Contemporary British Cinema

New YouTube uploads

2009-06-11T11:24:00.002Z

Hi all
I've just added a few more of the animations you did last year to the TCC media YouTube channel. Go there and post some comments - who can get the most views?

I'd like to add some of the Music Videos too - any objections to this please let me know. They'll probably be taken down anyway as they are getting tough on copyright. It's for educational use so fear not; none of you are in danger of prosecution!

KEY TERMS

2009-06-09T16:52:00.003Z

This list is NOT exhaustive - just a few things you might consider touching on in the exam!

The Magazine Industry:
Demographics
Psychographics
niche/mass/mainstream audie
ABC1’s
C2DE’s
aspirational
readership
circulation
cover price
subscription
editor / sub editor
contents page
double page spread
editorial
mode of address
tone (warm and inclusive)
connotations
iconography
symbolism
semiotics
advertorial
feature
regular feature
lead article
revenue streams
profitability
audience as product
consumerism
materialism
capitalism
effects theory
uses and gratifications model
feminism
post-feminism
body colonisation
self esteem
domestic vs public sphere
male gaze - Mulvey
ABC – NRS
synergy
multi platform / cross media
accepted/negotiated/oppositional
branding
affluenza
Body image
Idealised
Unattainable beauty
Airbrushing/photoshopping
Ritual pleasure of consuming the familiar
Tactile – aesthetic

Contemporary British Cinema:
Working Title / Universal
FilmFour (both TV and production co)
BBC Films
Verve Pictures
UK Film Council
Development
Premiere
New Cinema
P & A
Digital Screen Network
First Light Pictures
Skillset
BFI
Screenonline
Sight and Sound
BBFC
Distribution (digital)
Licensing
Marketing (campaign)
Logistics
Vertical integration
Theatrical release
DVD/Video rights
TV rights
Blanket marketing
Staggered release
USP – unique selling point
Audience targeting
Multiplatform
Viral marketing
Social realism
Naturalistic
Super 16 / 35mm
Handheld/immediacy
Budget / production values
Semi-autobiographical
Fractured audiences
Niche / mainstream audience
‘Specialist’ – ‘independent’
Digital / online age
BAFTA / BIFA
DCMS
Bullet Boy (Dibb, 2004)
This Is England (Meadows, 2006)

REVISION SESSIONS

2009-06-01T10:48:00.004Z

Fancy a spot of revision then?
Get along to one or more of these...

Wednesday 3th June - from 3.20
Tuesday 9th June - from 2.20

All sessions will be in room 101. Content to include: feedback on essays, exam technique, revision tips, wider reading, re-cap and consolidation of knowledge and, of course, some Media Frisbee!

CRS resitters - come along to one of these sessions to pick up your cover sheets - see me ASAP if you need more help or advice.

Please post a comment to this post if you intend coming to any of these sessions so I have a rough idea of numbers.

Happy studying! :-)

Mr. M

Exam revision

2008-05-16T14:35:00.004Z

So, what are you going to do to make sure you write the perfect Contemporary British Cinema answer in the Issues and Debates paper then?

1. Know at least THREE films inside out. And two or more others for back up. Make sure your big three provide contrast. So, some of the low budget gritty realism of Bullet Boy, London to Brighton or This Is England. One of the big shiny high budget Working Title features (either the 'British history lite for the US market' of Elizabeth or the idealised sunny London middle class nirvana of Love Actually).

2. You should be confident that you know your big three synoptically. That is in terms of:
-Media forms and conventions
-Media representations
-Media institutions
-Media audiences

3. Read widely around some of the issues that currently affect British Cinema. Check the MediaGuardian and other online newspaper pages, the Working Title webpage, sight and sound magazine for what is going on...and the links to britfilms etc (on the right)

4. Choose your question carefully (you anwser one of two questions for each topic) and plan and structure your answer accordingly. Spend 5-8 mins planning you response before writing. This will add clarity and provide a more measured response. Work on 6-8 main body paragraphs along with a brief intro and conclusion. Refer to the question throughout.

