case studies for as level media studies

1. G322
Question 2
chosen case studies:
Hunger Games: Catching Fire
(Lionsgate)
About Time (Working Title
Films)
By Sophie Boston

2. Lionsgate
Lionsgate is a film company in North
America. It was formed in 1997 and is
founded by Frank Giustra. Lionsgate
shows films in the USA, UK, France
and Australasia mainly. Lionsgate
also partly owns other film
companies, including Summit
Entertainment. Some of Lionsgate’s
most popular films include Saw, The
Hunger Games, The Bank Job, The
Transporter Trilogy and part of the
Twilight Saga.

3. Working Title Films
Working Title Films is a British film
company based in London, owned by
Universal Studios. The company was
founded by Tim Bevan and Sarah
Radclyffein 1983. The locations where
its films are broadcasted are in the UK,
Ireland and Los Angeles. Its sister
companies are Working Title 2
Productions and Working Title
Television, which have produced box
office hits such as Four Weddings and
a Funeral and Shaun of the Dead.

4. FILM INDUSTRY- Production
1. What is pre production?
This is the tasks that must be completed or executed before filming or
shooting begins for example hiring the actors, building sets, budgeting,
planning, scheduling, renting equipment and tests etc.
2. What is the production process?
The tasks that must be completed or executed during the filming or
shooting. This includes tasks such as setting up scenes, the capture of raw
footage, and usage of set designs, to name a few of the many preproduction tasks. Production is the second step in film creation. It follows
the pre-production phase and evolves into the post-production stage.
3. What is post production?
Refers to the tasks that must be completed or executed after the filming
or shooting ends. This includes tasks such as the editing of raw footage to
cut scenes, insert transition effects, working with voice and sound actors,
and dubbing, to name a few of the many pre-production tasks. Postproduction is the third and final step in film creation. It follows the preproduction and production phases.

5. FILM INDUSTRY - Distribution
What is distribution?
•This is the process where a movie is made available to watch for an
audience by a film distributor. E.g. Posters, trailers, and also the DVD
releases. This is perhaps the most important part of the entire film making
process because it is the part that the audience get involved in and it’s
where they see the film (trailer) for the first time so it has to make a good
first impression so the audience will want to go and see it.
•The marketing distribution can come in many forms e.g. Posters, trailers,
advertisements on the TV and online, special offers, magazine articles. It
can also create CONVERGENCE in that different industries may come
together to promote the film e.g. For the latest James Bond film, the film
and music industry came together to create the soundtrack Skyfall by
Adele. This in turn creates SYNERGY – not only are they promoting the film
but also Adele and her talent.
•Distributors will already be creating a marketing campaign even if the
film is not yet finalised.

6. FILM INDUSTRY - Exhibition
This is the process after the distribution phase. After the film company
have dubbed and edited their film to perfection, the companies
then send their film to cinemas so that the film can be shown to the
audience on the screens.
This is very important to get this right as the exhibitor will have to think
about which cinemas to send their film to – e.g. The location of the
cinema, are the target audience situated around there? Ethnic
groups, age groups etc. Even the titles of cinemas could influence
whether an individual will want to go there or not.
After the exhibition stage, the company can do no more, and
hopefully, if they did produce a good film, budgeted well, and held
a successful marketing campaign, they will make a great profit.
Through exhibition we can see all the facts and figures, money
made, money lost, success, failures etc.

7. 1. The Hunger Games
Franchise
(Lionsgate)

8. The Hunger Games: Synopsis
Set in a dystopian North America known as
"Panem", the Capitol selects a boy and a girl
between the ages of 12 and 18 from each
of the twelve outlying districts to compete in
the annual "Hunger Games", a televised
fight-to-the-death. The film is centered
around Katniss Everdeen - a 16-year-old girl
from District 12, who volunteers for her 12year-old sister, Prim, when Prim's name is
chosen - and Katniss's fellow District 12
tribute, Peeta Mellark, whom she has some
rather dramatic history with. Katniss is then
rushed to the Capitol, where she undergoes
intense training, before being thrust into the
arena to fight to become the victor of the
seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games.

