1. AS OCR Media Studies
Audience and Institutions: Film Industry

2. You have to research the production
and distribution companies that made
and distributed your film
Here is a list of statements, questions
and tasks to ensure you have
EVERYTHING covered!

3. 1. ALL the questions are offered as guidelines.
2. There will be questions that you may not be
able to answer.
3. It is down to you to work on the development
of your own chosen film from idea to screening:
from institution to audience.
•GOOD LUCK!!!
Take Note

4. • Genre
• Consider your film. Are there any issues
with the genre of it? Is it a hybrid? How
does this effect the distribution and
marketing?

5. • You must be able to understand the film
genres associated with each studio/
production company.
• Why have they chosen these? What does this
suggest about them?
• How profitable are these genres in today’s
market? How do you know this?

6. • What about Synergies?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages
of this?

7. • Convergence
• Relate to...
• Production
• Distribution?
• How did cross-media platforms aid
your film?

8. • What could be pre-production issues for the
production company?
For example, where did the idea come from?
• Who wrote it? Was it a team brought in, or was
it based on an existing text (novel, screen
play?)

9. • Original Idea
• Where did it come from?
• What happened to the original script/ idea?
• Did this stay the work of one person, or did
others get involved?

10. • Did your company get taken over by another,
or use another for support? (Look at Warp and
Film4 here).
• Detail any institutional issues that were a
result of this?
• Consider the implications to the audience
here.

11. • Finance
• Where there any issues with getting
backing?
• Who financed it? One group or many? What
was in it for them?

12. • Now think about the budgets and prospects of
how companies might distribute and market a
film.
• What issues do you think there are?
• Where can you find this information?

13. • Costs
• What did it cost the studio to make?
• How much did the stars get? Did it differ much
between the main stars? Why?
• Can you identify where the budget went?
• Was it shot within budget? Did it go over? How
close?

14. •
Name of producer/s?
• Name of the director?
• How did they get involved? Any further
associations with these - what are they known
for?

15. • Casting
• Main stars/ roles/ characters?
• What had they been cast in before?
• What was their ‘star appeal’?

16. • Any issues with getting the cast? Their
timetables and other commitments? Were they
second or first choice?
• How important was this casting in terms of the
audience? Why were they chosen? Effect?

17. • Production
• Any issues for the production company whilst
shooting?
• See if you can find any ‘on set’ disputes (think
SITC?

18. • Any script changes whilst on set/ in
production?
• Same editor throughout? Was the script editor
changed?
• Do you know of any re-writes/ script edits?

19. • Who were the main people in the production
team and what did they do?

20. • Sound
• Who composed the film music? Consider the
implications of this person (just as a star is
cast)
• Consider the sales of the CDs. Find reviews
(Empire is good here).

21. • Location
• Was it all shot in a studio?
• Was anything shot on location?
• Think about budgets - did they chose the
cheaper location, would the audience know
this?

22. Any technical issues when making the film?
Consider the use of SFX: practical and special
effects here.

23. Convergence
Consider in terms of technology and production/
distribution/ marketing and relate to the key
concepts here.
How important was new technology such as
Computer Generated Imagery? Think about the
studios involved here (Disney for example)
How important is this for the film and its
audiences?

24. • Importance of digital technology for the
distribution of your film?
• How significant are distribution mediums like
DVDS, the world web and DTV when
distributing a film?
• Advantages and disadvantages?

25. • Detail the advertising strategy for the film.

26. What do you know about the consumption of your
film with different audiences - demographics and
different geographical locations?
Who were the distributors?
Is it a major player? What else have they done?
Did they work with other companies in different
locations?
What do you notice about this?

27. • Target audience for your film...
• You know this because...?

28. • Where and when di they release your film?
• What do you notice about the dates (Awards,
holidays, was it the same across the country/
countries)?
• What happened outside of the UK?
• Do you know how these were secured?

29. • Any changes to the release time table? Why?

30. • Where/ when was the premiere? Which
venue? Any themes? What was the coverage
like?
• Was it distributed to digital cinemas? Why?
• When did it go to DVD/ blue-ray?
• Any figures for this?

31. • How did they market this online - Youtube or
viral ads? Any downloads available before?
• Comment on the film’s website. What do you
notice about the marketing?
• Are there any social network forums linked?

32. • Analyse film posters for the film:
• Consider the UK audience
• Further mediums for advertising?
• TV, radio, magazines...?

33. • Merchandise - detail.
• Who were these marketed at?
• What was the campaign like?

34. • Can you add any further marketing?
• Think about the actors and their interviews on
TV/ Radio and online.
• Where there any ‘leaked’ stories about the
stars and their private lives around this time?

35. • Exhibition
• Any issues at this point?
• When, where and how was it exhibited?

36. • How did your film fair with the censors?
• Any issues?
• How did they achieve the rating?
• What is the benefit of this audience to the
institution?
• Any restrictions on the film? What and why?
Link to genre, audience...

37. • Reviews
• What were the reviews like of the film?
Favourable or rotten tomatoes?
• Was it considered a critical success?
• Has it been reviewed for DVD too?

38. • Choose a selection of Positive reviews - do
they choose the same features of the film to
focus upon?
• What was public opinion? Remember to
reference social networks or blogs here.
• Did it create any controversy, or water cooler
moments/ talking points?

39. • First year takings?
• Do you think this is a success? Does the
industry? How do we know this?
• Did it have an extended run? Was it cut short?
Was it re-released at the cinemas?

40. • Primary Research
• Ask your peers what they thought of the
marketing of the film (using Face Book, a film
poster or the trailer for example), using a
survey.
• What conclusions do you reach about the
marketing of the film?
• Then ask if they saw it? What does this tell
you?

41. • Did the audiences’ reaction have an impact on
the studio/ producers in terms of how they
created/ promoted/released other films?
• Have they stuck with the stars or genre for
example? Why?
• Alternatively, have they completely gone the
other way?
• Have audiences’ tastes changed?
Why?

42. Finally
Speak to your peers about this
•Have they found anything of interesting with their
studies you could learn from?
•Could you create your own questions for this unit?
•Have you googled everything about this you can?
•Lastly, make sure you have clear points for your
response and keep up to date with new references
for this.