Katriona Fraser's Media Studies AS

This weekend, me and my friend made mince pies to help us get in the festive mood. Hope you enjoy this little video we put together!

We were shown a new website today in Media, which gives the opportunity to create designs. I tried it out today, and made a simple sample of a poster for my film. I thought this followed the aesthetic of my film, but is not eye catching enough so stay tuned for a second attempt!

Bill is a 2015 British family adventure-comedy film from the principal performers behind children's TV series Horrible Histories and Yonderland. The storyline follows what really happened during Shakespeare's 'Lost Years'. It is fictional.

UK release date: 18th September 2015 by Vertigo Films.

Production Companies:
BBC Films
Cowboy Films
Punk Cinema
Distributors:
Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2015) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East, North Africa & Iran)
Koch Media (2015) (UK) (all media)
Special Effects:
Union Visual Effects (visual effects)
Other Companies:
Air-Edel Associates (music services)
Air-Edel Recording Studios (music mixed at)
BFI (funding)
Cutting Edge Group (music services)
European Film Bonds (completion guarantor)
Freud Communications (unit publicity)
HireWorks (Avid Nitris DX rental)
Kreo Films FZ (arranging funding)
Lipsync Post (post-production)
Mediacom 24-7 (accommodation agent)
Screen Yorkshire (funding)
Star Gate Films (funding)
Wiggin (legal services)

Find out more here

Issue: there are no figures online that I could locate (budget/box office figures)

Having made the decision to have ‘Star Wars’ as our case study for this year, I have researched how they are marketing the upcoming movie. 'Star Wars' has been around since 1977, and has generated a large fan base. The last 'Star Wars' movie 'Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith' made $108,435,841 in the USA opening weekend only! According to Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at box-office monitor Rentrak “Countless fans around the world are in a constant state of vigilance waiting for the release of new poster art, new trailers and other titbits and information. It’s hard to imagine any other movie franchise that could evoke a level of passion, enthusiasm and excitement.”

The devoted fan base got the official 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Trailer to more than 69,103,801 views in less than two months! To put that into perspective, the official trailer for the final Harry Potter movie, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2' only has 8,799,135 views in over four years! Since there is already a large loyal fanbase, it's easy for Disney to market this film as they have a guaranteed amount of 'Star Wars' series followers, that wouldn't miss it.

As well as making the long time fans happy, Disney intends to reel in new viewers. Disney has brought a whole new level of marketing savvy to an already popular product: Dergarabedian stated that the decision to make all six existing Star Wars films available on streaming services as “a brilliant way to stoke the fires and build the anticipation for the new film and reinvigorate the idea of Star Wars in the minds of the fans”. Rosser is referring to the three films Lucas directed between 1999 and 2005 – The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith – which chronicled the life of Luke Skywalker’s father, Anakin, who transforms into Darth Vader. Despite being greeted with less-than-stellar reviews, the prequels grossed $2.5bn at the worldwide box office, shortly after the release of restored and augmented “special editions” of the first trilogy had netted $469m in 1997. “It shows the power of Star Wars that although they were disappointing, the prequels still managed to make a lot of money,” said Rosser. “If you combine that drawing power with a great film-maker like JJ Abrams, you can understand why a lot of people will be excited.”

It is easy for Disney to promote their films using their website, theme parks, TV channels etc. Since Disney is one of the biggest, most famous media conglomerate's in the world, their website is bound to be visited by thousands (I could not find a statistic). On their website, they have the below eye catching advertisement, so anyone who visits their website can't help but pay attention to it.


The film has its own site.

On 'Good Morning America', the new LEGO 'Star Wars' toys were unveiled as part of a global unboxing of the new 'Force Awakens' line.
The company has also released 'Star Wars' clips during evening programme on the channels that they own ABC and ESPN.

Disney has also made a deal with a major YouTube channel operator, which is really going to get a lot of people seeing and talking about 'Star Wars'. They are 'Maker Studios', who are the largest operator of YouTube channels on the web right now and it incorporates a variety of shows from 'The Fashion Statement' for the stylish to 'Friend Zone' for the geeky.

