4. Discuss the impact of funding on media products. [50]
Different companies have various amounts of money that they choose to spend on a film. This can impact how the film is made and distributed, and what technologies are used.Films from larger companies like Disney or Universal can spend more money on special effects, but smaller film companies or student films may not be able to afford various technologies.
My group and I didn’t have access to various technologies. We used a camera to film, a tripod to put the camera on, and an O ring light for lighting. We didn’t have funding for our project, so our opening sequence would fall under a C grade movie. We didn’t have money to put into our film, so we couldn’t use aerial or crane shots. However, we used a high angle instead. In addition to this, we mainly filmed at eye level because it was the most convenient for us. In the editing process, we used a software that was provided by our teachers. Our film didn’t have any special effects or animations. Because we didn't have funding, our film wasn’t as high-tech as it could’ve been.
Producing a film is extremely costly. To begin with, film cannot be reused. If a production company shoots a scene for an entire day, and they don’t like the takes, then all the resources consumed throughout the day were a waste. Films are also typically too expensive for a studio to authorize. This means that larger companies have the upper hand when it comes to creating and producing large films. The live-action Beauty and the Beast film cost upwards of 300 million dollars. This movie used lavish Mise-en-scene. The costumes, makeup, and locations had incredible detail, the lighting fit each scene, and the actors fit their characters. Disney had to create the costumes, pay the actors, edit, film, produce, and distribute this film. Most film studios or student films would not be able to do this because of their budget.
Another costly movie was Jurassic World. This film was distributed by Universal Studios and produced by Frank Marshall. Universal Studios is a globally well-known company that distributes movies. In this movie, some of the dinosaurs were built. This is costly because each individual species of dinosaur used in the movie had to be created. In addition to this, special effects were used to make the dinosaurs look more realistic and move. There were many action scenes used in the movie, along with special effects. The special effects were crucial in the movie because it makes the movie more thrilling for the audience. Every take was complimented by a well thought out camera angle or movement. Jurassic World cost roughly $185 million to create and distribute. Smaller companies or studios would not be able to spend this money on one film. If the budget for this film was not that high, then the Dinosaurs and sets may have looked unrealistic.
Lastly, Fantastic Beasts was also a cost heavy film. This film was distributed by Warner Bros Productions, and produced by J.K Rowling, David Heyman, Steve Kloves, and Lionel Wigram. Warner Bros is recognized around the world and is one of the most powerful film distributing companies. This film had lots of special effects. This movie is based off the Harry Potter series, so this movie features magic and numerous mythical creatures. Many of the animals used were puppets, and some were strictly edited into the film after filming. It takes a lot of money to create these animals and to use special effects. This movie was distributed in November 2016. Because of this, newer and more expensive technology was used to create this. The movie cost roughly $180 million. This is partially because of all the special effects, and technologies used to create this film.
Overall, funding is crucial when it comes to the film industry. The budget can determine what grade a movie will be. Grade A movies are films such as Fantastic Beasts, Beauty and the Beast, and Jurassic World. Grade C movies don’t have a large budget and are typically made by a small studio or a student film. Funding allows films to use various types of technology, and special effects. However, if there isn’t any funding, then the film will not be as high quality. Therefore, funding is crucial to films and the film industry.
