Media Industries in the jungke book- 7/11/2018

Media Industries: The Jungle Book- 7/11/2018

Definitions:
Production- the production process refers to the stages (phases) required to complete a media product, from the idea to the final master copy. The process can apply to any type of media production including film, video, television and audio recording.

Distribution- digital distribution (also referred to as content delivery, online distribution, or electronic software distribution (ESD), among others) is the delivery or distributionof digital media content such as audio, video, software and video games.

Marketing-  the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.

Circulation- the total number of copies of a magazine, newspaper, newsletter, film, etc..

Info about the Jungle Book

Plot synopsis

In The Jungle Book, a young boy named Mowgli becomes a member of the Seeonee Wolf Pack. A cruel tiger named Shere Khan plots against Mowgli and the leader of his pack, Akela. When Mowgli grows up, he realizes that he must rejoin the ranks of men.

• Mowgli strays from his village one day. After being attacked by Shere Khan, he's saved by Father Wolf, who asks Akela, the leader of the wolves, to accept Mowgli as a member of the pack.
• Mowgli briefly returns to the world of men, but leaves after he learns that Shere Khan has been plotting against Akela. He defeats the tiger, but knows that someday he will rejoin the man-pack.
• A python named Kaa takes Mowgli down to the Cold Lairs, where he steals an ankus. He discards the ankus, fearing its deadly curse. This results in the death of six men. After this incident, Mowgli becomes unhappy and gradually drifts toward the world of men.

Production companies involved 

- Walt Disney pictures 

- Fairview production 

Jungle book

Rotten tomatoes- 95%

Box office & bugdet

box office- 966.6 million USD

budget- 177 million USD

Industry & technology 

Previsualization- Previsualization (also known as previs, previz, pre-rendering, preview or wireframe windows) is the visualizing of complex scenes in a movie before filming. It is also a concept in still photography. Previsualization is used to describe techniques such as storyboarding, either in the form of charcoal sketches or in digital technology, in the planning and conceptualization of movie scenes.

What is key to making these 'real' but talking animals?

their physicality, their locomotion, their animal behavior needed to be perfect. The audience needs to believe that they’re looking at a panther and not a cartoon or animated character. There was a stage at the beginning where a lot of alterations were made purely on the lip synch and on the delivery of the line. We voted to establish purely what would work for Jon and the movie by asking ourselves, ‘What is the key to believing that these talking animals are real?’ We knew we couldn’t rely solely on an animator filming himself acting out a performance as a cat, because he’d do it as a human would, not as a cat would. We concluded that we should rely heavily on real-world reference, and we’d browse and identify footage showing a real leopard moving, turning his head in such a way to provide a moment where it looks like he could be saying something.

What small details were added to ensure the naturalism?

Well, one example is that we developed the direct linear motion of the snake, Kaa, with Benjamin Jones (Character Designer at MPC). He was able to add it into the rig puppets, layering in details like wrinkles and tightening. Collisions were applied so that you could actually feel the snake's ‘sag,’ where he connected with the branches. We also had a gravity control for faces and bodies so that if a character was running, we were able to add the sense of gravity deforming the shapes of the skin in animation. We were able to achieve all of it in the rig puppet, without waiting for the stage that uses the complex puppet with the muscle system, jiggles, skin wrinkles and so on.

Can you tell us more about the process to help visualize the characters and the environments on set?

Glenn set up a motion capture system on set and also did realtime blue screen compositing, and the DD team who had been a big part of the previs provided the digital environments and playback. This way we could all see roughly what we were doing and how shots would compose. Not every setup used it, and handheld cameras were sometimes improvised on the spot and didn’t require these services… but most of the time it was part of daily life on the set.

https://www.artofvfx.com/the-jungle-book-adam-valdez-vfx-supervisor-mpc/

Production- the making of the film; pre-production and funding; shoot (format); post-production (SFX).

Distribution- the way the film gets to screens; distribution company.

Exhibition- the way we view; getting the film to a paying audience.

Circulation- the total number of copies of a magazine, newspaper, newsletter, film, etc...

