Four Lions

International Film Franchises

Well, referencing my first post about international cinema, it should be no surprise that the world of film is definitely bucking the trend it once had of exclusive national markets. The barriers to entry have definitely fallen (for the most part) and Hollywood blockbusters now more than ever are having an impact on the international scale. What is so interesting about Iron Man 3 in particular is its release to the international market prior to it's domestic theatrical release, and the subsequent massive return of over 198 million dollars. That is plenty of return on investment for the studio, and not nearly over yet.

But more important than money, the success of this film definitely speaks to the global society that we are becoming. It is not uncommon for a superhero film so wholly engrained in the American identity like Iron Man and Captain America to do well overseas. International audiences do in fact like American films. Now some would argue that it's Hollywood's distribution deals and financial wrangling that allows them to capture such a market share, alongside massive protections in the domestic market; but at the same time, these blockbuster films are putting their money where their mouth is. People are going to see these films, and with that, some of these characters and movies become something that an international audience can identify with. At this point, when vastly different groups of people can identify with the same film, does it really get to carry the "Made in America" brand? And if so, then we have to look at the financing of the film. Which, if you did not know, it was reported in 2012 that a Chinese firm, DMG, selected Iron Man 3 to be one of twenty-five films chosen for release in the Chinese market. This seems to me much less like an American cultural icon than an international product.

That is the benefit and drawback to this type of film, because there are connotations that go with commercializing a film and distributing it in this way. First, it does degrade the general perspective of film as expression vs entertainment. Don't get me wrong, they can be one in the same and there is a certain spectrum, but the approach of selling a film as a product of strict entertainment does mean that it must appeal to vast audience, especially internationally, and that takes away from the expression of the filmmaker and makes it more of an appeal to the consumer. Argue what you will about film as expression vs entertainment, but in this case Iron Man 3 is the result of mass appeal. Secondly, in relation to mass appeal, the larger the spread, the weaker the content. You can't please everyone. When you expand your market from the United States to the U.K. or France, the leap is much smaller than when you try to appeal to the Chinese, U.S., U.K., and France. Cultures vary and perspectives on cinema still exist within these cultural contexts that will prevent the communication of certain nuances and ideas from being clear. Ultimately this could result in a diluted product. But if the goal is consumption, then it does still become a success if it is able to penetrate the market.

So in that respect, Iron Man 3 is certainly successful and will be successful. But to look at it through an American lens is myopic, when there are so many international factors at play. I believe there will be many more world-films to follow Iron Man 3, and they certainly will have equivalent if not stronger impacts on the film industry as well as the global community. Yet at the same time it should call attention to where the industry is headed. The potential for a world market is lucrative, but it may be at the sacrifice of a quality and respect that many films have garnered in the past.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/iron-man-3-opens-massive-448006#comments

Oh, To Finish a T.V. Series...

This weekend I finally finished another T.V. series. After hours upon hours of binge watching on a Saturday with my girlfriend, or right before bed, or through the night...I finally accomplished that seemingly unfathomable goal; I finished a show that was four-seasons long and went off the air before I cared that it did.

The particular series I finished was Battlestar Galactica, which I thoroughly enjoyed. If you get the chance or have the interest, just watch the pilot episode, and I am pretty sure you'll end up like this.

But the series is really not the point of my blog today. I just want to talk about how if feels to finally finish something and the excitement that comes from it.

I'm no T.V. guru; I don't even have cable. But I do have something that I think is as good, if not better than cable, and that is Netflix. This content distributor has tapped into the habits of thousands of subscribers who love to watch T.V. in big chunks. Before Netflix, I was buying up DVD box after DVD box of series' like Family Guy and Arrested Development. Netflix has not only saved me money, but also opened my entertainment palette to new content.  But sometimes this can feel like opening pandora's box: trying new shows, quitting mid-season, etc. And it can truly be a miracle to dedicate time to an entire series, especially if you are watching it with someone.

To give you background, my girlfriend and I decided to watch Battlestar together. She's in Law School so we would only do so when we got together, and this slowed the process of binge watching to a gradual progression.

So when you invest this much time and effort into an actual series you do begin to form a relationship with it. My first love was Arrested Development, and it still is. I am beyond excited that the new season will be distributed by Netflix, and am looking forward to the film as well. But I watched this show on T.V. and didn't gain this love for it until I was able to purchase each season after its release. Watching the series is more like watching a film with so many inside jokes and references to the material before it. It's like it was really made for binge watching. Upon finishing it I wanted more, and really felt like I was a part of a community of Arrested fans. The same is true now for Battlestar; I mean, I am blogging about it. And I am really happy that I can scratch it off of my instant que, which is an accomplishment (at least in my world).

