Writing Your Own Case Studies for Section A: Producers and Audiences

It is essential that you write your own case studies to use in Section A: Producers and Audiences of the AS FM2 paper. You should write one for a contemporary British film and one for a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster produced/distributed by one of the major Hollywood film studios. The films should be no more than three years old (five years at the very most) so that they reflect current practices within the film industries.

By now you should have read my case studies on Sightseers and The Dark Knight Rises (please start using them in your essays!) and you should use my template when constructing your own.

The process is time-consuming BUT it will be worth it - not only will you have your own excellent case study material to use in the exam BUT the process will act as a form of revision of the main issues that you will be expected to discuss.

The following sites will be useful for you when gathering the necessary material:

IMDB
THE NUMBERS
BOX OFFICE MOJO
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
VARIETY

Also - you may find it useful to simply Google questions regarding your chosen films or even look on the relevant Wikipedia pages (just be careful to double check the accuracy of information you find here!).

Try to answer the following questions in your case study - and remember to relate your findings back to the issues we have discussed in class!

• DOES THE FILM BELONG TO A RECOGNISABLE GENRE?
• WHAT WAS THE FILM'S BUDGET?
• IS THE FILM BASED ON EXISTING SOURCE MATERIAL?
• IS THE FILM PART OF A FRANCHISE?
• WHICH PRODUCTION COMPANIES WERE INVOLVED IN THE MAKING OF THE FILM?
• HOW WERE THE FINANCES RAISED?
• WHO DIRECTED THE FILM? NAME THE OTHER KEY CREW.
• WHO WERE THE MAIN ACTORS/STARS? WHAT WERE THEY PAID?
• HOW LONG WAS THE SHOOTING SCHEDULE?
• WHERE WERE THE SHOOTING LOCATIONS?
• WHICH COMPANIES DISTRIBUTED THE FILM?
• WHAT WAS THE FILM'S RELEASE PATTERN?
• HOW WAS THE FILM MARKETED?
• WAS THERE A VIRAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN?
• WAS THERE ANY MERCHANDISE RELATED TO THE FILM (INCLUDING TIE-INS AND OTHER PROMOTIONS)?
• WHAT CERTIFICATE DID THE FILM RECEIVE?
• WHEN WAS THE FILM RELEASED IN THE UK AND THE USA?
• HOW MANY SCREENS DID THE FILM APPEAR ON IN THE UK AND THE USA?
• WHAT OTHER FILMS WERE RELEASED AT THE SAME TIME?
• HOW MUCH DID THE FILM TAKE IN ITS OPENING WEEKEND?
• WHAT WAS THE TOTAL UK GROSS?
• WHAT WAS THE TOTAL US GROSS?
• WHAT WAS THE TOTAL WORLDWIDE GROSS?
• WHAT KIND OF CINEMAS WAS THE FILM RELEASED IN?
• DID THE FILM WIN, OR GET NOMINATED FOR, ANY AWARDS?
• WERE THE REVIEWS FOR THE FILM POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE?

Tips for Section A: Producers and Audiences on the FM2 Paper

Having marked the first round of essays this week I though it would be useful to outline some tips that will help you get the best marks possible.

Whatever question you answer in Section A: Producers and Audiences, the following points will help you:

• read the stimulus material carefully - think about the issues that arise from the stimulus material rather than using specific examples from it
• in the introduction to your essay refer directly to the question and list the issues that are most important (for example stars, genre, marketing, budget, release patterns etc). This will show the examiner that you understand what the key issues are BUT also will give you a structure to your essay (include a paragraph in the main body of your essay on each of the issues that you list in your introduction)
• whatever the question, make sure that you make some kind of comparison between the Hollywood film industry and the British film industry
• pack your essay full of examples to support every point you make (just as you used to use quotations for every point you made in an English Literature essay) - these can be names of stars, films, production companies, genres etc
• some of these examples can be in the form of lists BUT some must be developed and detailed
• use examples from the stimulus material BUT remember that this is not an English comprehension! For every example you use from the stimulus material make sure that you have 2 or 3 of your own. The ratio should be roughly 25% examples from the stimulus material and 75% examples from your own case studies, my case studies and films you are familiar with
• use the case studies I have written for you on Sightseers and The Dark Knight Rises - don't just briefly refer to the films, the examiners will be expecting detail! I have related the case studies to every conceivable issue you could want to discuss regarding British and Hollywood film - so use them!
• write your own case studies following my template, and use the material as examples to support your points. You should write one for a British film and one for a big Hollywood blockbuster (from the last 3 years or so) - this will be an excellent form of revision regarding the key issues you should discuss BUT will also mean that you have your own examples to use in the exam
• you can use old examples of films, such as The Blair Witch Project, BUT try to make as many of your examples as current as possible

Multimedia Conglomerates

It is essential that, during any discussion of Hollywood's dominance or the British film industry's struggle to compete, you discuss the respective structures of the film industries - this is an opportunity to discuss the role and importance of multimedia conglomerates.

