Distribution

What part of the supply chain is distribution?
Distribution is the third part of the supply chain.

What is distribution often referred to as?
'Invisible art'

What does 'vertical integration' mean when discussing distribution?
Vertical intergration is where three stages are seen as one larger process.

Why isnt 'vertical integration' so common in the independent sector?
Producers have no formal connections with exhibitors and producers need exhibitors to promote and show the film it its best possible way.

What three stages are involved in the independent sector?
Licensing, marketing and logistics.

Licensing

What is licensing? 

The process that the distributer of the film would go through to be able to legally show the film to the public. 

What are the two levels of licensing? 

International, marketing the film across the world and local, releasing the film in just one particular country. 

What is the advantage of being a major US studio? 

They have their own distribution offices in all of the major territories already. 

What three different types of rights can you acquire on a local level? 

Theatrical rights, video rights, video and TV rights.

What are royalties?

Something that the distributer pays to the producer out of the profits that the film generates. 

What is the most effective way to increase interest in a film? 

A theatrical opening. 

How long does it take for a film to reach 'free to air' TV?
 Two years. 

Marketing
What are the two key questions surrounding the marketing of a film?
The two key questions are 'When?' and 'How?'

What day are films typically released on? Films are typically released on Fridays.

What will a distributor look at before releasing a film on a Friday?

To ensure there are only a few other films which are released on Fridays.
What is a 'light' week in terms of distribution?

It will ensure that there will be both screen space and adequate review column inches in the press allocated to any potential release.

What does it mean to 'position' a film distinctively?

It will be positioned distinctively and a void a release date occupied by other films with similar traits, such as story, subject, country of origin, etc.
Why has this become increasingly difficult in the UK?

It has become increasingly difficult, as the release schedule has regularly featured over 10 new releases in a week.
What are P&A?

Are the nuts and bolts of marketing and distributing films, and its known as Prints and Advertising.

How much can P&A cost?

Its the bulk of the distributor's investment, after paying the initial fee for rights, and can range from less than £1,000 to over £1 million for the release of a film in the UK.

Marketing - Prints and adverts

Typically how many prints will a specialised film have?

Specialised films will often have less than 10 prints, with them 'toured' over a 6 month period to all parts of the UK.

How many will mainstream films have?

Commercial mainstream films however, will often open on over 200 prints. These simultaneously screen in all major UK towns and cities.

What is a key factor in developing the profile of a film?

For most films, favourable press response is a key factor in developing the profile of a film. 

How else can awareness of a film be raised?

Awareness of a film can also be raised by posters, advertising campaigns (e.g magazines and newspapers), and press campaigns (e.g interviews.)

Why is distribution in the UK seen as risky?

Distribution in the UK is seen as risky compared to other countries because the cost of print advertising is comparatively high.

Why are companies looking towards viral marketing?

Companies are looking towards viral marketing in order to extend the reach of advertising and develop more effective communication with audiences at a lower cost. 

What are the benefits of a 'talent visit'?

The benefit of a talent visit is that the director and/or lead actors win significant editorial coverage to support a release. It makes the volume of coverage far outweigh the cost of talent visits.

Logistics

In the pre digital film age what was a distributor responsible for? 

Before film became mostly digital, a distributor would arrange the transportation of the film to cinemas and theatres, the tapes, videos or DVDs to shops and ensure that this whole process is as efficient as possible

How much does a 35mm print typically cost?

Each 35mm print costs around £1000 so handling it needs to be done safely. If the film has subtitles than it may cost as much as twice this.

How many reals is a typical feature print?

 Within the UK specifically, feature prints are shortened so that they can be easily transported. They are usually around 20 minutes long and an entire feature film would require 5-6 of them.

Why do 35mm prints get damaged?

The simple answer to this question is that 35mm prints get damaged from repetitive use as they are moved around lots of cinemas and played through many times.

Where are prints stored?

 The UK's central print warehouse which is located in West London.

How long did a theatrical release used to last? 

Originally, the distributor would run two different releases, the first of which would last for around 6 months, trying to reach optimum coverage until the prints are essentially destroyed after this period. Any remaining prints are then used in second-run which lasts for the rest of the film's licensed period.

Digital Distribution

When did digital distribution begin in the UK?
2005

Name two advantages of digital distribution
Easy to replicate and cost effective.

Which countries adopted digital distribution early and why?
China and Brazil.

How many screens were digital in 2005 and how many are now (you'll need to google this)
110 and now 192 screens.

Why has digital distribution radically altered the operating model of distributors?


What has happened to the typical release period for a film?
Reduced 3-6 months to 1-3 months.

What is a loss leader (google it) and why are companies using the Cinema as a potential loss leader?
A product which is a loss and so attracts customers and cinemas are lost leaders so people buy dvds.
 

June 2010

'Decoding'

What significance does the continuing development of digital media technology have for media institution and audience?

TOPIC- Film industry

APECT- Digital media- Computers:
-CGI: Ex Machina
-Editing: Mad Max Fury Road

-Distribution: Netflix combats illegal downloads
                                    Marketing- YouTube, social media, viral marketing etc
                                    DVD, blu-ray (offers free downloads which makes it cheaper for the consumer                                                              provider)

VIEWPOINT- Developing- improving

INSTRUCTION- Talk about the significance.

First Essay

The Second Essay on this:

"Successful media products depend as much upon marketing and distribution to a specific audience as they do upon good production practices"

To what extent would you agree with this this statement, within the media area you have studied?

I believe that for a British film to be successful it must be profitable, if a British film wins awards this emphasises its success as it connotes its recognition and popularity amongst its specific audience. An American film also needs to make profits to be successful, these profits are often a lot larger than those generated by a British film but I don't consider this to make the American film more successful. American films have expanded their audiences by including Chinese locations therefore this increases the movies profit because more people in China will go and see the film. This ability to inflate the target audience of the film makes an American film more successful.

