Over
the next few weeks, I will be putting up case studies of Hollywood,
Independent and British films to help my A level Film Studies students
learn more about the finance, organisation, production, distribution and
exhibition of different types of films. These case studies can be used
in their exam when discussing the American and British film industries. This is the second. The first on Prometheus is here.
Director:
Joe
Cornish ‘first appeared on British TV screens in 1997 as co-star and co-creator
of 'The Adam and Joe Show', a home-made comedy show famous for its sketches,
songs and animations satirizing pop culture... Cornish has also
directed the two Channel 4 comedy pilots 'Modern Toss' and 'Blunder', both of
which were commissioned as series, as well as an intimate documentary on the
making of the hit BBC comedy show 'Little Britain'. http://www.film4.com/features/article/attack-the-block
‘Block
is the directorial debut of Joe Cornish, a sometime writer
partner of Edgar Wright who worked with the filmmaker on The
Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn and Ant-Man.
Wright is even an exec producer on the film, which has a pretty high budget for
a U.K. pic’ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/why-attack-block-needs-sxsw-167000
Though this
is a British film with a relatively small budget compared to Hollywood
blockbusters, Attack the Block still
has a high budget for a British film.
Investors would normally be reluctant to give first time filmmakers £13
million to make a British film with a cast of mostly unknowns, set in a tower
block and featuring characters that open the movie mugging an innocent nurse.
However Joe
Cornish has had a great deal of experience in television and has developed a
strong following with his radio and television shows. He is also co-writing Spielberg’s latest film
with Edgar Wright who recently had a huge international hit with Shaun of the Dead. Like that film, Attack the Block takes very English characters, stars and settings
and mixes them with a popular genre. So the science fiction element could help to
draw in bigger crowds and therefore make investors feel more comfortable
putting in £13 million. Also casting Nick Frost might draw in
international fans of Shaun of the
Dead, helping Attack the Block
sell worldwide.
Budget:
‘The
film is developed by Big Talk with Film4 through a slate deal jointly funded by
Film4 and the UK Film Council’ http://www.film4.com/features/article/attack-the-block
Production companies:
Studio
Canal ‘is
the pan European film, production and sales distribution arm of French media
group, Canal+. The UK arm, formerly known as Optimum Releasing, has established
a reputation for an innovative approach to distribution and has enjoyed success
with a varied mix of film titles across all genres... 2011 has seen the company
enjoy its biggest ever box office returns in the UK with successes… Duncan
Jones’ Source Code’ http://www.studiocanal.co.uk/Home/AboutUs
Film4 ‘is Channel 4 Television’s
feature film division. Film4 develops and co-finances films and is known for
working with the most innovative talent in the UK, whether new or established.
Film4 has developed and co-financed many of the best UK films of recent years,
films like Slumdog Millionaire… Hunger… Nowhere Boy and Four Lions’ http://www.film4.com/features/article/company-credits-attack-the-block
‘Since its
creation in 2000 the UK Film Council
has backed more than 900 films, shorts and features, which have won over 300
awards and entertained more than 200 million people around the world generating
£5 for every £1 of Lottery money it has invested.
British
films developed and funded over the past 10 years by the UK Film Council
include The King's Speech… This Is England, Touching the Void… Lynne Ramsay's
We Need To Talk About Kevin and Andrea Arnold's Wuthering Heights’ http://www.film4.com/features/article/company-credits-attack-the-block
Big Talk
Productions ‘is a
multi-award winning Film and TV Production Company… Its credits include Spaced,
Black Books… and the hit movies Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz, as well as
last year’s critically acclaimed Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
In October
2007 Big Talk's film arm, Big Talk Pictures completed a slate development
deal jointly funded by Film 4 and UK Film Council under which it
developed Attack The Block, and in September 2009 the company completed a first
look financing and distribution deal with Optimum/Studio Canal to continue
to expand its film ambitions.
