Music in your THRILLER

Hi guys,

Here is a great article with a video about using music for effect in thrillers. Please add it to your own blogs and write a sentence explaining what you will try and do for your own short film opening.

CLICK LINK HERE

CCR Distribution Question

Hi class

Here's a link I want you to read through and make some notes as to how you would distribute your short film as a real media text.

https://www.rev.com/blog/indie-film-distribution

Classwork Fri 22nd May - Technological Changes

Hi class

Here are some links you can use for researching technological changes in film production and how techology advancements have impacted filmmaking.

Write down some key points from each one;


https://www.wired.com/insights/2015/01/how-tech-shaped-film-making/

https://filmdaily.co/news/digital-technology/


https://www.e-techasia.com/2017/04/11/technology-changing-cinematography-and-film-production/

Homework Tues 19th May - PT 2 Planning

Hi class

This week your focus is getting your Preliminary Task 2 planning up to scratch.

You have completed a version of your planning, but I want you to take it to the next level in;

1. Presentation
- including youtube clips/ film opening examples / photos / nice layouts for text / headings and fonts and sizes that are standardised
- detail!!! Add in things like photos of the costumes / props / locations/ character types and explain why you've chosen things (rationale), what are you using as inspiration?

2. Fill in the gaps
- Now that you know what you're filming, who is acting for you?
- Where are you filming? Plan a reccie and go get some photos and shot ideas
- Create shot list and filming schedule / plan for the week/ day's you're filming
- Get go-ahead from anyone for filming locations that may need permission for
- Get plan B set-up (get photos of your plan B)

3. Add in a list of who is doing what in the beginning of your blog post and introduce your team

4. Create a 'mood board' post using the following as inspiration

past pupil mood board exemplar

Planning is due for re-marking on Tuesday 26th May

Preliminary Task 2 Planning

Hi class

Today you are going to add to your Preliminary Task 2 planning 

A.

I want you to write a short blog post commenting on the challenges you've faced trying to plan your task online and remotely, from home. 

Consider the following questions 

1. How did working from home hinder my planning?

2. Did working from home have any benefits?

3. How positive are you feeling about your PT2 idea and where you're at with planning?

4. What foreseeable issues are there with your planning and having to from next week?

Classwork Friday 15th May - Synergy & Cross Media Convergence

Hi guys

Our LAST online work before we head back to school! Let's finish strong!!

This is something I want you to work on TODAY and you can have the weekend to finish it. These are due on Monday at media class. 

Today you are going to write an essay on Cross-Media-Convergence and synergy.

Question:

How do companies use cross-media-convergence and synergy to promote media products and to what extent does that cause a film to be successful? 


To plan;

1. Come up with a topic sentence. A starting statement that encapsulates what you believe the answer to the question is.

2. Write down 4 - 5 bullet point sentences that encapsulate the MAIN POINTS you would use to argue this point.

3. Under each main bullet point, write in brackets what case study information from your own case study or your class case studies / research that will be relevant and add detail to your argument.

I want you to explain / analyse/ comment on and include the following concepts;

1. Disney as a conglomerate - how does Disney have an advantage? (GIVE EXAMPLES of vertical & horizontal integration and how it uses synergy & CMC to promote films. How successful are those efforts? Give evidence with gross earnings for films (how well did they do?)

This paragraph can be split into at least 2 paragraphs. LOTS of examples needed here. Look up lots of businesses that Disney owns and how they use CMC for things like soundtracks / video games/ TV commercials run by their own TV networks / using famous stars to promote the films etc.

2. CMC and synergy limitations in smaller companies / indi filmmakers. Comment on rise of internet being a valuable tool that levels playing field a bit. What online tools can and do indi filmmakers use LOTS OF EXAMPLES HERE - Facebook fan pages likes/ follows? Hits on Youtube? other clever marketing campaigns??(The Dark Knight / What we Do In The Shadows examples) How has being able to be screened on Netflix and other VOD sites helped?

3. NZFC - how do NZ-made films benefit from CMC and synergy? (NZ government interested in tourism/ local economic growth / development of local talent). Comment on population and audience numbers in NZ vs. US for example. Give case study examples for your NZ film. Use example of The Hobit being used on Air NZ in-flight safety video. How many hits did that get on Youtube? How else can NZ government use CMC to promote films? Think TV etc.

4. Analysis. what is your opinion (based on research). How many people are seeing the big budget movies and how much of that success is based on marketing? What were marketing budgets for blockbuster and in comparison, how well did they do?

