Weekly News 24.

Hackney Nightclub Acid Attack.

In a nightclub in East London, 12 people were suffered burns after a man sprayed acid into the club. Two men are in serious but stable conditions and ten other people were treated for minor injuries. Police were called to the club at about 01:10 am and officers believe that a man threw acid at two men after an argument between two groups inside the club. The fire service said the substance was an unknown corrosive but it was later said to be a strong acidic substance. 600 people were in the club when the incident took place and all had to be evacuated. No arrests have been made but the police continue to investigate. The police added that there was no evidence to suggest that it was a gang related incident.

Weekly news 23.

Westminster Attacks.

Four people were killed and 50 people were injured following Wednesday's terrorist attack in London. BBC news reports that Khalid Masood carried out the attack in which he drove a car through a crowd of people and went on to stab and kill a police man. Masood was shot dead shorty after the attack. Massod was said to be born in Kent and was previously known as Adrian Russell. He was known to the police as he has had previous knife crime related incidents. The Westminster attacks affected 11 different countries including Romania and China. One of the people who died in the attacks was from the USA.  There has been massive social media support from celebrities and people all over the world and even a donation has been set up for the family of the police officer killed. Theresa May and many other politicians have spoken about the events that took place on Wednesday saying that the attacks will not cause London to change its way of life.

This is a massive news story as it has targeted the capital and has also affected many people. With a string of terrorist attacks occurring all over the world, it was a matter of time before it came to London. What is important about this news story is that it has highlighted that the attacker grew up in Kent which shows that anyone anywhere can carry out theses sorts of attacks which makes it more worrying for everyone. In my opinion, because it has targeted somewhere that is close to home, it makes the news story that more relevant to anyone living in London. 

Exam Question.

To what extent do your three main texts challenge genre conventions. 

Genres have elements within them that the audience associate with the genre and expect to see in the films.  Films use these genre conventions as a way for the audience to identify what genre they are watching and what they can expect to see, for example actions films tend to include explosions (form of genre convention). Most films follow genre conventions rather than go against them, however this is not true in most of my case studies. Two out of my three case studies go along way to challenge the conventions usually seen in films of the same genre.

One of the most noticeable genre conventions used in the romance genre includes the idea of a 'happy ever after' between a male and female character. This is seen in many romance films as it is a convention that is often not challenged. An example of a film that does challenge this genre convention is the film 'Weekend' directed by Andrew Haigh in 2011. The film firstly goes a long way to challenge the genre conventions of a romance film by depicting the relationship of a homosexual couple rather than the 'traditional' heterosexual couple. Secondly, the film goes even further into challenging the genre conventions by going against the fairytale ending. Romance films often show couples splitting due to a disruption in the equilibrium but then shortly reunite at the end. Weekend goes against this by bringing the protagonists to a more uplifting conclusion to the relationship. Weekend goes a long way to challenge genre conventions because it is not a stereotypical film as it tells a story that is not commonly shown in other films, this being the struggles of two men in a romantic relationship and the issues they face. The film purposefully challenges conventions linked with the genre in order to get it's intended message across, which is to show a true and realistic representation of relationships unlike the ones seen in big Hollywood films.

In order to challenge genre conventions, films also completely flip them which is commonly seen in comedy's. A film in which this is evident in is Kingsman: Secret Service (action, comedy) directed by Matthew Vaughn in 2014. The film does still follow major comedy and action conventions but challenges what the audience expects to see in spy films. My other case study 'Skyfall' (directed by Sam Mendes in 2012) doesn't obviously challenge or tries to challenge the genre conventions seen in action spy films. Skyfall has set the standard of spy films by showing the audience an idealised spy (James Bond). In Skyfall, Bond is shown to be intelligent, sophisticated and strong who always saves the damsel in distress which is what the audience expect to see. Skyfall does not challenge the stereotypical genre conventions seen in action film especially when it comes to spy driven narratives. Going back to Kingsman, it completely contradicts and almost mocks the genre conventions seen in Skyfall. Unlike James Bond, the protagonist (Eggsy) from Kingsman is from a working class background and lives on an estate in South London. He is shown to be intelligent but from a disadvantaged background which is one way the film challenges the conventions. By comparing the two films it is clear that Skyfall doesn't go along way to challenge conventions where as Kingsman does.