Ownership

•JB16 was planned by Walt Disney Studios Chairman, Alan Horn, as one of a series of remakes of their classic properties: ‘Hollywood makes lots of films for kids, but

•Disney reboots are considered safe bets. They revive classic characters for a new generation of kids, and their parents may be especially willing to shell out for related merchandise.’

•Disney have leveraged the technology within the film to widen audience appeal and create spectacle during the marketing e.g. showing film teasers in 3 D

Production in 1967 and the technology used

The Jungle Book (hereafter JB) was released in 1967 by Walt Disney Productions. It was created at the Walt Disney Studios in California. 

Disney’s animation studio had been responsible for developing many of the techniques and ways of working that became standard practices of traditional cel animation,

Pioneered the use of the multiplane camera to create an early 3-D like effect.

Cell animation- the process of first drawing each frame of animation onto paper, then transferring these to transparent acetate sheets (cels, short for celluloid). Colour is then added on the reverse of the cel. Layers are built up to create dimensions
The cells are individually photographed onto film by a rostrum camera.

Multiplane camera- the multiplane camera was a special camera that helped record the movement of multiple layers of art work that would move past the camera at various speeds and distances.
the first vertical multiplane camera was invented in 1933 by UB Iwerks, former Walt Disney Studios animator and director. 
Disney used this approach to create a 3D like effect in several Jungle Book sequences. 

Production in 2016 and the technology used

The Jungle Book (2016), hereafter JB16, was produced by Walt Disney Pictures, directed and co-produced by Jon Favreau.

It was partly based on Disney’s original version but also drew more on Kipling’s original books, giving a rather darker tone.

‘The Jungle Book exists in a strange limbo-world between live action and animation. Favreau admits he has no idea which category it falls into: ‘I think it’s considered live action because people feel like they’re watching a live action film,’

All the animals and landscapes etc. were created on computers, mostly by the British digital effects house MPC.

All the animals and landscapes etc were created on computers, mostly by the British digital effects house MPC.

The animal characters were deliberately created with a realistic look, and not in a cute and cuddly cartoon-style as with the original animated Jungle Book film.

Blue screen technology-  in the film industry, green screen technology is known as 'chroma keying'. Actors and portions of sets are placed in front of a solid colour set or screen, typically green however in the case of The Jungle Book, it was blue. the coloured screen areas are then replaced digitally in post-production with additional backgrounds, textures, and even CGI characters like the many wild beasts in the Jungle Book. it was filmes against, blue coloured screens, so any on-set greenery would provide contrast.

Motion capture- the process or technique of recording patterns of movement digitally, especially the recording of an actor's movements for the purpose of animating a digital character in a film or video game.

Previsualization-



Distribution in the 2016 movie

Produced by Walt Disney Company
MPC- independent UK company contracted to do the complex 3 animation effects.

Distributed by Walt Disney Sudios Motion Pictures.

Exhibition in the UK by companies such as Odeon and Cineworld.

Circulation of the movie

Relevance to the Jungle-Book: Disney sell their films in digital format to exhibitors, they can also sell the film in the form of Blu Ray and DVD sales.

A key driver for Disney on the remake of the Jungle book was to engage with a new generation of audience using VFX.

The Disney organisation needed to create new content which could be made available for streaming  as well as the traditional channels of Video (DVD+Blu Ray and viewing on large screens – i-Max).

Essay

Compared to the production of the 1967, the 2016 version is one of the films that has used that much of adavnced technology. In order to make the 2016 production and version be so realistic and natural for the audience there has been a number of technology used such as Bluescreen, MPC, facial mapping, pre-visualization, motion capture, CGI and many more. Due to the advance, reformation and introduction of new technology this has helped to change the film into being very realistic and not a animation anymore. 

Firstly, one of the main technologies used is the blue screen which is quite interesting as the original technology used in most films is green screen. However the Jungle Book uses blue screen in order for any on-set greenery to provide contrast and be effective. This technique works by having actors or portions of sets being placed in front of a solid colour set or screen, typically green however in the case of The Jungle Book, it was blue. The coloured screen areas are then replaced digitally in post-production (the colour of the background from the images is removed and it replaced) with additional or new backgrounds, textures, and even CGI characters like the many animals in the Jungle Book. Usually the green screen is said to be more effective in shooting however blue screen has been choosed for the Jungle Book as blue screens are darker therefore they work best with low-light scenarios such as night screnes which is therefore more suitable and effective for the Jungle Book since most of the scenes are shot in the dark so all of the dark scene were shot using blue screen. 

