Audience and Institutions Essay - To what extent is digital distribution vital to film?

To what extent is digital distribution vital to film?

        Technology and the digital aspect of film are something we take advantage of today. We have all sorts of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Disney+. Digital distribution is the delivery or distribution of digital media content such as audio, video, e-books, video games, and other software. Digital distribution is extremely vital to film, especially nowadays. 

         Digital distribution is a great way to earn money once a film gets out of theaters. Typically, movies do not come out on DVD until around 17 weeks after they premiere in theaters. With this comes the possibility of people pirating movies and selling or downloading them illegally. One way around this is to do a day and date release. By releasing the film in theater on the same day as DVD, conglomerates can lower the risk of illegal copies springing up. This is called shortening the distribution window and it saves huge companies hundreds of thousands of dollars per film. Companies have also begun to turn to streaming services rather than physical media. In the article “The Ins and Outs of Hollywood Film Distribution,” written by Jonathan Paul this is detailed further. Paul writes, “With each passing year, digital distribution is positioning itself to surpass disc-based media as the top home-entertainment revenue. Studios and distributors are including digital copies with psychical [sic] copies. They’re even beginning to release digital versions of films to online retailers like iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play before the disc-based option is released.” We see this example within the film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Walt Disney Pictures Motion Studios held a movie premiere and afterparty and the film hit theaters on May 05, 2017. The film made its way to streaming services before disc options were out, becoming available on Netflix and Amazon Video on August 8, 2017. It was then available on DVD and Blu-ray 2 weeks later. 

         Another way that digital distribution helps films advance in today’s consumerist economy is through music. Films nowadays tend to include original songs, created either by the same company or by another one for a small price. Black Panther is the most obvious example of this. The soundtrack for Black Panther featured many rap and hip-hop artists like Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, and SZA. (Billboard) Creating a soundtrack using some of the most popular artists of today was a smart move by Disney because they were able to appeal to an entire generation. The soundtrack was released on iTunes and Spotify with the Black Panther movie poster as the cover for the album. This caused audiences to gravitate towards that movie poster because they associate it with a song they like. This made Disney a lot of money. Another example of digital music distribution is Spider-man Homecoming. Sony released an original soundtrack with the film, similar to the deal with Black Panther. However, we know for sure that Sony produced its own music, seeing as how it is a music company as well as a film company. This tells us that they not only made up for the costs, but most likely surpassed it and gained a huge profit since they did not have to pay another company to produce the music. A personal experience that I have had with digital distribution is actually going on right now. With the global pandemic going on right now, movie theaters are closed, and we can’t go out to movies with our friends like normal. This is where the technology comes in. Most of us spend all day watching movies on Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc. We are spending our time on streaming services now more than ever, and companies are still profiting off of us, even in isolation. 

            Another way to use digital distribution is through regular TV. TV companies give us the options of video on demand or near videos on demand, usually the latter. But one thing that TV companies can do is collaborate with production companies to distribute and advertise for new movies. One way we see this is when Jurassic World came out in 2015. Comcast, the parent company, created slots in the movie section of their TV program in order to promote the new film. Comcast decided to show all of the previous Jurassic films and have the main characters of the new one, Jurassic World, host the screenings of these older films. This made the audience excited and appealed to older generations through nostalgia. People who grew up watching the Jurassic movies would hear the iconic theme song and feel as if they were kids again, leading them to wanting their kids to watch the movie. Also, the production company did not have to spend extra money on this specific advertisement by keeping it in the family, a very synergistic approach. Comcast is very bold when it comes to the release of films. According to a WIRED article called “How Tech Has Shaped Film Making,” by Charles Matthau, “companies seem willing to distribute films online. The 2011 film Tower Heist with Ben Stiller was almost released to Comcast customers alongside the theatrical release, but the idea was scrapped after several theaters threatened not to show the film in protest. Although digital promises an exciting new world of distribution, the business of film has yet to catch up with this idea.” While digital distribution is an up and coming achievement in the filmmaking world, people are scared that it might overpower theaters, which have been around for centuries. Some people are just not ready for that kind of advancement. However, companies can make very profitable deals with TV providers and streaming services concerning the coming out of a new film. Premiering a film on a streaming service can result in a lot of revenue for many companies. 

