30 Questions Revision Task

What % of global box office was the British film industry responsible for? 17% (Approx. 75% of the UK industry is based in London, with an average of 35 crews shooting on the streets of London every day.)

What was this % in 2009? 6.8% (UK film contributes over £4.6 billion to UK GDP and supported over 117,000 jobs (up from 100,000 in 2009). 

What might this change indicate about British film? They are becoming more dominant and doing del at the box office. 

What films have been responsible for this change? The Harry Potter Franchis.. "Since the release of the first Harry Potter movie in 2001 the movies have made $7,706,147,978 worldwide. The Harry Potter books have profited author J.K. Rowling over one billion dollars since their release."

What % of the British film industry makes a profit? 7%

What % of Hollywood films make a profit? The percentage of Hollywood films that make a profit is 17%.

How does that % differ between £2m and £10m budget British films? lower budget films ($2 million) have a 4% chance of making  profit, higher budget ($10 million) have a 17% chance go making a profit.

What might we infer from this difference? We could infer that if films look more realistic e.g. have better special effects then people will be more inclined to buy/watch them.

Which age group makes up the largest % of UK cinema goers?  18-24 year olds are the most likely to go to the cinema and make up the largest percentage.

Why do you think this might be?  I think this may be because these people have more free time and more disposable income, they also fit into the majority of the 4 quadrants.

Which 'type' of film has seen an 18% drop in attendance? 3D Films.

Within that 'type' which genre has seen the biggest fall?  The films type that has seen the biggest fall is family films, films that don’t involve a lot of action/horror.

What did Charles Grant put this decline down to?  Charles Grant basically said that 3D films are just a little bit too expensive, with them not deserving the extra money over ordinary films.

Who is Paul Greengrass? Paul Greengrass is an English film director, screenwriter and former journalist. He specialises in dramatisations of real-life events and is known for his signature use of hand-held cameras.

How did he describe the British film industry? "British film is on a very positive journey. If you look at the biggest movies in the world, like Star Wars, Gravity– a hugely cutting edge movie - they’re being made in Britain. British technicians are world class and audiences are queuing up to see these films. Distinctive British voices, like Stephen Frears, and all the emerging voices on show here highlight where the industry is. Strong leadership from the British Film Institute helps too. There’s a real vibrancy among British filmmaking and all these elements have been growing for the last 10-15 years and it shows no signs of stopping."

What did a BFI spokesperson say was the point of less profitable low budget British films? "tiny budget films that, while commercial success is always hoped for, are successful and beneficial to the industry for other reasons like skills and training development and for artistic and cultural importance."

What was the budget for Filth and how much money did it take? (IMDb) $5,000,000, £3,849,986

What advantage did James McEvoy feel £100m films have over low budget films? James McEvoy said that the ones that are over $100 million, that sometimes "aren't very good" had an advantage over small films because they had a huge budget to sell it.

What is VOD? Video On Demand.

What % increase did VOD see last year? They have increased by 50%.

What impact might VOD have on distributers and Studios?  With recent rises of demand with Netflix love film and sky , there is a chance that the demand companies will out sell Hollywood studios.

What impact has it had on Blockbuster rental stores?  They have had to clos several stores in the UK and globally and move online . they are becoming extinct.

What was unique about Ben Wheatleys 'A Field In England'? ‘A Field in England' was special as it was released in several formats simultaneously, dvd cinemas demand.

What does director of The Machine Caradog James think is the toughest part of film making?     "The toughest thing is you make a good film but can you get it to reach an audience? It's events like this and individuals who champion independent cinema that give us a profile and any chance of a mass audience."

Why have rules been relaxed on what makes a film 'British'?  To encourage wider audiences so the profit percentage can rise.

How has the use of visual effects in films been encouraged?  Visual effects are used in films to make it more interesting for the audience, to aid boosting of ratings as a more attractive picture is a better seller.