Two films I have studied are: 'Mad Max: Fury Road', an American film directed by George Miller and 'Ex Machina' a British film produced by DNA Films and Film 4 producers and directed by Alex Garland. Both films made healthy profits and succeeded in reaching their specific target audience. 'Mad Max: Fury Road' presents the story of a female warrior 'Furiosa' and her alliances on a pursuit of escape, it features successful and well known actors; Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron. 'Ex Machina' tells the story of a computer coder played by Domhall Gleeson and his experience with a bio-engineered robot, 'Ava', played by Alicia Vikander.

A contributing factor to 'Mad Max: Fury Road' being a success is its cast. Tom Hardy plays Max, he is a well known actor that has featured in other successful action movies like 'The Dark Knight Rises' and 'Inception'. This background gives a positive base of a specific audience therefore appeals to mainstream audiences that enjoy action movies and fans of Tom Hardy will be attracted to the movie as they know they've enjoyed his previous performances, also the gaze theory increases the audiences attracted to the movie. Featuring Charlize Theron and Nicholas Hoult, creates the expectation that the film will be impressive, this enticing reputation will encourage even the likes of less common cinema goers to see the film; these production practices are important for a film to be successful through profit. Also, this sequel of 'Mad Max' (1979), 'Mad Max 2' (1981) and 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome' (1985) had a crew of 1,700 workers on the film set including 150 stunt performers. This large crew and successful previous movies provide predictable success. The making of the movie faced challenges such as dealing with the weather conditions like the extreme dust and also rain on multiple occasions which meant the crew needed specialised waterproof and dustproof equipment. Another problem faced by the team was managing to film with all different camera angles in a moving environment to capture the scenes in the best way possible. The constant movement while filming was what Charlize Theron believed was 'tricky' about the production. Recognisably, the movie conforms to containing Summer Blockbuster conventions like impressive explosions and exciting car chases and successfully attract a mainstream audience therefore relied on action over plot. For example, 'Mad Max: Fury Road' contains a lot of car chases specifically a very exciting one as 'Furiosa' drives the war rig into a dust storm and is followed by the war boys; to make this scene as impressive as it was production practices like camera angles and movement were very important. Also, a very tasking scene is when the war rig blows up, to create this very visually appealing image the crew took mobile refinery out into the desert and drove it remotely and surrounded it by camera cars. This explosion is a contributing factor to the films success as it adds to fulfilling the films expectation of a hollywood blockbuster it also would entice audiences that enjoy action packed and visually thrilling. These appealing features urge the target audience to see the movie in cinemas as that is where the film is shown at its best therefore the film increases its profits. Certain scenes like when the war rig blows up are known to look better in cinemas. The film made $374 million at the box office.

Unlike 'Mad Max:Fury Road' a British film like 'Ex Machina' didn't have such an allowing budget, it featured less well known but undoubtably upcoming actors and actresses. Domhall Gleeson and Alicia Vikander are to appear in the upcoming 2015 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' a very popular sequel which similar to 'Ex Machina' appeals to 'films buffs'. 'Ex Machina' relies on a strong script to entice its specific target audience of 'film buffs', a good plot is more important than action in this movie. Instead of using computer generated imagery the crew rotoscoped the body of 'Ava' which took a lot of time but created a sensation on 'the big screen'. Using a production practice like editing a body onto a robot takes time; a scene that would have been difficult to create would have been when Ava runs towards Nathan, the fast pace contrasts with the rest of the movie to create an effective scene but made rotoscoping more difficult.The movie reached its specific audience therefore made a healthy profit of $6.9 million. 'Ex Machina' challenges institutional practices.
A sum of $7 million was spent on television advertising of 'Mad Max: Fury Road' in order to reach the specific audience of this blockbuster, television is the most effective method of marketing. The TV trailers featured small snippets of the film to portray the general idea of the movie. In marketing the film it typically became influenced by the production practices used, its marketing would be used to demonstrate these(e.g. car chases and explosions) to portray the film at its most appealing. An example of a scene the trailer shows is within its opening; Max is being chased by War boys and almost ends up running over the edge of a cliff, the shot then cuts to Max leaping from the cliff but then doesn't reveal its outcome. The cliff scene, ironically, leaves a cliff-hanger where the audience want to see more. The scene used in the trailer immediately demonstrates the fast pace of the movie and how it will contain fight scenes and thrilling chase scenes. In collaboration with the trailers, film posters were released featuring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, this created a 'buzz' over the well known faces therefore enticed their fans to see the movie. The marketing of 'Mad Max: Fury Road' lead to the specific target audience(mainstream) facilitating the studios by going to see the film at the cinema. In comparison, 'Ex Machina' used fairly minimal marketing methods. It used digital initiative creating modern accounts on popular applications. This enabled the crew of 'Ex Machina' to exploit social media to promote the film with either very small costs or for free to its target market. This unique marketing method was hugely effective as it reached 'film buffs' that would go to see the film.


Distribution plays a key role in the success of a film. 'Mad Max: Fury Road' used a wide release on many IMAX screens. On the 14th May 2015 'Mad Max: Fury Road' opened on 12,000 screens in 48 countries. In the United States and Canada the movie opened on 3,702 screens and earned $16.77 million on its opening day. This is similar to other blockbusters like 'Transformers age of Extinction' and 'Avengers: Age of Ultron'. The film was originally planned to be shot in 3D but the crew changed to more straightforward 2D shooting, audiences would engage well with this as 3D revenues have been decreasing as the fascination has faded. The film needs to distribute well or people would challenge institutional practices and not watch the movie in the cinema but choose to use 'Netflix' or an alternative source.


'Ex Machina' was released through universal pictures on the 21st January 2015 in the UK. The film at first, was only shown on one or two screens using modified wide release as the new release of 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' dominated the cinema screens. 'Ex Machina' then piggy backed the 'Avengers' sequel by increasing the number of screens it was shown on as 'Avengers' decreased. The films specific target audience facilitated the studios as they went to see 'Ex Machina' as its screens increased.


