FILM STUDIES REVISION DAY

EXAM FORMAT

EXAM FORMATThe exam is 2 hours long. You answer one question from Section A, and two questions from Section B.

In Section B you must answer from two different topic areas – The Rise of the Blockbuster, and Developments in 21st Century Film.

You should spend 50 minutes on Section A, and 1 hour ten minutes on Section B (35 minutes on each question in Section B).

SECTION B: CINEMA IN CONTEXT

Answer one question on the Rise of the Blockbuster and one question on 21st Century Film.

SECTION B ASSESSMENT CRITERIAAssessment Criteria Level 4 (23-30 marks)

 

• Excellent knowledge and understanding of industrial and social practice linked to audience behaviours.

• Excellent application of historical, sociological, economic and technological factors to the set question demonstrating insight and depth.

• Offers a full range of examples of industrial and social practice, demonstrating excellent knowledge and understanding and a confident ability to link examples to the demands of the set question.

• A clearly relevant, sustained and sophisticated response to the set question.

• Use of film terminology is confident, frequent and consistently accurate

SECTION BKEY CONTEXTSSociological context

The input and impact of regulators, pressure groups, government bodies and departments, and social events and trends.

 

Economic context

Audience pressure evidenced by box office receipts, cinema admission figures, viewing figures, government levies and subsidies.

 

Technological context

The state of technological development at that time in each topic area and how the available technology has been improved through innovation and development. The impact of technological innovation on film production, distribution and exhibition.

THE RISE OF THE BLOCKBUSTER• the emergence of the multiplex/megaplex cinemas in out-of-

town locations/shopping centres/retail parks in the UK and the decline of city/town centre ‘fleapit’ cinemas

• the arrival of ‘blockbuster’ films and related sequels, e.g. The Godfather (1972), Jaws (1975), Star Wars (1977), Superman (1978) and the ensuing developments in production, distribution and exhibition

• the dawning of the home video age, format wars (VHS and Betamax), the moral panic about uncensored and unregulated content and the ensuing move to statutory regulation of film in the home.

EMERGENCE OF THE MULTIPLEX

the emergence of the multiplex/megaplex cinemas in out-of-town locations/shopping centres/retail parks in the UK and the decline of city/town centre ‘fleapit’ cinemas

What factors led to the decline of town or city centre cinemas in the late 1970s and early 1980s?

[30]

EMERGENCE OF THE MULTIPLEX

UK cinema admissions declining since 1940s (1946 peak of 1.6 billion). By 1984 UK cinema admissions were just 55 million.

At that time cinemas were mostly in town and city centres – usually only had one screen (limited choice), no parking facilities, uncomfortable seating, poor line of sight, smoking permitted – known as fleapit cinemas.

Multiplexes developed in the US by AMC cinema chain.

First UK multiplex was The Point in Milton Keynes, opened in 1985.

ADVANTAGES OF MULTIPLEXES

For exhibitors – more screens increases revenue without significant increase of cost, out of town locations cheaper.

For audiences – better facilities, more comfortable seating, clear view of screen, better projection and sound equipment, easy parking, more choice.

The Point was hugely successful, selling 2 million tickets in the first two years. Multiplexes rapidly spread across the UK in the late 1980s, early 1990s.

EMERGENCE OF MULTIPLEXEconomic factors – economy of scale – significantly increased revenue without large increase in running costs. Cheaper locations.

Sociological – audience response – cinema-going not a popular pastime in early 1980s due to poor facilities, rapid change in the wake of multiplex expansion.

Technological – developments in projection and sound technology part of the reason for the success of multiplexes.

To what extent do you think multiplexes still dominate cinema exhibition today? Is that a good or bad thing? Relate to your own experience/opinion.

ARRIVAL OF THE BLOCKBUSTER

the arrival of ‘blockbuster’ films and related sequels, e.g. The Godfather (1972), Jaws (1975), Star Wars (1977), Superman (1978) and the ensuing developments in production, distribution and exhibition

What factors led to the rise of blockbuster films in the late 1970s? [30]

ARRIVAL OF THE BLOCKBUSTER

Post-war era one of decline for Hollywood – Paramount decree, rise of television.

By 1969 Hollywood teetering on brink of bankruptcy.

Movie brats (Coppola, Scorsese) breathed new life into American filmmaking, producing more serious, complex films.

Bonnie & Clyde (1967) seen as the precursor to this.

Success of The Godfather (1972).

ARRIVAL OF THE BLOCKBUSTER – JAWS (1975)

Release and marketing strategies – Summer release, wide release, saturation marketing, use of TV.

Box office success – over $100 million domestic box office.

