RESEARCH: TOPLINE & BIG QUESTION

I learned  from Frank Ash, creative consultant with the BBC Academy, about what he call 'digital storytelling' : how to connect to an audience by creating a relevant story and how to leave them with a sense of anticipation and suspense.

When I start to plan my own Foundation Production, I will be devising a top line (one 'elegant sentence' that sums up the film opening treatment) and deciding on the big question (what happens next?).

Frank Ash has given me guidelines to plan my film opening. I turned what I learned into a comic using ComicLife (below).

CREATING YOUR BLOG

Today you create your individual blogs on Blogger

• 'Simple' template
• Your blog title (first name, surname initial + candidate number)
• customise width of main blog and sidebar
• customise background image of blog
• customise background image of header
• post a test post
• email me your blog url

FILM INDUSTRY: SYNERGY

On Tuesdays, we work on Section B of the exam, the film industry.

We continue looking at Hollywood  and 'the Big Six' who, according to Dalecki are characterised by the 4S megafranchise model (sequel, story, spectacle, synergy).

Synergy Distributors target audiences via an interconnected web of companies which all promote the film as a package of products, through horizontal integration. This is synergy (we will give as many details as possible from our Disney / Warner case studies).

1. The chart below (2015) illustrates why Disney is a good example of synergy and horizontal distribution. Recent Disney developments should be added, such as Disney+

Article by Julia Greenberg in Wired (2015)

2. We look at a Disney marketing case study: The Force Is Strong With Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' Marketing - open the link. Once we are familiar with the marketing of the film, we can complete a case study form, so I have put the questions below.

3. On our class blog, there are 3 completed case study forms, including one on Disney. 

Our second case study film is: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) dir. G. Edwards

Completing the forms makes a useful learning and revision exercise.

Below are the questions that you can use to make a complete case study such as the ones that we have done:

•   Who produced the film?

• Who owns this production company and what other films have they produced? 

• Who directed the film? What other films have they directed? 

• What was the budget? What did it take at the box office?

• Who stars in it? 

• What technology has been used to make the film? (What cameras did they use? How was the film edited? What CGI was involved?) 

 • What examples of synergy can you find?

• What examples of technological convergence can you find? 

• Where and when was ROGUE ONE released (nationwide, worldwide) and in what cinemas?

• What formats was it available in (digital / 3D etc…)? 

• Who is the target audience?

TV DRAMA: FARGO

On Mondays, we work on Section A of the exam, television drama.

Section A: Textual analysis and representation (50 marks) Candidates answer one question based on an unseen moving image extract.

1 Analyse how the extract from Fargo: The Crocodile's Dilemma constructs meaning, including the specific representations of individuals/groups/events/places, through the following technical elements:

•• camera shots, angles, movement and composition

•• sound

•• mise-en-scène

•• editing.

MARKING SCHEME

Use of terminology: 10 marks …………………………/10

Use of supporting examples: 20 marks………………/20

Explanation / argument / analysis: 20 marks……….../20

Total /50

THE FILM INDUSTRY: DISTRIBUTION

Film distributors are the link between the film's producers and the film's audience.
We explore the FDA (Film Distributors) site www.launchingfilms.com with a presentation by Matt Smith. He stresses the need to know your audience and what it wants, how to attract and address an audience, and the importance attached to digital methods in publicising and marketing films.

We learn from Frank Ash on how to define the 'Top line' (summary of the film in a sentence) and the 'Big Question' (what leaves the audience curious for the next step).

 FutureLearn offers many excellent online courses on the Film Industry, such as this one.
You can subscribe at no cost.

Screening Immortal Beloved Claremont Media YouTube

• What makes a successful film opening? Genre conventions: signalling the genre clearly to the audience, creating enigma, looking authentic, use of voiceover in narrative, casting, titles

Award-winning film openings are found on Art of the Title which screens the openings and provides a wealth of analysis, interviews and background to title sequences.
We look at several title sequences.