I cannot imagine an essay for Section A: Producers and Audiences on the FM2: British and American Film paper that wouldn't at least make passing reference to the way that the Hollywood film industry is structured; in reality, you should discuss multimedia conglomerates in detail, with examples of companies, film titles, reference to synergy and discussion of extra revenue streams generated by merchandise.

Read through the notes you already have again - BUT you should also look at the following links for more information regarding Time Warner, Disney, Viacom, News Corporation, Sony and Comcast/NBC Universal.

TIME WARNER

DISNEY

VIACOM

NEWS CORPORATION

SONY

COMCAST/NBC UNIVERSAL

AS Film Studies Past Paper - 12th January 2012

Here's another FM2 past paper - from January 12th 2012.

PAST PAPER - FM2: British and American Film - 12th January 2012

AS Film Studies Past Paper - 16th May 2011

It is essential that you practice as many exam-style essay questions as possible.
You can begin by looking at questions for Section A: Producers and Audiences, but once we have completed the topics there are plenty of questions for Sections B and C also.

Have a go at as many as you can and email me your answers to alexmorphey@btinternet.com - I will mark them and get them back to you as soon as possible.

Click on the link below to access the past paper and stimulus material for the FM2 exam from May 16th 2011.

PAST PAPER - FM2: British and American Film - 16th May 2011

Section C: American Film - Comparative Study

Here are some questions for Section C: American Film - Comparative Study.

In your essay you must make comparisons between Reservoir Dogs and Ocean's Eleven - remember that you should be discussing the films in the wider contexts of genre and institution, and the ways in which the narrative of the films is different. Reservoir Dogs is an independent film, whilst Ocean's Eleven is a mainstream Hollywood film - think about the ways in which this affects the narrative structure, but also how each film presents the heist genre.

1. Discuss the similarities and differences in your chosen American films.
2. Compare and contrast the narrative structures of your chosen American films.
3. How far do your chosen American films portray themes and ideas in similar ways?
4. Compare the ways in which narrative is used to create dramatic conflict in the American films you have studied for this topic.
5. How far do the American films you have studied for this topic depend on well established narrative and/or genre conventions?
6. How far do the American films you have studied for this topic express similar messages and values to one another?
7. Compare the ways in which key themes in your chosen American films are presented.
8. Discuss some of the similarities and differences between the two films you have studied for this topic with particular reference to narrative and genre features.
9. How useful have your wider contextual studies been in understanding similarities and differences in the American films you have studied for this topic?

The information that you will present for any of these questions will essentially be the same - just make sure that you shape this information so that it ACTUALLY ANSWERS THE QUESTION! Frequently reference the question in your answers - pick out the important words and phrases from the question, and use them in each paragraph.

Section B: British Film Topics - British Film and Genre

Here are a number of questions for you to try ahead of the exam in May. If you want to send me the essays, or even plans, then email me, alexmorphey@btinternet.com - I will mark them and get them back to you ASAP.

The following questions are for Section B: British Film Topics - British Film and Genre. Don't forget that you are focusing on the horror genre and that you must discuss the following films: Dracula (1958) and The Descent (2005).

1. How is gender represented in the horror films you have studied for this topic?
2. To what extent are the narratives of the films you have studied for this topic typical of their genre?
3. How far are the characters in the films you have studied for this topic typical of their genre?
4. How far are the narratives of the genre films you have studied for this topic predictable?
5. What have you found interesting about some of the messages and values contained in the genre films you have studied for this topic?
6. In what ways do genre conventions determine how particular characters are represented in the films you have studied for this topic?
7. How far are the storytelling methods used in the films you have studied for this topic typical of their genre?
8. How effective is genre in presenting ideas about society in the films you have studied?

Whichever question you decide to do DON'T FORGET TO FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION ON THE DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIONS OF GENDER in both films that you have studied. Feel free to bring in other British horror films that you may have seen, such as Triangle, Eden Lake, Mum and Dad and Donkey Punch.

I will post questions for Section A: Producers and Audiences and Section C: American Film - Comparative Study shortly.