Magazine layout and design- 12/10/2018

Magazine layout and design

Advertisig&Media (jungle book)- 31/10/2018

Advertising and Media (Jungle book)

Media text- this is any media product we wish to examine. Every description or representation of the world, fictional or otherwise, is an attempt to describe or define reality, and is in some way a construct of reality, a text.

Media language- it means the way in which a text is constructed to create meaning for a reader or viewer of the text. All media texts are constructed; someone has made decisions about how they should be constructed so that the form matches the content and with a particular audience in mind. Media language includes:
- mise en scene
- editing
- camera work
- sound 

Media representation- how the media portray events, issues, individuals and social groups. 

Media industries- how the media industries' proccesses of production, distribution and circulations affect the media forms and platforms.

Media audiences- how media forms target, reach and address audiences, how audiences interpret and respond to them and how members of audiences become producers themselves. 

MEDIA

L- language 
I- industry 
A- audience 
R- representation

Representation- Refers to the construction in any medium (especially the mass media) of aspects of ‘reality’ such as people, places, objects, events, cultural identities and other abstract concepts. Such representations may be in speech or writing as well as still or moving pictures.

DIRECTOR- JOHN FAVROW

The 1967 jungle book film cover/poster is constructed in a very childish way which is a result of the colours used and how the animals have been used. Whereas, compared to the new film covers which are much more realistic. in the new covers, the colours used are more muted and unsaturated colours which make it realistic and in the 1967 the colours are very bright and saturated which portray to the audience that the life at the jungle is seen through ''rose tinted glass'' however that's not realistic as the jungle is a place of many dangers and challenges. However, the old cover uses the ''rose tinted glass'' view as the targeted audience is kids therefore they wanted to portray the ''jungle book'' as a very happy and positive movie, however the new covers portray the fact that the movie is now suitable for adults too as it is not that childish as the old cover. 

The new covers make the film look more serious therefore it is suitable for teenagers 15-16 whereas the old cover looks like it is made to show that the film is only suitable for kids. 

The new cover uses technology such as photoshop to make the cover and the mise en scene of the cover look much more realistic. 

Why the accent of britiish people is used for film villains

The british accent is preferred for film villains because it makes them appear less trustworthy, expert claims and can be used for deceiveing characters.

Alvaris theory

- pity

- exotic

- humorous

Character representation

- The character King Louie, who seems to some viewers to offer a racialized portrait of jazz culture that conflates (compares)“swingers” (presumably African American jazz musicians) with monkeys.

- Louie, the Monkey-People’s, orangutan ruler. Wants to learn how to make fire so that he can be like a man. This could easily be interpreted through a racial lens; the monkeys could be depictions of Africans wanting to learn how to be “civilized” equals of the white man.

- The representation is further reinforced through the use of African American accents (however) the role was played by an Italian American

- Social context: America was a segregated society during the 1960’s where Black people were actively fighting for Civil rights (equality)

Intertextuality is the shaping of a text's meaning by another text. It is the interconnection between similar or related works of literature that reflect and influence an audience's interpretation of the text. Intertextual figures include: allusion, quotation, calque, plagiarism, translation, pastiche and parody.

Imperialism

The characters which were friendly and nice were used in way of representing the Birtish whereas the unfriendly characters were representing the Indian and the indian culture. 

Accents and culture used 

In the 1967 movie the accents used were african-american accents however in the 2016 movie this was changed and the accents used were american therefore the representations avoids any association with black identity as the 2016's movie accents were american and gangster like accents.

The voice in the 2016 trailer and movie as a whole has changed in a more aggressive way which is represented by the way in which the characters talk in. For example when King Louie says ''humans are forbidden here'' which was said in a very high tone, aggressive and frightening way which is contrasted to the 1967 trailer as in the 1967 original production/version the voice and how the characters were talking was in a very calm and nice way. 

social context- accents , absence of female representation

cultural- race, accents

Comparing the 1967 and 2016 versions of Walt Disney`s Jungle book (posters and film trailers), using media language discuss how the representations of the characters have changed.

