Looking at Community Media

Aspect Ratios

Standard Definition

SD 4:3 - 720 x 576 non-square pixels
Pillar box
can be made 16:9 by using an anamorphic lens

High Definition

16:9
720p HD frame 1080 x 720
Full HD Frame 1920 x 1080
Letter box

Quad HD = 3840x2160

2k = 2048x1080

4k = 4096x2160

Avid Editing Notes

Exporting:
go to  format options, make sure sound is checked

Keyboard Shortcuts:
s=save
h=hide
] or [=zoom in/out
j <---
l --->
c will open clip in source window
l or k to make tracks different sizes

Audio:
s button will solo a track, m button will mute a track
CDs are normally louder - adjust in import settings
windows, workspaces, audio editing
can select from fast menu to automation mix as the sequence plays, right click, modify

Dupe Detection will highlight if you've used any frames more than once

AMA linking:
If AMA link up doesn't work then delete the AMA management folder on the macintosh hard disk

Users:
To make new user go to settings, drop down from apple to new user

Save bin layout in case you mess bins up: workspaces, properties, associate a layer with a workspace

Effects:
If have green dot they play in real time without rendering
To save an effect drag its icon into the bin

Titles:
Tools, title tool application
...... put border on
drag box to create shadow, click in box to change direction of fade
object menu, soften shadow
click white box to open temporary control
object menu, send to front or back
roll is up and down
crawl is side to side
set in and out points to adjust the speed to credits
right click, render at position to make text work

Time Warp:
won't change sound speed
fast menu, speeding frame
use speed graph or points on graph
Roger recommends 'blended inerpolated'
put anchor in middle, click both keyframes on, make middle one another point, type -100 in first bottom box

Nesting:
Double click video track to add another effect

Colour Correction:
workspaces, colour correction
waveform monitor, rgb parade
y waveform is luminsesence
if leave video track on it applies effect to whole track
eye drop a colour cast with wrong colour
retroscope reads colour saturation
option c will save colour correction

Working with still graphics:


When editing a news story:
A1=Sync (dogs barking, people talking)
A2=Voiceover
A3=F/X (traffic noise etc)

Warnings:

• When you make a new sequence you lose your undo list
• 
  

Censorship Case Study: The Wild One

Problems:

• Disrespect to figures of authority
• Contempt
• Brando was seen as imitable
• Thought it reflected Teddy Boys at the time

BBFC's Response:

• Called a 'spectacle of unbridled hooliganism'
• Didn't issue a certificate
• Columbia desperate for it to be shown
• Related to subject as whole - thought it would be difficult to cut
• Ban stuck until 1967

Then 'Rebel Without A Cause' passed as 'X' which then limited not just the audience (over 16) but also the cinemas that were prepared to show it - BBFC did't want children to witness 'ridiculous and ineffectual parents'

Coming of Age Dramas as a Genre

Matthew P Schmidt - Coming of Age in American Cinema: Modern Youth films as a genre

• Contain characteristics of the novelistic Bildungsroman and its modern literary variants, the childhood initiation tale and the coming-of-age or the rites-of-passage story
• includes not only teen entertainments but also social problem films and more personal, quasi-autobiographical works
• dramatize situations and events that bear upon the child's initiation into new domains of psychosocial experience and the adolescent's and postadolescent's encounters with the pleasures and perils of modern life

Robert McKee - Story
Part of Maturation plot

Norman Friedman

Plots of Character — in which the narrative’s protagonist undergoes a change of moral character.

• The Maturing Plot — The classic coming-of-age tale in which the protagonist passes into adulthood, either literally or on some figurative level. Examples include Sixteen Candles, Stand by Me, and Almost Famous.

Kate Erbland

• high school hijinks
• making own family/accepting your family
• falling in love for first time
• social outliers
• popular people having hidden depths

http://freeteawithpurchase.com/

• popular vs unpopular
• apprehension of future
• change from school to university
• world weariness

Aaron Weiss

• looking for acceptance
• rite of passage

Dusty McGowan

• Underdog
• Dreamgirl
• Older mentor
• quirky characters
• unexpected moments

Noam Chomsky on the media

What Makes Mainstream Media Mainstream - Z Magazine, October, 1997

• Different media directs the mass audience - hollywood, soap operas, certain newspapers, while some media outlets target the elite/privileged such as CBS and The New York Times
• These elite media outlets influence the others
• Real mass media is trying to divert people from the important issues to sport, celebrities etc, leaving the elite outlets to focus on the important stuff
• Media outlets often owned by big companies, making them part of the existing system
• Media is a doctrinal system
• Work with universities who give them things to say
• All different institutions are not independent - depend on support
• Press owned by wealthy people who don't want certain things to reach the public
• Media outlets sell a product and that product is audience - selling product to market and advertisers
• Reflects the interests of the power systems around them
• Not purposeful censorship, but people with subversive views don't advance to the top of the system
• Mass audience supposed to be the observers not the participants

