EXAM REVISION: AUDIENCES
Today you should plan an exam essay answer on issues relating to how national and local (specifically British) audiences are targeted by international or global institutions. Remember the bullet points? Here they are below.
We are looking at the last one, just above 'refer to candidates' own media consumption' (which means = your film-watching choices, the platforms that you use to watch films, and what your family and people of your age do').
How to plan? Write a list of topic sentences then the paragraph writes itself. See underneath!
Your list of topic sentences on targeting national and local audiences might go like this:
- The 'big 6' Hollywood studios chase mass mainstream audiences often with formulaic films that Dalecki called 'the 4S megafranchise model'. Hollywood is renowned for producing blockbusters with strong narratives, often part of a sequel, usually with larger than life characters, using exciting, complex sets often in exotic or extravagant locations
- Distributors target audiences via an interconnected web of companies which all promote the film as a package of products. (Give as many details as possible from our Case studies Avengers )
- Distributors of big-budget movies like Jurassic World target audiences through multi-pronged campaigns (the Waterloo launch, website, OOH media, social media).
- Issues include the commodification of films via product placements (give details from our Case study Skyfall). Film critic Kevin Maher attacks global giants like Amazon, Google and Hollywood for such 'obscene corporate products that violate the cultural life of this country' (see his 'boycott the blockbuster' article in my screenshot below).
- Issues include 'cultural imperialism' or the imposition of one world view and set of values on the rest of the world; this is why we need a national cinema that serves the cultural life of this country.
- Certain British films target both national and international audiences. '71 was marketed to national and international audiences by Warp (open link): despite being a film about the Troubles in Ireland, it was marketed as a film about the radicalization of ALL young people, especially relevant to UK and US audiences who live in fear of terrorist attacks.
- Working Title released Legend in the knowledge that US audiences would relate to the 'rat pack' theme and UK audiences would buy into the gangland glamour: " Brian Helgeland’s film certainly benefits from the UK audience’s existing awareness of, and interest in, the film’s subject – the Kray brothers remain the most notorious London gangsters. However, Hardy is also a key selling point: given his reputation as a highly committed actor, his performance in the dual roles of Ronnie and Reggie Kray exerted a powerful curiosity factor."
- The Hobbit evokes national nostalgia for old-world values and rural idylls (say how it is quintessentially British) but also addresses international audiences (through spectacle, story, sequel).
- Some films appear to compromise artistic integrity in favour of commercial success with one eye on the international market, selling a predicable or sanitised vision of Britain. The Boat That Rocked (Richard Curtis) clearly targeted middle England baby boomers & seems even more seedy in the light of current DJ scandals. Critics attacked Curtis for failing to use his influential position to direct 'more challenging' films like Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle) that introduce audiences to more important, real issues.
- When David Cameron visited Pinewood, the home of the successful James Bond franchise, he called for British film makers to make 'more commercially successful pictures' and warned that government money would be rebalanced to support 'more mainstream films', there was an outcry that several huge recent British hits might not have seemed commercial & therefore might not have received lottery funding. Neither an exploited Indian teenager nor a royal with a stutter sound like box office gold - but both Slumdog Millionaire and The King's Speech won top Oscar honors.
- Working Title productions capitalize successfully on a particular vision of Britain that is readily marketable internationally, such as literary adaptations (Tinker Tailor), period drama, history (Mary Queen Of Scots 2014) , romcom, humour (Jonny English). Bridget Jones's Baby (2014) illustrates how WT uses Hollywood model of sequels, unsurprising as its parent company is Universal
- WT also produces films for a more local market; currently The World's End is in production, targeted at audiences of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead.
- Smaller production companies with micro budgets target more local audiences (Tortoise In Love £160,000 received BFI funding to screen for local audiences but secured red carpet premiere in Leicester Square; even smaller budget for Shifty of £100,000 led producer Eran Creevy to target niche London audiences very specifically through risky personal emails; distributors of The Disappearance of Alice Creed for new director J. Blakeson detected audience hotspots around Southampton Uni via interactive website material and premiered in Southampton to reward local audiences.
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| Kevin Maher attacks global products |
