMedia – is a Global Conglomerate of Warner Bros, Home Box Office, Turner Entertainment Networks, CNN Worldwide, etc
Blinded by the Light is a low-mid budget production ($15m) co-funded by New Line Cinema (an American production studio owned by Warner Brothers Pictures Group) and independent
Blinded by the light has a trailer on Youtube posted on the Kinocheck.com channel with 1.1 million views.
It has a twitter page called “Blinded by the light movie” which has 3,489 followers and following 6 people.
Distribution techniques – reliance on new technology; VOD, streaming.
Bruce Springsteen’s music was licensed for use within the film
The film is available to watch in several countries (Globalisation)
They used social media i.e. Twitter and YouTube to help advertise the film (Distribution)
- Cultural industries – An economic field concerned with producing, reproducing, storing and distributing cultural goods/services.
- Production- The act of producing an output, goods or service which has value and contributes to the utility of people.
- Distribution- The methods by which media products are delivered to audiences, including the marketing campaign
- Exhibition / Consumption-The sum of information and entertainment media taken in by an individual or group. It includes activities such as interacting with new media, reading books and magazines, watching television and film, and listening to radio.
- Media concentration-
- Conglomerates-a thing consisting of a number of different and distinct parts or items that are grouped together.
- Globalization (in terms of media ownership)-The production, distribution, and consumption of media products on a global scale facilitating the exchange and diffusion of ideas cross-culturally.
- Cultural imperialism-the imposition by one usually politically or economically dominant community of various aspects of its own culture onto another non-dominant community.
- Vertical Integration- Vertical integration refers to the process of acquiring business operations within the same production vertical. A company that opts for vertical integration takes complete control over one or more stages in the production or distribution of a product. (distribution company buying a production company)
- Horizontal Integration- Horizontal integration is a business strategy in which one company acquires or merges with another that operates at the same level in an industry. Horizontal integrations help companies grow in size and revenue, expand into new markets, diversify product offerings, and reduce competition. (Production company buying another production company)
- Mergers-The voluntary fusion of two companies on broadly equal terms into one new legal entity
- Monopolies- The exclusive possession or control of the supply of or trade in a commodity or service.
- Gatekeepers- Gatekeeping is the process through which information is filtered for dissemination, whether for publication, broadcasting, the internet, or some other mode of communication
- Regulation- The process by which a range of specific, often legally binding, tools are applied to media systems and institutions to achieve established policy goals such as pluralism, diversity, competition, and freedom.
- Deregulation- The removal of regulations or restrictions, especially in a particular industry.
- Free market- A system in which the prices for goods and services are self-regulated by buyers and sellers negotiating in an open market.
- Commodification – The transformation of things such as into objects of trade or commodities. (charging people for things)
- Convergence – Transforms established industries, services, and work practices and enables entirely new forms of content to emerge.
- Diversity – The condition of having many different elements.
- Innovation – The practical implementation of ideas that result in the introduction of new goods or services or improvement in offering goods or services.
David Hesmondhalgh
- Went to the university of Leeds.
- Wrote books like The Cultural Industries, Media and Society and Culture, Economy and Politics: The Case of New Labour. Which all focus on the idea of the working world and what people expect in certain businesses and popular culture. For example expecting really happy, jumpy and creative people in a media job, whereas that isn’t the truth.
- Hesmondhalgh argues popularity results in a large amount of product production and selling to make a large monetary game.
- This is implied in the quote “the distinctive organisational form of the cultural industries has considerable implications for the conditions under which symbolic creativity is carried out’”
- Furthermore, Hesmondhalgh displays in this quote “there must be serious concerns about the extent to which this business-driven, economic agenda is compatible with the quality of working life and of human well-being in the creative industries.” that it must be difficult to have both a working life and a good life and them being compatible with each other where you are enjoying work and therefore creating a more enjoyable and happier person when out of work.
- “cultural industries are risky”
- “All business is risky, but the cultural industries constitute a particularly risky business”
Funding
Blinded By The Light cost around $15m to make. Key points:
- Bend It Films developed the film with support from Levantine Films and Ingenious Media.
- Levantine Films is an independent production company that had a major success with Hidden Figures in 2016 which grossed $230m at the worldwide box office.
- The Ingenious Group is an investment company that invests money in projects that have the potential to deliver future profits.
Production
Key points for making Blinded By The Light:
- Adapted from a book called Greetings From Bury Park by Sarfraz Manzoor (a play on ‘Greetings From Asbury Park’ – a Bruce Springsteen album). The memoir outlined his experiences growing up in Luton in the 1980s and discovering the music of Springsteen.
- Co-written and directed by Gurinder Chadha who had a smash hit in 2002 with her film Bend It Like Beckham (Bend It Like Beckham made over $100m at the worldwide box office).