Other Quotes:

“If the media were honest, they would say, Look, here are the interests we represent and this is the framework within which we look at things. This is our set of beliefs and commitments. That’s what they would say, very much as their critics say. For example, I don’t try to hide my commitments, and the Washington Post and New York Times shouldn’t do it either. However, they must do it, because this mask of balance and objectivity is a crucial part of the propaganda function. In fact, they actually go beyond that. They try to present themselves as adversarial to power, as subversive, digging away at powerful institutions and undermining them. The academic profession plays along with this game.”

"The leading student of business propaganda, Australian social scientist Alex Carey, argues persuasively that “the 20th century has been characterized by three developments of great political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy."

"Control of thought is more important for governments that are free and popular than for despotic and military states. The logic is straightforward: a despotic state can control its domestic enemies by force, but as the state loses this weapon, other devices are required to prevent the ignorant masses from interfering with public affairs, which are none of their business…the public are to be observers, not participants, consumers of ideology as well as products."

"You don’t have any other society where the educated classes are so effectively indoctrinated and controlled by a subtle propaganda system – a private system including media, intellectual opinion forming magazines and the participation of the most highly educated sections of the population. Such people ought to be referred to as “Commissars” – for that is what their essential function is – to set up and maintain a system of doctrines and beliefs which will undermine independent thought and prevent a proper understanding and analysis of national and global institutions, issues, and policies."

“Citizens of the democratic societies should undertake a course of intellectual self defense to protect themselves from manipulation and control, and to lay the basis for meaningful democracy.” 

Film Classification Case Study: The Hunger Games

BBFC's classification:

When: 23/03/2012

Ratings Process: It was initially given a 15 rating and during post-production, the distributor (Lions gate UK Ltd) sought and was given advice on how to secure the desired classification. Following this advice, certain changes were made prior to submission, and 7 seconds were cut to reduce an emphasis on blood and injury.

The cuts were implemented by digitally removing sight of blood splashes and sight of blood on wounds and weapons, and were made in accordance with BBFC Guidelines and policy. These reductions were implemented by a mixture of visual cuts, visual darkenings and the digital removal of sight of blood.

The trailers had been given PG and U ratings as did not show much of the violent arena scenes.

Issues: intense threat, moderate violence and occasional gory moments

Response to Classification:

Who: Daily Mail campaigned against the Hunger Games' 12A rating, parents posting complaints on Mumsnet and social media

Why: Some parents have complained the film scenes of murder and bloodshed were too graphic to be appropriate for children and suggested it should be rated 15.  

Examples: Scenes that have upset some parents include one where a girl screams for her life as she stung to death by killer wasps, another when a young child is skewered with a spear, another battered with a brick and scenes were piles of bodies lay fallen after bloody battles between the combatants. 

BBFC's reason for classification: ‘The company chose to make cuts in order to achieve a ‘12A’ classification.When the finished version of the film was submitted for formal classification, cuts had been made in four scenes of violence and in one scene showing details of injuries. These reductions were implemented by a mixture of visual cuts, visual darkenings and the digital removal of sight of blood.

Social Issues That Affect Media Regulation

• Changing audience consumption
• Changing social attitudes to sex, drugs, violence - more relaxed
• More worried about internet
• Emphasis on classification rather than censorship at bodies like the BBFC
• More concerned about sexual violence, imitable use of weapons, self harm
• More openness, less secrecy
• More concerned with social equality
• Harm test

Film 

• Scapegoat for societal problems
• Moral panics
• Increased illegal consumption via the internet - unregulated and not restricted by age ratings
• nanny state?
• art pushing boundaries
• better understanding of how children consume films/its effect on them

Press 

• Need to protect free press
• freedom of speech
• press's role in democracy
• 'public right to know'
• Phone hacking scandal
• Globalisation
• Internet and self-regulation
• Citizen journalism
• Super-injunctions

Case Study: Human Centipede 2

Why interesting: Could only be released after cuts of two minutes and 37 seconds of cuts during eight sequences of the film



Classification:

• rare step of refusing to give it a rating, warning that it could fall foul of obscenity laws
• tried to justify the film as "art"
• film's distributor agreed to 32 cuts to gain an 18 certificate for DVD release
• Even so, one member of the board felt he was unable to back the decision. Gerard Lemos, one of the BBFC's vice presidents, did not feel it was classifiable and abstained from putting his name to the decision
• The film was also banned in Australia for a short period of time. It is banned in New Zealand.

