Research into my audience and genre

Research on audience and genre

The film industry wants to please. It needs to attract as large and audience as possible in order to make the film the greatest possible success. One way to do this is to designate the genre of the film under a specific category such as Wester, Romcom etc.

An audience will already have in their head a very clear idea of what that genre will consist of. Very simply, for example, a Western will be a film that is set in the Wild West, a musical is a film with diegetic music.

Everyone can immediately pull an example of a particular genre from their heads which they believe shows all the necessary features of the genre. An example here would be Notting Hill for a Rom Com.

Genre allows us to compare a film to films of a type that we already know and have either enjoyed or not enjoyed. Genre structures what we expect from a film.

We are then able to make a choice as to whether we think we would enjoy that film or not.

If a film is a success, film industries feel they can make more films in the same style which will cause those films to become a success too.

An opening scene will immediately establish the genre of the film and allow us to make a choice.

Institutional logo for our company

This is a design I created for our institutional logo incorporating the animal Husky. This logo will be the forefront of our company and will create a standing image of our company. I went with this design as I felt it created a more realistic setting for where a husky would be found. I wanted to create as realistic as possible logo to create a more memorable effect on the audience.

How do film openings attract audience?

How do film openings attract audience?

• When considering the opening sequence of a film, it is important to identify the target audience and appeal directly to that audience. Things that should be considered are
• Attractive storylines
• Appropriate props
• Interesting location
• Use appropriate conventions for particular genres – this allows the audience to recognise familiar features and feel comfortable with them
• Use appropriate music

Take as an example a target audience of teenage girls.

• Storylines should revolve around a situation appropriate to their lives and interests – boys / clothes / social life / music
• Props could include Facebook pages / clothes / shoes / handbags
• Locations could include shops / discos
• Music should be up to date and relevant to that audience / possibly from a current top star

Hypodermic Needle Theory – the idea that the media can ‘inject’ ideas and messages straight into the passive audience. This passive audience is immediately affected by these messages. Used in advertising and propaganda, led to moral panics about effect of violent video and computer games.

Uses and Gratifications – ideas about how people use the media and what gratification they get from it. It assumes that members of the audience are not passive but take an active role in interpreting and integrating media into their own lives.

Binary Opposites – the way opposites are used to create interest in media texts, such as good/bad, coward/hero, youth/age, black/white. By Barthes and Levi-Strauss who also noticed another important feature of these ‘binary opposites’: that one side of the binary pair is always seen by a particular society or culture as more valued over the other

The first thing an audience sees at the beginning of a film is the film opening. This will either catch their attention and make them want to see the film or their attention will be lost. It is important to create an atmosphere which will enthral the audience and entice them into the film.
It is important that the opening of the film is in the style and genre of the main film so that the audience knows what to expect. It is often useful to introduce characters and settings which will be important in the film.


In my film opening which is in the genre crime/drama, I will make sure that the characters are introduced and the setting is portrayed to draw in my audience. I hope my opening will be dynamic and appealing.

Film opening remake

Research on Institutional logos for mainstream and independent film companies

In order to create a design for my film company, I have explored the logos of both mainstream and independent companies and analysed the differences between the two. This will help me to design a logo which is appropriate for my film company.

 

Paramount Studio

Paramount is an old and very successful studio and has produced such movies as the Godfather movies and Beverley Hills Cop. The logo is a very memorable one although there have been many adaptations of the design over the years. It shows a majestic mountain which has been modelled on a mountain in the Andes, and it is surrounded in the shape of a halo by 22 stars. Colour schemes vary considerably, both from year to year and from film to film but the mountain is always seen as rising through a thick belt of cloud into an often blue sky. It is an iconic logo used a by a large mainstream studio with a large budget.

 

Warner Bros Pictures

The original Warner Bros logo featured the letters WB displayed on the bottom half of the shield. By 1937 the design had been adapted into something like the present day design where the letters fill the whole of the shield. The gold letters on a blue background stand out clearly against the blue sky. It is bright and dynamic, the shield connoting wealth and power. The non-diegetic music, As Time Goes By from Casablanca, builds as the logo is on screen, connoting a tension and excitement for the film. It is a powerful logo , used by a mainstream organisation with a high budget.

