Examiners Report

Film Industry 

Far too many candidates seemed to have been prepared with historical accounts of particular institutions which did not address contemporary issues of institutional or audience practices - Working Title was frequently used as a case study but with little contemporary material in evidence. Popular case studies included the study of UK film companies such as Working Title and Film Four, which provided plenty of promising material, particularly when their working practices were contrasted with Hollywood equivalents, such as the Dark Knight. Some centres had prepared candidates for this unit with single text studies (ie of an individual film), which clearly did not provide candidates with sufficient knowledge of wider institutional, and audience contexts to tackle the question set. Institutional questions, which dealt with, a comparison of successful American institutions versus less commercially successful home grown UK industries often worked well, for example, Bullet Boy and This is England. 

In discussion of how important technological convergence is for the film industry, more able candidates could develop an argument which could discuss and evaluate how technological convergence enables effective digital distribution, supports viral marketing campaigns, such as the Dark Knight or The Simpsons, creates media synergy and, for example, the use of Sony BMG to record the soundtrack, and merchandising tie in deals. These able candidates could also evaluate how institutions and audiences used media technology across different platforms, for example on the iPod and other mobile devices/phones and the use of social networking sites to share and offer fan comments. Candidates also discussed downloading (including the issue of internet piracy) films, but did not give specific examples of websites or how you could subsequently watch the movies. On occasion candidates could offer criticism that independent and often British film releases which do not have the budget of major conglomerate film studio’s had to find alternative non- convergent methods of distribution and marketing. 

Centres need reminding that historical case studies of film studios, such as Hammer or Ealing film studios is not apart of the requirement for the study of film institution and audiences. At the same time if centres are using contemporary resources, such as The Boat That Rocked or Slumdog Millionaire, that they ensure candidates have an academic understanding of the film’s institution and audience and not simply rely upon the prepared reading of the text and its marketing campaign alon