- ‘Blinded by the Light’, directed by Gurinder Chadha (known for 2002 film ‘Bend it like Beckham’), was released in January 2019.
- 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.
- ‘Bend It Films’ is a UK based, indie production company owned by major US conglomerate ‘Warner Brothers’. Linking to the fact that major companies need new ideas and concepts, provided by the independent companies they own whilst independent companies need major companies to fuel distribution and exhibition because these major companies have the right to use streaming platforms to display their productions.
- 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. Blinded by the Light has grossed $17.2 million.
- In an interview with Stefan Pape of the ‘HeyUGuys’ YouTube channel in August 2019, Chadha said that she created a film with a similar theme to ‘Bend it like Beckham’ because it is “what she knows” and that she was “worried about the repetition” which is why she left a 17 year gap between the two. This links to David Hesmondhalgh’s idea that the “cultural industries are risky” and indie companies and even majors often rely on repetition of what they know, and are good at producing, to keep a dedicated audience and fan base, meaning money and reduction of risk.
- The role of the use of Bruce Springsteen’s music in getting the film financed and in the marketing of the film-Blinded by the Light has been described as a feelgood jukebox musical film using the music of Bruce Springsteen.
- 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).
- it can be considered in its economic context having a mix of independent and major production and distribution contexts targeting a different audience to ‘indie’ and high budget films.
- It is based on the ‘true story’ of a Pakistani boy growing up in the UK in the 1980s. These links demonstrate how the historical context, nostalgia and British-Asian identity is used in the promotion of the film.
- “One would assume it would mostly appeal to British Asians who lived through the 1980s, Bruce Springsteen fans, and in particular, Asian Bruce Springsteen fans who lived through the 1980s.” – Guardian Article : ‘My film is bridging cultural divides. This gives me hope in such polarised times’ by Sarfraz Manzoor, Thursday 29 Aug 2019
- Use of social media such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as a way of distribution and advertisement. The ‘Meta’ conglomerate uses horizontal integration. The verified Instagram account ‘@blindedbythelightmovie’ has over 6,000 followers however it only follows 5 people, including the director, writer and leading characters. Perhaps the use of these accounts is to send a direct message of promotion rather than a way of connecting with their consumers. (Concentration of media)
Monthly Archives: January 2022
Filters
Blinded by the Light
- A low-medium budget film (15m$)
- Music from the artist Bruce Springsteen has been around for multiple decades, so the music has already been bought (most likely). This funds the music side of the movie finances as they already own it. Which means that they are gaining more money than spending as they don’t need to purchase it.
- The movie is an example of an indie vs majors collaboration, where a small indie company (Bend it Films) produces something but is in need of a major company (Warner Bros) to distribute it as they have the contacts needed to exhibit the movie.
- The production has a lot of diversity as the director is British, likewise the co-company Bend it Networks. The main distributer/co-company is WarnerBros, an American company.
- Major US global conglomerate Company, WarnerBros, has the money to produce and exhibit but the independent companies like Bend it films has the ideas that will be successful, so working together gives more smaller companies a chance to produce their work.
- The movie has Social Media accounts such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to help the distribution by promoting it. On Twitter they have 3490 followers while only following 6 people, showing that it is purely for the marketing and distribution.
- This is also an exhibition example as there will be trailers/spoiler clips of the movie where the public can view it, creating more money for the companies.
The movie in industry:
- Using the music of Bruce Springsteen gives extra marketing, as fans of him will want to watch
- Director Gurinder Chadha said in an interview with ‘Hey U Guys’ youtube channel, that she waited 17 years to produce Blinded by the light after producing very successful film Bend it like Beckham. Blinded by the light is very alike bend it like beckam, theme wise, so she was concerned about what people would think.
- This shows how risky the cultural industries are as if they don’t enjoy the second movie, their reputation will be negative (She said that she was ‘worried about the reputation‘) and the company won’t receive the expected profit, ultimately leading to job losses not just within the production company, but also the distribution companies and people involved with the consumption/exhibition such as marketing companies hired and people working in cinemas. risky business
Media Industries
- Co funded by New Line Cinema (american production studio owned by warnerbros) and indipendent production companies Levantine films, ingenious media and bend it films
- Bruce Springsteen music essentially funds the movie and markets it too.
- Film festivals are used to find distribution deals for films such as blinded by the light.
