In pairs, list five films you have liked that has at least one very famous actor in it Now list five films you have enjoyed that have actors you had not recognised in advance Which list was easier to write? Is there a pattern of genres appearing? Marketing and Star Images

The importance of Star Images Why do you think stars are important 1.To audiences? 2.To producers? Is the star of a film more important …than the genre? … than a franchise? …than awards? …than critical praise?

The benefits of a star Recognition factor A star as a ‘mark of quality’ A star as a generic signifier The promotional benefits Interviews Press interest Pre-existing fan base Appeal Appeal outside of film roles – we feel we ‘know’ stars through their life outside of films Perception of a star persona – a quality that makes them ‘different’ from the ordinary Image and values– representing ideas about sexuality, gender, race, etc

PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS Entertainment = Social: fans are attracted by the entertainment value of celebs and because they serve a social function e.g. chatting with friends

How does the public perception of the star relate to the film? Are they reinforced or contradicted? How is the image of the star used to create meaning for the film? What part does the star play in creating the poster’s meaning?

How does the public perception of the star relate to the film? Are they reinforced or contradicted? How is the image of the star used to create meaning for the film? What part does the star play in creating the poster’s meaning?

Never Let Me Go was a British box-office failure, though had fairly good reviews. What went wrong with the marketing? Genre?

A case study in marketing

Original 2004 Cinema release poster

2004 DVD cover Initial cinema and DVD release profits were very modest

An earlier film success – note the deliberate subliminal similarities

2007 DVD re-release covers – UK & US editions The re-release was more successful. Why?

How does the public perception of the star relate to the film? Are they reinforced or contradicted? How is the image of the star used to create meaning for the film? What part does the star play in creating the poster’s meaning?

How does the public perception of the star relate to the film? Are they reinforced or contradicted? How is the image of the star used to create meaning for the film? What part does the star play in creating the poster’s meaning?

Stars – Case Studies What is consistent about the star image across the following marketing campaigns?

Tasks Make a list of the qualities that are consistent across Johnny Depp performances in different films What are the ways in which the star persona of Depp attracts audiences? How does the internet work to amplify audience connections with Depp’s star image? Why, in your opinion, was Mortdecai a box-office failure despite its star?

‘Positioning’ a star on the market What image does Emily Blunt live up to? To what extent is her public persona a ‘construct’?

Serious actress or Eye-Candy?

Is this just the tried & tested way of promoting young actresses?

Stars questions How important are stars to the film industry? To what extent are stars ‘constructed’ by the industry? To what extent are stars ‘constructed’ by fans? How ‘powerful’ are stars? Is it important to British audiences to see British stars on screen?