Film C1
Section A:
Wednesday 28th February 2024
Film Posters
LO: To analyse the film poster set texts effectively.
Do Now:
- No time to die is the most recent one.
- Spectre is also a James Bond film.
- There is always some kind of danger/action that the main character (James Bond) has to fix. Most of the time it is just him against a certain evil organisation.
- James Bond carries a gun and "has a license to kill".
- 007 is his spy name
- Something happens in "No time to die" but it will be a major spoiler.
- The actor playing James Bond in "No time to die" is Daniel Craig.
- James Bond is a spy for the British Government (MI6)
The author of the James Bond books (Ian Fleming) was part of the Navy. He was in the secret service during the war, and he himself did some work in MI6 as a spy.
Context:
- No Time to Die was released in the UK on 30 September 2021 after a global premiere at the Royal Albert Hall on 28th September 2021.
- It was originally due to come out in April 2020, but was delayed significantly due to a change in director and the COVID-19 pandemic.
- It was Daniel Craig's fifth and final performance as James Bond.
- The film's budget was an estimated $250-301 million, making it the most expensive Bond film to date. So far , it has grossed over $774 million worldwide at the box office.
- The film was produced by the British company EON (Everything or Nothing) Productions and distributed in UK cinemas by Universal Pictures.
- The poster was designed by Empire Designs, a British film promotion agency. The first teaser poster was released on James Bond day (5th October).
Main Image:
- James Bond himself is the main focus of the poster showing his importance. His head also covers the 007 at the top of the screen, also implying this.
- The other characters are inside of his body behind his back, potentially showing that James Bond cannot predict what is coming for him.
- The car on fire is very stereotypical for a James Bond film, as it is an action film.
- The main image is a mid shot and within the picture of James Bond there is a montage.
- The villain is the second-biggest image in the poster, and is centred showing that the most action will be around them.
Colour Palette:
- The colour palette consists of blue and orange which are very contradicting colours potentially showing that there will a constant battle between good and evil.
- The colour of James Bond's suit ties in with the text at the top of the poster as they are both blue, which is fitting because 007 is his code name.
- The colour orange has connotations of danger and evil, showing that the film will be action packed and full of danger.
- There is a contrast of warm and cool colours, suggesting there will be a fight.
- The blue colour represents how calm James Bond is when he does his job. Potentially showing his lack of emotion.
Typography:
- Futura black is used.
- Block capitals connote the action genre, they tend to be more masculine.
- It's quite a modern font, suggesting it is set in modern day.
- Connotations of military, fighting, the secret service.
Mise-en-scene
- James Bond is wearing a suit, which is very stereotypical for the franchise, as James Bond is famous for wearing suits.
- There is a woman holding a gun in the film, contradicting the stereotype that says women are weak and cannot help in films, a stereotype that in the past the James Bond films have followed. This could perhaps be an attempt to make up for this.
- Stereotypical Bond girl.
- They have calm facial expressions suggesting they are in control.
- Direct adress.
Genre:
- The genre is action, which is shown in the car on fire, as this is a stereotypical storyline for an action film. there are also a lot of guns on the poster.
- Exotic locations, planes, serious facial expressions are all typical for action adventure films.
Release Date:
- It was originally due to come out in April 2020, during the Easter holidays, meaning they would get a larger audience and therefore more money.
Logo:
- Connotations of the franchise ---> fans will recognise it.
- The blue colour links in with the rest of the poster.
- His head is covering the logo, showing he is 007, and how the logo is incredibly recognisable you don't even need the whole of the second 0 and 7.
- Small logo coloured gold, which has connotations of wealth and luxury, all associated with the James Bond franchise.
Title:
- The title could be read as there is no time to die because Bond is so busy. This implies the film will be very fast paced.
- The title could also suggest that it isn't the right time to die. This suggests there will be a sad/sombre tone to the film.
- Both ways of reading this show that someone is going to die in the film.
Film Poster conventions:
- The poster doesn't have actor names on it. This could suggest that they think people will recognise the actors, or it could suggest that this is more of an ensemble cast, or they could have thought that it could take away from the visuals.
Homework:
Research the James Bond 007 franchise.
Writer and Inspiration:
- The James Bond films were based off the novel written by Ian Lancaster Fleming, a British writer.
- Bond was a composite character who was based on a number of commandos whom Fleming knew during his service in the Naval Intelligence Division during the Second World War, to who Fleming added his own style and a number of his own tastes.
- Bond's name may have come from the American ornithologist of the same name although it is possible that Fleming took the name from a Welsh agent with who he served called James C. Bond.
Timeline of films:
- The first film was 'Dr No' with the film coming out in 1962.
- The next film in the James Bond timeline was 'From Russia with Love', which came out in 1963.
- 'Goldfinger' came next, with it coming out in 1964.
- 'Thunderball' was next, coming out in 1965.
- 'You Only Live Twice' came out in 1967.
- 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' came next, coming out in 1969. This was George Lazenby's first Bond film.
- 'Diamonds Are Forever' was next, starring Sean Connery once again as 007. It came out in 1971.
- 'Live and Let Die' came out in 1973. This was Roger Moore's first film.
- 'The Man with the Golden Gun' came out in 1974.
- 'The Spy Who Loved Me' came out in 1977.
- 'Moonraker' came next, coming out in 1979.
- 'For Your Eyes Only' came out in 1981.
- 'Octopussy' came out in 1983.
- 'A View to a Kill' came out in 1985. This was Roger Moore's last Bond movie.
- 'The Living Daylights' starred Timothy Dalton as 007 and came out in 1987.
- 'License to Kill' was Timothy Dalton's last film, and came out in 1989.
- 'Golden Eye' was Pierce Brosnan's first Bond film. It came out in 1995.
- 'Tomorrow Never Dies' came out in 1997.
- 'The World Is Not Enough' came out in 1999.