I agree that successful media products depend as much upon marketing and distribution to a specific audience as they do upon good production practices. I think that in years to come methods of marketing will need to change and adapt to more fresh and exciting ideas. The marketing of 'Ex Machina' supports this because although it wasn't expensive; it was new and unexpected which is an effective factor and appealing to audiences of the current generation. I think that while action movies are increasingly overtaking other genres of the film industry there are films that are already being made, e.g. there are fifty marvel films to be produced within the next ten years. However, this genre is currently popular, I predict that it will become too familiar and less of an experience to see at a cinema therefore audiences will gravitate towards other genres that are more exclusive and interesting for them to see. The contributes to how a film will need to expand its methods of marketing and distribution to make a profit and in turn generate a successful profit.

The 'British' Film Industry

Who did what in the British film industry?

• BBFC (British Board of Film Classification): An independent non-government body which classifies and sensors film, video as well a computer and console based games released in the UK.
• UK Film Council: Promotes understanding and appreciation of Britain's rich film and television heritage and culture.
• BFI (British Film Industry): The official UK agency for international cultural relations. Its film department promotes new British films (features and shorts), internationally principally through festivals and showcases.
• British Academy: aims to support, develop and promote the art forms of the moving image.
• British Council: Government backed lead agency for film in the UK ensuring that the economic, cultural and educational aspects of film are effectively represented at home and abroad.

The production company Film4 has produced films such as:

• Ex Machina
• Slumdog Millionaire
• Sightseers

Working Title:

• Everest
• Love Actually
• Les Miserables

Momentum Pictures

• The woman in Black(sequel)
• Yakuza Apocalypse

Pathe:

• Beauty and the Beast
• Selma
• The Iron Lady

BBC Film Network:

• The Last Man on Earth
• The World Turns

British Vs American

British films can claim 25% tax relief from the government therefore this is appealing to film makers, including large budget Hollywood blockbusters.

The points some films scored on the 'Britishness Test':

Ex Machina - 32

Avengers - 22

Star Wars The Force Awakens - 23

How do British films attract audiences(consider how the films might attract either a British or global audience)?

In the case of 'Ex Machina' the movie appeals to film buffs therefore the sci-fi genre effectively attracts audiences. There is a classic British theme in most movies for example; 'Suffragette' portrays the movement and fight for women rights, 'Macbeth' was written by Shakespeare a very influential figure in Britain's history and 'The Inbetweeners 2' has a clear British Humour that appeals to British audiences. There is noticeable recognition of Britishness and how proud we are as a nation and this shows through the films produced therefore attracts audiences.

How are they distinct from Hollywood blockbusters?

British films differ from Hollywood Blockbusters as they don't so often contain explosions or car chases which are a key convention in a typical hollywood blockbuster. Also, British film are more likely to follow the sic-fi genre or ramose instead of action. This appeals to the British audience more.

Far from the Madding Crowd - Aficionados - $30.2 million at the Box Office.
Inbetweeners 2 - Mainstream - $63.8 million at the Box Office.
Macbeth - Aficionados - $5.2 million.
Attack the Block - Mainstream plus - $5.8 million.
Suffragette - Mainstream plus - $14.5 million.
Ex Machina - Film Buffs - $37 million at Box Office.

Why have a British film industry?
The British film industry generates income from big films that are shot here-due to the 25% tax relief - this also means that British workers develop good skills as they take the roles of camera man, producer, editor and other important roles. British films promote British culture and therefore appeal to audiences and make profits for the industry and economy.

Representation on Ethnicity

How are black, white, Chinese and asian people represented in Tv Drama?

Black: An example of a black character is 'Danny' in 'Danny The Human Zoo'.

The British TV Drama 'Danny The Human Zoo' portrays black people as exotic by putting them in bright colours, also the show presents a large close family which conforms to stereotypes of black people. Also, the drama shows the racial struggle the main character 'Danny' faces in day to day life therefore supports stereotypes that black people are dangerous or seen as 'different'.

Another example in TV Drama is: 'Empire'

'Empire' constructs a representation of black people as being reckless in position power. Lucius conforms to the stereotype of violence within the black community because he has committed murders and is a intimidating character. Also, the TV Drama supports the common stereotype that black people come from a poor environment and grow up in single parent families.

Bonnie from 'The Vampire Diaries'

Bonnie from 'The Vampire Diaries' challenges stereotypes that black families are very close as her mother and father are not present, she lives with her grandmother and her friends are the closest thing to family. Also, Bonnie fails to conform as she doesn't only mix with people of the same ethnicity which is a common stereotype in the media.
Asian: Navid from '90210'

Navid is a very rich character with a large family this conforms to stereotypes of very rich asian men that live in exotic homes and drive expensive cars. Also, he is the head editor of the school newspaper and there are storylines related to his academic ability; this supports stereotypes that Asians are very clever.

Anwar Kharral from 'Skins'

Anwar supports stereotypes as he is an intelligent character who is also very religious. However, Anwar does drugs therefore he challenges stereotypes in this representation since he could take his religion more seriously and be more dedicated.

Emily from 'Pretty Little Liars'

Emily is quite a shy character which conforms to stereotypes of Asian people. She is very good at swimming and also intelligent, this portrays that she works hard therefore conforms to the common representation of asian people. Emily is gay which challenges stereotypes of asian people and it is rare to see this in a TV Drama.

White: Blair from 'Gossip Girl'

Blair conforms to stereotypical white girls and she is very focused on maintaining popularity, her reputation and always looking the best and having the newest trends. The TV Drama 'Gossip Girl' creates a reputation of white teenage girls to be spoilt and lack appreciation but are intelligent and well educated.

Effy Stonem from 'Skins'

Effy fails to conform to the stereotypes of white teenagers as she is doing drugs and recklessly getting drunk. Effy falls more into the common representation of black teenagers, this emphasises hw rebellious she is and portrays her generation as changing.