Maybe some of you disagree, but to those of you out there who know what it's like to crush a series and then obsess over it, I say KEEP IT UP! And I'll sit here patting myself on the back until I decide to finish House of Cards, Breaking Bad, Madmen...................................

Love a Good Western

I love a good Western. These days it is fairly uncommon to hear that phrase amongst the youth demographic, but for me Westerns are my favorite genre of film. In fact, The Searchers tops my list of best Westerns. Recently there has been a resurgence of Western genre films, the Coen's remake of True Grit, which I thought was splendid, spurred the genre back to life. (Now others may consider some earlier Westerns to be the rejuvenator, but True Grit is where I will start my timeline.) The critical acclaim that this film had opened the doors to make Westerns relevant.

It was after this film that we began to see a callback to the times when Westerns were one of America's favorite genres. However, the Westerns that we see presently all seem to build on some edgier aspect, whether it's Cowboys And Aliens or Django Unchained, Westerns have become more sensationalistic. The use of shootouts is not new, but the action and pacing of these Westerns I think is noticeably stronger and faster than The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. These neo-Westerns seem to be less about the battle between the wilderness and civilization, and more about the protagonist and his side-arm.

I think that this approach to the Western genre has reignited our heros though. More than likely these films appeal to young men, and heros from these Westerns are being recognized as cool. From my own personal experience, though I really didn't care for Cowboys And Aliens, my young cousins loved it. At ages 11, 9, and 6, they played outside with their homemade Alien wristbands and six-shooters. This sensational approach seems to make cowboys other than Woody appeal to young kids again. I grew up playing Davy Crocket with my brothers and replaying his death at the Alamo over and over again. So Westerns hold a soft-spot in my heart and my a strong attachment to my identity. It may be nostalgia clouding my judgment, or the fact that I am 22, but it feels good to me that I can see a younger generation growing up with something that is of their time and still reflective of the genre that I love.

I'm interested to see where the Western genre will go next. A few shorts and feature films have been released or announced recently and I am excited to see how they approach it. I hope in the future that I will be able to make a film myself that is reminiscent of my love for Westerns. Overall I am just content with Westerns being back in the spotlight.

The Bible Miniseries

Admittedly right now I don't watch much television. Films are one thing, but TV series can take a lot of dedication that I just don't have time for. However, on this lovely Easter Sunday I decided to sit down with my family and watch the History Channel's miniseries, The Bible. And I have to say that overall I was pleasantly surprised. I felt like the series had a fine balance between entertainment and history. But most of all, I was surprised to find out how much attention this miniseries had garnered for the History Channel. Nielsen ratings for the show came out and showed some fantastic numbers for the cable station. But even more so, I was surprised at how relatively little controversy there has been over the series.

Whenever you see religion or the discussion of the topic hit the mainstream it often is coupled with some margins of outrage or celebration. This series, judging from the reviews, actually came out with a crowd whose biggest concern was how the devil-character is portrayed by someone who resembles the President. Which may actually be quite controversial, but even on social media channels there aren't people tearing the series apart based on its historical accuracy or approach to telling the story. This event came off as more of an inclusive exploration of the historical text. It caught a great audience because it appeared on Sunday nights, so maybe it appealed to a large audience of Christian viewers. But the millions of views overall suggest a keen interest across the board.

The production was significantly strong for a TV series from the History Channel, that naturally had no archival footage. And it didn't use scholars to analyze the events, instead it just reenacted the stories from the Old and New Testament, like an extended "10 Commandments." The entertainment quality of the program probably attracted a more diverse audience than the usual Conspiracy-theory television shows that so often dominate the History Channel's programming. And then to use this show as a lead-in to Vikings is a clever idea. Because Vikings is similar in the type of programming, a narrative as opposed to documentary. Maybe this content is the type of thing that History Channel needed to bring it some stronger relevance. I feel like it was successful and the ratings showed it. It's interesting too to see something as controversial and important as religion discussed through this medium. I'm looking forward to similar series that explore this topic, though I doubt with the issues in portraying Muhammed that we are likely to see a similar treatment about Islam; but there are many different historical characters and works that could be transformed into an experience much like this one.

Why A New Star Wars?

I'm sure the majority of anyone who may stumble across this blog at some point in some way has also had an interaction with the Star Wars franchise. For a long time it seemed that we would not in fact see another Star Wars trilogy come out of the woodworks. However, a few months ago it was announced that JJ Abrams would be taking directorial control over the new films. And to this my first thought was, "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

I can't say I'm too excited about the new Star Wars films. The prequel trilogy in all honesty was not that fantastic. I mean it did it's job for the audience that it was geared toward, but it lacks several things that make the original film, (even excluding the other two sequels) so original and intriguing. If you don't agree then I hope you will take me up on the offer to watch this breakdown of Star Wars Episode I. The review is a bit long but it makes some distinct points that for the most part I would agree with. 

