INTRO TO FILM MARKETING
Consider Curran and Seatons industry theory |
C+S say that these companies create a concentrated industry and concentration inhibits creativity and quality |
An independent film is one produced outside of these major film studios |
Consider Hesmondhalgh theory - minimising risk and maximising profits e.g. by formatting |
B. PANTHER - marketing, industry
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 |
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 |
Disney purchased Marvel Entertainment in 2009 |
When Disney bought Marvel, this included the rights to Black Panther |
Production: Marvel Studios made Black Panther |
A subsidiary of Disney |
Distribution: Walt Disney studios motion pictures |
Also a subsidiary of the Disney conglomerate |
Disney uses vertical integration |
Disney is a huge company and very wealthy |
Black Panther’s budget was $200 million |
Set up for global releases |
Black Panther was released internationally |
Disney’s marketing campaign cost an estimated $150 million |
Marvel’s Vice President for marketing said they wanted to make it “feel like a cultural event” (360 degrees marketing) |
The campaign tried to broaden the appeal of the film to a diverse audience |
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) |
New York Fashion Week show: Black people are underrepresented in fashion, This show also targets women – not traditionally Marvel’s core audience, International audiences |
Hasbro: Targets young children, Communicates that the film is family-friendly, Particular focus on black children - underrepresented group |
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 |
*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 |
B. PANTHER - applying hesmondhalgh
Media producers want to minimise risk and maximise profit |
One way to do this is by working with proven formulas |
- Tie-ins with other successful Marvel films |
- Pre-sold audience: Appealing to Marvel fans, Appealing to fans of the comic |
- Backing of a global conglomerate |
- Famous actors / stars |
- Big budget, expansive marketing campaign |
- Popular genre |
... HOWEVER... |
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 |
... BUT... Disney does care about profit and needs to make this money back |
Timing was key for this film – a ‘window’ in which the film can find a place in the crowded cinema marketplace |
Part of Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe |
Announced as early as 2014 – 4 years before Black Panther’s release |
Allows fans to anticipate the film |
And places it within the context of the MCU |
Black Panther released amid controversy about race in film |
#OscarsSoWhite Twitter hashtag; no people of colour nominated for Oscars in 2016 |
Greater scrutiny of representation of black people in media |
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TRINITY MIRROR partnership
The Daily Mirror's target audience is primarily working class adults, with a focus on those between the ages of 35 and 64.
Gender: The readership is roughly split evenly, but some sections of the paper may appeal more to one gender than the other
Location: The Daily Mirror has a larger readership in the north of the UK
Social grade scale C2, D, E
I, DANIEL BLAKE - industry and marketing
£2 million budget |
Made $15.8 million |
By comparison – Black Panther’s budget was $200 million |
No famous actors, No extravagant sets for IDB |
The social realism genre makes a virtue of these restrictions |
The authenticity emphasised in marketing can be achieved on a low budget |
Production: Produced by Ken Loach’s small, independent production company, Sixteen Films AND Partnered with Why Not, a small French company |
Sixteen Films and Why Not are only production companies |
Like lots of independent film companies, they are not vertically integrated |
Distribution: Distribution and marketing was done by eOne |
Canadian company |
eOne is a conglomerate: operates in film, TV, music and other areas |
Independent films sometimes have to rely on larger companies for distribution – they have better connections |
More funding came from British Film Institute and BBC Films |
DOES I, DANIEL BLAKE meet the BBC remit? |
- Sustaining citizenship and civil society: The film raises awareness of important social issues |
- Stimulating creativity and cultural excellence: Offers opportunities to cast and crew of (presumably) British citizens, Ken Loach was already established as an excellent director |
- 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 |
- 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 |
eOne partnered with Trinity Mirror to put sponsored content in the Daily Mirror newspaper |
The character Daniel Blake ‘wrote’ a column on his experiences, as if he was a real person |
The Mirror has a left-leaning political agenda and readership. |
