4.1 Film Text & Context intro Blockbusters in Context

New Info Unit F631: Film Text and Context Section B: Cinema...

1. The exam and its requirements – skim & present (2 mins – Trailer for Avengers)

ñ  How many questions & what topics?

ñ  What relevance are knowing about Blockbusters?

ñ  What case studies are you writing about?

ñ  What is Production?

ñ  What is Distribution & Marketing?

ñ  What is Exhibition/Exchange?

ñ  What do we mean by context?

ñ  BONUS Name the 2 most influential directors of these emerging types of films in 70's/80's?

Task: Defining the Blockbuster – what is it? Mentor pairs

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aep3Xdzi0H8 anatomy of a blockbuster & http://leighmediaasfilmessays12.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/context-economic-blockbuster-marketing.html – percentage of the total spend is the marketing budget – how is this broken down?

2. Work way through and create a mind map in your notes Characteristics of the Summer Blockbuster

Create Meaning

Top 5 & Micro Teach carousel

Create Meaning

What are the arguments around Blockbusters? Case Study: Transformers

Kermode on Transformers 3 & Truth about Blockbusters

Transformers 4 Product & Star-driven

Big Dumb Movies: Transformers

Your opinions – discussion on post it notes

Create Meaning – opinions on

Context: Economic Blockbuster Marketing Budgets (F...

Create Meaning

Identify Context & rewrite explanation in your own words – carousel and apply to a recent blockbuster you watched for Homework (Case Study)

http://leighmediaasfilmessays12.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/1975-rise-of-blockbuster-social.html

http://leighmediaasfilmessays12.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/1975-rise-of-blockbuster-social.html

http://leighmediaasfilmessays12.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/skyfall-to-70s-cinema-attendance.html

Group 1: Social

Group 2: Technology

Group 3: Economic

Group 4: Conclusion – summarise how have all 3 contexts have affected the Production of these films? (Record a Mark Kermode style review of Summer Blockbusters 2012)

Discuss & Video feedback

End – Kermode on Transformers 4

Session 2

Die Hard Franchise - Geri-Action Blockbuster

Apply to demonstrate Activity: The next Blockbuster

Justify the quote

Create your own campaign poster for an Event Movie 2013 & pitch 'High Concept'

Star Wars & The Blockbuster

Apply to demonstrate/Review

Why are Blockbusters Lucas & Spielberg's Legacy? Use the video clips (Star Wars & Jaws) & the Lucasfilm image to write a response

Argument

 

4.2 The Rise of the Blockbuster

 

Prepare for Learning – 20 mins

Starter: All the same? Debate economics, last film in cinema, 'event' movie, spend to invest make return how create hype

Opinions & Discussion of Summer Blockbusters this year?

Pub Quiz – taglines/high concept pitch to decide which film & main Star

“Some assembly required”

“If ya had the chance to change yer fate, wouldja?”

“The Untold Story”

“They are back... in time”

“Tell us your fantasy. We'll make it real.”

“The Legend Ends”

“There Was Never Just One”

“The search for our beginning could lead to our end”

Quiz: Which were the most successful – rank order them

http://www.stuff.tv/news/life-etc/10-of-the-best/15-of-the-best-summer-blockbusters-2012?page=0,11

Prepare for Learning – 20 mins

Starter: All the same? Debate economics, last film in cinema, 'event' movie, spend to invest make return how create hype

Opinions & Discussion of Summer Blockbusters this year?

Pub Quiz – taglines/high concept pitch to decide which film & main Star

“Some assembly required”

“If ya had the chance to change yer fate, wouldja?”

“The Untold Story”

“They are back... in time”

“Tell us your fantasy. We'll make it real.”