On top of this, a YouTube channel with over two million subscribers was sent all the LEGO toys, which will promote the toy range as millions of people see it. It also obviously generates more hype around the film itself.


For Disney cross promotion like this where two or more divisions of a company increase value by working together is normal. After all, the company owns not only one of the biggest film franchises, but also a major sports network and a major broadcast network, not to mention Pixar, which has made some of the most popular movies. The company is able to appeal to different audiences with Star Wars comic books for super fans, LEGO toys for kids, and a trailer for the more casual viewer that comes on during regular TV watching.

Dergarabedian expects great success upon the release in December. “We are certainly looking at a record opening for December, and should go on to make at least a billion dollars worldwide. Truly, Star Wars is the ultimate movie brand.”

On Saturday 5th December, my school's Enterprise Society, which is made up of 16 year 12's, went to Birmingham Clothes Show. I made this video with footage from the day. It was am interesting day, which was relevant to Enterprise Society as there were many entrepreneurial attendees. The stalls all had interesting ways in which they sold their items. Disclaimer: it was 1am when I made this so...
 

Since we are studying Disney as a case study for our exam, we want to think about an upcoming film by Disney. We will look at how they are advertised and distributed compared to Vertigo. Here are some upcoming films:

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens':

Coming to theatres 18th December 2015.


'The BFG': 

Disney's The BFG comes to theaters July 1, 2016. The talents of three of the world’s greatest storytellers – Roald Dahl, Walt Disney and Steven Spielberg – finally unite to bring Dahl’s beloved classic “The BFG” to life. Directed by Spielberg, Disney’s “The BFG” tells the imaginative story of a young girl and the Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country. The BFG (Mark Rylance), while a giant himself, is a Big Friendly Giant and nothing like the other inhabitants of Giant Country. Standing 24-feet tall with enormous ears and a keen sense of smell, he is endearingly dim-witted and keeps to himself for the most part. Giants like Bloodbottler (Bill Hader) and Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement) on the other hand, are twice as big and at least twice as scary and have been known to eat humans, while the BFG prefers Snozzcumber and Frobscottle. Upon her arrival in Giant Country, Sophie, a precocious 10-year-old girl from London, is initially frightened of the mysterious giant who has brought her to his cave, but soon comes to realize that the BFG is actually quite gentle and charming, and, having never met a giant before, has many questions. The BFG brings Sophie to Dream Country where he collects dreams and sends them to children, teaching her all about the magic and mystery of dreams. Having both been on their own in the world up until now, their affection for one another quickly grows, but Sophie’s presence in Giant Country has attracted the unwanted attention of the other giants, who have become increasingly more bothersome. Sophie and the BFG soon depart for London to see the Queen (Penelope Wilton) and warn her of the precarious giant situation, but they must first convince the Queen and her maid, Mary (Rebecca Hall), that giants do indeed exist. Together, they come up with a plan to get rid of the giants once and for all.

'Alice Through The Looking Glass': Disney's Alice Through The Looking Glass is in theaters May 27. In Disney’s “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” an all-new spectacular adventure featuring the unforgettable characters from Lewis Carroll’s beloved stories, Alice returns to the whimsical world of Underland and travels back in time to save the Mad Hatter. Directed by James Bobin, who brings his own unique vision to the spectacular world Tim Burton created on screen in 2010 with “Alice in Wonderland,” the film is written by Linda Woolverton based on characters created by Lewis Carroll and produced by Joe Roth, Suzanne Todd and Jennifer Todd and Tim Burton with John G. Scotti serving as executive producer. “Alice Through the Looking Glass” reunites the all-star cast from the worldwide blockbuster phenomenon, including: Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska and Helena Bonham Carter along with the voices of Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen and Timothy Spall. We are also introduced to several new characters: Zanik Hightopp (Rhys Ifans), the Mad Hatter’s father and Time himself (Sacha Baron Cohen), a peculiar creature who is part human, part clock.

