1) Compare and contrast the main male and female characters in "Double Indemnity" and "The Last Seduction". How are they similar and how are they different?

Double Indemnity: The male seems to be the dominant one, telling the women what to do and she goes along to what she says.

The Last seduction: The woman is the controllable one leading the man on and he follows.



2) How well do the female characters fit into the role of Femme Fatal? (research this term before responding to ensure you have a good understanding of the what it means.)

Double Indemnity: In this film it doesn’t seem she fits in to the Femme fatal role, it is the man in control but he is only doing what he is doing for her.

The Last seduction: Wendy Kroy fits in the role really well as she leads two men on in this film and comes out on top.



3)How do the settings add to the sense of Noir within the films? (read about settings before responding please.)


The Last seduction: Lighting is used through out the film to add to the sense of noir, inparticular at the end before the murder wendy looks up at the apartment and see's the lights go out, and when wendy and mike are ringing people up together the shadows that are used when the lighting and rain are outside reflecting on the windows. Also the characters motivations through out the film are easily linked with film noir.

Double Indemnity: shadows are constantly used, characters motivations again, similar to that of the last seduction, strong role of woman used.



4) How are light and shadows used within the film to create a sense of meaning?

The last seduction: When ringing up people in the office to ask about women's husbands its raining outside and thunder and lighting is going on aswell, this adds to what the characters are doing on screen as it shows its a kind of dark thing they are doing.

Double Indemnity: shadows are casted when the man is hiding in the bush at the end, and the room is dark before that when he gets shot to add to the suspence of if it was him or her who got shot.

5) Do you think that "The Last Seduction" is a good example of a Neo Noir? How far does it fit the conventions of Film Noir?

I think it is as it has everything of film noir would have but its in colour, for example shadows are used, the womens motivations, and murder.

6) "Double Indemnity" is often described as the ultimate film noir, why do you think this is? How well does the film fit into the conventions of Film Noir?

Film noir is described as the following: is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations.

Double indemnity is a crime drama and does emphasizes cynical attitudes and sexual motivations.

7) What are the key themes explored within the 2 films? Please explore each film seperately first

The last seduction: Bribes, murder and theft.
Double Indemnity: blackmail, murder

8)What are the common themes of both films
money and murder.

9) How do the messages and values explored within the film reflect the times in which they were made? (you will need to do a little research to respond to this question.

Double Indemity and the last seduction's crimes both seem very rare and complex for the times in which they were set.

What social scenarios are explored within each film?
Bullet Boy: During this film there are plenty of scenes which are family oriented, as the main character's mum is trying to get him out of crime which he has sunk into with his best mate.
London to Brighton: Seem to be between the two main characters looking out for each other.
Sweet sixteen: Between the two main charcaters (2 boys) getting in trouble.
All three films all have a similar theme in which they always have some one looking out for them.


How is crime portrayed in each film?
Bullet boy: through gang crime, knives/ guns, death.
London to brighton: prostitution, guns.
Sweet sixteen: drugs, knives, prison.

In what ways are people deprived in each film?
Bullet boy: living on a run down estate, hard to get out of crime.
London to brighton: no money
Sweet sixteen: mums in prison, can only turn to crime for more money

What opportunities are available to the main characters in each of the films?
In all 3 films there aren't many opportunities at all, the only real opition is to move away and for that they need money which none have.

How are criminals portrayed within each of the films?
They are portrayed as gritty, have money especially in sweet sixteen and london to brighton.

Can the protagonists (lead characters) escape from the situation they are in?
In london to brighton and bullet boy both try to but can't as they are followed and sweet sixteen he has no where else to go.

What punishments do characters receive for their crimes in each of the films?
Bullet boy, main character gets killed.
London to brighton get beaten up qauit a bit
sweet sixteen also the main characters get beaten up.

How is violence portrayed within each of the films?
Beaten up, stabbings, shootings.

