Monday 4th November 2024
Media Industries and Audience
L/O: To explore the content of unit.
paper two section a
Film Industry
sony
products - electronics as well as video games
company owned- Sony Corporation, Sony Semiconductor Solutions, Sony Entertainment (including Sony Pictures and Sony Music Group), Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Financial Group, and others.
worth- £82.38 Billion
A conglomerate is a large corporations that own multiple business in different industries or sectors. these business usually work on their own but they are still owned by the conglomerate (mother company) but they benefit financially, recourses, expenses and capabilities.
Disney subsidiaries include ABC,ESPN, Pixar, Marvel Studios
Disney's strategy of diversification and acquisition, they diversify by buying the best in their field that is different from what Disney is known for so that the product is a bit different. Disney has been able to leverage its brand and intellectual property t create synergies (promote each other )
Disney different industries- Theme Parks, Television (Disney Channel..), Merch, Film,
known for cartoons
Disney worth- $173.76 billion
Pixar pay- $7.4 billion
owns-toy story, monsters inc, cars, 70 million revenue( generated)
Lucasfilm pay- $4.05 billion
owns- starwars, 12 billion (generated for Disney)
Marvel pay- $4 billion
owns- comic, avengers, iron man, revenue 13.2 Billion
20th Century Fox pay- $71.3 billion (its a conglomerate thats why it cost so much)
owns- avatar
Friday 8th November 2024
Snow white and the seven dwarfs
L/O: To explore the set text
horizontal integration - branched out into different ownership of companies (across) when you buy other companies that produce can also be in different industries same level
vertical integration - owning all the branches of distribution different value chain (distribution, exhibition, circulation..) its within the same industry just different level within it(up)
Disney used both of these to expand.
Warner Brothers, Columbia, Paramount, Universal and Disney are the big 5, and their are the oldest and most produced and successful films of all time. They have shaped the film industry.
Early Cinema: 1898-1915
5 major technological developments
motion picture camera
coloured film, orchestras in a pit for sound
luminere brothers- they developed the camera
the birth of the nation- the editing was very different since they edited between scenes
late 20s sicronised sound
1930s cinema has become a major form of entertainment.
1930s HOLLYWOOD golden age
warner bros- jazz singer
warner brother
dubbing over so theres no language barrier
fox, mgm, paramount, warner bros, RKO Radio- owned theatres so great depression couldn't afford so they went under
columbia unitet artists, universal- didn't own theatres, they did well
the wizerd of Oz colour 1930s
distinct personalities between companies different themes and genre,
will H haze warning which lead to regulation
vertical integration, films were made on a consistant basis
very controlled and the studios operating as powerful entities within the film industries, lack of divercity (which was normal at the time) and opportunities for independent filmmakers and actors
Walt Disney:
who he was and how he became successful in 1930s?
he was a cermertion artist, animation
he started with a camera that he took from his boss and made short animations and gave to the cinemas. He made a company, he took an idea from his rival to make money, but he went into bankruptcy before he made it
he became a movie director but he got chosen by an animator director Margaret.
He decided to focus more on animation rather than with the girl in the animation.
Monday 11th November 2024
oswalt the rabbit
then mickey mouse
then he added sound to it to be different and be distributed
1928 was the first mickey mouse movie (steamboat willie)
founded in 1923
1934 produced its first full length cartoon, Snow white and the seven dwarfs, which it helped establish disney as a major player.
Snow white and the seven dwarfs (1937):
main characters-
snow white
evil queen/step mother-
sleepy
grumpy
doc,
happy
sneezy
bashfull
dopy
prince
narrative-
themes-
romance, friendship
representations-
gender- female- villain, stereotypical, beauty, youth male - hero
dwarfs-
age-
Monday 18th November 2024
Snow White
L/O: To explore the context and influence in the 1930s
making of the movie:
movie related merchindise on the day the moive was released
first movie soundtrack released on vile to go with it
one of the first film musicles
silly symphony where preparations for snow white with the animation
first full lenghted animated feature film ever produced
they made a lot of changes to the story to fit and more appealing to a more audience
took 3 yrs to complete
they used a process names multi plane camera which lets create the illusion of depth and movement in the animation. this was new to animation
disney himself was heavely involved in the production, he over saw every single aspect and he was making little changed in editing. he was a studio owner.
-december the 21 snow white was premiered so more people were able to see it, it made the most money, the success of snow white paved the way for future animated feature films from Disney and other studios
Influences:
influenced by a fairytale the brothers grimm they took inspiration for the themes of good vs evil, the power of true love, and importance of friendship.