'The Jungle book':
UK release date: Friday the 15th April 2016. Directed by Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”), based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s classic animated film, “The Jungle Book” is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo (voice of Bill Murray). Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johansson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken), who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: fire. The all-star cast also includes Lupita Nyong'o as the voice of the fiercely protective mother wolf Raksha, and Giancarlo Esposito as the voice of wolf pack’s alpha male Akela. “The Jungle Book” seamlessly blends live-action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments, using up-to-the-minute technology and storytelling techniques to immerse audiences in an enchanting and lush world.

'The Finest Hours':
 Disney's The Finest Hours is in theaters January 29. A heroic action-thriller, “The Finest Hours” is the remarkable true story of the greatest small boat rescue in Coast Guard history.Presented in Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D, the film will transport audiences to the heart of the action, creating a fully-immersive cinematic experience on an epic scale. On February 18, 1952, a massive nor’easter struck New England, pummeling towns along the Eastern seaboard and wreaking havoc on the ships caught in its deadly path, including the SS Pendleton, a T-2 oil tanker bound for Boston, which was literally ripped in half, trapping more than 30 sailors inside its rapidly-sinking stern. As the senior officer on board, first assistant engineer Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) soon realizes it is up to him to take charge of the frightened crew and inspire the men to set aside their differences and work together to ride out one of the worst storms to ever hit the East Coast. Meanwhile, as word of the disaster reaches the U.S. Coast Guard station in Chatham, Massachusetts, Warrant Officer Daniel Cluff (Eric Bana) orders a daring operation to rescue the stranded men. Despite overwhelming odds, four men, led by Coast Guard Captain Bernie Webber (Chris Pine), set out in a wooden lifeboat with an ill-equipped engine and little, if any, means of navigation, facing frigid temperatures, 60-foot high waves and hurricane-force winds.

'Zootopia':
 
 The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together—a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when optimistic Officer Judy Hopps arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde, to solve the mystery. Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Zootopia,” a comedy-adventure directed by Byron Howard (“Tangled,” “Bolt”) and Rich Moore (“Wreck-It Ralph,” “The Simpsons”) and co-directed by Jared Bush (“Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero”), opens in theaters on March 4, 2016.

For our exam, we will are studying Disney as a contrast to Vertigo Here is a Prezi showing some research I did into Disney:

Here is a short video I helped film and edit as well starred in. This was for English A Level. We were studying the elements of comedy in the Medieval and Renaissance period. Hope you enjoy :)

I helped to edit some of this video which was shown in an assembly to give people awareness of the media club.

Thinking about how I can market and distribute my film, I looked at a small British film distribution and production company.
Vertigo Films is a UK Film and Distribution company founded in 2002. The company’s mission is to create and distribute commercially driven independent cinema and since inception it has produced 28 films and distributed a further 35. The Films span a range of genres and audience taste and include the box office smash hit Streetdance 3D, the biggest independent UK DVD of all time The Football Factory, the multi award winning Monsters, Vertigo co-production Ajami (nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film) and Horrid Henry The Movie.

In Media, our teacher also mentioned OFCOM, which I had heard of but I wasn't sure about what they are and what they do. So, here's some research I did about them!
OFCOM is the communication regulator in the UK. They regulate the TV and radio sectors, fixed line telecoms, mobiles, postal services, plus the airwaves over which wireless devices operate. They also make sure that the population of the UK get the best from their communication services and are protected from scams. 
Their main legal duties are to ensure that:

• the UK has a wide range of electronic communications services, including high-speed services such as broadband
• a wide range of high-quality television and radio programmes are provided, appealing to a range of tastes and interests
• television and radio services are provided by a range of different organisations;
• people who watch television and listen to the radio are protected from harmful or offensive material
• people are protected from being treated unfairly in television and radio programmes, and from having their privacy invaded
• a universal postal service is provided in the UK - this means a six days a week, universally priced delivery and collection service across the country
• the radio spectrum (the airwaves used by everyone from taxi firms and boat owners, to mobile-phone companies and broadcasters) is used in the most effective way

