Independant research

First Blog for Media!

Based on an article that I read online: Disney topper points to Indian opportunities

It's nice to hear that the film industry in India is potentially developing after Walt Disney Co.India was formed in January this year. This has made it the leading film studio in the subcontinent and has been said to provide a "phenomenal opportunity for incomes to grow". 

Technology has also enabled the film industry in India to develop as there are now around 100 million smartphones being used in India, which can be used to further expand the film industry as the market for content watched on smartphones is expanding.

I think that the film industry should cope very well in India and provide many opportunites for the future!



Independant research 2: Film causes death of 4 people
One of these people included the Ambassador of Libya, who was attacked by an angry mob whilst they blasted rocket propelled grenades and the U.S embassy in the Libyan capital. It all started due the making of a small film called "the innocence of Islam" which involved many negative views about the profit Muhammed. This in turn upset many people who then caused riots throughout Egypt and Libya.

 I think that this was a terrible thing to have happened, especially as everyone who was killed was not even involved in the making of this film. At the same time I believe the film is disrespectful to the religion and those who believe and follow it. This shows just how easy it is to have a certain view shown through the film industry and just how much of an impact it can have on people, to the extent that lives are taken.

The film ' Hotel Transylvania' from Sony sets records for September as it tops $43 millon at the box office in the USA. It was only predicted to make around $30 million however has clearly gone beyond this as this family film hits the big screens. Its second rival is the latest film 'Looper' which has so far managed to gain $21.2 million which has also overperformed.




LONDON - The Walt Disney Co. has extended a $1.7 billion loan to European theme park operator Euro Disney, in which it owns a 39.8 percent stake, to help it refinance its debt.
The France-based company is the operator of Disneyland Paris. Saudi Prince Alwaleed also owns a 10 percent stake in the firm.
Credit ratings agency Moody's said the entertainment conglomerate's debt ratings would not be negatively impacted by the loan.
Disney will replace Euro Disney's existing debt with the loan, which is expected to be paid back over a longer period and carry a lower interest rate than the firm's existing debt to give it more financial flexibility.
"This refinancing will enable us to reduce our financing costs and give us greater investment and operational flexibility," Euro Disney CEO Philippe Gas said.

Harry Potter and the deathly hallows part two was the biggest film of 2011 at the UK box office

The UK film industry contributed more than £4.6bn towards the UK GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in 2011, according to an independent report.

It said the industry has "grown significantly" in the last 20 years.
The number of UK films has grown from an average of 43 in the 1980s to 136 in the 2000s, according to report author Oxford Economics, a global forecaster.
The economy was worth about £1.5 trillion in 2011, with UK film accounting for 0.3% of GDP last year.
The GDP is a measure of the value of goods and services produced in the economy.
The report said UK box office receipts hit a record high last year of £410m, boosted by films including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, plus independent films such as The King's Speech and The Inbetweeners Movie.

The latest James Bond film Skyfall has been praised by critics, with some hailing it "the best Bond ever".

Starring Daniel Craig in his third outing as 007, the 23rd film in the franchise has been directed by Oscar winner Sam Mendes.
The Independent's Geoffrey McNab said: "If not a full blown triumph, this is certainly one of the best Bonds in recent memory."
I always personally though the James Bond films would one day fizzle out because of repetition with the stories. However from the newest reviews of the latest one out, it seems that this is not the case looking at the so-far reviews that it has got.










Interesting video above about how well and important the Asian film industry is doing. It highlights some key points about why it has done so well and why it is so popular.