“The Legend Ends”

“There Was Never Just One”

“The search for our beginning could lead to our end”

Quiz: Which were the most successful – rank order them

http://www.stuff.tv/news/life-etc/10-of-the-best/15-of-the-best-summer-blockbusters-2012?page=0,11

 

Info/Create Meaning

As a class Using the Articles from today and other research...

http://leighmediaasfilmessays12.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/articles-summer-blockbusters.html

Apply to demonstrate Activity: The next Blockbuster

Justify the quote

Create your own campaign poster for an Event Movie 2013 & pitch 'High Concept'

Star Wars & The Blockbuster

Apply to demonstrate/Review

Why are Blockbusters Lucas & Spielberg's Legacy? Use the video clips (Star Wars & Jaws) & the Lucasfilm image to write a response

Argument

Coursework Deadlines - Planning, Creative Artfect (9 key frames or 2 min sequence) & Evaluation

Deadline for Planning (Location Recee or Storyboard)


Deadline for Creative Artefact: 21st March
Deadline for Evaluation: 28th March

Jaws vs Robocop what is the common financial link

No money for horses so coconuts

Small budget

Flop Formula - Assessment

What is the flop formula?

How much does a film need to make at the box office to be considered a flop (less than?)
How essential is budget and Film financing to the success of a Blockbuster?

Where does this money come from?

Why are Hollywood film adverse to taking risks - why Blockbuster formulaic films and what is the effect on the experience for audience?
Why could & should they take risks using the 'Flop Formula'?
Conclusion: What is the Mainstream Film Industry's purpose, why does it exist? How is this different to Independent and Foreign Cinema - what purpose?

Context: Film Funding, Flops and Megabudgets

Exhibition of Cinema The Refurb of Fleapits

Half Term Homework: Prep for Mock Exam 1 Week 1

Your next exam is about exploring and contextualising the factors that affect film production.

This means explaining how politics and social values affects censorship, how marketing and formulaic special effects driven 'event movie' have shaped and dominated what you now see at the cinema and how the cinema itself has evolved from a run down 'Fleapit' in your local high street to the 'Multiplex'. We will also be revealing how Film Piracy is not a new thing.

Complete the following tasks with your mentor partner & post to your blog for presentations Tuesday & 25 min Mock Exam on Friday

Task 1:
http://leighmediaasfilmessays12.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/starting-point-jaws-anatomy-of.html

Make notes - 
What was so significant about Jaws?
Outline the characteristics of a Blockbuster
Apply:
Identify a newly released Blockbuster now showing at the cinema
Analyse the promotion and mind map - poster, trailer, merchandising and identify

Task 2: 
Read & Apply- Case Study of a newly released Blockbuster
http://leighmediaasfilmessays12.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/characteristics-of-summer-blockbuster.html

Apply:
Go and see the film in the cinema. Analyse the characteristics using the above reading

Task 3:
http://leighmediaasfilmessays12.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/big-dumb-movies-transformers.html

Watch the video and identify the arguments from Mark Kermode
What are the criticisms of Big Dumb Movies?
What is your standpoint on this - how did we get to the point where the cinema is dominated by these films?

Apply:
Record your own review of the Blockbusters in the cinema over half term in the style of Mark Kermode

Task 4:
http://leighmediaasfilmessays12.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/activity-next-blockbuster.html

Pitch me 'the next blockbuster' - record the pitch and swede your own 30 sec trailer

AS Film January Exam Results

Read Through Script Evaluation - Dialogue and M-E-S

Task 1:
Translate the Mark Criteria & Apply to examples of last years students work:
Develop a 6 point checklist - what does this look like in the Script & 9 Key Frames?

Look at:
First read the evaluation to establish what the Macro link is supposed to be:
Layla
Luke
Benn
Grace

Conclusion:
How important are these 9 key frames to getting the marks?
What do we mean by Film Language & Codes and Conventions - Script of 9 key frames?

Task 2:

Evaluate each others scripts - functions of dialogue: characterisation & story

Task 3:
Bring your script to life!

Identify requirements of MES & use Google images to collage list of props, costume, style of lighting, performers and location designs. What sounds, music would be required?

Task 4:

Record your 'Read Through' through with your mentor partner

Task 5:

Identify the 9 key moments in telling the scene and using the found images, create a storyboard

Task 6:

Edit the animatic to the Read Through