WEEK FOUR December 17th, 2014
Sony Cancels Theatrical Release for ‘The Interview’ on Christmas
https://variety.com/2014/film/news/sony-cancels-theatrical-release-for-the-interview-on-christmas-1201382032/
Sony Cancels Theatrical Release for 'The Interview' on Christmas. (2014, December 17). Retrieved December 17, 2014
The Interview is a movie about two men who run a celebrity tabloid show. Surprisingly, they land an interview with a huge fan, who just happens to be Kim Jong-un, the dictator of North Korea. The CIA find out about this interview, so they recruit these men and turn their trip to North Korea into an "assassination mission." From just knowing about the plot, it's clear that this movie is taking a huge risk by having December 25th as its release date. Just last month, Sony got hacked and there were messages going around violently threatening movie theaters and moviegoers who were planning on distributing/seeing the movie. Sony got their control back after a little while, but damage had already been done. They immediately took action on what to do because of these violent threats. As a result, they have delayed the release of the movie, as they want moviegoers to have a safe holiday season. Sony put out this statement:
“We are deeply saddened at this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie, and in the process do damage to our company, our employees, and the American public. We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome.”
"Sony has been reeling for weeks since hackers broke into the studio’s computer system in November and stole internal documents, email messages, film budgets, spreadsheets detailing top executive salaries and the social security numbers of thousands of employees. The documents and records were subsequently leaked online, setting off a firestorm of media coverage." The message that the hackers sent out threatened theaters that were planning on showing the movie, as well as moviegoers who planned on seeing the movie. "The bulk of the country’s 10 largest theater chains — a group that includes AMC, Regal, Cinemark, Carmike and Southern Theatres — announced they would delay showing the picture or would drop it altogether. In statements, many of the theater chains suggested that Sony’s lack of confidence in the film prompted their decision."
When I went to the movie theaters not too long ago, I saw a trailer for The Interview, and I immediately thought, "What?" I knew that making a movie like that and distributing it to the public is a huge risk, and possible mistake. Why even take that chance of creating such a controversial movie? Is it really worth it? After those threats were made, I completely understand why Sony has chosen to cancel the release of the movie. They have to make sure that all moviegoers are safe, so they really had no choice when it came to the matter. I still think that making a movie with such a controversial plot is just a bad idea. Those threats made this whole situation an extremely serious matter, and it really should give all film production companies a wake-up call that they should stick to films that aren't involved with such political controversy. This really just emphasizes the fact that the spread of film production and distribution is very important to how it's received by the public. This was an awful thing that happened, and it's just good that a lot of theater chains are delaying the release of the movie, if not dropping it completely. This movie probably wouldn't have been well-received by the public by the time it came out, anyway, since it's so extremely controversial. This is really for the best.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Friday, December 12, 2014
how did our society react to "The Hunger Games" and all of the dark and twisted elements in the film?
WEEK THREE December 12th, 2014
'The Hunger Games': A Commentary on Society
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alexander-vassiliadis/hunger-games-commentary-o_b_1385223.html
Vassiliadis, A. (2012, March 29). 'The Hunger Games': A Commentary on Society. Retrieved December 11, 2014
"Many book critiques today would agree with the assumption that The Hunger Games is more than just a story about two young heroes that face various challenges and eventually fall in love. It can be obviously recognized that The Hunger Games as a novel is Suzanne Collins's successful commentary on modern-day society," said Alex Vassiliadis of HuffingtonPost.com. The Hunger Games is quite a controversial series, and the first movie premiered in theaters in early 2012. There were many mixed reviews about the movie, most of them expressing their feelings on how the story resembles modern-day society, as well as the dark themes included in the film, such as various aspects of present-day culture. "Some of these aspects include the obsession with outer beauty, obsession with reality television, and of course, wealth versus poverty." The Hunger Games is about a dystopian world that is under control by what is called "The Capitol," and they are the richest of the rich. Their world is called "Panem" and there are 12 districts that exist in this country. There was a war just short of 100 years ago, and after the war came peace, but at a price. Every year, a male and female tribute from each district is sacrificed to the Capitol, where they will fight to the death on national television in an arena created by the government. The last one standing becomes the victor, and goes on to live a very wealthy life.
