Production Questions

1) How has the status and power of stars changed over cinematic history?
Many films now use the big stars as the main marketing source, which attracts an audience to watch the film because of their names on promotional posters. Lots of films are also made as a 'star vehicle' (a method to promote a film with a star who has had the lead role created specifically for them).

2)Take any film you have seen recently and find out who produced it. Then try to find out more about this person. What was their role on this particular production? What have they and others got to say about their involvement and contribution? What projects have s/he been involved in previously, were these ventures successful?
Alice in Wonderland is a recent film that has famous stars in. It is directed by Tim Burton, who has had a long list of famous films, so he already has a very large fan base. In nearly all of Tim Burtons films, Johnny Depp is casted as the lead star, making a huge fan base with Burtons and Depp's combined. This means there is a massive audience wanting to watch the film.

3)Why are certain kinds of films guarenteed to make large profits and others high risk?
This is mostly down to the filmmakers choice of genre for the film. It all depends on what genre is popular at the time, for example, recently the disaster/horror/post-apocalyptic genres have proved to be a box office success, with films such as Zombieland and Dawn of the Dead making large profits at the box office. Which also led to films like Shaun of the Dead and Diary of the Dead being made, which are all in the same genre. I think that films that work outside these popular genres are the ones that can be classed as 'risks'.

4) Which genres are currently popular/unpopular and why?
I think that the most popular genres at the minute are horror, comedy and end of the world style. This is because lots of films like 'The Road', '2010' and 'Zombieland' have recently been released and have been a success. Also, films in these genres are now being made into sequals due to their success.

5) Why was Hollywood under the studio system so successful?
Because during the 1910's and 1920's, Hollywoods biggest studios, Paramount, Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox etc, were starting up. These companies had lots of power and took control of the production as well as distribution of films. They were able to be made quickly and of reasonable quality, they could also be easily marketed.

6) What has been lost and gained as a result if the replacement of the studio system by the producer/agent/deal system?


7) How and why has hollywood again become vertically integrated?
During the "Golden Age" of Hollywood films, the studios had complete control of the production, distribution and exhibition. They soon realised that this way they would increase the profits.

The companies also had control of which cinemas certain films were released in. Therefore this could have happened again due to Hollywood re-realising that they wanted control again after a period of time when independant films had the lime light.

8) What are the consequences of vertical integration?

When releasing films to independant exhibitioners, the companies don't often get to see the film they are exhibitioning. As a result, the film could lose loads at the box office and could be a complete fail.

What appearance does the British stars in American films have upon the British films?

Many British stars have found success in Hollywood films. For example; Robert Patterson in 'The Twilight' saga, Keira Knightly in 'Pirates of the Carribean' saga, Vinnie Jones in 'Euro Trip', and Ewan McGregor in 'Moulin Rouge!'. This promotes the actresses and actors, but it also means the stars lose their roots and become just another part of Hollywoods 'showcase of stars'. However, in the last five years Keira Knightly has appeared in 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'Atonement', both successful British films.
Kate Winslet, who has also become a big Hollywood actress, visits back to the UK regularly to appear in films and TV shows. She is an example one British/Hollywood actress who has kept in touch with her roots.
Many American films are well promoted, (as the Hollywood industry have a large enough budget to pay for it) which means that the stars are well promoted. People begin to recognise the names of stars, and their names stick. Also, if people like a British star in a Hollywood film, the chances are they will want to see some of the British films they started off doing. Giving them a wider fanbase, like Robert Patterson for example. American filmmakers taking British talent could be seen as a compliment to the UK, as it is showcasing the UK's talent in huge films. Some great actors.actresses in the UK wouldn't get the chance to be successful over here, but Hollywood filmmakers have the power to make them big. When British stars appear in Hollywood movies , filmmakers demand them to reprise their roles in sequals if the first film is successful.
The impact of British stars appearing in American films is that it gives the stars a chance to show their talent to a new audience. Unfortunately this can often drive them away from their roots.

This can also work vice versa - American stars in British films can attract an American audience to the British film industry, giving it a wider fanbase. For example, Guy Ritchie got Brad Pitt to appear in the British film Snatch. This meant that a wider range of audiences would watch the film, as the Americans would watch it for Brad Pitt, and the British people would watch it because it is a British film.

What are films made for? Do they cater to peoples tastes or are they 'safe bets' for the Hollywood Industry?