What social restrictions are evident within each of the films?
All can't seem to get a decent job.



How can the films be said to reflect aspects of contemporary society?
The films can be said to reflect aspects of contemporary society as these things do happen there is prostituition, stabbings and killings in the real world, these arn't things that are only portraiyed in films.

What links can be made between the socail situation of the film and the society in which we live?
Like above it does happen and the environments they are set in are very true to life, alot of stabbings happen in london on estates and up in scotland, porstitution is probably in every city in the uk.

EXHIBITION QUESTIONS

1) Why are there no viable arts/independent cinemas in many areas? Why/how is Southampton able to sustain the Picturehouse (Harbour Lights).

2)What is the relationship between movie going and video/dvd/blu-ray hire/sales? For an adult to go to the cinema it costs around £10-£15 to buy a dvd which you can have for life it cost around the same amount. Its cheaper in the long run.

3) What does the programming of the Sky movie channels and Film Four respectively say about the relationship between pay television, niche marketing and consumer behaviour?

4) What is the most appropriate response Contemporary British Cinema can make to Hollywood dominance. I believe a very british film would be the response as only we can make that as they cnt get american actors to act out a british ganster and americans will want to see british take on british themed films.

5)Should British films be distinctive at the expense of profitability ir profitable at the expense of distinctiveness?

6)Is it possible for British films to be both distinctive and profitable? If so, how ?(please use examples in your response)
I believe they can, for example lock stop and 2 smoking barrels was profitable and distinctive and so was snatch as they both kept to there english gangster themes and both made a profit.

PRODUCTION QUESTIONS

1) How has the status and power of stars changed over cinematic history?
It has changed due to actors getting paid more, giving them more power, as they can say how much they want for doing a film due to there popularity with the public.

2)Take any film you have seen recently and find out who produced it. Then try to find out more about this person. What was their role on this particular production? What have they and others got to say about their involvement and contribution? What projects have s/he been involved in previously, were these ventures successful?

film: Taken. The film was produced by Luc Besson's Europacorp: EuropaCorp is a French movie studio. Co-founded by Luc Besson and Pierre-Ange Le Pogam, the Group combines the activities of production, cinema distribution in France, distribution on DVD and VOD, French TV rights sales, international sales, partnerships, licensing & by-products, music production and publishing, book publishing, and advertisement production



3)Why are certain kinds of films guarenteed to make large profits and others high risk? Some films are gurenteed to make large profits due to it's popularity for example if they brought out another matrix film or jurassic park they would make large profits as people who saw the 1st few films will want to go and see this one. Other films dnt make big profits as if there 1st time films and it hasn't got a enough publicity there not many people will want to see it.

4) Which genres are currently popular/unpopular and why?
Avatar is a popular film at tne moment as it's by the same director who done titanic, which got good reviews and its the most expensive film of all time making it a very popular film to watch. Current unpopular films such as the girl with the dragon tattoo seems to be unpopular due to not much publicity and being a 1st time film.
5) Why was Hollywood under the studio system so successful?

6) What has been lost and gained as a result if the replacement of the studio system by the producer/agent/deal system? The studio system quickly became so powerful that some filmmakers once again sought independence as a result.

7) How and why has hollywood again become vertically integrated? Hollywood has become vertically intergrated because it needs to, to produce big budget films.To be able to control what goes on easily.

8) What are the consequences of vertical integration?
You dnt have total control.

DISTRIBUTION QUESTIONS

1) How has Hollywood come to dominate world markets?
Hollywood has come to dominate world markets through featuring actors who over the years have become iconic figures in the film industry such as John wayne always featuring in a wild west or war drama, making other countries want to watch them, and the only way they can do that is by watching a hollywood movie. Also walt disney has become so big as soon as you hear the name you immedently accosiate it with a kids anamted film and it is very rare that any other company can compete with it.

