ISP 14

Task 1: Research and produce a media industries fact sheet for Straight Outta Compton and I, Daniel Blake that includes research findings for each film that includes:

• Brief comparison of Hollywood vs. British film industry
• Marketing Methods
• Use of digitally convergent platforms
• Maintaining audiences
• Global reach

 

Hollywood films: Tend to be largely situated around the idea of making profit and gaining power in the industry. Hollywood is one of the largest film industries in the world and can afford high tech equipment, A list staff and intricate sets. The average budget is around £110 million. Hollywood seems to be centred around action films, lacking dialogue, utilising CGI and relatable content, this allows them to reach a more global audience maximising profit. In addition Hollywood films are usually produced by the “Big 6” production companies: Warner Bros, Disney, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Columbia and Paramount. They use large scale promotional events to broadcast their films and use the star appeal of their cast to draw in large audiences for their premiers. The “Big 6” companies use more mainstream methods of promotion to raise awareness of their media products, like posters, toys and clothing etc. This only adds to their increasing wealth. They face problems with piracy of their films due to the high demand and popularity of them, therefore they need to implement a harsher regulation technique.

British films: In contrast British films used to be funded by the National Lottery, and are now funded by the New cinema fund, Development Fund and Production Fund. These companies give money to produce 25 films a year in the UK, with a budget of £6.2 million. Other films can be privately funded or funded by the BBC, who in turn are funded by the British TV licence fee. British films tend to be based on what the British people can relate to most at the time (therefore being the main intended audience). Films made in the UK are usually based on class and other issues in society, but also due to a more diverse and lack of a production oligopoly they can produce more niche films too. The BBC make around 8 films a year, but their profits are shared across the organisation. Due to targeting a more niche audience they struggle with getting enough money to make the films, but they don’t suffer with high rates of piracy that some Hollywood films face.

 

Marketing/ Digital convergence/ Global reach:

Straight Outta Compton:

• Various trailers for different audiences (red and green band) allowing a larger audience to become aware of the films existence
• Celebrity endorsement from Dr Dre and Ice Cube as Producers of the film
• A soundtrack released by NWA and the actors
• The Straight outta Somewhere campaign that many celebrities and fans took part of
• Racial marketing to appeal to different demographics on Facebook
• Collaboration with Beats by Dre to promote the film
• Dr Dre and Ice Cube went back to Compton to talk to people who had it as hard as they did in the beginning of their red band trailer.
• Cast interviews
• Released DVD as 18 certificate directors cut

I, Daniel Blake:

• Projected an image on the outside of parliament
• Trailers 12A
• Column in the Daily Mirror
• Premier had protest signs held by the actors
• Politician Jeremy Corbyn came to the Premier
• Website on the BBC website
• the hashtag saying “we are all Daniel Blake” trended worldwide
• Premier in Newcastle
• Cast interviews
• Discounted cinema tickets because their audience may not be able to afford seeing the film at full price
• Film a 15 to have a wider audience

 

Audience appeal:

Straight Outta Compton:

• Fans of the NWA
• Fans of Hollywood films and biopics
• Fans of Dr Dre/ Ice Cube
• Rights activists

I, Daniel Blake:

• Director Ken Loach- a left wing director known for his thought provoking content
• The reliability of the main character and the struggles they face
• A mutual distaste for the government
• Appeal of Jeremy Corbyn and labour party
• Appeal of Dave Johns (Daniel Blake) and Hayley Squires (Katie Morgan)

 

Task 2: Research and produce a media contexts factsheet for SOOC and I, Daniel Blake that includes research findings for each film that includes:

• Significance of ownership/economic context, Budget, Type of Production?
• Significance of key personnel/‘stars’, actors, directors?
• Regulatory issues – BBFC rating?

 

Straight Outta Compton:

• Significance of ownership/economic context, Budget, Type of Production?