- 'Die Another Day' was Pierce Brosnan's last film, coming out in 2002.
- 'Casino Royale' came out in 2006, it being Daniel Craig's first Bond film.
- 'Quantum of Solace' came out in 2008.
- 'Skyfall' came out in 2012.
- 'Spectre' was next, coming out in 2015.
- 'No Time To Die' is the most recent film, coming out in September 2021, despite it initially due to come out in April 2020, however it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was Daniel Craig's last Bond film.
Main Characters:
- James Bond (007)
- Q - this stands for quartermaster.
- M - the head of the organisation 007 works for.
- Moneypenny - M's secretary.
Typical Storylines:
- Bond is sent on a very dangerous mission.
- He gets captured.
- Just when it looks like all hope is lost he escapes and defeats the villain, saving the world/Britain.
- Each film is action packed, and in most of them, there is one clear enemy.
- There is usually a love interest.
- Bond is quite closed off and emotionally detached.
Main Themes:
- Good triumphing over evil.
- Humorous one-liners from Bond, some that are extremely famous such as 'Bond, James Bond' and 'A license to kill'.
Actors who have played Bond:
- Sean Connery: 1962 - 1967 and one film in 1971.
- George Lazenby: One film - 1969.
- Roger Moore: 1973 - 1985.
- Timothy Dalton: 1987 & 1989.
- Pierce Brosnan: 1995 - 2002.
- Daniel Craig: 2006 - 2021.
Typical target audience:
- 12 - 40 year old men.
- The range is so large because the films have learnt to move with the times.
Any Interesting Facts or statistics:
- There are 25 Bond films.
- Ian Fleming was in the Navy.
- 'Goldfinger' was the first film to feature a laser beam, and the first film in which Bond drives an Aston Martin.
- Six decades, six actors, 25 movies and billions of dollars at the box office later and James Bond is still talked about and still has an almost cult-following.
- Italy has been featured in eight Bond films, and all of Daniel Craig's films.
- James Bond ranks as one of the most productive franchises, and as one of the longest franchises.
Friday 1st March 2024
Film Posters
LO: To analyse the film poster set texts effectively.
Do Now:
- 'Goldfinger' was the first film to feature a laser beam, and the first film in which Bond drives an Aston Martin.
- James Bond ranks as one of the longest franchises.
- The author of the James Bond films (Ian Fleming) was in the Navy, and actually took inspiration for the character of James Bond from others he knew in his unit.
- The franchise started in 1962, meaning it has been going for 59 years, and it is still talked about and has a cult following.
- Italy has been featured in eight of the Bond films, leading fans to believe it is the fictional character's favourite place.
Intertextuality:
- The montage design of the poster references previous Bond films and their posters, providing a sense of familiarity, nostalgia and pleasure to fans who recognise the link.
- The 007 gun logo acts as an intertextual link between 'No Time to Die' and previous Bond films. It has become synonymous with Bond.
- It is significant that there is no intertextual reference to Ian Fleming (the author of the James Bond books) on this poster. This is a departure from previous Bond films, signifying 'No Time to Die' is not based on one of his original books.
Narrative:
1) A bar is also shown, connoting danger and alcohol. This could also connote gangsters and a fight, as a lot of mobs in films are known to hang out at bars. The bar is in Cuba, meaning that there are multiple different locations in the film. This is an exotic location, which is a feature of action films. This suggests travel.
Italy is also there.
2) We can see:
-The hero
-The villain
- The donor
- The princess
3) Some of the characters are obvious who they are, but a lot aren't, potentially leading to people questioning who they are. Why is the car on fire? Who is the guy in the mask?
Representation context:
- James Bond has been constructed to embody historical masculine stereotypes such as strength, skill, independence etc.
- The representation of women in the franchise has also historically been stereotypical: 'Bond girls', who are the beautiful 'love interest' for Bond, are often insignificant to the narrative and ultimately disposable (Propp's 'princess'),
- The representation of gender in the Bond franchise has evolved over time in a bid to reflect the changing social context.
- Craig's Bond is not as sexist and overtly stereotypical as the earlier incarnations of the character. His Bond is older, more thoughtful and shows signs of vulnerability. The poster however has to show the genre and the franchise quickly, so it continues to represent Bond as the familiar action hero.
- Hollywood's representation of race and ethnicity has shifted significantly over the decades, and mainstream audiences expect a far bigger range of ethnicity and race in mainstream films.
- The poster displays a range of ethnicities. There is a multi-cultural cast, reflecting the change of society's expectations.
- Dr Madeleine Swann is pictured twice on the poster. A French psychiatrist and one of Bond's love interests, she would be recognisable to fans, as she also appeared in Spectre (2015).
- At the start of the film, James Bond has retired, and a black woman has taken over as 007. This was widely reported before the release of the film, and it led to the actor (Lashana Lynch) being subjected to racist trolls online.
Stereotypes:
- The No Time to Die poster features a stereotypical 'Bond girl', however it also shows multiple different ethnicities, showing they are steering away from some stereotypes.
- There are also other females on the poster, who are not the stereotypical 'Bond girl', showing they are trying to keep up with modern audiences.
- There is a stereotypical villain also featured in the poster, as there is someone wearing a mask.
- The poster does follow some stereotypes, such as the classic "Bond girl", which could be a subtle nod to the old James Bond films, however they also have some women on the poster holding guns and wearing tactical gear, showing that they are steering away from some stereotypes in order to keep up with a modern audience's expectations.
- The poster follows some typical stereotypes of an action film, as there is a car on fire, lots of guns and the colour scheme also matches, with the orange for the fire and the blue.
Representations of gender
- Men are represented in a very historically stereotypical way, as masculine (James Bond is in a suit), strong and intelligent (there is a man wearing glasses conveying intelligence).
- Women are also represented in a historical stereotypical way, as there is a woman in a revealing outfit, who looks like a classic 'Bond girl'. There is also another woman on there who is a previous 'Bond girl', which is unusual for them too crop up in more than one film, potentially showing she is going to be more significant than the average 'Bond girl'.
