scripting my documentary

1. Created using Celtx
OPENING DIALOGUE
Technology. Something that has been
around since the 20th century, and
continues to grow becoming more and
more advanced as the days go on. Did
you know, as great as digital
technology can be, it impacts us all
in many different ways? Sure you do,
it's everywhere. Documentaries and
news articles telling us how social
media and using our phones are
affecting our physical and mental well
being. Well, here's something I bet
you didn't know about the subject...
it impacts more than just us as
humans, but also businesses,
industries, companies that run the
ways we live and we think nothing of
it. Like the Art and Designs industry,
the Make-up industry, the business
industry. Our use of social media, has
done more both negatively, and
positively for the world around us.
But today, the film industry... I will
be going through the many different
ways the young generations have
changed the said industry, with both
pros and cons.
ADVERTISING
"If a movie is not being spoken about,
is it good?"
It is believed by most that as the
years go on and technology advances,
younger generations are becoming less
and less aware of upcoming projects
from within the film industry. This is
based on the fact we as millennials
and going younger tend to rely more on
what gets said online.
Due to word-of-mouth, a long-running
marketing scheme where news gets
passed around from one to the other,
we tend to base personal opinions off
of what social media has us believing.
With this, it has become an issue for
some creators whose titles don't get

2. 2.
Created using Celtx
as hyped as others. Depending on the
marketing, it more of takes an
audience to create a fanbase in a way
as that's where the news will spread.
One appropriate example of this,
Ridley Scott. The English Film
Director and Producer who I am sure
you will have heard of from titles
including 'Alien' in 1979, 1982's
'Blade Runner', and one of his most
recent releases, 'House of Gucci'
which had hit movie theatres in
November, 2021.
Guest starring on a podcast the same
month as mentioned, 'WTF with Marc
Maron', discussing the said directors
movies, the two got onto talking of
Scott's last release, 'The Last Duel'
and its failure. Based on the 2004
book of the same title, Scott mentions
how they made sure the film would
appeal to its young target audience.
As well claiming "Disney did a great
promotion job".
But when it arrived in cinema, the
titles success didn't reach the
filmmakers expectations making just
over $4.8 million whereas the budget
reported to be $100 million.
Talking of this, this was the
Directors comment, as quoted, "I think
what it boils down to - what we've got
today are the audiences who were
brought up on these cell phones. The
millennian do not ever want to be
taught anything unless you are told it
on the cell phone," From there, it
gets added on how this is becoming a
rising issue. "I think we're dealing
with it right now with Facebook. There
is misdirection that has happened
where it's given the wrong kind of
confidence to this latest generation,
I think."
What I find funny though, is that
audiences have come out and disagreed

3. 3.
Created using Celtx
with Scott's argument firing back
about the poor advertising done for
the titles release. Some saying they
had never heard of the movie till that
statement, with others mentioning how
they saw the trailer whilst in the
pictures found no intention of going
to see it as it didn't appeal to them.
Adding on, even others who worked on
set with Ridley have come out
believing the director was wrong in
pointing fingers.
Ben Affleck was one. Y'know,
Daredevil? Nonoo not this one. This
one from 2003: He had also played
Batman for three movies. Well, he
recently came out during an interview
disagreeing with the directors
statement followed by claiming he had
"slightly misquoted" before going on
to say about generations today, when
it comes to dramas, we would prefer to
sit at home and stream the movie based
on our preference as a generation and
having that luxury to sit at home with
a decently qualitied film compared to
those older from when they were our
age. So really, times just change.
ONLINE MARKETING
Unlike Mr. Ridley Scott, some creators
within the industry have figured out
how to overcome that issue relating to
lack of recognition.
Ryan Reynolds for example, he
familiarised himself with technology
and social media which helped in
creating a fanbase due to his
interactions with fans, leading to a
greatly impacted success rate for when
'Deadpool' had released in 2016.
Especially considering the hate both
the project and actor had received
once the events of 'X-MEN origins:
Wolverine' had been written into the
timeline. Which had then caused the
character to become "universally

