After reading an article by Mark Kermode in the Guardian on cinema 2015 (audience admissions) I noticed that many parts of the article are relevant to my own production. the article discusses how by only looking at the box office revenues it dose not provide a reliable idea as to what has progressed in cinema in 2015. The points made can link with some of the evaluation levels in the syllabus.
"My short film, like many short films, is a low-budget, independent production. It is very much less likely to enjoy cinema release than full length feature films. Short films have a set of genre conventions, including their brevity, that make them suitable for internet consumption. In this, they are similar to other independent productions that are mentioned by Mark Kermode in his review of 2015 film releases.
'Like it or not, simultaneous distribution is the future. We are moving towards an environment wherein audiences will decide whether to watch a film on the phone, their laptop, their television or projected on the big screen in a cinema. With more films – and, hopefully, more varied films – vying for our attention, the keyword for audiences in the 21st century is “choice”. In releasing our short film Dreaming Daisy for internet distribution, I am following in the footsteps of more major films, a trend that for Kermode may well be the future model. The article mentions that recent advances have allowed films to be viewed at home as well as in theatres. For example in 2013, Ben Wheatley's Beats Of No Nationreceived a theatrical release as well as being streamed on Netflix. For short films in particular this kind of internet release is a really effective way of reaching audiences as the small budget normally makes that very hard. However some exhibitors demand that there should be a 'defined' window that the film can only be viewed in cinemas. Althoughdue to technical advancements but also the determination from the distributors of short films platforms such as Curzon Home Cinema and the BFI-Player have been used and make it very difficult to only be able to watch films in cinemas
For Kermode, it was not only the blockbusters, franchises and superhero sequels that drew audiences in 2015; independent cinema held its own in the marketplace in 2015: 'Look at the evidence. Among the movies that have played the UK independent or “arthouse” circuit this year are: Céline Sciamma’s Girlhood, a vibrant evocation of Parisian banlieue life; Carol Morley’s The Falling, a sublime tale of mass fainting …; Debbie Tucker Green’s Second Coming, a suburban British drama with a boldly mysterious quasi-Biblical twist; A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, the attention-grabbing monochrome first feature from Ana Lily Amirpour, which was billed as “the first Iranian vampire western” …; and Suffragette, Sarah Gavron’s adaptation of Abi Morgan’s empowering script.’”
For Kermode, a key theme of the London Film Festival 2015 was the role of women in film. In my own production my partner and I have clearly established that the majority of our audience will be female, as both of our main characters are female and it is a chick flick/ romance. The festival director Clare Stewart expressed the need to support women directors but not only during the development but also making sure that their are equal opportunities for the screening of the films. Furthermore the short film that we are creating is being pro ducted strictly by a completely female production team.
Excellent understanding of the role and use of new technology in your production where you refer to ways of film distribution and audience consumption.
ReplyDeleteExcellent understanding of the forms and conventions used in the production,where you show that there is continuing marketplace appetite for indie films.
Excellent grasp of audience behaviour as you show how audiences warm to film about women's issues.