In conclusion two out of the three case studies go out of their way to challenge genre conventions as a main way of showing more realistic depiction of certain scenarios. Weekend and Kingsman go a long way to purposeful go against what the audiences expectations when it comes to genre conventions, whereas Skyfall sticks to the conventions in order to keep more traditional links to the genre.

Exam Question.

Discuss marketing strategies used by your selected industry. Refer to your three main texts.

Marketing is a significant part of the process when it comes to making films. Films will be marketed differently as there are factors that can influence the success of the marketing, for example a target market. Each individual film has its own target market and therefore use different strategies within marketing. Marketing however does not just occur during the run up of the films released but does so after.

One way of marketing a film is through merchandise. Merchandise is a way of creating awareness of the film to a possible viewer or existing fans of the film. What is important about merchandise is that it creates a reputation behind the film already for possible viewers as they can assume that the film is clearly successful and existing fans of the film are able be more involved. Merchandise is mainly used to create interest and intrigue in order to persuade the viewer to watch/buy the product but also to add more money into a film. An example of a film that does this is the James Bond film 'Skyfall' directed by Sam Mendes in 2012. The Bond franchise has a massive audience backing and because of the success of the film there are many forms of merchandise linked with the films. This includes, replica model cars, T-shirts and its own 007 perfume line. The sheer mass of merchandise available show how significant merchandise is to the films marketing. The merchandise allows the Bond name to reach different audiences and attract more potential viewers. The use of merchandise is one way in which the Bond films try and promote their films and ultimately make money.

Another marketing strategy is film festivals as films tend to get more recognition on a larger scale when they are nominated or win awards from events. The festivals offer the film another platform in which to promote or market their film, as having awards and nominations under their belts give them another selling point. A film that this marketing strategy applies to is 'Weekend' directed by Andrew Haigh in 2011. This film is very different from the Bond film (Skyfall being a tentpole film and Weekend a Independent film), so like mentioned earlier it has to find a different way to market and advertise the film. Weekend has won 20 awards at many different festivals but the most noted ones include Most promising New Comer (Tom Cullen) in 2011 at the British Independent Film awards and Emerging Vision (Andrew Haigh) at SXSW Film Festival also in 2011. From winning awards from well known and respectful festivals means that it is another way for the Weekend to market their film to a different or larger audience. The awards give the film a reputation and also opens up the film to people who may not watch the type of film before. Awards are important within the film industry because it gets more publicity which is the main idea behind marketing and it is another point in which the film can be sold on.

In conclusion, marketing strategies vary depending on who the film is trying to reach in regards to it's target audience. What works for a tentpole film wont't necessarily work for an independent film and because of this there are many marketing strategies that could be used. The ones mentioned above are probably the most obvious and commonly used marketing techniques used within the film industry.

Weekly News 22.

Orly airport: Man killed after seizing soldier's gun.

Orly Airport in France was closed following an incident. A man who's motive is yet unknown fired at police in North Paris at a checkpoint with a pellet gun before escaping in a car. 90 minutes later at Orly Airport, the man tried to take a gun off of a soldier before being shot by other soldiers on patrol. The man was on a watch list of radicalised individuals. It is unsure why the man tried to cause an attack and if it could possibly be part of a bigger story. Luckily, the attack was stopped before any one was killed or injured. Witnesses say that the airport was evacuated shortly after the incident took place and that it was chaos as passengers and airport staff ran out of the airport after hearing shots fired. The soldiers were to provide back up for the police after the Paris attack in November 2015.

Exam Question.

Explore the different audience appeals of your three main texts. 

Audience appeal is the media texts ability to attract it's target audience. The film industry make films aimed at a specific audience so that there is a market for the film and an audience to watch it. Some films aim to target a larger and broader audience whilst others aim towards a more niche audience. In the three films I have studied, there are many ways and methods used to attract a specific audience. 