4. 4.
Created using Celtx
hated".
So really, what works best with
attracting the younger audiences
today, is using social media. With
that online marketing scheme nowadays,
it's successful in gaining fans and
getting those audiences exited for
upcoming projects.
Whereas with those who ignore the use
of advertising over social media, are
risking that possible success as no
one is hearing about it. Whether the
story is a good one or not.
Backing up the previous comment some
more, it has been evidence by a survey
I had put in place for this
documentary with the addition of a
question relating to this topic.
'Where do you usually hear about
upcoming movies?'. It may not sound
like many, but a total of twenty-four
applicants had taken part giving me
that number of responses to the
question as mentioned. And over half
of those responders had claimed social
media to be where they gain any
related information on movies and
series.
THE TAKEOVER OF STREAMING SERVICES
In 2022 presently, it is believed that
currently we are reaching the end of
the DVD era with streaming services
becoming the go-to with how
popularised they have become.
Being around since 1999, that bestows
DVDs a short-lived media format
considering that ideally, they haven't
been around that long. Even more so
when VHS tapes had lasted at least
twenty-five years before the discs
began taking over peoples shelves.
Not that people are really surprised
by this. Coming across a website going
by 'avforums.com', a blog by someone

5. 5.
Created using Celtx
calling themselves 'Family Guy' had
predicted that the DVD format wouldn't
last as long with how advanced
everything continues to become. And
this had been posted back in 2005.
Scrolling through the comments of the
said blog, many had found themselves
agreeing whilst others argued saying
that the DVD had many years ahead of
them due to how "people are perfectly
happy with DVD."
Going back to the streaming services
now, there are of course both pros and
cons to this industry taking over the
film industry. Then with the global
pandemic, that had only gone and made
things worse...better for them, not so
much for other industries I mean. One
example I have? Disney Plus.
Now, it is clear how greedy this
company is, but do you remember that
feature? Premier access? An extra
subscription granting those who join
early access to new releases which
land on the platform same day as it
does movie theatres. Well, that caused
the projects creators to lose out on
what they would have been earning.
Rightfully leading to actress Scarlett
Johansson to speak up about it when
'Black Widow' had landed. From there,
Dwayne Johnson and Emma Stone had both
considered doing the same for their
recent projects.
Adding on, it wasn't just those who
worked on the movies either. This
affected cinema employees to. All
those workers losing out, all because
of Disney wanting to overfill their
pockets. Luckily, the issue has been
resolved.
Other than that though, audiences find
themselves preferring the comfort of
binging online at home rather than
going out to sit through one movie.
Coming from a streaming critic, the

6. 6.
Created using Celtx
way they had described the situation
was that "The film industry is
competing with people who don't want
to leave their house, and they can
see...any movie they want, any
time...that's huge competition."
Yes, streaming services are making
their money. But what about those who
worked hard to give us the movies
made? As well as those doing their
jobs within the cinemas. Many studios
and creators are losing out on money
when all we want to do is snuggle up
on the couch and binge one after the
other.
Again, there are positives that the
streaming industry has done that's
worked out for the film. And that's
reducing piracy. So although money is
being lost in some cases, it's still
being gained in others.
I understand though, it's not everyone
as there are still plenty who enjoy
that cinematic experience. I myself
for one, love it. Just, the numbers
are adding up for those who don't
enjoy heading to the pictures knowing
fine well they can watch the film a
month later or so, online.
LACK OF ORIGINALITY
Something that doesn't really help the
film industry half of the time, is the
lack of originality given to the
audience. Yes, we get moments becoming
clichés, and the same stories getting
retold. Well to be fair, that one
still counts as what I am referring to
right now, it sequels and prequels
that get chucked at us for money. Then
once the companies are done adding to
a franchise, reboots and spin offs
come into place.
With this, there are two ways fans
will go about an announcement. Most of
the time, we are receiving sequels no

7. 7.
Created using Celtx
one asked for to the perfect stand-
alone movies which becomes clearly
obvious the motive is for money based
off of the success of the first, which
can put audiences off.
Then when it is additions people are
after, expectations get raised the
more the sequel is hyped which usually
ends up disappointing them same fans
by the release. Which of course, is
where word-of-mouth comes into play
lowering the sales due to the
disappointment.
I'm not saying all franchises are bad,
as that would definitely not be true
as some sequels and reboots can end up
turning out better than the original.
It's just, some companies continue to
go overboard, getting greedy over the
success of the first project. Leading
to with some cases, the target
audience of those titles coming out
and expressing that they themselves
have had enough. Like 'Terminator'.
One minute the cyborg has been sent
back in time to kill Sarah Conner,
then that same cyborg had been sent to
that same date to kill the other
cyborg after Sarah, it then goes onto
Sarah Conner's son, John Conner. Even
more time travel comes into play, they
really need to stop messing with that
storyline.
There are celebrities who have learnt
sequels aren't always worth it. Jim
Carrey for instance, doing the two
sequels 'Dumb and Dumber to' and 'Ace
Venture: When Nature Calls', he
noticed how they never did as well as
the original and from there refused
working in another sequel which had
bummed out those who have spent years
trying to get the actor into a sequel
for 'The Mask'. Quite recently though,
he was questioned on the odds of that
project coming into place during an
interview for the second Sonic the