 

Metro Goldwyn Mayer

This is a large mainstream studio responsible for such films as The Wizard of Oz , Doctor Zhivago and Thelma and Louise. The logo shows a proud lion surrounded by a golden ring of film bearing the motto Ars Gratia Artis which is Latin for art for art’ sake. The primary colours are bold and dynamic. The lion is a real lion – there have been seven different lions used throughout the history of the logo, and this lion is seen to be roaring. It is a powerful logo, the lion connoting strength and superiority. It is a high budget logo.

 

Disney

The original Disney logo featured a simple white castle on a blue background. The version we know today came into existence in2006 and begins with a star glowing in the night sky. The view heads to a Disney theme park and a Disney castle with fireworks going off. The title appears at the bottom. The music is When You Wish Upon a Star from Pinocchio. The words are in white in a memorable font against the bright background of the scene. It is very iconic of the Disney brand and again a high budget logo.

 

 

Film 4

Film 4 is an independent British company owned by Channel 4 Television Corporation and has been responsible for backing a large number of films made in the United Kingdom. The Film 4 logo features very solid, square white letters on a red background. The red connotes a passion for film, but there is no animation and no sound. It is a professional looking design which connotes a professional studio, but it is low budget and very simple.

 

Warp Films

Warp Films is an independent film production company based in Sheffield and London. It is a 2D black and white design without colour or animation. It is powerful in terms of its bold design and use of a lightning strike, but it is very obviously the design of a low budget film studio.

 

There are real differences between the logos used by mainstream and independent film companies. This is a reflection of the budget available to these companies. The mainstream studios aim to create a memorable, high impact logo often using animation and indeed many of these image are very iconic. The independent studios produce simple, low budget, still images with little colour or music. This will help us to chose what kind of logo we would like to use, either independent or mainstream  which will allow us to make the decision whether its a simple independent logo or a detailed mainstream one.  

 

  
 
 
 
 

Differences between mainstream and independent film openings.

An independent film is a film that has been mainly produced, marketed and exhibited without the aid of a major film company. It is usually produced on a low budget and rarely has major actors in its cast. There will be few if any special effects or special features included in the film. The director will normally be an unknown name, and it is often through independent films that directors come to be well known. Independent films are usually based on a script that has been specifically written for the film. Soundtracks tend to feature music that is not particularly well known. Marketing is far more limited than in mainstream films as independent producers struggle to find money for expensive advertising campaigns, particularly for TV adverts. Independent distributors are usually quite small companies such as Working Title Films. Distribution is not on such a vast scale as on mainstream films.

A mainstream film will be funded by a large film company such as Paramount Pictures or Universal Pictures. The film will have a much larger budget, the size of which will depend on the projected success of the film. A- list actors will be involved as the budget will be sufficient to finance this. It will normally be produced and directed by a well -known name such as Steven Spielberg. Again the large budget can pay for this and increase the chance of the film being well directed and therefore a success, and also giving the film a greater reputation.  A mainstream film is often inspired by best- selling novels – such as the Harry Potter films. These are the novels that the public enjoy and therefore they will want to see the film adaptation of those novels. Mainstream films can afford to pay the rights to include well known music tracks in the films. Marketing for mainstream films is widespread and diverse, promoting the maximum interest in the film. Most mainstream films are distributed by massive distribution companies such as Warner Bros Entertainment. Large funding means they can be distributed quickly to many formats in a high quality.

The difference in budget has a major effect on the openings on mainstream and independent films.

“This Is England” is an independent film produced by an independent company, Film 4. The opening scene is made up of many different video clips showing different events occurring during the time frame of the film. They show good and bad times during the period of Margaret Thatcher. This independent film would have had a low budget for the film and particularly for the opening titles. A high action, high drama opening filmed with high quality, professional animation is very expensive and is within grasp only of high budget mainstream films. In ‘This is England’, there is a montage of archive film clips which have already been made. These are not re-mastered for the opening sequence, nor are the black and white shots turned into colour. This sequence would have been achievable on a fairly low budget. Having said that, the opening titles clearly set the scene and tone for the rest of the film by taking us back to the way of British life under Thatcher, and perfectly fit with the rest of the play.