Many people have expressed their views on this story, as it has really amazed them. "The Hunger Games take the concept of "reality TV" and successfully blows it up in society's face. The book depicts a culture whose most epic form of entertainment is watching teenagers brutally kill each other. What is Collins trying to tell us? Are we blind to the very fact that our entertainment today is elevating due to popular demand, and soon we won't have control?" The film shows young teenagers brutally killing one another, because they're simply forced to, so they can live another day. What does this mean? How is this supposed to be received by the public? This is definitely not supposed to be taken lightly. This story is quite dark, and I definitely believe that there are hidden elements in this film that are supposed to be received as a wake-up call for us to realize how dangerous our society is becoming.
Personally, I loved this movie and I love this series. It's different. There have been countless other novels and movie adaptations of stories about dystopian, futuristic worlds (Divergent, etc.) but this one definitely stand out. The world described in this story is just fascinating, and it really just makes you think. I truly believe that this movie is supposed to resemble how frightening our world is becoming. When I start to think about it, I realize that Suzanne Collins, the author of these books, is really trying to tell us something. We all know that reality television is taking over, and it's getting worse and worse by the minute. "People need to take a step back and realize that if these types of exaggerated media were to evolve into something bigger and a bit more ludicrous -- based on historical data showing the magnitude of violence in films and video games today -- who says that a reality TV show in which kids come together and fight to the death is really out of modern-day society's reach?" I whole-heartedly agree with this statement. Our world is so violent. Who knows what could happen in the future? When I think about the reality television shows that exist today, it feels awful to know that this trash is being put out into the world so other people can get some pleasure out of it. Our society has been changing for years now, and it doesn't show any signs of stopping. Movies like this, that have hidden messages in it to try and tell us something, are actually a good thing. It makes us think about what's happening. Nothing is more frightening than simply the fact that people could be completely unaware of all the horrible things going on in the world.
'The Hunger Games': A Commentary on Society
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alexander-vassiliadis/hunger-games-commentary-o_b_1385223.html
Vassiliadis, A. (2012, March 29). 'The Hunger Games': A Commentary on Society. Retrieved December 11, 2014
"Many book critiques today would agree with the assumption that The Hunger Games is more than just a story about two young heroes that face various challenges and eventually fall in love. It can be obviously recognized that The Hunger Games as a novel is Suzanne Collins's successful commentary on modern-day society," said Alex Vassiliadis of HuffingtonPost.com. The Hunger Games is quite a controversial series, and the first movie premiered in theaters in early 2012. There were many mixed reviews about the movie, most of them expressing their feelings on how the story resembles modern-day society, as well as the dark themes included in the film, such as various aspects of present-day culture. "Some of these aspects include the obsession with outer beauty, obsession with reality television, and of course, wealth versus poverty." The Hunger Games is about a dystopian world that is under control by what is called "The Capitol," and they are the richest of the rich. Their world is called "Panem" and there are 12 districts that exist in this country. There was a war just short of 100 years ago, and after the war came peace, but at a price. Every year, a male and female tribute from each district is sacrificed to the Capitol, where they will fight to the death on national television in an arena created by the government. The last one standing becomes the victor, and goes on to live a very wealthy life.
Many people have expressed their views on this story, as it has really amazed them. "The Hunger Games take the concept of "reality TV" and successfully blows it up in society's face. The book depicts a culture whose most epic form of entertainment is watching teenagers brutally kill each other. What is Collins trying to tell us? Are we blind to the very fact that our entertainment today is elevating due to popular demand, and soon we won't have control?" The film shows young teenagers brutally killing one another, because they're simply forced to, so they can live another day. What does this mean? How is this supposed to be received by the public? This is definitely not supposed to be taken lightly. This story is quite dark, and I definitely believe that there are hidden elements in this film that are supposed to be received as a wake-up call for us to realize how dangerous our society is becoming.