Plot:

An obsessed horror movie fan grafts a number of people together for kicks

the BBFC said: "There is little attempt to portray any of the victims in the film as anything other than objects to be brutalised, degraded and mutilated for the amusement and arousal of the central character, as well as for the pleasure of the audience."

It added that the film breached classification guidelines and "poses a real, as opposed to a fanciful, risk that harm is likely to be caused to potential viewers"

cuts related to "sexual violence, graphic gore and the possibility of breach of the law relating to obscenity"

Response:

Director Six responded to the BBFC's decision in a statement released the next day to Empire magazine. Six criticised the BBFC for including film spoilers in their report, and stated that the film was "...fictional. Not real. It is all make-belief (sic). It is art..." and that viewers should be able to choose for themselves whether or not they decided to view the film. Six also referred to the BBFC's refusal to classify the film as "exceptional".

The notoriety of the UK ban has been used to help market the film in other countries

Reading 'Stars'

By Richard Dyer

• Stars only have ideological power rather than being able to actually do anything
• Despite being elite they don't excite envy as there is the belief that anyone can become one
• Demand for stars is constant as opposed to demand for genres or even stories
• Carl Laemmle in the St Louis Post Despatch
• Already stars in vaudeville - people expected from entertainment
• Stars are images of media texts and therefore products of the film industry

Economics wise...

• They are a form of capital possesed by studios and help Hollywood studio's monopoly as they are usually in major studio's films etc
• Act as a guarantee of investment
• Cost a lot so must be handled carefully
• Used to sell films
• Used to organize the market
• Protect from story or acting
• Problematic neccessity but are not necessary or sufficient for a film's success
• Help create a standardised product similar to any other business
• Aesthetic importance - centre of film, star image

Development of the star system broke the MPPC's hold on the film industry, but they have also saved film companies/battled with introduction of TV.

But they do not guarantee a successful film. The public's opinion and interest in them shifts.

Manipulation...

• Time, money and energy spent building up images
• Manipulation of advertising
• Perpetuation of star stereotype is important - publicist must fit role in
• Star is merchandise intended for mass consumption
• Pseudo-events - appear to be meaningful but aren't (Daniel Boorstein)
• Culture merely reproduces the status quo whereas previously it has pointed out an other
• Artists, rebels, whores etc were the precursors to stars, star characters act very differently as they serve as an affirmation rather than negation of the established order

But

• Not all stars make it eg Anna Sten
• There is content to star images other than appearance
• Humans have to deccode star images

Fashion...

• ultimate in manipulation due to its superficiality
• Stars fix a type of beauty
• Define norms of physical attractiveness
• Change in physical style indicates social change
• See Mary Ellen Roach and Joanne Bubolz Eicher

The Film Medium...

• Inherent to it that makes stars? eg CUs, more intimate medium, captures uniqueness
• Theatre star process intensified
• Did the CU lead to the 'discovery of the human face?' Bela Balazs
• But how we read facial expressions is dependent on editing, lighting higlighting features, iconography/artistic, cultural
• Stars go beyond a particular character or play - performer more important than role
• Not inherent to film but inherent to cinematic institutions
• Have hero figures that save the world been replaced by those that just enjoy the fruits of the world? 'The Triumph of Mass Idols'
• Aesthetic of realism - foregrounds their personality

Talent?

• Ideally have Photogenic and striking looks, acting ability, presence on camera, charm, personality, sex-appeal, attractive voice and bearing
• Skill at being a certain sort of person or image

Phenomenon of consumption?

