Monday 12 December 2022

Film Industry: I, Daniel Blake

 1) What is independent cinema and how is it different to Hollywood blockbusters?

Independent films have much smaller budgets, and are often supported financially by public service broadcasters, film institutions and charity funding. They are also distributed by smaller companies. Whereas Hollywood Blockbusters have millions for their budget and are supported by their conglomerates.

2) What is I, Daniel Blake about?

A man named Daniel Blake crosses paths with a single mother Katie and her two young children, Daisy and Dylan. Katie’s only chance to escape a one roomed homeless hostel in London is to accept a flat some 300 miles away. Daniel  stands up and fights for his dignity, leading a one-man crusade for compassion that will transform the lives of a struggling single mother (Katie) and her two children.   It is a drama that has a strong political message about Britain in an age of government austerity.

3) Who directed I, Daniel Blake and why is this important?

I, Daniel Blake was directed by Ken Loach this is important as Ken Loach has been a director for over 50 years. Loach’s style is social realism – telling stories that represent the lives of ordinary working-class people and the social issues they face, his goal is to expose and educate people to the issues that many people in society face.

4) How was I, Daniel Blake promoted to an audience? List at least three different methods used by the film's marketing campaign and how they targeted their audience.

  • Organize free (or ‘pay what you can’) screenings and talks in community centers across the UK to build local enthusiasm for the film’s message.
  • Film was premiered not in London, but Newcastle (where the film is set) to gain local support. 
  • Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn attended the London premiere and people that had been denied benefit payments were asked to placard the event.

5) What unusual or creative marketing methods were used to get audiences talking about the film?

It seems as if all of they're tactics are wrong like giving their movie out for free and not releasing it in a well known world city but a smaller outside city. This is extremely unusual in the film industry.

6) What was the estimated production budget for I, Daniel Blake and how much did it make at the box office?

 It was estimated to have had a budget of around £2 million. I, Daniel Blake was exhibited in 24 countries and performed well in Europe and other smaller countries. The film grossed £11 million and received a wide range of positive critic reviews.

7) How can independent films like I, Daniel Blake compete with Hollywood blockbusters like Black Widow?

A director like Ken Loach isn't bothered by making money and profit however conveying a message to the audience to change peoples lives whereas big Hollywood  Blockbusters are just about making money.

8) In your opinion, was I, Daniel Blake a success?

Considering the circumstances the film makers had it is safe to say that this movie was a success as they made a big profit however when compared to Hollywood blockbusters it may have not been much.

Sunday 11 December 2022

Black Widow: blog tasks

1) List the companies involved in the creation of Black Widow. You may wish to use Black Widow's IMDB entry to help with this - see the company credits page - but the answers can also be found above.

  • 4DX (4D presentation)
  • 5th Kind (digital asset management)
  • Abbey Road Studios (score recorded at)
  • Act One Script Clearance (special thanks)
  • Ags Film & Tv (transport supplier)
  • Apollo Productions / AAR Digital (advertising and promotions)
  • BCD Entertainment Travel (travel services)

          2) What is conglomerate ownership and how does it link to Black Widow?

          A conglomerate is one company owns a controlling stake in several smaller companies, conducting business separately and independently it links to Black Widow because many of them were used to make the film.

          3) Analyze the film trailer for Black Widow. What aspects of the trailer tell you this is a big-budget blockbuster movie?

          There are a big range of different shots including many establishing shots and slow-mo shots which can deeply emphasize the effect of explosions and car crashes. These things all show that this is a big budget blockbuster due to so much action.

          4) How was Black Widow promoted to an audience? List at least three different methods used by the film's marketing campaign and why they were effective in promoting the film.

          • Traditional methods such as posters and teaser trailers on TV and in cinema.
          • Stars of the film appeared on a range of TV chat shows and press events. 
          • Film trailers were released on YouTube and in cinemas. 

          5) What was the production budget for Black Widow and how much did it make at the box office?

          Black Widow’s budget was $200m and it only made $379m at the worldwide box office due to the pandemic. Marvel would have spent well over $100m on marketing the film globally so the profit level is very low. Most Marvel films have made around $1 billion at the box office. 

          6) Would you consider Black Widow a successful Hollywood blockbuster? Why?

          I believe Black Widow was somewhat successful as it made a profit but not enough profit in contrast to other Hollywood blockbusters 

          7) Who regulates the film industry in the UK?

          Films in the UK are regulated by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).

          8) What age rating was Black Widow given? Why?

          Black Widow was given the rating 12A as it consisted “moderate violence, injury detail”, yet was not too graphic.

          Sunday 4 December 2022

          Film Industry: Marvel Cinematic Universe

          1) How many films were there in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) at the time of this article?

          There are 22 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)

          2) How much money have the MCU films made in total according to this article?

          The MCU is the most successful film franchise of all time, making more than $18.2bn (£13.7bn) to date.

          3) Why did Marvel create the Avengers films?

          Marvel still owned the superheroes who form the core Avengers team - Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor and Captain America - so used the early MCU films to introduce these heroes.

          4) Who owns the rights to Spiderman and why is the character now appearing in Marvel films?

          Sony ended up purchasing the film rights for Spider-Man for only $7 million, and Marvel stayed afloat following its post-bankruptcy organization by licensing out its characters to movie studios

          5) Which company owns the rights to the Fantastic Four and the X-Men?

          The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company since 2009, and is mainly known for its comic books by Marvel Comics, as well as its forays into films and television/streaming shows, including those within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).


          6) Look at the very end of the article. What has Disney announced regarding TV shows on their new streaming service Disney+?

          Disney has announced several new Marvel Tv series on Disney+

          Lara Croft Go CSP blog tasks

          Language 1) When did Lara Croft first appear in a videogame? Lara Croft first appeared in 1996 Eidos Playstation game Tomb Raider and was th...