Star War: Rouge One Questions

Rouge one:

• Who produced the film? 

Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur, Simon Emanuel

• Who directed the film?

Gareth Edwards 

• What other films have they directed? 
Godzilla, Monsters, Star Wars: episode VIII: The Last Jedi

• What was the budget? 

$200 Million

• Who stars in it? 
Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed

• What other films have they been in?
Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything, Tempest, The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Diego Luna - Narcos: Mexico, Flatliners, Elysium
Riz Ahmed - Venom, Nightcrawler, The Night Of

• What technology has been used to make the film? (What cameras did they use? How was the film edited? What CGI was involved?) 
They used computer-generated imagery (CGI) to bring back characters from the previous episodes of the Star Wars Trilogy, which was about 40 years ago, and to make them look the same. 

• How was the film marketed? Which different marketing tools were used?

A teaser trailer, for Rogue One, was released by Lucasfilm on April 7, 2016, and it was praised by reviewers and the media for its portrayal of strong female characters. Later on that year, Rogue One was fully promoted at the Star Wars Celebration Europe III event in London. This was a perfect place to market the film as it had a lot of their target audience all in one place. During the event, a new official poster was unveiled, which depicts a battle taking place on the tropical planet Scarif, with the Death Star looming large in a blue sky, above which is printed the tagline "A Rebellion Built on Hope". This reveal caused more and more people to see the trailer and wait to watch the film. when the trailer was released,the trailer was viewed close to 30 million times in its first 29 hours, at a rate of 800,000 views per hour 

 • What examples of synergy with other products/merchandise can you find? 
When Disney and Lucasfilms released the film, they marketed their merchandise in stores all across the globe. They sold merchandise such as; toys/ action figures, t-shirts, bags, lunch boxes, posters, games/ video games. this increased their profit made by the film, and helped with extended budget pay.
• What examples of cross media convergence can you find? 
Disney and Lucasfilms used many places to mraket and distribute their film. For example; agreeing with big stores, like Harods in london, if they can sell their merchendise there. Also they madd agreements with different cinemas such as the IMAX to get them to put the trailer before other films and to screen the film too. Furthermore, they put posters outside cinemas, on buildings and on the sides of public transport. 

• What examples of technological convergence can you find?
They worked with app creators to create and official app for Star wars and on this app you can play games and take selfies with a Jedi filter. they also asked snapchat if they would add the filter in their app, because they knew how big their app has become. thsi use of cross media promotion is and exaple of viral marketing, as they hope that the filter will start a trend across the world. this trend woule help promote the film more.

• Where and when was this film released (nationwide, worldwide) and in what cinemas?
The film premiered in Los Angeles, California on December 10th 2016, which was also the release date in all states across the US. It was released in Europe, at the premiere in London, on the 13th December 2016. This was a good time to release the film, as people will pay to go to see it with family and friends at Christmas time, and they can make more sells of the products due to it being Christmas.

• What formats was it available in (digital / 3D etc…)? 

It was released on Digital HD on March 24, 2017, and on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and DVD on April 4, 2017. It was also made available on different apps, for instance: AppleTV and Disney Plus.
• Who is the target audience?The Star War Trilogy has a very widespread target audience accross the world, and is a very respected film by everyone. it does aim more to the ages 15-35, however, it is still acclaimed to be a film for all ages, genders, ethnicities and socail classes.

RESEARCH: UNDERSTANDING HEGEMONY

What is Hegemony?

Media hegemony is referred to the moral, philosophical, and political leadership of a social group in a film or TV series, which encourages people not to be gained by force but by an active consent of the power status structure in media, by other social groups. Media hegemony tools are words, images, rituals, and practices rather than weapons, courts, and prisons. The media is consistently dominated by middle class white males and they are seen as superior in the media industry. These are often white, male, Western people like Leonardo DiCaprio. For example, I looked at how Western journalists report on the film industry and found out that almost every actor that is taking the media industry by storm are middle class white men. Other groups are less often represented as powerful / significant: such as the working class, women, the LGBT community and disabled people. for instance, In Ken Loach's films " I' Daniel Black" and "Sorry we missed you", the messages are subtle yet effective, however they involve people of working class, disabled people and women. This breaks the hegemony of Hollywood films but these types of films present what is normal in life and how the Hollywood films highlight white male superiority. This shows the media 'manufacturing consent'. The images below shows how in the Oscars, in 2019, there was a male dominated cast of 'Green Book' that one best best picture. 

As shown in the image a very famous female actress from the film is not holding an Oscar but the men are.

The behaviourist models analyse the effects of the media by how audiences interpret/understand a media text. The 'Magic Bullet' theory is and idea that the media fires information and messages to our brains, this therefore making us passive consumers to the media and that we believe hat we are told by them. in some cases this is true but not for everyone. Similar to the 'Magic Bullet' theory, the 'Hypodermic needle' theory is when the media inject the messages into our bloodstream. Both these theories are behaviourist theories, that show most audiences as passive and that media has a direct impact on everyone's behaviour.