- The film uses nostalia, identity, social consciousness and genre to market it: people can identify with the movie and relate to it
- To distribute, they use new technologies such as streaming platforms (Netflix) where there is a large user consumption as the film has more chance of being watched and making more profit.
- The regulation of teh industry is kept up through Britsh Board of Film Classification and Livingstone and Lunt.
- “Blinded by the light has been dedcribed as a feelgood jukebox muiscal film using the music of bruce springsteen”
Social Economic & cultural contexts
- Characteristic of contemporary cultural production in its use of new technology at production and distribution stages, reflecting shifting patterns of audience consumption.
- As it is low budget, it can be considered in its economic context having a mix of independent and major production and distribution contexts targeting a different audience to ‘indie’ and high budget films.
Gurinder Chadha INDIEWIRE INTERVIEW
- ‘What inspired me to make the movie was the way in which I saw the world going in terms of politician dividing us’
- ‘Brexit threw a lot of ugly polarisation’
- ‘As a film maker I wanted to use my voice and highlight that [poeple being divided for other games]
- ‘Using the words and music of bruce springsteen let us tap into bruce’s philosophy on this’
- ‘The power of music transcends the potential divisions.’
blinded by the light
Notes:
- It was inspired by the life of journalist Sarfraz Manzoor and his love of the works of Bruce Springsteen. Manzoor co-wrote the script with Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges.
- The budget for Blinded by the Light was 15 million USD.
- Bruce Springsteen-Themed ‘Blinded by the Light’ Film Gets Distribution Deal. Blinded by the Light, a film about a Muslim in 1987 Britain whose life changes after hearing the music of Bruce Springsteen, has secured a $15 million global deal with New Line and Warner Bros.
Bruce Springteen:
- Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.
- He has released twenty studio albums.
- He is one of the originators of the heartland rock style of music.
- He has been nicknamed “the Boss”.
- Springsteen was nicknamed “the Boss”, as he took on the task of collecting his band’s nightly pay and distributing it amongst his bandmates.
key words in “The culture industries”
| Cultural industries | This is an economic field concerned with producing, reproducing, storing, and distributing cultural goods and services on industrial and commercial terms. This is the companies included in the field of culture industries such as Netflix or Warner Brothers which is usually in favour of popularity. ——————————————————— Links to gate keeping as these large business decide what media is consumed through the large parent companies. This follows on the borderline of the idea of monopolies as these massive parent companies own the most of all cultural industries but allow few smaller more irrelevant companies to be involved to not be against government regulations. |
| Production | The action of making or manufacturing from components or raw materials, or the process of being so manufactured. (The making and creation of media) Media producers may be responsible for a range of tasks, like animation and narration, editing and arranging videos or developing program material. |
| Distribution | The methods by which media products are delivered to audiences, including the marketing campaign. – This is one of the main sections of the culture industry. |
| Exhibition / Consumption | A public display of works of art or items of interest, held in an art gallery or museum or at a trade fair. This includes companies such as Netflix or Cineworld where they exhibit the production for consumption, the sort of middle man between the promotion then the consumption of the production. |
| Media concentration | The ownership of mass media by fewer individuals. |
| Conglomerates | A group that owns multiple companies which stand out different media specialised in written or audio-visual content. |
| Globalisation (in terms of media ownership) | The worldwide integration of media through the cross-cultural exchange of ideas. |
| Cultural imperialism | The practice of promoting the culture values or language of one nation in another. |
| Vertical Integration | Where media companies expand by acquiring different businesses in the same chain of production and distribution. |
| Horizontal Integration | A way in which media companies expand by acquiring media companies that work in similar sectors. |
| Mergers | Where 2 or more business combine together to make one. |
| Monopolies | Concentrated control of major mass communications within a society. When a group owns everything in a specific line of business, such as owning the rights to wine, meaning you are the only one that can sell it. This is illegal in most places in the world. |
| Gatekeepers | The process through which information is filtered for dissemination. |
| Regulation | The process by which a range of specific, tools are applied to media systems and institutions to achieve established policy goals such as pluralism, diversity, competition, and freedom. |
| Deregulation | The process of removing or loosening government restrictions on the ownership of media outlets. |
| Free market | One where voluntary exchange and the laws of supply and demand provide the sole basis for the economic system. |
| Commodification | The transformation of the relationship, which is trafficked into things that are free of the commercial nature of the relationship. |
| Convergence | The merging of previously distinct media to create an entire new form of communication expression. |
| Diversity | A variety or assort of media. |
| Innovation | The changing in several aspects of the media landscape. The invention of new vales in the marketing sector. |
blinded by the light movie examination prep
the movie blinded by the light made by new line cinema in association with warner brothers. the movie rides its popularity of Bruce Springsteen’s music and popularity for their publicity as well as using posters, film festivals and trailers. there are many things that make this a good film for that they have the use of genre, nostalgia, identity, social consciousness which can apply to many people young and old making it a content for everyone to watch. the company distributed their product via VODS( Video on Demand)
Blinded by the light
Notes :
- A key example of a low-medium budget film production and US / UK co-production and distribution.
