DNA Films Questions

1. Who were the co-founders of DNA Films?
The co-founders were Andrew Macdonald and Duncan Kenworthy
2. When was the company founded?
1983
3. Where is DNA based?
DNA Films is based in London in the United Kingdom
4. How many films have DNA Films produced?
24
5. What awards have DNA Films won?

6. How many full time staff does DNA Films employ?

7. What is DNA Film's philosophy?

8. List 5 box-office hits that DNA Films have made.
Ex Machina
Dredd
28 Days Later
Love Actually
28 Weeks Later
9. List 5 flops that DNA Films has made.
Never Let Me Go
Sunshine on Leith
The History Boys
Beautiful Creatures
Heartlands
10. What is Danny Boyle's relationship with DNA Films?
Danny Boyle's relationship is that it was rumoured that he owned the company. This turned out to be false. This rumour came around because it was thought that his film Slumdog Millionaire was made by DNA Films, but it wasn't.
11. List 3 famous directors that DNA Films have worked?
DNA Films have worked with Alex Garland, Dexter Fletcher and Richard Curtis

12. List 5 famous actors who have starred in films made by DNA Films ?

Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Michael Sheen, Keira Knightley and Emily Watson

13. What has been DNA Films highest grossing film?

DNA Films highest Grossing film was Love Actually. This is a well enjoyed and recognised Christmas Film. It was produced in 2003.

14. What Hollywood studios have DNA Films worked with?

15. List two of DNA Films big blockbuster films and find out their budgets.

2 of their Blockbusters film are: Sunshine and Love Actually. The budget for Sunshine was $40 million and the budget for Love Actually was $45 million.

16. What film is DNA Films most famous for?

Love Actually is the film that DNA Films are most famous for as the film is very popular and enjoyed by all. It is also a festive film and is still played at Christmas time on the TV.

17. What other genres do DNA Films films like to make?

DNA Films also make films with Genres such as: Sci-fi (Ex Machina) and Adventure (Sunshine).

18. Who have DNA Films entered into a partnership with for DNA TV Limited?

DNA Films have partnered with Fox Networks Group. This is so that their company is more broad and they can work together to release new ideas.

19. What information can you find out about DNA Films through their web page?

DNA Films are one of the UK'S most successful production companies.

20. Find out one other interesting fact about DNA Films that you would like to share with the class.
DNA Film's new TV Company will be owned and operated as a independent TV Production Company

Ex Machina Research

Producer - There were 2 Producers of Ex Machin and these were: Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich. Andrew is the founder of DNA Films and he is a Scottish film Producer best known for collaborations with John Hodge and Danny Boyle to create films such as: The Beach and Shallow Grave. Allon Reich is also known for films such as Dredd and 28 weeks later.

Director - There was 1 Director of this film and he was Alex Garland. He is a screenwriter and film producer best known for the film Never Let Me Go

Distributor - Universal Pictures distributed this film. They are an American film studio owned by Comcast

Cast - Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac and Sonoya Mizuno. There are 3 main characters in this film and they are the first 3 people listed above.

Budget - $15 million

Locations - There are 8 filming locations for this film and they are:

• Norway - Juvet Landscape Hotel, Sognefjord, Valldal, Jostedalsbreen National Park
• UK - London and Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire

Technology - The technology was 4k resolution and they also had 15,000 mini-tungsten pea bulb lights in the sets to make sure that florescent light was avoided that is used in most sci-fi films.

Number of screens - (Opening Weekend) - In the UK in the opening weekend, this film was shown on 1,255 screens and made $5,349,500 and in the US it was shown on 4 screens in the opening weekend and made $250,000

Number of Screens - (Peak Number) - The peak number of screens for the UK was 1,255 and in the US it was 2,004 but this decreased dramatically afterwards.

