Production section teacher feedback

AVATAR CASE STUDY QUESTIONS

1. How has the film been produced to appeal to the UK market?

THE BOAT THAT ROCKED CASE STUDY QUESTIONS

1. How has the film been produced to appeal to the UK market?

You answer the specific question well, but you don't integrate enough theory into your response or widen your response enough. Your answer lacks specific box office data for the genre (is this genre popular in the UK?), UK exhibition context, (other similar films that have done well at the UK box office in the past?) and features very little on the actual production techniques used to make TBTR (traditional film making techniques and technology - specifics needed).  

Audiences and Institutions key concepts:

2.      Patterns and trends of audience behaviour (audience tastes and habits in media consumption, pleasures, sharing, uses and gratifications) some good material but specifics needed

4.      The issues raised in the targeting of UK national and local audiences by international or global institutions (specific needs of the UK market, cultural awareness, impact of global distribution) good material here but more specifics needed

5.      The issues raised by the institutional ownership of each film (production company, production budget) not tackled, but really important

6.      The importance of cross media convergence (production technology) done for Avatar but not TBTR

7.      The technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the level of production (3D, CGI/animation) some detail but not made fully relevant

8.      The significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and audiences (competition, changing digital landscapes, investment costs) very important, not tackled

9.      The importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences (interactivity/immersion, changing expectations, impact on traditional media insititutions) not explored enough

How has Avatar been produced to appeal to a UK audience?

Avatar was produced for a mass global audience. It was designed for international appeal spanning many audience demographics.


In terms of how it was produced for a UK audience, this can been seen through:


1. The technology used and the enormity of the budget. Newly developed 3D technology and CGI features have a massive appeal to its primary target audience of 18-25 year old males, who consider themselves to be 'tech-savvy'.


The budget needed to produce Avatar and the technology needed to film it, for example new Fusion cameras was massive. The money and funding was available to James Cameron as Avatar was owned by Hollywood giant 20th Century Fox. This powerful ownership deal was essentail in the production of Avatar.
2. Filming for Avatar was a completely new process, using Fusion 3D cameras and other new equipment. This meant that conventional sets were not used. This unusual way of filming created interest amongst British people, as well as other global audiences.


3. James Cameron waited until 2005 to begin production of Avatar, to ensure he had the right budget and technology. The realistic visuals in a film attracted children and adults alike adn these were not possible without the major budget which allowed the development of new cameras adn equipment.


4. Cast and crew. Director James Cameron is famous for his blockbuster classics such as Terminator 2, Titanic and Aliens. However, actors were chosen for being new to blockbuster movies for the main parts and known actors kept for secondary roles.


5. The film featured issues relating to many audiences. It is a film that can be classed in many genres, such as sci-fi, action and romance. This ensured a wide range of audience groups: children, young adults, older adults, both male and female. These themes can relate to anyone, so a British audience feel connected to the action even though it is an American film.


How successful are action-adventure films in the UK? Do UK audiences like this?

Epic Hollywood action/adventure movies are popular with the UK audience, especially the young, male audiences who go to the cinema for a thrilling moment of escapism. When looking at all-time Top 10 box office intakes for Europe, six out of the ten can be classed as ‘action-adventure’ films: Avatar, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Pirates of the Caribbean. From these statistics we can see that action films are the most popular genre for UK and European audiences.

6. There were multiple production companies involved in making Avatar: Light Storm Entertainment, Dune Entertainment, Ingenious Film Partners - known studios.


Light Storm Entertainment is linked to 20^th Century Fox, a world-wide known distribution company. This meant that the film Avatar came from a respected and reliable company, reassuring the UK audience that the film would be worth seeing. The fact that the film is owned by such a large company also allowed it to have an immense budget, so that the technology needed could be developed, and certain Hollywood actors signed.


7. The film's soundtrack, while mostly orchestral, included tracks by famous British singer Leona Lewis; 'I see you'. The video, feauturing clips from the film, was released several weeks before the film, intended to spark interest and promote the movie.

Production Company and Budget

Various production companies were involved in the production of Avatar:

Lightstorm Entertainment

Dune Entertainment

Ingenious Film Partners

They provided an incredible amount of money for Cameron to be able to make Avatar.

These big studios allowed an incredible budget, as James Cameron’s studio Light Storm Entertainment is linked with 20^th Century Fox and this provided almost unlimited funds and security in finance and a distribution deal.

The estimated budget of $310million, provided by the distribution company, allowed these production companies to create such a technologically advance film.

