Monday 4 May 2020

Week 3 - The Film Industry - Distribution and Marketing

Lesson 1. The Film Industry Contexts - Distribution & The Role of the Distributor (45 mins)


Film Distribution describes everything that happens in between production (making the film) and exhibition people watching the film in cinemas or on DVD, on television, via the internet or on a plane, or anywhere else). Far from being straightforward, distribution involves all of the deals done to get films shown (many films never get seen) and, just as importantly, marketed.


Watch the two short documentaries on this Hub page and make notes on what the various industry insiders say about what distributors are, what a distributor does, and how it may have changed in recent years.


By the end of this lesson you should have a good idea of what film distribution is all about, and have some examples to illustrate those ideas.


https://learning.alleyns.org.uk/film-studies/year-12-film-studies/02-critical-approaches-to-filmukus-cinema-section-a/contemporary-british-film/mfg---ex-machina-remote-lessons/week-3---film-marketing-and-distribution/lesson-1-the-film-industry-contexts---distribution-and-the-role-of-the-distributor


Lesson 1 Homework. Listen to part 2 of the podcast The Business of Film - Getting to the Screen and make notes on the role of the distributor in the modern film industry. (45 mins)


Full details here:

https://learning.alleyns.org.uk/film-studies/year-12-film-studies/02-critical-approaches-to-filmukus-cinema-section-a/contemporary-british-film/mfg---ex-machina-remote-lessons/week-3---film-marketing-and-distribution/lesson-1-homework-the-business-of-film---getting-to-the-screen


Lesson 2. The Film Industry Contexts - Marketing (30 mins)

Film Marketing is the practice of promotion specifically in the film industry, and usually occurs in coordination with the process of film distribution.

Watch the short documentary and add to your notes on Film Distribution. What do the various industry insiders say about how the film marketing works, and has changed in recent years.

https://learning.alleyns.org.uk/film-studies/year-12-film-studies/02-critical-approaches-to-filmukus-cinema-section-a/contemporary-british-film/mfg---ex-machina-remote-lessons/week-3---film-marketing-and-distribution/lesson-2-the-film-industry-contexts---marketing


Lesson 2 Homework: Carefully read the case study on the film Cloverfield (2008). By the end of this process you should have a good idea of what film marketing is all about and have some examples to illustrate those ideas. 

You might even want to watch the film if the marketing has been successful...unless you're too...scared... (also available on Netflix) (60 mins+film watching?). Add to your notes from Lesson 1 homework.

Homework reading task here:

https://learning.alleyns.org.uk/film-studies/year-12-film-studies/02-critical-approaches-to-filmukus-cinema-section-a/contemporary-british-film/mfg---ex-machina-remote-lessons/week-3---film-marketing-and-distribution/lesson-2-the-film-industry-contexts---marketing/the-marketing-of-cloverfield-2008

Film available here:

https://learning.alleyns.org.uk/film-studies/year-12-film-studies/02-critical-approaches-to-filmukus-cinema-section-a/contemporary-british-film/mfg---ex-machina-remote-lessons/week-3---film-marketing-and-distribution/lesson-2-the-film-industry-contexts---marketing/cloverfield-2008

Nothing separate to submit for your homework, just your notes from this week's lessons.

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Tuesday 28 April 2020

Lesson 1. The Film Industry Contexts - Production

Film production is the process of making a film. Filmmaking involves a number of discrete stages including an initial story, idea, or commission, through scriptwriting, casting, shooting, sound recording and reproduction, editing, and screening the finished product before an audience that may result in a film release and exhibition.

This lesson is all about you learning more about who a producer is and what they do.

Watch these two short documentaries and make notes on what the various industry insiders say about what producers are, how the role of a producer works, and has changed in recent years. By the end of this lesson you should have a good idea of what film production is all about, and have some examples to illustrate those ideas.

You also have different kinds of producers. You get Producers, Executive Producers, Co-Producers, Associate Producers, and most significantly, the Line Producer, who is like the Stage Manager on a film - sometimes they are called a Unit Production Manager - they actually make sure people are paid, get fed, turn up for the right set-ups and shots at the right time...

Filmmaking takes place in many places around the world in a range of economic, social, and political contexts, and using a variety of technologies and cinematic techniques. Typically, it involves a large number of people, and can take from a few months to several years to complete...
Now read this blog which has some interesting articles on Film Production that will help expand your understanding. Scroll through the blog posts and choose three that you think look interesting and read them and make general notes.
stephenfollows.com/category/producing/
HW. Read the booklet and which is a guide to the concept of film production. It should be read in support of the documentary from Film Education and the other work above.


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Wednesday 22 April 2020

Ex Machina. Is Alex Garland an Auteur?



What is an Auteur?

Four Trailers

Script Development

Video Interview (15 mins): Alex Garland: how we made Ex Machina | BFI - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIugmpD9UXk&feature=emb_title

Influences on Garland

Familiar Themes?

The Evolution of Robots in Movies & TV - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yod4lziPgno

Homework Task

Watch the second video interview with Garland and the short articles all linked to below.
Garland speaks explicitly about film being a collaborative medium and how the idea of him being an auteur is not correct. Yet others see him as an Auteur. Do you agree? Write at least three paragraphs defining what an auteur is, then giving the case for and against Garland as an auteur, explaining why you agree or disagree with him.
Video Interview (30 mins): Alex Garland: "Ex Machina" | Talks at Google - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIugmpD9UXk&feature=emb_title
Ex Machina’s Alex Garland talks robots and why the auteur theory is “bullshit” –
Alex Garland: An Auteur in the Making? -
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Monday 20 April 2020

Documentary Filmmakers - John Grierson

Night Mail is available here to watch for free...

Grierson's earlier documentary Drifters is available below...




This week’s work will teach us about the work of documentary producer and director John Grierson.

The methodology is that you should read Pages 2 to 8 in the Documentary Booklet 3 available either via the Hub here:
https://learning.alleyns.org.uk/film-studies/year-13-film-studies/02-critical-approaches-to-film-documentary-section-b/clash-of-the-titans-grierson-vs-pennebaker

 Or in the Files section of this Team at the top of the page. I think you may already have a hard copy of this.

 You should then watch the film The Night Mail.

 And then watch at least 15-20 minutes of his film Drifters (it’s 40 mins long, and ironically, as it’s about fishermen, a bit dry).

 You'll be able to ask me questions about this either tomorrow or on Thursday in our live lessons.

 TASK: Summarise the key elements of Grierson’s approach to documentary filmmaking. You should write about two paragraphs.
What influence has Grierson had on Sarah Polley’s documentary Stories We Tell? You should write about two paragraphs.


EXPLORE GRIERSON

 Watch Night Mail at the BFI Online:
https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-night-mail-1936-online
http://www.griersontrust.org/about-us/john-grierson.html  - Grierson Trust website
(http://www.griersontrust.org/assets/files/articles/john-grierson-n-pronay.pdf )
http://libguides.stir.ac.uk/archives/Grierson  - Archive of Grierson’s work at the
University of Stirling
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012p53d - BBC 4 Documentary Britain Through
a Lens: The Documentary Film Mob available online (https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=v6fWe0tpSSg)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b042rlbv - Clips from BBC 2 Documentary Documenting John Grierson.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Grierson - Wikipedia page

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