Revision guide section b
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This document provides information about Section B of a film exam, which asks students to analyze the British film industry. Students will choose a British film institution, Working Title Films, and compare it to the Hollywood studio Vivendi Universal. They will look at how Working Title Films obtains funding, distributes, and exhibits its films, focusing on one or two specific films. The document defines the key terms of production, distribution, and exhibition and explains how they relate to getting a film made and seen by audiences. It provides resources for students to research these topics and how the British film industry has survived against Hollywood.
Revision guide section b
- 1. Section B – What’s it all about? This part of the exam asks you to look at the British Film Industry. You will choose on film institution and look at how it targets audiences and survives in the industry, including how it competes against the big boys ‘Hollywood’. The chosen case study is Working Title Films and there is lots of information on the internet. You will need to look at where the British institution WTF get their funding for production, how they distribute their films and how they exhibit (show) their films with a focus on one or two films in particular (The Boat That Rocked). You will then compare this with a Hollywood production company Vivendi Universal who have a stake in WTF. Past questions in the exam have included: • How has the British film industry managed to survive? • How far is it important, for Britain to have a successful film industry? Whatever the question is you will tailor your answer using the examples of WTF and Vivendi Universal. In this section of the exam you will need to know certain terminology to show you understand the changes in the industry. The main 3 terms are: Production: What cameras are used, how you do lighting, special effects, storage of content, editing of content, etc. Distribution: Advertising your film, DVD culture, download culture Exhibition: Cinema, DVD, YouTube, phones, sharing, clipping culture Distribution is about releasing and sustaining films in the market place. In the practice of Hollywood and other forms of industrial cinema, the phases of production, distribution and exhibition operate most effectively when 'vertically integrated', where the three stages are seen as part of the same larger process, under the control of one company. In the UK, distribution is very much focused on marketing and sustaining a global product in local markets. To see a clear picture of this process go to http://www.skillset.org/film/business/# and follow the storyboard. Production How a film is made from the 35mm reel to digital editing Distribution How a film is sent out to cinemas, advertised marketed Exhibition How a film is seen by the audience – cinema/DVD/ipod etc
- 2. AS Media - Scheme of Work for British Film – Audiences & Institutions – Suggested time 6 hrs British • Survey of British film history over last 60 years • REVISION - Prepared • Concentrate on British film Film highlighting significant changes when variety cards on film techniques but some of the techniques of film techniques were first used (e.g. cross- • REVISION - Prepare paper were developed in cutting, colour, sound) (1 hour session) timeline to lay on desks Hollywood or elsewhere • (see blog for additions) • Homework to research one of the techniques and write brief notes on its use, impact on film etc. • Complete survey on what films people • REVISION Prepare sheets • Make sure survey is varied – watched recently. Classify into genres to enter results on and age, sex, class organise results • Survey how films were watched (cinema, home TV) and reasons for choice (DVD, download, video) • Classify then debate about preferences, pros and cons (1 hour session) • Homework to carry out small research • HOMEWORK should access • For your research work on a project - Find out what films have been range of research resources recent British film select a watched by at least ten people (family – ICT, books, magazines sequence you think sums up and friends) over perhaps the last month the film so others in class do – define by genre, British or US not have to watch whole film • Research work on recent British film – • Watch out for groups bring in examples – write plot ratings/violence/sex issues. summary, research director, production, Put in context if necessary actors, genre, writers, success/profit, reviews • Compile research folder on film for distribution to rest of class (2 hour session) • Audience and film industry needs. • Use most recent production British Research audience attendance of British list from British Film Institute cinema attendances over last 60 years bfi.org.uk Film 3 • Look at series of cinema adverts in local paper (use up to ten week period). Analyse how long films were shown for. • Then use bfi.org.com to research who made those films, who distributed them and which country they originated in. Organise results. • List what audiences and industry each • Homework is essay on need. Compile master list. future of British film industry, what must it do to flourish? (1 hour session)
- 5. Below is a detailed mindmap with a mock exam question – this may be an ideal way to organise your findings. The key terms on the right hand side are explained on the blog and they explain how the film industry is changing, how the production, distribution & exhibition of films is evolving.