Name five of these rules and link them to The Kings Speech, Kill List, The World's End  Keeping a British Theme through culture -Kings Speech
·         'LAD' culture - Worlds End
·         British director - The King's Speech
·         British leading Cast - Kill List, Worlds End
·         Location in Britain - Kill List, Worlds End, King's Speech 

    
What rules has chancellor George Osbourne announced for tax on British films?  George Osborne has announced tax relief would be increased from 20% to 25% on the first £20m of qualifying production expenditure. Productions will also only have to spend 10% of their budgets on UK expenditure to qualify - down from 25% - to help more independent production companies and make the UK a more attractive co-production partner. previously only films under £20m were eligible for the higher rate.

What is the highest grossing film in UK box office history?  Highest grossing film in the uk box office was  James Bond - Skyfall.

How much has it taken and how many screens was it available on?  $1,108,561,013 was taken and it was on 527 screens in he UK.

The Worlds End

The Basics
The World's End (Cornetto Trilogy)
Director: Edgar Wright
Producer: Working Title (Tim Bevan)
Distributor: Universal (Big Six)
Budget: $25 million
Box Office: $46 million

'Cornetto Trilogy' - repeatability for DVD and BluRay

The Audience
The target Audience is male 28-40 (who like sci-fi and comedy and indie music/britpop)
Links to soundtrack which is full of late 80s early 90s hits by bands such as: The Housemartins, Blur, Primal Scream, Pulp, James, Happy Mondays, Suede, The Stone Roses, Inspiral Carpets.
All star 'British' cast

Simon Pegg (Gary King): Star Trek, Mission Impossible, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Paul - mainstream and niche appeal.
Nick Frost (Andy Knightley) : Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Paul - mainstream and niche appeal.
Martin Freeman (Oliver Chamberlain) : The Hobbit, Love Actually, The Office (TV), Sherlock (TV)
Paddy Considine (Steven Prince) : Dead Man's Shoes, Submarine, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (TV) - multiple acting award nominations. Target audience of film buffs/ aficionados
Eddie Marsan (Peter Page) : Tyrannosaur, Miami Vice, Happy-Go-Lucky, Sherlock Holmes (Inspector Lestrade). Target audience of film buffs/ aficionados.
Rosamund Pike (Sam Chamberlain) : Die Another Day, An Education, Made In Dagenham, Wrath Of The Titans, Jack Reacher
Other  notable cast members

Pierce Brosnan (Guy Shepherd): James Bond (1995-2004), The Thomas Crown Affair, The Ghost, Mama Mia
Bill Nighy (The Network-voice only): Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Love Actually, Pirates of the Caribbean
Rafe Spall (Young Man): Grindhouse, Kidulthood, Prometheus, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Life of Pi, I Give It A Year

The Director

Edgar Wright: Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim vs The World, The Adventures of Tin Tin (co writer), Spaced (TV)

Themes

The film focuses on uniquely British concerns: pubs, 'lad' culture, British nightlife, loss of British identity, the homogenization of the high street, American influence, school, sleepy market towns. The film is also about growing up, the potential of youth and the disappointment of adult life.

The film was a niche product globally and a mass market product nationally.

Figures
Only 7% of British films make a profit.
Of films costing less than £2 million only 45 make a profit.
Of films costing £10 million or more 17% make a profit
Reception
Rotten Tomatoes 89% approval rating
Metacritic 81 out of 100

Harry Potter World, Favourite Pictures

Sexuality

Definition of sexuality:

Sexual orientation is a romantic pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women, both genders, neither gender or another gender.

Sexualities

Hetrosexual; Attracted to the opposite sex 

i.e. Male attracted to a Female

Homosexual; Attracted to a person of the same sex

i.e. A Woman attracted to another Women

Bisexual; Attracted to both genders

i.e. Men attracted to other Men and Women

Explanation of stereotypes associated with this in the media:

Common stereotypes of sexuality are used in the media to present a person's character. Examples of these include: Homosexual males (gay) being camp and overly feminine. Homosexual females (lesbians) being butch and man like. The media may choose to stereotype characters of a certain sexuality so that the audience can make assumptions of these people.