Importance of merchandise.

ARRIVAL OF THE BLOCKBUSTER

Star Wars (1977) consolidated blockbuster formula.

Into the 1980s expanded with franchises such as Superman, Star Wars sequels, and Indiana Jones.

ARRIVAL OF THE BLOCKBUSTER

Economic factors – huge success of Jaws and Star Wars changed the type of films Hollywood made (high concept, blockbusters). Genre films, special effects, franchises – to what extent do you think that is still true today?

Sociological – audience response to blockbuster films key to success – effect of marketing.

Technological – blockbusters have tended to make use of most recent advances in special effects, Jurassic Park, Avatar

HOME VIDEO AGE

the dawning of the home video age, format wars (VHS and Betamax), the moral panic about uncensored and unregulated content and the ensuing move to statutory regulation of film in the home.

“Film censorship is motivated by fears about audiences and technologies.” Discuss this statement in reference to the concerns expressed about uncensored and unregulated

video content in Britain in the early 1980s. [30]

HOME VIDEO AGE – FORMAT WARS

1974 – Sony launch Betamax

1975 – JVC launch VHS

Betamax superior in picture quality but more expensive.

VHS had longer running time (initially 2 hours, later 3 hours) and was cheaper. Betamax not suited to film due to limited recording time.

By 1988 Sony had started to manufacture VHS.

MORAL PANIC

Home video launched in 1979 in UK.

Despite initial high costs, rapidly became popular.

Major studios were reluctant to release films on video – concern about effect on theatrical box office and video piracy.

Independent distributors dominated the market – cheaply acquire distribution rights to low budget exploitation films.

No restrictions on video – anyone could rent/but any available video.

MORAL PANIC

Daily Mail launched ‘Ban the Sadist Video’ campaign.

Mary Whitehouse campaigned to introduce regulation.

DPP initially sought to ban ‘video nasties’ for being in breach of Obscene Publications Act – prompted by films such as Cannibal Holocaust, Driller Killer, SS Experiment Camp.

Media pressure eventually led to introduction of Video Recordings Act (1984) giving the BBFC the role of classifying and regulating Home Video and making supply of videos to underage people illegal.

Classis moral panic – sensationalised media reports – moral guardians – increased response from police – more sensationalised media reports – government intervention.

HOME VIDEO

Technological – development of home video formats, competing formats. Technologies change the way audiences consume films. How might you relate that to a contemporary context.

Sociological – role of the media and pressure groups in calling for regulation – enacted by government.

Economic – VHS – lower cost helped it to win format wars Studio anxiety about effect of home video on revenue created a gap in the market exploited by independent distributors. Consider contemporary comparison, e.g. studios slow to make use of internet for legal distribution led to rise in online piracy.

SECTION B: DEVELOPMENTS IN 21ST CENTURY CINEMA AND FILM (2000-PRESENT)

• the roll out of the UK’s digital cinema network and the impact for audiences and institutions

• the take up of broadband, internet piracy and the opportunities and threats posed to institutions and audiences from legal and illegal means of distribution and exhibition

• the revival of 3D - the impact of films such as Avatar (2009) in driving the ‘new’ 3D and consideration of the possible longevity of 3D or other future developments.

DIGITAL CINEMA

the roll out of the UK’s digital cinema network and the impact for audiences and institutions

”The introduction of the digital cinema network in the UK in recent years has greatly extended audience choice.” How far do you agree with this statement? [30]

DIGITAL CINEMA

Digital Screen Network – UK Film Council, £12 million, 250 screens. Launched in 2006.

Local digital screen – Huntingdon – widens choice – independent film, event cinema.

DIGITAL CINEMA

Lowers distribution costs

Does not deteriorate unlike 35mm prints.

Easier to distribute in large countries – China.

Digital 3D projection needed for modern 3D – Avatar.

90% of UK and US screens now digital.

DIG ITAL CINEMATechnological - development of digital technology.

Economic – digital lowers costs of distribution, benefits both studios and independents. Economic factors drove conversion to digital cinema.

Sociological – role of government organisation (UK Film Council) in promoting spread of digital cinemas. However DSN had limited impact in widespread take up of digital cinema (less than 10% of UK screens were digital by 2008. Success of Avatar, released December 2009, huge boost to conversion to digital – by the end of 2010 almost 50% of UK screens were digital, 2011 70%. Now 90%.

BROADBAND

the take up of broadband, internet piracy and the opportunities and threats posed to institutions and audiences from legal and illegal means of distribution and exhibition

To what extent does internet piracy pose a threat to the film industry? [30]

BROADBAND

Proliferation of broadband – introduced 2004.