The 'Hypodermic needle' model 

The 'uses and gratification' model shows the newer theories about active consumers. An active audiences means that this type of audiences prefers to interact with the media text to create a deeper meaning, rather than passive audiences who accept the messages shown in the media text. The articles discusses how audiences have control over the media they consume.
According to Blumber and Katz audiences use media to gratify their needs, which means they uses media give them selves a purpose or an understand on different aspects (mainly in life). These needs are diversion (escaping from everyday life problems), personal relationships (uses media for emotional or other interactions), personality identity (reflecting yourselves in media and to create a sense on purpose) and Surveillance (observing and then using media to help with lifestyle/ choices). 

RESEARCH: AUDIENCE QUESTIONAIRE

This is my Audience Questionnaire and I have created it to help me to produce a product that appeals to my target audience.

I used Google Forms to collect data on my target audience, that will be able to help me when I am planning my product. the Audience Questionnaire would allow me to establish what my target audience enjoy watch and do not enjoy watching. Alongside this, It will help me establish the right genre, age group, gender and social classes to target at. 

These are the questions I intended to ask:

•  What gender are they?
•  What is their age?
•  What genres they like?
•  Where do you prefer to watch films?
•  Where do you find out the most about new films?
•  Would you watch the film by the look of this poster?
•  Do these trailers appeal to you/ would you watch them? (add links to 2/3 trailers for them to watch)
•  Do you use any streaming platforms? If yes, what streaming platforms?

From this questionnaire i have had 15 responses and i am now alble to establish from these results how i should approach the produxtion of my film.

Shown below are some of the results from the audience questionnaire which helped with reaching our target audience:

RESEARCH: SCOOP.IT: FILM OPENINGS

RESEARCH; SCOOP.IT: FILM OPENINGs

I created a SCOOP.IT page to put together articles and clips of various film openings. In doing this, i can use it to help me in the plan production stage of creating my own opening sequence. 

ON THE SET

Brief account of learning to use the cameras and tripods, what filming terminology to use on set and good practice in editing. 

We learnt how to use the equipment, e.g. the Canon cameras, Mac computers and Manfrotto tripods, the different rules that come with using the equipment.

In our small groups we passed around a Canon camera, to try to understand how to handle the camera and how to put it all together, e.g. inserting the camera battery and memory card. When we passed the camera around we should say 'yours' and 'mine' to avoid the risk of dropping it. after this we then learnt how to successfully open the Manfrotto tripod and connect the camera to it. we also learnt how to 'bubble' using the spirit level to help make the camera balanced and in focus. We explored the camera such as how to focus the exposure on the camera, which is adjusted by moving the dial up and down. 

In the first photo, we were adding our live action section to our tracking shot. I have struck a match and put it on an ash tray, and this was to symbolise that the person was a smoker. in the second photo, we are discussing whether we wanted to change the lighting to make the room dark and use a flashlight when doing the tracking shot.

RESEARCH: TITLE SEQUENCE CREDITS

RESEARCH: TITLE SEQUENCE CREDITS  

Guardians of the Galaxy - 2014 (Si-Fi/ Adventure):

• Production Company – Marvel studios, Sarofsky Corp.
• Director - James Gunn
• Starring – Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista,
• Title - Guardians of the Galaxy
• Starring – Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John. C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio del Toro,
• Casting - Sarah Halley Finn, C.S.A
• Costume designer - Alexandre Bryne
• Music - Tyler Bates
• Music supervisor - Dave Jordan
• Film editor - Fred Raskin, Craig Wood (ACE), Hughes Winborne (ACE)
• Production designer - Charles Wood
• Visual effects producer - Susan Pickett
• Visual effects supervisor - Stephane Ceretti
• Director of photography - Bem Davis, BSC
• Co-producers - David J. Grant, Jonathan Schwartz
• Executive producer - Nik Korda, Stan Lee, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Alan Fine, Louis D'esposito
• Producer - Kevin Feige, P. G. A 
• Writers - James Gunn, Nicole Perlman
• Based on novel - marvel comic

Get Out - 2017 (Thriller/ Horror):

• Production Company - Universal, Blumhouse/ QC Entertainment
• Associate production - Monkeypaw Production
• Film - Jordan Peele
• Title - Get Out 
• Starring - Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Witford, Caleb Landry Jones, Stephan Root, Lakeith Stanfield, Catherine Keener, Lil Rel Howery, Erika Alexander, Marcus Henderson, Betty Gabriel, Richard Herd
• Casting - Terry Taylor, CSA
• Music supervisor - Christopher Mollere
• Music - Michael Abels
  
• Costume design - Nadine Haders
• Film Editor - Gregory Plotkin
• Production Designer - Rusty Smith
• Director of Photography - Toby Oliver, ACS
• Executive Producers - Raymond Mansfield, Couper Samuelson, Shaun Redick Jeanette Volturno
• Co-Producers - Beatriz Sequiera, Marcei A. Brown, Gerard DiNardi
• Producers -  Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm J, Jordan Peele
• Writer & Director - Jordan Peele