DistributionBlinded By The Light was picked up by New Line Cinema at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival after a bidding war with various other major film distributors. The film had been well received by audiences at the film festival.
- The all-night auction following the world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2019 guaranteed the film a major global cinema release which many films never achieve.
- Previously offered for sale at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival but did not attract a buyer at that point although UK distribution was secured by eOne Entertainment, a Canadian media company.
- New Line Cinema are an American production studio owned by Warner Brothers Pictures Group.
- The film was released in cinemas worldwide in August 2019. The DVD release followed in December 2019 distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment – a Viacom company.
- Deal with Amazon Prime secured in early 2020 for streaming in the UK.
Reception and box office
- Positive word-of-mouth marketing but poor box office figures – just $18.1m box office against a $15m budget which means the film almost certainly lost money when factoring in the global marketing campaign.
- Rival studios argued that Warner Bros. should have begun with a limited release to build audience interest, and that the film’s August date was too close to that of Yesterday, a film with some surface similarities. [Source: Deadline Hollywood].
Promotion and marketing
Blinded By The Light was backed by a major international marketing campaign:
- Traditional marketing: trailer, film poster with review quotes etc.
- Premieres – London, Luton and Asbury Park, New Jersey (attended by Bruce Springsteen).
- Heavy social media presence – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube.
- Interviews with writer, director and stars across TV, radio, newspapers and magazines (see below).
blinded by the light
Blinded by the Light is an example of a US/UK co-production and distribution.
Its distributorNew Line Cinema is associated with ‘indie’ films although it is a subsidiary of Warner Brothers Pictures, part of the global conglomerate , WarnerMedia.
New Line Cinema – is an American Film production studio and a label of the Warner Bros.
WarnerMedia – is a Global Conglomerate of Warner Bros, Home Box Office, Turner Entertainment Networks, CNN Worldwide, etc
Blinded by the Light is a low-mid budget production ($15m) co-funded by New Line Cinema (an American production studio owned by Warner Brothers Pictures Group) and independent
Blinded by the light has a trailer on Youtube posted on the Kinocheck.com channel with 1.1 million views.
It has a twitter page called “Blinded by the light movie” which has 3,489 followers and following 6 people.
Distribution techniques – reliance on new technology; VOD, streaming.
narrative (Internal structural analysis)
Ok in this section of the course, we will look at the way in which media productions are structured internally, for example, looking at narrative structures, themes, characters, motivations, genre etc. We will try to centre our conceptual approach towards moving image products (film, TV, music video, adverts, radio etc)
To get going . . . WHAT ARE THE KEY ELEMENTS THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE A MOVING IMAGE PRODUCT (FILM, TV DRAMA, MUSIC VIDEO etc).
Task 1
CREATE A NEW POST CALLED ‘MOVING IMAGE NEA’ categories NEA, PRODUCTION, THEORY
As a starting point for theory, let’s have a look at the Ancients with a brief look at Aristotle’s Poetics (see from 3:20 – 4:51)
Think about:
- What is the point of art / aesthetics?
- What are the key elements?
Define these words and apply to Blinded by the Light, your Xmas Film, your own film idea.
Peripeteia
Anagnoresis
Catharsis
Make notes on ‘The 3 Unities’
Action
Place
Time
Use the video above from about 9:46 and use the following bullet points to help you.
- plot vs character
- arrangement of incidences (how do you arrange events in a story?)
- Aiming towards a goal
- complication and unravelling (peripeteia)
- Recognition (anagnoresis)
- Pathos (agony of recognition)
- Catharsis (knowledge through purge)
Key Terminology (ie Kahoot test!)
- Linear
- Chronological
- Sequential
- Circular structure
- Time based
- Narrative arc
- Freytag’s Pyramid
- exposition,
- inciting incident,
- rising action,
- climax,
- falling action,
- resolution,
- denouement
- Beginning / middle / end
- Equilibrium
- Disruption
- Transgression – often disequilibrium is caused by societal / moral / ethical transgression (ie challenging Aristotelian virtues)
- New equilibrium
- Peripeteia
- Anagnoresis
- Catharsis
- The 3 Unities: Action, Time, Place
- flashback / flash forward
- Foreshadowing
- Ellipsis
- Pathos
- Empathy
- diegetic / non-diegetic
- slow motion
- In Media Res – starting in mid-action
- Metanarratives – drawing attention to the process of storytelling
- Quest narratives
Task 2: statement of intent (400 words)
Write up a synopsis (50-150 words?) of a new film that you think you could make (2 x posters, a couple of sequences or even a trailer and a few web pages).
