Paper 1 Exam Section B: Practice Exam Questions

 What is meant by a mainstream film? (2 marks)

A mainstream film is often a high budget film which is distributed by global conglomerate companies such as Disney.

Briefly explain what a media conglomerate is? (2 marks)

A media institution that owns multiple mass media enterprises such as TV, Radio etc. For example Disney own Marvel which is a smaller company within the larger conglomerate.

Explain two features of an independent film production. Briefly to I, Daniel Blake to support your points.

One feature of an independent film is that they are not funded by global conglomerate companies such as Paramount but by smaller art councils or local television stations. This is exemplified in I, Daniel Blake as it was produced by the BFI and BBC films. The reason for the low finance of independent films is that they are often targeted towards a smaller, niche audience which means a large budget is unnecessary as it will not be viewed by as many people. Furthermore, compared to that of mainstream films, independent films tend to focus around the social realism genre which reflects Steve Neale's genre theory as the audience of niche films are usually of a more educated demographic and are likely to be middle class so they understand the conventions related to it. Likewise, Ken Loach, the director of I, Daniel Blake, is  a social realist filmmaker who focuses on capturing the hardships of ordinary people.

Another feature of an independent film production is that they are marketed on a small scale. This is evident in I, Daniel Blake as regional marketing officers set up free screenings of the film in UK cities such as Newcastle and Manchester to help spread awareness and the message behind the film. Additionally, the small scale marketing is often a reflection of the films budget.

Explain how economic contexts shape mainstream films. Refer to Black Panther in your answer.

Economic contexts such as funding and distribution greatly shape the marketing of mainstream films as they are often produced by global conglomerate companies such as Paramount and Disney. This usually means that more is invested into the production compared to that of an independent film. This is evident in Black Panther as Marvel, which is owned by Disney, initially had a $200 million dollar budget. Mainstream films are often the highest grossing in terms of box office as they are advertised on worldwide platforms such as YouTube or in the case of Black Panther during the Super bowl advert break the trailer was watched by thirty two million people in the same venue. Black Panther is also one of the highest grossing films of all time, earning over $1 billion in the box office . This proves that the large scale marketing was profitable. 

Additionally, vertical integration also has an impact on economic contexts in the production of mainstream films. For example, Marvel Studios is owned by Disney who also own many other media outlets which has a positive impact on film marketing. Due to Disney's influence and Black Panther being part of a very successful franchise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe this helped to shape the profit gained from the film.

Media Coursework Research

 Which product have you chosen to analyse?

I have chosen to analyse the TV Satellite magazine’s crime drama edition from the 14th July 2018  

What are the codes and conventions?

Their is a close up picture of the two main characters (Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar)  in the centre of the front cover. The background is a cold, blue colour which often has connotations of cold, alienation which reflects the genre of the drama which is crime. Additionally, this also links to Steve Neale's genre theory as the audience is primarily familiar with harsh colours being associated with crime. The main text/ headline of the magazine is a single word in enlarged, bold letters of "Unforgotten". The adjective "unforgotten" means it hasn't been forgotten. In the context of this television drama it infers to whatever happened prior to the next episode will be investigated by the two main actors on the cover. Those who are familiar with the series may have an instant understanding or theory of what will occur next.

What is the primary group of  people represented?

The demographic group of the actors on the front cover is likely to be middle aged mainstreamers who live ordinary lives (e.g work a 9-5 job etc). 

Is it a positive or negative representation?

It is a uncertain representation as the caption states that the characters will “investigate” yet it does not specify what may happen . The creator purposely left out what will happen to create an effect of suspense and influence the reader to watch the next episode to find out. 

How is this representation constructed? 

This representation is constructed through the codes and conventions of the magazine such as the close up of the characters .

Statement of Aims

 My magazine is targeted at the age demographic of 18-34 year olds so therefore a lot of my content will be targeted towards that social group. Initially, my magazine will be called “The Rising Lead.”

The word "Lead" reflects the magazines background as it is focused around television and visual entertainment. Furthermore, I intend to use colours such as cream, green or white etc that the chosen socio-economic group are attracted to colours with a shorter wavelength. This also reinforces Hall’s representation theory as stereotyping a people group is a form of representation. It will also feature an exclusive interview with the main protagonist of my chosen TV Drama in which I will be making a trailer for my audio visual.

Additionally, for my audio-visual I have decided to film a trailer for a new Crime television drama which is targeted towards the mainstream audience. I would like to have a close of main character within the establishing shot with background dialogue. My aim is to have two locations. One with slightly dark lighting to create an atmosphere of suspicion, mystery and potentially danger.

