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.
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