Ronnie Brooks from 'Law and Order UK'

As seen on the image above, Ronnie dresses in smart attire, he has a respectable job and is an intelligent friendly man. These representations conform to stereotypes of white people and this character perpetuates the ideology that white people are of power and status more often than not.

Chinese: Agent May from 'Agents of SHIELD'

Agent May fits into the common stereotypes that Chinese people are good at martial arts. She is the oldest member of SHIELD team but her quality and fitness stands out.  Her fighting technique requires fast thinking in order to have fast reflexes therefore she conforms to the stereotype of intelligent Chinese people.

Miranda Collins from 'Ravenswood'

Miranda is very brave and shows natural intelligence which conforms to stereotypes. However, she comes from a broken family therefore challenges common representations of Chinese people and the strict background they grow up in.

Glenn Rhee from 'The Walking Dead'

Glenn's signature item is his baseball cap and he worked as a pizza delivery boy therefore fails to conform to the stereotype of Chinese people having intellectual jobs. His character is resourceful and hopeful therefore does conform to stereotypes, his character is intelligent, calculating, selfless and brave. This positive representation reflects Chinese people to be brave and loyal.

Conventions of TV Drama

You will find that TV dramas all have the following ingredients:

• Characters – even particular kinds of characters: eg, at its most simple, ‘good’ and ‘bad’ characters.
• Stories – they all tell stories, whether those stories involve adventure, crime or romance and they often, but not always, end happily.
• The stories are told against familiar backdrops: – eg, homes, police stations and offices (for crime dramas), hospitals (for medical dramas) – most of which are created in studios. However, most dramas also use outside locations to create particular effects.
• Camerawork – particular kinds of shots are used: eg, sequences involving establishing shots followed by mid-shots of characters, shot/reverse shots to show character interaction and, in particular,close-ups to show the characters’ emotions.
• Stories use dialogue to tell the stories. Occasionally, monologues are built in (as voiceovers, a character telling a story).
• Music is used to punctuate the action, create effects (suspense, tension) and underline emotional moments.
• Particular subgenres tend to have items which make them immediately identifiable – police cars, blue lights, operating theatres and scalpels, triage/reception areas in hospitals. Icons of the genre, they symbolise the (sub)genre.

Narrative Codes

Narrative Codes

Roland Barthes developed a concept that every narrative is interwoven with five codes that drive one to maintain interest in a story. The first two codes involve ways of creating suspense in narrative, the first by unanswered questions, the second by anticipation of an action's resolution. These two codes are essentially connected to the temporal order of the narrative.

The Hermeneutic Code

The hermeneutic code refers to plot elements of a story that are not explained. They exist as enigmas that the reader wishes to be resolved. A detective story, for example, is a narrative that operates primarily by the hermeneutic code. A crime is exposed or postulated and the rest of the narrative is devoted to answering questions raised by the initial event.

The Proairetic Code

The proairetic code refers to plot events that imply further narrative action. For example, a story character confronts an adversary and the reader wonders what the resolution of this action will be. Suspense is created by action rather than by a reader's wish to have mysteries explained. The final three codes are related to how the reader comprehends and interprets the narrative discourse.

The Semic Code

A seme is a unit of meaning or a sign that express cultural stereotypes. These signs allow the author to describe characters, settings and events. The semic code focuses upon information that the narration provides in order to suggest abstract concepts. Any element in a narrative can suggest a particular, often additional, meaning by way of connotation through a correlation found in the narrative. The semic code allows the text to 'show' instead of 'tell' by describing material things.

The Symbolic Code

The symbolic code refers to a structural structure that organizes meanings by way of antitheses, binary oppositions or sexual and psychological conflicts. These oppositions can be expressed through action, character and setting.

The Cultural Code

The cultural code designates any element in a narrative that refers to common bodies of knowledge such as historical, mythological or scientific. The cultural codes point to knowledge about the way the world works as shared by a community or culture.

Together, these five codes function like a 'weaving of voices'. Barthes assigns to the hermeneutic the Voice of Truth; to the proairetic code the voice of Empirics ; to the semic the Voice of the Person; to the cultural the Voice of Science; and to the symbolic the Voice of Symbol. According to Barthes, they allowing the reader to see a work not just as a single narrative line but as a braiding of meanings that give a story its complexity and richness.

Representation Of Disability

TV Drama Representation Of Disability

TV drama is very stereotypical in its representations of different groups of people. An example of this is disability, there are many stereotypes that are commonly followed within TV drama of disabled people. Although, disability is a rare thing to see in TV drama it does in fact occur and the disability has meaning and impact within the drama. The characters that are disabled are alienated from other characters and the disability is a large part of their storyline therefore ruling out the possible chance that a disabled character could appear 'normal'. A clip I have analysed involves a disabled man, 'Nick', that is represented to conform with stereotypes of disabled people, the use of camera shots, angles, movement, editing, sound and mise en scene all contribute to establishing this character as failing to 'fit in' with 'the norm' of society.

The clip opens with a shallow focus shot of a metal fence, this instantly connotes a feeling of being trapped and mirrors the need for escape. In relation to disability this could infer how a being disabled limits the actions of a character and how it can effect the person mentally as they feel scared and trapped. This interpretation conforms to the stereotype that disabled people are unable to participate in every element of everyday life as there are many obstacles in their way. The fence suggests prison therefore embeds disapproval from the audience and when the disabled character is presented the audience create a perception that this character must be lawless, sinister or evil therefore this representation conforms to stereotypes in society. Alongside this opening shallow focus shot is diegetic sound, voices of men can be heard-accompanied by the image of an out of focus yellow high-vis vest in the background- suggests that they are on a building site. This normal life situation juxtaposes the initial emphasis of being trapped to highlight the way disabled people are alienated in society and stand out among the masses.

