Harry Brown

The companies responsible for making 'Harry Brown are UK Film Council, Marv Films, Framestore and Harway Films
The year of release was 2009
The classification is 18
The revenue of the film:
Budget:$7,300,000
World Wide Box Office:$6,294,860
Loss of $1.005,860



Brief synopsis of 'Harry Brown'
Harry Brown is a ex marine who lives on a estate. The estate used to be peaceful but now it will full of gangs and violence. After the death of Harry's wife, the only person that he had was his friend Lee. Lee tells Harry that he is scared of the gang and shows him a knife that he has in his coat. Later that night a fire is started in Lee's home and he knows that it is the gang. Next Harry is told that Lee is dead. All of the gang members are arrested however when they are being interviewed all they say is 'No comment' which leave the police with no evidence to arrest them for murder. During the interview this is when we learn that Noel's dad is in prison and he is just following in his footsteps. Next harry is in pub(drunk) when he reveals money in his wallet which another character sees. When Harry is walking home, the man threatens Harry with a knife and tell him to give him his money. Unexpectedly Harry stabs the man and runs away. He is mortified by what he has done so he throws all the clothes away that he had on. The police officer comes round to ask for more information about Lee as they believe that Lee was carrying the knife he was stabbed with and that the gang where defending themselves. This angers Harry as he knows that nothing will go to court like the police officers said. Then Harry goes back to Lee house and see the gang member beat up a couple so this is when he realized that he had t take matters into his own hands rather than just sit and watch this happen. Harry gradually begins to kill the members and drug supplies of the gang. When he eventually kills Noel and his uncle the whole of the estate goes back to be peaceful and the amount of crime is reduced massively. Children could play in the park and the walk through has been painted back white and has no graffiti on it.

Throughout the film, the youth are being portrayed as violent and self centred. They are also all wearing 'hoodies' which carries a connotation of bad behaviour. The lighting through out the film is natural which make it look realistic. A hand held camera is used at the beginning of the film which puts the audience in the perspective of the  youth and makes it look realistic. The titles at the beginning are very small and simple. Even though Harry Brown is the main character, he name is the same size a everyone else which is representing him as the same as everyone else in society, also the fact that it is so small shows that he doesn't stand out from society despite him begin the main character. When Harry brown is in his flat, there are several close up which shows everyday activities such as making tea, wiping up crumbs, make toast and wash up. This again is representing Harry Brown as an ordinary person and he is no different from us.

Gender Homework

I

Gender can be represented through four different areas: camera shots, sound, mise-en-scene and editing.

Firstly gender is being represented through camera shots. A medium close up establishes the women wearing make-up which is suggesting that to be feminine, you take care of your appearance. This is then followed by an over the shoulder shot which is showing the male character looking down at the female character. This is then portraying masculinity to be more powerful than femininity. A medium close up then shows the other female character looking over at the women as she is unable to afford the dress. This is suggesting that feminine  judge each other. The next scene in the clip starts with a a medium shot of two male characters sitting at a bar. From this shot you can see them drinking what looks like whiskey. This is then suggesting that it is masculine to drink spirits rather than feminine. Further on in the clip there is a another medium shot which shows a male character fixing something. This is then suggesting that it is a masculine job to fix things. Lastly there is a medium long shot which shows the female character wearing a backless dress which is suggesting that to be feminine you can wear revealing clothes! Also in this shot you can see the make character who is wearing a suit! This is then in comparison to the female character as he all of his body is covered up unlike the female character in the clip.  

Gender can also be represented brought the use of sound. When the female character has lost her ring, an up beat asynchronous is played which is portraying feminine to become stressed quickly during situation. In comparison when the male character gives the female character a solution, the asynchronous sound become more gentle and relaxed! This so therefore portraying masculine to be relaxed and calm during situation like in the clip. 

