A Field In England concluded

Media Magazine: the appeal of art house cinema

1) Summarise the article in 50 words.

An art film is typically a serious, independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience.character. In other words, they are films that are purposely difficult to understand or ‘read’. Those who think of cinema as being simply entertainment, which is easier to read, are rarely likely to watch an art house film.

2) What are some of the suggested audience pleasures for art house film?

Some of the suggested audience pleasures for art house film may be the interest of the audience and things which they may be able to relate to. 

3) Why do some audiences struggle with arthouse film? Refer to some media theory here (there are some important media theories discussed in the article itself).

Some audiences will struggle with art house film as it may not follow the usual conventions of the films which they have seen and may be difficult to understand.

4) To what extent is arthouse film only for the middle classes and older audiences? Why might this be the case?

The main audiences are generally the middle class or older generations and this may because they are more intellectual and are therefore able to make a clearer understanding in the films as some of them are deliberately difficult to understand and the older audiences as they have a particular interest in some of the films and may not find what the current generations of film makers would consider to be popular and mainstream and therefore unlikely to create revenue.


5) What type of audience would A Field In England appeal to? What about Chicken?

A field in England would appeal to a niche audience, which is why I think that the release strategy was successful as the audiences which had a particular interest would have gone to cinema to see it anyways for the full experience. I think that both chicken and a field in England would appeal to an older audience as they are bound to have a small audience I think it is likely to be an older generation as they are thought to be wiser and will therefore want to watch it, particularly with a field in England it was set in a battlefield and the older generation are bound to be interested in something which is set from their time and will be able to easily remember the war and maybe even relate to it.

A Field In England: BFI report on the release strategy and commercial success

1) Read this BFI Insight report into the release and reception of the film. What was the purpose of the report? 

The report talks about whether or not the distribution strategy was a success or not so that future films producers and distribution companies can decide whether or not they should use this or similar strategy in the future.

2) What was the budget for A Field In England?

-- 300,000 GBP


3) What were the key numbers in terms of cinema box office takings, TV viewers, VOD and DVD sales? 

-- Box Office takings -  £21,399
-- TV reach - 918,000
-- VOD and DVD - 1462 

4) What was the primary target audience for A Field In England? Does this surprise you? How does it contrast with your answer to question 5 in the tasks above?

The target audience by the distribution company was actually 18-25 year olds which is something I find very surprising and completely contradicts my answer in question 5 for the tasks above, however I may be able to see where they came from, as they may have thought that someone in this age may have been interested in war and drugs which is how it would have been for most mainstream films which focus on these things, however I don't think that people of this age would be able to understand this.

5) What did the report conclude with regards to social media and the marketing campaign? How does this link to our Chicken case study?

Chicken use their social media page for people to respond to people and answer questions so that people will become interested in the film as it generates some attention. The marketing plan for "a field in England" was to build interest across all platforms – Channel 4, Film4, Film4OD, Picture house Cinemas, the related websites and social media channels and through VOD channels.

6) Finally, what was the BFI's conclusion with regards to the unusual release strategy for A Field In England? Was it a success? What evidence is provided to argue this point?

This unusual release strategy brought a large amount of attention to the film and released a lot more views then films which got even more views then some other films which had a much larger budget and had a lot longer to make and release the film. It also received a much larger number of reviews, which would be expected of a much larger film. 

Chicken Index

1) British Film Industry factsheet #132
2) British Film Industry factsheets #100
3) Chicken case study research
4) Regulation - BBFC research and tasks
5) A Field In England - initial research and tasks
6) A Field In England & Arthouse cinema - concluded

A field in England

Read the Media Magazine feature on A Field In England in Issue 47 and create a blogpost called 'A Field In England case study'. You'll find the article in our Media Magazine archive - click on MM47 and go to page 19.

1) Write a 100 word summary of the Media Magazine article.

The media magazine article mainly talks about the funding of the film and how it is difficult for many of the art house films to compete in the market of the larger Hollywood films as they have much larger funding and time to create what they think is perfect and also create movies which appeal to a much larger audience and will generate more profit. They also commend how the film took the media industry by storm on their distribution tactic and how it was an excellent way for such a niche film with a restricted audience to receive such great coverage.
2) Read the following pages on the official website for A Field In England and write a one-sentence summary of each. Each page provides explanations of the unique release strategy that the institutions behind the film chose: 

Industrial Evolution: Producer Andy Starke on the music industry influences informing A Field In England’s release strategy.  