A following shot doesn't reveal the visually shocking disability of 'Nick', instead it focuses on capturing his peers reaction by using a close up shot. This highlights the unease with disability in society. Disability is stereotyped as pitiable or pathetic therefore the reaction of his peer reflects that seeing 'Nick' is a chore and his company lacks enjoyment. The clip constructs a representation that disabled people are a burden and don't blend with society with ease. The diegetic sound of mens voices is muted slightly as the editors use sound perspective/aural perspective to emphasise the separation between the two characters, this connotes the divide in society therefore places the character with disability in a lower status than his peer. Also, the clip uses shot-reverse-shot once the disabled characters 'mate' starts a conversation with him, this is used to portray the way his 'mate' acts towards him and reflects that he feels uncomfortable through his avoidance of eye contact. This forms a clear representation that disability is an awkward and slightly taboo situation as many people feel uncomfortable in the presence of a disabled person due to feeling pity but not wanting to patronise.

Cross-cutting editing is shown between 'Nick' leaving the building site and going to help a woman with her shopping bags. This reflects the continuous hard time 'Nick' has in day to day life, it emphasises the stereotype that disabled people are their own worst enemy; 'Nick' gets frustrated when things happen that relate to his disability yet it's his facial disfigurement that is causing the reactions and situations. It is clear that 'Nick' is working class from his clothing and this is reinforced through the scene where he attempts to help a lady with her bags, she lives in a row of council houses and her children are shown with typical 'council estate' haircuts. This portrayal of working class people constructs a representation that disability is of lower status in society. A long shot reveals a street empty of people apart from the woman and her children, the scream she lets out when she seeing his facial disfigurement reflects the representation that a male with a disability is non-sexual. The TV drama is lifelike and the make-up that creates the disability on 'Nick' is very realistic to highlight that this is the way disabled people are treated. A hand held camera is used to produce a naturalistic effect, it can also reflect 'Nick's' anger at the way others treat him and act around him, this supports the stereotype that disabled characters are aggressive and violent furthermore they lack trust and are objectified to be an element of curiosity. This scene closes with non-diegetic sound, music of drums builds up and a sound bridge continues the intense music onto the next scene for a sense of continuity.

A shallow focus mid shot is used to show 'Nick' walking down a crowded street. This is followed by a series of short mid shots that contain strangers in the crowd looking at him. Paired with these shots is synchronous sound- intense music of drums(non-diegetic sound) over fast paced editing shots of a busy crowd and 'Nick' walking rapidly- to build tension and suspense within the clip. This sudden change of atmosphere, created by the music, forms a representation that disabled people are unpredictable, aggressive and not very friendly or approachable. The mid-shots of strangers create a connotation that disabled people are an object of curiosity and interest therefore the representation made within this TV drama conform to stereotypes of disability.

The final scene within the clip I've analysed features 'Nick' and 'the sergeant' in an open office environment. There is a long shot that effectively grabs the main focus to notice the army painting directly above the main  characters head, this connotes that Nicks injury was caused in the army. Also, within this scene there is only diegetic sound of the two characters talking, the flow of conversation is not interrupted to suggest that the struggles and pain 'Nick' feels about his disability cannot easily be helped. Shot-reverse-shot shows how 'the sergeant' doesn't look very sympathetic towards 'Nick' but more burdened by him. This supports stereotypes of disability in society. The use of diegetic sound, the footsteps, in this scene creates normality therefore builds upon the idea of alienation and difficulty of fitting in for a disabled person. Although, the clip is solid in conforming to stereotypes of disability there is a side profile shot that challenges the expected representation. The side profile shot of 'Nick' hides his disability and deceives the camera to see a 'normal' person. However, this contrasts with the close up used to highlight the characters anger and reinforce the representation that he is his own worse enemy.

The clip shows a strong negative representation of disability that conforms to stereotypes of disabled people, for example; pitiable, pathetic, a burden and unable to easily participate in everyday life. This extract constructs a representation of disability through a variety of shots to build a general atmosphere and reaction to the disabled character. It is also prominent to the audience that the character is very unhappy with his situation, this is shown through the music and range of shots to show the characters emotions. The media hugely exploits stereotypes because the audience feel familiar with these representations, therefore a disabled character that conforms to stereotypes is more widely accepted and understood by the audience.

Representation of disability

This clip portrays a stereotypical representation of disability and how others behave towards it.

Camera Shots, Angles, Movement and Composition

• The opening shot of the clip initially doesn't reveal the fairly shocking disability of the main character it first focuses on capturing his peers reaction by using a close up shot. This highlights the unease with disability in society therefore the clip conforms to stereotypical connotations of disability.  
• Within the clip there is frequent use of close up shots on random passing member of the public to emphasise the open reaction people have towards disability. This particular disability is quite shocking and uneasy on the eye therefore the close up shots pick up on people arounds reactions and therefore encourages the reader to feel sympathy for the character with a disability.
• Also, there is a long shot of workers while a mid shot of the main disabled character to emphasise the normality of the workers and how they are able to get on with work without too much concern where as the main character is struggling to find work and therefore is alienated from society.
• To portray the repeated detachment of disability in society the clip uses an establishing shot to fully reveal the reaction of a woman towards the man's disability, it shows that it is something that is pitied but also not yet been fully accepted and normalised.
• A side profile shot is used in the clip which fails to conform to the stereotypical representation of disability because it hides his disability therefore creates the image of a 'normal' person.
• There is an extreme close up used when he character is revealing his anger therefore this highlights the stereotype that disabled people are their own worst enemy.

Editing

•  A shot-reverse-shot is used to illustrate the flow of conversation between two characters this could portray what their relationship is like and exaggerate emotions.
• There are sharp 'cuts' to maintain continuity as the disabled character walks down the street and there are abrupt shots of other people reacting to his disability. 
• As Nick walks down the street there is fast paced editing, going from a shot of him to others around him and back. This emphasises the emotions he feels and connotes anger.