9. The Hunger Games:
Catching Fire Synopsis
Katniss Everdeen has returned
home safe after winning the 74th
Annual Hunger Games along with
fellow tribute Peeta Mellark.
Winning means that they must turn
around and leave their family and
close friends, embarking on a
"Victor's Tour" of the districts. Along
the way Katniss senses that a
rebellion is simmering, but the
Capitol is still very much in control
as President Snow prepares the 75th
Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter
Quell) - a competition that could
change Panem forever.

10. Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAzG
XqJSDJ8

12. Josh Hutchinson
(Peeta):
•Zathura
•Bridge to
Terabithia
•Journey to the
Centre to the
Earth
Liam
Hemsworth
(Gale):
•Paranoia
•The
Expendables
•Knowing
Jennifer Lawrence
(Katniss):
Woody Harrelson
(Haymitch):
•X Men
•Silver Linings Playbook
•American Hustle
•Zombieland
•Now You See Me
•Friends wtih Benefits

13. •The Hunger Games Franchise
is based on the Hunger
•The second film was filmed in Atlanta USA,
Games trilogy written by
Hawaii USA and New Jersey USA.
Suzanne Collins.
•Directed by Francis Lawrence
•Written by Simon Beaufoy
•Produced by Nina Jacobson
and Jon Kilik, also the author
served as a executive producer
•Editing by Alan Edward Bell
•Budgeting was an
•Music by James Newton
estimated
•Cinematography by Jo Willems
•Casting by Debra Zane
$130,000,000

14. •Production companies: Colour Force and Lionsgate
•There were both special effects and visual effects in
Catching Fire
Filming Dates
11 September 2012 - 21 December 2012
Problems:
One of the main cast, Philip Seymour
Hoffman who played the Head Games
Maker Plutarch Heavensbee, recently
died, he was found in his apartment and
seemed to have taken an overdose of
drugs. He reportedly had just 7 days of
filming left for the two last films. The
alternatives now will be if they can edit his
parts out, recreate him digitally in some
way or get someone to replace him.

16. •Catching Fire distributed by many
companies- Lionsgate did its own
distributing in the UK and USA
•Premiere was on the 11th
November 2013 UK

18. •The second
film will be out
on DVD on 17th
March 2014

26. • The DVD has not yet come out.
The second film will be out on
DVD on 17th March 2014
•However the first DVD was
originally worth around £10, and
was rated a 12 due to some mildly
violent scenes. DVD available on
Blu Ray and Bonus Features
Main audience:
Fans of the book of course
but also teenages and
young adolescents ages
around 12-21
Both female and male
audiences, appeal for
both
•Released in cinemas on the 21st
November 2013 UK
•Released in cinemas 22nd
November 2013 USA
•The Hunger Games Franchise is a
major success
•Opening Weekend: $161,125,000
(USA) (24 November 2013)
•On roughly 4,163 screen over 13
weeks
• Shown in both 2D and Imax

27. Golden Trailer Awards 2013
Nominated
Golden TrailerBest Action Poster
Lionsgate
Ignition Creative
Best Independent Poster
Lionsgate
Ignition Creative
For "Victory Tour Close
•Hollywood Film Festival 2013
Won
Hollywood Film Award Song of the Year
People's Choice Awards, USA 2014
Won
People's Choice Award Favorite Year
End Movie

28. Reviews on the first film
Thoroughly enjoyed this film. Superb performances from all the actors, especially
Jennifer Lawrence. Can't wait to see the next two films. Very (very) similar to the
book - which is good or not depending on your point of view. The ever excellent
Donald Sutherland as the chilling President Snow gets a little more in the film
though, as well as on the bonus disk. The bonus disk was very good.
Firstly I have read the books and I loved them. They were brutal, funny, tragic, romantic and
heartwrenching. Everything a good adventure novel should be.
So it was I was waiting eagerly for the film. I never got the chance to see it at the cinema;
but based on the numerous good reviews I preordered the blu-ray. I really enjoyed the film;
but as with many other reviewers I felt that the book was better.
The book spent much more time establishing characters and relationships and I really liked
that. Obviously, with the book being in first person, everything was from Katniss' perspective but that only serves to makes you sympathize with her predicament and those around her
more. Her relationships with Peeta and Rue go much deeper in the book and I felt the film
foolishly downplayed these moments. Likewise, the other contestants in the games seemed
vastly under utilised in the film; and as a result they either became unimportant or impotent.
Cato was a fierce and imposing killer in the book - but reduced merely to a brooding bully in
the film (albeit one with a sword).
Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed the film and I'm glad I bought it, but I just wish it been a little
better. However, I am sure when I watch it again - knowing everything that's changed or
omitted - I will enjoy it much more. I felt the same way with Twilight - hated it on first viewing.
I look foward to Catching Fire and Mockingjay!