Personally, I loved this movie and I love this series. It's different. There have been countless other novels and movie adaptations of stories about dystopian, futuristic worlds (Divergent, etc.) but this one definitely stand out. The world described in this story is just fascinating, and it really just makes you think. I truly believe that this movie is supposed to resemble how frightening our world is becoming. When I start to think about it, I realize that Suzanne Collins, the author of these books, is really trying to tell us something. We all know that reality television is taking over, and it's getting worse and worse by the minute. "People need to take a step back and realize that if these types of exaggerated media were to evolve into something bigger and a bit more ludicrous -- based on historical data showing the magnitude of violence in films and video games today -- who says that a reality TV show in which kids come together and fight to the death is really out of modern-day society's reach?" I whole-heartedly agree with this statement. Our world is so violent. Who knows what could happen in the future? When I think about the reality television shows that exist today, it feels awful to know that this trash is being put out into the world so other people can get some pleasure out of it. Our society has been changing for years now, and it doesn't show any signs of stopping. Movies like this, that have hidden messages in it to try and tell us something, are actually a good thing. It makes us think about what's happening. Nothing is more frightening than simply the fact that people could be completely unaware of all the horrible things going on in the world.
Friday, December 5, 2014
WEEK TWO December 5th, 2014
Millennial media-consumption habits explained, in 5 charts
http://digiday.com/brands/millennial-media-consumption-habits-debunked-5-charts/
Dua, T. (2014, October 21). Millennial media-consumption habits explained, in 5 charts - Digiday. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
This article discusses how "everyone, marketers and brands included, is obsessed with millennials. They are a complex bunch to understand, but they cannot be ignored for one simple reason: They comprise the largest demographic in the country. This generation of 18-34-year-olds is also digitally native, which means that marketers and brands that want to engage with them need to understand their media-consumption habits." Millennials are obsessed with social media and they truly believe that social media is an important source of news and current events. In the article, they state that "they rely on social media for keeping up to date with current affairs and news — not surprising for a generation that always likes to be connected." Millennials are the largest demographic, when it comes to media consumption through social media. 3 of every 4 people own a smartphone. That means that millions of people all around the world are consuming media through their phone with ease. Basically, this generation stays connected to all that is happening around them, with the help of social media websites and other media consumption sources.
I completely understand what this article is saying, as I am a millennial and I understand what it's like to live in this modern and connected world of social media. I own a smartphone and I use my social media accounts quite often... and I have to say that I do get a large amount of news about current events and such from those websites and sources. Something I truly love to do is just relax and listen to music through my phone. Without even realizing it, I consume media multiple times a day, whether it's listening to music or watching a YouTube video on my phone. This world is unbelievably tech-savvy, and the fact that we're all able to access anything through our smartphones within the blink of an eye is truly remarkable. It may be dangerous and it may have its negatives, but I do believe that my generation is benefitting from the ability to access news and current events immediately as they happen. It's what keeps us all connected.
Millennial media-consumption habits explained, in 5 charts
http://digiday.com/brands/millennial-media-consumption-habits-debunked-5-charts/
Dua, T. (2014, October 21). Millennial media-consumption habits explained, in 5 charts - Digiday. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
This article discusses how "everyone, marketers and brands included, is obsessed with millennials. They are a complex bunch to understand, but they cannot be ignored for one simple reason: They comprise the largest demographic in the country. This generation of 18-34-year-olds is also digitally native, which means that marketers and brands that want to engage with them need to understand their media-consumption habits." Millennials are obsessed with social media and they truly believe that social media is an important source of news and current events. In the article, they state that "they rely on social media for keeping up to date with current affairs and news — not surprising for a generation that always likes to be connected." Millennials are the largest demographic, when it comes to media consumption through social media. 3 of every 4 people own a smartphone. That means that millions of people all around the world are consuming media through their phone with ease. Basically, this generation stays connected to all that is happening around them, with the help of social media websites and other media consumption sources.
I completely understand what this article is saying, as I am a millennial and I understand what it's like to live in this modern and connected world of social media. I own a smartphone and I use my social media accounts quite often... and I have to say that I do get a large amount of news about current events and such from those websites and sources. Something I truly love to do is just relax and listen to music through my phone. Without even realizing it, I consume media multiple times a day, whether it's listening to music or watching a YouTube video on my phone. This world is unbelievably tech-savvy, and the fact that we're all able to access anything through our smartphones within the blink of an eye is truly remarkable. It may be dangerous and it may have its negatives, but I do believe that my generation is benefitting from the ability to access news and current events immediately as they happen. It's what keeps us all connected.
