Higher Media Studies Production Unit Module 3: Development Lessons 1-3: Adaptation, Market Value & Where are we going to show this film?

Lesson 1 Adaptation

Remember: What Examiners Want  You will be asked to write about your own production experience and prove that you have thought about: Choice of medium Target audience Appropriate technical and cultural codes Associated problems and solutions This course will help you to think about them.

A reminder of the Blindingly Obvious  Films are made for audiences.  Film-makers must be aware of their audiences from the beginning of the process.  Film-makers must therefore know their audiences and what they like to watch.

Adaptation Some of the biggest grossing films of recent years have been adaptations We have already thought about the different genre that are being made and which are very successful…..  Family Entertainment  Horror  Romantic Comedy  Teen Comedy  Action Adventure  Thriller  Drama  Science Fiction But these genres do even better if they are adaptations

Top 5 US Box Office 2006: which ones are adaptations? #Title Gross (US) Budget 1Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest $423M $225M 2Cars $244M $120M 3X-Men: The Last Stand $234M $210M 4The Da Vinci Code $218M $125M 5Superman Returns $200M $270M

Worldwide Box Office  And worldwide, which of these are adaptations, and which are original screenplay ideas? $Budget 1Titanic (1997) $1.84B $200M 2 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) $1.13B $94M 3 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) $1.06B $225M 4 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) $969M $130M 5 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) $922M $115M

Answers…. Remake/Adaptation or Original 1Titanic (1997) Remake/Adaptation 2 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Adaptation 3 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) Adaptation 4 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) Adaptation 5 Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) Original Screenplay

Writer & Director & Producer Remember the three key creative people in the film development team? Why might each one be interested in adapting an idea for film? Discuss. 1.Writer 2.Director 3.Producer

Conclusion? Adaptations work well as films because they appeal to all the key three creative talents in the development process.

Lesson 2 Market Value: The Script and The Number

How do we estimate the market value of a film?

Market Value  The key concept for producers: what is the Market Value of their film?  Market Value = revenues from the sale of the film to cinema, DVD, TV, airlines, and a host of other outlets.  For a film to make a profit, the total budget must not be higher than the Market Value.

UK Films  A domestic market is your home market, like home advantage for a football team.  What advantages do home markets have? DISCUSS Know what people like Know who the players are Can get production money more easily Can get better deals on equipment and cast Some suggestions