You will need to explore the changes in social and cultural contexts and impact of technology as [art of your essay]. 

To begin with there is a lot of differences of the media language used in the 1967 cover and the 2016 cover. There is also social as well as cultural differences which are very significant. 

Firstly, the 1967 jungle book film cover/poster is constructed in a very childish way which is a result of the colours used and how the animals have been used. Whereas, compared to the new film covers which are much more realistic. in the new covers, the colours used are more muted and unsaturated colours which make it realistic and in the 1967 the colours are very bright and saturated which portray to the audience that the life at the jungle is seen through ''rose tinted glass'' however that's not realistic as the jungle is a place of many dangers and challenges. However, the old cover uses the ''rose tinted glass'' view as the targeted audience is kids therefore they wanted to portray the ''jungle book'' as a very happy and positive movie, however the new covers portray the fact that the movie is now suitable for adults too as it is not that childish as the old cover. 

The new covers make the film look more serious therefore it is suitable for teenagers 15-16 whereas the old cover looks like it is made to show that the film is only suitable for kids. 

The new cover uses technology such as photoshop to make the cover and the mise en scene of the cover look much more realistic. 

Secondly, the representation of the characters has changed significantly. For example, the representtion of the snake Kaa which is played by Scarlett Johanson has changed through the time preiods of the 1967's cover and 2016's. In the 2016`s trailer Kaa, which is a female character is seen as a much more frightening character than it was in its representation in the 1967's trailer. 

Compared to its 1967 animated classic in 2016, Kaa is represented as an enormous snake who tries to eat the man-cub Mowgli and is as well a supporting antagonist. 

In Jon Favreau’s new adaptation, Kaa is a temptress, luring Mowgli (Neel Sethi) with knowledge and the promise of protection. 

The audience first hears Kaa before seeing her.   It’s vaguely menacing. Her voice is very affectionate as well as luring therefore that's why it was choosen to lure Mowgli into the trap, by using Johansson's voice (Kaa). Whereas, firstly in the 1967`s trailer, the snake is a male character therefore turning in into a female character for the 2016`s trailer is because there has been an absence of female characters which has been recognised by most of the audience. Therefore this was the solution to this problem, so the primarily male cast was balanced out by adding female characters. 

In the trailer of 1967, the snake was much more animted and looked inherently sillier therefore it did not represent danger. However in 2016, the size of the Kaa has changed significantly which is the main reason to make Kaa look so terifying and dangerous, as well as because of her luring voice which is very suspicious and it`s the new tool in order to hyptonize which is its main aim.

Although Kaa has been an integral part of all of the previous adaptations of The Jungle Book, the character has undergone modifications in the past. Originally in Kipling's book, Kaa was depicted as an aide or mentor to Mowgli. In the film adaptations, however, possibly owing to a Western prejudice against snakes, Kaa became an antagonist. This consideration of snakes as vile and conniving largely stems from the Biblical story of Adam and Eve. In the story, Satan takes up the form of a serpent in order to trick Eve into eating the apple from the knowledge tree in the Garden of Eve. The subsequent downfall of the paradise has given rise to the association of dangerous, seductive and morally impure women with snakes. 

As we know that Kaa is best known for her infamous attempts to kill Mowgli using his villainous powers of hypnotism and constriction. Central to Kaa's treacherous villainy is his alluring personality, cool composure, and seductive voice. Luring his prey, he attempts to entrance Mowgli before going in for the kill.In reimagining Kaa as female, Disney seems to be highlighting the snake's seductive qualities. Choosing Scarlett Johansson, who is known as something of a sex symbol, is presumably an attempt to add a sultry dimension to the snake's already alluring persona. Johansson herself said on Disney's website, “Kaa seduces and entraps Mowgli with her storytelling. She’s the mirror into Mowgli’s past. The way she moves is very alluring, almost coquettish.” Kaa is more of a multi-layered, complex character than an entirely evil one, explains director Jon Favreau.

But by making a sinister character female (and even more intimidating than ever), Disney may open itself to the criticism that it plays on a harmful subconscious association between female sexuality and evil intentions.