An independent British film company has won funding for six productions with a combined budget of $155m (£96m), the Observer can reveal.The company's financial model is unusual in that investors are offered all six movies, spreading the risk significantly beyond the usual single film, and with a "transparency" that seeks to reassure investors stung by notorious abuses of tax schemes involving film investment.The producer, Miriam Segal, has a track record that includes the award-winning Love is the Devil, with Derek Jacobi as artist Francis Bacon, and Good, CP Taylor's Nazi drama with Oscar-nominated Viggo Mortensen.One of the films, a £21m production entitled The Infiltrator, features a story of greed and deception surrounding the collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International amid fraud allegations. "It's 23 years old now, but has great contemporary resonance," she said. Others include a murder story, a drama about economic migrants, and an urban thriller with budgets of £15m, £8m and £11m. "Anything over £9m outside a studio is a big thing in Britain," Segal said. Although a company such as Working Title, whose films include Notting Hill, also has a slate, they are backed by Universal, the US film giant.

 
 Creator of the Star Wars films, George Lucas, signs an agreement to sell his company, Lucasfilm, to the Walt Disney Company. Lucas says he is confident Disney will take good care of the franchise. Disney has announced it plans to release a new Star Wars film every two to three years after bringing out Star Wars Episode 7 in 2015.
      

Hasbro are well known for being manufacturers of board games such as hungry hungry hippos. However they have now set a goal to create a film based on the game as well as including monopoly and childs doll Action Man.  Hasbro has been inspired by the multibillion-dollar success of its Transformers franchise in the hands of Michael Bay, and apparently has not let Battleship's disappointing $300m (on a $200m budget) haul earlier this year upset its plans for worldwide domination.The latest proposal to bring its range to cinemas has been hatched in partnership with Hollywood film production company Emmett/Furla, which says it will make three movies in the next two years.    

General information about the British film industry that I discovered on wikipedia:

The United Kingdom has had a significant film industry for over a century. While film productiion reached an all-time high in 1936, the 'golden age' of British cinema is usually thought to have occurred in the 1940s, during which the directors David Lean, Michael Powell, and Carol Reed produced their most highly acclaimed work. Many British actors have achieved international fame and critical success, including Michael Caine, Sean Connery and Kate Winslet. Some of the most commercially successful films of all films have been produced in the United Kingdom, including the two highest-grossing film series (Harry Potter and James Bond). The identity of the British industry, and its relationship with Hollywood, has been the subject of debate. The history of film production in Britain has often been affected by attempts to compete with the American industry. The career of the producer Alexander Korda was marked by this objective, the Rank Organisation attempted to do so in the 1940s, and Goldcrest in the 1980s. Numerous British-born directors, including Alfred Hitchcock and Ridley Scott, and performers, such as Charlie Chaplin and Cary Grant, have achieved success primarily through their work in the United States. Many British films are co-productions with American producers, often using mixed British and American crews and casts.In 2009 British films grossed around $2 billion worldwide and achieved a market share of around 7% globally and 17% in the United Kingdom. UK box-office takings totalled £944 million in 2009, with around 173 million admissions.




British film over the next 12 months:

Wednesday, 3 October 2012

The BFI is investing almost £500 million in UK film over the next five years to help drive industry growth, build audiences and a vibrant film culture and sow the seeds of the future in a bold new plan announced today.
Film Forever: Supporting UK Film 2012-2017 outlines the BFI’s three key strategic priorities, funded by a combination of Grant in Aid, the BFI’s earned income and National Lottery funding, as:

• Education and audiences – with an annual investment of £44.2m
• British film and filmmaking with an investment of £32.3m per year
• Film heritage with an investment of £9.9m per year

BFI Chair, Greg Dyke said:

With film industry growth currently outstripping the economy as a whole, we want to invest to ensure continued success. A central part of Film Forever is to nurture business growth and cultural vibrancy across the whole of the UK, with a particular emphasis outside London. This is a real moment for film and a bold long term vision for the sector and I look forward to us from today turning all the discussion into action.

BFI CEO, Amanda Nevill said:

Film Forever is founded on a renewed commitment to the future – the future generation of audiences, the future generation of filmmakers and the opportunities presented by digital technologies. We are investing where we think we can most make a difference, where we see potential for creative excellence and where we can be the supportive catalyst for change, innovation, business growth and jobs.




14/12/2012

Directors view of British film

15/12/2012