LEGO MOVIE

The lego movie: industry research                                    09.09.20

LO: to research the process, companies and regulators behind the film industry.

1.find out the process behind how a film is produced, distributed, marketed and exhibited. who does what and in what order?

there are multiple stages (as represented by the picture below), including a range of stages that needs to be completed to produce, distribute ,market and exhibit a film.

2. what is a conglomerate?

A media conglomerate, media group, or media institution is a company that owns numerous companies involved in mass media enterprises, such as television, radio, publishing, motion pictures, theme parks, or the Internet. one big company made up of smaller companies.

3. who are the "big six" Hollywood film studios?

20th Century Fox, 

Paramount Pictures,

 Warner Bros., 

Universal Pictures, 

Columbia Pictures, 

 Walt Disney Studios

4. who regulates films in the UK?

the British Board of Film Classification

5. which two main companies produced the Lego movie? (2014)

warner bros. 

Lin pictures

6.who was the producer of the Lego movie?

Dan Lin

Roy Lee

7.  who directed the Lego movie?

Chris Miller

Phil Lord

8. how was the lego movie funded?

Half of the film's cost was financed by Village Roadshow Pictures.

9. who distributed the lego movie?

Warner Bros. Pictures.

we watched the lego movie            14.09.20

After the movie                                                     21.09.20

main narrative: a regular person finds out he is a master builder (or "special one") despite him always following the rule book. him and other master builders have to figure out how to stop president business glueing everyone to the spot their in to maintain his idealistic normality.  

messages: believe in yourself, use your imagination, everybody is special in their own way

cast list: 

 Emmet - Chris Pratt

Lucy - Elizabeth banks 

President Business - Will Farrell 

the man upstairs - Will Farrell

Bad cop/good cop - Liam Neeson

Finn - Jadon Sand

Vitruvius - Morgan Freeman                                                                             

Superman - Channing Tatum

unikitty - Alison Brie 

metal beard - Nick offerman

Benny - Charlie Day

lego/ warner brothers products mentioned-  dc comics, e.g superman, batman, wonder woman and green lantern. lord of the rings, harry potter. star wars. ninjago

duplo

 places: 

bricksburg,

cloud cuckoo land, 

the old west, 

octan tower, 

middle zealand 

Atlantis
Cape Space
Dino Island
Forest of Obsolete Products
Middle Zealand
The Old West
Pharaoh's Quest
Pirate's Cove
Technic Mecha Mine
Viking's Landing
Vladek's Real.

intertextuality

LO: to explore the intertextuality of The Lego Movie

postmodern film 

• challenges genre conventions (mixture of genres or opposite to normal genre).
• pastiche: imitates other texts, humorous take on society/culture
• hyper-reality: makes the audience aware that they are watching a movie. (talking to the camera). 

The Lego Movie: Narrative Theory                        23.09.20

LO:to apply narrative theory to the lego movie.

Todorov: narrative theory:

1. equilibrium-  everything in the film world is normal (not necessarily good , but it is normal)
2. disruption- something happens (usually caused by the film's main antagonist) to disrupt norma life. 
3. recognition of disruption- the protagonist/s realise that something is wrong, or discover's something has happened.
4. attempt to solve disruption- the main protagonist goes on a journey to solve/fix the problem.
5. new equilibrium- the disruption is solved and new normality occurs, sometimes things may not be the same, but they're better than before.

equilibrium - everything is normal, Emmet wakes up and follows the instructions like everyday. everything is fine 

disruption- Emmet doesn't know yet, but we as the audience, find out what President business is planning to do on taco tuesday. Emmet sees Wyldstyle and follows her, then proceeds to fall down a tunnel.

recognition of disruption- Emmet finds the piece of resistance and Wyldstyle tells him about President Business' plans. and he finds out he is 'the special'.

attempt to solve- Emmet and wyldstyle go to cloud cuckoo land and meet the hero team. they go to president business and try to get the piece of resistance to the kragle. the master builders get captured. Emmet goes into the hole of nothingness (travels to the real world) to try and get the piece of resistance. 

new equilibrium- finn convinces the man upstairs that everything doesn't have to be perfect emmet returns to his world and convinces president business he doesn't have to do it. he puts the piece of resistance on the kragle and helps to clean up his mistakes (glue). everything goes back to normal until the duplo arrives. 

propps spheres of action

the hero- Emmet and Finn

the villain- lord business

the donor- Vitruvius 
the helper- wyldstyle

the princess- wyldstyle 

the dispatcher- wyldstyle and vitruvius

the princess' father- vitruvius

the false hero- wyldstyle

watched the matrix    28.09.20

The lego movie: intertextuality                                 05.10.20
LO: to explore the similarities between The Matrix and The Lego Movie.

intertextuality 

means when a particular brand, character, movie, tv show or book is mentioned or referenced to in another movie. 

