World cinema - Foreign language films e.g A seperation (Iranian)
Mainstream - Anything that is not independent or world cinema
You can tell Blue Valentine is an independent film because:
1. Handheld camera for filming
2. Small cast
3. Diegetic sounds used(guitar, and cars going past in the background)
4. Lots of background music to make it realistic
5. Smaller scale, more gritty.
You can tell Precious is an independent film because:
1.Realistic/gritty subject matter that a mainstream film would not produce
2.Urban/social realism used
Lots of actors start off in independent films then cross over to mainstream films
Mainstream films are big budget films that include:
-Harry Potter
-Pirates Of The Carribean
-Avengers
-Plant Of The Apes
Section B question:
''Media production is dominated by global institutions, which sell their products and services to national audiences.'' To what extent do you agree with this statement?
- Bigger budget to spend on advertising
- People want escape from the depressions of life
- Fantasy/escapism of real life
-Safe/generic genres
- About making money
- Very well known (relationships with directors)
- Production/Distribution companies have relationships, usually UK and US (Paramount, Disney, Warner Brothers, Universal, Columbia, 20th Century Fox, MGM)
-Branding; Convergence and Synergy
- Audience expectations because of money spent making the film
-In English (Globally dominating the industry)
SKYFALL has an independent production company - Eon, but was distributed by MGM, a mainstream company, however it ticks every box of the above list, so it is a great example of global domination. MGM was on the verge of going bankrupt but by distributing Skyfall saved them. Heineken paid MGM over $30 million to have their product placed in the film.
Independent films don't want to be Mainstream and instead provide an alternative - it's about non conformity and not being materialistic.