5. Have an opinion. It is an issues and debates paper after all so debate the issues! Just make sure you have ample evidence to back up your argument otherwise you sound ill-informed and like you are just having a rant.

6. Learn some quotes. Get on IMDB if you were too lazy to write them down during class.

7. Relax. You should know this stuff by now - it is just a matter of recall and calmly going about answering the question. Breathe 'low and slow' and if you feel yourself tensing up 'stop, drop and flop'.

8. Spend one hour only on each question. Time management is important.

9. Plan and write some answers to past paper questions (OCR site). Bring them to either of us for marking and feedback.

10. Study hard (short term pain for long term gain) and then you can relax like Gal/Ray (above) and hang out by the pool during summer knowing you gave it your best. Just watch out for boulders.

Almost Rosy

2008-04-09T11:15:00.005Z

Complete the following tasks, based around the article 'Almost Rosy' from Sight and Sound (BFI, January 2007, pp22-24) given out in class this week; which you have ALL read ;)
Complete this in class time and over the weekend for homework. Answers due next week. Any questions - post a comment.

What films are FilmFour 'back in business' with? (column 2)
What is the main difference between Europe and the UK in terms of the way TV puts money into film. (column 2 + 3)
"That is because in the UK the tradition has been less protective of film culture and more concerned with commercial viability". Why does the author see this policy as a 'contradiction in terms'?(column 3)
How much of Channel 4's initial programming spend was committed to films? (column 5)
How long does the author say FilmFour remained a 'serious player on the UK film scene'?
Briefly summarise what happened to FilmFour and it's role now. (column 5,6)
While FilmFour 'crashed and burned' what was the BBC doing? (column 6)
Briefly summarise how BBC Films operates, how well it is doing and what sort of budgets they work with. (column 7)
Which film does Tessa Ross (FilmFour) cite as being most proud of? Why does she feel it best represents FilmFour? (column 8)
The Road to Guantanamo (Whitecross/Winterbottom, 2006) was premiered on Channel 4. What did this give the film that it may not have got through a theatrical release? (column 9)
What do both Mark Thompson and Tessa Ross believe is the key to success for broadcaster led film companies? (column 9)
The Queen (Frears, 2006) tops the box office table in the last page. Why is this film seen as such a shining success? What factors do you think contributed to this?

What I saw in the holidays....

2008-03-21T12:12:00.008Z

So then, what brilliant/dire/average British films have you seen over the Easter break?

Once you've seen one, get on the net and do a little digging - reviews, box office, production companies, awards, articles - synoptic stuff.

Post a comment as a personal response but try to use some film terms where appropriate (genre, audience, camerawork, editing, characterisation, mise-en-scene, style, tone, lighting and colour, narrative, sound etc)
Stuck for ideas at the video store? How about this years' Bafta nominations for Best British Film? Control, Eastern Promises, The Bourne Ultimatum, Atonement. Last years': Casino Royale, The Last King of Scotland, Notes on a Scandal, The Queen, United 93. After something a little more 'indy'? Here is some nominations from the 2006 BIFA's:
Kidulthood, Red Road, Severance, Shooting Dogs, The Road To Guantanamo, The Wind that Shakes the Barley.

Chocolate bar to the first poster who can name the famous film that this still frame from The Cottage (Paul Andrew Williams, 2008) clearly pays homage to.....

London to Brighton

2008-03-19T12:30:00.013Z

Find out more about Paul Andrew Williams' blistering feature film debut by following these links:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article645728.ece

http://www.britfilms.tv/index.php?id=1351

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_to_brighton

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Andrew_Williams

http://www.l2b-themovie.co.uk/l2b.html

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0490166/

Read a range of reviews for the film. Is there a common thread of praise or scorn? What are the things that reviews tend to focus on? Add a summary to your viewing notes.