- However, there is also a woman who is dressed in tactical gear holding a gun, showing that in places, they are steering away from the decades-old stereotypes while still trying to keep the essence of a James Bond film alive.
- Bond is shown on the poster three times in the poster and in all instances he provides an image of masculinity that connotes skill, intelligence, and strength. The fact that we only see half of his face could suggest that there is a different side to him.
- Bond does not have a weapon unlike the other characters on the poster, suggesting that he himself is a weapon, however this is also quite unconventional.
- The second-most dominant character on the poster is also a male. His size on the poster could reflect the male-dominated nature of the franchise.
- All of the women are represented as beautiful. Nomi is quite essential to the plot (she has a gun and an earpiece) which is anti-stereotypical for a Bond film. Swann is the same.
Representation of ethnicity:
- There is a range of different ethnicities on there, showing that they are fully diverting away from how they used to only use white actors. There is some diversity on this poster compared to previous Bond films.
- The cast is predominantly white, however we now have Nomi who is British-Jamaican and is represented as skilled and determined by using the military costume, earpiece and gun.
Representation of age:
- Daniel Craig's James Bond is a lot older than they usually are, showing that they are trying to be inclusive while also being realistic - James Bond is going to age over time.
- James Bond being older yet still not having any limits shows that they are trying to show their older audience that as they grow older, they can still do the things they used to do.
- There are also some younger characters in the film, showing that they are trying to be fully inclusive. Them being younger could connote less experience or skill, but it is actually quite conventional for Bond films to have young actors.
Representations of sexuality:
- There is no clear signs of any sexuality on the poster, as no one on the poster is showing anything about themselves to do with their sexuality.
Wednesday 6th March 2024
Film Posters
LO: To analyse the film poster set texts effectively.
Do Now:
- Strength
- Bravery
- Intelligence
- Taking stupid risks (they usually pay off)
- Calm
- No nonsense
- Detached (from regular life eg no family or friends)
- Highly trained
- Wearing something formal
- Wielding a weapon with extreme skill
Friday 8th March 2024
Film Posters
LO: To analyse a historical film poster effectively.
Do Now:
- At least one love interest who is not critical to the plot. (Bond girls).
- James Bond looking stereotypically attractive.
- James Bond being young.
- There being one villain who James Bond ultimately defeats.
- A closing scene with James Bond relaxing in a tropical place with his love interest from the film.
- James Bond being emotionless and arrogant.
- Misogynistic men.
- Heterosexual relationships.
Context:
- The Man with the Golden Gun is a James Bond film released on 19 December 1974, starring Roger Moore as 007. This was only Moore's second appearance as the fictional MI6 agent. Roger Moore had become a household name after starring in the well-known TV series The Saint and playing Bond in the previous film, Live and Let Die.
- Based on a book by Ian Fleming.
- The film was produced by the British company Eon Productions and distributed by United Artists.
- The film was created with a $7 million budget and grossed (made) over $97 million at the world wide box office.
- To reflect the popularity of the Martial Arts film genre, there were several Kung Fu scenes and it was filmed predominantly in Asia, having been shot in Hong Kong, Thailand and Macau.
- The poster was produced by artist and illustrator Robert McGinnis.
- Prior to the 1990s, illustrations were much more commonly used on film posters due to the limited technology that was available.
- The film was set in the middle of the 1973 energy crisis, when the oil producing Arab nations proclaimed an oil embargo causing an oil crisis which had both short and long-term effects on politics and the economy across the globe. This is hinted at throughout the poster's iconography of the power plant in the lower left corner and the energy beam directed at Bond.
Why have they used a montage of images?
- To include all the important characters who are in the film.
- To clearly show the theme of the film. There is an exploding nuclear power plant in the bottom left corner showing that this will be featured in the film, and the fact that it is exploding could tell the audience that it will be key to the climax of the film. You can also clearly see a golden gun, matching the film title.
- To appeal to the target audience. The target audience for James Bond films are males aged 11-40, so they have featured certain elements on the poster to appeal to them.
What are the connotations of: the gun, his costume, facial expression and direct address?
The gun: The connotations of a gun is danger and fear, and James Bond is holding it showing that he instills fear in anyone he points it at. He is presented as powerful and dangerous, especially considering he has 'a license to kill'. The fact that James Bond also has a serious facial expression shows he doesn't want to use it but he will if he has to.
His costume: James Bond is wearing a black suit, connoting calmness, class and formality all of which we know James Bond has. He is also wearing a red tie, which is an addition to the classic James Bond suit. The colour red, however, has connotations of danger and blood which tells the audience that the film will be action packed.
Facial expression: He has a very serious stony facial expression, showing how no nonsense James Bond is and how committed to his job he is. He looks like he is staring down his enemy.
Direct address: The direct address makes you feel like you're a part of the poster. Also, because the hands and the gun are right at the bottom of the poster (where you would be standing if you were in it) it makes you feel like the enemy.
What are the connotations of the Golden gun and the man holding it?
The typical connotations of the colour gold is luxury, wealth and power, showing that James Bond's enemy (the man holding the golden gun) is all of these things. It tells the audience that the enemy will not be easy to defeat. The connotations of just the gun is danger and fear. The fact that the bullet next to the gun is engraved with 007 tells the audience that the villain hates James Bond and the bullet is meant for him. It implies that the man holding it won't stop until he can use it on James Bond. The man clearly despises James Bond for whatever reason and it therefore entices an audience, because they want to know why he hates Bond and if he ever does use the bullet. The man holding the gun is clearly dangerous because of this, because such little information is revealed about him that we don't know what he could do.
How is the text used to appeal to different types of audiences?
