FM2 Section A: Producers & Audiences
'Neither producers nor audiences need stars any more.' How far do you agree with this statement?
To say that neither producers or audiences need stars anymore is a big statement to make. The days of world renowned film stars whose names live on forever such as Marilyn Monroe and James Dean may have passed but the appeal of high profile actors is still very large.
Item 2 in the resource material gives a list of the twelve top box office hits in the UK in 2009. The majority of the films, especially the top five do not contain any actors that are crucial in selling those films. The majority of the films in the list did however have very large budgets; Avatar’s was over $300,000,000 which means probably half of that was spent on marketing. Avatar and Ice Age were shown in 3D in most multiplex cinemas in the UK which also contributes to the appeal and accessibility of the films.
Going back ten years I think the appeal of film stars may have been higher with films such as Ocean’s Eleven, a film filled with Hollywood A-listers like George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon grossing over $450,000,000 in 2001. This film was a remake of the original Ocean’s Eleven starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Junior who at the time were probably the biggest stars alive. Possibly the diminishing interest in watching millionaire film stars is due to global financial crisis, leaving average people wanting to watch films that relate more to their own circumstances. This idea is supported by Item 3 in the resource material, no longer are the famous highly trained actors scooping all the awards, working class heroes like Katie Jarvis and Gabby Sidibe are taking centre stage.
Not all independent films would support the idea the stars have been rendered obsolete, Ken Loach’s 2009 film ‘Looking for Eric’ may have attracted a niche audience due to its football related narrative but it did feature footballing legend Eric Cantona. With a modest budget of £4,000,000 the film grossed a respectable £11,500,000 showing that one individual can propel an otherwise narrowly viewed film into the public’s consciousness.
To say that neither producers or audiences need stars anymore is a big statement to make. The days of world renowned film stars whose names live on forever such as Marilyn Monroe and James Dean may have passed but the appeal of high profile actors is still very large.
Item 2 in the resource material gives a list of the twelve top box office hits in the UK in 2009. The majority of the films, especially the top five do not contain any actors that are crucial in selling those films. The majority of the films in the list did however have very large budgets; Avatar’s was over $300,000,000 which means probably half of that was spent on marketing. Avatar and Ice Age were shown in 3D in most multiplex cinemas in the UK which also contributes to the appeal and accessibility of the films.
Going back ten years I think the appeal of film stars may have been higher with films such as Ocean’s Eleven, a film filled with Hollywood A-listers like George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon grossing over $450,000,000 in 2001. This film was a remake of the original Ocean’s Eleven starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Junior who at the time were probably the biggest stars alive. Possibly the diminishing interest in watching millionaire film stars is due to global financial crisis, leaving average people wanting to watch films that relate more to their own circumstances. This idea is supported by Item 3 in the resource material, no longer are the famous highly trained actors scooping all the awards, working class heroes like Katie Jarvis and Gabby Sidibe are taking centre stage.
Not all independent films would support the idea the stars have been rendered obsolete, Ken Loach’s 2009 film ‘Looking for Eric’ may have attracted a niche audience due to its football related narrative but it did feature footballing legend Eric Cantona. With a modest budget of £4,000,000 the film grossed a respectable £11,500,000 showing that one individual can propel an otherwise narrowly viewed film into the public’s consciousness.
Item 1 in the resource material suggests that stars have been replaced in importance by films like ‘Saw’ and ‘Final Destination’ that are part of a brand, one series of films which supports this are the ‘Harry Potter’ films taking billions at the box office and starring people that before these films were unknown British school children. The article also stresses the importance of the internet comparative to the old fashioned and now outdated campaigns featuring posters and TV adverts. Films like ‘Snakes on a Plane’ have utilized the internet to its full potential by using sites such as Facebook and Youtube to generate public interest.
Number 7 on the list of the top twelve films in 2009 is ‘Twilight: New Moon’, from this series of films possibly the biggest acting star of the moment has been discovered. Robert Pattison has become the heart-throb and pin up of millions of girls worldwide and he has now had a string of successful films at the box office including ‘Remember Me’.
In conclusion I think to say stars are no longer required is untrue, there is however less reliance on big names to sell a film now.
Number 7 on the list of the top twelve films in 2009 is ‘Twilight: New Moon’, from this series of films possibly the biggest acting star of the moment has been discovered. Robert Pattison has become the heart-throb and pin up of millions of girls worldwide and he has now had a string of successful films at the box office including ‘Remember Me’.
In conclusion I think to say stars are no longer required is untrue, there is however less reliance on big names to sell a film now.