It was Produced by Legendary Pictures, a subsidiary of one the the “Big 6” Universal Pictures. This allowed them to have a larger budget and star studded cast. It was also made by Comcast a huge media conglomerate- by revenue it is the largest broadcasting and cable television company in the world, and it owns Universal Pictures. In terms of infrastructure in the film industry, Comcast opens companies at each stage of the supply chain enabling the institution to maximise profits and tap into new global markets. By having such a large Hollywood studio create the film it can have a larger budget ($50 million).

• Significance of key personnel/‘stars’, actors, directors?

The TA could have been fans of the rap/hip-hop genre of music. In addition fans of the original NWA may want to watch the film to see the lives of their idols. Younger viewers may include fans of the still popular Ice Cube and Dr Dre. Furthermore people who relate to the way NWA were treated could watch the film to have someone to relate to and to see how the conquered the hate.

• Regulatory issues – BBFC rating?

The film was a 15 but there was also a 18 certificated directors cut, allowing more people to watch it. The rating is suitable as it contains a lot of swearing and nudity this. The BBFC had no complaints so the certification was successful. The company may have lost out on financial gain as their audience was limited in the cinema, but the spread of technology and DVDs being available to anyone after being bought by someone of age, opens the potential audience. The 18 certificated directors cut limited the audience, the cinema cut was the 15 but the DVD was an 18, so the younger audience wouldn’t be able to buy the film on home video.

 

I, Daniel Blake:

• Significance of ownership/economic context, Budget, Type of Production?

As  British Independent Film it had a lower budget of £3.5 million. This meant that they had limited resources. They used real places instead of sets due to the budget and also to create a more realistic atmosphere, the extras were also people who really worked at the job centre etc.

It was filmed in Newcastle and also premiered there, this saved money on the Premier compared to doing it in London, and also allowed the intended audience to be able to see the Premier and stars themselves.

A ‘guerrilla’ projection campaign saw quotes from the film beamed onto buildings in cities such as Newcastle, as well as the Houses of Parliament, grabbing the attention of the news media & passers-by.

The film was played to audiences through smaller, independent cinemas. Its political message may have proven a controversial for multiplex cinemas. 100 UK cinemas screened the film but 600 cinemas showed the film in France. Due to the lack of multiplex support the film was screened for free or for “pay what you want” screenings, showing it had a political message rather than a financial objective. It is now available on Amazon Prime for a set amount of time.

• Significance of key personnel/‘stars’, actors, directors?

Ken Loach, the director, was the star of the marketing campaign- his name was plastered all over posters and trailers, and he appeared on a number of TV/radio shows, often with a political edge. Left-wing political figures like political leader Jeremy Corbyn supported the film in the public. The films anti-conservative and anti-right-wing message was criticised in the press, but the political debates launched the film into the public eye.

• Regulatory issues – BBFC rating?

The film is a 15, this is appropriate due to the explicit language and mentions of prostitution. The public were protected from being exposed to explicit content. The trailer was a U so it was viewed by anyone, this had less explicit content and received no complaints.  eOne requested a 12A but were not successful, they didn’t make any changes to allow the rating to drop showing that it wasn’t really significant for them. The company may have lost out on financial gain as their audience was limited in the cinema, but the spread of technology and DVDs being available to anyone after being bought by someone of age, opens the potential audience. They didn’t want to cut out rude language as it told the story, this worked out anyway as the film wouldn’t have really appealed to an audience of 12-15. The 15 age rating also suggest that it might be more serious, a 12 being synonyms with a fantasy or glossy version of a story.

 

Task 3: Apply and Evaluate: Consider/apply power and media industries theory (Curran and Seaton), cultural industries theory (Hesmondhalgh) and regulation theory (Livingstone and Lunt).

 

I, Daniel Blake:

Power and Media Industries: Curran and Seaton:

“a majority of companies are driven by the logic of profit and power”

• The film itself, as well as its marketing (trailer, poster, interview, premier etc), would suggest that I, Daniel Blake is challenging this.
• The production model contradicts this- the budget is low, its shot using a lot of non-professional actors, its shot on location and not on sets
• The main aim of the film is not to make profit, but to communicate socio-political messages – it challenges and critiques the welfare system, poverty, the work capability assessment and austerity under the conservative government in 2016

They also say “variety, creativity and quality is inhabited by media concentration”

• I, Daniel Blake also challenges this statement – the film, which showcases British working class characters in sympathetic lead roles, was made and was a success in the contemporary film industry.