• Empahsis on filmmakers who cause stars to exist
• Star/audience relationships not based on sexual attraction as fave star is often same gender as you - homosexuality as taboo but cinema provides way of expression
• Emotional affinity and self-identification lead to imitation
• Imitation turns to projection when it becomes more than mimicking appearance and behaviours like hair and kissing - use star as a way of dealing with reality
• Audience's role in shaping star phenomon is limited

Characters (in the novelistic form):

1. particularity - uniqueness
2. interest - acknowledgement of individuality, characteristics as good in themselves, plurality of beliefs and values
3. autonomy - no longer just representations of ideas, must appear to be more than just part of plot, unaware of characters's construction
4. roundness - mulitplicity of traits
5. development - should change
6. interiority
7. motivation
8. discrete identity
9. consistency

• Must be unique but empathizable
• bourgeois concept of character condemns collectivity and typical people and is deeply concerned with individual interior motivation
• fiction legitimizes emotions and aspirations, transmits norms
• individual masking ideological conception of character
• Star images are often types
• both normative in respect to social types and individualated
• Stars usually have proper names rather than emblematic ones
•  notion of 'manipulation' tends to undercut the autonomy of the star
• Star images do not have to change unlike novelistic characters - change can sometimes end in box-office failure though some do change or deepen but must have some consistency
• sameness becomes the overriding feauture
• because stars are always in different films playing different characters the star must stay the same
• stars ambition and success are shown to be rooted in their psychology but they are also shown as passive consumers
• stars are supremely figures of identification which is acheived in relation to social types
• 
  

Extras!

• Film has become more focused on character instead of plot - plot often illuminates elements of characters
• tomboys - ok to want to be superior sex but not the other way round
• men as history women as ahistoric and eternal
• secondary charecters tend to be types

Interesting TED Talks about Film

Plus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16p9YRF0l-g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86x-u-tz0MA

Log Lines

Should have:
(1) an imperfect but passionate and active PROTAGONIST.
The verb will depict (2) the BATTLE. 
And the direct object will describe (3) an insurmountable ANTAGONIST who tries to stop the protagonist from reaching 
(4) a physical GOAL on account of 
(5) the STAKES, if the goal is not reached.



Edward Scissorhands 
A suburban mother brings home a freaky young man who has scissors instead of hands.

In The Loop
Political satire about a British member of parliament who backs military action and becomes popular in Washington.

Bend It Like Beckham
A young woman pursues her passion for football against the wishes of her traditional Sikh parents.#

Meet Dave
Sci-fi comedy with Eddie Murphy as both a man-sized humanoid spaceship and the diminuitive captain of the same vessel. He and his tiny crew are oon a mission to drain Earth's oceans.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Lucy, Edmund and their obnoxious young cousin Eustace are transported back to Narnia where they embark on a scary, perilous journey to save the land.

Failure to Launch
Matthew McConaughey stars as a 35 year old professional layabout happy to stay at home... until his mother hires Sarah Jessica Parker to lure him away

She Wore A Yellow Ribbon
Western drama with John Wayne as a US Cavalry officer on his last duty before retiring, escorting two women civilians to a stagecoach. The second in John Ford's cavalry trilogy. 

Essay: Ways your own consumption illustrates wider patterns of audience behaviour

Introduction:
As a member of some of the biggest cinema going demographics such as 16-24 year olds and families I reflect some of the biggest trends amongst modern day audiences, including a greater use of home entertainment, using portable devices, and going to the cinema less, which poses a major problem for film institutions such as Momentum Pictures and The Walt Disney Company as the amount of revenue they make will be affected.

Paragraph 1:
The 16-24 year old market is one of the largest in the world, and the proliferation of Web 2.0 has further increased their importance, as social media like Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. has led to increased fandom activity, and as a member of all 3 of those social networks as well as having a YouTube account, my experience of sharing information, opinions and experiences of the media via the web by using hashtags like 'avengersassemble', reblogging gifs, retweeting and liking content such as the King's Speech Soundtrack reflects a generation moving online. Film Institutions are harnessing this in order to market their films effectively towards my age groups, and I personally liked not only major blockbuster films YouTube and facebook pages such as 'Avenger's Assemble' but also British films trailers like 'The King's Speech', which shows that all contemporary films need an online presence, and the importance of the internet to not just films targeting young people like 'Avenger's Assemble', but also to films with 16-24 year olds as their secondary markets. The increase of web usage has also affected film institutions as it has increased the availability of pirated films and many young people visit websites devoted to illegal versions of films. I have visited sites such as 'Solarmovie' but I also went to see 'Avenger's Assemble' at the cinema with my friends to see a high quality version, and as it's extensive 360 degree campaign (which involved trailers before youtube videos, bus stop posters as well as an active online twitter feed and facebook page) made it a must-see film, and I, like many others my age, didn't want to be left out of the watercooler moments about it.