Box Office figures - On the opening weekend the box office figures for the USA was $5,349,500, in the UK it was $250,000, in Italy it was €251,000, in the Netherlands it was €38,500 and in Portugal it was $30,733

The issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice;

The production companies for this film were Film4 and DNA films. Film4 is a British television company that is partly owned by Channel 4 which are known well for showing gritty and exciting films such as: Boy A, 12 Years of Slave and Slumdog Millionaire. DNA is also a British film Company which is founded by Andrew Macdonald and Duncan Kenworthy and between them, they have also created films such as 27 Days Later, Dredd and Never Let Me Go. Despite being small production companies, they have done extremely well with the films that they have created. They have also worked together on films such as Never Let Me Go and are well known due to their box office figures on all of their films. They can create brilliant films without having to collaborate with big name companies such as Disney and Universal. This is shown through the successful film Ex Machina which only took 6 weeks to film and it had actors that weren't as well known such as Oscar Isaac and Domhall Gleeson. This then proves that not all films need to have big budgets to be successful but they can have small ones and still be as widely recognised.

The importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing;
The 2 production companies were distributed via A24 films and Universal Pictures. These are based in the USA. By working with these companies, it allows them to have a wider audience spectrum as they are a bigger and well recognised company that people can understand and relate well to, due to previous films. Ex Machina was also distributed on Blu-ray and DVD by Lionsgate Home Entertainment, another big company, that allows them to extend their audience preference even more! DNA Films and Film4 have brought their ideas together which also helps promote them two as companies as well as promoting the film.Film4, before this, have created many popular and well recognised films so they can offer experience. Whereas DNA Films have can provide a brilliant Writer and Producer. By each of these companies having well recognised features, they can help each other become more successful. By working together they can improve their budget and an audience can see that these 2 companies have worked well together so would therefore watch another film that is brought out by both companies collaborating together again.

The technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels of production, distribution, marketing and exchange;
With nowadays technology, people are wanting to be able to stream films and watch them in the comfort of their own home instead of watching it and paying money to see it in a cinema. This means that, to make the film popular, they need to make the film available on lots of different resources and make the film extra exciting and draw audiences in to see the film at the cinema. Such things as deals and exciting ad posters and videos online would intrigue people to go and see the film in the cinema and to have the full experience. On the other hand, people do like to sit at home and watch films fro their own television or laptop on Netflix. Foe them to achieve the most success possible, they need to widen their audience and distribute the film in a variety of ways that would meet the happiness of all members of the audience. Ex Machina is now available on websites such as GooglePlay, Netflix and Amazon. It was released in the UK, by Universal Pictures, on 21st January 2015 and the USA by A24 films on 14th March 2016. On the 14th July 2015, it was released on Blu-Ray and DVD and available to download.

The significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and audiences;
Technology has become advanced in so many different ways such as: How to show a film and the features that can be used to make a film. Ex Machina have followed what this generation enjoy the most which is special effects and the excitement of new technology. They collaborated with Double Negative who are a highly successful visual and special effects company who are very well known and recognised in Europe. They have worked on highly successful productions such as The Harry Potter films and The Quantum of Solace. The expectations for films that are using modern technology is very high so there is a lot of pressure on Production Companies to make sure that they have used the best special effects work that they can to live up to this expectation. Ex Machina reached this height and this was shown through their box office figures. By winning an Oscar and working with Double Negative, it helped the reputation of the film and helped it gain the popularity that it did.

The importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences;
Marketing has also been improved due to new technologies as for this film it could be distributed through Social Media as well as through billboards, posters and adverts on the television. Through this type of marketing, the audience can have direct contact and it can be a more effective and cheaper way for the film to be marketed. There were mixed opinions about using this as a way of marketing so it created a lot of attention and interest in the film. The film was also shot on 4k resolution which is also a use of new technology. It is a digital way of filming which makes the distribution cost to cinemas much cheaper. This is shown through the quality of the film.

The issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically, British) by international or global institutions;

Different technologies and film companies have come together to work on this film (DNA Films, Film4 and Double Negative) and by doing so this has improved the success of the film and helped the film to go on and achieve an Oscar Award. The Production team worked together to create the shots for editing, with special effects, and then went on to collaborating with Double Negative so that they could begin to create Ava. Music was also needed to add effect to the film so that the audience could enjoy it more so this technology was placed into the film too. The music was composed by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow, these composers have also worked together, like Alex Macdonald and Allon Reich did, on the film "Dredd". 
The ways in which the candidates’ own experiences of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience behaviour
As a viewer of the newest generation, that is used to having social media and advanced technology around me, I like to be able to view this film on many different devices such as Netflix and the TV, but I do also like to take rips to the cinema to see films that stand out the most to me. This is a benefit for our generation as we are more likely to sit at home watching this film with our own comforts rather than going out to the cinema to do so. New technologies, such as downloading films illegally and steaming them online, can have such a negative effect on the films population and profit as people are not watching the film in the most beneficial way so therefore I am fully against this new technology. All efforts put in by all members of the crew that were involved in this film, did a stunning job at presenting, marketing and distributing this film and the special effects tea created an extraordinary character, Ava, which drew the audience in and made people think about the new advances in technology.