“more socially diverse patterns of ownership create the conditions for varied film productions”

• I, Daniel Blake reinforces this idea as the finding from the BFI and BBC, independent, publicly-financed companies, as well as companies from France, Belgium and Canada, gave Ken Loach full creative control on the film, as profit was not expected, like you would expect from major film companies like Universal with Straight Outta Compton.

 

Livingstone and Lunt’s Regulation: who is regulation for? Is it now about protecting the industry rather than the audience

The film is a 15, this is appropriate due to the explicit language and mentions of prostitution. The public were protected from being exposed to explicit content. The trailer was a U so it was viewed by anyone, this had less explicit content and received no complaints.  eOne requested a 12A but were not successful, they didn’t make any changes to allow the rating to drop showing that it wasn’t really significant for them.

The company may have lost out on financial gain as their audience was limited in the cinema, but the spread of technology and DVDs being available to anyone after being bought by someone of age, opens the potential audience. They didn’t want to cut out rude language as it told the story, this worked out anyway as the film wouldn’t have really appealed to an audience of 12-15. The 15 age rating also suggest that it might be more serious, a 12 being synonyms with a fantasy or glossy version of a story.

 

Straight Outta Compton:

Hesmondhalgh’s Cultural Industries theory: minimise risk and maximise profit 

Cultural industries- a selection of media, music and art based companies

• States that Cultural industry and companies try to minimise risk and maximise profit
• Issues when the same ideas are repeated over and over mean that the audience get board
• Comcast is a huge media conglomerate- by revenue it is the largest broadcasting and cable television company in the world, and it owns Universal Pictures. In terms of infrastructure in the film industry, Comcast opens companies at each stage of the supply chain enabling the institution to maximise profits and tap into new global markets
• Straight outta Compton vertical integration model (Legendary/Universal (production) -Universal (Distribution) -Xfinity (exhibition))
• By bringing in a NBCUniversal streaming platform they will lead to higher profits and less risks, but the potential to lose customers as Netflix is such a prominent competitor.

 

Livingstone and Lunt’s Regulation: who is regulation for? Is it now about protecting the industry rather than the audience

The film was a 15 but there was also a 18 certificated directors cut, allowing more people to watch it. The rating is suitable as it contains a lot of swearing and nudity this. The BBFC had no complaints so the certification was successful.

The company may have lost out on financial gain as their audience was limited in the cinema, but the spread of technology and DVDs being available to anyone after being bought by someone of age, opens the potential audience. The 18 certificated directors cut limited the audience, the cinema cut was the 15 but the DVD was an 18, so the younger audience wouldn’t be able to buy the film on home video.

 

Stretch and Challenge

Key Words and definitions

Dominant ideology- Refers to how those in positions of power present, repeat and reiterate a particular viewpoint that then appears to be dominant or the norm. This is then accepted by the audience.

Ghettoisation- The treatment of particular social groups as if they are different and separate from other parts of society and therefore not as important.

Digitally Convergent- The ability of audiences to view multimedia content across different platforms and devices.

Three clicks user- The three click rule is related to website navigation and suggests that this is the optimum number of clicks to access information or make a purchase on a website.

Narrative trope- Describes commonly recurring elements in a narrative, including literary devices, cliches and conventions.

Disjuncture- Lacking unity, thus creating a separation or disconnection, for example between the lyrics and the visuals in a music video.

Social relist genre- Refers to films that give an indication of what life is really like. They often explore wider social issues through the creation of emotional and personal stories.

Disruptive display advertising- Advertising content that appears in unexpected places, for example in the plug of a daily newspaper, which arrests attention because it challenges expectations of what is typical.

Grassroots campaign- A marketing strategy that targets a smaller, niche group, often a particular community, in the hope that they will spread the word to a broader audience.

Libel- The defamation of a persons character through written or printed words or images.