- 'Roger Moore as James Bond 007' appeals to those who have followed the franchise for a while, and recognise Roger Moore as 007. The logo also appeals to fans, as they would recognise it instantly. It could be argued however that the name 'Roger Moore' is to appeal to those who don't know the franchise, as they might not recognise it. Fans of Roger Moore.
- 'Ian Fleming's The Man with the Golden Gun' would appeal to anyone interested in seeing the film, as the title is very vague, so audiences would want to know about the golden gun, why it exists and who is the man holding it? This would appeal to fans of the books.
What enigma codes are created?
- There is very little information revealed about the man with the golden gun so it makes the audience ask who is the man with the golden gun?
- Why is the power plant on fire?
- Why is the man with the golden gun specifically targeting James Bond?
Which of Propp's character types can we see?
- The hero
- The princess/damsel in distress
- The villain.
What action/adventure genre conventions are included?
- There is an explosion telling the audience the genre.
- There are many guns.
- Many different places can be seen, showing the adventure side of the film.
- Male protagonist with a gun.
Exam style question: Images
On the James Bond, "The Man with the Golden Gun" film, there is an image of James Bond holding a gun within the montage, showing that he is very dangerous. He is wearing a suit, which has connotations of class, and calmness when in battle, which fits into his personality and also showing that he is dangerous because if he is calm in the middle of the fight, then he is clearly very confident in his skills and he is highly trained. Also, the gun he is holding isn't pointed at anyone, potentially showing he doesn't need it to defend himself and he doesn't want to use it if he doesn't have to, unlike most of the villains in the Bond franchise. His serious facial expression tells the audience he is on a mission and is focused on the task at hand. It lets the audience know he will never drop his guard. Overall, this shows he is very dangerous, but only to the enemy, because all of these elements combined give the impression that Bond is willing to do anything to keep the world safe and keep himself alive.
Homework:
Explore how the film poster for No Time to Die uses the following elements of media language to create meanings:
(a) images [5] (b) mise-en-scene [5] (c) layout and design [5]
(a) images [5] (b) mise-en-scene [5] (c) layout and design [5]
(a) On the 'No Time to Die' film poster, images have been used to paint women as both powerful and as stereotypically feminine. On the poster, we can see an image of a woman (Nomi) holding a gun and dressed in tactical gear, which implies that she is on a mission or about to start one. Her uniform looks almost military-like, connoting strength, bravery and intelligence, all of which is anti-stereotypical for a woman in the James bond franchise, as previously, women have been painted as beautiful and unimportant to the plot/storyline. The fact that they are leaning away from this (if only partially) shows that they are trying to keep up with societal expectations. However, although they are trying to stray from the stereotypes, there are two women on there who embody a classic 'Bond girl', meaning they are stereotypically beautiful and attractive. One of these women is in the bottom right corner (Miss Swann), and she was also in the previous film, which is unusual for a Bond girl to crop up in more than one film, connoting that she is key to the plot. However, she is wearing a dress and is stereotypically feminine, showing that the franchise are still keeping the essence of Bond alive, potentially to appeal to their target audience, which would be men from around 12-40.
(b) On the poster, mise-en-scene has been used to construct the stereotypes of a typical action-adventure film. For example, we can see many weapons in the image (although none are being used/pointed at anyone due to advertising laws around encouraging anti social behaviour), implying that there will be many fights, a lot of danger and there will be a mission of some kind, all of which are typical for an action movie. Another example of how mise-en-scene has been used to show the genre of the film is the fact that there is a car on fire, and that Bond is still sat in it. The car on fire is typical for an action film, as it creates excitement and fear, however the fact that Bond is still in it and looks very calm is only stereotypical for the Bond films and franchise as he is known for staying calm and focused in life or death situations. Another way we can tell this is an action adventure film is through the multiple different locations shown on the poster. We can see a town/city, a bar (which is clearly in a different place as not only is it in the opposite corner of the poster but the colour palette is also very different) and a plane flying overhead, showing that the characters will travel at least once in the movie. Multiple different locations is stereotypical for both an action adventure movie and for a Bond film, as the films typically follow the conventions of an action film.
(c) Finally, on the 'No Time to Die' film poster a montage has been used to create multiple different meanings. For example, in the montage, all the other characters are inside of James Bond, showing that not only is he the main character, but also that all the people behind him are going to be involved in the story, and that he will interact with them at least once in the film. Also, a lot of weapons are featured within the montage, showing that these people may be trying to help him or kill him: there is no in between, telling the audience that Bond will face many dangers to finish whatever mission he has been sent on. The fact that a montage is used shows the audience all the essential characters to the plot. There is one stereotypical 'Bond girl' on the poster, however, showing that the franchise are leaning away from the old stereotype that women are not key to the story, as if she's been featured on the poster, she is going to be important and crop up multiple times throughout the film. The montage also could have been used to appeal to the target audience. The target audience for a James Bond film is men aged between 12 and 40, and the second biggest character on the poster is also a man, potentially reflecting the male dominated nature of the franchise. Another reason why the poster includes a montage could be to clearly depict the genre on the film. There are many typical action-adventure connotations, including multiple weapons, a car on fire and some exotic locations.
Wednesday 13th March 2024
Film Posters
LO: To analyse a historical film poster effectively.
Do Now:
The connotations of a black suit: class, formality, wealth, sophistication, intelligence, timeless.
The connotations of the colour gold: wealth, luxury, power, royalty, high status.
The connotations of a power plant: industrial, dangerous, nuclear, radioactivity, energy.
Context:
- At the start of the 20th century, many film depictions of minority ethnic groups supported the dominant stereotypes at the time: to be pitied, to be laughed at, the exotic and/or dangerous.
- While society was progressing towards racial equality by the 1970s, some of these stereotypes were still in evidence in mainstream films.
- In addition, it is interesting to consider this poster in the context of the move towards gender equality and increased women's rights in the 1960s and 70s.