Looking at more 'niche' film, they tend to show characters that are not often portrayed within films, therefore the characters and the situation tend to relate to a smaller audience. A film that shows this is 'Weekend' directed by Andrew Haigh in 2011. The film depicts a romantic relationship that takes place over a weekend between two men. The significance of this, is that the film goes into more detail into the protagonists lives and their experiences as homosexuals.The film shows both positive parts to homosexual relationships by showing the development of the relationship but also shows negative parts by showing the verbal abuse they receive. This film is targeted at men around the age of 18-25 because of the issues that arise in the film and the protagonists are of a similar age. The audience appeal in this film is based on the actual subject matter. It attracts audiences such as the LGBTQ community and also people who may what to know more about the subject matter. By having a niche story and not one that is particularly shown within stereotypical Hollywood films, is a main method to attract an audience as they could be more inclined to watch it as they could relate more to the characters. Having relatable characters along with the subject matter is important in niche films and their ability to target and attract and audience.

In more main stream films they use star power as a way of appealing to an audience as it draws in an audience who may not have watched the film based on the actual content and story. For example, a film that uses this is Skyfall directed by Sam Mendes in 2012. Part of the James Bond franchise, it already draws in a massive audience because of the history of the films. However using star like Daniel Craig draws in previous fans of his and create a larger audience pool for the film. He is a big name within the film industry and therefore brings a positive image to Skyfall. Sam Mendes, the director, also is part of the star power the film uses as he also has fans from his previous work. He has directed films like Jarhead (2005) and after Skyfall went on to direct Spectre (also part of the Bond franchise). Having big names behind the film is part of the audience appeal because it creates a certain reputation for the film. Another aspect that affects the audience appeal is the awards the film has won, in particular the Oscar award for the song Skyfall at the 85th academy awards. Not only does the film have a link with the Oscars from winning an award, the song was sung by Adele who is a massive name in the music industry. This is also significant when it comes to audience appeal because Oscar winning films become more recognized and advertised, which again reaches and attracts a larger audience.

Another way in which films appeal to the audience is through the genre of the film and the relatability of the conventions it uses. For example, the film Kingsman: Secret Service directed by Matthew Vaughn in 2016, depicts the story of a young British boy living on a South London estate training to become a spy. This film can be clearly linked and compared to Skyfall as they are both spy films with similar conventions. The popularity of the genre will draw audiences from Skyfall to Kingsman which is one method of how Kingsman appeals to an audience. However, unlike Skyfall, Kingsman is based around the relatability of the main protagonist Eggsy. In Skyfall, the audience is introduced to the posh and more upper class side to London and show James bond to be sophisticated and smart. This may be hard for the target audience to relate to as this only represents a small part of the possible audience. However, Kingsman shows the more working class side to London by showing the main protagonist living in a run down estate and also getting in trouble with the police. The film shows Eggsy as a normal charcter as he is not dressed in the way the audience would link to a spy wearing. Most of the audience for this film will be late teenagers and also come from a similar background. This makes Eggsy more relatable if he is wearing or looking like the films target audience. The film looks at British culture but in a different way to the Bond films. Kingsman almost spins around the Bond films by showing a different depiction of spies and it could be argued that it almost a spoof of the Bond films. By changing what the audience already know about the spy genre and making it more relatable by showing a more honest side of London is the main way in which this film appeals to the audience.

In conclusion, in the films I have studied, they almost all try and relate to their target audience as that is one of the most important ways to appeal to the audience. From all the methods listed above, the films try and sell their films on a certain point. Films need to be able to appeal to an audience to become successful as without an audience they don't have a film. In my opinion I think that in my three case studies show just how important relatability is. Films tend to try and use multiple methods to appeal to different audiences to make sure they get a larger pool of people to watch the film.

Weekly news 21

Following previous news about Russia's adult rating, 16, on the new Beauty and the Beast film, the release of the film in Malaysia has been halted after also raising the issue of the homosexual references in the film according to the Guardian. The country's main two cinemas have postponed the film indefinitely due to this issue. Film censors have said that the film will only be approved following the cut of a minor gay scene. According to new rules in Malaysia, gay characters can be depicted only if they are shown in a negative light.