A selection of TV shows that include the stereotype:

• Doug Carter: Doug is a homosexual male character in the hit TV Drama Hollyoaks. He is presented as your 'stereotypical gay'  as he has a very high pitched voice and wears pristine clothing and hair styles.

•  Christian: Christian from the well known TV Soap Eastenders is presented as an overly sensitive homosexual with a love for other hetrosexual characters included in the show. 

• Bobby: Bobby from The Only Way Is Essex or 'TOWIE' is presented as your stereotypical homosexual as he cares for himself like a women would. He 'fake tans,'  wears make up, grooms himself including getting his eyebrows waxed and is overly sensitive and extremely emotional.

• Orange is the new black; this TV Drama features a group of lesbians inside a prison. They are stereotypical lesbians as they are presented as butch.

The issues that can arise through sexuality can be the misconception of the stereotypes. Not all gay men are feminine and not all lesbians are butch. Some homosexuals can become embarrassed of their sexuality as people can frown upon the thought of the same sex being together. 

Downtown Abbey, set in the early 1900's, does not include any characters that are homosexual as it was very much frowned upon in that era. People with mental illnesses were locked up in this time and being 'gay' was perceived as a mental illness. 

The King's Speech Case Study

The King's Speech

(sfgate.com)
"The king is George VI (Colin Firth), the upright naval officer who took the throne in late 1936 after his brother Edward abdicated. The speech refers not to one specific discourse (there are a couple of crucial ones), but to the man's tortured elocution in general. He had an unyielding stutter, a career that forced him to speak to the masses - and a speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush) who helped him reconcile the two. That one is a commoner, the other a royal in the waning years of the British Empire adds a notable shudder of class tension to the mix."

What Makes A Film British?

According to the government (in 2003) the majority of people would define a film as 'British' with references to cultural elements including a setting in the UK, a predominantly British cast, a storyline about a British lifestyles or a focus on British people abroad. 

British Film 

There are now two key criteria for a production to qualify as a Brit pic: 70% of a film's budget must be spent in Britain, and 70% of the money allocated to labour must go to either European or Commonwealth citizens. The definition is significant because tax-breaks are available to producers and buyers of officially-recognised British films.

With regard to the revised definition, Films minister Janet Anderson predictably commented: 'our reforms to the definition of 'British film' should make it even more attractive to film in this country'

The previous ruling had allowed films to be defined as British even if they were largely filmed outside the UK, while debarring films which, though largely British, had non-British soundtracks. One such film was Mark Herman's Little Voice (pictured).

The move comes as recent evidence demonstrates an enthusiasm for 'British film' - official or otherwise - at the overseas box-office. US exit polls for Notting Hill showed that 14% of movie-goers rated 'I like British movies' as a top reason to see the movie.

British Box Office

£3,523,102 (UK) (9 January 2011) (395 Screens)

Critical Reception

According to IMDb 

8.1/10 

4/5 stars

Rotten Tomatoes

"Colin Firth gives a masterful performance in The King's Speech, a predictable but stylishly produced and rousing period drama."

94% or 98.6/10


Critical Review
(sfgate.com)

Amy Biancolli, Hearst Movie Writer

"The King's Speech" is a warm, wise film - the best period movie of the year and one of the year's best movies. It begins with the fear of a prince and ends with the courage of a king, finding room in between for terrific joy and drama.

Inception had trailed a blaze of its cleverness the size of a Parisian arrondissement. We were ready to be dazzled. If you had even heard of it, Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech looked no more than well-spoken Merchant Ivoriness optimistically promoted from Sunday teatime.

Awards and Nominations

The Kings Speech received nominations for 12 Oscars including best picture, best director, best supporting actor and actress, best screenplay, best editing, best art direction and costume. It won 4 Oscars for best picture, best director, best Actor (Colin Firth) and best original screenplay. It was also nominated for 14 BAFTAs of which it won 7. Mark Kemode comments that Oscar and BAFTA nominations and awards are often expected when playing a monarch for example with Judy Dench - Shakespeare in Love Helen Mirren - The Queen etc. and especially when the story is about humanising the monarchy. 