29. Reviews on the second film
I watched the 1st movie and in my opinion, it can be used as a perfect example of how
manipulative and powerful the (social) media and advertisers can be.
Nevertheless, as a genre fan, I decided to give the second movie a chance. Boy, do I regret
that. I was hoping of some kind of evolution in the story, or some big event that would show a
little bit of action, emotion, or at least to make us care about the characters. In the end, it was
just a lengthy copy of the first one. And that's not good.
The acting is flat, the direction monotonous, the action is terrible and the audience does not
care who lives and who dies.
Don't waste your time on this, unless your age is around 12.
The budget is nearly twice the original,
and it shows. Great work from the A-list
cast, amazing set designs and
costumes.
The Games sequences, while familiar
from the first film, push the story
towards a thrilling cliffhanger climax.
Lighter on action and futuristic
visuals, Catching Fire is superior
to the first film by virtue of
notable performances and
more compelling storyline. If
the quality of the filmmaking
continues into Mockingjay, I'll
be thrilled to see how it ends.

30. 2. About Time
(Working Title
Films)

31. About Time:
Synopsis
At the age of 21, Tim Lake
(Domhnall Gleeson) discovers
he can travel in time... The night
after another unsatisfactory New
Year party, Tim's father (Bill
Nighy) tells his son that the men
in his family have always had
the ability to travel through time.
Tim can't change history, but he
can change what happens and
has happened in his own life-so
he decides to make his world a
better place...by getting a
girlfriend. Sadly, that turns out
not to be as easy as you might
think.

32. Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7
OIFdWk83no

34. •Produced by Tim Bevan.
•Not based on anything but is very similar
to other films, especially Time Traveller’s
Wife which Rachel McAdams is also in.
•Written by Richard Curtis
•Music by Nick Laird Clowes
•Cinematography by John Guleserian
•Film editing by Mark Day
•Casting by Fiona Weir
•No animation just raw footage but any
special effects – Prime Focus World
•Production companies: Working Title Films
and Translux

35. Film Length 3,380 m (7 reels)
Filming Locations:
Notting Hill, Paddington Station,
Whitehouse Apartments, and
Cornwall.All set in England

37. Domhnall Gleeson
(Tim) Irish
•Harry Potter
•True Grit
Bill Nighy (Tim’s Dad)
English
•Pirates of the Caribbean
•Love Actually
•Hot Fuzz
•The World’s End
Rachel McAdams
(Mary) American
•Mean Girls
•Time Traveller’s Wife
•The Vow
•Sherlock Holmes
•Wedding Crashers

39. Soundtracks - CONVERGENCE
Distributed
How Long Will
The Luckiest (Instrumental)
by Universal
I Love You by
Written by Ben Folds (as Benjamin
Studios
Ellie Goulding
Folds)
Performed by Ben Folds
Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment,
Inc.

40. •Distributed by Universal Pictures International – UK, Universal
Pictures – USA THEATRICAL
•DVD distribution by Universal Home Entertainment UK, Universal
Studios Home Entertainment USA
Soundtracks - CONVERGENCE
The Luckiest (Instrumental)
Written by Ben Folds (as Benjamin
Folds)
Performed by Ben Folds
Courtesy of Sony Music
Entertainment, Inc.
How Long Will I Love You by Ellie
Goulding

43. •Target audience was
mainly females aged under
18 but also females in their
twenties proved to be the
second most popular
audience. Surprisingly,
males under the age of 18
were fairly common as well.
•All together it was shown
on 1,280 theatres, and was
in cinemas for 8 weekends.
Opening Weekend
$1,076,250 (USA) (3
November 2013) (175
Screens)
£1,761,079 (UK) (8 September
2013) (556 Screens)
Budget
$12 million
Box office
$85,312,119

44. New York Film Festival 2013
Nominated
Grand Marnier Fellowship
Award Best Film
Richard Curtis
San Sebastián International Film
Festival 2013
Won
Waki.TV Audience
Award Best European
Film
Richard Curtis