8. 8.
Created using Celtx
Hedgehog movie, this was his response:
"I don't think in terms of sequels and
stuff like that, I mean, this one
[Sonic the Hedgehog] is kind of right
for it because we have not evolved the
character [Dr. Eggman] fully yet. The
Mask I think, myself, you know, it
would depend on a filmmaker. It
depends on a filmmaker really. I don't
want to do it just to do it. But I
would only do it if it was some crazy
visionary filmmaker. Sure."
Another creator who found themselves
being affected by sequels, is
Director, Producer and Screenwriter,
Steven Spielberg. Throughout this mans
career, he has directed a total of
four sequels. Doing the three add ons
for Indiana Jones as well as 'The Lost
World: Jurassic Park', Spielberg
claims the reasoning for his failed
sequels are due to him getting
overconfident based on the success of
the first movie. From there, he
continues to avoid being in charge of
any sequel movies. With 'Indiana Jones
5' and 'Ready Player Two' being
directed by another.
PIRACY
You remember that old advertisement,
right? That one burnt into all of our
old DVDs back in the early 2000s,
playing right before the film would
begin, waking us all up during the
loop. Still don't know which I mean?
Here:
Piracy, it's a crime, remember now?
Well...unfortunately, it is something
a lot of people are doing. And it's
not relatively new either, this act
has been around since the silent era
from 1895 to 1929. Back then though,
doing this was called 'bicycling'.
Surely you know what pirating is, just
for encase though: 'Piracy, the
unauthorized use or reproduction of

9. 9.
Created using Celtx
another's work.' From that alone, you
should understand why piracy is
illegal.
Getting that out of the way now, you
may be wondering how did piracy exist
when the internet didn't? Well, still
doing the same thing, it was only done
a little differently. Getting their
hands on the product through renting
it, exhibitors would screen the motion
picture longer than it was agreed
upon. There had even been situations
where the film would be screened
illegally with zero permission being
granted. Hollywood had to hire
checkers to go around the local
cinemas making sure there was no
sneaky business going on.
But now with us in the modern world,
we have internet access. With that
internet access, copies are being
downloaded and streamed. Causing those
who worked on these films, to lose out
on the percentage of the money they
should have been making. Although this
isn't permitted, many have come out
saying they believe pirating should be
legal.
Taken from an article found discussing
this topic, a quote was found I just
had to share: “More than half of all
North American millennials regularly
use pirate streaming services to watch
TV-shows or movies, a new survey
shows. While legal streaming is
preferred, pirate sources are more
popular than traditional TV, DVDs or
Blu-Rays.”
We have already established how most
audiences today are happy enough to
sit at home and stream. But when it
comes to a film the audience are
wanting to watch but would still
rather stay home, they will either
wait, or find an illegal copy to
watch. Even if that means sitting
through a dodgy copy.

10. 10.
Created using Celtx
Eli Roth, a Director who worked on
‘Hostel: part 2’, a movie that ended
up being leaked online and pirated,
with thousands doing so. Becoming the
the most pirated movie of 2007, Roth
had headed onto 'MySpace'
understandably annoyed, and had posted
a theory. With this theory, the
Director went on to predict that
piracy would be the death of the film
industry, just as it did with the
music industry.
SPOILERS
Spoilers have become a huge issue. And
everybody knows this. Mainly with huge
upcoming releases, ‘Avengers: Endgame’
and ‘Spiderman: No Way Home’ for
example. Before its theatrical release
even, Disney had to do what they could
to promote a hashtag trying to
persuade the fans not to post or talk
about the movie till a certain date
provided, giving all of the fans a
chance to see the film without it
being spoiled for them. Knowing fine
well, it was going to happen and put
people off.
Then when this does happen, it can put
audiences off going to see the movie.
Especially for highly anticipated
movies, as mentioned there. All the
hype, building up, just to be spoiled
like that.
In hopes of avoiding this happening,
fans will even stay away from social
media from the day of release till
they themselves have seen the movie.
For some, it works. But others, there
has been situations where fans were on
heading into the big screen just to
pass those coming out, spoiling it
right there and then. Sometimes, yes
fans get overly exited and chat away.
Just there is some who purposely shout
out what had happened wanting to ruin
the experience for others.