Gender can be represented through mise-en-scene. The male characters are wearing suits which is portraying masculine to be more powerful than femine. However one of the female characters are wearing a suit which could be suggesting that she is just as powerful  as the masculine characters. Also the fact that both female characters are looking for new clothes to make them look good is suggesting that to be feminine you like to take care in what you look like and are always out to impress. The setting of the clip is in women's dress shop, this is portraying a femine. atmosphere therefore it is calm and relaxed.  

Lastly gender can be shown through editing. An eyeline match shows the female character looking up at the male character. Therefore this is suggesting that feminine figures look up to masculine  figures and also they masculine in more powerful than feminine. 

Overall gender is being shown in various ways to suggest the different elements of masculine and feminine 

The history of British film

Early history of British film

• The cinema as an entertainment industry emerged from a series of innovations in the late nineteenth century, mostly in the United States, France and the United Kingdom.
• In the UK, filmmakers established small studios to produce short films for use by travelling showmen and in music-halls. 
• In the first decade of the twentieth century, more than 30 film studios were established in and around London.
• British films rapidly established a substantial share of the market at home and abroad, including some 15 per cent of the American market by 1910
• This initial success rapidly faded as American production took off with expensive and heavily marketed feature films
• Film production was waning, cinema going flourished as a pastime of the British public
• In 1908 investment in cinemas surged, with the finding of many new companies wiht investment of £1.5m (£140m at current prices) 
• The Government recognized the potential of the film industry, initially as a source of revenue, when it included cinema, together with other entertainments, such as music hall and theatre, in the Entertainment Tax, introduced in 1916. 
• The rate, which was initially set at between 25 and 50 per cent of the price of cinema tickets, was reduced in the 1920s and then raised during the Second World War however it was finally abolished in 1960

First Government support

• By 1925, British film production had declined
• Fewer than 40 feature films a year were being made, compared with over 150 in 1920.
• The vast majority films shown here were American.
• May 1925, lord Newton raised the issue in the house of lords, 'industrial, commercial, educational and imperial interests'.
• In 1927, the government recognized the importance of film production to the British economy.
• The Cinematograph Films Act 1927 recognized the interdependency of production, distribution and exhibition, and sought to encourage home production by setting quotas for British-made films to be met by both distributors and exhibitors.
• The act was successful in the sense that production of films in the UK doubled.
• It also established several new production companies, including British international Pictures at new studios in Elstree, Warner studios at Teddington and Fox's studios at Wemberly.

The challenging of American film export

• The Government was quick to recognise the domestic importance of the film industry
• the American authorities were even quicker to recognise its importance as an export industry
• American missions abroad were reporting on foreign film market opportunities as early as the 1910s.
• In 1926, Congress appropriated $15,000 to set up the Motion Picture Section within the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce of the Department of Commerce
• This collected market information through 44 foreign offices and 300 consular offices.
• The section also appointed a trade commissioner in Europe.
• Harvard business school started to offer seminar series in the business and management of the film industry and several other American business schools and universities followed.
• Domestically the film industry was responsible for about 2 percent of overall US.
• The hollywood studios generally broke even on the American market and derived their profits from export revenues.

The 1930's boom and bust

• The arrival of "talkies" in 1928 had a positive effect on British film production.
• Their films were projected in the home market and, unlike the French and German film industries, able to compete with American sound films without the need for dubbing.
• The result was that the industry experienced a boom.
• The most successful British film production company was London Film Productions, founded by an immigrant from Hungary, Alexander Korda.
• By the late 1930s, the boom in British film production came to a sudden end.

Homework

What constitutes a British film?
There are different aspect that constitutes a British film, these are cultural context, cultural contribute,cultural hubs and cultural practitioners
The constitution of a film or where it is seen to be made is important in many ways. It can be cost effective, better marketed, more well known or just result in an rush of viewings. It involves classification to decide on  whether the film should be allowed to be classed as being from that country. Particularly for British film, to get your film classified as British it must pass through the rules given by the UK film council. The UK film council is a government run organisation which aims to improve and promote the state of film within this country.