- the traditional of European ballet and opera in the musical (eg heigh ho)
- the animators took inspo of various sources like European animators
- multiplane camera system for depth
- he tried to use up to date technologies.
Friday 22 November 2024
German expressionism
Codes and Conventions- german exp is a visual influence for snow white, with the evil queen and the castle. The evil queen angular lines, sharp angles. Snow white and dwarfs with thematic elements of human nature, duality of nature with grumpy. Character torn between good and bad. The forest scene.
Link to snow white- the cabinet of Dr. Caligari influenced expressionistic/ dramatic mise en scene. Exagerated and distorted mise en scene to show the inter phycology of the character. (GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM)
Technology and Techniques (Production context)- labrotory colours, moviola, watercolour for backgrounds, characters are drawn of clear paper. Master camera to photograph each scene, technicians and sound effect recorders did the sounds by them selfs, multiplane camera, rotoscoping, silly symphonies, hand-drawn animation, orchestra doing the music, and lastly sound effects.
Innocentce and wholesomeness, when snow white and the seven dwarfs are dancing and singing, when she sings for them to sleep.
American mid- west:
-Walt Disney had a impact on the themes and values that are present in his films. they portray an idealised, all American vision of innocence and wholesomeness. Traditional values.
- Deep appreciation for family, community and hard work these values are seen in his films. Characters such as snow white are portrayed as virtuous and hardworking. The films emphasises the importance of family and community bonds.
- his films often features an nostalgic view of rural America, idyllic small towns, this version was popular with audience during 1930s and 40s since people were seeking escape from the great depression and ww2.
- Disneys portrayal of American life was not without criticism. People have argued that his films show a narrowed and idealised view of American culture that does not reflect diversity and complexities of real life. Despite these sayings his films continue to be loved world wide.
Walt Disney:
- he was a demanding and sometimes difficult boss but he had a deep respect for art of animation and a passion for creating entertainment and inspirirng films
- he was highly involved and giving his animators specific instructions and feedback on their work. He was described as a perfectionist with high standards for the quality of their work.
- However he recognised the importance of his employees and the contribution they made to the success of the studio. He was known for organising company events and outings, such as picnics and holiday parties.
- He encouraged his employees to pursue their own creative interest and develop their skills outside their assigned work. This led to the formation of the ' Nine Old Men' a group of top Disney animators who were given the freedom to explore new techniques and styles in their work.
- Despite his reputation as a demanding boss, many of his employees remained fiercely loyal to him and credited him with creating a supportive and collaborative environment at the studio.
What influenced the production of Snow White and the seven dwarfs?
Snow white and the seven dwarfs was heavily influenced by a book that the Grimm brothers wrote that has the theme of the power of true love and the importance of friendship. European folklore was also used as inspiration, either from other European animators or even the traditional ballet and opera (eg heigh ho), this helped bring the dwarfs into life and give them personality. Walt Disney passion for animation and his determination in making the snow white made him have the first full animated featuring film. Which would become a success and inspire other animators to this day.
New animations techniques made Snow white and the seven dwarfs very different at the time. They used new technology like the multiplane camera system to add depth to their animation and the moviola which was used for editing, it let the editors see the animation while editing. The editing team doing rotoscoping which was a technique used by tracing over motion picture footage frame by frame to produce realistic action; and sound team making the sounds them selfs as well as the orchestra recording the songs in Snow white. Walt Disney oversaw all the animations done and even gave feedback to the animators, since he oversaw the production he made few changed himself with the editing, cut some scenes down or removed them to appeal to the audience more. They had drawn the backgrounds in watercolour and the characters were drawn on see through paper which would be put together to make the scenes which would then be photographed by the master camera.
The past experimentation of the animation and techniques can be seen in the silly symphonies which they experimented stories and characters. The old mill was a trial run for snow white and the seven dwarfs, it let the audiences sit back and lose them selfs to the atmosphere of the nature scenes. German Expressionism also has a role in the influence of the production, since german expressionism is exaggerated and distorted mise en scene that shows the inter phycology of the character. This links to snow white since in the intense running scene we can see the exaggeration of the forest coming to life and this shows her inter phycology. German Expressionism was used in a more dark cinema style since it was made by and for generations destroyed by war, poverty and broken dreams.
Monday 25th November 2024
The Golden Age
L/O: To explore cinema in the 1930s.
How does the 1930s cinema experience differ from today?
- allowed to smoke in the cinema
- it was cheaper (5 cents) a nickle
- orchestra rather than sound
- a lot of people would of went ( since today it is the norm so it isn't as exciting)
- no great depression/ war to escape
- you would have to pay different prices and places, and some places would of only be late night viewing
- the working class went mainly, thats why they made it look like a palace which would appeal to the upper classes
- they had double features, it was common to see two feature films at the price of one.
