Evaluation question 3
- 2. SOCIAL REALISM DISTRIBUTORS/FILMS Artificial Eye: • Last Resort (2000) • Fish Tank (2009) Icon: • Sweet Sixteen (2002) • Precious (2009) Verve Pictures: • The Arbour (2010) • Bullet Boy (2004) Vertigo: • London to Brighton (2006) • Shotgun Stories (2007)
- 3. ARTIFICIAL EYE “Curzon Artificial Eye has been releasing critically acclaimed films to discerning UK audiences by some of the world's greatest directors, including Michael Haneke, Lars von Trier, Abbas Kiarostami and Andrei Tarkovsky.” Values of Artificial Eye are evident to be that of providing audiences with impressive, unique works from successful directors. The shows the company interest to be that of displaying a style of film that is not typically seen, for example social realism. Exhibition of films from Artificial Eye typically comes from a subsidiary of the company Curzon. They have their own cinema branch that displays the works Artificial Eye distributes. This would tell us that their targeted audience would be those of knowledge and understanding of independent films as the films are not shown in mainstream venues such as Odeon. Their demographic may lean towards an older age as many films that are distributes from Article Eye typically address issues that only young adults and older may understand.
- 4. Fish Tank: Genre/Style of film: Social realist Themes/Issues: Poverty, Alcohol, Broken home Story: Young girl falls in love with her mother’s boyfriend while trying to become a dancer. Characters: Protagonist, Mother, Younger sister and Boyfriend Production Style: Low budget, use of real locations, majority of the cast are unexperienced actors. Representations: Age, Sexuality, Gender, Class and Status
- 5. Last Resort Genre/Style: Social Realism Themes/Issues: Immigration Story: A young Russian woman and her son arrive in London, expecting to meet her boyfriend. When he does not arrive they claim asylum and head to a small seaside town. Characters: Mother, Son, Lover Production Style: use of real locations, use of untrained actors, low budgeted Representations: Rationality, Class and Status
- 6. The exhibition of both films was fairly successful regarding that this particular genre is for a niche audience. Curzon Artificial Eye exhibited both films in a chain of cinemas owned by Curzon Cinemas. Both films followed many similar conventions. They mainly focused on a relationship between two people; a mother and son and a young girl and her mother’s lover. Alongside this, both films explore themes of class and status and how this aspect is affecting them; with Fish Tank we see how their working class background dictates their reputation and with Last Resort we see how their nationality dictates their class and status in the UK. Factors such as location and mise-en-scene present us with this representation as both films use real locations and enclosed spaces in order to show us of the class and status through the connotations that these working class areas are facing economical issues. In my intro, there is a strong theme of economical issues and poverty, meaning that my main area of representation is class and status. I have chosen locations similar to those shown in both films as it demonstrates the harsh reality of the working class.
- 7. Vertigo “The company’s mission is to create and distribute commercially driven independent cinema and since inception it has produced 28 films and distributed a further 35.2 The values of Vertigo is clearly to provide audiences with dedicated and high quality productions. They have claimed to be ‘championing talent’, suggesting that they are driven to present the very best of commercially influenced independent films. The exhibition of films from Vertigo slightly followed mainstream conventions as some of their works were quite commercial meaning that they were distributed to more well known cinema chains. This tells us that they are targeting a wider audience as their work is widely available and has a variety of genres. Although this, they are still distributing independent films, suggesting that they are also accommodating many audience tastes.
- 8. London to Brighton Genre/style of film: Social realist, Drama Themes/issues: Crime, Alcohol, Drugs Story: Two girls are hunted down by a pimp who has a taste for younger girls. Characters: Protagonist, Young girl, Man and associates Production Style: Low-budget, Real locations, untrained actors Representations: Age, Sexuality, Gender
- 9. Shotgun Stories Genre/style of film: Social realist, Drama Themes/issues: Crime, Death, Broken families Story: Feud between two sets of half-brothers following the death of their father Characters: Protagonist, two brothers Production style: Low-budget, Real locations, unknown actors Representations: Gender, Regionality
- 10. Both films were again exhibited successfully however as Vertigo has a variety of commercially independent films there is an argument that both films may have not done as well as others. Although this, those with an interest in independent films would be attracted. The two films had some similar conventions at how there was a strong sense of disequilibrium, a conventional technique for social realist texts. There is constant conflict in both films, also following the convention that the working class are typically loud and argumentative. This is shown by locations and the use of untrained/unexperienced actors at the time of casting. In both films some actors were listed as having little work, if any, before the films. This means that their portrayal of the working class would have been honest, creating verisimilitude. In my intro I follow some of these conventions. I use untrained actors in order to bring a true representation to the characters however I do not have much conflict.
