Hi! Welcome to my A level media blog. My name is Molly Sullivan (0816).

I'm in Group 4 with Maisie MacGregor (0506), Mari Leach (0440), and Ellie Brackpool (0100)

You can navigate my blog by using the column on the right hand side where you will find the following labels:
A2 Prelim, A2 Research and Planning, A2 Production and also a link to all of the work I did for AS.
There's also a link to the Latymer music video blog as well as a live link to the group's Facebook group.

Click here to access the group's Facebook page.

Thank you and I hope you enjoy my blog!

Our Music Video

Digipack

Digipack
Front and back cover of the album.

Digipack

Digipack
Inside covers of the album

Click To Enter Our Website

Thursday 21 November 2013

Kill Your Darlings - Case Study - Using the Internet to Promote a MovieRelease in the UK

BFI page


I found some information on the BFI website about the film and it also gave links to where you could buy tickets to watch the film in the cinema. It targets film fanatics and educated people who are familiar with the British Film Institute. It is of interest to people who are interested in film and Daniel Radcliffe fans in particular as his name is also included in the title of the page. If BFI have recognised the film enough to promote it then many film watchers and cinema goers (especially those who love indie films) will be attracted to this film and it will create a discussion amongst people online. The page showed stills and a trailer of the film. 

Daily Mail Article


This article in the Daily Mail Online reaches a very wide audience - the general public who use the internet. The title of this article especially draws in any Daniel Radcliffe and Harry Potter fans as both are mentioned in the title. This article spreads word about the film to millions of people - not just a niche market. It gets people talking and creates excitement and awareness of the film. The people reading this article are more likely more interested in Daniel Radcliffe and his celebrity status than they are in the film itself which is why Radcliffe's role in Kill Your Darlings is so vital to the success of the film.



This is a below the line promotion of the film as it is a website set up by Daniel Radcliffe fans for his other fans to read all about what he has been getting up to lately. This page creates a lot of excitement among hardcore fans as they get to see behind the scenes images and stills from the film. On this page they  can also see all of Daniel's upcoming TV/Radio appearances e.g The Graham Norton Show / slots on BBC Radio 1.

 
 
 
 
This is a picture of the last title image of the film which I went to see at the cinema on Wednesday 10th of December, a few days after its release. I saw it at the Cineworld in Enfield, a large 15 screen cinema with an IMAX. There were a few hundred seats in our screening but it was far from full up, there were probably about 20 people inside the screening, all (apart from us) being adults, and some going alone.
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug - Case Study - Using The InternettoPromote a Movie Release in the UK.



The Hobbit's UK Facebook Page


The UK Facebook page for The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug is the same UK facebook page that was used for the first Hobbit film which shows it targets existing fans of The Hobbit as well as maintaining a global audience - focusing on the UK via this page. It is an example of both above and below the line marketing as the institution are paying someone within their company to update the page but facebook is free to use and is free for people to access, like, share and interact with. This is a valuable marketing tool as it reaches mass amounts of people, it is easily shared and is easy to update. It has the possibility of going viral online and is full of short form content.


News of The Hobbit: Fan Event



This was a page I found that was an online article about a Fan Event coming up. It included lots of information about the event, it included a film poster and a YouTube clip about the event. It targets fans of films/games/tv shows - (media geeks some might say).

This is the YouTube video about the event:



The fan event is targeted at hardcore Hobbit fans - it is above the line marketing as it is hosted by MGM and New Line studios. It links to cinemas on a live feed in cinemas in 4 host cities - London, NYC, LA and Wellington - creating a UK audience as well as a strong global audience.

The even creates a hype and hysteria in the build up to the films release and gets people talking about it. It is something special for proper fans of the film who would gain much enjoyment from an event like this!


Hobbit Competition with Feel Good Drinks



This is a competition linked with The Hobbit and Feel Good Drinks in order to promote both the drinks company and the film. It is targeted at over 16s in the UK and may especially interest adults who have young children. It creates a friendly, family vibe around the film and spreads awareness on a large scale.