Production Companies

Weinstein Company, The (presents)

UK Film Council (presents)

Momentum Pictures (in association with)

Aegis Film Fund (in association with)

Molinare Investment (in association with) (as Molinare, London)

FilmNation Entertainment (in association with)

See-Saw Films (as See Saw Films)

Bedlam Productions (as Bedlam)

Filming Locations

All 19 film locations are in the UK including the following

- Halton House, Halton, Wendover, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

(Buckingham Palace - King's office

- Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park, Windsor, Berkshire, England, UK

(Sandringham House - interiors)

- Draper's Hall, Throgmorton Avenue, Broadgate, London, England, UK

(Buckingham Palace - King's speech)

- Wendover Woods, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

(Rolls-Royce driving scenes)

The finance

Budget: $15,000,000

Opening Weekend: £3,523,102

Gross Profit:$138,795,342 (USA)

Productions Issues

The King's Speech is an example of a film that can receive major global success without the help of a major Hollywood studio. See-Saw, a British/Australian company, financed and produced the film by getting deals with key distribution partners - The Weinstein Company (USA) Momentum Pictures (UK) Transmission (Australia) and Alliance Film (Canada). See-Saw faced a big decision when Fox Searchlight showed an interest in The King's Speech but they wanted worldwide rights to the film. This meant they would have to cut other partners See-Saw chose to turn down Fox Searchlight and keep the original partners to keep the control in their hands.

Marketing and Distribution

As an independent film, the King's Speech was not able to use a huge budget of Hollywood levels for the marketing, With a budget of only around £8million - £12 million, it could not compete with major blockbusters with backing from massive institutions such as Universal or 20th Century Fox. Instead, the King's Speech used viral marketing to draw attention to the film - and it proved just as effective, if not, more. The film was made just in time to enter it into several film festivals in the hope that national newspaper journalists will enjoy it and write about it in their papers. Luckily, the reception of the film was brilliant, and even before the film had been released in cinemas, people were talking about it and saying how good it was, whilst tipping it for many awards including some Oscars.

Analysis of Beyonce Music Video

Throughout this video there are several scenes associated with sex, orgasms and intimacy.



Within the first 10 seconds we are presented with Beyonce. She is seen to be wearing no clothing, or very little which we cannot see and appears to be wet. Her hair is a little messy which put together with the absence of clothing and wet skin we connote this with sex and pleasure. 

About 19 seconds in we see that Beyonce begins to turn to face the camera, looking down the lens at us the audience and essentially 'breaking the fourth wall' to show that it is all just a fantasy and that she is fantasying over a parter/lover.

She begins to tilt her head upwards to expose her bare chest. Her mouth is slightly parted and her chin is tilted which again leads us back to the connotations of pleasure, sex and even orgasms.



We are presented with a close up shot of her face after about 25 seconds which shows that the scene is intimate and she wants us to see how she is feeling and possibly feel it ourselves. Her eyes are very enticing in this shot which we refer to as a characteristic of the 'invitational' look.

After 30 seconds the camera begins to move slowly down Beyonce's body to again, show that she is bare. This allows the lighting to shine upon her wet skin so we are again reminded of the connotations and assumptions we make that are sex related.

44 seconds in we are presented with Beyonce tilting her head backwards again which we connote with orgasms and pleasure.

Just before the 1 minute mark we see a first glimpse of her clothing. It seems to be some sort of night garment or lingerie, made of either silk of lace which we connote with sexiness. She tilts her head back slightly again and we see that her lips are parted and that she is almost smiling.



Again we are given a close up of her eyes to remind us that it is intimate and imaginary. 

About 10 seconds into the 1 minute mark we see Bey take of her straps from her shoulders while she tilts her head backwards. Throughout the video she is presented as wet and in this particular scene we most defiantly connote that wet look with sweat as she looks incredibly sexual and almost orgasmic, again her mouth is parted and her eyes are closed. It is both invitational and sexual.