- 11. Verve Pictures “At Verve Pictures, we specialise in the release of independent film in cinemas and on DVD, offering audiences the chance to enjoy original and thought provoking cinema from the UK and around the world.” “We are passionate about film and discovering new talent, and are committed to releasing films that have become increasingly lost in today’s multiplex culture.” “Our subsidiary Drakes Avenue distributes acquired titles, specialising in documentaries about icons such as Philip Glass, Lindsay Anderson, Robert Altman, Glenn Gould, Patti Smith, Harvey Milk and Billy Paul, and has alliances with organisations such as New Wave Films, ICA Films, Bungalow Town Productions and Green Lions to release cutting edge World Cinema programming in cinemas and on DVD.” Through the following statements take by their website, I can conclude that Verve Pictures are very determined to present a niche audience with high quality work. Their work and connections with New Wave Films suggests that they are targeting a niche audience as typically mainstream companies distribute connections that are more well known.
- 12. The Arbour Genre/style of film: Social realist, Biography, Documentary Themes/issues: Poverty, Domestic Abuse, Drugs + Alcohol, Broken families Story: Portrayal of the late Bradford playwright Andrea Dunbar Characters: Main family, Neighbours, Past boyfriends of Andrea Dunbar Production style: Uses real locations, unexperienced actors, low-budget Representations: Gender, Sexuality, Ethnicity, Class and Status
- 13. Bullet Boy: Genre/style of film: Drama, Social Realist Themes/issues: Crime, Violence Story: Fresh out of jail, Ricky and his younger brother struggle to survive when a street clash escalates to a neighbourhood war Characters: Protagonist, younger brother, mother, friends Production style: Use of real locations, actors with minor experience Representations: Ethnicity, Regionality, Class and Status
- 14. The two films exhibited successfully as it targeted a particular audience who are interested in high quality independent films. As both films successfully meet this criteria, they would have been received well. Again, both films have followed the convention of a constant disequilibrium. We see that the majority of the characters in both films are subject to violence. Location plays a role in this as we see real locations being used, highlighting how the violence is part of the areas culture. Mise-en-scene strengthens this by including hooded characters, conventionally this translate as those characters represent trouble and chaos, fitting with the violence theme. I do not have excessive amounts of conflict in my intro but I have used real locations and aspects such as costume to translate the current situation my characters may be facing and how it represents the social group they are involved with.
- 15. Icon “Icon Film Distribution is a leading UK independent film distributor collaborating with local and international filmmakers on the very best of independent film.” “Formed in 1999, Icon Film Distribution is one of the UK’s leading independent film distributors generating in excess of £150m at the box office with a library of over 200 titles ranging from mainstream hits such as Paranormal Activity, 30 Days of Night, Transporter 3 and What Woman Want to specialist break-out titles such as Tom Ford’s A Single Man, La Vie En Rose, Man On Wire, and multiple BAFTA and Oscar nominee Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive.” From the following statements, we can tell the targeted audience for Icon is very wide. This may have been impacted by how their reputation has gradually become more and more successful and with this, the exhibition process would be vast, reaching to many audiences.
- 16. Sweet Sixteen Genre/style of film: Social Realist, Crime, Drama Themes/issues: Crime, dysfunctional families Story: Determined to have a normal family life once his mother gets out of prison, a teen from a rough area sets out to raise money for a home. Characters: Protagonist, friends, mother Production style: Real locations, unknown actors, low-budget Representation: Regionality, Age
- 17. Precious: Genre/style of film: Drama Themes/issues: Crime, Abuse, Low Economical areas Story: An overweight, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child enrols in a class that hopes to send her in a new direction Characters: Protagonist, Mother, Teacher, Classmates Production style: Real locations, low-budget Representations: Age, Ethnicity, Regionality, Sexuality, Disability
- 18. The consumption of both films were very different. Precious was received very well and was nominated for many high accolades. From the nominations, more people heard about the film, increasing the awareness of it. However, Sweet Sixteen was received well to those with a passion in independent film, but did not reach the wider audience like Precious did. In both films, they conventionally followed the same theme of having a dysfunctional family. This issues then impacted the protagonists live and created a wider issue. With this, it follows the social realist convention of having a constant disequilibrium. The theme of low economical area was presented by the use of real locations. The use of mise-en-scene aided the representation of the themes of poverty and the key areas such as age by the use of costume. Both films had sufficient clothing for the main characters that translated as though they were form a working class background. Alongside this, it represented their age as they were wearing age appropriate clothing. In my intro I use mise-en-scene to transcribe the issues I am representing as it is key that the characters are truthfully portrayed to suit the themes and issues.
- 19. CONCLUSION From the research I have found I think that Artificial Eye would be more likely to distribute my film as many of their works include the themes I have explored. With this, I would be targeting the same audience, those who are socially aware of the issues in our generation and those who are interest in independent films.