135 - CH.1
below-the-line expenses
The technical and material costs—costumes, sets, transportation, and so on—involved in the actual making of a film.
ancillary markets
a venue other than theatrical release in which a film can make money, such as foreign sales, airlines, pay television, cable or home video tv: directly to cable, this type of distribution usually aims to reach the largest possible audience and thus to increase revenue & guaranteed tv distribution = ability to experiment due to reduced financial risk, but negatives = film must be adjusted to constraints of time + Space Video/dvd/internet: piracy challenge, video store significant site of film culture, selection in rental stores was based on market perspective on local audiences as well as the tastes of individual proprietors, some films were distributed to certain cities , numerous copies of current popular mainstream movies and excluding other less popular
casting directors/agents/ super agents
casting director: widely credited players in determining the look and scale of films agents: negotiate with casting directors and producers and enlist different personnel for a movie. superagent:predetermine a package of stars and other personnel from which the film must be constructed.
director
chief creative presence or the primary manager in film production, responsible for & overseeing all the work of making a movie—from the directing of actors to the position of the camera and the selection of which images appear in the finished film - given director's "signature" style across routine assignments, elevating director to the status of auteurs (directors considered "authors" of their films).
media convergence
coordinating and merging of media across a variety of platforms, such as print, television, and the Internet - popularity of social networking sites fosters the technique of viral marketing, which describes the process of advertising that relies on existing social networks such as word of mouth, Internet links, or sites like Facebook or Twitter to spread the word.
production value
demonstrates how the quality of the film's images and sounds reflects the extent of above/below the line expenses - often shapes viewer expectations abt film
distributor / distrubution
distribution: how film reaches audience distributor: company/agency that acquires rights to a movie from the filmmakers & makes available to audience by renting, selling, licensing it to theatres/other exhibition outlets - regular battles and compromises between filmmakers and distributors about what audiences are willing to watch
post production
editing/sound, special effects - when editing done, picture said to be locked sound editor: oversees work of creating audio patterns & relationships w.visual image sound mix: score+ all movie soundtracks adjusted to final levels & combined special effects: most created in postproduction and are distinguished by the term visual effects motion capture tech: allows actors physical movements to be transferred to figures created through computer generated imagery (CGI)
changing contexts & practices of film exhibition
exhibition contexts and practices can support or alter the intended aims and meanings of a movie - include: 1. physical environment in which we view a movie (spatial frameworks) 2. when we watch a movie and the duration of the experience (temporal frameworks) 3. technology through which we see the movie (technological frameworks
high concept, A&B pictures, and other marketing labels
high concept: short phrase that attempts to sell a movie through its main marketing features—stars, genre, or some other easily identifiable connection, descriptive terms to position a movie for particular expectations and responses A Picture: big-budget which promises high-quality stars and stories B Picture: less expensive, plays on the bottom half of a double bill,later referred to a cheaply made exploitation film, made to "exploit" sensational or topical subject matter or genre conventions for profit. blockbuster: prepares us for action, stars, and special effects art film suggests a more visually subtle, perhaps slower-paced or more intellectually demanding movie
executive producER
may be connected to a film primarily in name, playing a role in financing or facilitating a film deal and having little creative or technical involvement
non-theatrical distribution
non for profit films: artists, activist docs, alt media, medical/industrial films - require specialized distribution - very specific training or promotional purpose, are distributed directly to their intended professional or target audience
screenwriter
or scriptwriter, often the indiv who generates idea for a narrative film, as an original concept /adaptation of a story, novel, or historical or current event - presents initial concept & major characters
feature film
- believed audiences would not sit still for more than 20 minutes. - first 3 hr movie huge success - now 90-120 min
fan engagement
- fanzines, websites, user generated - promotional avenues like these deserve attention and analysis in terms of how they add to or confuse our understanding of a film.
Line producer
in charge of the daily business of tracking costs & maintaining the production schedule of a film
distribution timing
when a movie is released for public viewing in certain locations or on certain platforms - take adv of social atmosphere, cultural connotations,seasons etc - film industry is calculating releases ex: holding a promising film for a November release in order to vie for prestigious (and business-generating) awards nominations
tech & cultures of exhibition
- Changing viewing formats—how and where we watch a movie—contribute to wider culture of exhibition space, the specific social activities that surround and define moviegoing. - shared participation in that social environment directs our attention and shapes our responses - technological features of exhibition are sometimes carefully calculated to add to both our enjoyment and our understanding of a movie.
generating interest
- Film marketing involves identifying an audience in order to bring a product (the movie) to the attention of buyers (viewers) so that they will consume (watch) that product for financial return - promotion, hiring stars, billboards, news, radio, tv, early screening, merch - ads emphasize realism of film cultural promotion: academic or journalistic accounts that discuss/ frequently value films as especially important in movie history or as aesthetic objects
timing of exhibition
- When & for how long we watch a film can shape the impact of & attitude toward a film as much as where we see the film & with whom 1. leisure time 2. productive time - time used to gain info, material adv, or knowledge
word of mouth
- conversational exchange of opinions and information sometimes referred to as the "buzz - intend to promote that film through word of mouth or "virally," knowing viewers communicate with one another +rec films to ppl who share their values/ tastes
repeat viewer
- diff time/place, diff companions, more knowledge aby movie can alter or enrich expectations/assumptions, determine how a viewer comes prepared to see a film.