Stereotypes:
- There are two women in revealing bikinis, showing that they are reinforcing the stereotype that women are only there to look beautiful, especially considering that one of the women is stood there with her back facing us, showing she is insignificant to the plot or we would have a clearer view of her face.
- Many guns are featured on the poster, which is stereotypical for an action adventure film, especially because James Bond is holding one, as he is the main character and he is a spy, which is also stereotypical for a film.
- Many different locations are shown on the poster which is stereotypical for an action adventure film and a James Bond film, because the 007 films usually follow the typical conventions of this genre.
- There are many fires and explosions also featured on the poster, which is stereotypical for an action film, as the connotations of fire is danger and fear.
Representations of gender:
- On the poster women are represented as weak, pathetic and only there for James Bond, and all the male viewer's pleasure. We can see this from their outfits, as they are wearing very revealing bikinis, when it is clear that they are on a mission with James Bond, showing they are only there for his pleasure because they are not dressed practically for it. Also, the woman on the left of the poster has a very panicked facial expression, whereas James Bond looks very calm, making her and therefore women look weak.
- On the poster, men are represented in the opposite way to women. James Bond is the main focus, and is clearly very calm, composed and serious. We can tell all this from his outfit and his facial expression. He has a gun pointed at him and he is maintaining a neutral but serious facial expression, showing he is calm and serious. He is also wearing a suit, showing that he is still composed, as there is not so much as a tear in it.
- James Bond is represented as very masculine, which gave men the idea that you had to be masculine to "be a man". The strong confident look along with his wealth and power (suggested by the suit and gun) made men feel as though they had to be the same to be attractive. The suggestion is also that Bond is straight.
- two of the three females on the poster are wearing bikinis, which is a very sexualised representation, which did not help with the growing push for gender equality. The sexualised representation links into the male gaze theory.
- All the men on the poster are holding a gun, whereas the women aren't.
Representations of ethnicity:
- Another female is dressed in a karate uniform and is shown in a martial arts pose, and she has a darker skin tone to the others, which goes some way to explaining why she seems not to support the dominant sexualised stereotype portrayed by the other females, she is seen as exotic, different, the 'other'.
Representations of issues and events:
- the 1973 global energy crisis was happening at the time, meaning the film was reflecting current issues and events which is unusual for films to cover, as they ordinarily would cover an event from at least a few years ago.
Section B:
Friday 15th March 2024
Film Industry
LO: To explore the process of film making.
Do Now:
Production - how the film is made. The making of the film: editing, filming etc.
Distribution - the film going to theatres and how it gets spread out world wide. Getting the film out to an audience.
Marketing - how the film is advertised and promoted.
Exhibition - Showing the film.
Film Industry:
The film industry is broken down into three main processes.
1. Production
2. Distribution and Marketing
3. Circulation/exhibition.
Sometimes different companies will complete each process for a film.
Some big film companies (conglomerates) will complete all three processes for a film. This is known as vertical integration.
Vertical integration is good for conglomerates because it means they get all the profits from the film. They don't have to share their profits with the outside companies.
Production:
Development stage - Ideas are created (if necessary), the rights are bought, the screenplay is written and financing is sought from producers, partner studios and (for big budget productions) product placement relationships.
Pre-production:
- Where you create a vision for your film, a plan for production (based on that vision), and secure all the resources (humans, space and equipment) you will need to complete your film.
- Lock your script and storyboards.
- Create a budget, cast actors and hire your crew.
- Create sets/costumes, find locations.
- Create a production schedule.
Production:
- The production stage, also known as principal photography, is when all the actual shooting and recording happens - with cameras, actors, and location licenses. For many, it's the most exciting part of the filmmaking process.
Post-production:
- Where all of the pieces of your film come together. It involves various post-production techniques such as editing, colour grading, and visual effects to turn your raw footage into a finished film.
- Cut and edit video footage.
- Adjust colour grades and mix audio.
- Add visual effects and animation.
- Finishing touches.
What do producers do?
Executive producer - oversees the whole project, sets the budget and the overall schedule.
The title of producer can be given to anyone who contributed to the overall film.
Producers make the film happen.
They have to:
- Secure funding by convincing investors that a film will be successful.
- Secure the rights to a screenplay
- Manage crew, cast and directors
- Manage locations, equipment and schedules
- Manage any problems that occur
Because there is so much to do, most films have an executive production team who delegate specific production jobs to other production companies.
1. Who is the executive production company for No Time to Die?
Eon Productions.
2. Are they part of a conglomerate?
Yes, Eon Productions is part of a conglomerate, Danjaq and MGM (US companies that hold rights to James Bond films).
3. Is it a studio film with high production values or an independent with low production values?
It is a studio film with high production values.
4. What other production companies are involved?
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
5. Can you find out what each company was in charge of?
?
6. What was the budget for production?
£214 million.
7. What countries was it made in?
Italy, Jamaica, Norway, the Faroe Islands and London.
8. How long did it take to film?
10 months: March - December 2019.
Wednesday 20th March 2024
Distribution and Marketing
LO: To explore the process of film making.
Do Now:
Production - The making of the film.
Distribution - The film being sent out to cinemas.
Marketing - The advertising and promotion of the film.
Exhibition - The showing of the film.
Distribution:
- The process of making copies of the film for cinema, VOD (video on demand), DVD and SDV (streaming and digital video) release and marketing & promotion.
- Sometimes producers will show their films at festivals in order to persuade distribution companies to take on their films.
- Sometimes a conglomerate will delegate the distribution to a smaller company than they own. This is called vertical integration.
Distributors need to:
- Work out and stick to budgets for both creating copies of the film and all the aspects of marketing.
- Consider release dates and theatrical windows (time the film is in the cinema) very carefully, e.g the best time to release a romantic film would be February (Valentine's day). They also have to think about if there are any other high value films coming out at the same time.
1. UK - Universal Pictures International.
USA - Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer (MGM).