Learn more about OFCOM here

Today in Media, we talked a bit about 'BARB'. So, for homework, we were asked to research a bit more about what it is.
So... what is BARB?
BARB is an acronym for 'Broadcasters' Audience Research Board'.
They provide television audience measurement services for broadcasters and the advertising industry in the UK. BARB is owned by BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, BSkyB and the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising). They collect the data of the viewing behaviour of the 26 million households in the UK. BARB viewing data offer clients, such as broadcasters and advertisers, a minute by minute breakdown of viewing at regional and national levels. This assesses how programmes, channels or advertising have performed and provides the basis for airtime advertising trading.
Click here to learn more about BARB
Click here to learn more about how BARB gather their data

I found that on their website they have the statistics of the weekly top 10 most viewed shows for every channel. For instance here is BBC1's statistics for the week that ended 15th November 2015:

BBC1

w/e 15 Nov 2015

Name: Katriona Fraser
Production Title:    ‘Caché’	Production Date(s)  December 2015
Date of Risk Assessment     26/11/2015

Hazard	Persons /place who may be harmed	Risk controls already in place	Risk Assessment LOW, MODERATE, HIGH, EXTREME	Further action required to control risk
Rainy weather	Actors, crew members and camera	Umbrella	High	I will check weather everyday leading to filming-may  postpone filming if necessary
Cold weather	Actors and crew members	Everyone will wear appropriate clothing	High	Only needed actors/crew will be outside. Furthermore,  we won’t spend too long on outside shots
Crossing roads	Cast and crew	Everyone will take care to cross roads Emergency services on speed dial	Moderately high (but rare)	We will all wait for traffic lights to go red when crossing busy roads in town

Fire Brigade	999
Ambulance	999
Police	999
Thames Valley Police	101
Chemist	01753 883484
Out of hours chemist	01689 898580

Persons / property	Contact name & Relationship (if applicable)	Contact Number
Actors under 18-Jessica Durand	Mrs Nicola Durand - mother	01753886935
Under 18 actor-Katriona Fraser	Mr Leslie Fraser-father	01753 88371
Locations House	Mr Leslie Fraser-home owner and my father	07802 292067

I'm really excited for the new film 'Carol' to come out. It's one of the first films I've heard about being in the cinema that centres around a homosexual couple. Usually, there are homosexual characters but they are smaller and more in the background than the heterosexual ones. From what I know about it, the film follows two women who become friends in the early 1950's. Their relationship develops as the film progresses into romance. I think this film should be really good as the topic of homosexuality would have been controversial in the time that the film is set. Since it is quite relevant to my film opening, I plan to go see it in the cinema asap!

Here is the storyline (sourced from IMDB):
In an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's seminal novel The Price of Salt, CAROL follows two women from very different backgrounds who find themselves in an unexpected love affair in 1950s New York. As conventional norms of the time challenge their undeniable attraction, an honest story emerges to reveal the resilience of the heart in the face of change. A young woman in her 20s, Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara), is a clerk working in a Manhattan department store and dreaming of a more fulfilling life when she meets Carol (Cate Blanchett), an alluring woman trapped in a loveless, convenient marriage. As an immediate connection sparks between them, the innocence of their first encounter dims and their connection deepens. While Carol breaks free from the confines of marriage, her husband (Kyle Chandler) begins to question her competence as a mother as her involvement with Therese and close relationship with her best friend Abby (Sarah Paulson) come to light.

On the Pinterest board below are some pictures and quotes that I think represent the couple in my film opening.
I thought the quotes both give a sense of how quickly two people can fall in love.
I want the couple to feel comfortable with each other and to always make each other smile, like best friends that are in love.
I like the idea of their ideal date taking place on the sofa watching Netflix or just generally relaxing together.
I like the laid back vibe in the picture of the two girls in a coffee shop. Follow Katriona's board Caché on Pinterest.

