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Consider Curran and Seatons industry theory
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C+S say that these companies create a concentrated industry and concentration inhibits creativity and quality
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An independent film is one produced outside of these major film studios
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Consider Hesmondhalgh theory - minimising risk and maximising profits e.g. by formatting
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Afrofuturism: Often uses science-fiction conventions and might use these to explore; Present realities for black people, Black history, Colonialism. Aims to connect the African diaspora to their African ancestry. Imagining a possible future where Africa and black people are central, not marginalised
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Representations of Africa (in the film): Marked contrast to typical representations of Africa as dangerous or underdeveloped, Africa is an advanced civilisation, more advanced than the rest of the world, beautiful and diverse – not just a scorched desert
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MARKETING/INDSUTRY
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Disney purchased Marvel Entertainment in 2009
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When Disney bought Marvel, this included the rights to Black Panther
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Production: Marvel Studios made Black Panther
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A subsidiary of Disney
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Distribution: Walt Disney studios motion pictures
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Also a subsidiary of the Disney conglomerate
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Disney uses vertical integration
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Disney is a huge company and very wealthy
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Black Panther’s budget was $200 million
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Set up for global releases
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Black Panther was released internationally
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Disney’s marketing campaign cost an estimated $150 million
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Marvel’s Vice President for marketing said they wanted to make it “feel like a cultural event” (360 degrees marketing)
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The campaign tried to broaden the appeal of the film to a diverse audience
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Interscope Records (tie-in album): Prominently features rapper Kendrick Lamar, Mostly black artists, Young urban black male audience, Not necessarily the core Marvel audience (or, not the audience Marvel usually targets)
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New York Fashion Week show: Black people are underrepresented in fashion, This show also targets women – not traditionally Marvel’s core audience, International audiences
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Hasbro: Targets young children, Communicates that the film is family-friendly, Particular focus on black children - underrepresented group
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Lexus: Affluent audience, Only those high up the social grade scale (A, B) could afford a limited-edition Lexus, Cars target a traditionally male audience, Synergistic relationship – the car promotes the film, and vice-versa
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*Superbowl: Sports fans, Traditionally male, Mainstream – Superbowl is a huge sporting event, Massive, international audience – and not only sports fans, Advertising during the Superbowl is therefore expensive,The ad communicates quality and prestige
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Media producers want to minimise risk and maximise profit
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One way to do this is by working with proven formulas
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- Tie-ins with other successful Marvel films
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- Pre-sold audience: Appealing to Marvel fans, Appealing to fans of the comic
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- Backing of a global conglomerate
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- Famous actors / stars
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- Big budget, expansive marketing campaign
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- Popular genre
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... HOWEVER...
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Black Panther is one of the lesser-known Marvel characters – this is the first adaptation of the comic
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Disney can afford to spend - B. PANTHER has a large budget
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... BUT... Disney does care about profit and needs to make this money back
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Timing was key for this film – a ‘window’ in which the film can find a place in the crowded cinema marketplace
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Part of Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
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Announced as early as 2014 – 4 years before Black Panther’s release
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Allows fans to anticipate the film
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And places it within the context of the MCU
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Black Panther released amid controversy about race in film
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#OscarsSoWhite Twitter hashtag; no people of colour nominated for Oscars in 2016
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Greater scrutiny of representation of black people in media
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£2 million budget
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Made $15.8 million
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By comparison – Black Panther’s budget was $200 million
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No famous actors, No extravagant sets for IDB
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The social realism genre makes a virtue of these restrictions
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The authenticity emphasised in marketing can be achieved on a low budget
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Production: Produced by Ken Loach’s small, independent production company, Sixteen Films AND Partnered with Why Not, a small French company
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Sixteen Films and Why Not are only production companies
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Like lots of independent film companies, they are not vertically integrated
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Distribution: Distribution and marketing was done by eOne
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Canadian company
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eOne is a conglomerate: operates in film, TV, music and other areas
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Independent films sometimes have to rely on larger companies for distribution – they have better connections
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More funding came from British Film Institute and BBC Films
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DOES I, DANIEL BLAKE meet the BBC remit?
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- Sustaining citizenship and civil society: The film raises awareness of important social issues
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- Stimulating creativity and cultural excellence: Offers opportunities to cast and crew of (presumably) British citizens, Ken Loach was already established as an excellent director
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- Representing the UK, its nations, regions and communities: The film represents marginalised working class communities, Set in Newcastle – the north is typically underrepresented in media
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- Bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK: International co-production (with French and Canadian partners), Released and acclaimed internationally
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Trinity Mirror partnership
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eOne partnered with Trinity Mirror to put sponsored content in the Daily Mirror newspaper
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The character Daniel Blake ‘wrote’ a column on his experiences, as if he was a real person
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The Mirror has a left-leaning political agenda and readership.