2. They are both part of conglomerates.
3. Yes it is
4. Cinema - 30th September 2021
DVD - 20th December 2021
5. Easter then Winter. The decision to delay the release was made when it became apparent that theatrical markets, especially in the US, would not see full demand due to the pandemic.
Marketing and promotion:
- A film's success is largely judged upon how much money it makes at the box office.
- Bond is an established franchise which has backers (financiers) lining up to either advertise a product within the film via product placement or finance part of the film.
- Films are very expensive to make. For instance, the budget for 'NTTD' was £214 million.
- Hollywood and movie institutions are very cautious about spending too much money on movies and roughly want two times what it costs to make the movie, back in profit.
- The advertising of a film is known as film promotion or marketing and the people who are responsible for this are the distribution company, so-called because they distribute (give out) the films to the cinemas and distribute the promotional material around the company.
Ways of marketing:
- The star system ----> advertise the celebrities who are in the film.
- Social media.
- Posters and taglines.
- Trailers (sometimes on television).
- Marketing used to be done after the film has been made, now they have some input at the beginning of the film.
- The marketing budget of a movie is usually a quarter or a half of the production budget.
- Featured parts of the film on TV.
- Product placement and sponsorship.
- Print adverts or radio appearances.
- A theatrical release costs more.
- Merchandise.
- Billboards.
The delays in the release may have impacted the marketing of the film in both a positive and negative way. For example, in a positive way it will have built up even more excitement which you can make the most out of that. However, in a negative way the marketing company will have to waste resources, or will lose out on all the anticipation they had already built up. People may also have forgotten about it by the time the film actually comes out. Marketing budget has to increase.
Friday 22nd March 2024
Marketing and Promotion
LO: To explore the marketing methods in NTTD.
Do Now:
- The star system.
- Social media.
- Print adverts.
- Trailers.
- Taglines.
Synergy - 2 things that advertise each other.
Promotions used for No Time To Die (NTTD):
- Several posters
- Trailers and teasers
- Announcements (casting)
- Special features (Behind the scenes tour)
- Songs (No Time To Die released by Billie Eilish)
- Super Bowl commercial
- Interview with Billie Eilish ----> synergy
- First teaser poster released on James Bond Day (5th October)
- Limited edition posters released
- Quizzes and interviews with cast members (keep the excitement up). Uploaded on TV and social media. Interviews with new writers, director. In magazines.
- First looks and partial announcements (Rami Malek mentioned being in No Time To Die but kept the identity of his character a secret).
- World premiere.
- Bond podcast
- Bond radio: pop-up radio station that would play the soundtracks from the Bond films for the week No Time To Die came out.
- Merchandise
Brands:
- Range rovers
- Tom Ford ----> suits
- Nokia
- LG monitors
- Omega ----> watches
- Aston Martin
- Heineken
Wednesday 27th March 2024
Exhibition and Regulation
LO: To explore exhibition and regulation in the film industry.
Do Now:
The delayed release of 'No Time to Die' was an issue for the team behind it for multiple reasons. Firstly, the marketing team had to try and keep the fuel behind the film up for an extra year and a half, and it wasted time and money. The delayed release meant the team had to come up with creative ways to keep interest in the film, and this would have cost a lot more money, as the marketing budget would have been set for up until the release date, so when it was delayed, more money was required to continue advertising. It was also an issue for promotion of products in the film, as by this point the products were out of date, so some of the film had to be digitally altered.
Exhibition:
- Exhibition (circulation) is the process of exhibiting (showing) the film across a range of different media platforms.
- Historically, this used to only include cinema release, but as digital technology evolves so does the way in which we watch films.
Exhibition takes place in the following order:
1 - Cinema release.
2 - DVD release, pay per view (PPV)/ video on demand (VOD) - (recently DVD and PPV/VOD have been released SIMULTANEOUSLY as audiences are becoming more demanding and turning to digital download).
3 - 'Free to air' television (available on standard TV channels for free to the viewer).
In the last few years there has been a change in the way viewers consume (watch) films. The rise of streaming sites has made film more easily accessible to viewers. They can stream digital copies straight to their TV, laptops, tablets and phones (soon to include smart watches and Google glass). This is known as SDV (streaming and digital video).
1. How long was NTTD in cinemas in the UK?
It was released on 30th September 2021, and was in cinemas for 31 days (a month).
2. How much money did it make at the Box Office?
They made a worldwide total of $774.2 million.
3. Was it released on DVD, VOD, PPV simultaneously?
No, it was not.
4. When did it go free to air?
On Sunday 1st of January 2023.
5. Is it available on SDV sites?
Yes, it is available on amazon prime.
6. How successful were the DVD/VOD/PPV sales?
It was very successful, being the highest-selling digital title of 2021 in the UK with 430,000 units sold.
Regulation:
- Film and video releases in Britain are amongst the most tightly regulated in the Western world.
- Age restrictions are placed on all commercially released films by the BBFC and some are even expected to make cuts or alter the film in some way to conform to the guidelines.
When classifying films the BBFC consider:
- Context
- Themes
- Tone and impact
- Depiction of discrimination
- Depiction of drug use
- Depiction of sex and nudity
- Use of language
- Depiction of threat and violence
- Depiction of imitable behaviour.
1. What age classification was NTTD given for theatrical release (in the cinema) and for video release (DVD)? Why?
Theatrical release - 12A because of moderate violence and infrequent strong language.
Video release - 12 because of moderate violence and infrequent strong language.
2. What are the financial positives for NTTD being given this age classification?
They would have a much wider audience, and therefore they would make more money at the box office. This rating would also not put off adults.
3. What are the digital age ratings? How is this relevant to the regulation of NTTD?
12.
Wednesday 17th April 2024
Audience Appeal
LO: To explore the uses and gratifications of films.
Do Now:
a 12A rating is for releases in cinemas (theatrical release), a 12 rating is for release on streaming services (video release).