Lego Movie: target audience                                                                           07.10.20

LO: to identify the target audience using demographics and psychographics 

the movie targets a family audience

that could be split into the following three groups:

1. young kids that play with lego
2. parents who played with lego when they were young too
3. young adult (teenagers) cinema-goers 

the movie appeals to each part of the target audience, for young kids the film obviously involves lego that they are familiar with, but there is also really bright and bold colours that are exciting and fun for kids of that age. for parents, there are jokes that the adults will be able to understand and relate to, there are also mentions and characters that are form older lego sets that the parents might of played with and recognise. for young adults (teenagers) the film includes romance and storylines that those of that age would be able to understand and enjoy, for both the parents and teenagers there includes famous, well-know actors and actresses that the audience would be able to recognise such as Morgan Freeman and Chris Pratt. and if they knew who was acting in the film before they watch it , it may convince them to go and see it. the movie caters and appeals for both male and female audiences as there is romance and wyldstyle who is a strong, empowering female character. and for the boys it includes action and constructing. however, this can be very stereotypical as each gender can enjoy and dislike different parts of the film.

photoshop work and audience profile                                                12.10.20

(unfinished):

evaluate the advantages and the disadvantages of the intertextual relationship between the Matrix and the lego movie 

the advantages to the intertextual relationship between the Matrix and the lego movie  are that the older audiences who have watched and enjoyed the matrix, may want to watch the lego movie, because of the similar storyline, this will improve sales and profits. another advantage is that if a member of the audience enjoys the lego movie and has not watched the matrix, this may persuade them to watch the matrix, therefore increasing money for the warner brothers. 

the disadvantages include that the matrix was made at least twenty years ago, this may be good for the adult percentage of the audience, however for the younger generation, whom the most part of the audience is made up of, are least likely to have watched the matrix and therefore, may not understand the link. however, this does not mean that will make a difference to their enjoyment of the film. 

                                     Marketing                                    19.10.20

LO: to explore marketing & promotion of the lego movie: to link the methods to the target audience.

what is a 'tent-pole' production

is a program or film that supports the financial performance of a film studio or television network. A tent-pole film may be expected to support the sale of tie-in merchandise.

why was the lego movie a tent-pole production 

The Lego Movie was a Tent-Pole production because it was the most successful / highest earning movie of 2014, and because the Lego movie sold lots of movie-Lego related merchandise.

what are the benefits of that for warner bros.?

more money, more attention. they can make other films using the excess money made 

methods:

• interviews
• posters
• trailers
• red carpet premieres 
• billboards
• tv advertising
• press
• radio interviews 
• social media 
•  merchandise 

synergy

the simultaneous release of different products to booth both.

synergy can be used most often by bigger companies as the different elements then work together to promote linked products 

tie-in merchandise 

• different lego world sets
• videogame 
• school supplies (stationary) 
• sticker and activity books 
  
  

new character posters

lego stores linked events 

tweets 

batman sigfig characters 

teaming up with mcdonalds 

vertical integration

the parent company owns multiple companies across different stages of the film industry. the stage industry 

horizontal integration

the parent company owns multiple different companies from different sections; like gaming, publishing and sound are all different, but owned by one company.

1. conglomerate 

2. all the money goes back into the company, which can be used for other things

3. it helps promote linked products across different media 

4. vertical integration 

5.  reduce transportation cost, improve supply chain coordination

6. supports the bigger company, may include tie in merchandise 

7.  all the money doesn't have to be spread out among different companies, but goes back in 

                                             integration                                     21.10. 20

the guardian:

1.what are the building blocks of success?

the building blocks of success are that that a company or brand  will create a useful or entertaining film/experience targeted at their biggest part of the audience (in this case it was children). 

2. what did lego do right? 

they brought in thew right directors like Phil lord and Christopher Miller, who are great at creating good content that best fits for their  target audience. they also made sure that both the parents who will buy their children the merchandise will want to purchase it and will enjoy aspects of the film themselves. 