Sound

• The opening shot contains non-diegetic sound to create the assumption of work on a building site.
• Footsteps are used as a sound bridge to express the continuity of the scene where Nick is speaking with the Sargent. The footsteps are also an example of direct sound, this creates normality in the  scene therefore builds upon the idea of alienation and the difficulty of fitting in for a disabled person.
• As Nick walks in a crowded area there is fast paced music, the drums establish the characters emotions as quite angry and it builds excitement within the scene.

Mise en Scene

• When the disabled character is speaking to the Sargent there is a room full of people, they are silent which suggests they are listening to Nick. This depiction reflects the stereotype that disability is an object of curiosity.
• In the scene where Nick is walking down a crowded street we can see that he is dressed in no way that makes him stand out among the others but his disability doesn't allow him to blend in.
• A long shot reveals a fairly empty of people street apart from a woman and her two children, the scream she lets out when she sees the scaring on his face reflects the representation that a male with a disability is non-sexual.

Mad Max Research- 100 Facts

Produce a fact file for the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road (directed by George Miller)

I have scavenged some information about Pre production, production, postproduction, marketing and distribution.

You need to read all the article and complete a blog post contain 100 facts about the film. 

10 of your facts MUST be

1. The invasion (yes invasion) and subsequent war in which country stopped filming? The Iraq War meant filming had to be delayed in Namibia.
2. What TWO formats was the film originally going to be in to only then NOT be in? The film was supposed to be an animated 3D film but developed into a 3D live action movie.
3. How many times was filming delayed? 
4. In which year did filming first conclude? 2001.
5. In what year did they have to go back and film additional scenes? 2013.
6. At what point did Warner Bros panic and insist someone write a script? 2003.
7. When did the stars sign up to be in the film? 2010.
8. Where was the film originally going to be produced only for it to rain! Australia.
9. How much was spent on TV adverts? $43.7 million.
10. How long did crew spend in Namibia? Some spent up 10 months there.

Facts

1. The director of Mad Max: Fury Road is George Miller.
2. George Miller also directed the 3 other Mad Max movies and directed popular films like 'Babe' and 'Happy Feet'.
3. The movie was created through first drawing around 3,500 storyboard panels.
4. The 3D camera rig had to be small enough to go through the windows of the truck. Due to the desert environment of the filming location cameras had to be dust proof and waterproof.
5. An edge arm was used to film 95% of the footage, an edge arm costs $500,000.
6. They switched to a 2D shooting which was a major shift in approach. This made the shot much more straightforward.
7. The initial idea for Mad Max:Fury Road was based on a single camera philosophy- he idea that somewhere on the set is a single perfect spot for the camera to record the scene. Sets back to Polanski and Kubrick.
8. Once into the testing, Seale found the contrast range between the interiors and the harsh desert a challenge for the cameras.
9. The film took 16 years to fully make from when the original idea came about.
10. The movie editor was Margaret Sixel.
11. Sixel was given over 480 hours of footage to create a final cut f Mad Max:Fury Road.
12. The final edit ran 120 minutes and consisted of 2700 individual shots.
13. Successful as an action film because of its editing style. 'Eye Trace' and 'Crosshair Framing' techniques during the shooting.
14. Every new shot that slammed onto the screen must occupy the same space as the previous shot. This is no new technique, but by shooting the entire film in this was, Margaret Sixel could amplify and accelerate scenes, cut as fast as possible with confidence that the visual information would be understood.
15. "Eye Trace" is anther editing technique that posits that you can guide the viewers ye and make them look where you want. By using motion in the frame and/or positioning critical points of focus in successive shots fall on a natural or comfortable area of the screen.
16. Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron did not get along throughout the making of the movie. It got to the point where they would not speak on set.
17. The film had to be delayed after the beginning of the Iraq war caused trouble with shipping and security in Namibia. Production began in 2009.
18. Mad Max: Fury Road was released 30 years after the lat film Mad Max:Beyond Thunderdome.
19. Charlize Theron shaved her head for her role of Furiosa, therefore had to wear a wig in 'A Million Ways to Die in the West'.
20. Constant weather delays and location issue caused the film to be delayed more than once, including cold when it was supposed to be hot, and voice-overs. Reshoots also delayed the final product on countless occasions.
21. Liam Fountain auditioned for Max but lost the part to Tom Hardy. Fountain played Max in 2011 short film Mad Max renegade, which takes place between the first two films.
22. The film was shot in sequence, which is rare, and the storyboards were completed before the scrip.
23. Over 80% of the effects seen in the film are real practical effects, stunt, make up and sets.
24. CGI was used sparingly mainly to enhance the Namibian landscape, remove stunt rigging and for Charlize Theron's left hand which in the film is a prosthetic arm.
25. Mel Gibson was originally to have the role of the rig thrifter in the film but this never came to fruition.
26. John Seale used multiple digital cameras to capture practical stunts with more than 150 vehicles conceived by production designer Colin Gibson.
27. The vehicles were rigged, driven and crashed by key crew and special effects supervisors: Andy Williams and Dan Oliver and supervising stunt co-ordinator Guy Norris.
28. Hundreds of visual effects artists, led by overall visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson, would spend considerable time crafting more than 2,000 visual effects shots and helping to transform the exquisite photography into the final film.
29. A combination of real photography in Namibia of various cars and additional green screen and stage shoots combined with CG car take-overs, digital doubles and complex fluid and dust simulations by Iloura for the storm. Additional VFX elements were shot to help the pieces together and provide for more foreground dust.
30. On location in Namibia, production approximated where the twisters in the toxic storm would be located, and then had vehicles driving accordingly.
31. Iloura's CG cars were built from photogrammetry surveys, again processed in Photoscan.
32. A CG car was used most dramatically in one scene which a twister picks up a vehicle and a group of War Boys into the air. The car is ripped apart as bodies tumble out. Originally the bodies were fixed figures in the air but following the real dynamics and physics at a high speed you have no control over your arms and legs, they fly out.
33. Both Iloura and Jackson’s Fury FX group took on the canyon shots, which involved significant environment augmentations. “The canyon where we shot that part of the film got extended quite significantly,” states Jackson. “It was made a lot taller and narrower in places. There’s a major part of the film that gets narrower in the neck with a rock explosion - there was a narrow piece there but it didn’t really exist and didn’t have the rocks over the top.”
34. For the rock wall detonation, the initial plan was to use CG sims to achieve the effect. But Jackson says he “spent a lot of time talking people into how they might shoot something for real that might otherwise have been a CG event. Therefore, they blew up a bit of quarry in order to shoot some large rock elements.
35. 
    