The synopsis should aim to communicate the ideas as well as the techniques that you are aiming to use in your production (ie the ideas and key words that we identified yesterday in class discussion).
To help you why not build your story / character around either Blinded by the Light and/or the Xmas film that you saw.
USE AS MUCH KEY LANGUAGE TO MAKE SURE YOUR STATEMENT OF INTENT IS 400 WORDS AND TALKS ABOUT
- MEDIA LANGUAGE
- REPRESENTATION
- AUDIENCE
- INSTITUTION
blinded by the light
Blinded by the Light is an example of a US/UK co-production and distribution. Its distributor New Line Cinema is associated with ‘indie’ films although it is a subsidiary of Warner Brothers Pictures, part of the global conglomerate, WarnerMedia.
New Line Productions, Inc., doing business as New Line Cinema, is an American film production studio and a label of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group division of Warner Bros. Entertainment. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company, later becoming a film studio. It was acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in 1994; Turner later merged with Time Warner (now WarnerMedia) in 1996, and New Line was merged with Warner Bros. Pictures in 2008.
New Line Cinema was established in 1967 by the then 27-year-old Robert Shaye as a film distribution company, supplying foreign and art films for college campuses in the United States.
On February 28, 2008, Time Warner’s CEO at the time, Jeffrey Bewkes, announced that New Line would be shut down as a separately operated studio.
Blinded by the Light is a low-mid budget production ($15m) co-funded by New Line Cinema (an American production studio owned by Warner Brothers Pictures Group) and independent
production companies including Levantine Films. Bend it Films and Ingenious Media.
• Identification of how Blinded by the Light is characteristic of a low-mid budget release, considering production, distribution and circulation
• The role of the use of Bruce Springsteen’s music in getting the film financed and in the marketing of the film
• The use of film festivals in finding distribution deals for films
• Use of traditional marketing and distribution techniques; trailers, posters, film festivals etc.
• Marketing techniques such as use of genre, nostalgia, identity, social consciousness
• Distribution techniques – reliance on new technology; VOD, streaming
• Regulation of the industry through BBFC (British Board of Film Classification).
• Regulation including Livingstone and Lun
Blinded By The Light
- Directed by Gurinder Chadha (Known for “Bend it like Beckham” 2002)
- The film released in Jan 2019
- Bruce Springsteen’s music was licensed for use within the film
- The film had a low-mid budget of 15M$
- New Line Cinema, Levantine Films, Ingenious Media and Bend It Films funded the film
- Film follows the experiences of Sarfraz Manzoor’s upbringing in 1980’s Luton and how Bruce Springsteen’s Lyrics impacted him
- New Line Cinema is associated with more “indie” and “niche” film releases and is a subsidiary of Warner Bros.
- Production in US and UK – Globalisation.
- They used social media i.e. Twitter and YouTube to help advertise the film (Distribution)
- The film is available to watch in several countries (Globalisation)
Blinded by the light (2019)
- Blinded by the Light is an example of a US/UK co-production and distribution.
- Directed by Gurinder Chadha from Bend it Films, who also directed ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ (2002)
- Its distributor New Line Cinema (an American production studio owned by Warner Brothers Pictures Group) is associated with ‘indie’ films and is co-funded by independent production companies including Levantine Films. Bend it Films and Ingenious Media.
- Costing $15million to make, the movie is a low-mid budget production
- Traditional marketing and distributing techniques were used, such as posters, trailers, film festivals etc… , to promote the film
- The true story generates a sense of sentiment and makes it more relatable
- The role of Bruce Springsteen’s music engages a wider audiences through nostalgia based appeals
| Bend It Networks | – ‘based on the memoir ‘Greetings From Bury Park’ by journalist/broadcaster Sarfraz Manzoor which chronicles his experiences as a British Muslim boy growing up in 1980s Luton and the impact Bruce Springsteen’s lyrics had upon him’ – ‘he [Springsteen] had not only read, but admired the book’ |
| Deadline (Mike Flemming, 2019) | – ‘New Line has confirmed Deadline’s scoop that it has acquired Blinded By the Light after its big Sundance Film Festival bow’ – ‘It is the biggest sum paid for a Sundance film so far in what has turned out to be a very hot market. – ‘Some of the allure of Blinded by the Light had to do with the surprisingly universal appeal of Springsteen’s coming-of-age tunes’ |
| Variety (Roy Trakin, 2019) | – ‘setting up a spirited bidding war won by Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema’ – “It’s a reminder to all of us what our lives were like back then, and what we’ve achieved since then. I believe we’ve moved on from that.” – Chadha |
| Independent (Clarisse Loughrey, 2019) | – ‘strikes right to the heart of why Springsteen’s work has had such an impact on culture’ – ‘Blinded by the Light offers not only a reminder of Springsteen’s lyrical genius, but of how he’s always served as a beacon for the disenfranchised, wherever they may be.’ |
| Production | Levantine Films. Bend it Films and Ingenious Media |
| Distribution | New Line Cinema (owned by Warner Brothers) |