3. How has it laid the foundations for future success?

it has made sure it is available on dvd for those who would want to purchase it after they have watched it and enjoyed it. this will be used by the younger generation and the generations to com, and if people, buy the dvd and watch it continuously, they will be more likely to want to watch the later films in the franchise.  

zesty:

1. how has it got heart?

because it has a strong important narrative and storyline. it's fitting for its purpose and makes people feel emotion. 

2. how is it all about "you"

because the narrative and themes make us question it ourselves, like do we just follow the rules, do we just build and not create? this makes us think about the messages given in the film. 

3. how does it show that it knows its audience? 

by the use of hiring directors of adult comedy films, this ensures it will be enjoyable and cater for the parents and adults that will watch the films with their children. they also have comedy and characters for teens (like Wyldstyle) and bright colours and catchy sounds for the younger. 

the marketing of the lego movie exploits a range of different media forms, that gave a very successful, effective outcome.  an example of this is the merchandise for children, this includes the stationary set and activity books. this was successful as parents were more willing to buy a product that can be used in their child's education and school work than just a regular branded toy. 

 another example is the technological side of media, such as trailers on the internet, websites and videogames. videogames is an example of advertisement mainly aimed at the tween to teen age range, and the others can be aimed at any that typically are on the internet and places where the trailer could be played or broadcasted. these were effective because they increased sales and awareness of the film and lego itself.

         The Lego Movie: TV Advertising                         02.10.20

LO: To evaluate the methods used to market The Lego Movie: to link methods to the target audience.

what do tv adverts usually show:

• the product
• where you can buy it 
• why you should buy it

theatrical adverts:

• theatrical adverts are usually longer than tv ads. 

when/where should you broadcast the adverts:

• children's tv channels or before children's tv show
• mid afternoon
• if not on children's channels, then on bigger company channels, like itv or the bbc

notes:

it is important that the film does well on it's opening week. this is because it can make or break the film and or the film's brand. the advertisement needs to be enticing and will make the audience want to buy he product or watch the film.

the completely lego ad

7.27pm on Sunday the 9th of February 2014

five days before the movie was launched and it was played before dancing on ice, on ITV. it was a world first. 

different brands in the ad break:

british heart foundation

confused.com

BT 

premier inn

these were four familiar adverts, that were easily recognisable, even in lego.

synergy. by creating lego adverts with different brands, when the ad was shared, other people who wouldn't of usually seen the different companies adverts, did. and this increased sales and attention, not only to warner bros., lego and the movie, but also the companies they collaborated with. 

statistics:

nearly 6 million saw the advert live on tv

1.1 million went to view it on youtube, within one week. 

everybody watched the whole thing. 

it was written about in over 60 different consumer and trade publications.

no.1 in the UK box office 

it was the best performing movie in the UK 

the lego movie broke boundaries with branded marketing. they first of all created multiple ways of advertising and marketing the movie, all aimed at different sections of the target audience. an example of this is the video game they created. this was generally aimed for the teenage section of the target audience because that is generally the age range familiar with videogames and most technology. this increased popularity of the film because the players of the game did not necessarily have to have watched the film previously to them playing the game. their enjoyment of the film may of convinced them to watch the film, therefore increasing and improving attention and knowledge of the lego movie and or their brand. 

another example of the lego movie breaking boundaries is their tv advertisement, the world's first lego ad break, was a huge success. it not only helped the film, but it also exceeded the company's expectations, with nearly 6 million watching the ad break live, 1.1 million watching the entirety of the advert on youtube but also the hashtag  TheLEGOMovie increased 5 times every day. not only did putting it on youtube help with viewers, but it made it able to be shared across all social media platforms, aiding their success. 

this leads to the conclusion that the lego movie's marketing was completely successful. from targeting different audiences to blowing up on the internet, the lego movie was not only the UK no.1 on box office, but also the no.1 performing film of the whole of 2014. 

                                             video game                                     02.11.20

LO: to explain how vertical integration benefits companies; to analyse using uses & gratification theory.

video game 

game developers: TT Games,  Traveller's Tales, TT Fusion

game publishers: Warner bros. interactive entertainment, Feral Inactive 

release date: 7 February 2014

genre: Action-adventure game

what platforms: Android, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 3DS, Classic Mac OS

what games mode does it have: single player, multiplayer

                                          video game                              09.11.20

5 examples of recent film/video game releases:

• sonic the hedgehog (2020)
• jumanji
• spiderman
• tomb raider 
• assassins creed

why do companies often release tie-in video games alongside the films?

