You're going to do a series of simple posts researching key production and distribution details on a range of Warp (Indie) and Working Title (studio/big 5 subsidiary) films - then sum up your findings in a post.
We will come back to add more over time, eg the Gant rule, the release window + release window, editionalising etc.
For now, for each of the 6 films named you'll use some combination of rottentomatoes.com, boxofficemojo.com, the-numbers.com, imdb.com, BBFC, ... and Wikipedia!! Film Wikis can be great for quickly finding key info - though the figures given aren't always accurate alas.
You may find differing figures in the 2 box office sites - use your judgement on which to use.
Films with a zero or no entry are likely to have failed to have gained 'theatrical' (cinema) distribution at all, other than possible festival appearances.
To speed this up, I've provided some sample figures + commentary/analysis for Warp (just taken out 2 film names...), + sample WT figures. You can refer to any of these in your summary. The google download price or lack of would need checking again!
SUB-HEADINGS TO USE IN EACH POST
Again, you don't need to write much, just enough to show some understanding of what the figures mean in context (as ever, ask if stumped!). Provide screenshots for at least some of these sub-headings (no need to do that for all). You can copy/paste my list below + just edit the text! The Wikis and BOMojo will provide most of the detail you need, if its not already given in my handouts.
MY SUMMARY
Complete the rest + come back to this. Use sentences and/or bullet points for all writing in these posts.
BUDGET
Usually stated in $. Round off, eg $14,555,365 = $15m. k for thousand, m for million, bn for billion.
BBFC/MPAA
An 18/NC17 are considered box office death, and certainly kill off any hopes f a four quadrant strategy... This is England's age rating of 18 was highly controversial - the BBFC have written about this (and I challenged them about this on a school trip...).
MAIN PRODUCTION CO/S
IMDB, Wiki etc (not to mention titles in the film) will often credit quite a few 'production' companies. In reality, many are financing and/or TV co's, while many stars and directors have their own production label through which their take might go. For Warp, note Warp + any UK TV co + any of the film funding agencies like Screen Yorkshire. For WT, its them + 1 other main co-production partner, usually Universal or StudioCanal, but it varies.
MAIN DISTRIBUTION CO/S
As above, but this time you're especially looking at the BOMojo 'foreign' table for theatrical distributors to note US (from the main 'domestic' screen/box, as that = USA) + UK distributors.
DIRECTOR
Name and simply try their wiki - are they a 'big' name in terms of having directed any hits? Or perhaps an auteur (serious filmmaker with a known style; possibly explores social issues). Just try reading a few lines from their Wiki to help make a judgement.
STARS
Are there ANY stars? A-lister/s? Use your judgement/use Wiki!
BOX OFFICE (UK, US, China, global)
We'll explore later how Charles Gant has suggested a way to predict UK box office of a US studio hit. For this note these figures, including $0. You won't find any Warp films with a China figure - it has a strict foreign quota system, only around 50 Western productions are allowed to be released in cinemas each year. Think about why Warp don't get theirs released here, the world's 2nd biggest film market - look at what you've noted above!
# OF COUNTRIES
Remembering to add +1 for USA (= domestic, ie home, market for sites like BOMojo), count the # of countries it got a theatrical release in. Indie productions most often manage zero!
YT, GOOGLE OR AMAZON DL £
Is it available as a DL (download) for a fixed price? Don't spend too long on this, its just useful to embed the idea of new modes of distribution.
...
...
...
.
...
No comments:
Post a Comment