36. They followed real dynamics and physics, since a great deal of crash reference footage the director had sourced tended to show that movement. This was based on Miller's initial ideas.
37. Jackson incorporated a dust element shoot for swirling action close to camera and streams of sand blowing off the vehicles, this was to ensure the toxic storm looked somewhat grounded.
38. They blew up a part of the quarry for the scene they desired.
39. The scene for the night time part, was actually filmed in day light however, it was transformed to a blue environment by colourist Eric Whipp based on a suggestion made by Jackson.
40. To great the day to night time scene they went a little more stylized and graphic with it.
41. “The massive benefit you get with shooting overexposed for a day for night setup is that you get detail in the shadows that’s still there. You can pull the highlights down and darken the whole image, but still have detail in the shadows. It doesn’t just clip to black in the shadows.”
42. Conceived as a practical effect, the refinery was blown up in Namibia, with Iloura then compositing in the other cars and Max on the foreground pole.
43. They took the mobile refinery out in the desert and drove it remotely, surrounded by camera cars and a helicopter, and blew it up.
44. Jackson went back out and shot equivalent plates for all the chase vehicles to be around it.
45. The final chase sequence was also one in which The Third Floor delivered previs, under previsualization supervisor Glenn Burton. 
46.   The final car chase consists of a lot of characters and a lot of switching vehicles and concurrent action.
47. The previs had to carefully track where everyone was at a particular beat and help work out the transitions so the characters would be at the right place at the right time.
48. The sequence of the final crash made use of numerous Namibia plates, including stationary action that would be enhanced by moving backgrounds, canyon augmentation, a War Rig and other vehicle crash stunts.
49. Jackson even engaged Eric Whipp's iPhone at one point to film extra elements to be comp'd into the War Rig crash.
50. When Joe addresses his citizens from a rock-platform balcony the only real thing are the four guys and the pump actuators. For below him they had shot about 150 extras and extended those to 30.000 with crowd sims.
51. The went floor up on a balcony at Kennedy Miller and put a whole bunch of dry wall rocks and dust and crashed them down and filmed it at 240 fps for the slow mo bit at the end just because Andrew didn’t want to do CG dust - he wanted to do real dust.
52. Furiosa has part of her left arm missing, to achieve the effect, Theron wore a prosthetic and a green sleeve during the shoot that the visual effects team then painted out, adding in a central mechanical piece where necessary.
53. The final twisted mix of vehicle pieces, metal and bungie-corded guitar that fly towards the camera were largely practical effects.
54. The frenetic pace and complexity of the shoot in Namibia meant that, as expected, backgrounds and skies were not always consistent from shot to shot. Add to that was the graphic feel Miller wanted to infuse into the film. Sometimes sky replacements were part of the visual effects deliverables, but often they were handled during color grading by Whipp that were collected around the world.
55. Whipp notes that Miller had been adamant the film not have the typical post-apocalyptic bleached look.
56. You have to be very aware which part of the frame the audience’s eyes are focused on in terms of the last frame of one shot and the first frame of the next shot. He’ll make sure that the relevant piece of the frame that you should be looking at is in the same place, so that you don’t use the first three or four frames to find where you’re supposed to be looking at.
57. One of the trickiest parts on this film, for example, was for one of the day for night sections. We did a lot of sky replacements but we really wanted quite stormy skies with little breaks in the cloud, but it’s actually not that easy to find.
58. Realizing early on that the film would require significant visual effects work, Jackson engaged an in-house team to perform postvis.
59. The brief to the team was they were to do whatever it takes to help editorial, for every shot, to have all the components to present in some way - so you can sit down and watch the film and it makes sense.
60. "The other thing that came out of the postvis process was, when your shots are half a second to a second long, the postvis was virtually good enough. There are massive differences with shots that are short - you can get away with rudimentary elements - we just had to swap out elements for DPX. So that meant the postvis team could switch over to finaling simple shots.”
61. "Oh what a lovely day" is the films famous quote.
62. Mad Max:Fury Road generated $374 million at the box office worldwide.
63. Each and every one of the designs, regardless of their craziness or impracticality, lead to functioning vehicles capable of blasting through Namibian deserts at high speeds.
64. After production finished, more than 150 of these post-apocalyptic transports were built, and more than 75 of them were torn in half, blown up or otherwise ripped into shreds.
65. One of the signature vehicles of the Mad Max franchise is Max’s custom, 1973 XB GT Ford Falcon Coupe, known as the Interceptor. The Interceptor made its appearance in the first movie, when Max hunts down the killers of his child with the help of the V8 monstrosity.
66. In Fury Road, during a scene that required the spectacular crash of the Interceptor, the stunt crew had to figure out the best way of flipping the vehicle in the safest way possible.
67. The solution was an innovation called the Flipper, which is a flat blade of steel that slaps the ground and retracts, giving the stunt driver control over when the car flips.
68. The War Rig is powered by a pair of V8 engines distributing power through a six-wheel-drive mechanism. According to Colin Gibson, despite the fact that Charlize Theron didn’t have to drive the massive War Rig, she chose to do so anyway, hurtling through the desert at speeds above 50 MPH.
69. George Miller wanted to create a movie that relied heavily on visual storytelling, making it possible for the movie to be understood by Japanese audiences without subtitles.
70. Performers and the film crew needed to consult with George constantly because the entire movie was in Miller's head.
71. Tom Hardy admitted, “I have to apologize to you because I got frustrated and there is no way that George could have explained what he conceived in the sand while we were out there… I knew he was brilliant, but I didn’t know how brilliant until I saw it.”