11. 11.
Created using Celtx
With ‘Spiderman: No Way Home’ doing so
well, making over one billion at the
box office, the film had broken
records making $260 million on its
opening weekend alone. It is believed
that the main reasoning for the
success is hugely based off of fear.
No one wanted to be spoiled, so trying
to avoid this, everyone wanted to be
the first to see it. From this, a film
critic had come out saying "We all now
treat regular storytelling as mega-
spoilers.” With another questioning
whether or not people today are only
going to the cinemas to avoid
spoilers, or is it all because the
most popular releases are the ones
full of “spoilable elements”.
In the survey I had mentioned
previously, there was also a question
what it was that put some audiences
off of going to the cinemas. Two, of
those applicants, brought up spoilers.
With one wording it: “-when they are
walking out they spoil it before I
have watched it.” Once again, proving
my point that spoilers, do in fact,
put people off. And as stated times
before, us being put off watching that
film at the pictures, is less money
going back to the film industry. Don’t
see how that’s our issue? Well that
money we use to go see movies, goes
towards studios putting together
newer, better performed and more
advanced titles in the upcoming years.
I get that two doesn’t sound like much
of an issue. But, just because that’s
the number of those who mentioned it
are the only ones to be put off by
spoilers. A thread on reddit had been
discovered whilst looking into this,
asking, “Do spoilers discourage you
from watching a movie or is it the
opposite?”. Scrolling down, half of
these answers admitted to being put
off and losing interest, whereas the
others either weren't bothered or
found it to hype them up more as they

12. 12.
Created using Celtx
knew what was going to happen.
CINEMA EXPERIENCES BEING RUINED
After talking of what happens outside
of the cinema doors, let's go through
what bothers audiences after they’ve
gathered friends, bought their tickets
ready, got handfuls of snacks and
drinks, strolled through the doors and
had found their correct seats. Waiting
patiently as the advertisements roll,
the film is set to start and there it
is! Those annoying audiences who ruin
the duration of a screening for
others.
This topic pretty much justifies
audiences preferring to remain home
rather than paying to sit through 2
hours worth of a movie just for the
experience to be ruined by obnoxious
strangers chatting away to each other,
phones being brought out with their
brightness on full and sound on,
people trying to be funny, etc.
Going even worse, during a screening
of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ in 2012, a
Columbine massacre had flared up
causing fifty of the audience to get
injured by a man dressed as the Joker.
Traumatizing many, in 2019 fans were
wary about heading to the movie
theatres around the time ‘Joker’ had
released. Scared encase there would be
a copycat situation. Local cinemas
would even have it as a concern in
mind. But luckily, that didn’t happen.
The most that did happen mid-film, a
man had went around spitting on the
audience whilst also clapping and
cheering every time the character,
Arthur Fleck had killed someone which
terrified fans. With another cinema
having to evacuate due to a man
screaming "Allahu Akbar" in another.
Which soon lead onto audiences racing
out believing the guy had a gun.

13. 13.
Created using Celtx
PRODUCTION LEAKS
Bringing social media back up, it has
become a technique to 'leak' parts of
a project as a way of testing it. By
doing so, those working on the product
get to see how the customers react and
go from there. But sometimes, studios
will go slightly too far with this
bothering the fans who are finding the
leaks to be revealing far too much.
There is either that, or someone
working on set will find a way to
sneak a leak online, harming the
company.
Leaks like hints towards a projects
title, an image from a scene, actors
involved, small leaks will work in
exciting an audience. The only way one
will be disappointed, is that if they
aren’t happy with a choice made by the
production team. Whereas leaks that
are practically spoilers can lead to
people being put off. It just depends
on the fans really.
One example I have of this, comes from
the hype that went around for the
release of ‘No Way Home’. At first we
were getting nothing, the trailer
would be delayed again and again
having fans practically beg for the
trailer.
Once we finally got it in the August
of 2021, the film started to become
less secretive. With a few additional
trailers, on-set photos leaking what
wasn’t supposed to be leaked, at least
so we think. Then, the first 10
minutes of the movie had been released
by Sony. With these, a range of mixed
emotions had been shared around the
internet. With some fans having energy
added wanting the movie more. Whilst
others, believed too much oversharing
had gone on toning down the experience
for some, One response about this had
one fan claiming, “at this point we’re