My 

Ideas for DVD

Paper 1 B- Film Marketing: Black Panther Exam Question

Explain two features of a mainstream film. Refer to Black Panther in your answer. (6 marks)

One feature of a mainstream film is that they are often produced on a high budget by large worldwide media companies such as Paramount . This is exemplified in Black Panther which had a budget of around $200 million and was produced by the famous Marvel Studios as the seventeenth film instalment to their cinematic universe. Furthermore, Marvel is owned by the global conglomerate Disney. Furthermore as the budget is quite high this means that well known Hollywood actors are more likely to be featured compared to that of an independent film , such as I, Daniel Blake. In Black Panther,  A list stars such as Chadwick Boseman and Oscar winning actress Lupita Nyong'o were featured.

Another feature of a mainstream film is the genre that the audience have a preference or liking too. Most of the highest grossing mainstream films have been Sci-Fi such as Avatar and Black Panther (both passing the $1 billion milestone respectively). Neale's genre theory identifies this is partly because surrealist genres such as Sci-Fi captivate people from multiple demographics regardless of how old or young they are. Additionally, Black Panther was released in almost 500 cinemas across the USA which also increases the audience.

Black Panther Historical and Cultural Context

 Historical Context 

From the 15th-20th century, European powers colonised African countries and exploited the continent for its resources and people. During the early 20th century African Americans attempted to establish a new black cultural identity with movements such as the Harlem Renaissance. The Black Panther Party (October 1966-1982) was a political activist group established initially to provide armed monitoring of police behaviour in the US.

Cultural Context

The Sci-Fi and Superhero genres have traditionally been dominated by white, male characters. In the 1990s, Will Smith and Wesley Snipes did break ground playing black characters. Although, superhero films rarely feature African American actors in lead roles. Black cinema has traditionally consisted of issues-based social realism (e.g Spike Lee's films). Blade (1998) is one of the few superhero films to have a black main character. US/European news media tends to portray Africa as under privileged, developing continent focusing on civil wars, famine and wars.  

Afro Futurism and Black Futurism

Afro futurism is a literary and musical movement that explores black literary and musical movement that explores black identity, culture and struggles. Black Panther is directly related to this movement as it reveals a black leaders role in a world largely controlled by white dominated power structures.

Economic and Political Context

Barack Obama (2009-2017), America's first African American president created initiatives that supported minority groups. Worrying statistics about the amount of unarmed people of colour shot by US police lead to the #blacklivesmatter. 

Paper 1 Section B Film Marketing Black Panther

 What made it successful?

Black Panther is the 17th film in the "Marvel Cinematic Universe" the highest grossing franchise in history. The film officially introduced the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the fictional African nation of Wakanda which is also a secret technological and advanced civilisation . It added depth to the superhero that is Black Panther as he fights for his people and country. Another reason why the film was global triumph is because the Sci-Fi genre has been dominated by white male protagonists for decades. When ethnic minorities are portrayed in superhero movies they are often the sidekick and not the main character. This relates to Steve Neale's Genre theory as the audience are familiar with this particular type of structure in the film industry and that is what they enjoy watching. However, Black Panther does not conform to this stereotypical set up with the film having a black antagonist and main character which would intrigue people of all backgrounds who have not witnessed this before. This is exactly what happened as up to 48% of the films grossing came from an international audience.

Product Context

Black Panther is the 17th film in the "Marvel Cinematic Universe," the highest grossing film in the franchise history. It was directed by Ryan Coogler (Creed) and was released February 2018. The film introduces the audience to the fictional African Kingdom of Wakanda which has avoided European colonization and achieved a technological superiority through the use of a mineral called vibranium. It was produced by Marvel Studios a famous comic book brand that is also a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.

Historical Context 

From the 15th-20th century, European powers colonised African countries and exploited the continent for its resources and people. During the early 20th century African Americans attempted to establish a new black cultural identity with movements such as the Harlem Renaissance. The Black Panther Party (October 1966-1982) was a political activist group established initially to provide armed monitoring of police behaviour in the US.

Cultural Context

The Sci-Fi and Superhero genres have traditionally been dominated by white, male characters. In the 1990s, Will Smith and Wesley Snipes did break ground playing black characters. Although, superhero films rarely feature African American actors in lead roles. Black cinema has traditionally consisted of issues-based social realism (e.g Spike Lee's films). Blade (1998) is one of the few superhero films to have a black main character. US/European news media tends to portray Africa as under privileged, developing continent focusing on civil wars, famine and wars.  

Afro Futurism and Black Futurism

Afro futurism is a literary and musical movement that explores black literary and musical movement that explores black identity, culture and struggles. Black Panther is directly related to this movement as it reveals a black leaders role in a world largely controlled by white dominated power structures.

Economic and Political Context

Barack Obama (2009-2017), America's first African American president created initiatives that supported minority groups. Worrying statistics about the amount of unarmed people of colour shot by US police lead to the #blacklivesmatter.