THE BLOCKBUSTER BLOCKBUSTER ORIGINS THE TERM BLOCKBUSTER 1
THE BLOCKBUSTER
BLOCKBUSTER ORIGINS • THE TERM ’BLOCKBUSTER’ 1 ST APPEARED IN THE EARLY 1940’S WHEN REFERRING TO A BOMB CAPABLE OF DESTROYING AN ENTIRE CITY BLOCK • WAS USED AS A METAPHOR WHEN REFERRING TO FILMS, INDICATING SOMETHING SUCCESSFUL ON A DRAMATIC SCALE • A ’BLOCKBUSTER’ IS TYPICALLY USED WHEN REFERRING TO A FILM WITH A LARGE BUDGET ($100+ MILLION) AND AN ENSEMBLE OF THE TOP HOLLYWOOD ACTORS
BLOCKBUSTER ORIGINS • STEVEN SPIELBERG’S JAWS, RELEASED IN 1975, WAS THE ST 1 FILM OF THE ”BLOCKBUSTER ERA” • JAWS WAS SEEN AS A CULTURAL PHENOMENON, FAST-PACED EXCITING ENTERTAINMENT, WHICH BECAME A COMMON TOPIC OF CONVERSATION, INSPIRING REPEATED VIEWINGS • JAWS GROSSED MORE THAN $250 MILLION A INMERICA, WHICH ESTABLISHED A STANDARD FOR B ’ LOCKBUSTER’ MOVIES • IN 1977, STAR WARS WAS RELEASED & SET A NEW BOX OFFICE RECORD AND LASTED MORE THAN 1 YEAR IN THEATERS
BLOCKBUSTER ORIGINS • AFTER THE SUCCESS OF JAWS & STAR WARS, HOLLYWOOD PRODUCERS ATTEMPTED TO CREATE SIMILAR “EVENT” FILMS W/ WIDE COMMERCIAL APPEAL AND INCREASINGLY LARGE BUDGETS, WHILE RELYING EXTENSIVELY ON MASSIVE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS LEADING UP TO THEATRICAL RELEASE • JAWS & STAR WARS WERE PROTOTYPES FOR THE “SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER” TREND, IN WHICH PRODUCTION COMPANIES & DISTRIBUTORS PLANNED THEIR ANNUAL MARKETING STRATEGY AROUND A BIG RELEASE BYJULY 4 TH, HOPING TO ATTRACT AUDIENCES OVER THE SUMMER, TYPICALLY A SLOW TIME FOR TICKET SALES
BLOCKBUSTER ORIGINS • OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS AFTERJAWS & STAR WARS, ‘BLOCKBUSTER’ MOVIES RELEASED INCLUDED: • CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND(1977) • SUPERMAN (1978) • ALIEN (1979) • RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) • E. T. (1982) • GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) • BEVERLY HILLS COP (1984) • BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985)
ELEMENTS OF A BLOCKBUSTER • BECAUSE THEY ARE DESIGNED TO ATTRACT THE BROADEST POSSIBLE AUDIENCE, MOST BLOCKBUSTER MOVIES SHARE 4 COMMON ELEMENTS 1. VERY SIMPLE STORYLINES • EASY TO UNDERSTAND • CREATED TO BE ACCESSIBLE TO A GLOBAL AUDIENCE • CREATED AROUND “GOOD VS. EVIL” & HAVE UNIVERSALAPPEAL (LORD OF THE RINGS, SPIDERMAN) & STORYLINES WHERE GLOBAL DESTRUCTION IS AVERTED (ARMAGEDDON, INDEPENDENCE DAY). • THEY ENGAGE AUDIENCES WITH STORIES THAT RELATE TO UNIVERSAL HOPES & FEARS.
ELEMENTS OF A BLOCKBUSTER • 2. EASY TO UNDERSTAND CHARACTERS • HAVE SIMPLE PSYCHOLOGICAL STATES THAT ARE EASILY UNDERSTOOD BY YOUNGER AUDIENCES • INCLUDES CHARACTERS WHOSE MOTIVATION IS TO ‘SAVE THE WORLD’ OR SAVE THE ONE THEY LOVE
ELEMENTS OF A BLOCKBUSTER 3. BLOCKBUSTERS ARE MARKETED ON THEIR L ‘ OOK’ • INCLUDE EXCITING SPECIAL EFFECTS, SUCH AS PYROTECHNIC DISPLAYS & COMPUTER-GENERATED IMAGERY CGI) ( • EXCITE AUDIENCES THROUGH VISUAL DISPLAY • THE HUGE ACTION SET PIECES OFPEARL HARBOR, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, & TITANIC ARE EXAMPLES
ELEMENTS OF A BLOCKBUSTER 4. BLOCKBUSTERS BECOME A BRAND • MERCHANDISING, THE SALE OF TOYS, APPAREL, GAMES, & MYRIAD OF OTHER MERCHANDISE, ARE TYPICALLY THE GREATEST REWARD & PROVIDED THE GREATEST FINANCIAL RETURN AFTER BOX-OFFICE TICKET SALES
E. T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL • RELEASED IN 1982 BYUNIVERSAL PICTURES • DIRECTED BY STEVEN SPIELBERG • PRODUCED BY KATHLEEN KENNEDY & STEVEN SPIELBERG • BUDGET OF $10. 5 MILLION • GROSSED $359 MILLION INNORTH AMERICA; $619 MILLION WORLDWIDE • WON 4 ACADEMY AWARDS • BEST ORIGINAL SCORE • BEST SOUND EFFECTS EDITING • BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
E. T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL • THE IDEA OF E. T. WAS DEVELOPED AFTER AN IMAGINARY FRIEND SPIELBERG CREATED AFTER HIS PARENT’S DIVORCE IN 1960 • HENRY THOMAS WAS CAST TO PLAYELLIOTT • PAT WELSH VOICED E. T. SHE SMOKED 2 PACKS OF CIGARETTES A DAY WHICH GAVE HER VOICE A QUALITY THAT SOUND EFFECTS DIRECTOR BEN BURT LIKED. SHE RECORDED HER PART FOR 9. 5 HOURS AND WAS PAID $380 FOR HER WORK • DREW BARRYMORE WAS CAST AS GERTIE BECAUSE SHE HAD THE RIGHT IMAGINATION TO PLAY THE MISCHIEVOUS CHARACTER
INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK • RELEASED IN 1981 • GENRE: ACTION-ADVENTURE • DIRECTED BY STEVEN SPIELBERG • WRITTEN BY GEORGE LUCAS • RELEASED BY PARAMOUNT PICTURES • FIRST INSTALLMENT OF THE INDIANA JONES FILM FRANCHISE
INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST • ARK STARS HARRISON FORD AS INDIANA JONES • PRODUCTION WAS BASED AT ELSTREE STUDIOS IN ENGLAND; ALSO FILMED IN FRANCE, HAWAII, TUNISIA, &CALIFORNIA • NOMINATED FOR 8 ACADEMY AWARDS; WON 4 • BEST ART DIRECTION • BEST FILM EDITING • BEST SOUND • BEST VISUAL EFFECTS • WON BEST PICTURE AT THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS • GROSSED $383 MILLIONWORLDWIDE; ONE OF THE TOPGROSSING FILMS OF ALL TIME • CONSIDERED ONE OF THE TOP 100 MOVIES OF ALL TIME • 3 MORE INDIANA JONES MOVIES: TEMPLE OF DOOM (PREQUEL), THE LAST CRUSADE, KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
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