Who were the distributors?
The distributors were 'Universal' which are a well known company. They have also distributed films such as, 'Macgruber' and 'Robin Hood'.
Who was the target audience?
The target audience was mainly to teenagers as they can relate to alot of the situations in the film such as gangs, bullying and so on, and also because that was when Shane Meadow experienced simialar situations. But because of the swearing a racist comments it was rated an '18' so the audience was then changed.
How did the film makers decided where to release the film and when?
The film was release on 27th April 2007 in the U.K
Sunday, 23 May 2010
What were the issues for the production company during the production phase?
Was it an easy shoot?
There were some difficulties such as casting 'Shaun'. Meadow's already had his cast from previous films but had to find the right character for the main part. Also, getting it right and setting it in the eighties was difficult. Although he had memories of these times, he had never made a period piece before and portraying the eighties can be as difficult as the Victorian era.
Was any part of the film on location?
Well clearly most of the films was shot on location, for example, estates, but there wasnt anywhere particular they had to go like 'The Boat that Rocked'.
How significant was casting to reach specific audiences?
Well they aimed to reach young audiences just as much as other, but because of racist comments and strong language, the films was certified as an 18 so, the younger audience could not watch it.
How much did the film cost to make?
The film had a budget of £2.2 million , they didnt go over but when the film got released it made a big profit.
Important people-
Shane Meadows- writer/director
Mark Herbert- producer
Daniel Cohen- director of photography
Mark Leese- production designer
Richard Knight- location manager
Jo Thompson- costume designer
Chris Wyatt- editor
There were some difficulties such as casting 'Shaun'. Meadow's already had his cast from previous films but had to find the right character for the main part. Also, getting it right and setting it in the eighties was difficult. Although he had memories of these times, he had never made a period piece before and portraying the eighties can be as difficult as the Victorian era.
Was any part of the film on location?
Well clearly most of the films was shot on location, for example, estates, but there wasnt anywhere particular they had to go like 'The Boat that Rocked'.
How significant was casting to reach specific audiences?
Well they aimed to reach young audiences just as much as other, but because of racist comments and strong language, the films was certified as an 18 so, the younger audience could not watch it.
How much did the film cost to make?
The film had a budget of £2.2 million , they didnt go over but when the film got released it made a big profit.
Important people-
Shane Meadows- writer/director
Mark Herbert- producer
Daniel Cohen- director of photography
Mark Leese- production designer
Richard Knight- location manager
Jo Thompson- costume designer
Chris Wyatt- editor
What are the pre-production issues for the production company when making films?
Whos idea was the film?
Shane Meadows first came up with the idea for 'This is England' when working on his film 'Dead man's shoes' which contained abus. violence and victimisation too. He also, had incidents in his own life involving the skinhead situation.
What are the issues with the genre of the film?
There were some issues regarding the fact it was too violent and contained racial comments, because of this it was certified as an 18. However, councils such as Westminster, believe it should reach teenagers and certain circumstances in the film, happen in some young kids everyday lives.
Was it easy to arrange financial backing for the film?
Well the budget was £2.2 million. They were financially helped by Film Four and other companies. The fact that 'Warp Films' has produced all of Shane Meadow's films helped because that way people who trust that the film could be successful and would be willing to help.
Casting-
It wasn't hard to find casting for this film as Shane Meadows used the same actors and actresses as his previous films that way it cost less:
Thomas Turgoose played Shaun (main character)
Stephen Graham played Combo
Jo Hartley played Cynth
Andrew Shim played Milky.
Who was the producer?
The producer is Mark Herbert. Apart from 'This is England' he has produced other films such as, 'The Journey Man' and 'Four Lions'.
Who was the director?
The director is Shane Meadows who also wrote and came up with the idea.
Who composed the music?
The soundtrack was distributed by Universal record label.
Shane Meadows first came up with the idea for 'This is England' when working on his film 'Dead man's shoes' which contained abus. violence and victimisation too. He also, had incidents in his own life involving the skinhead situation.
What are the issues with the genre of the film?
There were some issues regarding the fact it was too violent and contained racial comments, because of this it was certified as an 18. However, councils such as Westminster, believe it should reach teenagers and certain circumstances in the film, happen in some young kids everyday lives.
Was it easy to arrange financial backing for the film?
Well the budget was £2.2 million. They were financially helped by Film Four and other companies. The fact that 'Warp Films' has produced all of Shane Meadow's films helped because that way people who trust that the film could be successful and would be willing to help.