14. 14.
Created using Celtx
getting the whole movie”.
Unable to catch a break, a HD version
of the film had released not long
after it hit theatres. Which, ruins it
more for Sony than the audience but
still. Intentional leaks can work, but
there is a limit.
One leak that practically saved a
movie though, was the test footage for
‘Deadpool’. Being an unintentional
leak, so that’s said, no one, to this
day, knows who did it. Not even Ryan
Reynolds. But thanks to that leak, we
have that movie and it peaked the
success rate it had needed. Again, no
one wanted the said film until the
release of that leak with everyone
wanting more. Reynolds had even
celebrated a “leakaversary” as he put
it on its fifth year.
TOXIC FANBASES
“What is it, that makes a fanbase
‘toxic?’? Well, there’s your answer.
People, who will go out of their way
to gatekeep, and bully anyone who
makes the smallest mistakes and go
against the opinion of everyone who
believes different. That as well,
going towards both fans and
celebrities. Which leads to fans being
put off the topic they once loved
followed by celebrities leaving social
media due to the issue. Not stopping
there, death threats would even be
sent about.
Screenwriter John Rogers, who worked
on the stand-alone title, ‘Catwoman’
that starred actress Halle Berry,
within the same year as released,
2004, the said screenwriter had pinned
a blog on a website called ‘Blogger'
and had it titled ‘Fandamentalism’. A
word the creator had made up to
linking the term fundamentalism to a
fandom. A play on words switching

15. 15.
Created using Celtx
‘fun’ with ‘fan’. Creating:
‘Fandamentalism’, “fans who violently
believe the only valid interpretation
of any entertainment source is a
dogmatic adherence to their version of
that source. Any change to the
smallest detail is inherently
unacceptable-” This, I find quite
clever and works very well.
There are instances where fans will
get what they’re after. The Sonic
movie for example. At first, we were
given a disaster of a character
design. After a little of...informing
and expressing of emotions, the
Director had responded giving the fans
what they want. Quite willingly also,
giving zero issue nor complaints.
Which lead to the design everyone is
now happy with. Luckily for them
though, fans didn’t take it too far.
Whereas going in the opposite
direction now, a studio who did the
right thing in refusing the wishes of
a community full of toxic fans. Warner
Brothers. Being responsible for the
release of anything to do with DC,
they were aware of the fanbase they
had gathered. Mainly though, this goes
towards the Snyder fans, who get
represented as a cult. Quite quickly,
fans were impressed by the Director,
Zack Snyder.
Getting to the point now they want no
one else to contribute to the DCEU and
will hate on anyone else who gets
involved. Cathy Yan for example, she
directed ‘Birds of Prey’ 2020 and was
hated on for it. Same again with David
F. Sandberg, ‘Shazam', 2018’ and James
Wan, ‘Aquaman’ 2017. All they want, is
Snyder to be the Director. Otherwise
if it’s anyone else, then they’re
doing it wrong.
Arriving onto the ‘Justice League’
being released, Snyder was only able
to work on half of the project before

16. 16.
Created using Celtx
he had to leave due to family-related
issues. Needing the movie complete,
the production team had brought in
Joss Whedon who was already known for
directing the first two Avengers
movies. Following its release in 2017,
fans went on to bully the creators to
the point it was trending over
Twitter. In result of how bad these
fans are, we got the four-hour Snyder
cut in 2021 pleasing all. Now because
of their behaviour, fanbase are being
denied a sequel.
This, is a subject-focus that has no
right nor any positive impact to the
film industry, being the way, it is.
And it needs to stop.
CLOSING DIALOGUE
With so many topics to talk about,
this is all I have time for today. Now
note, I am not saying you personally
are the problem. It's us as a whole
affecting the world around us with our
habits. Finishing off, I hope you are
able to take away the information
shared throughout this episode, thin
it over, and until next time.