Unit G322 – Section B – The Film Industry

· The reason for choosing -BBC Films/the Film London Microwave low budget scheme and Sony for our case studies for this unit is be-cause they offer such a striking comparison. Sony is everything that these companies are not and vice versa.

· There may not be the requirement for you to write about both in the exam – OR the exam may ask you to specifically compare and con-trast the two.

· Either way, my advice is to compare the two in-stitutions as it will enable you to show off what you have learnt about the film industry better than just focusing on one of the institutions.

· Although the institutions are clearly very differ-ent there are some similarities between the two films – even if they’re not necessarily immedi-ately obvious as well as many differences.

FILMS

Ill Manors / Skyfall

Similarities between the two films in terms of genre and narra-tive

· They’re both British films – Ill Manors is more ‘British’ than Skyfall (deals with social issues and themes relating to British society). Funded and filmed in Britain.

· They were both filmed predominantly in Britain.

· Both enjoyed strong opening weekends at the Box office

· Large British cast in both.· They both have a high profile musician

linked with the film whose music was released close to the film’s release.

Ill Manors / Skyfall – Differences between the two films in terms of genre and narrative

· Different genres – Skyfall is an Action/Adventure and Ill Manors is a gritty so-cial realist drama.

· Bond is a part of long running (47 years and counting) franchise. Ill Manors isn’t.

INSTITUTIONS

BBC Films & Film London Microwave /Sony – Similarities

· Both involved in film production.· Both are companies whose main goal

is to make profit – both are driven by the bottom line.

· Both split production across different companies “film is fundamentally a col-laborative medium”.

BBC films & Microwave / Sony – Differ-ences

· Budget – Ill Manors £100,000 Million · Skyfall $150-200M.· BBC Films and Microwave are low bud-

get independent film making compa-nies – Sony is a major global conglom-erate with a diverse range of interests.

· Sony work on lots of films each year enabling them to spread their risk; BBC

Films and Microwave only work on a few each year

· Cipher is UK urban specific.· Sony are involved in production (MGM),

distribution (Columbia Tristar and Sony Pictures Entertainment) and exhibition (Sony Blu-ray machines/ Sony DVD Players/ Sony TVs / Sony phones.) THIS IS CALLED VERTICAL INTEGRATION.

BBC Films and Film London Microwave are ONLY involved in film production.Sony – well established. Microwave – new company in its infancy.Sony are better placed to withstand losses. BBC Films and Film London Microwave cannot sustain losses.Sony make films with leading directors – BBC Films and Film London Microwave fo-cus on new directors.BBC Films and Film London Microwave films will mainly be distributed in the UK to a selection of cinemasSony – makes films distributed globally and internationally

AUDIENCES

BBC Films and Film London Microwave

– AUDIENCE DIFFERENCES

· Skyfall was aimed at a huge main-stream target audience:15 – 55 year olds. Core male target audience with a wider secondary female audience, straddling broad cross sections of class, ethnicity and sexuality.

· Ill Manors was aimed at a niche audi-ence – urban 16-24 year olds, heavily pitched at a male audience.

· Skyfall is aimed at an international au-dience so the dialogue/script is less specific than Ill manors which uses contemporary urban colloquialisms.

PRODUCTION / DISTRIBUTION / EXHIBITION

BBC Films and Film London Microwave – PRODUCTION DIFFERENCES

· Skyfall had a huge budget – Ill Manors didn’t.

· Skyfall used a host of well known fa-mous ‘stars’ – Daniel Craig, Judi Dench etc – Most of the cast of Il Manors were unknown or first time actors (apart from the main star) so cast were less recognizable.

· Skyfall used exotic and varied locations round the world – Ill Manor’s setting was much more geographically spe-cific, as exotic locations weren’t called for in the story.

· Skyfall used a lot of expensive special effects. Ill Manors didn’t.

· Skyfall utilized product placement within the film – Heinekein, Coke, Aston Martin, Omega. Ill Manors didn’t.

· Skyfall had expensive action se-quences – highly produced fight and chase scenes. (writing off various cars!) Ill Manors’s dramatic scenes were less full of action.

Ill Manors / Skyfall – DISTRIBUTION DIFFERENCES

· Skyfall’s marketing campaign was huge and extensive. Ill Manors’s marketing was very specific and highly targeted.

· Skyfall used synergy Eg Sony PS3, phones, games, DVD, TV, soundtrack and film were released at the same time. Whereas Ill Manors didn’t/couldn’t use synergy to the same ex-tent by releasing just the DVD and soundtrack at the same time as the film

· Skyfall had a series of huge interna-tional premieres – all over the world. Ill Manors didn’t.

· Skyfall used cross promotion through a range of companies all advertising Sky-fall – Heinekein, Omega, Sony TVs, Coca-cola, etc. Product placement earned $50Million plus ($44 M for just Heinekein alone)

· Sony had blanket advertising with tease trailors in cinemas, TV adverts, newspaper and radio adverts and inter-views with main stars

· Ill Manors had much smaller advertis-ing.

EXHIBITION DIFFERENCES

Skyfall opened in 580 cinemas – over 1000 screens in the UK and IrelandSkyfall broke box office records and over-took the highest grossing film of all time,

Avatar in terms of takings on opening night and opening weekend and overall profits globally.

Will Skyfall land straight into number 1 spot on UK DVD chart? Quantum of Solace did and hit number 2 on Blu-ray chart and be-came the UKs biggest selling DVD and Blu-ray release of 2009. It would be expected Skyfall would do the same in 2013.A worldwide box office phenomenon, broke countless records and now scores as the top grossing film of all time.

Ill Manors didn’t break box office records, nor did it get to top of the DVD or Blu-ray charts on day of release.

It played in much fewer, selected and niche cinemas.