            In my opinion, digital distribution is a necessity in order for films to succeed. Today especially, people rely on technology as a source for entertainment, and institutions rely on audiences in order to make money. Streaming services and websites are the best forms of distribution because they are easily accessible by the public. 

         

Extract Essay - 24

           The themes of these extract are rivalry and a kind of daring enterprise. The man is trying to get valuable information on how to stop a deadly explosion out of the woman. She is in custody and clearly not very cooperative. The meaning behind this extract is that lives are at stake and two separate forces must come together to prevail. The director’s vision is to create a suspenseful and urgent feeling, causing the audience to be on the edge of its seat. This extract is most likely from an action or thriller genre, and this is definitely conveyed throughout this extract. 

            The first scene begins with a fade in to a medium close up of a woman. A fade transition typically implies a passage of time. A fade with black, specifically, is used when the scene that follows is going to be dark or action-packed. The director used a black fade in specifically to show us, the audience, that the scene following it was going to have a dark feeling. Eventually, a man walks in and we see him through an over-the-shoulder shot. Over-the-shoulder shots are great for adding perspective and establishing presence. We now know the woman’s location and where she fits in in relation to the setting. We also see the man’s initial emotions when he first sees the woman sitting there. We are able to see this all through the woman’s perspective and gain an idea of the relationship between the two characters. The first scene is interesting because it contains almost no dialogue and lasts almost a minute. This allows the audience to focus more on the lighting, props, and other sounds in the scene. We notice the clock ticking, the sound of the paper against the table, and the background sound in the TV room. These are all elements that we were able to focus on in more detail, and they were all important to the storyline. The director most likely did this on purpose to draw the audience in and focus on the important, minute details. 

            There is a sense of urgency that remains throughout the extract. This is accomplished through many things such as lighting, props, costumes, and angles. The security camera that we see in the first scene tells us a lot about the characters. The woman is not only in custody, but she is dangerous as well. The camera also tells us that there are other people watching them. The situation is important enough that there need to be witnesses. We learn that this woman is the only person who can dismantle a bomb, but she has proven difficult to work with. The sense of urgency and darkness is furthered through costumes. Both of the characters are wearing dark clothes to reflect their dark emotions. This shows the seriousness of the situation. The men in the TV room are wearing suits, showing that they are people in positions of power and the situation is important. 

            Camera movements are also great for showing emotion. The pan movement following the man’s entrance into the room shows us that the two characters have some sort of history. One thing that was different about this specific pan movement was that it followed a stack of papers. This definitely shows us that those papers are very important. So, through one pan movement, we can see that the stack of papers will play a prominent role later and that the two main characters know each other from a previous meeting. Scene 1 ends with a shot of the men in the TV room. We know that the two characters are being watched by them for some reason, but we don’t know exactly why. We hear a lot of background, ambient noise coming through in this shot. We know that there are many people involved in this interrogation, and we can infer that they are under the direction of the government. By the end of scene 1 we can see that the conversation between the two characters is not friendly and is being monitored by a powerful group of people. 

            Scene 2 begins when the man and the woman start talking. This is where we learn about their backgrounds and how they ended up in this position. After a while, the man becomes fed up with the woman. He throws the table between them out of pure frustration. By doing this he makes a loud, shocking noise. This is meant to slightly startle the audience, considering it is a random outburst if violence. This is a great addition of fear in the midst of a calm moment, really connecting to the thriller genre. The situation escalates and the man begins to attack the woma. Scene 2 ends with him pushing her against the wall and threatening her. Scene 3 begins with the woman telling the man that he will lose his job if he lays a hand on her. The tension is beginning to rise. The people in the TV room watch this go down and decide to intervene. The screen splits and we can see both inside the room and out, where the people are trying to get a hold of the two in the room. This split screen effect shows us many emotions all at once: the woman is fierce, but she knows she is in trouble, the man is furious, and the people from the TV room are fearful of what the man will do. This all plays into the suspense and darkness that has been building up. 