I was devastated to hear about everything that happened in Paris on Friday as it is one of my favourite cities in the world. For my French homework, I was asked to research what happened in Paris on 13th November 2015, so I made a short video. I used videos, pictures and information that I found online (it's mostly in French!). I admit that some of the editing isn't very good as I did it in one night. It was educational to make as I did my research on french news sites like http://www.20minutes.fr/ so I learnt more about ISIS. Here it is:

On Friday 13th November, it was Children In Need. At my school, we had a school sleepover and all came in our pyjamas. We made this video of our teachers in pyjamas having a dance-off to show in assembly! Both the staff and pupils seemed to love the video and our school raised over £700 for the Children In Need Charity! I organised the logistics of making the video, which we did at lunchtime, so it was hard to make sure none of the people who weren't involved in the video saw what we were doing. I also did the editing with Jessie Durand.

After an extensive audition process, I finally selected Jessie and Katriona because:

• they are the right age
• they are willing/ available
• they are relatable to the audience
• they are part of the demographic 

After an extensive and rigorous audition process, my actors are going to be my friend Jessie as the main character, Katriona as Jessie's girlfriend.

This month my school put on a production of 'Bugsy Malone', acted by students in year 8, 9, 10 and 11. Myself and two other Media AS students got the chance to go to one of their rehearsals and interview the cast and director, as well as watch them run through some of the play. We filmed it all and created this video to promote the show! I was a camera operator, director, interviewer and co-editor.
Enjoy!

My favourite song from 'About Time' is this:
In the film it is the song which plays in the background of the happy romantic montage. In my film opening, I plan to include a montage similar to the one. I love this song because it fits what is happening on the screen so well. I want to try recording my friend Jessie playing her ukulele as she can play a lot of happy tunes which I think would fit my happy montage.
I also love this song from 'Love, Rosie':
A lot of Romantic Comedies feature happy, pop songs like :
Another Romantic Comedy film's soundtrack which I love is 'LOL'.

For my film opening, I wanted the title to be in French because I have a huge interest in the French language. I am taking French A Level so I'm passionate about the country and the language. Furthermore, I though it was fitting because French is the 'language of love' and many consider it to be the most romantic language in the world. It is also the home of the world's 'most romantic city', Paris. I chose the word 'caché' which means hidden/ secret as the main character Amber is hiding her sexuality and hides her love for Jessie.

Chick flicks Example: 'Mean Girls' Her parents being zoologists, Cady Heron has never known what "high school" truly meant. She lived her first 15 years in the African jungle, home-schooled, living life with only her parents and the animals of the wilderness, knowing all of the rules of survival. However, when she moves out of Africa, she has to learn the rules of high school, a jungle in itself. She instantly makes friends with two sweet teenagers, Damian and Janis, who, in the terms of the high school, were in the "out crowd." Soon she meets the Plastics, the three crude, beautiful, popular girls, consisting of Regina, the unofficial leader, Gretchen, Regina's full-time follower, and Karen, "one of the dumbest people you will ever meet." They immediately let her into their group, but Cady, wanting to keep her first friends, is unsure. The two convince Cady to keep her relationship with the Plastics, only so that they can know their dark secrets. However, events turn for the worse when Cady falls for Regina's ex-boyfriend, Aaron Samuels. When Regina finds out, she seeks revenge of Cady by taking Aaron back. When Cady finds out, what began as a game to discover secrets turns into a plan to destroy Regina. Now, Cady, Janis, and Damian plot together to bring Regina's status down. However, as Cady spends more time with the Plastics, she, too, begins to become one. Guy films Example: 'Role Models' Danny and Wheeler, well into their 30s, lack something: Danny feels stuck; he's sour and has driven away his terrific girlfriend. Wheeler chases any girl he sees for empty sex. When they get in a fight with a tow-truck driver, they choose community service over jail and are assigned to be big brothers - Danny to Augie, a geek who loves to LARP (Live Action Role Play), and Wheeler to Ronnie, a pint-size foul-mouthed kid. After a rocky start, things start to go well until both Danny and Wheeler make big mistakes. Can the two men figure out how to change enough to be role models to the boys?