76% of homes have broadband.

12 Mbps average speed

Online piracy significant threat to film industry - billions of lost revenue, decline in DVD sales – knock effect – reduction in studio film production.

Attempts to tackle it – prosecution, SOPA, now focused on the piracy sites.

Shortening distribution windows, use of day and date release.

BROADBAND

Rise of legal online platforms

SVOD/TVOD

2005 – no online VOD

BROADBAND

Technological – development of high speed broadband allows internet to become suitable platform for film distribution. Developments of devices such as smart TVs and popularity of tablets has contributed to rise in legal downloads of films.

Sociological – attempts to tackle piracy, SOPA, audience behaviour – pirating films often due to unavailability of films. Legal VOD platforms reduce piracy?

Economic – economic costs of piracy to film industry. Consumer point of view. Internet VOD new source of revenue – loss of DVD revenue.

3D REVIVAL

the revival of 3D - the impact of films such as Avatar (2009) in driving the ‘new’ 3D and consideration of the possible longevity of 3D or other future developments.

What factors led to the rebirth of 3D cinema in recent years? [30]

3D REVIVAL

Technological developments – Reality Camera System developed by James Cameron

Success of Avatar – $2.7 billion

3D allows studios to charge more for tickets, is thought to tackle piracy.

3D REVIVAL

Spread of digital 3D screens.

2010 peak – 7/Top 11 films worldwide were 3D.

3D=24% of UK box office.

By 2012 =18% of UK box office.

3D REVIVAL

Technology – developments in camera technology, and digital projection key to 3D revival

Economic – response to piracy, allows studios to generate more revenue through higher ticket prices.

Sociological – audience response – 3D as a novelty?

EXEMPLAR ANSWER

Read through the exemplar answer – what has the student done well?

STRUCTURE

Introduction – respond to wording of question – consider argument, reference to economic, sociological, technological if relevant.

Develop argument with reference to specific examples and evaluation.

Conclusion – sum up argument, relate to own experience where relevant, refer to relevant economic, sociological, technological factors.

SECTION B

Choose one question from Section B to answer.

You should spend 35 minutes answering the question.

SECTION A: CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILM

Answer one question in this section. You will be give a choice of questions.

You are discussing the films we have studied:

Super 8 (J.J. Abrams, USA, 2011)

Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson, USA, 2012)

You MUST REFER TO BOTH FILMS IN YOUR ANSWER. If you only refer to one film you will get a U for this question.

Spend 50 minutes answering this question.

SECTION A - FRAMEWORKS

The question will ask you to discuss one or more of these frameworks in relation to the two films:

• Representation

• Messages and Values

• Genre

• Narrative

• Theme

• Style

• Authorship

SECTION A – TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

You will need to support your discussion of the key framework with detailed technical analysis:

• cinematography

• editing

• sound

• mise-en-scene

SECTION A – ASSESSMENT CRITERIAAssessment Criteria Level 4 (32-40 marks)

• Excellent knowledge and understanding of the relevant framework for analysis.

• Excellent application of the relevant framework for analysis to the films chosen demonstrating insight and depth.

• Offers a full range of examples from the films chosen for response, demonstrating very good to excellent technical knowledge and understanding and a confident ability to link examples to the demands of the set question.

• A clearly relevant, sustained and sophisticated response to the set question.

• Use of film terminology is confident, frequent and consistently accurate.

REPRESENTATION

Consider the representation of social groups within the films:

• Gender

• Age

• Social class

REPRESENTATION – SUPER 8

How is age represented in the film?

Gender – role of fathers.

Social class – how is the working class character represented?

REPRESENTATION – MOONRISE KINGDOM

Age – how are the young characters represented?

Gender – role of father figures. Representation of Social Services.

MESSAGES & VALUES

What ideologies are communicated to the audience?

You could consider this in relation to the film’s depiction of masculinity, the role of the family, social class, and the representation of youth.

What values and beliefs does the film endorse? Which does it criticise?

GENRE – THEORETICAL APPROACHES

Neale argues that genres are ‘systems of intelligibility’ – they help audiences to make sense of a film – cognition.

Ryall – genre supervises relationship between filmmaker and audience.

Collins – genericity – argues in postmodern media genres are not always fixed or clear. Postmodern texts often use intertextuality (reference to other texts), and eclecticism (creating a text from a range of other texts and genres).

Cawelti – genre as ritual/myth – genres allow for the exploration of the human condition in a palatable context.

Iconography – importance of visual conventions.

SUPER 8 - GENRE

Sci fi, coming of age film.