Friday, November 28, 2014
WEEK ONE November 28th, 2014
The Convenience Trap: What the changes at Netflix reveal about an insidious trend
http://www.avclub.com/article/the-convenience-trap-what-the-changes-at-netflix-r-59829
Adams, S. (2011, August 3). The convenience trap: What the changes at Netflix reveal about an insidious trend. Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://www.avclub.com/article/the-convenience-trap-what-the-changes-at-netflix-r-59829
"It increasingly seems like we’re moving toward a world in which the success of a given work of art is determined primarily by its ease of access." Nowadays, if people want to watch a certain movie, then they don't even have to get out of their seat, let alone leave their house. The convenience of Netflix and On Demand is taking the place of going out to see a movie. It has been going on for years now, and that phenomenon just keeps getting bigger. In today's society, most of us "rely on instantaneous access." Netflix offers "untold lifetimes' worth of content, enough to keep your eyes occupied." It is actually rare to find people going to the movie theater as often as people used to, before programs and websites like this existed. It's abundantly clear that our world is changing, as well as the simple act of watching a movie. It's different now. Almost anyone can gain access to many of the greatest films of all time, with just the push of a button. People would rather pay $8 a month to have full access to the movies available on Netflix, than $10 to see a single movie at the theater. All people care about is convenience. And that is completely changing our society.
Even though I hate to say it, nowadays, people only care about what's convenient for themselves. And if they want to see a movie, then with just a push of a button, they're already watching it in high definition. I still love going to the movies, and supporting the art that is film. But unfortunately, most of the people living in today's society don't think the same way. Technological convergence plays a huge role, when it comes to viewing and listening to media. Netflix is a perfect example. Not only is Netflix available on computers, but it's also available on smartphones, tablets, you name it. It's changing the game. It's cheaper and it's more convenient. And just that alone can already convince people to go that route and sign up for a Netflix account.
There are perks to it, though. Through the many choices of media outlets to view media with, it brings in many more viewers, or may I say "fans." Netflix is available to people of all ages, and because of this, a much larger demographic is being exposed to all different types of art, whether it's film or television. Even though things are not as simple as they used to be, movies find a way to be successful, no matter where or what they're viewed on. And that is definitely a good thing.
The Convenience Trap: What the changes at Netflix reveal about an insidious trend
http://www.avclub.com/article/the-convenience-trap-what-the-changes-at-netflix-r-59829
Adams, S. (2011, August 3). The convenience trap: What the changes at Netflix reveal about an insidious trend. Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://www.avclub.com/article/the-convenience-trap-what-the-changes-at-netflix-r-59829
"It increasingly seems like we’re moving toward a world in which the success of a given work of art is determined primarily by its ease of access." Nowadays, if people want to watch a certain movie, then they don't even have to get out of their seat, let alone leave their house. The convenience of Netflix and On Demand is taking the place of going out to see a movie. It has been going on for years now, and that phenomenon just keeps getting bigger. In today's society, most of us "rely on instantaneous access." Netflix offers "untold lifetimes' worth of content, enough to keep your eyes occupied." It is actually rare to find people going to the movie theater as often as people used to, before programs and websites like this existed. It's abundantly clear that our world is changing, as well as the simple act of watching a movie. It's different now. Almost anyone can gain access to many of the greatest films of all time, with just the push of a button. People would rather pay $8 a month to have full access to the movies available on Netflix, than $10 to see a single movie at the theater. All people care about is convenience. And that is completely changing our society.
Even though I hate to say it, nowadays, people only care about what's convenient for themselves. And if they want to see a movie, then with just a push of a button, they're already watching it in high definition. I still love going to the movies, and supporting the art that is film. But unfortunately, most of the people living in today's society don't think the same way. Technological convergence plays a huge role, when it comes to viewing and listening to media. Netflix is a perfect example. Not only is Netflix available on computers, but it's also available on smartphones, tablets, you name it. It's changing the game. It's cheaper and it's more convenient. And just that alone can already convince people to go that route and sign up for a Netflix account.
There are perks to it, though. Through the many choices of media outlets to view media with, it brings in many more viewers, or may I say "fans." Netflix is available to people of all ages, and because of this, a much larger demographic is being exposed to all different types of art, whether it's film or television. Even though things are not as simple as they used to be, movies find a way to be successful, no matter where or what they're viewed on. And that is definitely a good thing.