As said, Riksha was the only other female character which was used in order to balance out the female and male cast. However, Lupita's Raksha was the matriarch of Mowgli's wolf family, and a maternal figure who sacrifices for her brood. Therefore these two female portrayals in the male ensemble, then, are in firm opposition to one another. In this way, the film reinforces a stereotypical dichotomy: women can either be conniving seductresses or pure maternal figures.

As a result, despite the ethnically diverse cast, there is no actual diversity within Favreau’s version because there are no actual identities.

However what we can clearly see is that in 1967 movie the accents used were african-american accents however in the 2016 movie this was changed and the accents used were american therefore the representations avoids any association with black identity as the 2016's movie accents were american and more gangster like accents. 

In the 1967 movie the accents used were african-american accents however in the 2016 movie this was changed and the accents used were american therefore the representations avoids any association with black identity as the 2016's movie accents were american and gangster like accents.

The voice in the 2016 trailer and movie as a whole has changed in a more aggressive way which is represented by the way in which the characters talk in. For example when King Louie says ''humans are forbidden here'' which was said in a very high tone, aggressive and frightening way which is contrasted to the 1967 trailer as in the 1967 original production/version the voice and how the characters were talking was in a very calm and nice way. 

Part b

Discuss how these films were marketed and the value earned by the company. Using media language discuss the effects of technology on targeting an older audience in the 2016 version.

Marketing of the Jungle book film 

- Sean Bailey, president of production for Disney, called JB16 ‘one of the most technologically advanced movies ever made’.

- The world premier, like a red carpet

- Poster

- Games

- Snapchat 

- Bloggers

- Celebrity endorsement

- Social media was used with largely, facebook, twitter, instagram campaign along with youtube and viral marketing campaigns. 

- Social media adverts

•Do Something Remarkable – The Publicity Stunt

•Pre-Roll Video Advertising

•Be Smart With Press Events

• Let your viewers experience the story

•Video Marketing

• Create a visually compelling & functional sub-site

• Make your Facebook Page Interactive

• Use social competitions & quizzes

• Using Celebrity & Brand Partnerships

•Using Memes & Other Forms of UGC

The Jungle book firstly produced in the 1967 was the most successful movie of all times ever. It had massive success and even today, it is more successful and famous than the new 2016 release. This could have been because it is older and more people have watched it and due to its marketing and advertising too. For the new 2016 release, there has been a lot of modern and advanced technology used such as Photoshop and graphic programmes. 

The total budget for the film was $4,000,000 however it grossed $141,843,612 and it was produced in the USA. it was shown in many other countries such as the UK, Germany and Sweden however it was most popular at the country it was made in- USA. It was estimated to be the 29th highest grossing film of all time in the USA.

The production of the Jungle Book (1967) did not use much marketing, other than adverts, posters and cinema sign as a result of the lack in the technology in these times, unlike nowadays where the technology is much more advanced. In the 1967's there was not a lot of competition especially in the animation industry which helped to make it such as popular movie. 

In comparison, the 2016 movie was marketed much more. It used the social media websites such as Facebook, instagram and twitter to make fan pages. Moreover, the production company hel a fan event where sneak peeks were spread and some of the actors were introduced too, where they also held many teaser trailers to make the fans excited and interested in order for them to watch the film. The Disney parks got involved too in marketing the film as they had sand models of characters from the film in ''Animal Kingdom' (one of the Disney theme parks). This lead to the release of pictures on social media which made it more and more popular and known as social media is used by nearly everyone nowadays. 

Re-visualizing every shot in the movie to create a roadmap:  MPC used a combination of digital filmmaking, motion-capture, and video-game production tools to allow the filmmakers to view in real-time virtual sets and elements to be composited later. Next, they filmed a single human actor, Neel Sethi, who plays Mowgli, in native stereoscopic 3-D on a series of sets, pieces of sets, and on green-screen and motion-capture stages.  The ultimate goal was to combine his image and movement seamlessly with sophisticated, photo-real, character animation and background animated elements producing what eventually evolved into a stunningly photo-real "animated" movie. This explains some of the technology used for the production of the movie.

The atmosphere and mise en scene were drastically changed for the new production of the 2016 movie. Compared to the 1967 movie, where the movie was basically an animation with childish representations of the characters and voices who were very humorous and calm the 2016's production was a much more serious version of the original film. The aspects which were changed were the mise en scene, colours used and the voice of characters. 