Front of House Cinema Advertisement:



On-Screen Advertisements (inside the cinema)


Although this picture is not so clear to see, it is a photo I took of the screens in the cinema foyer which show up coming films, a short trailer for The Hobbit was playing whilst I was in the queue to buy tickets for Kill Your Darlings.

Another Outdoors Advertisement



This advertisement was hard to see on the phone screen as it was so bright yet so dark outside so me and Maisie joined in on the media outing fun and took an obligatory selfie! (despite some odd looks from passers by.)

Indoors - large scale advertisement



Although it is not so clear in this picture, the entire upstairs side of the building where the windows normally are, was covered in a huge vinyl sticker/poster of The Hobbit including the famous faces of some of the cast members. It had the release date printed in large numbers also, attracting cinema customers to return to the cinema in a couple of weeks time to see The Hobbit.

Apps Associated with The Hobbit
 


On the App Store on my iphone I was looking at apps associated with the title 'The Hobbit' and this was the first app to come up. It's an app created by Kabam where you can take part in a virtual battle for Middle earth along side thousands of other players worldwide. It reaches a global audience and allows fans to play and interact with each other from all over the world.






The Second App:



This was was the second app that appeared in my search on the Apple App Store, made by Warner Bros. It's an app just for a bit of silly fun, created as a camera editing application to make yourself / your friends look like an elf from the movie. Using Orlando Bloom as the front cover photo for the app will attract many people to download the app as he is a very recognisable person.



I felt that it was not right that I tried out te app myself and this was the result...
Both of the apps I looked at were free to download for iPhone users, but as people will use these apps with friends, it spreads word of mouth about the film. Also, with the second app - once you have turned yourself into an elf you are then asked wether you would like to upload it onto Facebook/ Twitter/ Tumblr - instantly creating a wider audience.

Wednesday 20 November 2013

Kill Your Darlings: 10 Quick Questions


Kill Your Darlings - Case Study 4

1. UK release date?
Thursday 19th December 2013

2. Institutions behind the film's production and distribution?
 Sony Pictures Classic

3. What's the film's production budget?
Shoe-string budget

4. Nationality of the film?

United States


5. What kind of production is it?
 Biographical Drama Film

6. Any connection with other films?
No

7. Who's the director?
John Krokidas

8. Any star names in the cast?
Daniel Radcliffe

9. What's the film about?
The relationships of the Beat Poets surrounding the mysterious death of David Kammerer, in paticular Allen Ginsberg and Lucien Carr

10. Who will this film appeal to?
Those with an interest in literature and history. Fans of the drama genre.


The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug 10 Quick Questions

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug - Case Study 3

1. UK release date?
    December 13th 2013

2. Institutions behind the film's production and distribution?
   
 Production:
  • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
  • New Line Cinema
  • WingNut Films
Distribution:
  • Cocinsa (2013) Nicaragua 
  • Forum Hungary (2013) Hungary
  • Warner Bros. Entertainment (2013) Canada
  • Warner Bros. (2013) Germany
  • Warner Bros. (2014) Japan 
  • Warner Bros. (2013) Netherlands
  • Warner Bros. (2013) Singapore 
  • Warner Bros. (2013) USA)

3. What's the film's production budget?
    $250,000,000, funded by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and New Line Cinema


4.  Nationality of the film?
     American

5. What kind of production is it?
    A big budget Hollywood blockbuster

6. Any connection with other films?
    The prequel to the film - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as well as the Lord Of The Rings trilogy.


7. Who's the director?
    Peter Jackson

8. Star names in the cast?
  • Benedict Cumberbatch 
  • Martin Freeman 
  • Orlando Bloom 
  • Cate Blanchett
  • Ian McKellen 
  • Stephen Fry 
  • Andy Serkis 
9. What's the film about?
The film continues the adventures of the title character Bilbo Baggins as he journeys with the Wizard           Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield on an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf            Kingdom of Erebor.



10. Who will this film appeal to?
This film will appeal to fans of the first Hobbit film, Lord Of The Rings fans as well as fans of the books. It will attract families and young people alike, drawing in a wide range of people to watch it at the cinema.