Big Talk's
most recent release is Paul - written by and starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost
and directed by Greg Mottola for Universal/Working Title Films’ http://www.film4.com/features/article/company-credits-attack-the-block
No
funding from the Hollywood studios but mostly financed by British companies and
the UK Film Council which is a
funding body set up to help produce films that promote British culture and tell
British stories. Interestingly two of these companies are very involved in
television which suggests Joe Cornish is likely to have had a working
relationship with them before shooting his first feature film.
Production:
‘Attack The Block takes place in Wyndham
House in South London, but there's no point trying to find it on Google Maps.
It doesn't exist. Instead, it's a composite of a number of London locations – a
bit of Islington here, and a lot of the Heygate Estate in Elephant & Castle
there. Heygate has been seen in the likes of Hereafter and Harry Brown and gave
director Joe Cornish exactly what he was looking for’ http://www.film4.com/features/article/location-attack-the-block
Shooting on location
adds to the realism of this British film that makes it stand out from much of
Hollywood’s science fiction output. It
also will save the producers money as less sets have to be built.
“I
don’t think there’s enough movement and action in British cinema” Joe Cornish, Production
notes
Technology:
‘ATTACK THE BLOCK started filming in
March 2010, for eleven weeks. Six of those were on location... “The technique we used is quite old-school,” Cornish
concedes. “I didn’t want to do CGI creatures because a) we couldn’t afford them
and b) I wanted there to be something in front of the camera. I’m fed up with
the aesthetics of CGI creatures”’ Production notes
‘ATTACK THE BLOCK’s Visual Effects Supervisor Ged Wright received
an Oscar nomination this year for his work on Iron Man 2.’ Production notes
‘the
visual effects aren't terribly impressive, but they're also not crucial -- the
movie's focuses instead on the quirky character dynamic and the related social
ramifications’ http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/attack-block
Cornish: ‘I knew they [the aliens] had to be
practical. I knew we couldn’t afford CGI
creatures. And I wanted them to be practical, because I love the practical
work in movies that I saw when I was growing up. I wanted to use some digital,
but with a lightness of touch. I always feel digital is best used to enhance
what’s already present, than to create it from the ground up... They
designed this terrific costume-suit, and then we shot that, and then there’s a
little bit of enhancement by a company called Digital Negative, and a very
brilliant European company called Fido. So the
end result is a combination of practical, with a little bit of digital’
http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/880199/joe_cornish_interview_attack_the_block_monster_design_and_british_scifi_on_a_budget.html
Stars:
‘A fast, funny, frightening action
adventure movie that pits a teen gang against an invasion of savage alien
monsters, Attack The Block stars Jodie
Whittaker (St.
Trinians, Venus) and
newcomers John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones and Simon Howard.
The supporting cast includes Nick Frost (Shaun Of The Dead,
Hot Fuzz) and Luke Treadaway
(Clash Of The Titans)’ http://www.film4.com/features/article/attack-the-block
‘Frost first came to prominence as the gun-mad
character Mike Watt in Channel 4’s Spaced.
Since then, Frost has become one of the U.K.’s most sought-after actors.
He earned a nomination for Most Promising Newcomer by the British Independent
Film Awards for his role in the cult zombie movie Shaun of the Dead, starring
opposite Simon Pegg. Frost
again starred with Pegg in the hugely successful hit comedy Hot Fuzz. Frost’s other film credits
include Kinky Boots, Penelope, Wild Child and The Boat That
Rocked’ Production notes
The
use of unknowns is risky for
investors, meaning the budget has to be little compared to international star
filled Hollywood blockbusters. However,
there is also more realism if unknown actors are used and many horror films do
not have stars in order to make it less obvious who will survive and who will
die. The inclusion of Nick Frost does help the film and he
was featured prominently in much of the
marketing. The supporting cast of
Jodie Whittaker and Luke Treadaway may also be known to British audiences as
they have appeared in plenty of television and theatre work.