This article talks about how the industry is changing and a few years down the line, technology would have advanced to such a stage where films will be projected everywhere and the need for cinemas will become obsolete, which is why they felt it their responsibility to take such a leap in releasing these films in such a unique way. 

Screening/radical release: Commissioning Executive Anna Higgs on the groundbreaking release plans for A Field In England.

She talks about how what they have done is revolutionary and was a Bold statement, it also states that the film is one to watch when experiencing the full cinema experience, which suggests that they would like their audiences to watch in cinema if they can.

Audience: Anna Higgs discusses where A Field In England sits within British cinema and how it will reach its intended audience for the film.

Anna Higgs suggests that it what they have done will help in them reaching its intended target audience and will stand out to audiences, as consumers in this day understand how the business model works and know that if they do not watch it in cinema they are likely to have to wait for around 6 months till they can watch the film and may have actually forgotten about it by then.

3) How was A Field In England’s release different to typical film releases?

A field in England's release is very different to typical film releases it did not follow the usual film business model, where they release a film in cinema and then it is screened on paid movie channels such as Sky movies and then on a cheaper subscription channel or perhaps on freeview and then available on DVD or streaming sites, however for this film they released the film in cinemas, on TV and on DVD all the same time.

4) What are the advantages to releasing the film across all platforms on the same day?

It will reach a much larger audience without a doubt.

5) What are the disadvantages to this approach?

Less people are likely to see this film in cinema so they are very likely to receive a much smaller amount of profit, as the audiences know that they are easily able to watch the films at home for free.

6) What target audience would A Field In England be aimed at? Think about demographics and Psychographics.

I think that the demographic for a field in England is more likely to be the older generation who are interested in the war and are less likely to be as interested in things which this generation may classify to be popular and mainstream. It may appeal to the explorers also.

7) Do you think all films in future will be released across all platforms simultaneously in future? Why? What role will technology play in film distribution?

I don't think that films in the future will be released across all platforms simultaneously in the future as it would simply kill the market for the cinema and  think that for most mainstream films there is an audience which have a demand for the films will go to the cinema to visit, which may bring up the point that if audiences are that passionate they will go to view it in cinemas, however this may not be the case for individual comedy films for example or cartoon films where parents would rather just watch the film at home, rather than pay the premium for the whole family to visit.

8) Why was Chicken unable to use such a release and distribution strategy when it was made in 2014? 

It was independently funded and didn't have a large distribution company such as film 4 to invest and help release it. 

Chicken Case Study

Funding
1) What was the budget for Chicken?

In order to make Chicken, director Joe Stephenson raised £110,000.

2) How did Joe Stephenson end up raising the money to make the film?

In order to make Chicken, director Joe Stephenson raised £110,000.Raised entirely through investment by individuals (e.g. rich friends/contacts), as no funding body was willing to fund Chicken.

3) How does the Chicken budget compare to a Hollywood-funded British blockbuster such
as Spectre or Paddington 2?

The budget for Chicken is much smaller then the large budget which Paddington 2 had which was over 50 million dollars and doesn't even compare to Spectre which had a massive 250 million dollar budget which is why it is surprising how successful it has been and the quality of the film.

4) Joe Stephenson tried to secure funding from organisations that help low-budget
filmmakers. What is the BFI Film Fund and how does it contribute to the British film industry?

The BFI uses National Lottery funds to develop and support original UK filmmakers and films, and to increase the audiences who can enjoy them.

5) Why do you think Chicken failed to secure funding from the BFI Film Fund?

I think that Chicken failed to secure funding from the BFI film fund as it would cater to a niche audience and is therefore more likely to be seen as non profitable or to have very minimal profits so it would simply not be worth the risk of investment in such a film.


 
Production

1) What difficulties did the film run into during production?

The film ran into many issues during production as it was filmed outside, and  almost all external locations were victim to rain, issues with lighting and other issues which came along with filming outdoors.

2) How many days did the film take to shoot?

19 days.

3) What scenes were particularly difficult for Joe Stephenson to film?


Distribution

1) Why did the film fail to secure a distribution deal when first made in 2014?

I think that Chicken failed to secure a distribution deal as it would cater to a niche audience and is therefore more likely to be seen as non profitable or to have very minimal profits so it would simply not be worth the risk of investment in such a film.

2) What film festivals did Chicken feature at between 2014-2016?