Find out what the budget was. Did they recieve any extra funding? How long did the script take to write - how long to shoot? Find out some detail about the production and add to your screening notes.

Write your personal reponse to the film. Did you like it? What did you like about it/dislike? Also consider the representations of gender and criminality in the film. Be specific and use correct film terminology where appropriate.

Working Title Films - case study

2008-03-13T10:52:00.006Z

Undertake some detailed research on Working Title Films. Who are they? Where are they based? When were they established? By whom? What, and when, was their breakthrough hit film? What sorts of films are they best known for? What are your favourites? (write these as a comment to this post) What are some of their more successful titles? Do they have any special relationships with certain writers or directors? What major awards have they recieved?

Read these articles (and print/take notes) from the bbc and The Guardian. Use their wikipedia entry and official website (have a look at the archive to get an idea of the variety in their work) and other internet resources. Also consider your own knowledge and understanding of Working Title Films.

Final big question:

How do you account for their continued success despite the regular forecasts of doom and gloom for the British film industry? Write at least one side of A4 on this question. Make at least five key points, use PEE and back up with specific examples from a range of films.

Start in lesson, finish for homework and hand in first media lesson next week.

Finally, your favourite Working Title films as comments to this post please...get some healthy debate going!

Bullet Boy

2007-05-13T20:08:00.000Z

Read your Bullet Boy notes yet? Remember to answer questions 1-6 and three others of your choice for Thurday/Friday's lesson. More BB stuff below....

Click here for detailed production notes from Verve Pictures

What is film distribution? Click here for a screenonline summary. Go there, read it and follow links to notes on film marketing, licensing and digital distribution.

Here is a distribution case study on, you guessed it, Bullet Boy. Read it!

View the opening scenes again here - lots of other scenes posted on YouTube

Pitch me your idea then...

2007-05-04T14:28:00.000Z

So you wanna make a movie eh?

How are you going to get funding?

What cash is out there simply waiting for you to get your eager mitts on so you can start developing that script, shooting it or editing it?

What if you have done all this already but just need that crucial distribution deal to get your film out there?

Your task is to find out...

So, do some research....use links to the right eg: uk film council, BBC films, channel 4's guide to making movies is a good place to start. Shane Meadows even has a few tips for you...

Be detailed, what different funds do the UK film council offer. How do you apply? Check out some of the forms....are they easy, what pre-requisites or limitations are there?

What about short films - is this easier to get funding for?

Bring you research and your pitch to class for Thursday 10 May!

Pitch to include:

genre (sub-genre)

tone and style

locations

themes explored

possible actors / key crew

Is This England?

2007-04-27T13:40:00.000Z

Can you see what I did there?

This is what Thommo thinks of it all. He can't even see the film because of the absurd R18 rating...

A film that explores one of the most pressing social issues this country faces and we can't even get to see it in our local multiplex. What a joke!
Released today and neither Ipswich or Bury are showing 'This Is England'.

But don't worry, you can still see brilliant works of cinema like Mr. Bean's Holiday, Music & Lyrics, and Wild Hogs. Of course, these films tell us much more about what is to be British....*sarcastic and resigned sigh*

Timesonline review here

Click here and send Cineworld an email telling them what you think...Sick of the same tedious Hollywood drek at the Multiplex? Then do something about it.... customer.services@cineworld.co.uk
Comments??

Shane Meadows - This Is England tasks

2007-04-26T14:04:00.003Z

Research tasks - This Is England.

Using the headings below, conduct synoptic research for This Is England:

Institutions - producers, production companies, distribution & marketing, funding, budget, box office takings, dvd sales.

Critical acclaim - awards, reviews (read at least two separate reviews from a range of sources e.g. established newspapers or magazines)

Forms and conventions - genre, style, tone. (look at the poster and tagline as well as close textual detail)

Representations - Britain (1980's and today), youth, gender, family, ethnicity.