Firstly, the colours used changed into more darker, unsaturated colours which created a duller and more sinister mise en scene that was effective as it attracted more people to watch it and especially men. Furthermore, most shots that are seen in the 2016 trailer are of dull and dark places which build up tension and make the atmosphere and mise en scene look more mysterious and frightening too. The main colour used are dark green and black. Black is classified as a mysterious colour and is used in order to hide and cover something which imploies that there is a barrier which links to the Jungle Book movie a s there is a barrier in the jungle where humans are in reality forbidden however Mowgli is still there. Also, it connotes fear and evil which is also created by the places of where the shots are taken which conveys pesimism and a lack of hope in the atmosphere. This can link to the fact that there is no hope for Mowgli to survive in the jungle however this can only be proven right or wrong once watched the movie. The black is a powerful, strong and sophisticated colour which symbolises the characters of the jungle book especially Shere Khan as he is a powerful and dominant character who is ruling the jungle and everyone obeys him. 

Whereas the dark green colour is used to portray the dangerous nature which the jungle consists of and also has connotations of jealousy. However, on the other hand is evokes the feeling of peacefullness. The fact that the green colour is used to create the sense of peacefulness suggests that it portrays the other side of the jungle, the peaceful and calm side of it. The two colours: black and green are both used in order to portray the two contrasting sides of the jungle. The dark, sinister and dangerous side of the jungle and its 

peaceful and calm side. 

Analyzing Movies - 17/10/18

Analyizing Movies-  17th October 2018

Avengers Infinity War trailer 2- Franchise

Disney owns Marvel

Avengers owned by Disney

Todorov's theory- suggests that all narratives follow a three part structure where they begin with equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when equilibrium is restored.

Codes definitions

Decoding- understanding a media text. The process of making meaning or understanding the media text is called decoding. 

Codes- they can be visual (can be seen) or aural (can be heard). Codes have symbolic value. An example of this is wearing glasses in our society as it connotes that they symbolise intelligence (glasses are the code).

Tv drama, magazines and videogames use these symbolic codes to generate character types and character archetypes. 

Enigma code- This code refers to mystery within a text. Clues are dropped but no clear answers are given. the narrative makes the audience want to know more. 

Shots definitions

Sound effects definitons

Diegetic sound- sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film. 

- voice of characters

- sounds made by objects in the story

- music represented as coming from instruments in the story space ( = source music)

- diegetic sound is any sound presented as originated from source within the film§s world.

Non diegetic sound- a sound that the characters cannot hear only the audience can. Sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has been implied in the action

- the commentary of the narrator

- mood music

- sound effects which is added for the dramatic effect

- non diegetic sound is represented as coming from the source outside story space

Editing definitons

Shot-reverse-shot

This is when the camera and the editing changes the focus depending on who is talking. When someone is talking the camera is focused on them and it changes when a different person speaks. The camera is shooting at whoever is speaking and taking the action at the moment. 

Eyeline match

A film editing technique associated with the continuity editing system. It is based on the premise that an audience will want to see what the character on-screen is seeing.

Parallel editing/shooting

Technique of continiously alternating 2 or more scenes that often happen simultaneously (at the same time) but in different locations. 

Star wars: The Force Awakens Trailer ( Official )

The shot used is a close shot therefore this shot is used in order to show the audience more detail of the subject therefore the person and to create emotional connection for the audience. However in this case he is dressed in a balaclava/ scarf head cover is therefore the audience does not get a clear view of the emotions neither the facial expression. 

The fact that he has his head covered with this head scarf ca connote that he does not want to be seen or that he does not want his emotions to be seen. Therefore, in this way he wants to be seen as powerful and have an emotionless face. The mise en scene is quite dull and dark having negative connotations. 

The non diegetic sound used is the background music and the sound effects added to create a dramatic effect and the music is kind of exciting. 

Muted colours used/dull and dark

Mowgli looks lost

Wide shot

Mise en scene blurred and there is fog

No lighting

The shot makes Mawli look vulnerable, insignificant and lost

There is nobody with him so he is lonely