Paragraph 2:
I am also a member of the other major demographic, families. After having gone to see 'Avenger's Assemble' with my friends in 2D, I also went to watch it in 3D with my family as we thought it might enhance our viewing experience. However, going to the cinema with my family is a rare event for me, and reflects many others feelings that the ticket prices are too high and the fact we watched 'Avenger's Assemble' in 3D is also very rare for us, reflecting the backlash from 3D after Avatar's release in 2009. I, and many others, tend to watch movies with my family on our home entertainment system, which we recently upgraded. Like many others who find interacting with media at home more convenient  comfortable and accessible, our upgrading of our TV represents a shift of audiences away from the cinema, seeing it more as an occasional treat than a regular occurrence, especially as the introduction of HD and 3D TVs allows audiences a higher and stress free viewing experience. This is especially significant as, thanks to the advent of PVRs, we can now record films when they come on terrestrial televisions, just as we recorded 'The King's Speech' when it aired on Channel 4 over the easter holidays.

Paragraph 3:
As a female, I often find representations of women in the media to be stereotypical and inaccurate, reflecting the post feminist ideas of female audiences who want to see strong and fully developed female characters, as well as the typical themes of romance and the attractive male characters that historically have been integrated into films by institutions trying to target women. While I feel that the addition of the theme of romance to action adventure films like 'Avengers Assemble' might have appealed to me, I wanted to see the films for it's fantastic special effects and set pieces as well as the humour that was prominent in the marketing campaign (with lines like 'Guys I'm bringing the party to you' followed by a shot of a monster flying round a skyscraper), not for the brief and undeveloped romance between Black Widow and Hawkeye. In addition, I found that the two female characters in the film - Agent Maria Hill and Black Widow - where not particularly appealing as they were minor roles, and skin tight black jumpsuits made them highly sexualized, which reflects the burgeoning demand for realistic and new representations of women in action adventure films. ON the other hand, I, and many other women, enjoyed watching Helena Bonham Carter's role in 'The King's Speech', because although she took on the traditional wife role, she was one of the main characters and brought much humour and humanity to the films. This reflects the way in which audiences are growing tired of generic character representations and may turn away from Hollywood to look for them, giving the British film industry a chance to fill a gap that Hollywood leaves and target a wider audience with interesting representations.

Paragraph 4:
Also, being British, both Hollywood and Uk institutions try to target me, and recently I have seen a mixture of Hollywood and British films in the cinema, reflecting the way both industries are successfully targeting a national audience. In particular, I enjoyed 'The King's Speech' for its beautiful cinematography, music, narrative and humour, reflecting the way that as the British film industry is producing better films in order to compete with Hollywood, a larger audience is being drawn to see them. Even though I am not part of 'The King's Speech's target audience of over 50s, I saw some of the TV spots and heard all the positive word of mouth about it (especially around the Oscars where it won 4 awards) and wanted to see it. I also found Momentum Picture's (the UK distributor) use of British iconography like Buckingham palace in the synergistic marketing campaign, as well as the british values, narrative settings and cast a huge pull, recognising very British actors such as Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter whom I had seen before in period dramas like 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'A Room With A View', assuring me of their quality. This reflects the way that British films are using our identity as a nation to market themselves and appeal to a British audience, although Hollywood films such as 'Avengers Assemble' were still appealing to me because of their global themes like good vs evil, recognisable locations like New York, and star names like Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlet Johannson. This illustrates the way that both Hollywood and Uk films can be appealing to a British audience, although the use of stereotypically British things does make the marketing of a film more tailored.

Conclusion:
In conclusion my experiences reflect many of the contemporary changes in the film industry as audiences demand higher quality films, more accurate representation and a better viewing experience.

Essay: Media Ownership in the Film Industry

Discuss the issues raised by media ownership in the production,
distribution, marketing and exhibition/exchange of media texts in
your chosen media area:

Media Ownership has changed dramatically over the last 100 years, from the end of the Hollywood system to the advancement of new technologies like Web 2.0 that have allowed audiences to consume films in new ways. The different ownership models in Hollywood and the UK affect the films they produce, as smaller British films have to compete against Hollywood blockbuster, with smaller institutions competing against huge media conglomerates.

The budget sources and profits hugely differ in Hollywood and the UK, but both use their profit to reinvest in future films, though it does affect the types of films the different industries are able to make. The 6 major studios in Hollywood makes 90% of box office revenues across the global market, hence being able to invest huge amounts into action adventure blockbusters like 'Avengers Assemble' which had a budget of $220 million. Compared to the budget for smaller British films like the period drama 'The King's Speech' (which had a budget of $15 million) it is easy to see why Hollywood films take such big revenues as they can spend more on all areas of production, especially marketing. Hollywood's huge profits mean that they are able to invest in expensive high concept films and new technology like CGI, which the UK film industry does not have the investment to develop. 'The King's Speech', like most British independent films, was unable to get finance from just one company, instead a range of investors such as the Aegis film fund, The Weinstein Company and the UK film council contributed. This does however, gives production crews greater creative control, allowing Tom Hooper - The King's Speech's director - to keep a swearing scene in the film and appeal the rating where a Hollywood studio would have cut it, Indeed, 'Avenger's Assemble' had to recast the role of the Hulk as it was felt that the actor who had previously portrayed him, Edward Norton, was not young or relevant enough to match the international appeal of the film's other stars, like Robert Downey Jr or Scarlet Johannson.