12A means that people younger than 12 can watch the film as long as they are accompanied by an adult. The responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view it lies with the accompanying adult not the cinema.
Why do we use the media?
- Entertainment
-Education (news sites)
- Meet new people
- Follow your favourite influencers (get an insight into their daily life)
- To help spread positivity/content that makes others happy
- To discover new places or things that other people have posted about
- To contact or communicate with others
Uses and Gratifications Theory
Uses and Gratification is a theory (idea) from two men called Blumler and Katz that audiences take an active role in using the media.
What people DO with the media, NOT what the media does with people.
The theory states that an audience will use a media form for either one of four reasons:
P - Personal identity
I - Information
E - Entertainment
S - Social interaction
Personal Identity: (e.g. Any social media site or app - Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook etc)
- Media products allows audiences to find role models and other people with similar values.
- Use of media to reinforce personal values by coming closer to similar and desired people/products.
Information: (e.g. News websites or their social media accounts)
- Any information can be learned through different forms of media.
- The media keeps the audience informed with current events.
- People can acquire information, knowledge and understanding through media products.
- Media allows the audience to gain an insight into other peoples lives.
Entertainment: ( e.g. Any social media site or TV show/movie, streaming platforms)
- Use of media to escape the humdrum of their boring everyday lives.
- Access media forms to forget about worries and troubles for a while (escapism).
- To give a sense of happiness and release from the daily 'grind' (work, school, obligations).
Social Interaction: (e.g. Whatsapp, DMs, messenger)
- The ability of media products to produce a topic of conversation between other people.
- Media products allows the audience to break down barriers of time/distance to communicate with others.
- Media allows the audience to gain an insight into other peoples lives.
Category of gratification: Entertainment
Media form: Social Media
How does the uses and gratification theory category of entertainment apply to social media?
Entertainment applies to social media on many different platforms. Almost all social media platforms are designed to keep people entertained and engaged, because the companies make money off of people using their app. There is a huge variety of entertainment on all the different social media platforms, such as on TikTok videos are the main form of entertainment, Instagram's is pictures, and Snapchat is designed to entertain you through messaging your friends or posting pictures and snapshots of your life. Many people have social media apps purely for entertainment, because that is their whole purpose. Even the different social media platforms still exist for people's entertainment, like Reddit, where people post their stories and everyone gets to read them. Social media is designed to entertain people, which is why it fits so perfectly into this category.
Band 5 (?)
How would NTTD contribute to personal identity?
You might take inspiration from James Bond's bravery or you might make a role model out of any of the characters who are brave, skilled and inventive.
what sort of information would it give?
It teaches you to be resilient and you can learn a lot more about the characters. Information about being a spy in MI6, and about different places around the world.
How would they be entertained?
it is an action film so if the person enjoyed the genre they would find it enjoyable, as the film is action-packed. They might also want to continue to follow the story of James Bond. The gun shots and loud noises would contribute to the thrill factor that many people enjoy, but there is also some emotional scenes. Of course, the main genre is action, but if it was someone who enjoyed both emotive and action films, NTTD would be perfect to entertain them. You get to escape into a spy world for the duration of the film.
How would the film promote social interaction?
If someone enjoyed the film, they could join a Facebook or Reddit group/community to interact and talk to others with similar interests, and normally you wouldn't know those in the group, so it makes you talk to and meet new people who you know you are on the same wavelength as you already, because you have similar interests as you are in the same group.
Friday 19th April 2024
Audience Appeal
LO: To apply uses and gratifications to NTTD.
Do Now:
Personal identity - "I listen to music because I can relate to the lyrics."
Information - "I read newspapers to inform me what is going on in the world."
Entertainment - "I play video games to take my mind off everyday life and my problems."
Social interaction - "I always talk to my friends about what happens in East Enders."
Some methods used to promote NTTD:
- Trailers
- Premiere at the Royal Albert Hall
- Posters
- Teaser poster
- Teaser announcements (the actors reveal they will be in the film, but not say which character).
- Superbowl ad
Film posters - entertainment, information, social interaction.
Film trailers - entertainment, information, social interaction.
Website - information, social interaction.
Merchandise - personal identity, social interaction.
Billboards - entertainment, information, social interaction.
Sponsorship - entertainment, social interaction, information.
Uses and gratifications on the NTTD website:
Personal identity - there are trailers and posters, including characters that the audience can relate to.
Information - there is a section about the film on the homepage, including a cast list.
Entertainment - there are a lot of pictures of the cast while filming and actual stills of the film. There are also promotional posters, with all the characters posing with the film title beneath them. There is also a trailer.
Social interaction - the website provides a talking point for people, as there are pictures from the film and a trailer on the homepage. There are also social media links on the homepage.
How the audience would find 'entertainment' from the trailer:
- The very brief clips from the film that are interspersed throughout the trailer would be exciting and therefore entertaining as it shows parts of the film that people are interested in.
- The action clips would be entertaining for someone who enjoyed that genre.
- The small sections of talking in the trailer, taken from the film, aren't contextualised by the images on the screen, leaving the audience entertained because they want to know what it means, and curiosity keeps people entertained.
- The intensity of the music would be entertaining as it displays the genre of the film and it makes it a far more thrilling watch.
The No Time To Die trailer provides entertainment for the audience. This can be heard in the small sections of dialogue from the film that aren't contextualised. This would be entertaining because the audience wouldn't know what was going on, so it would build up excitement and therefore entertainment, but a lasting effect of it. There are also very brief clips interspersed throughout the trailer, which would also be entertaining, but do not contextualise the sound clips, building up the suspense and therefore entertainment even more.
Wednesday 24th April 2024
Film Industry Roundup
LO: To consolidate our knowledge of the film industry and to apply it to exam style questions.