So without going into further detail about my chagrin for these Star Wars films, I want to approach the question, "Why make more?" Just off the top of my head I can come up with three reasons why this question should be asked:

1. The story is done: In terms of story, we have seen the hero's journey for our protagonist Luke Skywalker. He has discovered his real identity, his potential, and he has brought the Jedi back from potential extinction. To me, that seems pretty well wrapped up with a nice little bow. The series even ends with the influential characters in Luke's life celebrating with him (etherial, but still there) and looking onto him with great pride. After this a new character has to be created. I may be wrong, but the protagonist in the prequels was easy to go to because it established origins of the most feared man in the galaxy, Darth Vader. I will be interested to see the origins that these next three films explore, but I am not too confident that the story won't feel forced (no pun intended).

2. My audience has left: Now this doesn't mean there is no audience, it's just that the target demographic is obviously shifting. Based on the television spin-offs that have come from Star Wars, as well as the recent alignment with Disney, it is probable that the youth market is going to be the primary target, leaving behind those of us who were young and flocked to the screens for Episode 1. For those who grew up with the 70s Star Wars this definitely makes sense because now they can share in the same excitement with their kids. But because of this likely demographic, the next three films are likely to fall a bit short in intensity and plot. It's safe to say we can expect the same cartoon violence that we know from Star Wars, in fact there may be even more considering Lucas really pumped it up for the prequels, but this also means more than likely a shallower approach to the plot for the viewer. It will likely go the route of the spectacle.

3. It's completely out of Lucas' hands: This actually may be a good thing. The series definitely could use a fresh perspective. But, forgive me for being to adherent to the idea of the auteur, but with JJ Abrams directing, this just won't be the same old Star Wars. Different heads are coming at this project from seemingly very different angles. It will be interesting to see how JJ Abrams can distinguish his Sci-Fi movies (Star Trek and Star Wars) from one another in a way so that the artistic approach doesn't bleed from one to the next. The last thing I want to see is a derivative work that is too heavily influenced by a previous project.

Once again, all of this is just opinion. And you can choose to disagree, but these are some of the points that have me up at night thinking about how the next Star Wars films just might not compare to the cult of personality that I, as well as millions of other people, have created for the films. 

So "Why make more Star Wars movies?": I think the answer is simple though, and that is, in the world of film at least they know that good or not, people will go see these films. And that will result in the money, a lot of money. It's the nature of the business, and even if it dilutes the strength of the material, they are going to milk it as much as possible. 

Georgia Film

I attended the Professional Entertainment and Sports Association at the University of Georgia today and an interesting panel was available to attend titled, "The Current State of the Film Industry: Atlanta." Naturally this caught my eye. My majors are Film Studies, Mass Media Arts, and Marketing, and like every entertainment career seeker I am often confronted with the question of whether I should move away from Georgia to the entertainment cities of New York or Los Angeles. For the past two years I have interned with a small production company in L.A. and gained a great deal of insight and experience in my short time in the industry. But, today's panel gave me a bit more faith in the entertainment city that is growing around me, Atlanta. And it is not surprising that we have a very strategic and sound economic potential to attract a great deal of industry giants to Georgia for film. So, my biggest takeaway was definitely a new perspective on the opportunity available in Atlanta.

But the industry is still quite young in Atlanta. The main thing attracting production to our state is the 30% tax incentive that is instated; which is a great way to bring in project after project, but what's to say something like this won't leave when this incentive leaves or a better deal pops up. The panel spoke to how Atlanta needs more permanent industry within the state, and if you have been paying attention to some of the industry news, Pinewood Studios setting up a soundstage in Peachtree City, there are definitely signs pointing in that direction.

Georgia native film is also beginning to blossom. Films like the "Spectacular Now," which was directed by an Athens native and filmed in Georgia, is a great example of the opportunities that are available here. I hope that this type of production continues. It gives me a great deal of hope and inspiration.  For the future of the film industry in Georgia I hope that films made about the South from a Southern perspective comes to the forefront. Maybe it's being overly optimistic but there has real potential to expand our unique culture through the extremely creative channel of film. We have the opportunity as Georgians to reach a broad audience and create content about Georgia and the South. I think that with this new opportunity for mainstream film, this kind of niche film can blossom from the economic benefits that are coming to Atlanta and the rest of Georgia.