INSITUTIONS AND AUDIENCES

THE FILM INDUSTRYWORKING TITLE FILMSThe Boat that Rocked

Production cycle – Research Task

Working Title FilmsWorking Title Films

• Research the production cycle for The Boat that Rocked. This is so you can trace the issues and patterns of how this particular institution goes about making films and their state as a player in the British marketplace.

• Trace how the film progressed from the initial idea to its box-office success (or failure). Use the internet/film magazines/books to help you with your research.

Working Title FilmsWorking Title Films• Treat the following questions as guidelines. You will not

always be able to answer some of these questions and you might have ideas of your own.

• You are going to research the production and distribution companies that made and distributed The Boat that Rocked.

• Present the work on your blogs so that it looks interesting but is still informative. It may be an idea to find the answers to a group of question first and then think about how you want to present the information.

What are the pre-production issues for the What are the pre-production issues for the production company when making films?production company when making films?

• Whose idea was the film? Did the idea start with the writer, or were writers brought in to develop a preconceived idea?

• What are the issues with the genre of the film?• Where did the idea come from? Was it an original idea, or perhaps a

book first, or TV series, or comic strip, or from some other source?• Who wrote the original script? Did other people become involved in

the writing as the project progressed?• How easy was it to arrange the financial backing to make the film?

Who were the financial backers? Why?• Casting – who were cast in the main roles and why? What other

films featured the stars? What were the associations they brought with them?

• Who was the producer? How did he or she become involved?• Who was the director? How did he or she become involved?• Who composed the film music and why was he or she chosen?

Consider the sales of the CDs on Amazon, etc. Seek out reviews.

What were the issues for the production What were the issues for the production company during the production phase?company during the production phase?

• Was it an easy ‘shoot’? If there were difficulties what were they?• Were there tensions between any of the creative personnel, often known as

‘the talent’?• Was any part of the film shot on location? If so, where? Why were some

locations chosen over others? Were costs a factor?• Where there any difficulties with casting or with acquiring the stars/actors the

producer wanted?• How significant was casting to reach specific audiences?• What did the studio film cost to make? How much did the stars get? Where

did the budget go? Was the film shot within budget? Was it ever in any danger of going over budget?

• Were there any changes to the script during production? How many changes or re-writes? Did the same scriptwriter(s) stay ‘on board’ all the time, or were some replaced?

• List some of the key people who made contributions to the production and highlight some of their individual contributions.

• What were the technological issues for the studio for producing and distributing the film?

Convergence and new technologies in Convergence and new technologies in production, distribution and marketing & its production, distribution and marketing & its importance for institutions and audiencesimportance for institutions and audiences

• How important was new technology such as CGI, blue or green-screen, etc. important for the film and its audiences?

• how important is digital technology for the distribution of the film? (in cinemas,how significant is internet, digital downloads, DVDs, high definition, CGI, digital television, etc for distributing the institution’s film? Again, what are the issues?

What was the impact for marketing and What was the impact for marketing and consumption from the following aspects of consumption from the following aspects of

distribution for your film?distribution for your film?• Who were the distributors? How well known is/was the company? What is

their track record as distributors? (other films they have distributed)• Who was the target audience for your film? How do you know?• How did the film-makers decide where to release the film and when? What

was the eventual release pattern nationally and locally?• What deals were made for distribution abroad? How easily were these

deals secured?• Why did they at any stage change their plans for the release pattern, and if

so, why?• What was the marketing and advertising strategy for the film? • Was there a premiere, and if so, where?• Was your film distributed to digital cinemas?• When did it go to DVD, HD-DVD and what are the sales figures?• How important are internet downloads and YOUTUBE• How does the official film website market the film? Are there any official

and blogs, etc.?

What was the impact for marketing and What was the impact for marketing and consumption from the following aspects of consumption from the following aspects of

distribution for your film?distribution for your film?• Find film posters and analyse them for how they reach their

audience(s) targeted British audiences to see the film.• What outlets were used for advertising? • Were TV spots used?• Were there any merchandising tie-ins? (products/toys, posters,

photos, etc. Who were the consumers/audiences for those?) How were they introduced (as a marketing campaign in the weeks leading up to the release of the film?)

• Was any additional publicity gained, and if so, how?• How did the distributors market the film by utilizing “the talent” to

appear on TV and radio shows? • What kinds of press stories were released as and before the film

came out?

What were the issues during the exhibition What were the issues during the exhibition and consumption /audience phase of your and consumption /audience phase of your

film?film?• When was the film released; also where and on how many screens?• Was there a particular strategy attached to increasing the number of

prints available?• Were there any difficulties with the censors? How did the censors

classify the film?• Were there any other special restrictions placed on the exhibition of

the film?• What were the reactions of the critics to the film? Was it considered

a critical success? Has it been re-assessed since then?• Find several good film reviews and make notes on common features

Consider the public’s response to the film; read and make notes on features from reviews on AMAZON, etc.

• Did the film create a particular media debate, or create news headlines?

What were the issues during the exhibition What were the issues during the exhibition and consumption /audience phase of your and consumption /audience phase of your

film?film?• How much money did the film take in its first year? Was it

considered a commercial/financial success?• Did it have ‘legs’, that is did it continue to run in the cinema for some

time?• Carry out some primary research of your own (a survey) to establish

who in your age group has seen the film and the reasons why. Form a few questions on this. One might consider the effectiveness of the marketing campaign and which aspect of it encouraged or discouraged your age group to see or not see the film.

• How did the audiences’ reactions affect the institutions (producing studios/distributors) and the decisions that they might make to “green-light” future films? For instance, is the production company making more films in the same genre with similar stars, etc. Or, has the studio decided to target audiences through a different genre, actors, use of technology, etc.

• Have audiences’ tastes changed? Why?