Deliberately released in time for the school holidays so they get a wider audience
: Iconography/Star power - recognizable, famous actors -Benedict Cumberbatch (plays the titular role) - Sherlock, the Hobbit, the Imitation Game. 12 Years a Slave -In blockbuster movies, the film relies on star power: people watch the movie to see their favorite actors -In independent movies, the film relies more on director power: people watch the film to see the directors work as the actors are usually unknown.
Marvel
originally started as a comic book company in the 1950s and 60s
topped 50 million sales worldwide,
In 2009, Disney bought Marvel Studios for 4 billion dollars
Disney now owns
Pixar
Disney Studios
Marvel Studios
Lucas Films
How can you tell from the trailer that Dr Strange is a blockbuster?
Lots of good CGI and special effects throughout the film
Lots of different locations
Famous actors
Lots of props and costumes
Original score and soundtrack
Available in 3D, 4D and IMAX
Made by a major motion picture studio
Marketing
- marketed on lots of different platforms -Trailers and posters - Social media content- Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook -GIFs created - Special TV content released - Product partners established: Google, Yakoult, Lamborghini - Product placement in the film
GIFs are quite effective because they are popular and the short clips also interest people making them want to see more
The social media accounts help boost the film's excitement or 'hype' and it also enables them to interact with fans.
Product partnerships like the one with Yakoult are effective because they are marketing to a wider audience: lots of people drink Yakoult so when they see Dr Strange sponsoring it- the film might interest them: also appeals to children.
Merchandise like this creates iconography for the main character and interests audiences. Children would also want to buy this and then want to see the movie
Dr Strange: posters
This is a special edition poster made by IMAX. It is a neon and blacklight poster with a pyschedelic style effect which links in with the multiple visual effects used in the film to give it a 'trippy' look. Special posters like this interest the audience because it is something new and different .
Compare the marketing of Dr Strange and I, Daniel Blake
I, Daniel Blake was a low budget indie film.
It had one trailer
Grassroots marketing scheme
Social media marketing
Used a lot of word of mouth
Interacted with fans online- making it more personal
There was a fake column in the Daily Mail 'written' by the main character
No merch and sponshorships and partnerships like Dr Strange
Dr Strange at the box office
Plesantly surprised by a decent narrative and a convincing main protagonist. A fun couple of hours. Doctor Strange had box office receipts of nearly $700 million (at a cost of $165 million)
It seems good but when compared to something like Infinity War which had a total of 2.3 billion it's not the most successful film in the MCU
Rotten Tomatoes Reviews (USA) -Critic: With a mischievous, metaphysical flourish, "Doctor Strange" administers some much-needed CPR to the flagging superhero genre. 3/4 Sarah Stewart: New York Post
-Audience:Pleasantly surprised by a decent narrative and a convincing main protagonist. A fun couple of hours.
Reviews (UK)
Visually distinctive, classily cast and mostly coherent, this latest picture from the Marvel stable is that rarest of beasts, a comic-book movie that fully justifies its reliance on CGI effects.......Much of the success of the film is down to the casting.
The Guardian
it’s the most visually dazzling by far of any of Marvel Studios’ creations, it’s also funnier, more balanced, and pleasingly contained than much of its recent catalogue......Doctor Strange has a pleasing, self-contained feel......
Marvel's latest film could have been a mess – instead, Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton star in a visually dazzling, self- contained feat
-Wired UK
With its sombre colour palette, whispery Eastern mysticism and dry stabs of comedy, Scott Derrickson’s blockbuster stands apart while feeling naggingly similar to something else.......Benedict Cumberbatch's trippy, witty Doctor Strange will turn your world upside down
-The Telegraph
Awards Won - Nominated for best Visual Effects (Oscars) - Nominated for best production design, best hair and make up and best visual effects (BAFTAs) -Nominated for outstanding action performance by a stunt ensemble in a motion picture (Screen Actors Guild)
Reception theory: Dr Strange The reception for Dr Strange is mostly a positive response: audiences and critics generally liked the film and praised the acting and the visual effects used.
How much did it make at the Box Office? (dollars) -Domestic: 232 million -International: 335 million -China- 109 million
Was Doctor Strange a Box Office hit? Why do you say this? Yes, I think it was a box office hit because although it didn't make as much money as films such as Infinity War, it made quite a lot for a movie with basically only one main character and it made more than Iron Man which at the time was extremely successful.
What is the BBFC?
British Board of Film Classification
Dr Strange was classified a 12A- moderate violence and injury detail
12A is a new certification (made in 1989)
Bridges the gap between PG and 15; it means under 12s can watch the film with an adult
12As have minimal violence and gore
Marvel aims for 12A so it gets a wider audience
Why do films have merch?
Raises awareness of the film
Appeals to audiences (children and collectors)
Marvel makes money after people have watched the film
Horizontal Integration- make money through lots of different ways: merch, DVDs, spin off TV shows
What platforms can you watch Dr Strange on?
- Cinema
-DVD
- Amazon Prime
- Netflix (leaving soon)
-Google Play
I, Daniel Blake
British independent film
Directed by Ken Loach
Daniel Blake- 59 year old joiner, skilled working class
Set in the North East of England- Yorkshire, Newcastle, Sunderland
Daniel Blake becomes ill so he has to collect welfare from the government however it is quite difficult to get benefits
He crosses paths with Katie who is a single mum.
She has had to move 300 miles from London to get a house
Ken Loach
British film director
Makes films about social/political issues
gritty social realism
low budget
no CGI
employs less known actors
includes minorities and underprivileged characters
loosely scripted films so they're more realistic
not really shown in national cinemas - more regional and art house cinemas
The trailer showed clips from various parts of the film: the job center, his house, the doctor's office
Really well filmed
Realistic dialogue with authentic accents
Looks quite moving and sad
What is an independent film company?
A production company that produces films outside major film studios. The film is distributed by independent entertainment companies. A lot of major film studios have a big budget and lots of resources however they aren't as unique and niche as independent films. A lot of independent films do really well in the box office- and a lot of them are 'cult' films.
I Daniel Blake was produced by Sixteen Films, Why Not Productions and Wild Bunch with the support of the British Film Institute and BBC Films. Sixteen Films is Loach's own production company and Why Not Productions and Wild Bunch are European production companies- WNP is French and Wild Bunch is German.
How was 'I Daniel Blake' marketed
They used disruptive marketing because the film was more like a protest
Distributed by eOne
They employed regional marketing officers in Newcastle, Nottingham, Manchester and Glasgow (all places in the North of England)
They held talks in community centers and held free screenings to appeal to people who the movie is about- grassroots enthusiasm
Film was premiered in Newcastle to gain local support
Jeremy Corbyn was invited to the London premiere (famous, star power) and people whose benefits had been cut were invited to protest
Guerrila marketing- film's title projected on Houses of Parliament
Ken Loach went on Question Time
free to watch screenings- partnership between trade union and eOne
The first weekend it made 540000 US dollars.
Ken Loach article summary
The article is about how Ken Loach is one of the few remaining British social realist filmmakers and how once social realism was quite popular in the cinemas. It also touches on the fact that most of the people watching Loach's films are rich and middle class which contrasts with the characters portrayed in his films.
Cinema audiences usually want to watch films for the reason of "diversion"-as a way to escape from day to day things and watch something that isn't usually likely to happen. Social realism might not be that popular because it tells the story of normal people and not many people would want to watch a film about people like them.