Thursday 22 April 2021

JB Revision

 Jungle Book:

Top Level Answers Must:

  • ·         Use clear and precise descriptions / references.
  • ·         Always link back to the question.
  • ·         Demonstrate knowledge and understanding.
  • ·         Explain how historical and economic contexts influence the production and distribution of major Hollywood films.

 

Example questions:

  1. 1.        Explain the importance of ownership in the production of films. Refer to the two versions of The Jungle Book to support your answer.
  2. 2.       Explain how the production and distribution of major Hollywood films has changed since the 1960s. Refer to the two versions of The Jungle Book to support your answer.
  3. 3.       Explain the effect of individual producers on films. Refer to the two versions of The Jungle Book to support your answer.
  4. 4.       Explain how economic contexts influence film production. Refer to the two versions of The Jungle Book to support your answer.

Production 67:

  • ·         Xerography, Multiplane Camera, Cell animation, all ahead of their time.
  • ·         Walt Disney spent majority of his time working on JB67 (died during the end of production)
  • ·         Fired the original writer and then hired Larry Clemmons as the new scriptwriter
  • ·         Removed original characters from the book, made it light-hearted.
  • ·         Drawings were now based on the actors, their voices and their vocal personalities. – enabled by there headway in the film industry, they could hire stars like Phil Harris (Baloo)
  • ·         JB were written by the Sherman Brothers, wrote the score for Mary Poppins
  • ·         Rocky the short-sighted rhinoceros, Walt Disney made the executive call to cut the character.
  • ·         Walt decided that Mowgli would see a girl and go back to the village, the animators thought it would not work because he’s a child, but it did.
Production 16:

  • ·         Directed and co-produced by Jon Favreau and written by Justin Marks.
  • ·         Jon Favreau opted for the darker tone inspired by the book.
  • ·         Used CGI, Blue Screen, the British digital effects house MPC.
  • ·         Subtle behaviour e.g. the way a tigers ears move when they hear a sound.
  • ·         Cut out majority of the music to enforce the dark tone.
  • ·         Hired stars such as Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba.


Marketing 67:

  • ·         Vaulting
  • ·         Special edition packaging
  • ·         Trailers and Posters
  • ·         Merchandise
  • ·         Happy meals
  • ·         Disneyland – jungle cruise in 2005
  • ·         Release date 18 November

Marketing 16:

  • ·         IMAX 3D experience
  • ·         Superbowl ads
  • ·         Targeted towards Hispanic families, Disney teamed with Univision stunt that brought “Jungle Book” characters and clips to telenovelas, talk shows and sports coverage. Tool to allow Univision personalities to appear in scenes.
  • ·         Posters of cast with character
  • ·         Collaborations with Kenzo and Airbnb
  • ·         An extended 3-D trailer for “The Jungle Book” was attached to “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which had an audience that was 58% male.
  • ·         Sneak peak of the film at a Disney fan convention and at Disneyland Florida and California
  • ·         Released April 15th


Regulation 67 & 16:

  • ·         The Motion Picture Association of America only established its ratings system in 1968, the year after JB was before that films were covered by the Production Code but, by the late 1960s, enforcement had become impossible, and the Production Code was abandoned entirely.
  • ·         JB67 is U
  • ·         JB16 is a little darker than the original, so in the UK is rated PG rather than U, for ‘mild threat’.
  • ·         Ratings in the UK are determined by The BBFC

Tuesday 23 February 2021

Baudrillard and Post Modernism

 Post Modernism

  • Irony
  • Parody – without respect, often making fun
  • Homage – paying respect from genre / style / product.
  • Bricolage – sampling and using older media products to create a new one.
  • Intertextual References
  • Fragmented narrative – nonlinear / chronological structure. May include flashbacks, crosscut scenes etc.
  • Self-reflexivity – aware they are in a media product, direct address breaking the fourth wall. May talk to other characters about being in a media product.
  • Common Themes – what if ….?
  • Loss of reality – lack of verisimilitude (lacks realism)
  • Tends to be a product from the 80’s 90’s and onwards.

 

Baudrillard

  • Reality VS Artificial
  • Loss of reality, used to be real stories and people everything has become heightened reality however still has elements of reality, and then there is simulacra = Artificial copies not really linked to reality.
  •  Simulacra become hard to find the difference from reality = hyperreality.
  • Audiences prefer simulacra to reality.
  • Simulacra = plural
  • Simulacrum = single

 

Links to set texts:

 

Stranger Things

  • Is a simulacrum, the plot if far removed from reality, although there are traces of it.
  • Intertextual references to numerous movies.
  • Pays homage to the 80’s.
  • Fragmented narrative
  • Common surreal themes

 

Titanium

  • Is a simulacrum, the plot if far removed from reality, although there are traces of it.
  • Pays homage to Super 8 and the 80s
  • Intertextual references to Super 8
 

Stop Where You Are

  • Self-reflexivity - direct address/ breaking the fourth wall
  • Fragmented narrative
 

Jungle Book

  • Is a simulacrum, the plot if far removed from reality
  • Bricolage of the original movie and book
  • Pays homage to the book / movie.

 

Minecraft

  • Is a simulacrum, the plot if far removed from reality
  • Parody to various media products fan made
  • Homage to various media products fan made