Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures was founded by Adolph Zukor on 8th May 1912 as 'Famous Players Studios', and changed to Paramount Pictures in 1914. The company is a subsidiary of Viacom, which is an American media conglomerate. It is also the fourth largest media conglomerate in the world.

Paramount Pictures highest grossing films


1. Titanic
2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
3. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
4. Forrest Gump
5. Shrek the Third
6. Transformers
7. Iron Man
8. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
9. Iron Man 2
10. Star Trek

Class Notes on: 'Camera Shots and Angles'

Camera Angles: A camera angle is used to position the viewer so they can understand the situation.

Camera Shots: Camera shot is used to show different aspects.

Different Camera Angles

Close Up: A close up can be used to show close up detail or emotion of a person or object. Also may show importance of a character.

Over the shoulder: An over the shoulder angle may be used to show us what a character can see or what is physically ahead of them.

Birds-Eye view: A brids-eye view can be used to show the whole view, to show height.

Vantage Point/Long Shot: A long shot establishes a scenery.

Mid-shot: A mid-shot can be used to show a conversation.

Two shot: A mid-shot with two people talking, you can usually see there torso.

Camera Shots 

Zoom in/out: This shot can reveal details

1st person: The 1st person shot shows a lot of detail

Panning: A panning shot can be used to show movement. E.g. car chases

Class Notes on: 'The British Film Industry'

- BBFC: Independant, non-government body which classifies and censors film, cideo as well as computer games released in UK.
- British Academy of Film and Television Arts: Promotes understanding and appreciation of British rich film and television heritage and culture.
- BFI: Aims to support: develop and promote the art forms of the moving image.
- UK Film Council: Government backed lead agency for film in the UK ensuring the economic, cultural and eductation aspects of the film are effectively to represent at home or abroad.
- British Council: The official UK agency for interantional cultural relations. Its film department promotes new British film (features and shorts) internationally principally through festivals and showcases.

Main British Production Companies
- Film 4: Inbetweeners, Finding Eric, Four Lions. Has its own channel.
- Working Title: Hot Fuzz, Shawn of the dead.
- PATHE!: Wallace&Gromit, Chicken Run. Jeepers Creepers.

- BBC Film Network: Damned United.

- Momentum Pictures: Longest Yard.

Most bankable English actors and there film genres.  

- Keira Knightly: Action and Drama

- Ewan McGregor: Drama, Romance and Action

- Colin Firth: Drama and Romance

- Jude Law: Drama

- Hugh Grant: Romance

Top 10 actors list in 2009 (In order of bankable value).

1. Will Smith

2. Johnny Depp

3. Brad Pitt

4. Tom Hanks

5. George Clooney

6. Will Ferral

7. Reece Witherspoon

8. Nicholas Cage

9. Leonardo di Caprio

10. Russell Crowe

Class Notes on: 'Sound and Narrative'

Sound

Sound is split into two kinds:
- Digetic: This is sound in the scene as it would really happen.
- Non-Digectic: This is sound that is added to the scene. E.g. Added music.

Narrative: How the plot is constructed

- Linea: The story as it happens
- Non-Linea: The narrative is manipulated. E.g. flashbacks

Todorov's narrative theory

- Equilibrium
- Disruption
- New Equilibrium

Propp's Morphology of the Folktale

- Villain: Struggles against the hero
- Donor: Prepares hero or some magical object
- Helper: Helps the hero in quest
- Princess and Father: Gives task to hero, identifies false hero, marries hero, often sought for
- Dispatcher: Character that makes lack known and sends hero off.
- Hero or Victim/Seeker Hero: Reacts to the donor, marries the Princess.
- False Hero: Takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries to marry the princess.

Class notes on 'Hollywood: The Film Industry'

The Hollywood majors
Major studios are vertically, horizontally and laterally intergrated.

Pre-production
        ¦
Production - sound - equipment - studios - publicity
        ¦
Distrubution
        ¦
Cinema

High concept: Special effects and stars

Oligopoly: A market dominated by a few companies

'The big six': Disney, MGM, Sony, Universal, Paramount and Fox

The big six films are often sequels, prequels and re-makes or based on a successful book, Tv programme or video game.

Distribution Windows

Conglomerates will try and use synergy

Synergy is where multiple products and services are created on the basis of a successful brand within the same corporation.

Press junkets: Organised by distributors to generate press intrest.

For major blockbusters the marketing and advertising budget may exceed the production cost.

Hollywood majors

Big budget films are usually released across a large number of screens simultaneously.

'High concept' films are usually given what is called a saturation blanket.

Multiplexes only use one projectionist

Multiplexes are more profitable because:
- They house alot of screens
- They are usually close to shopping centres
- They fit lots of people

Independent Films
Independent films are exhibited at film festivals to find distributors for wider release.

Glossary

Film Festivals: Try to get films released and viewed by journalists.

Above the Line: A type of advertising through media,such as television, cinema, radio, print, web banners and web search engines to promote brands. This type of communication is conventional in nature and is considered impersonal to customers.

Below the Line: Is efficient and cost effective for targeting a limited group.

Class and Status Representation Presentation, with Vishal Kumar

This is a presentation that me and Vishal did on focusing on the area of representation Class and Status in British Drama TV shows. We used examples such as The Inbertweeners, Sherlock, Geordie Shore and Mrs Brown's Boys.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/67583810/