Christmas 50 work

REPRESENTATIONS – COMMON STEREOTYPES

Notes:

Age 
There are many sub-categories to Age stereotypes: teens, children, infants, 30-somethings, mature, elderly, and mid-life crisis.
The key binary opposition is young VS old. 
Young: less responsible, criminal, out of control, academically weak - but also cunning, innocent and naive.
Old: dim, romantic/sexual plotlines for cheap laughs, slow, bad drivers.
Non diegetic music and how it can represent age groups e.g classical (older) and pop (younger).
Key words: irresponsible vs responsable, immature vs sensible, foolish vs wise

Gender
Crude stereotypes of women as housewives and men as bread winner. Men are superior and dominate power. 
Binary oppositions: strength/weakness, domestic/professional, victim/hero. Mental strength as well as physical: men are brave, women are helpless victims.
Gender divide has narrowed by male grooming and metrosexual icons e.g David Beckham.
Key words: physical/mental power/strength, hero vs victim, emotionally closed vs open (tears)

Sexuality
Gender attributes (feminine male/masculine female).
Gay characters often used for comedy - not taken seriously.
Lipstick lesbian - positive representation or male gaze?
Key words: camp vs manly (males), feminine vs manly (females), groomed vs scruffy (males)

Ethnicity
Religion is key significance - religious people negatively treated (e.g muslims often associated to 9/11)
National and regional identities - question of Britishness and citizenship often featured.
Western vs non-western also key binary opposition.
Most negative stereotype of Muslim Middle Eastern characters: violent, religious, fanatical.
Black youth often stereotyped through language, clothes and musical taste.
Can also get white racist characters to contend with.
Key words: alien/different, non-western vs western, religious vs secular

Disability
Most under-represented chjaracteristic of disabled people is their invisibility.
Storylines typically revolve around the carer and not the disabled person themselves. Most disabled characters are those who had an accident and have to adapt to the lifestyle rather than those born disabled, presumably as the audience can relate more.
Sexuality is often ignored.
The handling of mental disability and TV drama is heavily critisised and is usually seen as sensationalised and stigmatising those who suffer from it.
Key words: independance vs dependance, result of accident, invisible, issues on sexulaity.
Also: good vs evil

Social class and status
Common issues with urban vs rural. 
Clothing often crucial, accent/speech too. Possessions and housing other key factors. 
Camera angles can establish class difference.
'Dramedies' willl have class clashes as humour. The easily offended sensibilities of middle class are also a source of humour.
Working class stereotypes revolve around crime, laziness and scrounging.
Key words: fined/sophisticated vs crude, urban vs rural, powerful vs powerless, victim vs criminal.

Regional Identity
Main issue is urban vs rural, advanced vs backwards. 
Accents can be used for comedy. 
Clothing is important to establish sophisticated vs backwards - also tied to urban vs rural identity. Latest fashions vs leisure/outdated wear.
Also issues around national identity e.g Welsh, Scots and N.Irish.
Often attempted to highlight differences but essentially all British. 
Regional identity annd social class and status often linked.

What is Distribution?

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?

 Distribution is also referred to as 'Invisible art'

What does 'vertical integration' mean when discussing distribution?

Vertical integration is where three stages are seen as one larger process.

Why isn't '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?  

The three stages involved are licensing, marketing and logistics.

Licensing

What is licensing? 

Licensing is 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 distributor 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? 

It takes two years for a film to reach 'free to air' TV.

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?

It began in 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?

112 to 192 screens.

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

The comparatively low cost of film copies and additional logistical effectiveness of digital distribution provide the distributor with greater flexibility.

What has happened to the typical release period for a film?

Reduced 3-6 months to 1-3 months.

What is a loss leader and why are companies using the Cinema as a potential loss leader?
A loss leader is a product sold as a loss which attracts customers, and Cinema's are used as loss leaders so customers will buy DVDs.