Film

• Black Panther


  A film text that could appear from 2021 onwards in the A-level Media Studies exam component one section B in the industries questions
• Marvel Studios


  A subsidiary company of Walt Disney Studios, famous for working within a huge number of Marvel comic related films, this is the 17th film within this particular franchise of superhero movies
• Marvel Studios


  • Part of a shared universe along with several other superhero movies
  • Vertically and horizontally integrated, can do their own distribution and marketing in-house
  • Have a huge number of facilities, resources and money
• Marvel Studios being part of the Walt Disney conglomerate


  Means they were able to use Disney to distribute their film
• Disney's 360 degree marketing campaign


  The idea that in no matter what direction you turn you should be confronted with images of their movies
• Marketing materials for Black Panther

  • Posters
  • Trailers
  • Social media pages
  • Merchandise
  • Actors appearing in chat shows and magazines
• Synergetic products for Black Panther

  • Action figures and toys by Hasbro
  • Limited-edition cars by Lexus
  • Soundtrack by Kendrick Lamar
• Trailers


  Edited to show the best and most exciting parts of the film, made it clear Black Panther was part of the shared Marvel Universe
• Trailer distribution


  • Officially shown in the ad break of the Super Bowl
• Black Panther released during Black History Month


  Allowed it to be marketed as tied to black history and cultural heritage
• Disney's partnership with New York Fashion Week

  • Created a fashion show called "Welcome to Wakanda" using clothes inspired by the film
• The Black Panther trailer was viewed 19 million times in the first 24 hours on YouTube
• Social media marketing


  • Using hashtags and live-streaming Q&As on Twitter
  • Black Panther became the most tweeted about film ever
• Actor appearances


  • On chat shows, breakfast TV, and at Comic-Con
• There was a Snapchat filter for Black Panther
• Disney owned Marvel Studios but agreed to have minimal creative influence over the products that Marvel made
• Marvel started off as a comic book company and has historically been involved in making a large range of comic-book products
• Marvel owned the rights to many of their characters developed through their comic books, and sometimes sold the rights to other companies
• Marvel retained the rights to Black Panther as they knew they wanted to make a film about the character
• Marvel has found a successful formula of superhero movies based on shared universes, which makes their films less risky and more mainstream and profitable
• Factors that make Black Panther a low-risk, high-success film

  • Based on a successful existing franchise
  • Part of a shared universe with millions of fans worldwide
  • Made by two of the biggest companies in the world, Marvel and Walt Disney
  • Had a high budget
  • Featured famous actors
  • Based on a popular genre, superhero movies
• Factors that make Black Panther a more risky or less mainstream film


  • Black Panther is one of the lesser known Marvel characters
  • Had an almost entirely black cast, which is still seen as a risk
  • Offered diverse and positive roles for black actors and actresses, which was unusual
• Previous films with black actors in lead roles tended to be more typically social realist style films or very overtly comic roles
• Black Panther offered a variety of positive roles for black actors and actresses, which was quite unusual and appealing to audiences
• Black Panther also offered strong, dominant, and powerful female roles, which was appealing for female audiences
• The mainstream media has often ignored issues of diversity and representation, and Black Panther tackled these social issues
• Disney has been trying to change the way they represent ethnicity and race in their films in recent years, and Black Panther may be part of this strategy
• 12A certificate


  You can go see it on your own if you are 12 and over, or be accompanied by an adult if under 12
• There was some controversy over the 12A certificate due to the level of violence in the film, but the BBFC argued it was in line with the Marvel franchise
• Distributing films globally requires consideration of different countries' regulations, which can impact the content and marketing of the film
• The poster for the Chinese market covered the actor's faces, which caused controversy as it was seen as an attempt to conceal the lead black actor
• I Daniel Blake will only ever appear in the industries section of an A-level exam
• Ken Loach


  • Directed I Daniel Blake
  • Works for 16 films, a small independent production company
  • Focused on social realism as a genre
• Why not productions


  A French company that partnered with 16 films to produce I Daniel Blake
• E1 productions


  Responsible for the distribution and marketing of I Daniel Blake
• The BBC and BFI provided funding for I Daniel Blake
• Funding from the BBC and BFI


  Meant the film had to fulfill certain obligations, such as being innately British, niche, alternative, and culturally significant
• Low budget


  Meant the production had to be very specific, filming mostly on real locations with improvised acting
• BBC's remit


  To produce informative, educational, and diverse content, which is reflected in I Daniel Blake
• Ken Loach


  • Known for being left-wing, liberal, and exploring problems in Britain caused by government policy
  • Staunchly a Labour supporter and anti-Conservative