What are the various methods of marketing a film?
There a several methods of marketing a film such as:
360-degree marketing- marketing activities which take into consideration brand identity and take an inclusive approach so that the brand is presented at all points of consumer contact. 
In theaters - trailers, posters, slideshows and standees(freestanding paperboard life-size images of figures from the film)
Television and Radio- TV commercials, product placement(mention of the film on dialogue of programme or on set posters of the film)
Internet- free distribution of trailers on movie-orientated websites  
Print- paid advertisement in newspapers, magazines and inserts in books
Merchandising-promotional giveaways
Promotional tour- film actors,directors and producers appear for TV, radio and print media interviews 


What are the different ways a film can be exhibited or consumed?
Films cam be exhibited in various ways such as:
Cinemas
TV
Internet
DVD
Blue ray
Love Film
Netflix
3D
YouTube
Film can either be rented or purchased and either through streaming or video on demand. As technology has increased the various way of consuming a film has grown.

Further distribution notes

Tony Angellotti made this statement:
Within a business, the audience has the greatest amount of power as it is the audience who tell you what they like.If they audience like a specific superstar, Hollywood would be forced to use this superstar and then this specific star becomes extremely powerful.

Toby Miller made this statement:
In a world where money is spent on budget of a film is often sees 50% going on promotion as opposed to what you actually see on screen.The film Industry like any other- it obviously has to sell things however it does not rely on waiting, listening, responding to what audiences want and then delivering it to them.This industry relies on knowing which parts of the world and the media  need its products and will pay for them

Film distribution describes everything that happens in between production and exhibition.
It is crucial not to see film distribution as a 'helpful' stage in the life of a film whereby distributors treat all films equally and ensure fair play in getting films to the public's attention.
The key players are the bug companies who control much of the industry, control distribution of their own products and of others.

5 Major distributors dominate the UK film industry

• United International Pictures
• Warner Brothers
• Buena Vista
• Twentieth Century Fox
• Sony

Prints

Producing physical copies of a film for cinema/ home release and finding the exhibition to sell the film to

Marketing

Raising audience awareness and anticipation of a new release.

A distributor may:

• Be part of the same parent company as the production company
• Have a long term arrangement with a production company and provide financial assistance for many of their productions
• Provide financial assistance for the single film by a production company
• Acquire a film after it has completed production

360-degree marketing

This kind of marketing is never intrusive

Very inexpensive 

Homework

What is distribution?
The history of film is usually related through the achievements of producers, directors,writers and performers.
Our personal understanding and appreciation of film is shaped by our experiences at the cinema.
The exhibition of the film is a commonplace, shared cultural activity highly visible in every city and town in Britain, constantly feeding the popular memory.
Distribution is the third part of the film supple chain, it is often referred to as the 'invisible art'
Distribution is the most important part of the film industry- where completed film are brought to life and are connected with an audience.
Distribution is about releasing and sustaining films in the market place.
The pig-in-the-middle, distribution is a collaborative process which requires the materials and right of the producer as well as the cooperation of the exhibitor to promote the film in the best way possible.
Distribution can be divided into three stages:

• Licensing
• Marketing
• Logistics

Licensing

It is the process by which a distributor acquires the legal right to exploit a film

It can take place on two levels

International distributions- ensures that films find their way to the 90+ market territories around the world

Independent distributions- have to sell their films to different distributors in each territory

Local distributions-this involves the distributor acquiring the license to release and exploit the film in a particular country. It will conventionally share profits  equally with the producer for the theatrical leg, pay back, higher royalties for broadcast rights and lower for the DVD.

A distributor will usually be offered theatrical right, for showing the film in cinemas

Once the license has been agreed it is then the distributors job to launch the film

The trick is to weigh up the two factors, to invest as much as is needed in promoting the film to draw out the maximum returns

Marketing

In the UK films are released theatrically in Fridays

The schedule for the release is coordinated and published by the film distributors association

A distributor will assess the schedule to identify the release date.

They either find a 'light' week to ensure that there is both screen space and adequate review columns inches in the press allocated to any potential release or to consider the seasonality of the film so that the film has the greatest potential to reach audiences in the academic year.