In my opinion, Hollywood films have become safe bets for the industry for many reasons. One reason is that most films now are sequals, book adaptations, or remakes of older films. For example, Tim Burton has recently remade the famous Disney film, Alice in Wonderland, putting his own unique interpretations in to it. Alice is one of the most popular Disney films, therefore a remake must be a safe bet as people will be interested to watch a modern version of it after seeing the original. Also, Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic prose (which won the Pulitzer prize in 2007), The Road, has been adapted into a movie. It was a popular book, so Hollywood producers thought it would again be a safe bet to make it into a film to see how they would adapt it from a book into a film.
Even TV shows are being made into films, like The Simpsons and Sex and the City for example. The Simpsons is a huge television show which appeals to a wide audience. Film makers would have thought this to be a safe bet for the industry as it has been popular to audiences for 21 years. A film adaptation would rake the money in for sure. Another example of this is the Hannah Montana Movie. It is a very popular childrens TV show on the Disney channel, and lots of little girls aspire to be like her. Therefore, the film version would be a hit.
The relationships between the actors and directors are often very important, and are another reason why films are mostly safe bets for the industry. For example, Tim Burton has Johnny Depp playing the lead role in almost every one of his films. This is because he knows that Depp has a huge fanbase, and with both of their fanbases put together they will have a massive audience and will make lots of money. Depp is a sefe bet for him because he is guaranteed to make a profit if he puts him in a lead role; this is what sells his films, and the fact that Depp is doing interviews with Burton on the new Alice in Wonderland proves this.
Another reason why they are safe bets is that the release dates of some films like Saw:
Saw 1 - 1st October 2004
Saw 2 - 28th October 2005
Saw 3 - 27th October 2006
Saw 4 - 26th October 2007
Saw 5 - 24th October 2008
Saw 6 - 23rd October 2009
As you can see, they are all very close to Hallowe'en. They are very gory films so they keep with the theme of Hallowe'en, therefore the producers/directors of Saw would be guaranteed to make a profit from the films. Also, because the first one was so successful, more and more were made being released one after the other. If audiences liked the first one, then they are likely to want to see the next one and the one after that.

Is cinema dead?

British film is not what it used to be, as American films are taking over the industry (with their high budgets to advertise films), making British films less common than they used to be. The film industry has been declining in recent years as there are now so many choices on how to view new films. For example, there is Blu Ray, DVD's, illegal downloading, and even illegal piracy, which has led to cinemas having a huge decrease in takings as people find it easier and cheaper to download and watch a film in the comfort of their own home. Nowadays, films do not only make money through screening the films in the cinema; they offer DVD's, merchandise, Franchise deals with fast food resturants, video games and many more.

Pro's

• As technology has developed, the use of 3D/IMAX and special effects has become more popular in big films. It offers the audience a chance to experience something they couldn't get at home.
• Film reviews from film critics and other movie-goers may influence a viewers choice on whether to watch a film or not.
• American films can afford to put a lot of their money into advertising, which means it has a better chance of attracting an audience to watch it at the cinema.
• Orange Wednesdays have brought audiences back into the cinema as it offers a two for one deal.
• Sainsburys Nectar points and Tesco Club Card points can be used to buy cinema tickets (this deal would bring in a big audience because lots of people shop here).
• There are so many internet virals of trailers and movie clips that it makes people want to go and see the film.
• Cinemas offer an experience you can't get anywhere else, for example; Vue in Eastleigh offer a variety of different seating styles like bean bags, arm chairs, and standard seats.
• See Films First offer exclusive access to members who are signed up to see a film before it premieres to the public in cinemas.
• ODEON also offer a Premiere card to people, the system works by awarding points for every £1 that is spent at ODEON. This makes people more likely to go to the cinema more often as they are getting extras.

Con's

• Love Film offer a DVD rental service which allows films to be rented online and sent to you, then once you have finished you send them back. There is only a small monthly subscribtion fee of around £4, and it allows viewers to watch films in the comfort of their own home.
• The sales of Blu Ray and DVD's etc have increased a lot, meaning cinemas are losing money as people would rather wait for ther DVD to come out.
• Being able to download illegal/pirated movies via torrents has "killed" the cinema, as these sites are widely available and mean that audiences do not have to wait for the cinema release. However, the quality of these films are often very poor and some internet providers, such as Virgin, are clamping down on illegal downloads.
• Sky movies allows people to watch films in their own home for as little as £5 (cheaper than a cinema ticket) ans as many people can watch it for no extra cost.