• 2015 Edinburgh Film Festival 
• 2015 Busan International Film Festival
• New Hampshire International Film Festival 

3) Why are film festivals an effective way for a low-budget film to secure a distribution deal?

Film festivals are an excellent way for films to get attention as people will come for other films as a range of films will be showing, and some of the bigger names can help bring in attention for the smaller and low budget films.

4) When was Chicken released in cinemas in the UK?

27 June 2015

5) Why do you think film subscription service MUBI chose the film to feature on the service?

MUBI is said to be the classic film lovers site, which is why it has to appeal to niche audiences also and may have to appeal to them even more then they have to promote popular films as they know that they will already receive exposure, which is why they have to show quality films which have done an excellent job with what resources they have and are hypothetically made for the niche audiences and not necessarily made for profit.

6) Why was Film4 a good choice to give the film its UK television premiere?

Film 4 is a good choice to give the film its UK television premiere as it receives a high amount of exposure due to the fact that it airs very popular films, however does still show films which would appeal to a niche audience and it one of the few which receive a large amount of views as it is not a paid channel, however is still able to show new and popular films which are usually associated with the paid channels such as Sky as they have advertisements during the films which they play, which is where they receive most of their funding from.

7) When will the film be released on iTunes and other video-on-demand services in the USA and Canada?

In January 2018, which is where it will receive even more exposure.


Promotion

Note: some of these pages will be blocked in school - you will need to complete those particular questions at home.

1) What does the trailer suggest regarding genre and the potential audience pleasures of Chicken?

The trailer suggests that the film will have a potentially niche audience, and the genre is likely to be a drama.

2) What synergy can you find between the trailer and other traditional marketing methods such as the film poster?


3) Why are reviews from industry figures such as Mark Kermode so important to a film's success?

The reviews from industry figures are extremely important to a films success as this is what viewers will base them spending their valued time and money on. There are two reasons which the reviews from industry figures will be particularly important for a film such as chicken, one being that with ticket prices rising so much recently people are much more sceptical about the films which they watch and often search for the reviews of the film, another being that this film is very likely to have a niche audience, and this often means that they are movie connoisseur and this means that they will definitely value the reviews of industry figures.

4) How does the Chicken Twitter account create and maintain interest in the film?

The chicken twitter account can help in bringing attention to the film in a way which other movies have done so in the past by answering questions and Perhaps even giving unusual responses to bring attention.

5) Who does the Twitter account re-tweet? How does this help to promote the film?

The movie can also receive attention and be promoted by people retweeting about the movie as their friends and followers on Twitter will see this and some are bound to enjoy the look of this film and retweet it themselves. It may even reach the attention of some celebrities And if they were to retweet it there would be a lot of exposure to the movie.

6) How does the Chicken Facebook page use images and video content to promote the film?

The chicken Facebook page uses snippets of the film and posters with key bits of the film to bring attention to people who may be scrolling past.

7) What pages are liked by the Chicken Facebook page? What does this tell you about the film and potential target audience?

The new Hampshire film festival is liked by the chicken Facebook page which shoes that although currently it may have a niche audience and they know that, the producers would like it to appeal to a larger audience which is why they want to link themselves with things such as film festivals.

8) Go to the B Good Picture Company's website page for Chicken. What celebrities are mentioned on the page? Why might they be highlighted?

Ian McAllen was mentioned on the page who is the actor best known for playing Gandalf. He may be mentioned as the films which he acted in where thought to be niche, however turned out to be large successes and made a lot of money. As he said that the film was good it may show that he believes this film has similar potential.

9) Now go to the film's official website. What is the key purpose of the website and what does this tell you about the influence of new technology and how it is changing howpeople watch films?

The films website can be used to bring attention to the film and ad the film had such a low budget which shoes that it is now very inexpensive to make such websites in today's age. 
10) Go to the B Good Picture Company YouTube channel. What videos feature on the channel? How do they help to promote Chicken?

The BBFC

1) Research the BBFC in more detail: what is the institution responsible for? How is it funded? What link does it have to government?

The British Board of Film Classification is a non-governmental organization, founded by the film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of films exhibited at cinemas.

 2) Read this BBFC guide to how films are rated. Summarise the process in 50 words.
Anyone who wants to release a film, video or DVD for showing in cinemas or watching at home has to make sure that it has a BBFC age rating. It's against the law to sell videos and DVDs without this.The Compliance Officers' daily viewing programme consists of a combination of film and DVD material. These compliance officers watch the uploaded films, DVD's or TV shows where they are viewed in the BBFC theatre room so that the experience is that of those in the cinema.