Non-diegetic soundtracks for the opening sequences would be very different for mainstream and independent films. Mainstream films can afford to have music especially written for the film, such as the music for Skyfall sung by Adele. Independent films use music that has already been composed but can be used to fit the mood and tone of the film.

The finish and class of the opening of a mainstream film would be vastly superior to that of an independent film, again due to restrictions in budget.
This will aid me in creating a film opening as it allows me to see the standard that mainstream film openings are at and will encourage me to create a film opening of this standard to attract a larger audience.

Certifications

Films in media are always classified depending on their content. They are classified to separate out the different age groups and prevent younger minds from being corrupted by the unsuitable material in some films. Film classification is restricting access to harmful content/material on the grounds of age. There is a legal obligation for media companies to stop their products from breaking the law. In the British Film Industry the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) control the certificate ratings of films. They must be lawfully aware and protective of younger audiences.

These are the film certificates:


The certificate rating U-Universal, shows the film is appropriate for audiences aged 4 and above. These films would normally contain no discrimination, references to illegal drugs but may contain a clear anti-drug message, no dangerous or anti-social behaviour which may be imitated by younger audiences, no major use of bad language, no sexual content but mild sexual behaviour (kissing), mild/brief/scary sequences must be kept to a minimum but there should be a reassuring outcome and violence should be very mild and only accepted if in context.



The certificate rating PG-Parental Guidance, advises general viewing but may contain scenes which may be unsuitable for children and advises that a parent/guardian be present. These films must not unsettle a child aged above 8 years of age but the parents are advised to review the content and decide if it's suitable. These films contain no discriminatory references unless in context i.e. historical context, no illegal drugs unless accompanied by a clear anti-drug message, no potentially imitable behaviour for younger audiences if the activity is portrayed as fun/safe, mild bad language may be acceptable but frequent use may result in higher classification, some nudity may be acceptable but there must be no sexual content, discreet implied sexual activity only, no prolonged intense sequences, mild violence however violence may be justified if in historical context.

 

The film certificate 12, and 12A show that the film is suitable for anyone over the age of 12. If a film is classified as a 12A in cinemas it means children with parental supervision may watch the film however children under the age of 12 are not permitted to purchase or rent a 12 film from a shop. In a 12 and 12A film any discrimination must not be endorsed by the company, drug use must not be endorsed and scenes containing drug use must be infrequent, they mustn't endorse any imitable behaviour or any anti-social behaviour, some moderate language may be approved if used in context or for historical accuracy, nudity must be discreet, some sex references are permitted but large scale use of sexual innuendo is not allowed, some horror sequences are permitted but the overall tone of the film must not be disturbing, violence should be kept to a minimum however may be justified if in historical context, there should also be little detail in the violence unless justified by the context. 



The film certificate 15, advises that no-one younger than the age of 15 is allowed to see a 15 film in the cinema, or rent or buy a 15 film from a shop. In a 15 film there may be discriminatory language and themes however the film must not endorse it, it may show drug abuse and illegal drug abuse but overall the film must have a strong anti-drug message, any solvent abuse is not permitted, the film mustn't dwell on imitable behaviour and must consider realism and context before using easily accessible weapons, some strong language may be permitted depending on the context and the frequency they use it in.



The film certificate 18, show the film is unsuitable for anyone under the age of 18, and anyone under the age of 18 is unable to purchase an 18 film from shops. The 18 certificate is only available to adults. It is believed that adults should be free to watch what they choose and should have a freedom of choice.


The film certificate R18 films are only available to adults with no exceptions. They can be viewed in specially licensed cinemas and bought in fully licensed sex shops.


These certifications will help me to classify my film as it shows me exactly what is permitted in films throughout the media industry. This will help me to correctly classify my film depending on the themes and storyline.