- 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.
- Bruce Springsteen’s music is featured 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 Lunt
- A ‘feel goof jukebox musical film’ – description of Blinded by the Light film.
- The director of the musical was by Grinder Chadha. She is a British director known for Bend it Like Beckham.
- A mixture of independent and major production / distribution contexts, targeting towards a different audience to ‘indie’.
- Historical context is displayed by the film being based upon a true story. For example of a Pakistani boy growing up in the UK in the 1980s.
key definitions – institutions
- Cultural industries – A economic sector that is primarily engaged in producing, reproducing, storing and distributing cultural goods and services.
- Production – In media terms, the making of a viewable product through film and sound.
- Distribution – Methods in which the product is delivered to the marketing campaign
- Exhibition / Consumption – The release of a product to the public.
- Media concentration – Few individuals or organisations control the shares of the mass media.
- Conglomerates – A media institution or group is a company that owns multiple companies which are involved in mass media enterprises.
- Globalisation – In media, the world-wide integration of media through the cross cultural exchange of ideas / technology.
- Cultural imperialism – Western nations dominate the media around the world.
- Vertical Integration – A media company owns different businesses in the same chain of production and distribution.
- Horizontal Integration – A media company’s ownership of several businesses of the same value.
- Mergers – Two or more companies combine / merge together to make one singular company.
- Monopolies – The exclusive possession / control of the supply of or trade in a commodity / service.
- Gatekeepers – A filtering system in which companies choose what information is released to the public.
- Regulation – Rules enforced by the jurisdiction of law in which a range of specific bindings / tools are applied to media systems.
- Deregulation – The reductions of government power in a particular industry to create a more competitive aura within a company.
- Free market – An unregulated system of economic exchange in which taxes, quality controls, quotas, tariffs and other forms of centralised economic interventions by the government do not exist or are minimal.
- Commodification – A process which services, ideas and people relations are transformed into objects for sale in a capitalist economic system.
- Convergence – The merging of previously distinct media to create an entire new form of communication expression.
- Diversity – A variety or assort of media.
- Innovation – The changing in several aspects of the media landscape. The invention of new vales in the marketing sector.
Blinded by the light
Media is a risky buisness
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.
Production: Merger between 3 movie companies. Films do this gain more control of market as well as maximise profit.
• The role of the use of Bruce Springsteen’s music in getting the film financed and in the marketing of the film
As Bruce is a global figure his name and songs give the film support across the globe. This is called globalisation.
• 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
Directed by | Gurinder Chadha – she previously worked on film Bend it like Beckham |
|---|---|
| Written by | Paul Mayeda Berges, Gurinder Chadha, Sarfraz Manzoor |
| Based on | Greetings from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock N’ Roll by Sarfraz Manzoor |
| Produced by | Jane Barclay, Gurinder Chadha, Jamal Daniel |
| Music by | A. R. Rahman |
|---|---|
| Production companies | Levantine Films, Ingenious, Bend It Films, Cornerstone Films |
| Distributed by | Entertainment One Films |
| Release dates | 27 January 2019 (Sundance)9 August 2019 (United Kingdom) |
| Running time | 117 minutes[1] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $15 million[2] |
| Box office | $18.1 million[3][4] |
The director of Bruce Springsteen-themed movie Blinded by the Light told how a chance meeting at a red-carpet event led to the Boss granting permission for his music to be used in the soundtrack.
Springsteens wife loved the movie ‘Bend it like Beckham’ and the director, and so she persuaded Bruce to get involved,
Quotes from newspapers –
The Guardian –
Javed, the central character in my film, is a teenage British Pakistani Muslim. Blinded By the Light is being released at a time when that community is regularly demonised as the other – both Boris Johnson and Donald Trump have sought to gain political capital by mocking Muslims.