eOne harnessed the news agenda, generating conversation around socio-political themes and positioning it as a must-see film. |
It was a multi-platform campaign. |
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 |
These strategies are inexpensive |
But have a high impact |
They can reach audiences who might not engage with traditional media |
They might also be reported in traditional media |
But at a lower cost, and in a less commercial context, than placing an advert |
Because they are different to normal marketing, they are memorable |
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Viral marketing |
Twitter hashtag on the film’s poster |
This is a low-cost, word-of-mouth way of getting people talking about the film |
It also invited audiences to share their experiences and tied the marketing to the themes of the film |
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 |
GURELLA MARKETING example
I, DANIEL BLAKE, BFI + FESTIVALS
Selling points of the trailer |
1. Establishes social realism quickly - “I am appointed to carry out assessments for Employment Support Allowance” |
- Could create a binary opposition between this film and escapist mainstream film |
2. Emphasises credibility and success on screen |
- Palme d’Or rosette, BBC and BFI affiliations, Ken Loach’s name as synonymous with quality, Quotes from reviews |
3. Emotional impact |
- Emotive, melancholy piano score |
Quite unlike the film which has a very minimal score (most scenes have no music) |
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**What defines a 'British' film? |
The British Film Institute (BFI) defines what films can be considered British |
British films qualify for tax relief (i.e. they pay less tax) |
This is an incentive to make films in the UK |
There are also co-productions |
These are collaborations between more than one country’s film industry |
The BFI offers a cultural test for films to be certified as British |
To ‘pass’ a film must score 18 points |
I, DANIEL BLAKE IS A BRITISH FILM - scoring maybe between 30 and 35 |
Why is IDB a British film?: |
- British (and French) funding for Production - Including: The BFI (British Film Institute) and the BBC |
-Director – Ken Loach - British |
- Producer, Writer, Actors – all British |
- Filmed in Newcastle, UK (Crew likely to be British) |
- Characters are from London and Newcastle |
- Narrative is about the English Benefits System – a British political issue. |
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FILM FESTIVALS + AWARDS |
Non-mainstream films often rely on film festivals |
They often appear at festivals before being released |
I, Daniel Blake showed at 17 festivals before its premiere |
The first screening was at Cannes: The film won a prestigious Palme d’Or prize |
Cannes is a marketplace |
Films partly play there to find distributors |
A film might get picked up for distribution in multiple countries |
Distribution is crucial |
If nobody distributes the film, audiences can’t see it in cinemas |
Cannes is the most prestigious festival for independent films |
Cannes is in May – all films are pre-release |
Films that win at Cannes are able to promote this award before they are released in cinemas |
Awards are used as marks of quality to an audience |
They consist of judges – picked based on their knowledge and experience of the industry |
They can be seen as opinion leaders |
Awards are often quoted on posters and in trailers |
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REGULATION (both films)
Livingstone & Lunt - regulation |
there is an underlying struggle in recent UK regulation policy between… |
1. the need to further the interests of citizens (by offering protection from harmful or offensive material) |
2. the need to further the interests of consumers (by ensuring choice, value for money, and market competition) |
Online media and digital technology mean that traditional regulation is not always effective |
Citizens need to be protected from harmful material |
Consumers need to have choice, value for money and market competition |
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 |
The BBFC aim to protect citizens by giving age ratings |
To make sure the people who watch films are old enough not be harmed by their content |
They offer information so consumers can choose whether they want to see something |
- Online, ‘Black card’ at cinema (runs before the film starts), Info on DVD covers etc. |
They almost never ban films and rarely cut footage |
Online platforms for films are not currently regulated by law |
The BBFC works in an advisory capacity for platforms like Netflix |
When going to the cinema or buying a DVD, consumers have to prove they are ‘of age’ |
Online, age restrictions are far easier to bypass |
B. PANTHER: 12A |
I, DANIEL BLAKE: 15 |
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