In my opinion I think that the small 'gay moment' shouldn't have this much negative attention or should be blown out of proportion. The rule in Malaysia and the fact that other countries are putting adult ratings on this film is definitely shedding negative light onto the film when there doesn't have to be. Today, the issues regarding homosexual relationships have improved as it has become more accepted by a lot more people. However the controversy surrounding the small gay scene is an indication that it is still a massive problem as there are still people who still don't agree with it. I think that the parents should decide whether or not they want their children to watch the film as I think it is important for them to decide what they are and are not exposed to.

Weekly News 20!!

Russia May Ban Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Over Josh Gad’s Gay Character.

According to an article on IMDb, The Russian government is under pressure when it comes to the new live action film 'Beauty and the Beast' as it allegedly goes against a 2013 law in which it prohibits 'gay propaganda' aimed at children. In the film Josh gad's character has a crush on Luke Evan's character which is causing some problems for Russia as it is a controversial issue. The film is set to be released mid March this year and features many well known stars including: Emma Watson, Ewan McGreggor and Emma Thompson.

This is an important news issues because of the issue that it has raised in Russia. Not yet in a Disney film have we seen as homosexual relationship, so by having one featured in a big new film could be a good thing or a bad thing. It shows that same sex relationships are becoming more normal and accepted than they have been, but also still highlights a controversial issue that in some places is still not accepted.

In my opinion I can see why the relationship in the film could be an issue as the film is aimed at children but I could also see how it could be a good thing as it is showing development within disney films and representing a different group of people than disney is used to showing.

Weekly News 19!!

UK terror threat 'at highest since 1970s IRA plots'

BBC News reports that "Britain faces a level of terror threat not seen since the IRA bombings. According to the report it says that UK cities are likely being targeted by Islamists. The threat level in the UK has been limited over the years by the work of the intelligence services but the threat has increased. The news reports also mentions the number of British people going to Syria and Iraq to fight for IS and that some of them could be returning back to the UK is a major concern especially now that the threat level is at its highest since the 70's.

In my opinion, that because of the increase in attacks over the last 2 years that it is just a matter of time before an attack in the UK. Over 2016-2017 there has been more frequent terrorist attacks all across the world in which many people have died. I think making this kind of news public is important because these types of attacks affect everyone as it is a possibility that they could be impacted by them.

Weekend.

Weekend.

Weekend is a British romance drama written and directed by Andrew Haigh which was released in November 2011. The film focuses on the lives of two men who are starting a relationship after meeting in a gay bar. Masculinity, as a theme, is massively present in the film as they show a possibly controversial relationship to some people as 'normal', which the audience may not have seen in other films before. The film had a budget of £120,000 and in the opening weekend received £27,245. The film has won awards mainly in gay and lesbian categories but the director has also won awards such as breakthrough British film maker in 2012 at the London Critics Circle film Awards.

The film offers an insight into a world that they may not have seen before as it is not often shown in mainstream films. The film is centered around the building relationship and sex life of Russell and Glen and also show the problems they face in every day life. The film definitely focuses on masculinity within homosexual relationships.

A scene in which this is shown is when Glen and Russell explain how they cant talk about their relationship in public as openly as they would like to. They begin to go on to say that it could be because they are ashamed of who they are and how they come across to other people. This scene is significant because it shows that homosexual relationships aren't really accepted because it goes against the idea of what a man is. A man, according to the media, is supposed to strong and the alpha in the relationship who has to save the girl. Being in a homosexual relationship goes against this idea because homosexual men are seen to be less masculine than straight men. The film tries to target this issue by forcing the viewer to see the relationship from the perspective of Russell so that the audience sympathises and understands him and the situation he is in. The main message behind the film, in my opinion, is to open the viewers eyes to homosexual relationships and how they aren't any different from heterosexual relationships.

Another important aspect of the film is the way it is constructed and presented. Unlike mainstream films, this film doesn't follow Todorov's Narrative theory as clearly as other films. The film has a state of equilibrium which it starts on and then concludes on, but arguably there is no real big disruption to the state of equilibrium. The reason why this is important and the reason why i think the film makers have done this is to show a real depiction of life. Rather than creating a massive disruption to the story they have shown what relationships are really like to try and make it as realistic as possible. The film has gone against conventions to allow the audience to get a real understanding that homosexual relationships are normal and that it is a thing not just in films. In my opinion they have gone out of there way to try and make the film as realistic as possible.

