Thursday, 11 February 2010

Key Words Glossary

A GLOSSARY of KEY WORDS, CONCEPTS and IDEAS
for Audiences and Institutions - film

What are the issues raised by the media ownership of film companies? How do companies benefit from forming alliances and by working together to share their expertise on films?- By expanding ownership this can increase audience rates, by expanding the cross media ownership this can broaden the different ideas being used in the production of films e.g( action,thriller) some ideas are being copied by other film companies therefore all films seem to be similar.

How important is cross media convergence (wide ranging ownership) and synergy (expertise, efficiency and cost effectiveness) in production, distribution, and the marketing of films?
(Make a concept map of the ownership of your film company and the other companies it owns. Draw connections between them for synergies/convergence)

What kinds of technologies have been introduced in recent years to improve film production, their distribution, marketing and exchange?
(CGI and special effects, blue and green screen, high concept film posters, DVDs, digital downloads, HD and Blue ray DVDs, editing software, digital distribution, digital cinemas, the use of institution’s companies to market, promote, etc.)





How significant is proliferation (the increase and spread) of content, genres and hardware for institutions and audiences? (Genres of films, CGI, Blue-screen, new types of cameras, and gadgets to put them on, Cinema multiplexes, digital distribution of films, websites, magazines, etc.)



What is technological convergence and why is it important for institutions and audiences?- Technological convergence is good because it's a good way to expand the sales of a film, advertising is a good way to increase sales, e.g youtube, competitions, discussions on forums and blog sites this gets the audience more involved in the film.




What are the issues raised by targeting British national and local audiences by international and global institutions? (Cultural, gender appeal, humour, etc.)








How did British audiences receive the film (reception)? Find reviews from British audiences on Amazon UK, reviews from British newspapers and magazines (For instance, Empire magazine, Sight and Sound, The Guardian, The Independent, Timeout, etc. Youtube views and some comments, British fan-sites on the web, etc.)

http://www.imdb.com/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/film+tone/reviews
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Time-Out-Film-Guide-2008/dp/1846700353
How did they consume (watch) it? Audience figures, Home cinema, DVD sales, Internet downloads, Blue Ray sales, etc

How do your OWN experiences of watching films show wider patterns and trends in audience behaviour in your peer group and are different from older and younger generations, etc.? (You will need a survey for this.)









Pre production and production

Casting – associations from other films, expected roles, against type, manly, feminine, sex appeal, etc.
Audiences – teens, children, teens to adults, female, young men, art-house, intellectual, dads, etc.
producer – other films, genres, success, franchise films such as Harry Potter, Bond, etc.
Stars – star -images, their associations with other films/studios/directors, rising or falling? Fees per film, appeal? Niche audience appeal?
Directors,
Scriptwriters,
Locations and why they were chosen
Synergies – cost benefits of being part of a wider organisation, marketing, etc. e.g. – Universal - Viacom
Cross Media convergence – ownership of similar production/distribution companies
Institutions – production companies and Distributors (companies that sometimes own them)
Genre – romance, action-adventure, epic, comedy, etc.
CGI – Computer generated graphics, special effects such as blue-screen, green screen, bullet time, etc.
Key personnel such as stunt people, special effects experts,

Add topic specific key words and phrases to your glossaries as you read. For instance for distribution and marketing add the following and others that you notice during your studies:



Distribution
'vertical integration'
'licensing'
'viral marketing',
'local distribution' (in a particular country)
'a release date',
'a release pattern'
'the big screen'
'theatrical openings'
'market territories'
'the marketplace'
'free to air television'
'theatrical rights'
'theatrical distribution'
'theatrical leg'
'word of mouth'
'marketing platform'
'marketing - when and how'
'a light week'
'P & A'
'Other films with similar traits (story, subject, country of origin)'
'trailers' includes ‘teaser trailers’
USP (the film’s unique selling point on poster, in trailers)
'The cinema poster - in the UK this means the standard 30" x 40" 'quad' format - is still the cornerstone of theatrical release campaigns. Numerous recent examples indicate that the poster design is highly effective in 'packaging'
'favourable press response'
'advertising campaign'
'Press advertising campaign for specialised films will judiciously select publications and spaces close to relevant editorial.'
'Press materials, clips reels, images, press previews, screener tapes'
'The use of talent - usually the director and/or lead actors - wins significant editorial coverage to support a release.'
'A pre-release campaign.'
'Preview screenings to create ''buzz" and "word of mouth" (usually amongst the press although the public can also be asked, too.)
'mainstream films'
'specialised films'
'For mainstream films scale and high visibility is the key'
Film’s official website
Film certificate from the BBFC. This will have an impact on who can see it – audience size, etc.