PRODUCTION PRACTICE: TITLE SEQUENCE "A WHOLE WORLD IN A TABLE TOP"

PRODUCTION PRACTICE: TITLE SEQUENCE "A WHOLE WORLD IN A TABLE TOP"

We viewed the title sequence of Delicatessen (1991, Jean-Pierre Jeunet) and we focused on how the tracking shots created, tells a story and represents a theme. Throughout the title sequence the camera cuts to different shots, zoomed in on food products and recipe's. This was effective, as it showed to the viewer that the story is continuously about food. furthermore, they added the credits onto product labels and old recipe sheets to make the audience understand who created he film and the production team behind it. however, the camera also add into the shot various body parts, which illustrates to the audience that the film is about murder and mystery.

Delicatessen, 1991, the film opening

After viewing the title sequences, We then used it as inspiration to create an original title sequence. we did so in groups and by setting up the mise-en-scène. this was created by using props from our props collection and selecting a set soundtrack for the sequence. we decided to set the soundtrack to be Nostalgia by Emily Barker (the Wallander theme tune).

Once we chose the music and chose the props, we started to begin the filming table top. we decided to use props like cash, matches, playing cards, alcohol bottles, etc. We wanted the props to tell the story of a criminal who was a heavy drinker, smoker and gambler. In our first attempt of filming, we had a bottle placed inside a jacket to indicate him being an alcoholic. however, we wanted the props to relate to each other from start to finish, so we moved the empty gin bottle and placed it by the jacket and put a plastic gun inside the jacket. We also placed two Joker cards at the start and end of the tracking shot, to represent how his foolish decisions caused him to be in jail. - Monday

We continued our filming by adding a live action section to help the viewers visualise the reason behind the story. we decided to instead of putting it at the end of the sequence, we would put it at the start. This is because we wanted to show the end of the story so that the viewers can depict their own ideas on why he was imprisoned from the title sequence. - Tuesday

After editing these clips together, alongside the music, we stated the editing of the credits, title, and other sound. we added a the sound of a gabble to the beggining of the action clip which we put at the beggining, to signify the person getting a sentence to jail. in the credits we included our own production company, the directors, the actor, the producers, and director of photography. The credits were in the same text and in bold so that the names would be easier for the viewer to read and understand.  - Wednesday

We continued to edit our opening title sequence and adjusted the placement of the music (when it should start and finish) and where the gabble would be best places in the live action section. we decided that the transition from the live action to the tracking shot, and the tracking shot to the end was to quick. So, we added a 1 second dark screen to make the transition become more smooth and slower. This also helped to set the music into the tracking shot. The final and finished film opening is shown below. - Friday

RESEARCH: DISTRIBUTION COLLAGE

RESEARCH: Distribution Collage

We watched a video from the FDA (Film Distributors Association) site to understand how Distributors worked and how they do their job. Kezia Williams, Head of Theatrical Distribution at Entertainment One UK, explained that, in a congested marketplace, a distributor's aim was to position a film in a way that it stood out for it's target audience. She also explained the different aspects of marketing to grip all ages, who are appropriate to the movie rating. Furthermore, Chris Besseling, Director of Marketing at Pathe UK, offered me a series of insights into how distributors market a film's USP. Also, He explained how to position the film as a unique cinema experience come the week of release. he mentioned the use of showing awards and reviews to audiences to try to interest the target audience to go see the movie. After watching this video, I understood how a distributor puts together a synergetic marketing that includes: 

• Trailers 
• Posters
• Websites
• Social Media pages; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc
• Newspaper articles 
• Cross platform promotions

My Distribution collage on Ready Player One

My collage is based on the hit movie, Ready Player One. It is about a poor boy in Cleveland, Ohio, who tries to complete an Easter egg in a virtual reality world. they used multiple cohesive marketing techniques to interest audience to want to see the movie. Some examples of their uses of cohesive marketing is; twitter, Instagram, websites, poster, teaser trailers and trailers. The different social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc) work as a synergetic whole in promoting a product.

Matt Smith of the FDA tells us that spend on digital has increased enormously. for instance, when they released the trailers on to social media platforms, they are now cut for portrait viewing on smartphones. I sampled the image bellow, from twitter, to illustrate their use of formatting a small cut from their trailer. Matt Smith also refers to paid-for marketing as distinct from free publicity. Social media can generate viral marketing- free publicity.

They published the posters long before the movie is released, with hints of what the movie is about. Also, they added the main actor onto the cover so it so it will appeal to their target audience (who follow and like the actor). The posters also have the name of the director, Steven Spielberg, in which also will appeal to his followers and ingage the target audience to go watch and support another one of his movies. The distributers have to aim to appeal to the audience that follow the genres, Si-Fi and Adventure, and this is done by use of vibrant colours, showing futuristic technology and adventuous activities.