Weekly News 18!!

NHS Health Check: Nine in 10 hospitals 'overcrowded' this winter.

Reports from BBC news have shown that 137 out of 152 hospitals have been over crowded this winter. With the NHS hospitals under more pressure, they are becoming overcrowded increasing the risk of infection for patients. According form NHS bosses they are having trouble with discharging frail patients which is causing more beds to be taken up. This news report is important as it links to other stories in the news. Other reports have shown that the NHS is looking to target the issues on 'health tourism' by possibly making tourists pay for treatment if they are not eligible for free medical care. The NHS has been under scrutiny because of the increase in patients and decreases in funding. 

However the new idea could be introduced as a way of raising money for the NHS. A survey was carried out to get peoples opinions on the idea of making people pay for health care and the majority seemed to disagree with this idea.

However in my opinion I could see how this method would be effective and improve the situation the NHS is in. Also it would face the issue of people from outside the UK coming in for treatment. 

weekly News 17!!

Trump suspends US refugee programme and bans Syrians indefinitely.

BBC News has reported that Trumps latest act as America's 45th president is to ban Syrian refugees until further notice. Trump has suspended all refugee admissions for four months. Trump said "I'm establishing new vetting measures to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America. We only want to admit those into our country who will supports our country and love deeply our people". During the presidential campaigns, Trump suggested a complete shutdown of muslims entering the country until they can figure out what ins going on and what they could do. However there has been no mention of it since. 

Weekly news 16!!

Trump inauguration: Two Americas in 24 hours.

Obamas inauguration (2009) vs Trumps inauguration (2017)   

BBC News reports on the women march that took place confronting issues about women's rights and also issues about Trumps ideas. The marches took place in cities all over the country and the crowd's were 'enormous'. It wasn't just women marching, there were men and children with signs. Trump has caused a massive divide within America and this is what it basically says in the report. The marches didn't jut happen in America, although that is where the main protest takes place. there were also marches in London also protesting Donald Trumps views and the issues on women's rights. The march and protest was peace full. 

The report says how even though the protest won't really change the views of Donald Trump and his plans for America, with so many people against him it will make other leaders and congress less likely to support some of his plans.

Weekly news 15!!

Istanbul Nightclub attack suspected captured.

BBC news released a photo of the man suspected of carryout the nightclub shooting which killed 39 people. The photo was taken by Turkish police following the capture of the man. The man, Abdulkadir Masharipov, was shown badly bruised around his face with a bloodied grey t-shirt. Masharipov is originally from Uzbekistan and was detained along side his friend and three other women. He was found at the home of the friends along with his four year old son.

The IS took responsibility for the attack at the beginning of the year saying that it was revenge for the Turkish military involvement in Syria. Other raids took place during the hunt for the Nightclub shooter on other suspected IS militants.

This news story is linked with issues and religion. It was a big story when the news broke to the world as terrorist attacks are occurring more often and becoming more random. It is also linked with religion as IS has apparently been involved with the attack.

Music Industry.

Music Industry.

Audiences are now given multiple platforms in which they can access music. Apps such as Spotify, Youtube and Apple Music (I tunes) being some of the most popular as it has made it easier for an audience to get a hold of music from all over the world. Digital platforms have started to over take physical forms of music such as cd's as the sales from digital streaming continue to increase. However, people are still buying cd's and the rate in which the sales are decreasing are slowing down to almost 5% in comparison to the 8.5% in 2014. This could suggest that people are starting to go back to buying cd's. However 45% of the total revenues are still made up of digital revenues.

Although physical formats are in decline they still remain a popular format in other countries such as Japan (making up to 75% of music revenues) and Germany (making up to 60%).