2) Why do i get to see the films I do at the local multiplex?
I go to the local multiplex as its the best way to view a movie,sitting at home with a dvd on is just not the same. Whilst sat in the cinema there are no interuptions, the volume is always on max and the special effects are simply better on a wide screen.

3) Do we get to see the films we want (demand led) or do we see films that are provided for us (supply led) and why?
We watch the films that are provided for us as we dont get a say in what comes out at the cinema, as for example they bring out the films that will make them the most money not what people have requested.

4) Why are more people going to the cinema today?
More people are going to the cinema today as the experience is better, plus they would rather see the film at its best in the pictures rather then wait for it to come out on DVD.

5) look to see whether films hold there positions well in the charts over a few weeks or whether they fall away quickly. What reasons can you come up with to explain this success or failure.
I believe films fall away quickly, i think this as new films are released every week, and they are forgotton quickly.

Debate questions

Who are films made for? Do they cater to your tastes or are they safe bets for the hollywood industry?

anamated films made for younger audiences, such as UP, this is not really for older people but is a safe bet because they know kids will go and watch with there families. There is always a film for younger audiences in the cinema. Horror and action films are very much the same just for more older people. So there is always some thing for every one in the cinema. A.T.M. Alice in wonderland (kids) Solomon Kane (action film) Shutter Island (horror).

What impact does the apperance of British stars in american films have upon the British films:

If a british star goes to america and does a big budget movie then comes to britain and does a low budget movie people want to see that actor inparticular, so that does british cinema good but the actors some times never return to do a british film they woud rather stay out there and carry on with the big budget films, Gerard Butler seems to be one of those actors staring in 300, gamer, law abiding citizen, and now bounty hunter. The baftas also showed that British or any other countires are struggling to compete with america as Avatar picked up numerous awards and even a low budget movie called hurt locker picked up best director.

The people that make the movies know they are on to a good thing, for example when a movie comes out that turns out to be big such as lord of the rings its followed up by its sequels then another film will come out thats very similar, chronicles of narnia, in cinema now its Solomon Kane and coming out in the future is clash of the titans.

Hollywood case study - Focus Questions (300)

Director: zack snyder
writers: Zack Snyder (screenplay) &
Kurt Johnstad (screenplay) and
Michael Gordon (screenplay) (as Michael B. Gordon)



Story Source: Based on the Graphic Novel called 300 which is a fictional retelling of The Battle of thermopylae.

Simplification of characters and narrative: Gerard Butler (King Leionidas) Main character, David Wenham (Dilios) the person who is telling the story.

was shot over the course of sixty days
Post-production took almost a year

highly stylized
1300 visual effect shots comprising 8631 visual effect elements.
Ten visual effects vendors contributed to the film, spread over three continents.


budget of $60 million
Some weapons used in the film are actually weapons from previous war epics like Alexander (2004) and Troy (2004). They were "recycled" to cut costs.

well-marketed, with commercials for 300 dominating television shows and sporting events.
According to Warner Brothers, over 60% of people went to see 300 because of the Internet. Not because of commercials on TV, not because of billboards, but because of the Internet.
While still in production 300 was being marketed and advitisments were every where.

The official 300 website was launched by Warner Bros. in December 2005. The "conceptual art" and Zack Snyder's production blog were the initial attractions of the site. Later, the website added video journals describing production details, including comic-to-screen shots and the creatures of 300. In January 2007, the studio launched a MySpace page for the film.[31] The Art Institutes created a micro-site to promote the film. They also made a PSP game and had figures and replica weapons on sale.
At Comic-Con International in July 2006, the 300 panel aired a promotional teaser of the film.
Warner Bros. announced 300's release date as March 16, 2007, but in October the release was moved forward to March 9, 2007.

Ways in which the film marketed: There were many posters displayed on billboards featuring key characters and main events in the film.
Several similar trailers were released before the film which could be seen on youtube and in the cinema.

Distribution company: Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures
International

U.S. Box Office: $210,592,590