Casting-
It wasn't hard to find casting for this film as Shane Meadows used the same actors and actresses as his previous films that way it cost less:
Thomas Turgoose played Shaun (main character)
Stephen Graham played Combo
Jo Hartley played Cynth
Andrew Shim played Milky.
Who was the producer?
The producer is Mark Herbert. Apart from 'This is England' he has produced other films such as, 'The Journey Man' and 'Four Lions'.
Who was the director?
The director is Shane Meadows who also wrote and came up with the idea.
Who composed the music?
The soundtrack was distributed by Universal record label.
Monday, 17 May 2010
Optimum Releasing
Optimum Releasing is a film distributor company working in the UK. The company releases many films, especially foreign language films, but is perhaps best known for its anime releases, including the contract to release all Studio Ghibli films in the UK.
Optimum's image is that of a modern, independent new release and back catalogue distributor, and they release films under four strands: Optimum Releasing (Theatrical New Releases), Optimum Home Entertainment (DVD and Blu-ray Disc New Releases), Optimum Classic (DVD Re-releases of back catalogue films) and Optimum World (New and Back Catalogue World Cinema).Their image was mostly created by their work with specialist London-based film graphic design agency All City Media, who created their company ident which features an excerpt from Goodnight Vienna from the techno group LFO's Advance album
They release over 200 films a year and are one of the most prominent distributors in the UK independent film and world cinema market since the closure of Tartan Films in 2008.Optimum was acquired by StudioCanal, a subsidiary of Vivendi SA, in 2006. Since StudioCanal bought Optimum, the French company distribute their large back catalogue of classic British films (many from the Cannon and EMI catalogues) through Optimum releasing under the strand 'Optimum Classic'.
Optimum's image is that of a modern, independent new release and back catalogue distributor, and they release films under four strands: Optimum Releasing (Theatrical New Releases), Optimum Home Entertainment (DVD and Blu-ray Disc New Releases), Optimum Classic (DVD Re-releases of back catalogue films) and Optimum World (New and Back Catalogue World Cinema).Their image was mostly created by their work with specialist London-based film graphic design agency All City Media, who created their company ident which features an excerpt from Goodnight Vienna from the techno group LFO's Advance album
They release over 200 films a year and are one of the most prominent distributors in the UK independent film and world cinema market since the closure of Tartan Films in 2008.Optimum was acquired by StudioCanal, a subsidiary of Vivendi SA, in 2006. Since StudioCanal bought Optimum, the French company distribute their large back catalogue of classic British films (many from the Cannon and EMI catalogues) through Optimum releasing under the strand 'Optimum Classic'.
This Is England
This is England could have ended there, as a kind of prequel to A Clockwork Orange, but Meadows isn't content with telling a simple cautionary tale. Instead, he takes the movie through a predictable crisis to an unconvincing redemption and a final montage that sketches an insufficiently explored turnaround. With a symbolic gesture set to a plaintive Smiths tune, Shaun renounces his nationalist leanings, and whatever rang true about him is sublimated entirely into the stuff of movies. That's not England, that's pure Hollywood
This Is England
Much of the film was shot in residential areas of Nottingham, including St Ann's, Lenton and The Meadows, with one section featuring abandoned houses at the former airbase RAF Newton, outside of Bingham, Nottinghamshire. The opening fight was filmed at Wilsthorpe Business and Enterprise College, a secondary school in Derbyshire.Additional scenes were filmed in Grimsby, Turgoose's home town.
Turgoose was 13 at the time of filming.Turgoose had never acted before, had been banned from his school play for bad behaviour, and demanded £5 to turn up for the film's auditions. The film was dedicated to Turgoose's mother, Sharon, who died of cancer on 29 December 2005; while she never saw the film, she saw a short preview. The cast attended her funeral.
Turgoose was 13 at the time of filming.Turgoose had never acted before, had been banned from his school play for bad behaviour, and demanded £5 to turn up for the film's auditions. The film was dedicated to Turgoose's mother, Sharon, who died of cancer on 29 December 2005; while she never saw the film, she saw a short preview. The cast attended her funeral.
This Is England
Meadows and his production team are in talks with reggae label Trojan to supply the soundtrack.Part-financed by Film Four, the project has a budget of just £2.2 million.
This Is England
This Is England, which was also produced by Warp, earned in excess of $3m (£1.8m) in the UK and over $4m (£2.5m) at the international box office.
Warp has produced all of the Meadows’ films since 2003 and their latest project, mockumentary Le Donk and Scor-zay-zee starring Paddy Considine, premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival earlier this summer.
Warp has produced all of the Meadows’ films since 2003 and their latest project, mockumentary Le Donk and Scor-zay-zee starring Paddy Considine, premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival earlier this summer.
Sunday, 16 May 2010
This is England
In its opening weekend This Is England Made £207,676 in the UK and $18,430 in the US
This is England
The film was given an 18 certificate by the BBFC due to racist language and violence. However, councils such as Bristol, Camden and Westminster felt the film should reach teenagers. The film was shown at international film festivals, including London, and Meniscus was allowed to shown it at Grimsby's Whitgift Film Theatre.
On 5 January 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 93% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 82 reviews. Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 86 out of 100, based on 23 reviews — indicating "universal acclaim".This made it the tenth best reviewed film of the year. The film appeared on several US critics' top ten movie lists of 2007; it was third on the list by Newsweek's David Ansen, seventh on the list by The Oregonians Marc Mohan, and ninth on the list by Los Angeles Times' Kevin Crust. In Britain, director Gillies Mackinnon rated the film the best of the year and David M. Thompson, critic and film-maker, rated it third. The film was ranked fourteenth in The Guardian's list of 2007's Best Films and fifteenth in Empire's Movies of the Year.
The film won the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film at the 2007 British Academy Film Awards. It also won the Best Film category at the 2006 British Independent Film Awards, Thomas Turgoose winning the Most Promising Newcomer award.
On 5 January 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 93% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 82 reviews. Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 86 out of 100, based on 23 reviews — indicating "universal acclaim".This made it the tenth best reviewed film of the year. The film appeared on several US critics' top ten movie lists of 2007; it was third on the list by Newsweek's David Ansen, seventh on the list by The Oregonians Marc Mohan, and ninth on the list by Los Angeles Times' Kevin Crust. In Britain, director Gillies Mackinnon rated the film the best of the year and David M. Thompson, critic and film-maker, rated it third. The film was ranked fourteenth in The Guardian's list of 2007's Best Films and fifteenth in Empire's Movies of the Year.
The film won the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film at the 2007 British Academy Film Awards. It also won the Best Film category at the 2006 British Independent Film Awards, Thomas Turgoose winning the Most Promising Newcomer award.
This Is England-Warp Films
Warp Films is the sister company of Warp Records, the Sheffield based label who released Aphex Twin, and Squarepusher among others.
Their approach to filmmaking mirrors their music policy. Namely to support artists with individual visions, providing a platform for left of centre projects. Warp saw the revolution that happened in music 12 years ago, with the accessibility of better equipment allowing artists to lay down tracks in their bedrooms, being mirrored in filmmaking. The rise of digital technology in film, allowing people to shoot cheaply and edit at home contributed to this.
Warp's first project was the Chris Morris BAFTA winning short My Wrongs. Dead Man's Shoes was the company's first feature film. They now follow up that success with This Is England.
In the words of producer Mark Herbert, "Warp films are about having a voice. I hate manufactured indie or manufactured pop. Anything that feels like you're doing something just to fill certain criteria. The ethos isn't a set of rules, it's about not worrying about commercial influences, or ticking the right boxes, and becoming mainstream. No one process is right or wrong."
Of his relationship with Shane, Mark says, "Personally I've got a very good friendship with him. He makes things happen, and he's got a voice. There's something very distinctive and original that only he does, he's very DIY and earthy as a filmmaker and that fits with Warp perfectly.
Their approach to filmmaking mirrors their music policy. Namely to support artists with individual visions, providing a platform for left of centre projects. Warp saw the revolution that happened in music 12 years ago, with the accessibility of better equipment allowing artists to lay down tracks in their bedrooms, being mirrored in filmmaking. The rise of digital technology in film, allowing people to shoot cheaply and edit at home contributed to this.
Warp's first project was the Chris Morris BAFTA winning short My Wrongs. Dead Man's Shoes was the company's first feature film. They now follow up that success with This Is England.
In the words of producer Mark Herbert, "Warp films are about having a voice. I hate manufactured indie or manufactured pop. Anything that feels like you're doing something just to fill certain criteria. The ethos isn't a set of rules, it's about not worrying about commercial influences, or ticking the right boxes, and becoming mainstream. No one process is right or wrong."
Of his relationship with Shane, Mark says, "Personally I've got a very good friendship with him. He makes things happen, and he's got a voice. There's something very distinctive and original that only he does, he's very DIY and earthy as a filmmaker and that fits with Warp perfectly.
This is England
Shane Meadows has always pioneered a unique approach to filmmaking, working with local non professional actors and a core group of friends and family, whilst being open to fresh talent. With the producer Mark Herbert, who first worked with Shane on his previous film Dead Man's Shoes, he is pioneering a Northern Cottage Industry, which Mark refers to as Shane's DIY ethos. Forging relationships that will continue through many films his key collaborators include his Locations Manager and brother-in-law Richard Knight, Stills Photographer Dean Rogers and his Casting Director, Co-producer and partner Louise Meadows. Many of the key crew for this film worked previously with Shane on Dead Man's Shoes including Director of Photography Danny Cohen and Editor Chris Wyatt.
This is England
Shane first hit on the idea for This Is England whilst working on his preceding film, Dead Man's Shoes, a story of victimisation, abuse of power and revenge, in rural England. It was a project that made the director reflect on the nature of bullying and violence. Specifically there was an incident from his own life, when he was about 12-years-old and had become a skinhead, when as he explains, "I thought the be all and end all in life was that kind of hard masculinity in men. I craved to be like a Jimmy Boyle, or a John McVicar, or a Kray.
It's like kids who are into Beckham, I was into Jimmy Boyle in the same way. I wanted to see men fight, and there was an act of violence that I almost prompted, and that was something that became very difficult to live with." Ironically it was this experience, alongside the example set by a figure like Jimmy Boyle, a criminal who became an artist, which ultimately became very influential for Shane in a positive way.
Of his childhood in Uttoxeter in the eighties, then a small Midlands town with a population of around 10 000, high unemployment, and the epitome of Thatcher's rural dispossessed, the director reflects: "Coming from a town like Uttoxeter, nobody expects you to leave and become a filmmaker. In a way my reaction to that act of violence was the first stepping stone to getting out of that way of life."
As Shane sees it, making This Is England has become a way of exorcising the demons of that night of violence, yet the impact of those early experiences can be felt across the body of his work. Indeed all of his films deal with issues of masculinity, from the boys' boxing club of TwentyFourSeven to the compromised boyhood friendship in A Room For Romeo Brass, the question of male power structures and revenge in Dead Man's Shoes, through to the teen tribes and father figures of This Is England. "In film terms it's almost like the Star Wars series," he jokes. "Now I'm into my prequel series. This Is England is made before all of my other films. The others are based on a certain period of time, from 15-years-old onwards when, though I abhorred violence, I was a bit of a small time crook. I think This Is England has gone as far back as I could probably go and found the root of what got me making films to begin with
It's like kids who are into Beckham, I was into Jimmy Boyle in the same way. I wanted to see men fight, and there was an act of violence that I almost prompted, and that was something that became very difficult to live with." Ironically it was this experience, alongside the example set by a figure like Jimmy Boyle, a criminal who became an artist, which ultimately became very influential for Shane in a positive way.
Of his childhood in Uttoxeter in the eighties, then a small Midlands town with a population of around 10 000, high unemployment, and the epitome of Thatcher's rural dispossessed, the director reflects: "Coming from a town like Uttoxeter, nobody expects you to leave and become a filmmaker. In a way my reaction to that act of violence was the first stepping stone to getting out of that way of life."
As Shane sees it, making This Is England has become a way of exorcising the demons of that night of violence, yet the impact of those early experiences can be felt across the body of his work. Indeed all of his films deal with issues of masculinity, from the boys' boxing club of TwentyFourSeven to the compromised boyhood friendship in A Room For Romeo Brass, the question of male power structures and revenge in Dead Man's Shoes, through to the teen tribes and father figures of This Is England. "In film terms it's almost like the Star Wars series," he jokes. "Now I'm into my prequel series. This Is England is made before all of my other films. The others are based on a certain period of time, from 15-years-old onwards when, though I abhorred violence, I was a bit of a small time crook. I think This Is England has gone as far back as I could probably go and found the root of what got me making films to begin with
Saturday, 15 May 2010
Monday, 3 May 2010
What was the impact for marketing and consumption from the following aspects of distribution for your film?
