Comp 1:Film Industry

“I, Daniel Blake”

PRODUCT CONTEXT

I, Daniel Blake is an independent social realist film directed by renowned filmmaker Ken Loach (Kes, Raining Stones, Sweet Sixteen etc.).

A UK/French co-production, it received funding from the BFI and BBC Films.

It became Ken Loach’s largest grossing film at the box office (taking over $8 million), was highly critically acclaimed and generated much debate due to the contemporary social and political issues addressed in the film.

I, Daniel Blake was exhibited at many film festivals, won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and was nominated for many awards including several BAFTAs.

1.        What issues does I, Daniel Blake address in the film? Consider both economic and political issues, as well as social.

It addresses the economic issues of the British benefits system and the flaws it has. Also, the politics behind the benefits cuts because of the government caused political outrage amongst those who need benefit payments.

2. Who do you think is the intended audience for this film?
Those in Britain that want change to the benefits system, most likely those who politically favour the labour party and are of a lower social class , with a lower income.
3. How much did the film cost to make?

4. What kept the costs down?

It was an independent production working with a smaller budget on a smaller range of locations and necessary editing requirement. Also it is not using well known actors that would want higher wages for each performance role they star as.

5. How can you tell that Straight Outta Compton was made by a major Hollywood studio and that I, Daniel Blake was not? Make a list of differences
Straight outta Compton includes many conventions knowingly used in trailers, whereas I, Daniel Blake has more of an emotional connection only to the British public and not worldwide.

	I, Daniel Blake	Straight Outta Compton
Domestic Release Date	Jun 2, 2017	Aug 14, 2015
Production Budget		$28,000,000
Opening Weekend Theaters		2,757
Maximum Theaters	45	3,142
Theatrical Engagements	147	17,941
Domestic Opening Weekend		$60,200,180
Domestic Box Office	$260,354	$161,197,785
Inflation Adjusted Domestic Box Office	$260,354	$171,375,608
International Box Office	$8,930,966	$40,985,196
Worldwide Box Office	$9,191,320	$202,182,981

6. Economic factors including funding are extremely significant to this independent British co production. The funding bodies are the BFI (through National Lottery Funding) and the BBC. Consider the ways in which this film is funded differently from many mainstream films.

7. Exploring Public Service Broadcasting and the respective remits of the BBC and the BFI.

8. Discuss why vast financial profits might be less important for practitioners working in this genre of film

Activity 1

The domestic total gross is $260,354 according to box office mojo, and it also says that there is no foreign.

Domestic Box Office	$260,354
International Box Office	$8,930,966
Worldwide Box Office	$9,191,320

How is Straight outta Compton is a mainstream, high-concept film

Actors and crew involved-

·         Well-known actors like O’Shea Jackson, and the director F. Gary Grey who is known after winning Best Video of the year for Directing.

Narrative-

·         The film is a high-concept film with a narrative that can be summed up easily with universal themes, which the audience can personally connect with.

Marketing-

·         There are easy elements of the film to promote, like the famous rap group the N.W.A that fans could recognise and be interested in. Also, the themes that are shown in the trailer, like issues with race and freedom of expression which modern audiences can get behind and relate to due to their own ideologies and personal contexts.

Visual appeal-

·         There are expensive action scenes that are glimpsed at during the trailer.

·         This shows that the film has a high budget due to the special effects used and the different settings and props. Also, the editing style conveys the conventions of mainstream trailers through short clips of the “best bits” which have a continuation of action scenes associated with a higher budget produced by a media conglomerate.

Media conglomerates-

·         New Line cinema

·         Legendary Entertainment

·         Cube Vision

·         The alignment of these three companies increases their domination in the market and the ability to distribute and exhibit their product, reaching a wider audience. This is an example of horizontal integration as these companies have teamed up to produce a high budget film. Furthermore, the involvement of Ice Cube and Dr Dre in the production means that the film will have global implications, and they are both associated with the rap genre, evoking that the film will cover the same conventional storyline of a “larger than life” protagonist.

Straight Outta Compton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyoew4T74_w

PRODUCT CONTEXT – Tell me the basics about the product (film)

Straight Outta Compton is a 2015 American biographical film directed by F. Gary Gray, depicting the career of gangsta rap group N.W.A. Titled after N.W.A's 1988 debut studio album, the film focuses on members Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre, and the rise and fall of the group.

 

PART 1: STARTING POINTS – Media Industries

Historical Context: N.W.A was an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. They were among the earliest and most significant popularizes and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and are widely considered one of the greatest and most influential groups in the history of hip hop music. They were active from 1986 to 1991. N.W.A released their debut studio album, Straight Outta Compton, in 1988.

Cultural context: - N.W.A - Social issues - Straight Outta Compton, comes at a precarious time in the national conversation surrounding racial politics and police violence—one year almost to the day since 19-year-old Michael Brown was killed by an officer in Ferguson. One of their most well know songs “F**k Tha Police” was very open about police brutality. When four LAPD officers were acquitted of beating Rodney King on video in 1992, and riots broke out, the track became the unofficial motto, spray-painted on walls around South Central L.A.

Economic and Political Contexts: - who co-produced the film? Could that be significant?

Ice Cube and Dr Dre both co-produced the film. This is significant as they will have their own personal experiences of the N.W.A that the can bring to the film and since it is about them, the film would be accurate in portraying the events shown. Also, as the film is about them and their most famous album “ straight outta Compton” this will cause more people to be interested in buying their album too and listening to the songs behind the people in the film.

Consider the significance of patterns of ownership and control, including conglomerate ownership, vertical integration and diversification in relation to this film:

Straight Outta Compton was produced by Legendary Pictures who entered into partnership with Universal Pictures (the film’s distributor) in 2014. Universal is owned by NBC Universal, a Comcast company.

The fact that the film was produced and distributed by a major, vertically integrated film studio that is part of a media conglomerate is significant in terms of funding, possibilities for cross-promotion and reaching a global audience.

Consider other releases from Universal/ Legendary?

Universal pictures and legendary pictures have both been recognised for working on films like “Jurassic World” and “Steve Jobs”.

What are they famous for?

Both of these movies are famous for using well known actors and having a high production budget (Jurassic World- $150 million and Steve Jobs- $30 million)

Might audiences have a perceived sense of quality/expectation?

As the companies usually have high budgets for their films it would be expected by the audience that the next films would be the same. Also with this budget comes a sense of quality, as the money should be spent on better cast, props, setting and editing of the film.

The film was produced by a major studio and co-produced by two members of the band – this is significant in terms of the film and its marketing:

As the two band members would produce the narrative of the film, this meant a more historically accurate story and portrayal of events that fans of the N.W.A would recognise and agree with the way the event was presented in the film. When marketing the film, the inclusion of the two members of the band that co-produced the film would be necessary to market the film towards those that recognise their music and want to hear their story.    

Consider the politics of the band and the possible perceived glorification of the band as catalyst for social change.

It is significant that band members from N.W.A. were co-producers of the film and might be accused of downplaying or sanitising the more problematic aspects of their work (consider the “N” in the band name and some of their most famous tracks including “F*** tha Police” which are not referenced explicitly in the film’s marketing).