The fact that 20^th Century Fox own Avatar meant that big Hollywood names such as Sigourney Weaver could be secured for roles in the big Hollywood film. They are well known and ensure that the film is appealing to a mass global audience. Without the backing of the well known company, Sigourney Weaver would not be paid the amount expected by well known actors such as herself. as 20th Century Fox is such a big name in Hollywood and aroudn the world, it could afford to invest so much in Avatar and take such a big risk. It was essential that 20th Cnetury Fox be involved with Avatar, and own it, as they provided the money that the other smaller production companies woudl not be able to afford.

Avatar Script - Themes and Genre

GENRE


Avatar can be classed as:

Sci-fi

Action

Adventure
Romance
Fantasy

Within these are many major themes:

War

Peace

Love

Magic (of a new world)

Rivalry

These are raised through the script.

In the case of Avatar, the idea and script were in development for almost ten years.


UK audience behaviour and trends:

A poll of 5,000 cinema-goers by The Telegraph newspaper concluded that one in five people chose to see a comedy film at the cinema, making comedy the most popular genre of film in the UK. Action/adventure films are the next most popular with 15% of the votes.  Avatar can be classed into the action/adventure genre, so Avatar was almost certain to do well at the UK box office.

The Cast and Crew - Avatar

AVATAR

Director - James Cameron



Leading Role - Sam Worthington

 




Leading Role - Zoe Saldana



Supporting Role - Sigourney Weaver

Supporting Role - Stephen Lang

Ownership of Avatar played an important role in securing these actors. Without 20th Century Fox's backing of Avatar, it is unlikely that big Hollywood names like Sigourney Weaver would have agreed to being involved.



 

Compare and Contrast: How did both Avatar and TBTR appeal to a UK market? (short)

Avatar and TBTR have little in common in terms of production.
They were written, casted, performed, filmed and editted in entirely different ways.

Setting-

Actors- In TBTR there are known british actors and 'not famous ones.' This makes the film  easy to relate to and gives it a casual feel. Where as Avatar wanted their main character to be appear as an 'almost average joe' to just add to the subtleness of its realistic feel, the actors in avatar are also american so immediately we can tell that the two films will be different just because of their actors if not for other reasons.

Scripts- Script in TBTR is comedic with british humour and popular culture references to 60's Britain. Where as Avatar is more accessible and has something for everyone as its themes and genre are very loose as it is a hybrid.

Budget- Avatar became known worlwide as a hollywood blockbuster and its appeall has grown due to its acclaim and spread through word of mouth. The money put into a film sometimes reassures the veiwer/audience that the film is 'worth it'. The modest budget for TBTR, compared to Avatar, could have possibly made it stand out less but may have also allowed it to appear in more cultural british cinema's etc allowing it to reach different audiences that Avatar may not have been able to. 

Compare and Contrast: How did both Avatar and TBTR appeal to a UK market?

Avatar and TBTR have little in common in terms of production.
They were written, casted, performed, filmed and editted in entirely different ways.


1. Setting: Avatar's world of Pandora does not exist, sorry daniel. It was created by a Simulcam which combined live action with CGI in real time to create a virtual space that Cameron could alter. Where as TBTR which had no where near the technology and funding (and also had no requirement for such equipment) that avatar had and settled for the conventional filming technique.  good but what does this actually mean?

2. Actors: In TBTR there are known british actors and 'not famous ones.' This makes the film  easy to relate to and gives it a casual feel. Where as Avatar wanted their main character to be appear as an 'almost average joe' to just add to the subtleness of its realistic feel, the actors in avatar are also american so immediately we can tell that the two films will be different just because of their actors if not for other reasons.

3. Scripts: Script in TBTR is comedic with british humour and popular culture references to 60's Britain. Where as Avatar is more accessible and has something for everyone as its themes and genre are very loose as it is a hybrid.

4. Budget: Avatar became known worlwide as a hollywood blockbuster and its appeall has grown due to its acclaim and spread through word of mouth. The money put into a film sometimes reassures the veiwer/audience that the film is 'worth it'. The modest budget for TBTR, compared to Avatar, could have possibly made it stand out less but may have also allowed it to appear in more cultural british cinema's etc allowing it to reach different audiences that Avatar may not have been able to. 



New Technologies and Creating a Believable World - Avatar

James Cameron makes film to push the boundaries and develop technology.

Cameron introduced the first “motion capture” characters in his film Total Recall, and included the first human movements in CGI in Terminator 2.

It took 4 years to make Avatar, about two thirds of it being computer generated.

Combining live action and CGI.

Simulcams – to see the final shot in real time

3D Fusion cameras – high definition footage, 3D, lightweight

Special ringed head cameras – to capture fine expression changes

All of these embrace technological convergence, in creating equipement to capture sound as well as visuals and edit these in suites including the best in production technology - top of the range computers, which are also examples of technological convergence.