5. Impact of Internet and more specifically web 2.0 on CMC/ synergy extended info - how many people in NZ online? How many people globally? How many people on social media? How are films promoted via social media? give lots of examples. How else does the internet play a role in CMC / synergy? (the ability for audiences to INTERACT with the media!! Liking & sharing. Reviewing and documenting of social media that they're seeing the film. Creates HYPE and a buzz around a film's release. Gives companies ability to totally saturate our online activity with marketing for a film (in advertising as well as other ways of CMC).


Some good notes / points about Disney and CMC

Online Class - Thurs 14th May Globalisation

Podcast - "How China is taking control of Hollywood"

STUFF article: Hollywood bows to China

We will be looking at The Interview and exploring some questions;

The Interview Controversy/

The Interview Wiki link

1. Why is this a good example of a movie that didn't do as well as expected?

2. Where was this film released and why? 

3. What were initial release plans and why were they cancelled?

4. How well did the movie do in the end? 

Online class 12th May - NZFC case study and NZ films case studies

NZ Fim article

What we do in the shadows marketing strategies

Classwork Wednesday 13th May - Ownership essay

Hi guys

Today, we are tackling an essay on OWNERSHIP.

I want you to answer the following essay question, using the points of interest below;

"To what extent does Media Ownership impact the success of a film."


Please(!!!) plan your essay like we discussed, before attempting to write it.

In your plan:

• write a killer, clear, easy to understand opening sentence that sums up your position on the question.
• write 4 - 5 solid points that you will expand on in each paragraph
• write bullet points for case studies / facts / figures / quotes that you have for each paragraph to back up your points
• use case study and research ALL THE WAY THROUGH
• use terminology from class notes / glossary ALL THE WAY THROUGH

In your essay, cover the following

BASIC IDEAS

1. Hollywood's DOMINANCE over media industry
2 NZ's film industry situation - NZFC (compare & contrast issues for NZ film production competing with Hollywood)
3. Piracy as an issue for all

• how is media ownership structured (conglomerates / Hollywood big 5 - who are they?  / subsidiaries / Disney case study - what does Disney own? What are they worth? how much of our media are they actually making? )
• contrast Hollywood with NZ film (who are NZFC? What films have they made in last year? What are NZFC driven by (what is their end goal) / what types of films are being made and why? )
• How does the $ of ownership influence cross-media convergence / synergy opportunities? Does it influence how successfully a film is marketed?? (CASE STUDIES to back this up / 'What we do in the shadows' / Hollywood Blockbuster case study marketing strategies / Dark Knight Why So Serious marketing campaign / Cases that contrast how indi films struggle or NZ funded films struggle in comparison? maybe they don'y struggle? Maybe the internet has levelled the playing field?  / Horizontal Integration & Vertical Integration  - how does this benefit a film's success and give examples of both types of integration
• benefits of big $ to spend in ALL stages of production? (use your brainstorm from Monday - e.g. being able to hire big stars which also helps in promoting film (give EXAMPLES), benefits of technical equipment and bigger budgets for things like sounds / special effects etc
• impact of a big company vs indi film in things  like distribution - how does big $ make a difference in distribution process? Think integration of companies and how that may affect a film being distributed. How much harder is it for a small indi film to get distributed vS. your Hollywood blockbuster?
• Impact of big conglomerate on the TYPES of movies being made. What are top grossing movies of last year? Who made them? What types of movies are being produced and re-produced because they're popular? What happens to the original storyteller and stories that need to be told? How does Hollywood's domination of the market affect independent films or international films who want to get work out there?
• Piracy - how does this affect people who own the media? Use case study examples and research you've done to talk about this

Classwork - Monday 11th May - Distribution

Hi guys

One of the stages of production is DISTRIBUTION and you need to know how this works, to be able to comment on it in an exam question.

Today's task is to research the DISTRIBUTION PROCESS using the following links and to collate your research in a blog post;




1. Outline the main concepts in each headlined paragraph. Make sure you have used and understand the meaning of the key phrases and terminology, such as 'Green Light', 'Ancillary' etc.

CLICK HERE 

2. Check out a list of NZ distributers and write down a few for examples.

Click HERE


We will chat about this in class tomorrow.

T-Bianca

Online Class - Friday 8th May ( Ownership & NZFC)

Hi guys!

Today's research is going to be useful for any essay regarding ownership.

We are going to look into the New Zealand Film Commission. 

I want you to open your case study blog post and do some research on the NZFC and answer the following questions;

1. Who are the NZFC and what is their primary purpose?
2. What films have they funded in the last 5 years that did really well internationally?
3. What films have they funded in the last 5 years that you have seen or that you know have been popular?
4. What services do the NZFC offer to help NZ filmmakers in the production process?

www.nzfilm.co.nz/new-zealand

Now I want you to consider the following question on a brainstorming page that you will title, "INSTITUTIONS (OWNERSHIP)".