Director - Who is Shane Meadows? Upbringing and education, influences, previous and current work, subject matter & style.

Below is video of Mark Kermode interviewing Shane Meadows on The Culture Show. Mainly about his new film 'This is England' but some good stuff about his filmmaking style.

"What I did in the holidays"

2007-03-29T09:02:00.000Z

Easy task for your Easter break. Go and see (or rent) a contemporary British film. Find out a bit more about it (synoptic research). Post a comment here on what you thought about it (any aspect). Comment on your peers' comments. Comment on comments of comments. You get the idea; it's an issues and debates paper, so get some debate going!

Current 'British' films on at the cinema or soon to be released include: Mr. Bean's Holiday, Outlaw, Becoming Jane, Sunshine, Catch a Fire, I Want Candy, Notes on a Scandal, Gone, Goal 2: Living the Dream.

Elizabeth tasks

2007-03-21T15:18:00.000Z

Conduct some internet research into Elizabeth. Include the following:

Who is Shekhar Kapur? Education, previous and current work. Filmic style.

Critical success - reviews, awards, box office takings (Britain and overseas)

Institutions - production companies, funding, distribution (who are they and where are they from?)

Is it a 'British' film - consider subject matter, cast and crew (especially writer/ director /producer, locations (details)
The sequel - details including cast, producers, locations. Why would working title green light 'The Golden Age'?

Type up in word - no cut and paste. Cite your sources. One page minimum.

Essay title:
Discuss the representations of Britain and Britishness in Elizabeth (Shekhar Kapur, 1998). Use specific examples from the text to illustrate your points.

Include an introduction, six to eight main paragraphs and a conclusion.

Owww, that hurts...

2007-03-11T11:48:00.000Z

Who is the secret santa?
He taught them everything they (Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg) know.
Well, he was certainly a big inspiration.

Hot Fuzz - as good as Shaun of the Dead? Or more pop-culture drivel rotting the minds of the youth of today with gratuitous violence and bad language...your comments.

Posting comments to the blog

2007-03-08T13:34:00.000Z

As much as I love your cool alias' and pseudonyms that you post with could you please add your real name at the end of your comments.
That way I know who to address in both the virtual and real worlds.
Thanks.
Mr. M

Read this review...

2007-02-27T22:52:00.000Z

...of Sexy Beast from Eye Weekly and compare it to this review from Film 4.

Essay question: "To what extent is Sexy Beast a successful British film?"

Consider the following: genre, characters and themes, style (including camerawork, editing and sound), box office/DVD sales, awards and criticism/reviews, representations (gender & class).

Use notes taken in class and personal research work to inform your answer. Use quotes where appropriate.

And the Oscar goes to...

2007-02-26T18:00:00.000Z

So the Brits didn't fare as well of they might have at the recent Oscars... Never mind, Dame Helen still grabbed the gold statuette for Best Actress. The Best Actor Oscar also went to a British film. This time to Forest Whittaker for his powerhouse performance in Kevin Macdonald's The Last King of Scotland.
Should we really worry about overseas recognition for British films? Should they be made to compete internationally? Should we stick to making films about what it means to be British for a British audience? Your comments...

Welcome...

2007-02-26T11:50:00.000Z

...to the Thurston Community College Contemporary British Cinema blog. Here you will find useful links and posts relating to the topic which is part of the broader OCR Media Studies Unit 2735 - Media Issues and Debates.

As the title of the unit suggests the best way to do well in this exam is to have a fair grasp of a range of issues and debates surrounding Contemporary British Cinema. In order to do this you need to read widely, view lots of films, think critically, show personal engagement and debate the issues. Remember, this is a synoptic unit so it draws on ALL of the Media Studies Key Concepts.

Posting your own ideas to this blog is an excellent way of engaging with the issues and developing and forming your own opinions. So get clicking and post your comments; or I'll set Don Logan on you!