The distributor will try to position the film distinctively and avoid a release date occupied by other films with similar traits.

After this the distributor looks towards the theatrical release- the cost of this are often referred to as P&A(prints and advertising)- Cost can range from less than £1,000 to over £1 million for the release of the film in the UK.

Marketing: Prints and Advertising

The quantity and production pf release prints and trailers

Specialist films: often releases with fewer than 10 prints into key independent cinema, with them subsequently 'toured'over a 6 month period to all parts of the UK

Press materials, clip reels, images, press reviews, screener tapes

Press response is a key factor in developing the profile and desirability of a film.

The design and printing of posters and other promotional artwork

The cinema poster is a specific size-30'' x 4-'' (Quad format)

Recent examples show that the poster design is highly effective in packaging the key attributes of a film for the potential audience.

Distributors also consider poster campaigns, ranging from Underground advertising to billboards

Advertising campaign-location ad size and frequency

Press advertising campaign for specialized films will judiciously select publication and spaces close to relevant editorial. 

For mainstream films, scale and high visibility is key

The cost of print advertising in the UK comparatively high and is seen as making distribution in the UK a riskier business than in most other countries.

Press campaign/contracting a PR agency
Many distributors do not have press department therefore they will constantly hire a press agency instead.

Arranging visits by talent from the film
The use of talent
The volume of the editorial coverage can for outweigh the cost of talent vistits

Other preview screening

A distributor will consider the use of advance public screenings to create word-of-mouth and advanced 'buzz' around the film.

The Logistics of Distribution
The distributor will come to an agreement with the cinema to screen the film on certain 'play dates'
Logistics represent the the phrase of distribution at its most basic supplying and circulating copies of the film to theatres, of DVDs to shops and rental stores, and managing the effectiveness of the supple.
The distributor typically handles 35mm film prints which cost around £1,000- or twice as much if it is subtitled. Therefore a degree of care is required when doing the prints.
These prints however suffer cumulative damage as they pass through different projectors, and the hands of different projectionist.
For the first period of prints the distributor will invest in sufficient prints to provide optimum coverage-this usually lasts up to 6 months
From this point many of the new released prints will be destroyed that there is only a small number to be used in the second period.

Case study: Bullet Boy
Bullet Boy is a low budget, independent feature helmed by first-time feature director Saul Dibb.
The film quickly gathered a reputation as the first film to tackle the difficult subjects of contemporary gang and gun crime in Britians inner cities.
Local people in hackney saw the film contributing to the ongoing debate
By the time the film was released, it has achieved both word-of-mouth and press coverage in the news
Verve Pictures saw the potential of the film in a wider market beyond the arthouse, especially with a young black audience which was drawn by the presents of Ashley Walters to seek out the film in key urban multiplex sites.
The film was released on 8th April 2005,opening on 75 prints UK wide
The poster was designed to convey the look, subject and tone of the film, supported by the key press quotes, whilst also foregrounding the presents of Ashley Walters
The as campaign aimed to diverse audiences interest in film and music, urban black and white.-Ads were included in all of the national daily newspapers to show the significant space to film reviews, plus two tabloids, newspapers with a black perspective, a selective London Underground campaign and extensive use of radio stations with a concentration on R 'n' B and Garage, the musical forms in which Ashley Walters is associated with
The film had grossed £450,000 at the UK box office.

Digital Distribution
In 2005 this was when the distributors started to move towards digital distribution.
Digital technology is seen is offer a most cost effective and logistics-light alternative to the tried and trusted 35mm print distribution.
It has stared to appear on a large scale in certain parts of the world, such as China and Brazil.
In the UK, digital technology has been embraced by the non-theatrical sector,in film societies and schools, where the use of DVD and mid-range digital projection has been replaced with 16mm
The force of this change coupled with the new capacity of technology to replicate 35mm imaging,has led to the UK Film Council to establish distribution and exhibition programme for the theatrical sector at the end of 2005.