producer
- in charge of movie production + finances/budget, may be director, rare to not have one at all - oversees all the diff operations in putting film together / or may be nearly invisible presence who only finances co-producer: may designate an investor or an exec w.particular production company partnering in the movie, someone who had no actual role in its actual production
location/production design/sets/costumes
- interaction between characters and the physical location of the action is often a central dimension of a film - Location scouting: determines places that provide the most suitable environment for different movie scenes - costume designers: plan and prepare how actors will be dressed for parts art directors: responsible for supervising the conception and construction of movie sets in collaboration with set designer
rating system
- provide viewers with guidelines for movies, used in promotion to target certain type of audience - Films made outside the major studios are not required to obtain MPAA ratings, but exhibition and even advertising opportunities are closely tied to the system. - NC-17 rating can damage a film's box-office prospects, however, because many newspapers will not carry ads for such films.
multiple releases
- re releases, 1st release = premier engagement, 2nd = redistribution months or yrs later - financial gain the goal, or high quality pic, clarify story lines
screen play (script)
- scene descriptions, dialogue, other directions - starts w.temporary screenplay to final shooting script that details exact scene + camera setups - diff writers may be responsible for every version, script doctor may be called to do rewrites
Financing film production
- traditionally studios + produces work w.banks/ FI's to acquire financing bankable: indicating movie has necessary ingredients to make investment worth the risk - independent filmmaking = financed by indiv. group of investors or pre-sales of distribution or broadcast rights
advertising
- uses television, billboards, film trailers or previews, print ads, banners on Web sites, and other forms of display to bring a film to the attention of a potential audience. - often emphasizes connections with and differences from related or similar films or highlights the presence of a particularly popular actor or director.
target audiences
- viewers who producers feel are most likely to want to see a particular film. - by controlling the scope of distribution, strategies determine the quality/importance of an audience's interactions w. film - distribution methods can lead viewers, overtly or subtly, to look at a film in certain ways., come to saturated release prepared to focus on the performance of a star - distribution can identify primary, intended responses to the film as well as secondary, unexpected ones.
day and date release
A simultaneous release strategy across different media and venues, such as a theatrical release and a DVD release.
cast/cinematographer/ other on set personnel
Blocking: the planning of actors' movements on the set, may take precedence over the director's concern for the actors' emotional preparation takes: (different versions of a shot) cinematographer: director of photography, selects cameras, film stock, lighting, and lenses to be used as well as the camera setup or position. consultation w. director, determines how action shot, images composed, kind of exposure needed to print the takes. oversees a camera operator &other camera/lighting crew production sound mixer/ sound crew, including the boom operator; production coordinator: helps this complex operation to run smoothly
release strategies
past: studios would either show their films in their own theater chains or sell them to theaters in packages known as block booking - exhibitor would be reqd to show cheaper, less desirable films as a condition of booking star-studded A" pictures =targets of antitrust legislation and was outlawed in the 1948 - strategy starts w. premiere = red carpet event attended by stars that = press attention. initial opening in a limited # of first-run theaters as exclusive engagements would be expanded, allowing for series of premieres wide release: opening everywhere simultaneously w/mass # premieres (known as saturation booking), to attract large audiences before its novelty wears off limited release: initially distributed only to major cities,recognized in terms of the previous work of the director or an actor but will offer a certain novelty or experimentation platforming: releasing film gradually in widening markets so it slowly build momentum through reviews + word of M exclusive release: only 1/2 locations, expecting an unusual or singular experience created by epic subject matter
trailers
previews of upcoming movies shown before the main feature - trailers now rated and scrutinized like theatrical releases.
reception
process through which individual viewers or groups make sense of a film, is at the heart of the film experience.
unit production manager
responsible for reporting and managing the details of receipts and purchases
Nickelodeons
storefront theaters where short films were shown continuously to audiences passing in and out, or in carnival settings that assumed movies were a passing amusement comparable to other attractions. vs todays multiplex: within mall, centers, have arcades, restaurants etc movie palaces: radio city music hall
above-the-line expenses
the initial costs of contracting the major personnel, such as directors and stars, as well as administrative and organizational expenses in setting up a film production
pre production
the process of preparing all the elements of a video production, including planning, storyboarding, script writing, scheduling, props, camera angles and locations, casting - defines entire process of making a film production: actual weeks/months of shooting
exhibition
where and when we see films; it may involve promotional elements like movie posters and publicity events in a theater lobby or be related to distribution through the calendar of film releasing exhibitors: own individual theaters or theater chains and make decisions about programming and local promotion; responsible for experience of moviegoing, including concessions that make a night out at the movies diff from one spent watching films at home + bring in an estimated 40% of theater owners' revenue