| Exhibition | Netflix, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter |
| Merging | in 2008, New Line Cinema shut down as an independent company in order to merge with Warner Brothers |
| Conglomerate | Warner Media – owns Warner Brothers, distributor or ‘Blinded by the Light’ |
| Globalisation | The American company New Line Cinema working with British company Bend it Films allows them to reach a wider market, creating much larger profit margins for the two companies |
| Horizontal Integration | multiple companies worked together to produce the film as well as the multiple platforms used to exhibit the film which ultimately increases market power and reduces competition |
| Cultural Imperialism | The American singer Bruce Springsteen dominates the way that the main character, Javed, perceives the world around him which according to his Father humiliates his Pakistani background |
| Gatekeeping | New Line Cinema will regulate certain aspects of the film in order to promote a certain message. Eg – the incorporation of America in the film appeals to a wider audience as it imposes western views and is representative of the American company |
| Regulation | Rated as a 12A by BBFC due to ‘racist language and behaviour’ and ‘ moderate bad language’ |
Livingstone and Lunt – the idea that there is an underlying struggle in recent UK regulation policy between the need to further the interests of citizens (by offering protection from harmful or offensive material), and the need to further the interests of consumers (by ensuring choice, value for money, and market competition).
David Hesmondhalgh wrote The Culture Industries (2002) which highlights his concerns with the creative industry and it being too business and economically driven, effecting the quality of work life and human well being. Forbes magazine estimated that in 2018 over 80% of the 700+ films created made no profit, which supports Hesmondhalgh’s view that the creative industry is a ‘RISKY BUSINESS‘
| Risks | How the Risks are Minimised |
|---|---|
| It can take considerable marketing efforts to break a potential writer or performer as a new ‘star’, especially without a built initial fanbase meaning hiring newcomer Viveik Kalra as the main character may have posed potential risk | Star formatting allowed the producers to introduce well-known stars, such as Hayley Atwell from the avengers franchise, with a ready-made audience in order to neutralise a potential loss of engagement whilst also allowing opportunity for new actors to thrive. Furthermore, the use of traditional social media marketing techniques allows for wider publicity without being too expensive |
| An audiences tastes are continuously adapting which makes predicting their needs and wants nearly impossible which is especially difficult in such a competitive market | Remaking a previously successful book with a ready made audience ensures the company that the film will generate sales whilst also saving time and money, which could make up for possibility of potential loss, for the production companies as the narrative is already laid out for them. |
| With such a varied market it can sometimes be difficult to generate new and unique ideas, especially when a film is being distributed by such a huge mainstream company like Warner Brothers, and therefore could result in a failed production and a loss in profit | Rebranding Springsteen’s patrimony, the narrative can engage the tastes of more contemporary audiences whilst also touching a wider audience through nostalgia based appeals, such as those who listened to Springsteen during his prime era. Also the use of independent labelling engages the alternative audiences who are reluctant to consume mainstream media. |
plan
- 1: david hesmondhalgh – risky business
- 2:about the film – budget, quote bend it networks
- 3: risk 1 – merging, exhibition
- 4: risk 2 – globalisation
- 5: risk 3 – horizontal integration, production, distribution
- 6: conclusion – quote Variety and Deadline, many risks in the industry however producers minimised them effectively
blinded by the light
New Line Productions, Inc., doing business as New Line Cinema, is an American film production studio and a label of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group division of Warner Bros. Entertainment. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company, later becoming a film studio.
Warner Bros. Pictures[4] is an American film production studio and division of the Warner Bros. Pictures Group, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which is owned by AT&T’s Warner Media. The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Warner Bros
‘Blinded by the Light’, directed by Gurinder Chadha (known for 2002 film ‘Bend it like Beckham’), was released in January 2019.
Budget film that had a cost $15 million to make
The music is by Bruce Springsteen a well known American artist
True story about a young Pakistani boy growing up in 80s Britain
The film is regulated by BBFC
The movie has Social Media accounts such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to help the distribution by promoting it.
A ‘feel good jukebox musical film’ – description of Blinded by the Light film.
A mixture of independent and major production / distribution contexts, targeting towards a different audience to ‘indie’.
Indie – Produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies.
Box office – $18.1 million
Initial release: January 27, 2019
Director: Gurinder Chadha
Music by: A. R. Rahman (Bruce Springsteen)
Production companies: Levantine Films; Ingenious; Bend It Films; Cornerstone Films