Do Now:
- An about section about the film
- A cast list, including all the actors
- A trailer that will entice the audience and make them want to watch the film
- A production list with everyone who worked on the film and any sponsors or creators of the film
- Social media links
- Marketing and promotional materials
- Links to a store to buy merchandise
How the sets and costumes on NTTD were designed to appeal to fans:
- They took inspiration from Ian Fleming's desk and rooms in Bond's house, but made it a little rough around the edges.
- They wanted to make Bond look how he was: older and wiser.
- Nomi had to have very sleek, stylish clothes that were also accurate to being the new 007.
- They built the whole Cuba set.
- They tried to make everything authentic and real in the set of the restaurant in Cuba.
- The costumes were giving as much to the environment as the set does.
- The iconic Bond tuxedo.
- They had Paloma wearing diamonds but also wearing an elegant dress that she can do all sorts of stunts in: displays the strength of the costume.
- The poison garden
- They took inspiration for Safin's costume from a photo.
- The desk remained the same to appeal to fans as it would be familiar to them.
Exam Structure: C1, Section B
There will be TWO questions:
Question 3: A stepped question that will focus on ONE of the FOUR media industries we will look at. (Film, radio, newspapers and video games).
Question 4: A stepped question that will focus on audiences in relation to ONE of the FOUR industries.
There will be no unseen sources. You will need to use the case studies as examples.
Work to 1 mark = 1 minute.
Question 3: Industry
3a) Name one of the companies that produced NTTD. [1]
3b) Briefly explain what a media conglomerate is. [2]
3c) Briefly explain what convergence is. [2]
3d) Explain how films use technologies to reach audiences and promote the film. Refer to NTTD to support your points. [12]
Work to 1 mark = 1 minute.
Question 4: Audience
4a) Identify two ways in which media producers categorise audiences. [2]
4b) Briefly explain how NTTD targets audiences. [4]
4c) Explain why users visit the NTTD/007 website. Refer to the Uses and Gratifications theory in your answer. [12]
Work to 1 mark = 1 minute.
Friday 26th April 2024
Finishing the NTTD Movie
LO: To finish watching the 'No Time To Die' movie.
Do Now:
1) 2 split into three and four sub-questions.
2) 1 mark = 1 minute
3) Question 3 will focus on industry, question 4 will focus on audience.
Homework:
3d) Explain how films use technologies to reach audiences and promote the film. Refer to NTTD to support your points. [12]
One of the ways films use technologies to reach audiences and promote the film is through social media. This can be used as a marketing technique in many different ways. One of these would be on the official film account, where they could post cast announcements, sneak peaks and the release date of the film. For example, on the official 007 Instagram page, both before and after the release date of the film lots of film promotions were posted, such as release dates and exclusive footage from behind the scenes of the film. Another use of social media is on the cast's social media accounts, where the marketing team can post things like partial announcements (Rami Malek who plays Safin in NTTD announced that he was going to be in the film, but kept the identity of his character a secret) and first looks at costumes or even any behind the scenes footage that the actors had taken.
Another way films use technologies to reach audiences is through a website. A website can feature many different things that would appeal to fans. For example, on the NTTD website, there is a cast list and many posters and pictures of the cast, which would appeal to fans because they would be able to identify recurring actors and gain a sense of familiarity. Many websites would also include a trailer, like on the NTTD website, to make people aware of the film and that the trailer exists. It would also stop fans from watching an unofficial trailer by accident and not get the full experience the marketing team would be aiming for. There is also merchandise on the website, which would reach audiences and promote the film because the fans of the film would want to buy it and it would excite them about the film, either making them want to see it in cinemas or if it has already been released, buy it on amazon prime (or any streaming service) or on DVD/blue ray. There is also usually an information block on the website, which would promote the film because it would make people interested in the story.
One final way films use technology to reach audiences and promote the film is through commercials and adverts. An advert is a brilliant way to reach audiences because many people would see it when they were watching TV or even just walking down the street and see it on a digital billboard. The NTTD team promoted the film through a Superbowl advert, which would have reached many thousands of people, as it is such a big event in America, allowing them not just to connect with audiences in the UK, but also worldwide.
(15 mins, 30 secs)
4c) Explain why users visit the NTTD/007 website. Refer to the Uses and Gratifications theory in your answer. [12]
One of the reasons users visit the NTTD website is to connect with those who enjoy the same things that they do. On the website's homepage there are links to all of their social medias, on which fans of the film/franchise would be able to interact with others in the comment sections of posts, and maybe even form bonds with people they would never usually talk to. This ties into the Uses and Gratifications theory as this use of the media would be identified as social interaction (which is one of the categories this theory states why people use the media) , because people would use the website to find people to befriend and to find people like them because if they have one common interest, it's likely that they have very similar interests even outside of the franchise. The NTTD website forms a community of people who all have very common interests.
Another reason users may visit the NTTD website is to gain knowledge on the film. On the website, there is a block of writing all about the film. There is also a cast list, a trailer, and promotional pictures, making it the perfect place to gain information on the film. This ties into the Uses and Gratifications theory as this states that everyone uses the media for one of four different reasons, and to gain information is one of these. The media and the NTTD website in particular is designed to allow people to get facts and details about the film.
One reason users might visit the NTTD website is for enjoyment. The trailer is one of the first things you see when you open the website homepage, and this is something that would bring a fan of the film/franchise great enjoyment as it creates a sense of mystery (before the film was released), because it only includes brief snapshots of the film, and very small soundbites without any pictures to provide context. People often enjoy this sense of mystery, and many people might visit the website even for the promotional pictures, as if they were familiar with the franchise or the film, they would gain a sense of familiarity from these pictures because they would recognise both the characters and the actors. This ties in with the Uses and Gratifications theory because the media and the internet in general (but especially this website) is filled with things that entertain people, which is one of the four categories that the Uses and Gratifications theory states is a reason why people use the media and therefore the NTTD website.
(14 mins 30 secs)
Overall timing: 30 minutes
Aim for overall timing: 24 minutes
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