Tuesday 12 November 2013

Papa & Sons Case Study - Part 2


Question and Answer Session with Marcus Markou.

As a class we were fortunate enough to have the director of Papa & Sons - Marcus Markou - come into our lesson to hold a Q+A session with us which helped us learn a lot about the independent film industry and self-distribution in particular.

Here are some of the main things that I learnt from this session:

  1. Before this lesson I wasn't aware of what a line producer was or what their role on set is and how they differ from a producer. Marcus explained how the line producer - Sarah Butler had a major role in pre-production, figuring out all of the expenses for the film , going through the script line by line and coming up with the final budget. 
  2. I also learnt about how a set works and how vital the co-operation of the cast and crew is to making the production run smoothly. By eliminating a hierarchy on set and setting himself as a prime example Marcus created a family-based and friendly working atmosphere which worked in his favor. It meant that cast and crew were much more willing to put more effort and time in to helping make the film whereas before they might not have.
  3. I learned from this that it is possible to create a good advertising and marketing scheme on a low budget. Although using posters on the sides of buses and on billboards is a really effective way of reaching a mass market however there is still no better way of advertising than by word of mouth. By deciding his target audience of Greeks in London - he spoke to Greek churches and gave out flyers to spread the word throughout the Greek community and made appearances on Greek radio stations. Although having not spent very much on distribution, the film was very successful in it's first week in cinema. 
  4. To get the actors he wanted for the film he had to use methods of persuasion and use his connections in the business to get his script out to the actors he most wanted to play the characters he created. Lots of agents would try to stop an independent film director from giving their script to an actor as it would not likely create a great income and therefore the agent will not earn much money from it either. Marcus Markou wanted to cast Stephen Dillane as the main role in the film - Harry Papadopoulos. At first he liked the script and wanted to play the role of Harry but due to filming clashes with Game Of Thrones he was unable to take the time to be in Papa And Sons. On hearing that Stephen's son was also an actor, Marcus asked his son to audition for the role of James Papadopoulous who was eventually given the part. After Stephen Dillane heard that his son was going to be in the film he called up the producers of Game Of Thrones and persuaded them to change the dates of filming so that he was able to be in Papa And Sons with his own son Frank. Their father and son roles in the film came across so well on screen because of their real relationship in life off-screen.
  5. To create such a natural look for the film he got the actors to be more free with the way they went about acting out the scene. It was a much more fresh and creative approach to filming as the actors performed the scene in the way which they would usually act. Working alongside the Director of Photography he would then decide afterwards if there were any extra set-ups that they would like to add to the scene. 




Monday 11 November 2013

Papadopoulos and Sons Case Study.


Papadopoulos and Sons is a British comedy-drama feature film written and directed by independent filmmaker Marcus Markou and self-distributed in the UK. The film was on a small budget of around £125k yet was a great success and is an even better example of how independent films on a small budget can still prove effective.

The film is about a British-Greek family living in London and is centred around Harry Papadopoulos, - played by Stephen Dillane - a multi-millionaire who at first seems more involved with business than with his own family. Following his downfall in the latest banking crisis, Harry reluctantly reunites with his brother, Spiros - who is played by Georges Coraface - to re-open the fish and chip shop they worked at together in their younger years. Towards the end of the film Harry comes to realise the importance of family and all ends well.

The film gained critical acclaim when it won the Audience Award at the Thessaloniki Film Festival in 2012. The film has also been showcased at other film festivals such as the Dinard British Film Festival (France), the Palm Springs International Film Festival (USA) and the Seattle Film Festival.
The film has an average rating of 6.9/10 on IMDB and received 82% positive feedback on Rotten Tomatoes and received a rating of 3/5 stars from media outlets such as The Gaurdian and and The Telegraph.

Most criticisms of the film were based around the predictable story-line, something that has been seen before. However, the charm and warmth along with the quality of actors made up for this entirely and the feel-good film seemed somewhat irresistible - joining the likes of other famous low-budget British films such as Bend It Like Beckham and East Is East.

Some interesting links related to the film and the director.