The number of hate crimes per year has risen from 42,235 in 2012 to 103,379 in 2018, with 77% of those hate crimes being race-related.
The Hollywood Reporter –
Over the Aug. 16-18 weekend, New Line’s Blinded by the Light — a coming-of-age tale inspired by Springsteen’s music — bombed in its nationwide debut, earning a mere $4 million at the box office.
Marketing techniques such as the use of genre, nostalgia, identity, social consciousness
Previusly established fans from film ‘Bend it like Beckham’ + Bruce Springsteen fans. This helps to establish hype, as well as media coverage of the film, and brings in more bodies to the cinema.
Bend it studios – indie film company (small)
they had to get help from more major companies such as:
Levantine films (small company – however had major success with film – Hidden Figures) and Ingenious media (investment company – had major success with film Life of `Pi)
The film is based on the existing successful book. This maximises profits and reduces risk, as fans of the book are more likely to watch the film.
The movie is left wing –
it used social media to promote film.
Hashtagged BLM + other tweets to raise awareness.
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.
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.
It is based on the ‘true story’ of a Pakistani boy growing up in the UK in the 1980s. These links demonstrate how the historical context, nostalgia and British-Asian identity is used in the promotion of the film.
• website (Bend it Networks)
• website (Warners)
• posters
• trailer
• social media presence (Twitter, Instagram, facebook etc).
It is based on the ‘true story’ of a Pakistani boy growing up in the UK in the 1980s. These links demonstrate how the historical context, nostalgia and British-Asian identity is used in the promotion of the film.
They use instagram, twitter facebook
They have 1472 Instagram followers and 37 posts. They last posted on the 17th august 2019.
13k likes on their facebook page
Blinded by the light has a trailer on Youtube posted on the Kinocheck.com channel with 1.1 million views.
3488 follwers on twitter
They use social media to advertise(distribute)
- Cultural industries- Refers to various businesses that produce, distribute, market or sell products that belong categorically in creative arts. Including clothing, decorative material for homes, books, movies, television programs, or music.
- Production- The action of making or manufacturing from components or raw materials, or the process of being so manufactured.
- Distribution- Distribution means to spread the product throughout the marketplace such that a large number of people can buy it. 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.
- Media concentration-in which decreasing numbers of individuals and organizations own media outlets, effectively concentrating the ownership of multiple organizations into the control of very few entities.
- Conglomerates-a company that owns numerous companies involved in mass media enterprises.
- Globalisation (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-Western nations dominate the media around the world which has a powerful impact
- Vertical Integration-When a company does all 3 production, distribution and consumption
- Horizontal Integration-When a company only produces.
- Mergers- Combining two or more things into one.
- Monopolies-concentrated control of major mass communications within a society.
- Gatekeepers- is a process by which information is filtered to the public by the media.
- Regulation-a rule or directive made and maintained by an authority.
- Deregulation-the removal of regulations or restrictions, especially in a particular industry.
- Free market-an economic system in which prices are determined by unrestricted competition between privately owned businesses.
- Commodification-Process by which things, services, ideas, and people relations are transformed into objects for sale.
- Convergence- a phenomenon involving the interconnection of information and communications technologies, computer networks, and media content.
- Diversity-it means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences.
- Innovation- the process of not just an “invention” of a new value for journalism, but also the process of implementing this new value in a market or a social setting to make it sustainable.
David Hesmondhalgh says; “All business is risky, but the cultural industries constitute a particularly risky business”
Independent production companies can secure funding from private investors but usually they are funded by arts agencies, such as the British Film Council or the British Film Institute.
Unlike studio films, which usually have a mainstream cinema release, independent production companies enter their films into local, national and international film festivals to gain exposure with distributors who may then buy the distribution rights.
Producers: Gurinder Chadha, Jamal Daniel, Jane Barclay
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.
Promotion and marketingBlinded 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.
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.
Blinded by the light
Warner Bros. Pictures is currently one of five live-action film studios within the Warner Bros. Pictures Group, the others being New Line Cinema, DC Films, Castle Rock Entertainment, and the Spyglass Media Group. The final installment of the Harry Potter film series is the studio’s highest-grossing film worldwide with $1.3 billion.[5]established in 2008, and Jeff Robinov was appointed the first president of the company.
think: how many posts, date last posted on different film accounts and production accounts.