Another difference between the Hollywood and UK film industries is their ownership models. Media conglomerates like The Walt Disney Company who produced 'Avengers Assemble' are both horizontally and vertically integrated, so can handle every aspect of the production under one roof, owning production companies like Marvel, post production houses like Disney Digital Studio Services and even home entertainment companies like Buena Vista Home Entertainment. This means that they can easily market and distribute their films, however, as UK films are co-productions they also have the nessesscary expertise to needed to help a film do well in the box office, just as 'The King's speech did, making $414 million worldwide. 'The King's Speech' benefited from the expertise of its different distributors, including The Weinstein Company, Momentum Pictures and Transmission Films. In fact, Transmission films is the sister company of See-saw films, one of the production companies involved, who made sure that Transmission Films got the rights to distribute the film in Australia and New Zealand as they knew the market well and had a vested interest in the film. The film's distributors enabled it to become the box office success that it was, which shows that British films can compete with high concept Hollywood films despite a lack of integration.

Another area in which Hollywood institutions benefit from their dominance of the market place is marketing, as they are able to afford huge 360 degree marketing campaigns whereas British films usually have to rely on traditional marketing and word of mouth. For instance, 'Avenger's Assemble's marketing budget was $150 million allowing it to invest in things like a highly interactive website with flash animation and music. It also benefited from being part of a long term synergistic campaign. Before watching 'Avenger's Assemble' I, and countless others had already been introduced to  many of the characters, themes and narratives by watching other films in the Marvel canon like 'Thor' and 'Iron Man'. This meant that the 'Avengers Assemble' characters had a pre-established fan base, though this could not have happened if Disney had not bought Marvel so they owned all the rights to the characters. Indeed, the reason that Spiderman was not in the film despite featuring in the comic book series is because the rights to his character belong to Sony. British independent films like 'The King's Speech', don't benefit from being part of a long term synergistic campaign like 'Avenger's Assemble', instead drawing from a tradition of previous British films and as well as new media which encouraged the spread of word of mouth. 'The King's Speech' was able to use the success of previous British period dramas which had already established an international market through poster and trailer campaigns. Also, famous British stereotypes and iconography were central to its international marketing campaign, with the American trailer featuring not only frequent mentions of the monarchy, but the stiff upper lip. These globally recognisable British stereotypes appealed to a wide audience who relish the individuality of British film, allowing 'The King's Speech' to compete with blockbusters like 'Avenger's Assemble'.

A big issue that both the Hollywood and UK audiences face is that of piracy. Illegal downloading films has been on the rise, with audiences gaining easy access to them online. An early copy of 'Avenger's Assemble' was leaked online, and became the most torrented film in history. However, audiences still flocked to the cinema to see it because of it's excellent use of 3D technology that they could not experience online, and the revenue lost from illegal downloads only accounts for 0.5% of its revenue. Media Conglomerates are still trying to crack down on piracy though, putting pressure on the UK government to introduce protective measures such as the Digital Protection Act. Piracy also affects UK films, and 'The King's Speech was illegally downloaded 6.25 million times, but this might have helped the film reach a wider audience who then, impressed by the quality of the film, might buy the DVD or see it at the cinema, or at least spread word of mouth about it, encouraging others to go and see it. Piracy is a big loss for institutions of all sizes but 'Avenger's Assemble' and 'The King's Speech's box office success shows that audiences will still pay to see high quality films.

In conclusion, ownership affects the markets that Hollywood and Uk films reach as well as affecting the way they are produced. Both industries however can and have made high quality successful films like 'Avenger's Assemble' and 'The King's Speech' despite their relative creative freedom and budgets that have been huge box office successes. This shows that ultimately making a good film is what will make profit despite differences in ownership model they are produced under, though Hollywood's dominance of the market place does limit British film's ability to compete.