Star Wars the Force Awakens questions

Who owns Lucasfilm?
Walt Disney and Walt Disney Studios.

Who formed Lucasfilm?
The founder of the film George Lucas.

What year was Lucasfilm formed?
1971.

Who is the president of Lucasfilm?
Kathleen Kennedy.

What other major films have they worked on?
Indiana Jones
All other Star Wars films
The Land before Time and Willow

How much was Lucasfilm sold for?
$4 billion.

Who wrote Star Wars: The Force Awakens?
J.J. Abrams
Lawrence Kasdan
Michael Arndt

Who directed Star Wars: The Force Awakens?
J.J. Abrams.

What other major films is the director responsible for?
Star Trek
Mission Impossible III
Armageddon.

How many Star Wars films have there been so far (list them)? & How much money have they all made at the global box office?

Star Wars (1977) - $786,598,007

The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - $534,171,960

Return of the Jedi (1983) - $572,705,079

The Phantom Menace (1999) - $1,027,044,677

Attack of the Clones (2002) - $656,695,615

Revenge of the Sith (2005) - $848,998,877

The Force Awakens (2015) - $2,058,662,225

Episode VIII (2017)

When was the first Star Wars film released?

1977.

What does ILM stand for?

Industrial light and magic.

What do ILM do?
Industrial light and magic are an American modern picture and visual effects company.

Who created ILM?
George Lucas.

Why did they create ILM?
They created for ILM to use at the beginning of the Production of Star Wars.

What do casting directors do?
Casting Directors decide who gets the role of each character and hire the actors.

Where were the first scenes for Star Wars: The Force Awakens filmed?
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

What format was Star Wars: The Force Awakens shot on?
Film.

What types of camera were used to film Star Wars: The Force Awakens?
This Star Wars film was shot on Kodak Film and was filmed on IMAX Cameras
.
What studio was used to film a large proportion of the film?
Pinewood Studios.

Where is the studio?
Iver, Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK.

What major franchise is famously filmed at that studio?
James Bond is also filmed here.

How does said franchise link to Star Wars the Force Awakens?
Daniel Craig is in both movies and both films are also moving to another studio called "Troy Studios"

Who is the inspiration for Maz Kanata?
The inspiration for this character came from J.J. Abrams former high school teacher.

What technology was used to create Maz Kanata?
CGI was used to create this character whilst she wore a motion-capture suit covered in white dots on her face. A tiny camera then captured every move that the actress performed.

Who played Maz Kanata and what other role is she famous for?
Lupita Nyong'o and she has also played Patsy in 12 Years of Slave.

Who played General Snoke?
Andy Serkis.

What is he renowned for in the film business?
He is always used for capturing roles in motion capture acting, animation and voice work.

Where was the final scene filmed?
Skellig Michael, County Kerry, Ireland.

Who composed the final score? How many have they composed for?
John Williams produced all scores in all Star Wars films.

What other famous films has he created the music for?
He has also created music for: Jaws, Indiana Jones, E.T, Jurassic Park and Saving Private Ryan.

How many times did John Boyega audition for the film (according to J.J. Abrams)
9.

Over what time did these auditions occur?
They occurred over a period of 7 months.

How many people operated B-B8?
1 person operates B-B8 when he is moving but he can also be operated by 3 people with hand controls. It took many people to design and make the model.

What type of technology was the main version of B-B8?
B-B8 was a physical prop although the voice was made through sound effects. Abrams wanted a physical prop instead of using CGI.

What colour suit does the operator of B-B8 wear?
He wore green so that he could be edited out or implanted on a green background.

Why did he have to wear a suit?
He needed to wear this suit so that he could be added to a green background and be edited out easily and a background would be easily added to the picture.

What type of special effects (SFX) were employed on Star Wars The Force Awakens?
Abrams wanted this film to be as much like the original as possible so he used as much CGI as he could to make it relate and connect to the original. He did most of it practically though as he felt this had a better feel and reaction via an audience.