PREP Art of the Title Pick one that reflects the genre that you are interested in making.
Screenshot the image provided and then analyse how the title sequence works. In class, I show you examples from previous students. This research counts towards your Foundation Production. Email me by Monday 16 September

TV DRAMA: ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

On Mondays, we work on Section A of the exam, television drama.

This week's practice exam question is based on an extract from Orange Is The New Black (2011, season 1, episode 1). It is an award-winning drama.
It is based on a memoir of a woman's experiences in prison. The series received critical acclaim and many awards and nominations including 12 Emmy nominations.

In point: 32.50 "Seriously, shut it off!"

Background: Sentenced to 15 months for a crime committed 10 years earlier, Piper Chapman leaves her supportive boyfriend Larry for her new home: a women's prison. She grapples with the racial dynamics of prison life and learns some of the rules.

Extract: "I wasn't Ready" 
In point: 32.50 "Seriously, shut it off!"
Piper Chapman is on the beach with her boyfriend Larry shortly before she is taken to Lichfield Penitentiary in the prison van along with other new inmates. She travels with Marollo and Watson. 
Out point: "I wasn't ready"

Question: complete by Friday 21 September

1 Analyse how the extract from Selfless constructs meaning, including the specific 

representations of individuals/groups/events/places, through the following technical elements:

•• camera shots, angles, movement and composition

•• sound

•• mise-en-scène

•• editing.

MARKING SCHEME

Use of terminology: 10 marks …………………………../10

Use of supporting examples: 20 marks………………/20

Explanation / argument / analysis: 20 marks……….../20

Total /50

Out point: "I wasn't ready."

THE FILM INDUSTRY

On Tuesdays, we work on Section B of the exam, the film industry.

In today's lesson, we launch our preparation for Section B of our year 12 exam. This exam question will be an essay-based question on the film industry (one hour).

We look at Hollywood  and 'the Big Six' who, according to Dalecki are characterised by the 4S megafranchise model: 

• The 'big 6' Hollywood studios chase mass mainstream audiences often with formulaic films that Dalecki called 'the 4S megafranchise model' (sequalization, story, spectacle, synergy). 
• To explain this model: Hollywood is renowned for producing blockbusters with strong narratives, often part of a sequel, usually with larger than life characters, using exciting, spectacular, complex sets often in exotic or extravagant locations.
• Sequalization You look up Box Office Mojo and see for yourself how many of the current box office successes are sequels. Sequels often command a loyal, ready-made audience, although some brands aim to expand their traditional audiences. Captain Marvell (directed by Boden and Fleck, 2019) starred Brie Larsen as the first female captain Marvell, to address female audiences.
• Story Notice that this kind of film tends to prioritise story over character development
• Spectacle Exotic locations, expensive sets, elaborate post production (VFX), motion capture - these are all examples of 'spectacle'
• Synergy Distributors target audiences via an interconnected web of companies which all promote the film as a package of products, through horizontal integration. This is synergy (we will give as many details as possible from our Disney / Warner case studies).

By contrast, we look at the UK film industry which tends to offer different genres of film, such as films with social issues, literary adaptations and historical films. We will take Working Title films as a case study, with films such as  The Theory of Everything.

• Today, we view two trailers: I, Daniel Blake (director Ken Loach). The genre is social realism. It features a particularly British subject matter, but was lauded at the Cannes Film Festival. You can see from the opening of the trailer that it was lottery-funded through the BFI.

• Next, we screen an example of spectacle 

  QuickSilver Scene "Kitchen" - X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014)

• What examples of British film can you offer? What counts as a 'British film'? The Imitation Game 
• Working Title productions capitalize successfully on a particular vision of Britain that is readily marketable internationally, such as literary adaptations (Tinker Tailor), period drama/ history (Mary Queen Of Scots 2014) , romcom (About Time), humour (Jonny English and World's End), characters (Legend, Rush) . Bridget Jones's Baby (2014) illustrates how WT uses Hollywood model of sequels, unsurprising as its parent company is Universal.

Our aim is to cover all aspects of the CIE specification for Section B: