Institution - Our Film

The distributors most suited to our film would probably be Universal Studios or Paramount Pictures.

Paramount Pictures has distributed films such as She's out of my League, The Love Guru, Mean Girls and Clueless.Therefore it would be very suited to distribute our film as it has distributed many others like it.

However, I think that Universal Studios would be better to distribute our film as it has distributed films such as Bring it on, Head over Heels, American pie, Love Actually, Bridget Jones, Pride and Prejudice, Love Happens and Leap Year. So therefore, even though Paramount has distributed Mean girls and Clueless which are quite similar to our film, as Universal has distributed more Romantic films of a wider range of sub-genres I think it would be a better distributor for are film.

Institution

The process of making a film is:

Pre Production - financing is confirmed and key elements such as cast members, director and cinematographer are set.
Production - film is created and shot.
Post Production - the film is put together by the editor.
Distribution - markets the film.

Distribution

The film distributor is responsible for marketing the film to the best of its ability and basically delivering an audience. The distributor must find the films USP (unique selling point) e.g. a sellable cast or genre and then market this effectively to the target audience of the film. The core audience of films is usually 15 - 24 year olds or family groups. Smaller independent distributors have to seek out and acquire the rights to distribute films e.g Lionsgate.

Here are some examples of distribution companies:

Sony Pictures is a Tokyo based global company focused on motion picture, television, home entertainment and digital content production and distribution. It also has a global channel network and deals with development of new entertainment products, operation of studio facilities, services and technologies. It currently distributes to 159 countries. Films distributed by Sony include Men in Black 3, The Amazing Spider Man and Bad Teacher.

Warner Brothers Pictures was founded on the 4th April 1923. It produces a wide range of different genres of film each year. It is responsible for releasing films to more than 39,000 screens in North America alone. It also distributes to non-theatrical markets including airlines, cruise ships, colleges, hospitals and other smaller markets. Among many of the films Warner Brothers distributed in 2012 were The Dark Knight Rises, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Wrath of the Titans.

Lionsgate is a leading global distribution company with a strong a diversified presence in motion picture, television, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution and new channel platforms. Films distributed by Lionsgate include The Hunger Games, The Expendables and Kick Ass.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures is an American distribution company established in 1953 and owned by the Walt Disney Company. It handles the distribution of films produced by Walt Disney Studios and, as of 2012, Marvel Studios. Some of their films include The Avengers, Alice in Wonderland and Toy Story 3.





Part of our research into distribution was to think of an idea for a film of a given genre and pitch it to our class with our ideas of cast and distribution companies suitable for our idea:

Opening Sequences

Over Her Dead Body - Mise-en-scene

Over Her Dead Body is a film about a bride who gets killed on her wedding day and can't seem to let her fiance move on. The mise-en-scene in the opening to this film is key in setting up the story.

The first most obvious thing to be seen is that the key colour in the opening is white which practically takes over the every shot and has a lot of symbolism. It is first used to help show purity which is synonymous with weddings. Secondly when the character wakes up in this odd place, it gives a feel of cleanliness, peace and mystery which helps to present the setting as otherworldly.

The choice to show pictures of the couple before the first scene is good as it gives the audience insight into the relationship and makes it feel more realistic. Then you see a series of layouts (plates, table names) that are all being meticulously put together, this helps to show how the bride is desperate for her wedding to be perfect.

The main characters costume of a yellow dress and red lipstick helps to make her stand out and presents her as an important part of the film. Also the red of her lipstick could signify the oncoming danger she is about to be in. Another point is that she herself is in high contrast to the other characters who are wearing darker clothing, e.g. her friend is wearing a dark flowery dress which even though it is still girly, it is quite dark, keeping your attention on the main character which helps to portray the bridezilla image of it all being about her. She is also in contrast to the scruffy looking man who delivers the ice sculpture in that she is very well put together and he unkempt, this helps to highlight what a perfectionist she is. Her make-up in the other scene is a lot less fierce and she is wearing a white dress which may help to show that she is at peace.

The high key lighting of the wedding scene helps to give the sense of reality and also the slight hint of glamour associated with weddings. The lighting in the other scene is a lot softer and seems slightly top lit which helps to give a more mysterious and angelic feel the the scene.

The setting of the wedding is outdoors in view of the sea, this natural location helps to portray a sense of relaxation and serenity which helps to emphasize how stressed the bride is due to the contrast in her behaviour and the surroundings.

The setting in the other scene is basically just white, it does not seem to be anywhere and seems to be somewhat shrouded in fog which helps to add to the mystery of the place and the supernatural feel to it.

Opening Sequences

Clueless - Use of Camera

The use of camera in the opening sequence to Clueless is very effective in introducing the genre and characters of the film.

At the very beginning of the film the camera is constantly moving; using a variety of pans, zooms, tilts and hand-held camera work which helps to portray the lives of the characters as interesting and exciting. It also uses a wide range of different shot types such as crane shots, close ups and long shots, this continuous changing of shots also aids in the representation of an exciting lifestyle and is extremely eye catching  to the viewer. In addition to this it also helps to present the genre of a coming of age/ romantic film as it is very upbeat, also as it is aimed at a younger audience the movement is needed to draw their attention.

This hugely contrasts to the slow pan which hardly moves at all when the father appears, which helps to show how strict and corporal the characters lifestyle is. The camera then tracks the father around the kitchen which helps the audience to link with the main character as she is following him around as well.

Finally, there is close ups of the two girls in the car, this helps to show how important these two characters are and how vital they will be to the story. 

Opening Sequences

Two Weeks Notice - Editing

The editing in the opening sequence to the film Two Weeks Notice helps to introduce the characters and the story.

In the first scene the cutting pace is quite fast and somewhat irregular, this helps to show how passionate the character is about what she is doing and also implies the slight lack of elegance as to how she goes about doing it.

The pace of cuts then begins to decrease in the next scene as she is getting out of the police station, this helps to show how she is going back into her everyday life. Then when she is shown in her own flat there is literally only one cut and this is after quite a long shot of the character ordering food, this helps to portray how slow and routine her life is.

When we are introduced to the male character the editing pace is much faster and is in more of an organised rhythm, which shows that he leads quite an exciting, sophisticated lifestyle. Which is in a large contrast to the females very boring life, this contrast helps to foreshadow how the two characters fall out due to their different lifestyles.

Overall the editing in this opening sequence effectively introduces the characters and gives the audience some sort of idea as to what the film will be about.

Opening Sequences

Juno - Sound

The sound in the opening sequence of Juno very effectively helps to set off the story and genre of the film.

The Film starts in almost silence with only the diegetic sound of birds. This helps to show how deep in thought the character is, which is then confirmed with the voice over of "it started with a chair" giving us insight into what she is thinking about. As this is the first thing we hear we know it is going to be very important to the story.

It then goes into a flash back showing the significance of the chair, with the main piece of sound being a very soft piece of music with the lyric of "I gave so much love to this love". Although this is supposed to be diegetic it is also parallel to the story and helps to show it is a past experience and that the relationship may not be there anymore. This soft day dreamy scene is broken by a loud barking which helps get us to connect with the character in that she has been broken out of her day dream just like we have.

Finally, there is an upbeat country styled song played during the credits which helps to link to the surrounding, in that she live in a quite suburban town. It also helps to hint at the genre, in that it is a light-hearted song with the lyrics of "All I want is you" showing that it is going to be a cheerful film about a relationship - a romcom.

Opening Sequences

The Lake House - Representation (Gender)

The Lake house is a romantic story of a man and woman that fall in love through letters but are sadly unable to meet as they are in different times. The opening sequence is very effective in introducing characters and representing gender. It both agrees with and opposes gender stereotypes.

The first piece of music used is sung by a man which reinforces the idea of men being dominant and strong. However, the lyrics of "I can't seem to make you mine" counteract this idea as the stereotype of men and women in romantic films are that the woman falls in love with the man, and yet the lyric seems to suggest that it is in fact the man pursuing the woman. It also links in with the story in that Keanu Reeves is living in the past and so can't seem to meet up with Sandra Bullock.

Camera framing is also used to portray gender stereotypes, for example, the first image you see of the leading female is an extreme close up of her eyes, this type of shot is used to show emotion and so helps to affirm the stereotype of woman being very emotional. This is backed up by the close up later on of another woman showing how she feels about the main male character, Alex. Also during the opening sequence there are no close ups of any men which again confirms the idea that women are emotional whereas men are not.

The mise-en-scene of the opening sequence also helps to support gender stereotypes, for example, the character Alex drives an old-looking blue truck which is quite a masculine vehicle, this helps to portray men as being strong and tough. Also, on the building site there are only men working in big boots and hardhats which shows masculinity, and is a large difference to the ditsy girl struggling to walk around in a skirt and heels. Conversely, in the first few shots of the opening sequence the main female, Kate, is wearing a bright red coat which is an extremely bold colour, signifying her independence and strength. This helps to hinder that stereotype and also draws attention to the fact that Kate is unlike most girls; she is special.

Another point is that all of the authority figures in the hospital which Kate goes to are woman and literally the only interaction with male characters in that scene is a frail old man, this helps to show woman as being strong and powerful. Which again goes against the whole damsel in distress stereotype which is commonly portrayed in romantic films.

Overall, this opening sequence seeks to challenge the gender stereotypes, especially of woman, and it shows one woman as what you would typically expect of a girl just to help reinforce that idea that the main character is different to all the other girls.