Film 4

When Film4 started the name of the channel was origionally FilmFour and was the second channel to channel 4, it was launched on the 1st of november 1998. You started off having to subscribe to the channel via sattelite through the sky platform on satellite television via the Sky platform, digital terrestrial via ITV Digital (until the platform went into administration in 2002), and most UK cable services. It cost £5.99 or £6.00 a month (depending on platform), eventually rising to up to £7. The launch night, which was also broadcast on Channel 4, was hosted by Johnny Vaughan and the first film to be shown was What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

Film4's sister channels:
channel4, more4, E4, Kerrang, Kiss, Magic, Q, Smash hits & the box.

Film4's main ambition was not to focus on broadcasting blockbusters, but now  they mainly focus on showing the main big Hollywood movies. Film4 appreciates a niech market and has 'themed nights' or film seasons for example, 'Double trouble' would include 'Bad boys', 'Men in black', 'white chicks', or they would ferature films around a genre e.g. 'action night', they also do themed nights for certain directors or actors. Channel 4 owns Film4 Productions (Channel 4's film production compay), it shows many of its in-house productions.

Occasional non-film (but film-related) programmes are also shown.

Wherever possible, films are shown in their correct aspect ratio. No digital on-screen graphics are superimposed. Under UK broadcasting rules, it was able to screen most films unedited and in earlier timeslots when it was a subscription channel, but these concessions were lost when it became free-to-air, and more adult material is now confined to after the 9pm watershed. Some films are also now edited to make them suitable for pre-watershed screenings, a decision which was criticised by viewers on the channel's now defunct internet forum.

Controller of Film4: Tessa Ross


Tessa Ross: She was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2010 Queen's New Year’s Honours List for her services to Broadcasting. She is the Controller of Film and Drama at Channel 4.
Born - 1961 in London, England, UK
In May 2009 was named by 'Time' magazine as one of the hundred most influential people in the world.
By 1984 C4 had co-produced over 20 feature films for the special slot Film on Four.

Because there was a guaranteed TV premiere for these films they could afford to take more risks in terms of both their content and their treatment of this than mainstream films.

 

Websites (Working title)

Advantages:
.Cheaper than advertising ont.v
.Wider audience whowill view advertising
.Easier to get out topublic
.Provides exclusives of upcoming releases
.More detail
.24/7 updates
.Viral marketing
.Contact details
.Archive material - past projects
.Awards / celebrations
.History
.Merchindise / sales
.Downloads

Task - Evaluate working title's website commenting on what features make it particulary useful or interesting:

Working title have a large proffetional looking website with all different features, informing and entertaining accessories for the viewing audience. 
The website includes games, preview clips, outakes, games and interviews, also a particular feature to the website is it's actors video logs throughout the films. This feature is specific to working title's website, the websitehelps people to findinformation on the making of the films, get them intrestedin theupcomingnewfilms and provide the 'behind scenes feeling' by having the actors log and have them lead you around etc.

Hot Fuzz

11. How many pieces of merchandise can you find for the film Hot Fuzz? Hot fuzz has it's own clothing range of combat trousers to fan t-shirts, it has toys and also soundtrack cd's and special edition dvd's. you can buy props and stuff online etc and special edition merchindise such as framed pictures etc.

12. How many different versions of the Hot Fuzz DVD are there (you can include imports)? 6 different coppies

13. What special features are contained on the two disc special edition DVD?  Behind the scenes, out-takes, narrators annotation through scenes
14. Why do you think they place different ‘special features’ on DVD’s and who are these designed to appeal to? Special features such as the directors annotation will be for upcoming directors that want advice and learn aboout things to do with the creation of scenes they liked. There are other features like out-takes that are there to be funny and make us laugh and see the creation shooting side of it.

15. How many Oscar winners appear in the film? 4 oscar winners

16. What was the films opening UK box office takings? april 20th - 26th - $7,724,188

Apr 20–26

6

$7,724,188

-

825

-

$9,363

$7,724,188

1

17. What is its current world wide gross?

Total Lifetime Grosses

Domestic:	$23,637,265	29.3%
+ Foreign:	$56,936,509	70.7%

18. What convention did Nick Frost and Simon Pegg attend in order to promote this film? comi'con

19. Why do you think they chose to attend this particular convention so they get a good idea of what prime audience will want to be involved in the film and what the audience would want to get from a film such as 'hot fuzz' the british 'bad boys'

Hangover advertising campagn.

Advertising Campaign on Due Date

working title

11.  List 2 famous directors that Working Title have worked?
 Nick Evens & Edgar Wright.

12.  What is Hugh Grant’s relationship with Working Title?
Hugh Grant once remarked that, while most British production companies are run by awfully nice

Chaps who once worked for the BBC, there’s a level of professionalism about Working Title which sets it apart.  ”Tim and Eric are the definition of real producers,” said Co-Chairman of Universal Pictures Donna Langley.  “They stay close to the process and maintain their ability to hand pick and produce each of their films in a very individual way.  Their unique vision and taste has been key to their success.”

13.   Find out about the Coen Brothers (films, genres, status) and what do they have to do with Working Title?
The Coen Brothers have directed films such as Blood Simple, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, No Country for Old Men, and True Grit.

They are film directors, screen writers, producers, editors and cinematographers; they have worked with working title to produce films such as ‘the big labowski’ witch are comedic films.
14. Who owns 67% of Working Title films?
 Universal studio’s owns 67% of working title.1

15. List two of Working Title big blockbuster films and find out their budgets.

Atonement had a budget of £30 million and made about £130 million at the box office.

Johnny English had a budget of £40 million, and made about £160 million at the box office.

16. What genre's of film are Working Title famous for?
working Title produce films from all genres, but are well known for comedy and romantic comedy.


17. What other genres to Working Title make?
Working Titles make films from all genres, ranging for a rating of U all the way up to an 18.


18. Find out as much as you can about Working Title 2 (when established, films made, budgets and awards).
Working Title 2 is a smaller branch of Working Title dedicated to making smaller films and helping independent ideas. It was established in 1999 and has made films such as Billy Elliot, which had a budget of £3 million, but made just over £72 million.


19. What information can you find out about working title throught their web page?
They have recently released the Johnny English sequal and SENNA.


20. Find out one other interesting fact about Working Title that you would like to share with the class.
After 1992 they made several films for production company Polygram, Polygram soon became a huge competetor against the U.S.A giants 'Hollywood'.

Due Date Prezi

The making of Due Date on Prezi

Stages

1.The Pitch: An idea is pitched by the producers to the intrested investorsfor the film.

2.Investment: The producers will approach  private or, production companies or public investors for the film to be given a budget and start production.

3.Packaging:The script is made into a commercial propersition by the director.

4.Financing: The producer will find the right finacier from somewhere around the world, This could be a bank as some specialize in film finance.

5.Pre-Production: The casting director will try and find the correct actors, the production designer will design how the film will look and who will make the sets.

6.The Shoot: This is the key moment in the film production, the funding will be released and the cast, crew and special effects are organized.

7.Post Production: The editor will assemble scenes from the processed footage he has been given.

8.Sales:Specialist sale agents will be employed to help sell the film, the film can also be marketed at film festivals to get attention and sales.

9.arketing: The sales agent is used again but this time to market the film by putting it on posters, magazines and making adverts to be broadcast on television.

10.xibition: A high profile premier with all of the stars of the film is used to launch the movie into the world.

11.her Windows: The film will come out on DVD and may be broadcast on television company’s may also buy the rights to make the film into a computer game.

Bfi film industry work.

BFI Research