 3) Read this BBFC outline of the issues faced when classifying a film. Summarise the debate in 50 words.

4) Read this BBFC section on controversial decisions. Why did The Dark Knight generate a large amount of media coverage regarding its certificate? Do you agree with the 12A certificate The Dark Knight was awarded?

The Dark Night received a lot of media attention, as some people, particularly parents had an issue with the amount of violence in the film.

5) What are the guidelines for a 15 certificate?

- The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour, although there may be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory themes and language.
- Drug taking may be shown but the work as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse.
- Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Whether the depiction of easily accessible weapons is acceptable will depend on factors such as realism, context and setting.
- There may be strong language. Very strong language may be permitted, depending on the manner in which it is used, who is using the language, its frequency within the work as a whole and any special contextual justification.
- There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context. There may be nudity in a sexual context but usually without strong detail.
- Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury.
6) The BBFC website offers an explanation of every classification it makes and detailed case studies on selected titles. Look at the rating for Chicken and explain why it was given a 15 certificate.

There was use of strong language and violence along side references to rape.

Media Awards

Click

The narrative kept the audience engaged and the use of interesting central characters encouraged the engagement of the audience. The film included the genres drama and action which was recognised through the conventions used such as the build of tension as the guns were taken out of the briefcase. The use of the prop of guns was a signal that this film is of the action genre. The narrative was also well developed with the supernatural element of the power when he clicked his fingers. This convention presents elements of mystery/drama. The characters costume was smart an professional as they were dressed in suits which created a seriousness to the characters. The character roles were identified through the use of costume and body language/placement - The ringleader was dressed in a long leather jacket holding the briefcase, placed in the middle of the crew. His facial expression was more conniving, mischievous and daring compared to the other characters. Tension, drama and mystery is built throughout this film, especially during the long shot of the characters walking in slow motion - this creates curiosity for the audience questioning who they are using Barthes theory of enigma codes. The close up prop of the gun was an effective action code. The character roles in this film do not tend to follow Propp's character theory - the hero/protagonist is also a villain as we see him betraying other characters and killing for money; the donor is also seen as a villain. Sound was an important feature to the film as it created realness and drama. The sounds of gunshots made it more realistic, creating a dramatic scene of characters being shot. The editing of the film was also effective having an engaging effect on the audience as the fast paced edit followed and kept up with the action and captured the buildup of tension throughout. Following this point, towards the end of the video the editing of the camera speeding up was effective as it showed how the characters were frozen in time as time was going by.

Out of mind

This film used a build up of curiosity and tension right from the beginning - there was a lack of dialogue during the first couple of minutes which created suspicion and a lack of knowledge of the audience. The lack of dialogue from the beginning also created an ambiguous setting which was continued throughout the rest of the film. This film used Barthes theory of enigma codes throughout, purposely leaving out answers and explanations to key events that was encountered by the protagonist which created mystery, drawing the audience's attention. In this films, camera shots/movement and lighting was a key element of media used to create drama and realism. The high key lighting used throughout the film and in the different settings such as the house creates a realistic setting, making the film seem more realistic and less staged. The close up shots used of character's faces along with high key lighting successfully exposes the characters faces, clearly showing their facial expressions and emotion in their face. The use of music at a faster pace builds tension when the character realises that her dad does not remember her- at this point the audience is confused, tense and questioning what is going on with the shock that something is wrong/ not normal. This further engages the audience as they want their questions to be answered so would continue to watch as they are drawn it at this point by the narrative.

Euphoria

One of the strongest points of this film was the use of sound and audio. Dialogue was an important aspect of this film in order to keep up with the story line. The consistent use of parallel was effective because it heightened the feeling of tension in the film,engaging the audience more having more of an impact on the audience.The use of different camera angles also engaged the audience - the angle from the characters perspective was effective as it put us in the character's shoes, grabbing the audiences attention. The continuous use of close ups helped to portray the story line, making the plot clearer and easier to follow - this was a good use of cinematography.  

Factsheet 100

1) What is the 'cultural test' to see if a film counts as British?

The Cultural Test is divided into four sections (Cultural Context, Cultural Contribution, Cultural Hubs and Cultural Practitioners). A film must score at least 16 out of 31 points to be classified as British.