Analyse:
This film poster reaches their target audience as it shows all the main characters and their personalities by their facial expression for example. It gives the audience an insight to the time of the film, which is the 60's, because of their constumes, hair styles and so on. Also, some people can relate to certain characters by either seeing them in other films or older people relating back to their teenage years in the 60's. As well as this, a few of the characters have headphones and a microphone shows music is involved which can also attract them.
Were there any merchandise?
There isn't any merchandise, the film didnt even do successfully let alone merchandise. There may be posters.
Was any additional publicity gained?
Yes, by bringing the film out in other countries and calling it 'Pirate Radio' caused additional publicity.
How did the distributors market the film by utilizing 'the talent' to appear on tv and radio shows?
They marketed it by posters and film trailers which attracted attention and publicity which caused 'the talent' to appear on tv and radio shows.
What kinds of press stories were released as and before the film came out?
After it was released the press criticised the film saying it was too long and that it jumped to places without the audience knowing.
This film poster reaches their target audience as it shows all the main characters and their personalities by their facial expression for example. It gives the audience an insight to the time of the film, which is the 60's, because of their constumes, hair styles and so on. Also, some people can relate to certain characters by either seeing them in other films or older people relating back to their teenage years in the 60's. As well as this, a few of the characters have headphones and a microphone shows music is involved which can also attract them.
Were there any merchandise?
There isn't any merchandise, the film didnt even do successfully let alone merchandise. There may be posters.
Was any additional publicity gained?
Yes, by bringing the film out in other countries and calling it 'Pirate Radio' caused additional publicity.
How did the distributors market the film by utilizing 'the talent' to appear on tv and radio shows?
They marketed it by posters and film trailers which attracted attention and publicity which caused 'the talent' to appear on tv and radio shows.
What kinds of press stories were released as and before the film came out?
After it was released the press criticised the film saying it was too long and that it jumped to places without the audience knowing.
What was the impact for marketing and consumption from the following aspects of distribution for the film?
Who were the distributors?
The distributors were 'Universal' which are a well known company. They have also distributed films such as, 'Macgruber' and 'Robin Hood'.
Who was the target audience?
The target audience for the film is quite wide, I would say it is for teenagers in Britain however there will be many older people willing to see this film from the 60's as that was the time they were teenagers. The fact that the film is a Richard Curtis film will also widen the target audience as he has been writing films for years now and people who are familiar with his films will wish to see them.
How did the film-makers decide where to release the film and when?
It was released in the United Kingdom on 1 April 2009. After the film's failure in the UK, it was re-edited and retitled 'Pirate Radio' for release in the United States and Canada on 13 November 2009.
What was the marketing and advertising strategy for the film?
Film marketing, trailers and posters.
Was there a premiere?
Yes there was a premiere in London.
Was the film distributed to digital cinemas?
It was distributed in digital cinemas such as, Odeon and Cineworld.
When did it go to DVD, HD-DVD?
Dvd and HD was released on the 7th September 2009.
How important are internet downloads and YOUTUBE?
It is important because it's like free advertising such as links on facebook which attracts the audience. For instance, movie trailers will make people want to see the movie. Also YOUTUBE can tell the producers if the movie will do well as they can see how many hits they have got.
The distributors were 'Universal' which are a well known company. They have also distributed films such as, 'Macgruber' and 'Robin Hood'.
Who was the target audience?
The target audience for the film is quite wide, I would say it is for teenagers in Britain however there will be many older people willing to see this film from the 60's as that was the time they were teenagers. The fact that the film is a Richard Curtis film will also widen the target audience as he has been writing films for years now and people who are familiar with his films will wish to see them.
How did the film-makers decide where to release the film and when?
It was released in the United Kingdom on 1 April 2009. After the film's failure in the UK, it was re-edited and retitled 'Pirate Radio' for release in the United States and Canada on 13 November 2009.
What was the marketing and advertising strategy for the film?
Film marketing, trailers and posters.
Was there a premiere?
Yes there was a premiere in London.
Was the film distributed to digital cinemas?
It was distributed in digital cinemas such as, Odeon and Cineworld.
When did it go to DVD, HD-DVD?
Dvd and HD was released on the 7th September 2009.
How important are internet downloads and YOUTUBE?
It is important because it's like free advertising such as links on facebook which attracts the audience. For instance, movie trailers will make people want to see the movie. Also YOUTUBE can tell the producers if the movie will do well as they can see how many hits they have got.
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