Sci fi – what is the significance of the alien in the film? What does it represent?

Coming of age – how does the film explore key themes of coming of age film (conflict with family, death, sexual identity, nostalgia, rites of passage?

MOONRISE KINGDOM - GENRE

Hybridity

Is the film generically classifiable?

Wes Anderson film – generic category.

Coming of age film – how does the film explore these key themes?

NARRATIVE - THEORY

Todorov – equilibrium, disequilibrium, resolution.

Propp – character types.

Barthes – narrative codes (action, enigma, semic, symbolic, etc.)

Vogler and Campbell – the Hero’s Journey

SUPER 8 - NARRATIVE

Todorov – clear use of EDR – what values are associated with the key narrative points?

How can Barthes’ narrative codes be applied?

Can you apply Propp’s character types?

SUPER 8 - NARRATIVE

Is the Hero’s Journey (Vogler and Campbell) applicable?

http://nealewadefilmstudies.blogspot.co.uk/p/contemporary-english-language-film.html

MOONRISE KINGDOM - NARRATIVE

Todorov – EDR

Barthes – narrative codes

Campbell and Vogler

THEMES – SUPER 8

Super 8 is about grief, getting over loss, coming of age, father/child relationships.

The film links the idea of coming of age to both facing up to death and loss, and the development of sexual identity. In coming of age films, death is both symbolic (the death of childhood/innocence) and literal – relating to the idea that acknowledging mortality and dealing with death is a rite of passage.

The film dramatizes the trauma of moving out of childhood, and developing maturity through both the narrative about the death of Joe’s mother, and the threat posed by the alien/the army.

THEMES – MOONRISE KINGDOM

key themes include coming of age, failure to conform/not fitting in, first love, the search for home/family.

STYLE

Super 8 – style and genre/how is style used to communicate meaning?

Moonrise Kingdom – the film is heavily stylised. This reflects the director’s authorial style, and the eclecticism employed in constructing the film.

Consider how the film self-consciously draws attention to its stylised use of sound, mise-en-scene, camerawork, and even editing. What effect does this have? You could relate it to Wes Anderson’s claim that he wanted the film to feel like a children’s book, and more broadly to his directorial style.

AUTHORSHIPAuteur Theory – developed by French film critics from Cahiers du Cinema magazine.

Director can be seen as the author – only if they stamp their personal style on all their films – expressing their worldview and transcending studio system

Competent but indistinctive directors described as metteurs-en-scene.

Andrew Sarris developed the auteur theory identifying three key elements within a director’s work – technique, personal style, inner meaning

Criticisms of auteurism – film as collective medium, role of the audience?

AUTHORSHIP AND SUPER 8

J.J. Abrams – best described as metteur-en-scene?

Super 8 is his most personal film – ‘weird autobiography’.

Doesn’t really express distinctive world-view, instead is guided by genre template.

AUTHORSHIP AND MOONRISE KINGDOM

Wes Anderson as auteur – highly distinctive style, techniques, and narrative concerns.

Key characteristics of Anderson’s films include elaborate set design, stylized costuming, plays or performances within the films, repertory of actors, tracking shots, symmetrical composition, use of colour palettes, family issues key to narrative, nostalgia, period setting, sense of artifice/theatricality.

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

You need to use detailed analysis of the use of technical elements (with good use of terminology) to support your discussion of both films.

Try to identify examples which can be applied to a range of the frameworks.

SUPER 8 – TEXTUAL ANALYSISOpening scene – 4:06

family homes – 6:17-7:57

bar scene – 7:57-9:20

sneaking out/filming9:22-17

diner 32:15-33:40

Alice as zombie 39-40:22

(Home video 57-1:02:00)

Joe argues with father 51:54-54:00

Alice argues with father 1:02:33-1:05

Joe confronts the monster 1:36:44-1:38:09

final scene 1:39:10-1:43:00

MOONRISE KINGDOM ANALYSISOpening sequence (Khaki Scouts, narrator)

Letter sequence

Khaki scouts search party

Confronting Khaki scouts

Beach sequence

Walt chopping something down

Social services

Bishops going to bed

Captain Sharp’s caravan

Church tower

Final sequence

REVISIONWrite answers to at least two of the possible questions for each of the Section B topics.

Write at least one practice answer for Section A.

Complete essay plans for the other frameworks identifying key points and examples from technical areas.

Watch the films – Super 8, Moonrise Kingdom.

Look at films that are relevant to Section B, e.g. Jaws, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, The Godfather, Bonnie and Clyde, Avatar, The Hobbit.

REVISION RESOURCES

nealewadefilmstudies.blogspot.com

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