• familiarity- the brand and plot and characters are already known; recognition of the fact that we liked the film so may enjoy a game based on it.
• extends the pleasure of the film- a chance to continue to be 'a part' of the film we enjoyed. chance to play the roles we saw in the film.
• the game promotes the film, the film the game- efficient use of marketing of both products and increases potential audience as fans 'crossover' between the two platforms. 

uses and gratification 

p ersonal identity- helps us consider who we are; what ideas and values we identify with

i  nformation- new information we want to know or take pleasure in knowing 

e ntertainment- offers distraction from the world.

s ocial interaction- we find things os we can share and discuss with others 

explain how the lego movie video game cover is constructed to appeal to the target audience (7+)

you could talk about:

• content
• representation of different characters and worlds 
• values and ideology
• U&G
• context- link to movie 

the video game cover has been made to appeal to the younger target audience, by including many different concepts that would be interesting to an audience member of that age. 

an example of this is the use of colour palette. of course the classic known and loved yellow of the lego is bright and bold, but there are also multiple other primary colours that would be eye-catching and exciting to a child, like the blue of the spanner and the beaming red of the logo. this is effective as a child would automatically be drawn to the carefully chosen colour palette, perfectly suited to the target audience.

another example of being appealing to the younger target  audience  is the values and ideology presented in the cover. It first shows emmet holding a spanner, this is the main centre of attention and shows a good moral message of being able to create whatever you choose, and it will interest the young creators ,builders and lego-lovers in  the target audience. 

                             the lego movie: analysis                    11.11. 20

LO: dirt on analysis

comment (EBI & WWW): TV Advert notes - good. Well understood. Game cover analysis: excellent! WWW - you've explained why certain elements are used. EBI - Use the PEEL chain to structure your analysis; Use CONNOTATIONS to explain the appeal.

P: Identify media language (point)

E: evidence, describe element in detail

E: explain, explain why its used

L: link, link this to the appeal of target audience.

my corrections: 

the video game cover has been made to appeal to the younger target audience, by including many different concepts that would be interesting to an audience member of that age. 

an example of this is the use of colour palette. of course the classic known and loved yellow of the lego is bright and bold, connoting cheerfulness and familiarity of the brand, but there are also multiple other primary colours that would be eye-catching and exciting to a child, like the blue of the spanner and the beaming red of the logo, which with other colours like orange, connotes action and adventure, which again would be appealing to a young child a part of the designated target audience . another example of being appealing to the younger target  audience  is the values and ideology presented in the cover. It first shows emmet holding a spanner, this is the main centre of attention and shows a good moral message of being able to create whatever you choose, it connotes building and creativity, an appealing factor to young creators ,builders and lego-lovers in  the target audience because it shows something interesting that they themselves, would want to participate in. Wyldstyle is also present next to Emmet, this is a strong female character, inspiring and appealing to the young female gamers of the target audience, because of the usual lack of main character females in video games on the market. in conclusion, the colour palette and the presence of values and ideology are  effective as a child would automatically be drawn to the carefully chosen colour palette, action and adventure snippets and their favourite characters perfectly suited to the target audience.

                               poster campaign

LO: to explain the effectiveness of the campaign: to analyse the poster campaign.

 denotation: what is shown  

 connotation: what this tells us  

denotation: 

•  there is fire in the shape of a bat
• there are tall buildings behind the character
• there is smoke coming from the buildings
• there is a man in a black outfit stood solemnly and angrily

connotation:

• orange/red connotes danger and anger
• the darkness connotes death, misery and being alone
• the white suggests safety, and it is leaving the building and the blackness is covering the majority of the cover, this shows safety being destroyed and danger taking over.
• the bat could connote batman. 
• the fire could connote a warning, batman in danger
• skyscraper connotes city
• half-light and mask connotes mystery 
• block letters connotes masculinity

                                              poster campaign                           18.11.20

LO: to explain the effectiveness of the campaign; to analyse the representations on the poster campaign.

iconography  -  the visual elements, like props, that help to symbolise a particular genre. for example, iconography of a western film may include cowboy hats, guns and horses.

