Mock Exam

 “Film censorship is motivated by fears about audiences and technologies.” Discuss this statement in reference to the concerns expressed about uncensored and unregulated video content in Britain in the early 1980s

 I believe this statement to be true as as with the development in new technologies (the development of VCR) it meant people where able to get a hold of many uncensored which where way to graphic and violent for younger audiences, sometimes they where deemed to bad for anyone to view which led to these films becoming banned in the UK, it also allowed people to watch pirated films at home for free. Censorship really came into effect when the conservatives came in to power and they played of it using it as scape goats for mistakes made. They also wanted to control what we watched turning England into a 'Nanny State'.

 With the development of home video and VCR people didn't want to go out and pay a lot to watch a film when they could get a cheaper pirated film and watch it in the comfort of the own home, it became fashionable to stay at home and do this as everyone else did and you didn't want to feel left out it was also way more sociable. This then lead to something called Format Wars which was basically VHS vs Betamax, which VHS won due to the fact that it was easy to copy and you could have longer recordings even though Betamax was better quality. With the rise of censorship piracy counteracted it by still making banned films available through pirated copies.

 Video nasties where films that didn't go to cinema's and where just shipped out on video cassettes this made them available to anyone and they where uncensored. Video Nasties where basically very gory graphic horror films (for example 'Evil Dead') the government did not like these as there was no way for them to get a hold of these to censor and stop people for watching. Although these films weren't necessarily every body's favourite and many people didn't like them, they watched as there's a certain degree of interest to them as although they had excessive gore people were drawn to it as it was something new that they hadn't seen something they could talk about to friends about which made them spread and become so popular.

There was a degree of moral panic that came around from these 'Video Nasties' mainly form parents and the government, this was because parents did not want there children watching such gruesome and potentially terrifying films that could mentally affect them, you then had the government worrying about the affect on society it could have whether people could take things from the films seriously and try to re-create this and as I have already mentioned at the start the fact that the Conservative party used it as scape goats.  

 In my opinion I believe that the main reason for film censorship has got little to do about the audience themselves but more about the industry and the fear of them being outdated. If 'Video Nasties' had not been banned back in the 1980's I believe everything would have still ended up as it is today as people become more desensitised to them, although some people do not like them its there decision whether to watch them or not. I believe that all this action was taken then for the same reason it is now to try and prevent piracy. Piracy affects the industry a lot and eventually us as film prices must go up. The film industry must understand that we are in times where technology is developing fast and they must adapt to fit the needs of a new age consumer who wouldn't think twice about piracy and we will see another rise of cinema attendance.
   

Mock Exam Question- 15 minuets

With the rise of the Multiplex it saw a huge decline in 'fleapits' which are little one screen cinemas they often now show independent films that don't get into the Multiplexes. This is because the new big budget Summer Blockbusters where being released and the film companies would rather distribute them to the Multiplexes as they had more screens in which they could show the same film in multiple screens at the same time to maximise profits. The Multiplexes would have better sound quality, comfier seating and the screen was not obstructed in any way all seats had a clear view if the screen. As well as that there was also places to get food and snacks within the Multiplexes and it became more convenient to go to a Multiplex, as they became more popular and more people went to it the Fleapits became less popular this meant that they didn't get good profits and the film companies did not want to give them the new blockbusters as they knew they would not get as much profit back as if they gave it to a Multiplex, this then lead to many of the Fleapits closing down.

Task 1

Question 8: Describe the Rise of the Cineplex and the Resulting Changes to Film Distribution

 The Cineplex began with trending films like 'The Buddy Film', 'The Vigilante Film' and 'The Disaster Film'. During the mid 70's they became less popular and began to be replaced by Slapstick Comedies, Slasher Films, Space Operas, Youth Films and also remakes. One of the more popular films from that time 'Jaws' thought to be the first summer blockbuster was a prime example of this new era of filmmaking. The Film Industry began started to relate new films to popular TV Shows as that way they knew they had a guarantied audience, they wanted films that touched upon traditional values. One major problem that has affected the Film Industry is piracy and the internet as instead of paying for films people would rather find it online and download it, as a result they are having to make ticket prices more expensive to make sure that they make a profit, and they also begin branching out to find new audiences that have maybe been brushed over in the past to appeal to and to also start breaking the conventions of current genres to make them interesting again.