Cameron said “it is the most difficult thing I have ever done”.

ALL DONE TO CREATE A BELIEVABLE, IMMERSIVE WORLD

This development of new technologies was made possible by the immense funding provided by 20th Century Fox, as owners of the film. The equipemtn was made specifically to create a world for the audience to believe in and enjoy, so eesentially to provide audience gratification for the target audience of young action-seeking males, for example. By investing so much time and money in this proliferation of equipement 20th Century Fox could be sure that Avatar would be received well by the UK audience.

How was The Boat That Rocked produced to appeal to a UK audience?

The Boat That Rocked

                                          a film by Richard Curtis

How was The Boat That Rocked produced to appeal to a UK audience?

1) Actors

- The film contains a strong British cast, including well known actors such as Bill Nighy and Nick Frost (above).

- This plays off of audience expectations, after having seen them in previous movies, they make several assumptions about The Boat That Rocked.

2) Script

- British films do not ride on the excitement and accesibility which fuels many Hollywood movies. Instead British films focus on a strong script and casting, full of British humour.

- The film is set in and around Britain, with mostly British characters. This helps the audience relate to the characters and empathize with them.

3) British Culture and History

- The storyline of The Boat That Rocked revolves around events in British history and involves very British characters, such as the typically striaght politicians.

4) Working Title Films

- Working Title Films, founded in 1983, are a renouned British film company, responsible for such films as Shaun of The Dead and Hot Fuzz. They have also produced many famous rom-com's such as Love Actually and the Bridget Jones series.

- Having a reliable British film company backing the film, it would make the audience feel comfortable that it will be a film they like.

good but you need to idnetify the impact of new tehnology on production - how was this film specifically made? You have plenty on Avatar on production and technology but little for TBTR

New Technologies: You need to use theory to explore how this was made possible - it is not enough just to identify it. It is also important to compare the specific production techniques used in the making of TBTR

Navigation

Production


Distribution & Exhibition


Marketing

Extended answers for Avatar

How was TBTR produced to appeal to a UK audience?

As seen through the cinema of British history, Richard Curtis is an extremely successful director, whose films thrive on their 'British-ness', which we Brits have come to know and love. It is it's own genre of comedy, and is often non viable to international audiences; searching for more conventional thrills found in movies like Transformers and Avatar. Richard Curtis directed 'The Boat That Rocked' (2008), a British comedy which tells the story of the original pirates of British radio, set in the 1960's.

The film was produced to directly appeal to a British audience in several ways:

1) British films often have a cast dominated by Brits, and TBTR is no exception. Some of the featured actors include Nick Frost; associated with his previous work on other quirky British comedies such as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. The inclusion of such an actor has a positive effect on the movie; British viewers recognise the image he portrays and has portrayed in past movies, and use that to make assumptions on the new film. Considering Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz were seen as good films, the inclusion of Nick Frost was inteded to have a positive effect on the image of the movie.

Richard Curtis expressed himself 'I wanted to include known actors, but not famous ones.' This would give the movie a friendly and familiar feel to a British audience, without the film seeming dominated by huge global superstars. It was an ensemble piece, supported equally by a strong cast of British actors and comedians (Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Emma Thompson, Jack Davenport and Chris O'Dowd), instead of being overwhelmed by one or two huge Hollywood names.

2) The script of The Boat That Rocked contained typically British comedy. The jokes were sarcastic, dark and sometimes childish e.g. pun on words 'Twatt'. The humour also focused on sex, playing off the conventional British attitude 'naughtiness' and the taboo's surrounding sex. This sort of humour links back to shows such as 'Faulty Towers', one of the most 'British' comedy shows of all time.

3) The film played off of British culture and history to great effect. It was set in and aroud the British Isles, and almost all of the characters were British. This makes audience relationships with the characters easy to build and creates sympathy throughout the movie. The storyline is based upon real events in British history; the drama involving pirate radio in the 60's. It has been somewhat warped to appeal to a UK audience e.g. the politicians appear a lot more upper class 'conservative toff's' than they would have actually been, considering the party in power was actually labour at the time. This was done as British audiences like to see a clear divide between 'goodies' and 'baddies', and the film obviously portrays the hippie and rock and roll movement as good- meaning balance is needed by presenting some 'baddie' characters through the politicians- playing off another British custom, to complain about the government for comedic effect.

4) Working Title, very British film company. British location shoots. This means the locations seen in the film are identifiable for the audiences and help encompass them in the action. Working Title films are a renouned and succesful British film production company, known for their British comedies, so many British viewers would feel inclined and comfortable to go a support the British film industy, especially with a movie backed by a studio they know and trust.