            Throughout this extract, we can see that the director used camera shots, angles, movements, and compositions, as well as editing, sound, and mis-en-scene to create a suspenseful and urgent feeling. The director has accomplished this in many ways and was very successful in his endeavor to create meaning through these physical elements. 

Final Task - Catfished Film and CCR

My final task was by far the most complicated project I've done. It was also the one I was most proud of. I think that the entire process throughout the year was to lead me to this point right now and I am very proud of myself. My movie is about a guy who gets kidnapped by his crazy ex-girlfriend. She pretends to be someone else online in order to trick him into trusting her. They plan to go on a date and she knocks him out and brings him to her garage. She keeps him there and tells him her story. I edited my film to show a flashback at the beginning. It then goes back to real time and shows a timeline of the events leading up to, during, and after his abduction. 

Music Video - Big Time Rush Video and CCR

For my music video, I wanted it to be very simple and fun. I got 4 friends who have great chemistry to jump round and have fun. I think this gave  a very realistic and authentic vibe to the video. This was a lot easier to film than the commercial. I think my skills had progressed a little at this point. I was really excited for this video because the band was a big part of my childhood and I knew that recreating their song would bring back memories. This was my favorite filming experience because it was so fun.

Commercial - Dunkin Donuts Video and CCR

This is my commercial I did for Dunkin' Donuts. It was really fun to film, but not my best work seeing as it was my first project. My partner and I were very confused on what exactly to do and how to film, but we figured it out, and it was a great learning experience. Our commercial shows two different people doing things like sports and homework. We showed ourselves being tired and running out of energy. Then after we have our Dunkin Donuts, we get our energy and get back to work.

Re-editing blog: Re-editing Any New Footage Filmed

I finally finished editing my video. I finalized my script for my voiceover and timed it so that it would start right after the title sequence and end when the trunk closes. The voiceover definitely solved any issues with timing and the different sounds I am supposed to include in my film. The new clips I filmed were also inserted at this time. Since there were only a few this was very simple. As I was editing, I realized that I did not have the required shots and angles I needed. Because I am missing just a few, I think I will do another day of re filming my movie. I want to make sure it is truly perfect and meets all requirements. I think I will have Mario, the other actor in the film, peer review my film. I was at a disadvantage because the person who was supposed to peer review my film did not show up. I am very proud of my editing so far. I think I have come a long way since our commercial as far as using the software. This is good because I can apply this to real life. There are a lot of things I can use these skills for, even if I am not making films. Using software like iMovie  can help me use other softwares like PowerPoint. I have progressed by learning through my errors. The difference between my editing now and before is immense. My film now is very clean. My edits are smooth and make sense. It looks a lot more professional and well done than my other works. I think my film is going very well and I’m getting close to finishing!

Re-Shoot blog: Re-shooting My Film

I have not been able to re-shoot some parts of my film. Because of how busy I have been, and my actor, we haven't been able to find a time. On Tuesday, we have a day off of school. I plan on re-shooting the kidnapping scenes using my camera instead of my phone this time. The quality on my phone camera was not very good because of how dark it was outside. This time I plan on filming during the day now that I know how to turn down the brightness. Hopefully this won't take long as I only have a few shots to film. The first one I have to re-shoot is the scene where I kidnap "Mateo". Because I filmed it on my phone, it came out vertical, but the rest of my film was on my camera and those shots are all horizontal. The next one is where I'm dragging him to the car. This part was really shaky because my 7 year old brother was holding my phone to film. The last thing to re-shot is me putting him in the trunk. This was also shaky and dark. Additionally, I will have my acting partner peer review my film to see if I am missing anything in my film. Based on this, I will see if I have to add any more shots and angles as well. If I am missing anything, I will have to re-shot again. Once I am done re-shooting is when I will do my voiceover. I wrote out a script for it and timed it well enough that it will fit the timing of the film without going over the title sequence. I will do this later on next week, around Wednesday or Friday. After that, I will be completely done with my film.