After about a minute and 15 seconds we see Beyonce once again tilt her head backwards, we are presented with no visible clothing and her groping herself moving from her neck down to her chest. We see this as suggestive and invitational as her lips are parted and she elongates her blinks.




Movements like this are repeated all the way up to the 2 minute mark where we see Bey in leopard print lingerie and black stockings with heels. We connote stockings and heels with sexiness which supports the ideas that this scene is sexual. She is represented as sexy and is most defiantly invitational by the way she stands with one leg opened out to the side. We see that the lingerie puts emphasis on her figure. She continuously looks down the lens (breaking the fourth wall) to remind us that this is all a fantasy of hers and that it isn't real.

At the 2 min 44 second stage we are introduced to a male. We don't see his face only the back of him, this gives the element of mystery and we assume that this is her lover, the person she has been fantasying about. They engage in physical contact and the light shines on the males body to show that he looks wet, like beyonce does. We can then justify the connotations to sex and pleasure as they are both wet and we come to the conclusion that it is sweat.

Just before the 3 minute mark we are shown beyonce being lifted up. She starts bent over backwards with her head tilted toward the floor with the male holding her back and lifting her up. The camera moves upwards from the feet to the head as this movement takes place to emphasise her body.

At the 3 minute mark we are presented with skin on skin contact where, again where we see no visible clothing and sweaty bodies groping each other, we associate this with orgasms, pleasure and sexual contact.

At about 3 mins 15 we are again shown a close up of Beyonce's eyes to re-enforce the idea of fantasy and to remind us that it is not real.



She continues to run her fingers through her hair and tilts her head back several times toward the end of the video and we are show another shot of her and the male addition. Her mouth is parted at all times and her eyes remain closed throughout, leaving us to connote what we see with sex, pleasure and orgasms.

Dredd Presentation

Gaze Theory

The Four Looks

1. Chocolate Box: half or full-smile, lips together or slightly parted, teeth barely visible, full or three-quarter face to camera. Projected mood: blandly pleasing, warm bath warmth, where uniformity of features in their smooth perfection is devoid of uniqueness or of individuality.
2. Invitational: emphasis on the eyes, mouth shut or with only a hint of a smile, head to one side or looking back to camera. Projected mood: suggestive of mischief or mystery, the hint of contact potential rather than sexual promise, the cover equivalent of advertising’s soft sell.
3. Super-smiler: full face, wide open toothy smile, head thrust forward or chin thrown back, hair often wind-blown. Projected mood: aggressive, ‘look-at-me’ demanding, the hard sell, ‘big come-on’ approach.
4. Romantic or Sexual: a fourth and more general classification devised to include male and female ‘two-somes’; or the dreamy, heavy-lidded, unsmiling big-heads, or the overtly sensual or sexual.Projected moods: possible ‘available’ and definitely ‘available’. 

1 + 1 - Beyonce

Star Trek Research

Written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof 

Directed by J.J Abrams

Produced by J.J Abrams, Bryan Burk and the Writers (as above)

Studios Bad Robot Productions, K/O Paper Productions and Skydance Productions

Distributor Paramount Studios.

Cast included star such as
Chris Pine Kirk
Zachary Quinto Spock
Karl Urban Bones
Simon Pegg Scotty
Benedict Cumberbatch Khan
Peter Weller Marcus

Released 16th May 2013

Genre Action/Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Budget estimated $190,000,000

Box office estimated $467,365,246

Rating PG13

Filming locations consisted of Iceland and Los Angeles, California
(7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California USA)
(Paramount Studios, 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California)

Critical Rating 7.9/10

Avengers Research

Writers 
- (Screenplay) Joss Whedon
- (Story) Zak Penn

Director 
- Joss Whedon

Producer 
Kevin Feige

Stars
- Robert Downey Jr
- Chris Evans
- Scarlett Johansson
- Mark Ruffalo
- Chris Hemsworth

Genre
- Action/Fantasy

Certificate
12A

Studios
- Marvel Studios
- Walt Disney Studios (distributed)

Budget
$220,000,000

Year Of Release
2012

Release Date
4th May 2012

Gross Profit
$623,357,910

Critical Reception 
92% approval
8/10 (298 reviews)

Dredd Essay

Why did Dredd flop at the Box Office?