Technologies Used in The King's Speech

In Production:

• Shot on the Arriflex LT and Arriflex ST
• Used 3.091 metres of 35mm film
• Heavy focus on quality cinematography to get the look right eg lighting, real sets created, attention to period detail 
• Streets were sprayed with grit and houses covered with grime, smoke machines were used to create thick smog - so much in fact it set off the fire alarm in a nearby boutique
• The crew took over the Pullens buildings in Southwark. The entire street was transformed into 1930s London
• Used wider than normal lenses for certain shots and very intrusive close-ups for certain emotional scenes - 18mm
• Shot at locations around the UK, mainly shot indoors. 
• Aimed for harsh lighting and filtered huge lights through cotton sheets to create the right effect, with giant black tents erected around the sets to provide harsh light
• Converted into digital format by Molinaire for post-production. 
• Non-period details removed in post eg burglar alarms and grading aimed to reflect a 1930s feel – looked like it was ‘filtered through tea’. 
• No SFX or CGI used in this film but additional people were added for the stadium scene
• Score recorded on antique microphones to create a dated sound

In Distributing/Exhibition:

• Distributed in digital and 35mm format
• Released at 395 cinemas across UK – approx. half. 
• 2D format, not 3D or IMAX. 
• Both Blu-ray and DVD with extras including cast Q+A, Making of and an audio commentary. 
• Sky Movies purchased the exclusive subscription rights for UK TV. 
• Free to air purchased by Ch4 for use across their channels in March 2013. 
• Available for UK download/stream/rent on Lovefilm and Amazon UK

In Marketing: 

• Traditional format poster and TV/ theatrical trailer across UK
• Had to redesign poster
• Viral marketing predominated: heavy reliance on word of mouth and positive critical acclaim from the Oscar successes. 
• FB page with 2,424 likes and 33 ‘talking about this’. 
• Page includes photos and link to website and twitter feed. 
• Website relies heavily on Oscars success, and video interviews with cast and crew. 
• Features heavy promotion of the DVD, the full length cinema trailer, link to the soundtrack, social media and an educational guide to the film. 
• DVD release timed for just after the royal wedding.

In Exchange:

• 6.2 million illegal downloads in 2011 alone. 
• One of the top 10 most downloaded films of the year. 
• UK opening weekend: £3.5m in the opening weekend alone
• $138m UK gross 
• $430m worldwide gross
• 2m dvds sold worldwide.

New Technologies used in Avengers Assemble

In Production:

• Shot on Arriflex Alexa in digital and Canon 5D
• Used the ARRIRAW format
• Used Codex workflow technology
• CGI + SFX though Predominantly GCI
• Starting with real images and using CGI to build from there. 
• 1:85 aspect ratio to cope with varying character heights. 
• Used Motion capture with Mark Ruffalo and an Athlete to create Hulk's movements
• Used four motion capture HD cameras to film him
• Filmed in greenscreen studios
• High speed shots captured on 35mm (Super 35)
• Used digital in dark mise-en-scene eg the forest scene
• 2,200 digital FX developed across 14 companies:  Industrial Light & Magic, Weta Digital, Scanline VFX, Hydraulx, Fuel VFX, Evil Eye Pictures, Luma Pictures, Cantina Creative, Trixter, Modus FX, Whiskytree, Digital Domain, The Third Floor and Method Design 
• Only had 3 days to film in New York - Used Composited digital backgrounds - thousands of pictures of New York streets stitched together
• Inserted Tom Hiddleston's agonised face onto a CG version of Loki's body when Hulk is beating him up
• Didn't use CGI for Thor's storm clouds as it was easier just to use a stock clip
• Efilm and Deluxe

In Distribution and Exhibition:

• Distributed in digital 2D.  
• Digitally re-mastered in 3D and IMAX 3D - had to reanimate some shots so that they would fit better
• 2^nd screen app on blu-ray version.
• Blu-ray 3D combo pack, blu-ray combo pack,  DVD and HD digital. 
• Released as a digital download

In Marketing:

• Marvel UK channel on youtube
• Teaser Trailer 'leaked' online
• Trailer debuted on iTunes Movie Trailers and was downloaded 10 million times in 24 hours
• Many cast member's highly popular Twitter accounts kept fans updated on news about The Avengers release, home entertainment and merchandise
• Had a global twitter chat before the films release with Joss Whedon, Samuel L Jackson, Tom Hiddleston and Clark Gregg
• Avengers Assemble specific marketing adapted for UK/Ireland market by Disney UK.
• FB game: Avengers Alliance
• The Avengers FB page: over 1m likes and 7,000 ‘talking about this’. 
• 2^nd screen app on i-tunes, i-pad, via website. 
• Live wallpaper android app. 
• Pictures of Robert Downey Jr driving an Acura on set were released online (on of the Avenger's promotional partners
• Highly interactive website. 
• Character downloads and interactive virtual world by entering the SHIELD database via 2^nd screen
• Nominated for Best Visual Effects
• The Avengers game released on Xbox 3, playstation 3, Wii U
• Mobile Game 'Avengers Initiative'

In Exchange:

• 8m illegal downloads – 4^th most illegally downloaded movie of 2012
• Over $1.5b worldwide gross. 5^th biggest US sales on DVD for 2012. 87M DVD sales to date. 