2) Complete the task on the Factsheet, researching the films listed and finding out what they score on the cultural test: Sweeney, Attack The Block, The King's Speech, We Need To Talk About Kevin and Sky all.

 

  3) What is the main problem for the British film industry?

Many UK films are made but, in order to get the film exhibited, the filmmakers have to sacrifice the distribution rights by selling the film to a distribution company. Once sold, all revenue from cinema screenings, DVD and Blu-ray sales, plus sales to television companies, are lost. Even a highly successful British film is not necessarily making money that will be reinvested into British filmmaking.

4) What are three of the strengths of the British film industry?

Despite intense competition from Hollywood and the on-going issues of funding and marketing, Britain has had a film industry since well before World War I and several important film studios are British, such as Ealing Studios and Pinewood Studios. The British film industry has several strengths that make it the third biggest film industry in the world. British films take 5% of world box-office takings, which is extraordinary for such a small nation.

5) What are the two options for the future of the British film industry?

Firstly, British filmmakers could choose to rely upon co-productions with American studios to keep the industry afloat. However, the drawback would be that much of what makes the film British may be lost, such as regional accents and dialects or cultural and political
references. Since these features would make no sense to an audience outside of Britain, it is unlikely that an American company involved in a co-production would approve of them.

The UK film industry’s second option is to attempt to make low budget films targeted at a niche, British audience. Though the production costs will have to be lower and box-office taking and profits will necessarily be lower too, the filmmakers will be able to retain what it is that makes British films so distinctive without compromise. Careful sale of distribution rights could also mean that profits are channelled back into the UK film industry. For example, The King’s Speech (dir. Hooper, 2010) was partially funded by the UK Film Council and the British production and distribution company Momentum. It was intended for a British and European audience but went on to be hugely successful in America and the rest of the world too. Its content is stereotypically English and, despite costing only around £8 million to make, it went on to take over £230 million worldwide and to win the Best Picture Oscar in 2011.

6) In your opinion, which of these two options would best safeguard the future of the British film industry?

I think that the second option works better as small budget films have potential to make an extremely large amount of money as they would have only invested a small amount, so even if a film is not very successful a lot of money will not be lost. This way they wont have to merge and wont lose what makes them British. It will keep the main viewers, who are the British population, extremely happy. They may be able to include more British content which can help represent the country. They may also be able to include content which other countries may not be able to understand and include more British humour. They may also be able to create content which the whole country will find relatable by doing things such as including British Slang.

Fact Sheet 132

1) Write a one-sentence definition of what makes a film British.

To qualify as a British film it must be one of the following:

-Be set in the UK.
-The lead characters are British Citizens or residents.
-The film is based on British subject matter.

2) What is the difference between a Hollywood production context and production context of a British film?

 

Hollywood production context means that most films made by Hollywood studios

have high budgets, a heavy reliance on celebrities both in the cast and crew and spectacle driven stories. Whereas the independent production context films tend to have low budgets, character rather than spectacle driven stories and a heavier reliance on word of mouth and viral advertising.

The British film production context does not have as many clearly defined characteristics. British films can be large budget, high concept films such as Harry

Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (Warner Brothers, 2010) and Skyfall (MGM, 2012) or they can be character driven, small budgeted films such

as Kill List (Optimum Releasing, 2011) or This is England (Optimum Releasing, 2006).

3) When did the James Bond franchise start?

The 1960s brought about the start of  the James Bond franchise as well as a greater involvement of American money and talent, as well as an upsurge in experimentation that fell along with the shifting cultural norms of the 1960s. The first production being 'Dr No' in 1962.

 

4) In terms of film censorship and graphic content, what began to change in British film in the 1970s and 1980s?

The British film industry in the 1970s was dominated by the subject of censorship that continued into the video nasties banning of the 1980s.

 The 1970s sees a rise in British Films of sexual content, both the act of sexand sex linked to violence with films like A Clockwork Orange (Warner Bros 1971) coming under a lot of scrutiny. The 1980s see the rise of videos and the ‘video nasty’s scare where filmmaking was becoming more accessible and more extreme content was being created and finding its way into Britain. 

5) What groups are often represented in British film? Give examples of films these groups feature in.

 

Youth-Bend it like Beckham/ Slum dog millionaire.
Women - Bend it like Beckham
 

6) What does the Factsheet suggest might be the audience appeal of British film?

Television which focuses on British culture seems to be successful to British audiences. where known British locations are featured. They also have a keen interest in British films which focus on class, social strife, education and more.