Attack the Block
is rated 15 in the UK. As it has a much
lower budget than a Hollywood blockbuster such as Prometheus, it can afford to
have a higher rating. It does not have
to convince families and younger audience members to come and see it as it does
not have to make such a huge amount of money to be profitable. In fact, as it is a horror/science fiction,
it might make it more appealing to the target audience if they know it is going
to be more ‘adult’.
Distribution
A great summary of the marketing including posters, trailers,
premiere, interviews, merchandise and website can be found here http://elinadaviesmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/attack-block-marketing-campaign.html
‘The marketing of the film is
interesting, attempting to push the film onto a real cross-section of
audiences. Produced by Nira
Park, Britain’s go-to producer of ‘indie’ comedies with appeal across the
pond (Shaun of the Dead [2004], Paul [2011]), the film also
strives to appeal to a Kidulthood
(2006) youth market, including the working class teenagers which are its focus’
http://www.alternatetakes.co.uk/?2011,5,295
Some great interviews with cast and director http://www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=1263
‘International sales are being handled by
Studio Canal International. Distribution is through Studio Canal's direct
territories: Optimum Releasing UK, Kinowelt Germany and Studio Canal France’ http://www.film4.com/features/article/attack-the-block
‘The movie doesn't have a distributor... American
execs are wary... There is talk of
having subtitles for any North American release.
More
than that, there is even excited talk of getting the movie's remake rights and
making a U.S. version of the film.
SXSW
has proven to be a venue where a strong showing can lead to a release deal.
Last year, Gareth Edwards' Monsters had its U.S.
premiere there and its strong showing led to an acquisition by Magnet
Releasing’ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/why-attack-block-needs-sxsw-167000
‘thanks
to Sony Pictures Worldwide and Screen Gems, audiences here in America are going
to be treated like adults who can actually decipher an accent or two, and
"Attack The Block" will be released’ http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/motion-captured/posts/screen-gems-buys-attack-the-block-for-american-distribution
Nick
Frost, the science fiction genre elements and ‘from the producers of Shaun of
the Dead’ are all highlighted in much of the marketing.
But the distinctive British location, language and characters are also
emphasised. Film festivals are often essential for spreading word of mouth about smaller films. They can win competitions, awards and gain valuable attention from film fans and the press.
Exhibition
‘Our new film Attack the Block written
and directed by Joe Cornish has premiered to the world at in Austin, Texas at
world renowned music, film and interactive festival South By Southwest to
critical and audience acclaim’ http://www.bigtalkproductions.com/attack-the-block-world-premiere-at-sxsw/
‘The stars of British action-adventure
Attack The Block will ‘tool-up’ for the UK premiere in London’s prestigious
Leicester Square on Wednesday 4 May... Attack The Block will be released in
cinemas in the UK and Ireland on Wednesday 11 May by Optimum’ http://www.purplerevolver.com/movies/reel-news/121468-attack-the-block-sci-fi-movie-premieres-in-london.html
$137,580
(USA) (31 July 2011) (8 Screens)
£1,133,859 (UK) (15 May 2011) (352 Screens) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1478964/business
£1,133,859 (UK) (15 May 2011) (352 Screens) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1478964/business
Opening
weekend figures were very low compared to Hollywood blockbusters. It was also released on far fewer screens
than a Hollywood blockbuster would be.
The distributors will hope for the release to go wider as word of mouth
spreads as they will not spend as much on marketing as the biggest blockbusters
do.
Reception
‘In places it’s as good as many of the
films that Cornish has noted inspired it, such as Critters, Gremlins, and The Warriors. It’s scary, funny, exciting,
with great performances and memorable characters. The largely practical special
effects are brilliant and inventive. The score is fantastic. It looks as good
as any action film from the past decade’ http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/882227/how_attack_the_block_redefines_the_highconcept_movie.html
A great deal of the reviews and interviews highlighted the films debt to American genre films. This would no doubt help the film to appeal to international audiences who are fans of Hollywood blockbusters.
And that's Attack the Block in a nutshell. I hope you enjoyed it and find it useful.