Timeline Of The History of Animation

1906:
Humourous Phases of Funny Phases

1908:
Fantasmagorie (First short of solely animated images)

1908:
Humpty Dumpty Circus (first stop motion)

1914:
Earl Hurd invents Cel Animation

1914:
Gertie the Dinosaur

1917:
El Apostol (first full length feature film)

1919:
Felix the cat

1920:
The Debut of Thomas Cat (first colour cartoon)

1922:
Walt Disney's first animated short Little Red Riding Hood

1928:
Mickey Mouse's debut in Plane Crazy

1929:
Silly Symphonies starts with The Skeleton Dance

1930
Betty Boop debuts in Dizzy Dishes

1930:
Looney Tunes debuts with Sinkin' in the Bathtub

1931:
Peludopolis (first sound used within a feture length film.

1932:
The first full colour, three strip Technicolour animated short Flowers and Trees

1933:

King Kong (several stop motion characters)

1933:

Popeye debuts in Popeye the sailor

1933:

Multiplane camera invented allowing sanimators to ctreat a 3D effect within 2D cartoons

1935:

Russian Film The New Gulliver is first full length feature film too employ a stop morion animator for the bulk of its running time.

Digital Technology and the Film Industry

Changes in..

• Production
• Distribution
• Marketing
• Exhibition
• Targeting and Reaching Audiences
• Inistitutions

Big Institutions eg Major Hollywood Studios	Smaller Institutions
-Exploit for profit -CGI and 3D used in production of high concept Hollywood films -Invested in new technologies like Blu-ray to ensure the film industry’s continuing importance and to compete with other entertainment industries like gaming -Illegal downloading has cost them revenue	-Useful in production and distribution especially computer technology and Web 2.0 -Cheaper, lightweight cameras and home computers help amateur and low budget film makers

Opening Sequence Conventions in Coming-of Age Drama

Plus some Examples from 'Turning Pages'

The Difference Between 12As and 15s

Rating	12A - The BBFC considers the content of 12A rated films to be suitable for children aged 12 and over	15 - No-one under 15 is allowed to see a 15 film at the cinema or buy/rent a ‘15’ rated DVD
Sex	Sex may be briefly and discreetly portrayed Verbal sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers, but comedy may lessen the impact of some moderate sex references or innuendo Sexual violence, such as scenes of rape or assault, may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated at 12A. Such scenes must also have a strong contextual justification	Sexual activity can be portrayed, as long as there is no strong or graphic detail These scenes may be quite long at this category and may involve some nudity and movement No constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context Strong references to sex and sexual behaviour Can have detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification
Violence	Moderate violence is allowed but it should not dwell on detail, with no emphasis on injuries or blood Weapons which might be easily accessible to 12 year olds should not be glamorised	Violence may be strong Should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury Easily accessible weapons may not be glamorised
Strong Language	There may be infrequent strong language (eg 'f***') There may be moderate language (eg uses of terms such as ‘bitch’ and ‘twat’)	There is no upper limit on the number of uses of strong language (eg f***) No continued or aggressive usage of the strongest terms (eg 'c***')
Drug use	There may be infrequent sight of drugs misuse	Drug taking may be shown but the work as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse But don’t tend to allow the misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances like aerosols or solvents
Overall Tone	A film with a more positive or reassuring tone instead of very dark or unsettling tone which could disturb the audience would be more likely to gain a 12a certificate
Additional Points	Unlikely to have aggressive discriminatory language, and it must not be endorsed by the film as a whole Dangerous behaviour (for example hanging, suicide and self-harming) may be present in 12 or 12A works but will not dwell on detail which could be copied or present those activities as pain or harm free	May be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory language, and the work could explore themes relating to this, but must not endorse it Can be strong threat and menace Dangerous behaviour such as hanging, suicide and self-harming should not dwell on detail which could be copied