Flick though this slideshow and make some notes but keep in mind this is British and we are focusing on the NZFC so mainly take the generalised points about ownership and what affect it has on a film being made.

"How does the status of the institution impact on how they engage with the major stages of production?"
(basically, how does it impact a film being made to have the backing of a massive conglomerate like Disney, as opposed to being a filmmaker from NZ wanting to make an indi film).

Write points for;

1. Production (getting funding / cast & crew / music for the film / technology & equipment)
2. Distribution / marketing ( actors promoting the film / vertical & horizontal integration / synergy & cross-media-convergence)
3. exhibition & exchange (the type of release you may have / the rights to the film / piracy)

Online Class Tuesday 5th May

Discussing marketing strategies and concepts in relation to audiences and institutions. 

Classwork Wednesday 6th May - Marketing & Distribution

Marketing & Distribution

Hi guys,

One skill you need to learn is how to skim read. Research can be a long process but if you learn to skim read and pick out important points, it will go so much quicker!

The following are some interesting articles; one is about cross-media convergence in Disney and the rest are all about the film piracy issue.

You would use info from research in Question 1 for any question that speaks about the impact of ownership on a film (the fact that Disney CAN market the Avengers franchise the way it does, because of how massive it is) and also a question about cross-media convergence and synergy as marketing tools.

You would use info on piracy in most essays, this could be in one about audience trends, it could be used when talking about media ownership and the PROBLEM that piracy is (is it still a problem?), it could be used in a question about the rise of technology and how that has changed the film industry because now (thanks to the internet) we have piracy sites so easily accessible and available.


RESEARCH QUESTION 1: Cross-Media Convergence and the Avengers Franchise (Disney)

Check out this link about the Avengers franchise and write some bullet point notes about how the franchise benefits from cross-media-convergence and some examples of it.

CLICK HERE


RESEARCH QUESTION 2: Piracy

Read this article and write a few stats on the piracy problem worldwide. Jot down a couple of bullet points about what is happening with piracy and WHY.

RESEARCH QUESTION 3: Piracy in lockdown

Read this article and write some comments and stats about UK's consumption during lockdown.

Read this article and write a few points on US consumption during lockdown

RESEARCH QUESTION 4: Piracy in NZ

Read this article and write a few points about piracy trends in NZ over the past few years

RESEARCH QUESTION 5

1. how many times have your case study films been pirated? (write your findings in your case study blog post)

Classwork Monday 4th May

Hi guys

Today I'd like you to write your first Audiences and Institutions essay. Don't be too excited!!

You will have today's 1 hour lesson's worth of time.

Here's your essay question (straight out of an old exam, so it's likely you could get something along these lines in your pre-lims or end of year exams).

"How does your own experience of media consumption illustrate a wider pattern and trend of audience behaviour?"

Strategy

1. Write your statement out as the beginning of an introduction. What is the short answer to this questions?
Maybe it's,

"My own experience of media consumption, in many ways, demonstrates and mirrors current trends in audience behaviour."

or

"I have found that my media consumption really challenges the current media trends of how audiences in general are consuming media"

or

" I have found that web 2.0 has drastically impacted my own media consumption and this is evident in a greater, global audience trend of consumption too."


2. Use your notes from our last few class zoom sessions as points for each paragraph. Write a brainstorm of what you will include in this essay (roughly 5 - 6 paragraphs with information from our last few sessions).

3. This essay in particular is asking you to include details about your own media consumption. You can dedicate a paragraph to explaining how you consume media then make sure you COMPARE and CONTRAST to wider audience patterns.

4. Use some of your findings from your audience surveys in your essay to back up your points.

5. Use your case studies! This is really important. In ANY Audiences and Institutions essay, you will need to use information from your case study research somehow. This will be a great test to see that you have some information to contrast and talk about in relation to you big budget, Hollywood Blockbuster compared to a NZ film. What was the target audience? How did the way they released their film reflect audience behaviours? (for example, did they release

Mark allocations
10 marks: TERMINOLOGY (use the words I gave you and demonstrate that you understand what they mean, eg. fragmentation).
20 marks: Analysis/ Argument - how clearly do you understand the question and how strong is your main point? How well is it backed up by evidence? If you were in a court, arguinng your point of view, how much of a strong or convincing argument do you put forward?
20 marks: Examples - this is the details!! This is where you include not just terminology but definitions, not just random statements like 'people are not buying DVD's anymore', you will look up facts, stats and quotes to back up your statement. All that research you did on those links for homework will come in handy here as detailed examples for your main points.

Remember, in an exam, you will have 45 minutes to craft and write your essay. Initially, being your first one, this will take longer. But you should be aiming to be writing for an hour max IF you have all your information ready to use. If you are doing research as you write, it could take longer.