Question 9: Discuss the Phenomenon as a Contributing Factor in the Rise of the Blockbuster

 A Factor that has heavily contributes to films especially in the 21st Century is CGI. This is because films started to become bland and predictable all having the same sort of storyline, for example Slasher Films, the way that the Film Industry have adapted to it was focusing less on the storyline itself and more on the visuals (CGI, 3D and Stars) audiences now go to see a film if there favourite actor is in it regardless of wether they think it is going to be good or not and they are distracted from the poor story lines by all the fancy expensive CGI happening in inappropriate places half the time. One good example of Star driven films in The Expendables the majority of the cast are getting on know and should probably have retired from Action Films, but they havent as they are such big names to the genre and people will go to see their films regardless of their age, this has created a new sub-genre called the Geri-Action Film.

Script

Revision Points

To what extent does V & CoM conform to film stereotypes and what messages are behind these representations?

 I believe that both V for Vendetta and Children of Men challenge some of the film stereotypes I have looked at. One thing that is really quite challenged by V for Vendetta is the stereotype of men act women appear, were as I would say to some extent it is shown in Children of Men. I will be explaining some of these in more detail.

 I believe that V for Vendetta challenges the stereotype of Men act, Women appear. Although at the start they are seen more as a object and in one seen in particular it is very apparent, it is the scene where she visits the pope all 'dolled up'. It then goes against it when it becomes up to Eve to launch the train and take control which means she 'acts'. This very different in Children of Men, one part in particular where they leave the building in the middle of the war zone and all the gun fire stops, although Theo is being 'cowardly' and hiding behind the child he is leading and Kee is just following 'appearing'. This stereotype also fits in with the Sex Object, so although V challenges it in some parts it reinforces the Sex Object, as i mentioned before when Eve visits the pope she comes across as more of a Sex Object. There is no one in Children of Men that could really comes across as a Sex Object.

 Both V for Vendetta and Children of Men conform to the stereotype of the Final Girl. In V for Vendetta she stays alive and rises up and launches the train. In Children of Men, Kee is also a sole survivor and it becomes solely down to her to protect her new born child after the death of Theo at the end of the film. Its only really a relevant stereotype in V for Vendetta and Eve actually goes on to do something where as in Children of Men you are left looking at her in a boat.

 There isn't really a Action Hero in either film, V dosen't conform to you typical hero although he is quite hypermasculated with his super strength he is not a hero as the deeds he does are stuff you would not associate with a hero. Theo doesn't conform to it either as in some parts of the films he is show as weak and cowardly, as i said before when he was hiding behind the baby to protect himself.

 There is a lot of Phallic and Yonic in both of the films, in V for Vendetta on scene in particular you could look into would be in the end scene where the train is launched with V dead inside of it, the tunnel is Yonic imagery which could symbolise the re-birth of V in Eve, as Eve really changes towards the end of the film, she loses her fear through V. You could also look into Yonic imagery and re-birth in Children of Men, when Theo runs onto the street he goes through a tunnel, after this point he really steps up and takes control. Therefore you could look into that bit as the re-birth of Theo.

 To conclude both films challenge and reinforce the stereotypes as much as the other. I think one of the messages that V for Vendetta and Children of Men is trying to put across is that women aren't just there to be looked at, they actually can act in the films and have as big roles as the males. I think this is shown in V for Vendetta where she becomes stripped of her fear and steps up and starts the uprising and in Children of Men where she carry's the baby throughout without her they are powerless.