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eOne harnessed the news agenda, generating conversation around socio-political themes and positioning it as a must-see film.
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It was a multi-platform campaign.
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It involved preview screenings around the UK with the newspaper giving away 10 000 tickets.
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Guerilla marketing: This means doing something outside of traditional media channels
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These strategies are inexpensive
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But have a high impact
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They can reach audiences who might not engage with traditional media
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They might also be reported in traditional media
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But at a lower cost, and in a less commercial context, than placing an advert
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Because they are different to normal marketing, they are memorable
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Viral marketing
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Twitter hashtag on the film’s poster
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This is a low-cost, word-of-mouth way of getting people talking about the film
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It also invited audiences to share their experiences and tied the marketing to the themes of the film
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I, Daniel Blake and Black Panther are similar in that both campaigns tried to communicate that this is “not just a film”
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Consider Curran and Seaton industry theory
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Selling points of the trailer
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1. Establishes social realism quickly - “I am appointed to carry out assessments for Employment Support Allowance”
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- Could create a binary opposition between this film and escapist mainstream film
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2. Emphasises credibility and success on screen
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- Palme d’Or rosette, BBC and BFI affiliations, Ken Loach’s name as synonymous with quality, Quotes from reviews
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3. Emotional impact
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- Emotive, melancholy piano score
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Quite unlike the film which has a very minimal score (most scenes have no music)
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**What defines a 'British' film?
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The British Film Institute (BFI) defines what films can be considered British
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British films qualify for tax relief (i.e. they pay less tax)
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This is an incentive to make films in the UK
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There are also co-productions
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These are collaborations between more than one country’s film industry
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The BFI offers a cultural test for films to be certified as British
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To ‘pass’ a film must score 18 points
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I, DANIEL BLAKE IS A BRITISH FILM - scoring maybe between 30 and 35
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Why is IDB a British film?:
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- British (and French) funding for Production - Including: The BFI (British Film Institute) and the BBC
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-Director – Ken Loach - British
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- Producer, Writer, Actors – all British
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- Filmed in Newcastle, UK (Crew likely to be British)
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- Characters are from London and Newcastle
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- Narrative is about the English Benefits System – a British political issue.
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FILM FESTIVALS + AWARDS
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Non-mainstream films often rely on film festivals
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They often appear at festivals before being released
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I, Daniel Blake showed at 17 festivals before its premiere
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The first screening was at Cannes: The film won a prestigious Palme d’Or prize
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Cannes is a marketplace
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Films partly play there to find distributors
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A film might get picked up for distribution in multiple countries
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Distribution is crucial
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If nobody distributes the film, audiences can’t see it in cinemas
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Cannes is the most prestigious festival for independent films
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Cannes is in May – all films are pre-release
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Films that win at Cannes are able to promote this award before they are released in cinemas
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Awards are used as marks of quality to an audience
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They consist of judges – picked based on their knowledge and experience of the industry
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They can be seen as opinion leaders
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Awards are often quoted on posters and in trailers
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Livingstone & Lunt - regulation
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there is an underlying struggle in recent UK regulation policy between…
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1. the need to further the interests of citizens (by offering protection from harmful or offensive material)
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2. the need to further the interests of consumers (by ensuring choice, value for money, and market competition)
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Online media and digital technology mean that traditional regulation is not always effective
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Citizens need to be protected from harmful material
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Consumers need to have choice, value for money and market competition
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The tension is that the desire to protect citizens should not curtail the consumer’s freedom to engage with the media they want to
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*BBFC
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The BBFC aim to protect citizens by giving age ratings
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To make sure the people who watch films are old enough not be harmed by their content
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They offer information so consumers can choose whether they want to see something
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- Online, ‘Black card’ at cinema (runs before the film starts), Info on DVD covers etc.
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They almost never ban films and rarely cut footage
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Online platforms for films are not currently regulated by law
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The BBFC works in an advisory capacity for platforms like Netflix
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When going to the cinema or buying a DVD, consumers have to prove they are ‘of age’
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Online, age restrictions are far easier to bypass
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B. PANTHER: 12A
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I, DANIEL BLAKE: 15
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