1. STARS
and their POWER
Objectives
•To be able to indicate the three ways we can
study stars.
•To be able to indicate how the star persona is
constructed and perpetuated.
•To construct a profile of an actor to trace their
‘stardom’.
11/12/12Year 12 Film Studies

2. • Richard Dyer suggests that we can study stars in three
ways :
• Economically (monetary worth)
• Through audience reception (how much an audience
likes their films)
• As a text in themselves (how much the audience like
them)
He suggested that the economics of stars as a text can be
broken down in three ways.

3. Economy of a star
• 1. Capital- Stars represent the capital possessed
by the studios (they have a monetary value).
• 2. Investment-Stars as an investment – against
loss on it and also creating a investment (stars
guarantee a certain return on money)
• 3. Outlay- Stars are a major portion of a film’s
budget so it must be careful and correct (Is a star
to expensive for a certain type of film?)

4. Suggested that movies were a medium that could give stars
god like qualities.
• Remember that whilst all stars are actors- not all actors
would be classed as stars!
Actors would be considered stars once they gain a
following and they would usually have a body of work
behind them in which they have played a similar type of
character. This creates a persona that the audience can
reconise.
(Nick lacey)
Film theorist Bela Balazs (1920s)

5. How Hollywood constructs a star image
• A star persona is referencing the idea that
they are a recognisable image which has
been constructed through:
Their physical appearance
Their on screen
roles
The media coverage of
them What is Brad
Pitts Star
persona?

6. Examples of past questions
Consider the use of the ‘star’ in the film industry .
•Compare the different factors that contribute to
the box office success or failure of a film
•Hollywood films have movie stars, that's why they
are more appealing to UK audiences than UK films.
How far do you agree with this comment?

7. What are the pleasures for the audience?
• Watching a type cast can be easier in terms of
creating meaning for the audience- there is less
need for a semiotic reading and interpretation
for the audience
• It also may put a lot of power in the hands of the
actor, especially if the want to do re- makes or
• Understanding the expectations- you expect to
see certain things from certain actors and there is
a comfort in doing that

8. How stars are used as a promotional tool?
• Using the power of the name- cashing in on an already existing fan
base.
• Think about how film posters for example use the star to sell the
film and prove audiences expectations
• The star can also link into narrative and genre expectations
• Stars also have the ability to complete cross media promotion- TV
interviews, magazine interviews, awards ceremonies
• A stars private life can also benefit- e.g relationships on set may
push people to see the on screen chemistry. They do however want
to cover up scandals etc that would go against the star persona that
they have worked to create.
• A star needs to ensure that they are promoting the right image so
as not to loose fans and therefore contracts.

9. • Examples of how celebrity is used to sell a film
• Use of star names to
draw in target
audience
Placed above title of
the film
Use of directors
names-
celebrities in
their own right
Star as visual
image attraction

10. Star persona vs. real life
Miley Cyrus shows that the star
persona that she created for
Hannah Montana and her
actually true identity are at odds
What do you
think is the
danger of the
star not
performing in the
expected way of
the persona that
they have
created?

11. Task
• Create a case study of a least two stars
• Highlight the key areas of the stars power (economic,
audience reception, texts themselves).
• Look at Forbes and see where they appear
• Consider the films that they have been involved in, the
distribution and profit of the films
• Consider whether they are typecast or if their roles have
changed over the years
• Identify what their fan appeal may be
• Look at what fan appeal there is out there on the internet
• Identify their outside life and how the media report it
http://star-currency.forbes.com/celebrity-list/