These are just SOME of the topic's key terms that you need to use in your essays. Add others to your glossaries as you notice them.

Exhibition

Cinema chains (includes independents and chains owned by Pearl and Dean.)
Multiplexes – five or more screens in one cinema
Reviews including press, TV, podcasts, etc.
Reviews of the DVD on Amazon and blog-sites, etc.
Awards includes film festivals, the Oscars, etc.
Audience reception
Word of mouth
Blogs
Box office take (includes the impact on the first weekend/week.

These are just SOME of the topic's key terms that you need to use in your essays. Add others to your glossaries as you notice them.

Thursday, 4 February 2010

CNN interview information source/Avatar/

James Cameron has created a new Avatar themed Phenomenon. Fans have said the film was so spectacular it was almost real,it has also been said to have caused a physcological effect on viewers. Especially for the viewers that have said they have experienced depression and suicidal thoughts after seeing the film because they long to enjoy the beauty of the alien world Pandora.

Many viewers of the film have said that it has a physcological effect on their beahviour, A post by a user on a global networking site has disccovered he is infatuated with the film, whereas others have said it has not had that sort of effect on them, infact it had a rather spectacular feel-good effect on them.

Tuesday, 2 February 2010

Avatar also has a soundtrack featuring Leona lewis a previous winner of one of the U.K'S biggest talent shows (the x factor) so she is a very known face, when promoting the film and the soundtrack to it. its good for the audience to know every detail as to who is behind it so they can familiarise themselves with the people behind it.

Cameron received the Bradbury Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 1991—but, being primarily thought of as a genre filmmaker, he did not receive any major mainstream filmmaking awards prior to Titanic. With Titanic, Cameron received Academy Awards for Best Editing (shared with Conrad Buff and Richard A. Harris), Best Picture (shared with Jon Landau), and Best Director. He also won a Golden Globe for best director for the film.
In recognition of "a distinguished career as a Canadian filmmaker", Carleton University, Ottawa, awarded Cameron the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts on June 13, 1998. Cameron accepted the degree in person and gave the Convocation Address.[citation needed]
In 1998, Cameron attended convocation to receive an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from Ryerson University, Toronto. The university awards its highest honor to those who have made extraordinary contributions in Canada, or internationally.
In recognition of his contributions to underwater filming and remote vehicle technology, the University of Southampton awarded Cameron the honorary degree of Doctor of the University. Cameron received his degree in person at the graduation ceremony in July, 2004.[citation needed]
On June 3, 2008, it was announced that he would be inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.[42] On December 18, 2009, Cameron received the 2,396th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[43]
On January 17, 2010, James Cameron received the Golden Globe Award for Best Director for his work, Avatar.[44].

James Cameron is an award winning film-maker, this is a good factor considering it boosted the amount of views there were, this could be in the older generations point of view that they have liked his previous work, but in a child's perspective he also made it so that it was a popular film.
* youtube
*phone wallpapers and themes
*Background and themes for social networking sites (facebook,twitter etc)

Also well known actors/actresses where used for the film, this is also a good factor considering it would have been a major risk putting an unknown cast and so much money into a film that would have not been successful.
Avatar, James Cameron, 163 mins, (PG)
James Cameron's extraordinary allegory of US adventurism in the Middle East inspires shock and awe but fails to win hearts and minds

Reviewed by Jonathan Romney
Sunday, 20 December 2009SHARE PRINTEMAILTEXT SIZE NORMALLARGEEXTRA LARGE
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'Na'vi are like lynxes genetically altered to play basketball'

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James Cameron once declared himself king of the world. Now he has his eye on bigger things – he wants to rule the universe, the future and your brain.

His long-awaited Avatar is digital epic as attrition – you can't escape being overwhelmed by it, but it doesn't leave you much thinking space. I saw the film in 3D on a relatively small screen rather than in the colossal Imax format in which it's also being released. See it on that scale, and no doubt you'll feel totally engulfed by the experience, but even in a Soho Square basement, Avatar was immersive enough for me.

What I do feel overwhelmed by is the ocean of publicity telling us that Avatar is the ultimate this, the ultimate that, one of the most expensive films ever made (at a reported $230m or £143m – and you don't have to be a killjoy to find that obscene) and, most worrying, that it is the future of cinema.

This is a Review from the independent newspaper, Reviews such as these are a good way to see how the statistics are worked out, such links as these are useful and reliable because they can give u exact figures.