WEEK ONE November 28th, 2014
The Film Industry and Audiences
http://www.filmreference.com/encyclopedia/Romantic-Comedy-Yugoslavia/Spectatorship-and-Audiences-THE-FILM-INDUSTRY-AND-AUDIENCES.html
Film Reference. (n.d.). Retrieved November 26, 2014, from http://www.filmreference.com/encyclopedia/Romantic-Comedy-Yugoslavia/Spectatorship-and-Audiences-THE-FILM-INDUSTRY-AND-AUDIENCES.html
This article discusses how "the film industry is a moneymaking enterprise, it remains successful only by producing films that make a profit over and above their (increasingly sizable) budget and marketing costs." The article also goes into how important targeting an audience is, when it comes to the production and distribution of a film. "The film industry is interested in studying the tastes and opinions of actual audiences through empirical studies, such as surveys, focus groups, and interviews." The companies that are making these films want to bring in a large demographic, and they need to pick an appropriate rating and create enticing trailers, to appeal to the viewers. Actually, appealing to an audience is probably one of the most important parts of making a movie. When rough cuts of movies are put together, they gather all kinds of people to watch a screen test. If the audience doesn't react well to certain parts, then the companies might decide to remove those parts or reshoot them, according to what would be more appealing to the viewers. This article really dives in to how important targeting an audience is, as it is a very important factor of making a film.
I thought this article was very informative. It's quite interesting how much goes in to the production and distribution of a film. I love how the companies who make these movies, really care about how their movie is received. It is extremely important for movies to be successful, and that's definitely in the hands of the viewers. Showing an audience a rough cut of the movie is extremely smart, as it shows the makers of the movie what they need to work on, before they can officially release their movie to the general public. I have loved films my whole life, and because of this, I am very critical of them. So, when I see a movie, I always think to myself, "why did they include this in the movie? did they think that this would appeal to me and my age group?" And surprisingly, there will be many movies that I will see that don't appeal to me, and I will be confused, because that specific movie was targeted towards my age group. Clearly, making a movie is NOT EASY. So, I definitely appreciate the aspects of production and distribution, as they are so incredibly important when it comes to making a film.
The Film Industry and Audiences
http://www.filmreference.com/encyclopedia/Romantic-Comedy-Yugoslavia/Spectatorship-and-Audiences-THE-FILM-INDUSTRY-AND-AUDIENCES.html
Film Reference. (n.d.). Retrieved November 26, 2014, from http://www.filmreference.com/encyclopedia/Romantic-Comedy-Yugoslavia/Spectatorship-and-Audiences-THE-FILM-INDUSTRY-AND-AUDIENCES.html
This article discusses how "the film industry is a moneymaking enterprise, it remains successful only by producing films that make a profit over and above their (increasingly sizable) budget and marketing costs." The article also goes into how important targeting an audience is, when it comes to the production and distribution of a film. "The film industry is interested in studying the tastes and opinions of actual audiences through empirical studies, such as surveys, focus groups, and interviews." The companies that are making these films want to bring in a large demographic, and they need to pick an appropriate rating and create enticing trailers, to appeal to the viewers. Actually, appealing to an audience is probably one of the most important parts of making a movie. When rough cuts of movies are put together, they gather all kinds of people to watch a screen test. If the audience doesn't react well to certain parts, then the companies might decide to remove those parts or reshoot them, according to what would be more appealing to the viewers. This article really dives in to how important targeting an audience is, as it is a very important factor of making a film.
I thought this article was very informative. It's quite interesting how much goes in to the production and distribution of a film. I love how the companies who make these movies, really care about how their movie is received. It is extremely important for movies to be successful, and that's definitely in the hands of the viewers. Showing an audience a rough cut of the movie is extremely smart, as it shows the makers of the movie what they need to work on, before they can officially release their movie to the general public. I have loved films my whole life, and because of this, I am very critical of them. So, when I see a movie, I always think to myself, "why did they include this in the movie? did they think that this would appeal to me and my age group?" And surprisingly, there will be many movies that I will see that don't appeal to me, and I will be confused, because that specific movie was targeted towards my age group. Clearly, making a movie is NOT EASY. So, I definitely appreciate the aspects of production and distribution, as they are so incredibly important when it comes to making a film.
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