72. The new Mad Max film spent more than three months in continuous filming, utilizing a variety of digital cameras to capture incredible physical stunts and driving action from all sorts of different angles.
73. The result of the shoot was around 480 hours of raw footage, which is nearly three whole weeks of non-stop visuals that had to be edited into the final product.
74. Miller had the incredible good fortune of being able to recruit his wife, Margaret Sixel, to edit the footage with an expert eye.
75. The movie was huge, requiring up to 1,700 workers on set to film the action, including over 150 stunt performers, stunt drivers, camera crews and even a team of snake wranglers to clear the path of deadly, desert serpents that impeded production.
76. The stunt crew alone worked more than 15,000 person-days during the shoot, which translates into well over 40 years worth of effort, much of which was spent in high-risk scenarios that would terrify the majority of humans.
77. These numbers don’t include behind-the-scenes work that took place off-site, such as special effects, design and marketing. Even though Miller estimates that 90% of the stunts were live-action, several additional teams were also required to create around 1,500 effects for the film.
78. Computer graphics currently dominate as a blockbuster movie-making trend, but Fury Road instead relies on old-school, live-action stunts to create a unique, visceral experience for the audience. Incredibly, this movie almost ended up as a 3D anime in the style of Akira or Ghost in the Shell.
79. Miller gave audiences around the world a one-of-a-kind, live-action film rather than another movie that relies on CGI.
80. Some fans, especially the purists, feel frustrated that the latest Mad Max film doesn’t feature Mel Gibson. Initially, he was to reprise his role as Max Rockatansky in Fury Road before delays and a series of run-ins with alcohol addiction and the law publicly revealed an anti-semitic and misogynist side of his personality.
81. Before tragically passing away due to an accidental overdose involving prescription medication, Heath Ledger was considered the front-runner for the role of Max – intriguing, considering his universally-lauded turn as the Joker.
82. After the first two Maxes didn’t work out, George Miller chose Tom Hardy, who played Bain in the follow-up to The Dark Knight. All three actors considered for the role of Max have dealt with darker aspects of their own personality, including Hardy, who overcame serious addiction problems before transforming into an acclaimed actor.
83. Similar to the pole-vaulting stunt towards the end of the original Mad Max, one of the signature stunts ofMad Max: Fury Road involves the use of tall poles that whip attackers from one moving vehicle to the next while traveling at significant velocities.
84. Sebastian Dickins, a stuntman with three decades of experience as an acrobat and gymnast, described these pole stunts like “swinging on a trapeze but with the axis on the bottom, not the top.”
85. The poles themselves were made of a special type of strong, flexible steel. Some of them were connected to hydraulics while others used counterweights swung by members of the film crew to approximate a more natural motion.
86. Charlize Theron explained the stunt that induced the greatest amount of anxiety during her time on set. After Furiosa and Max team up, Max almost falls off the War Rig but is caught by Furiosa and a couple of escapees.
87. When the tragedy of 9/11 struck the World Trade Center buildings in New York, the resulting chaos in the financial markets had a severe effect on many economic indicators, including the value of the American dollar against the Australian dollar.
88. Funded in American currency and paid for in Australian money, the destabilization of the US dollar meant that the scope of the movie would have to scaled down to stay within a reasonable budget.
89. Making matters more difficult, after the terrorist attack, vehicles, film gear and other equipment took three months longer to ship and insurance costs increased. Miller ended up putting Mad Max on hiatus, focusing on completing Happy Feet while waiting for the next opportunity to do Fury Road.
90. 9/11 was the first delay in what turned out to be a fourteen year process to get Mad Max: Fury Road in movie theaters.
91. The role of an arid, post-apocalyptic desert was to be played by Broken Hill in New South Wales, Australia, known for drought conditions that have lasted for more than a decade. Just as the movie was slated to start filming, sudden heavy rains broke the long drought, causing wild flowers to bloom, ruining the location as a wasteland.
92. Much to the chagrin of government officials, who fought to have the film made in Broken Hill, the production picked up and moved to Namibia, another drought-ridden desert appropriate for the film.
93. When the crews arrived in Namibia, they were greeted by unprecedented rain – the most the area had seen in well over a century.
94. The Mad Max franchise derives much of its charm from a rogue’s gallery of incredible characters designed to fulfill George Miller’s vision of a post-apocalyptic world gone mad. Creators were given free rein to come up with whatever they wanted, as long as the character or prop had a backstory related to the fictional world.
95. According to Miller, the Doof Warrior that plays the guitar is a blind survivor of the apocalypse who lived in a cave and spent his considerable free time noodling on his guitar. When he was found by Immortan Joe, the Doof Warrior was “recruited” to entertain the troops while rallying them to war.
96. George Miller had a fully-working, flame-throwing electric guitar constructed for the film. Despite an impending explosion of worldwide demand for this flaming axe, plans for mass production have yet to be announced.
97. The plot of the latest Mad Max film features a simple yet powerful premise that links the narrative with feminist issues around the world, in particular the right for women to choose what she does with her own body, especially pertaining to fertility. This and the fact that Charlize Theron dominates the film as Furiosa elicited pathetic, insecure responses from insecure misogynists.
98. During an interview with Vanity Fair, George Miller said, “I’ve gone from being very male dominant to being surrounded by magnificent women. I can’t help but be a feminist.”
99. Throughout the entire run of past Mad Max films, the theme and international tone has stayed the same – an Australian dystopian action film that’s set within a post-apocalyptic world. The men and women who still reside in that world make their way around with the use of wildly designed automobiles.
100.  A future sequel focused on Charlize Theron’s character (Mad Max: Furiosa) has already been announced. Tom Hardy has already signed on to star in four more Mad Maxfilms.