- so before the film they would show newsreels, which were short films about the world which were relevant and cartoons before the film. Thats one way people knew about the news around the world
- for longer films they would have a intermissions, so the film would stop half way through to move around and take a break
- everything they were seeing was new
- it was very poplular back than now due to streaming sites
- censorship either by government bodies or industry associations, so some were heavily edited or completely banned.
Massively popular by all classes form of entertainment, used to escape from their everyday lives.
Distribution context 1930s:
- The studio system was massive, the big studios have big influence all about vertical integration. Independent films didn't really happen, this gave them a lot of power and control.
- when disney made snow white it wasn't part of the big studios.
- distribution costs were very high, make the film then transport them physically through a network of regional and national distributors. they would negotiate with theaters to secure exhivitions rights of the film. Also globally which is why companies didnt compete with the big ones since who had all that money.
- it didn't suffer as much as people thought due to the great depression and the cost.
Distribution of snow white:
it was premiered in LA and was shown in two cinemas. Disney secured a limited release since he was a small company. RKO was their distributor decided on a general release ( nation wide) in 1938. Big success in the US and overseas. In london cinema it ran for over half a year. Distribution in the 90s were slower so people in smaller towns had to wait for months. Film had longer 'legs' despite the larger number of films available to cimea goers, because lack of comeptition.
Disney and RKO:
- Disneys relationship with RKO was a significant success of his animation studio. This gave RKO the exclusive distribution rights to Disneys animated shorts and features, including snow white and the dwarfs.
- RKO was a major hollywood studio at he time, this let Disney wider audeince. This let his animation studio and produce longer and more ambitious projects.
- There was some conflicts like RKO excutives wanted to cut some scenes but Disney won and the film was released intact.
Monday 2nd December 2024
Exhibition
L/O: To explore Disney's exhibition strategy.
Innovation- making something new, feature film
Storytelling- it was engaging for all ages, based on a well known fairytale, the nostalgic feeling
Music- first film to have a soundtrack
Marketing- they had a trailer and posters, tie in merch
Reception- well received by the critics, praised it and encouraged it
Marketing comes under distribution.
Their merch, toys and other themed items that were out on shelfs months before the film. The merch was sold out several times before the release of the film. This was very unusual at the time 1937
They made feature films after the scuccess of Snow White.
Expansion into Tv- in 50s and 60s for mickey mouse and disneyland.
theme parks-
acquisition of other companies- this has helped disney diversify and expand into other areas of entertainment
digital and streaming- they released their own streaming site during covid.
Merch:
clothes, toys, mugs, christmas decorations, headbands, dolls, lego sets, stationarie.
Synergy example:
MacDonalds and Disney working together in marketing. Doing toys in happy meals, posters. They are promoting each other and bringing their profit.
Soundtrack:
it has several soundtracks since its original in 193.
- Original in1937 this was from the films
- 1987 for the 50th aniversary celebration. Remastered verision as well as new sngs and recordings
- Legacy collection soundtrack in 2015 it released a special edition of Snow White shoundtrack, it remastered version of the original soundracka s well as bonus and behind the scenes content
- Vinyl releases
- digital releases
Disney re-released the films 6 times in cinemas
1944- this was helped boost moarale during ww2 and to introduce a new generation
1952- double feature with disney alice and the wonderland, new generation
1967-30th celebration this is re-release including promotion campaign
1983- Double feature with mickey mouse carol and 50th anivercery
1993- limited engagement in theaters to celebrate the 56th anivercery
2016
Home Release:
VHS in 1994 marking the first time the film was available for home viewig
DVD in 2001, this was the platinum edition series, this includes restored version of the film, along with a range of special features and bonus content
Blu-ray in 2009 dimond edition
Digital both fr purchase and rental
4K Ultra HD in 2019
Live action re-makes:
Allows them to breathe new life into their classical stories and characers, introduction to the new generation. Try new filming techniques and modern technologies.
A way for Disney to leverage their exsititng intelectual property which is a valuable asset for the company.
The change of industry and audience preferences. Disney is looking for ways to differentiate themselves and stand out in a crowded market.
Finally, its a way for Disney to take advantage of the nostalgia factor. Many people grew up watching Disnesys classical animated films and remaking them live action.
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Friday 6th December 2024
Contexts Snow White
L/O: To explore regulation and context of the 1930s.