                                                          

The action thriller film Dredd was released in 2012. The producers for this film were Alex Garland, Andrew MacDonald and Allon Reich. The studios involved in it were DNA Films and IM Global and the distributors were Lionsgate and Entertainment Film. The main stars in Dredd were Karl Urban, playing Judge Dredd, Lena Headey playing Ma-Ma and Olivia Thirlby who played Anderson.  The marketing strategies used to promote the film were teaser trailers, an interactive website and posters. The estimated box office figure was $36,000,000 which was less than the original budget resulting in the film ‘flopping.’

In my opinion one of the reasons why Dredd failed to succeed as expected at the box office is because the film did not comply with, in Mark Kermode’s opinion, the four ways to enable success which are: to have a newsworthy budget, to include spectacular visuals, to not be a comedy and to include ‘A’ list stars. Although Dredd was not a comedy and contained superb visuals the other two aspects were not met.  The estimated budget for Dredd was a rather unimpressive $45,000,000 as opposed to its rival film The Avengers who had a huge budget of over $200,000,000. Other films released within the same space of time are films such as ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, ‘Skyfall’ and ‘The Amazing Spiderman’ which were all box office successes. A ‘newsworthy budget’ is anything above $100,000,000, which Dredd was not. The main reason for the budget being so small is because there were no A list stars involved in the film.

The Avengers included ‘A’ list stars such as Robert Downey Jr who is well known for his roles in Sherlock Holmes and the Iron Man sequels. Downey has been nominated for several awards including two Oscars, and has won three Golden Globe awards, one being for ‘Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical’ in the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes’. Downey is a well know and very well respected ‘A’ list star and has been nominated for an estimated 58 awards. On the other hand  Karl Urban, the lead in Dredd, is not so well known and has only been nominated for an estimated 12 awards,  the majority of which are cast related such as the BSFC award for ‘Best Assembled Cast’ for the cast of the well known film Star Trek. Urban is not classed as ‘A-list’ and has had no main roles in any well known or popular films.

The certificate given for Dredd was 18 which is justified by the amount of violent and gore ridden scenes included in the film. I believe that due to the high certificate rating the opportunity to create tie-ins such as figurines and animated games was limited as the audience would be grown adults, not children or teens. In comparison The Avengers certificate was a 12A, aimed at a much younger audience there by providing every opportunity to capitalise on merchandise such as games and figures, boosting the status of the film and its profits. I also believe that the certificate rating correlates with the marketing opportunities: as the film is an 18 the times at which it can be publicised are restricted to eliminate every possibility of an under 18 year old seeing trailers that are considered to be in appropriate for them. Owing to this, the trailers could only be show on the television after a certain time in the evening, if at all.

This film was a remake of the 1995 film starring the A list star Sylvester Stallone. Through researching this film I discovered that this also failed at the box office. Even though the film starred an undoubtedly famous actor. The budget for this film was higher than the 2012 remake, at an estimated $70,000,000, and made a mere total profit of just over $7,000,000. The first thing that came to mind after reading about this film was why the producers decided to make a remake of a film that performed so badly at the box office. As this film starred Stallone, a top ranking A List star, I can only imagine how high expectations must have been, which makes the failure even more surprising to me. 

The film was originally going to be released in 3D alone but due to the poor reception, was then granted 2D viewing. In my opinion the fact that this film was only released in 3D to begin with was another reason why it didn’t reach the targeted profit. With it only released in 3D this limits where the film can be seen as not all cinemas worldwide are equipped with the appropriate technology.

