The issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice

StudioCanal

What was StudioCanal's original purpose?

• The original function was to focus on French and European productions, but later made strategic deals with American production companies.

Which big 6 company has connectios with StudioCanal?

• It has strong links to Universal Studios (Studiocanal and Universal Studios were owned by the same company between 2000 and 2004, hence StudioCanal co-produced a fair number of Universal's films).

How large is StudioCanal's film library?

• StudioCanal acquired film libraries from studios that either went defunct or had merged with it over the years. As a result, the company's library is the third-largest in the world.

The importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production distribution and marketing


Big Talk Productions


What has been the total gross of ALL Big Talk Films?

• Shaun Of The Dead = $30,039,392
• Hot Fuzz = $80,736,656
• Scott Pilgrim vs. The World = $47,664,560
• Paul = $98,000,000
• Attack The Block = $5,824,175
• Sightseers = $2,102,166
• The Worlds End = $46,000,000
• In Fear =
• Cuban Fury = £3,286,786

What type of film does Big Talk specialise in?

• Big Talk specialises in British Comedies

Who founded Big Talk?

• Big Talk was founded by Nira Park in 1995

Film4 Productions

• Who owns Film4 Productions?

Channel  Four Television Cooperation

• When was it 're-established'?

2004

Which TV chanel is it connected to?

Film 4

 

Bfi Film Fund

• What is the purpose of the Bfi Film Fund?

To support film development, production and distribution activity in the UK

• What is its budget pa?

$26m

 

Rook Films

Andy Stark and Ben Wetly

 Where did the idea for the film come from?

stories based on their common background and childhood holiday experiences

 

 How does the film qualify as 'British'?

It was filmed in Britain (Lakes District), It used solely British actors, it made reference to British culture  “Report that to the National Trust!”  “He's not a person, he's a Daily Mail reader!”

3. Other films directed by Ben Wheatley

Kill list, a field in England, Down Terrance, and the ABC’s of death

Distribution (how many screens in the UK and how long was it at cinemas for?)

$8,377 (USA) (2 June 2013) (10 Screens)
$2,321 (USA) (26 May 2013) (2 Screens)
$8,101 (USA) (19 May 2013) (5 Screens)
$7,384 (USA) (12 May 2013) (2 Screens)

Films reception (how did critics receive the film? What is a BIFA and how many nominations and awards did the film receive?)

British Independent Film Award for Best Screenplay, Empire Award for Best British Film (2)

 

Box Office (opening weekend, domestic and worldwide)

$7,384 (USA) (10 May 2013)

The significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and audiences


Which formats is the film available on?
2D (SD) HD, DVD, Blue Ray

how was it released in the US (formats and release pattern)

Released on DVD

How was it marketed how did StudioCanal help?

Very little marketing, due to films low budget

How was twitter and facebook used to market the film? 
 Created various accounts on the social media sites which wrote tweets/statuses behalf of the movie

How was Stella Artois involved? What is a Stella Artois bursary?

Sponsored the premiere of the film.  

Class And Status Work

Working Class:

The working class are often represented in TV dramas, whether it be as a main character or as a minor part. They are generally stereotyped as being less wealthy and intelligent than the upper classes.

• UK: This is England ’86 conforms to this to a degree with the representation of Woody, who works in a factory.

 



• UK: Call the Midwife is a period drama set in 1950s london, focusing on a  group of midwives. The location, however, makes the programme based mostly on the working class people in the region. They can be seen as shows as the majority, and generally as slightly uncouth yet able to be related to.

• UK: Silk is a British television drama with a plot that centres around a defence barrister named Martha Costello. Martha is from a working class background, emphasised by her strong Northern accent. Her occupation goes against the 'less intelligent' stereotype as she is a very good contender against another character Clive Reader. Clive is upper class.

 

• US: Jimmy Darmody from Boardwalk Empire lives in the house of his ‘fiancée’, Angela Lanotti, whom he got pregnant when they barely knew each other and just before he left, and with their 4-year old son Tommy, who grew up without him. This conforms to the stereotype of fathers leaving in a working class family. He is also not in a power like Nucky Thompson, who practically raised him as a son, but is disappointed when he discovers that Nucky only plans to make him assistant and keeps him working class until he later ascends the social ladder.

• 

US: The Riot of King's Landing was an event during the War of the Five Kings. After seeing of Princess Myrcella Baratheon at the docks on a ship bound for Dorne, the royal procession including King Joffrey is subjected to the jeers of the starving crowds of the capital city, culminating in Joffrey foolishly ordering his outnumbered personal guard to execute the entire crowd, sparking off a city-wide riot. This goes against the stereotype of the working class not being powerful enough to fight the upper class.