Regulation: very brief
- BBFC regulates film in England
what do they look for, age ratings, language/ violence/ nudity/ graphic and realism. they were called slightly different in 1930s. The BBFC has the power to cut or ban a film.
- they had stablished regulations in the 30s
- hays code in the US in 1930s aimed to eliminate content that was considered immoral/ offensive. They enforced the code through a system of self regulation.
- the moral standers of society was more strict so it wasn't the company that was strict.
- they did push the boundaries of what was acceptable in a animated film at the time
- There was less ratings in the BBFC
- snow white was considered a U but in England they gave a warning that it might not be suitable for very young kids.
- the regulation in both America and Britain had an impact on the production and distribution of Snow White. this reflect the limitations and restrictions placed on filmmakers at the time.
Context:
-how the two films differ in institutional backgrounds and se of ML to create meaning.
- reflecting social, cultural and political attitudes towards wider issues and beliefs.
- constructing social, cultural and political attitudes towards wider issues and beliefs.
-how the two films can act as a means of reflecting historical issues and events.
-how the two films are influenced by social, cultural, political and historical contexts through intertextual references.
- how the two films reflect their economic context through production, financial and technological opportunities and constraints.
- historical context is Snow white and about how Disney came to be and how films were made
Economic Context: Snow White
- production costs, merch and revenue stream
- production costs were about 1.5 million, Disney had to borrow a lot
- revenue streams, highest- grossing film of its time, streaming over 8 million at the box office during its initial release.
- merchandise that were released before the film was, figurines were sold
historical significance with the first feature animation film, this lead to growth in the animation industry as a whole
- impact on Disneys finance for his work and also identity
Historical context
Dominance of hollywood major: releases strategies reflect changed
sources of income: merchandising and additional revenue sources
proliferation of technology: audience expectation about it
proliferation is the rapid increase in the number or amount of something.
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Monday 9th December 2024
Shang-Chi and the legend of the ten rings
L/O: To explore the set texts.
what makes a film a Hollywood blockbuster?
- high profile actors
- big budget
- produced by a popular studio
- blockbuster- meaning that it destroyed film charts
- high production values
- designed to appeal to a very wide audience
- strong marketing techniques
- released during peak moviegoing periods
eg: star wars franchise, harry potter, Deadpool and Wolverine, titanic
summery of blockbuster: a film that is not only financial successful but also culturally significant and widely recognised by audiences.
what is a tent pole film?
film that supports the finance of the studio, a film that is guarantied to make a certain amount if money
apply these points to one of the films above.
Marvel Cinematic universe (MCU) is a series of interconnected superhero films and Tv shows produced by marvel studios and based on characters from Marvel Comics. The MCU is one of the most successful and expensive franchise in history.
The films and Tc shows in the MCU are interconnected, with events and characters from one story affecting and influencing others. This has allowed for complex and interwoven storyline that span multiple films and Tv shows, creating a rich and immersive fictional universe.
What are legacy characters identity is passed down to them from an older character in the form of a title, job or persona for the newer character to assume. got nothing to do with the actor and more of the persona of the character.
Spiderman is the best example with the no way home, with the three spidermen introducing multiverses.
The inclusion of legacy characters in these films in a way to pay homage to previous interactions of beloved characters, while also expanding the story and bringing in new audiences.
Shang- chi and the legend of the ten rings (2021)
what makes this film different from the rest marvel films:
Origin story- this introduces this character of Shang-chi. This allows new themes and ideas, such as family, identity and cultural heritage. This character never existed before this.
Cultural representation- this is the first Marvel film to feature an Asian superhero as the lea charcter. This film has majority of the cast being asian.
Action Sequences- this film features visually stunning and innovative action sequences in the mcu. This film incorporates marcial arts, acrobatics, and CGI to create thrilling and dymatic fight scenes, that stands out from other Marvel films.
Villains- features a compelling and complex villain in the form of Wenwu. This is in contrast to some other Marvel films that have had weaker or more one dimensional villains
Connections to the MCU- its a standalone film, it also connect to the wider MCU in several ways. The film features a cameo from a well-known Marvel characters and sets ups potential future storylines and connections to other MCU films.
Notes:
Main Characters-
Shang Chi
Xu Wenwu
Xu Xialing
Wong
Ying Li
Katy
Ying Nan
Master Guang Bo
Narrative:
An origin story about a young Kung-Fu master who is forced to confront his past when his estranged father draws him into a search for a mythical village.
Themes:
Representation:
men and woman is equal power, male character hungry for power, female is feminine in representation, entirely subtitled.
How are changes in the film industry shown:
- special effects
- different ethnicities.
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