explain how the lego movie theatrical poster is constructed to appeal to its target audience. 

the lego movie theatrical poster is constructed to appeal to it's target audience by using different elements like iconography. an example of this is the explosion in the background. from this we can connote the film includes action and adventure. Another example of this is Emmet's facial expression, this is comical and symbolises comedy as it is differing form the other characters' determined emotion. the use of this iconography is effective as just from looking at the poster we can figure out what genre this film may be and whether or not we may enjoy it. this links to the appeal to the target audience because things like the robots (sci-fi) may appeal to the teen section of the target audience and things like the explosion (action/adventure) may be found more exciting to the younger audience, whom of which the film is aimed at. 

the colour palette also assists appeal to the target audience. the colours red, yellow and orange connote danger, fire,anger and love (mainly red here).

analyse how gender is represented in the poster campaign for the lego movie.

• female: wyldstyle is wearing makeup, has freckles and hair is tied back. 
• she also has pink incorporated in both her outift and hair, pink is commonly related to femininity and women.
•   these are stereotypical 'traits' in a female or classic feminine things. 
• 
  
• male: all the jobs pictured (wizard, construction worker business man and astronaut) are action related, and therefore male.
•  another example of gender representation is the job Vitruvius has. wizardry or being a wizard connotes power and status, this may show the power difference in today's world and society. 
• 
  Benny is wearing a blue outfit, instead of white. blue is typically masculine related. 

                                        representation                         23. 11. 20

LO: to analyse the representations throughout the lego movie promotional campaign.

gender

Men are presented in the lego movie campaign as heroic but able to be emotional  and uncontrolled. This is shown in the theatrical poster as Emmet is running away form danger and looking terrified while doing it, this shows that he is afraid of action and the presence of danger even if it is only slight. This subverts from the typical stereotype of men constantly being brave and eager for action and being in the centre of the situation and from the patriarchal society in which men are constantly needing to save people and not vice versa. 

wyldstyle

some elements of wyldstyle conform to stereotypical gender representations and some subverts them. an example of supporting is that she is wearing makeup  (more obviously seen in the teaser poster). this supports stereotypes as female characters are more likely to be shown wearing makeup as it is a more 'feminine' look. on the other hand, a way that wyldstyle subverts the stereotypical gender representations is the fact that she saves Emmet from trouble, constantly. this differs from regular female roles as it is usually the main male protagonist saving the female or 'damsel in distress'. another example is her outfit. She is wearing black, this is considered more masculine clothing than regular female characters in e.g disney films, where a females clothing consists predominantly  of skirts and dresses that are stereotypically considered more feminine. in the movie trailer wyldstyle is represented as strong and empowering, we can deduce this from wyldstyle's language as she says "we would rather he die" this is a powerful statement as it shows she is unafraid to stand up for herself, which again, subverts the typical gender stereotypes. this would be useful in broadening their audience as many films in this modern day, patriarchal society show women differently and it is refreshing to see a new more modern opinion and an empowering female character would be appealing to a female audience. 

vitruvius

• named after ancient roman engineer 
• no classic yellow skin, darker skin
• subverts media stereotype of darker skin stones being troublesome or crime committing 
• obviously an old man 

age

analyse how age is represented in the poster campaign for the lego movie:

• as the voice of reason and wisdom
• the elderly are still just as able as the younger
• the younger are more childish and excited (benny and unikitty) 
• near the back of the group so may show the old as physically weaker.

LO: to explore exam style questions and how to answer them effectively. 

section B paper 1 

4 questions 25 marks 

2 short questions 2 long questions

mark a minute 

• could be asked about following: 
• media language
• representations 
• audiences (target) 
• industries 

 

                                              lego movie assessment                 25.11. 20

LO: to consolidate and review the learning from the unit

completed on paper

                                   DIRT on assessment                        30.11.20

LO: to review and reflect on the unit assessment and set personal targets. 

score: 21/25

question 6: 1/1

question 7: 4/4              

question 8: 7/10     talk about other aspects, introduce more different examples. e.g on this particular                                      question i needed to talk about parents. at least three different examples

question 9: 9/10     talk about things only relating to the topic of the question in this case, i needed                                          to solely talk about gender and i could of focused on the colour palette, lord                                              business as the villain, patriarchy and the lack of female characters in the posters                                      too.