The film was based on the comic book series Judge Dredd which isn’t as famous and well known as those included in The Avengers. The Avengers consists of well known comic book characters, which all have their own separate films, coming together as a team. The film includes characters such as Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Captain American and Hawkeye, all of which are unquestionably renowned. I think that the main reason for the success of The Avengers is because all characters included all have a well known background and all feature. Not only does The Avengers comply with Mark Kermode’s ‘list of four’ of using a newsworthy budget, A list stars, Visual effects and is not a comedy, but the film has such a detailed background that almost everyone is familiar with it. The critical rating for The Avengers was an impressive 92% or 8/10. Dredd also had good reviews with a 7/10 but due to the fact that the original story is not as renowned worldwide as the famous Marvel characters I believe that it had a huge part to play within the failure of the film.

In conclusion, Dredd flopped due to the producers not following the four rules set by Mark Kermode: having A list stars, a newsworthy budget, superb effects and to not be a comedy. With the original film failing surely the producers would consider what they could do differently to avoid a similar outcome. 

Four Quadrant Pictures

A Four Quadrant Picture is a marketing term used to describe a film targeted to all audience quadrants: men over 25, men under 25, women over 25, women under 25. 

Usage
In the movie business, and it is most definitely a business, everyone is looking to maximize the audience for their picture. A four-quadrant picture is that magical type of film that attracts parents and kids, men and women, and brings in huge amounts of revenue on opening weekend. In the term “four-quadrant,” the quadrants refer to gender (male and female) and age (under 25 and over 25).
For most studios, the goal is to get enough details to line up so that they have broad-based, family-friendly appeal in designing a blockbuster or four-quadrant film. An important aspect of getting that appeal is the ratings system. An 18 Rating can be the kiss of death for a studio trying to market a film featuring pre-teen characters. A lowering from PG-13 to PG can mean millions more in revenue as parents feel more comfortable bringing young children to a given film like Evan Almighty.

Examples
One of the most famous four-quadrant, blockbuster films is Star Wars and all of its sequels. Jaws is another landmark blockbuster film. Other more current examples include Night at the Museum, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Shrek (1-3), Spiderman (1-3), Pirates of the Caribbean (1-3), andWall-E.

Implications
Another interesting by-product of the rise of four-quadrant films in the industry is cross marketing. Those films often are associated with toys and other products that both advertise the film and bring in revenue on their own. In addition, four-quadrant films are powerful vehicles for product placement advertisers looking to show their wares to the largest audience possible.
On the down side, many wonder how much effort is placed on credible, engaging story lines as opposed to marketing opportunities in these behemoth cinematic endeavors.

"The Big Six"

A major film studio is a film producer and production company that releases a substantial number of films annually.

The Big Six film studios are:

1. Warner Bros. Pictures. Comprising a whopping 19.7 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures), Warner Bros. Pictures is the biggest player in the film industry. Securing the rights to major films like Harry Potter, Superman, Batman, The Matrix and Star Wars have made Warner Bros. the No. 1 name in the business.

2. Paramount Pictures. With 15.5 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures), Paramount Pictures continues to be one of the most successful film production companies in the world. Star Trek, War of the Worlds, the Mission Impossible series, Transformers and Tropic Thunder are just a few of the popular films produced by Paramount Pictures.

3. Walt Disney. One of the most renowned film production companies in the history of the business, Walt Disney now holds 15.3 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures). With highly successful movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure, Meet the Robinsons and Enchanted, there's no doubt that Disney will continue to play a key role in the industry for years to come.

4. Columbia Pictures. Comprising 12.9 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures), Columbia Pictures remains a big player in the business. Some of this company's recent successes include Casino Royale, The Da Vinci Code, the Spider-Man series and Step Brothers.

5. Universal Studios. 12.2 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures) belongs to Universal Studios, which continues to make millions for the film industry. With major hits like the Bourne series (Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum), The American Pie series, Knocked Up, American Gangster and The Incredible Hulk, it's very clear that Universal Studios knows what it takes to make money in this industry.

6. 20th Century Fox. Also known as "Twentieth Century Fox," this highly successful movie production company makes up 11.9 percent of the US/Canadian market share (2007 figures). Some of the biggest and most successful movies from this empire include the X-Men series, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Star Wars Episodes II and III, and the Fantastic Four.