How many people were behind the monitor watching the scene when Han and Chewie returned to the Millennium Falcon?

Over 200 people were behind the monitor as it was such an emotional journey and experience to be seen and watched as this hadn't happened in such a long time and people admired it. That moment will go down in Star Wars history.

Why was Simon Pegg thanked in the credits?

He was credited as he played a role in the film and he came up with numerous ideas surrounding the film and also because him and Abram are friends and he helped Abrams out by playing a role in this film.

JJ Abrams shot parts of Star Wars The Force Awakens in IMAX. What is IMAX?

IMAX is a  widescreen cinematography technique which produces an image 10 times larger than a standard film.

How many IMAX screens was the film available on?

Over 1000 IMAX screens was the height for this Star Wars.

What was the age rating of the film in the UK?

12A.

How much money did the UK Government contribute to this Star Wars?

The UK Government provided the film with £31.6 million to this particular film. This figure was 13% of the whole cost of the film.

How much was Harrison Ford paid to reprise his role of Hans Solo?

Harrison Ford was paid £20 million for his role in this Star Wars as it was a come back for his character.

How much were Daisy Ridley and John Boyega paid?

They earned between $100,000 ad $300,000 for their roles in this film.

Star Wars the Force Awakens Research

Star Wars the Force Awakens

Producers/Production Company – The producers of this Star Wars are: J.J. Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy and Bryan Burk. The production companies involved were: Lucasfilm and Bad Robot Productions.

Director – There was 1 Director of this film, he was J.J. Abrams. He is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and composer. He is best known for action and science fiction films, hence why he is the director of this action-packed film.

Screenwriters – There were 3 screenwriters for this film. They were: J.J Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Arndt.

Actors –

• Daisy Ridley – Rey
• John Boyega - Finn
• Harrison Ford - Han Solo
• Oscar Isaac - Poe Dameron
• Carrie Fisher - General Leia Organa
• Mark Hamill - Luke Skywalker
• Adam Driver - Kylo Ren
• Lupita Nyong'o - Maz Kanata
• Andy Serkis - Supreme Leader Snoke
• Domhnall Gleeson - General Hux
• Anthony Daniels - C-3PO
• Peter Mayhew - Chewbacca
• Max Von Sydow - Lor Sn Tekka

Budget
The budget for this film was $306 million (gross)

$245 million (net)

Locations
The film has been filmed in many locations such as: England, Scotland, Iceland, Ireland and United Arab Emirates.

Green light Date
The greenlight date for this film was 30^th October 2012

Screens shown on
The number of screens that this film was shown on in the USA was 4,134 and in the UK it was 670. This was their peak number of screens that it was shown on. In the USA, the number of screens it was first shown on was 20. It was in the cinemas in America for 4 months.

Critical Reaction

The Critic Reaction was 92% and had an average rating of 8.2/10. They say that the film is “packed with action and populated by both familiar faces and fresh blood” and “had renewed energy”

Box Office Figures
On the opening day, the film made $57 million. On the Worldwide opening weekend and on the single weekend the gross was $529 million.
Canada and USA’s opening weekend made 247.97
China’s Box Office total was 30.7 million

Music
John Williams wrote this piece of music and it is widely recognised as it is played in all of the Stars Wars films yet this one is called Star Wars the Force Awakens.

Marketing
For this film, marketing such as billboard posters, adverts on the TV, adverts in magazines were all published to enhance publicity for the film. Star Wars also has its own website and the film can be found situated on this website. Posters were also placed outside of cinemas and all over the cinema once entered.

Tie-in-products

There were tie in products related to this film such as lunchboxes, water bottles, ice cream, children’s toys and special lightsabers. There are also unexpected products like lipsticks and jumpers. 

SFX
Many of the sounds in the film are special effects. A few of these include: Laser Cannons, Ray Guns and computer sci-fi. CGI was used to complete this film and a huge amount of visual effects were shown within the film to create and achieve practical means. In one of the scenes in the film the combination of practical effects, solid camera work and convincing performances make the scene more realistic and understandable. There was technology involved such as: Prosthetics, Solar Power Technology, Robotics and Lasers.
Any issues
Audiences have said that there was not enough politics and exposition in this film and character were not as likeable and complex as what they have been in previous films.