The main companies within the music industry are Sony, Universal Music Group and Warner. Sony's market share at the beginning of 2016 was 29.5 after a 1.0% jump following the successful release of Adele's album 25. Universal music group was down 0.2% to a market share of 38.5% but still remained ahead of the other competitors by a large margin. And Warner had a market share of 18.7% with the independent label receiving 12.6% market share. From the statistics the main competitors are mainly Sony and Universal but combining all three, the three companies have a massive percentage of the market share.

Some of the artists signed with Sony include: Beyonce, Calvin Harris and Kings of Leon. However recently Adele has signed a contract with Sony which if goes through would be the biggest deal for a British Musician. These Artists are some of the biggest names in the music industry, so Sony have access all over the world and artists that will attract a large audience resulting in more money being made.

Some of the artists signed with Universal include: Adele, Kanye West and Taylor Swift. Like Sony, Universal have some big names within their company which generates lots of money. These artists are constantly featured in the latest music news which is important for Universal as the artist gets more notice adding to the success of the company.

Artists signed with Warner include: Madonna, Ed Sheeran and Cold play. Like the other two companies, Warner have some big names within the company. Madonna is one of the biggest names in the music industry and is constantly in the media. Ed Sheeran has recently released a new album gaining more media attention and money. And Cold Play are one of the biggest bands in the world.

By all three of the companies having popular music artists involved in their company is the main way they make money. With more popular artists it means an increase in album sales as more people will buy their albums. Also artists are constantly having tours which means the company make money from ticket sales as well. The higher the status of the artist, the higher the price of a ticket. Adele ticket prices range from about £90-£170 all across the world and Cold play tickets ranging from £100-£200 (across the world). These are considered higher end acts and prices but they can exceed into hundreds of pounds depending on location and act. However looking at smaller acts such as Bring me the horizon, tickets range form about £50-£80 and James Arthur tickets ranging from £50-£90. The more well known an artist the more money is made from sales as people are willing to pay more for bigger stars. Also at concerts, fans are able to buy merchandise and items from the concert which adds to the profits made. Concerts are important for music companies because it promotes the artist but also generates a massive income as they are making more money on top of album sales.
Artist can be exploited by the music companies as they get a massive share from the artists work, meaning that companies get a big profit from the stars, but also artists are made to sign contracts. The contracts force an artist to stay with the company for a certain time. This sort of exploit the artist because they have no control over what they do and how much money they receive for their music. The companies make large amounts of money from the artists talent which could be seen as exploitation as they are using the artist for their own personal gain.

WEEKLY NEWS 14!!

Golden Globes.

La La Land won seven awards beating the previous record of golden globe wins. The film was set to win a lot of the awards and did as it won all the awards it was nominated for (including best director). Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling also won best also won in the acting categories as well. According to BBC news the Golden Globes were full of surprises including British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson winning best supporting actor which was expected to go to Mahershala Ali. Also Meryl Streep's acceptance speech for the Cecil B Demille Award for outstanding contribution to entertainment gained a lot of attention after she referenced Donald Trump. Trump has since tweeted in response to Streep's speech sparking a disagreement. 

WEEKLY NEWS 13!!

Turkey Nightclub Shooting.

39 people were killed, the majority being of Turkish Nationality, in a nightclub 75 minutes into the new year. 69 people were also injured in the attack in which three people are seriously injured. A gun man dressed as Santa, went into the nightclub and started shooting in to a crowd of almost 600 people according to BBC news. Since the shooting, IS has taken responsibility for the attack. In recent updates to the story, BBC news has reported that the police are closing in on the gunman and 12 people have been arrested in the raids that have taken place.

There have also been reports that the identity of the attacker is known, but has not been shared in the public. The shooter apparently traveled to Turkey with his wife and two children to avoid being detected and his family are part of those who have been detained.

This news story is important as this is one of many attacks that IS has apparently been behind in 2016. Also this attack follows another nightclub shooting in Orlando in which 49 people were killed.

This is an important news story as there seems to be an increase in these types of attacks. Those killed include:

Turkey: 11

Saudi Arabia: 7

Iraq: 3

Lebanon: 3

Jordan, India, Morocco: two nationals from each country

Germany, Syria, Israel, France-Tunisia, Tunisia, Belgium, Kuwait, Canada, Russia: one national from each country.