Grand Budapest Hotel Research

Task 1 Research


1) What is Indian Paintbrush and who owns it?

Steven M. Rales owns Indian Paintbrush which is a production and distribution company. It has produced films like The Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom and Fantastic Mr. Fox. The company is based in California and was founded in 2006.

2) Which company is Fox Searchlight a subsidiary of?

It is a subsidiary of the Fox Entertainment Group, which is a sister company of 20th Century Fox.

3) Which type of films do Fox Searchlight distribute?  
They specialise in distributing independent films, British films, dramedy films, horror films and non-English language films.

4) Which two countries financed the film?
Britain and Germany financed the film, it was a co-production between the two countries. It was filmed in Germany and financed by German film-funding organisations and financial companies.

5) What did Anderson use instead of CGI (computer generated imagery)?
A three meter tall handmade miniature model was used for wide shot of the hotel, he also built models for things such as the tree-spotted hill and the funicular railway.

6) Where did the inspiration for the Hotel come from?
They looked at vintage pictures at the Library of Congress of European holiday spots and hotels, as well as locales like the Palace Bristol Hotel, the Grandhotel Pupp (Czech Republic) and the Grandhotel Gellert (Budapest).

Palace Bristol Hotel (Carlsbad)

7) Which film festival opened with The Grand Budapest Hotel?

The 64th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2014.

Alexandre Desplat

8) Alexandre Desplat wrote the score, which major Hollywood films has he worked on?
The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 & Part 2, Godzilla, The Golden Compass and Zero Dark Thirty.

9) How many awards has the film won?

Five: The Berlin International Film Festival, Jury Grand Pix for Wes Anderson; The David di Donatello Awards, Best Foreign Film for Wes Anderson; The Golden Trailer Awards, Best Graphics in a TV Spot; The Nastro d'Argento, Best Costume Design for Milena Canonero; and the World Soundtrack Awards, Best Original Score of the Year for Alexandre Desplat.

10) Initially how many cinemas did the film open on in the US?
Four cinemas.

11) How much did it average per cinema?
$202,791.50

12) The film was released on Ultraviolet BluRay, what does this enable consumers to do?
Stream and download the film to multiple devices, this means that they can watch the film without having to rebuy them from websites like Apple.

13) Which companies do not support Ultraviolet?
Disney, Google, Amazon.com and Apple.

14) What complaints did Ultraviolet encounter when it launched and other problems?

• Limited interoperability with existing services: Ultraviolet content is not available yet on some popular video platforms (e.g. iTunes).
• Limited content- Some small studios and Disney have not yet released their films with UV rights, meaning its impossible for someone to have a complete collection of films in the UV format.
• Confusing processes- Redemption sheets that come with the physical discs sometimes direct the buyer to sites that need you to register on, and these often confuse the consumers. This was a huge problem when Ultraviolet first launched, and caused a backlash among buyers. Redemption codes have an expiry date also.
• Restrictions on use- At the moment, you can not download an UV file and then copy it to another device.
• Black market- Some consumers have tried to sell their redemption codes online.

Task 2- Comprehension

Part 1- The Story:







List the cast of the film as explained in the featurette:

Ralph Fiennes: M. Gustave
Owen Wilson: M. Chuck
Tony Revolori: Zero
Edward Norton: Henckles
Saoirse Ronan: Agatha
Jeff Goldblum: Deputy Kovacs
Tilda Swinton: Madame D.
Adrien Brody: Dmitri Desgoffe
Jason Schwartzman: M. Jean
Willem Dafoe: Jopling
Harvey Keitel: Ludwig
Bill Murray: M. Ivan
Mathieu Amalric: Serge X.
F. Murray Abraham: Mr. Moustafa
Lea Seydoux: Clotilde
Tom Wilkinson: Author
Jude Law: Young Writer
Bob Balaban: M. Martin



Part 3- Building A Hotel:








1) Where did scouting for a hotel take place?
Central Europe
2) Which location did the production team eventually use?
A department store in Gorlitz, Germany.
3) Did they film on location or on a sound stage?
On location.
4) Where were the production offices located?
On the top floor.
5) How did they film the 60's and 30's hotel?
They wanted to shoot the 60's and the 30's hotel back to back, so they created a set within a set. They built the 30's set and then the 60's one, then they shot it backwards and peeled away the 60's layer- exposing the earlier period of the hotel.
6) Where did inspiration for the hotel's interior come from?
They travelled to different places in Eastern Europe, gathering ideas of what would go in to the hotel.
7) How many extras did it take to fill the lobby?
150

Task 3 - Marketing

1) Read this Variety piece and summarise the 5 secrets to the film's success:

http://variety.com/2014/film/news/five-keys-to-wes-andersons-hotel-success-story-1201154272/

• Anderson's World- The detail used by Anderson has gave the idea for a collection on eBay (a partnership initiated by Waris Ahluwalia, who owns a fashion label). There has also been an art collection inspired by the film. There are auction items, some of which are selling out, which allow the audience to feel like they have a part of the world that they see in the film.

• Unique Promotions- A model of the hotel has been touring cinemas from Hollywood to Berlin. Secret Cinema screened the film as well, creating excitement around it in England (and also a viral video of the night on YouTube which further promotes the film).

• Viral Chow- Instructional videos were released telling people how to make their own Mendl's pastries. These went viral as fans sent back their creations, and these were then used by Fox Searchlight in TV spots on cooking channels. There were eight marketing shorts shot as well, including one of M. Gustave. These things made people aware of the film on social media and got people excited about it, and those that weren't in the know about it in the know.

• Young Moonrisers- The success of Moonrise Kingdom has attracted a new, younger, generation of Anderson fans that then went on to see the Grand Budapest Hotel.

• Universal Access- The film was received wonderfully by critics. It got a rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. This attracted audiences that wanted to see what the fuss was about. Also, critics have called Budapest Anderson's most accessible film- meaning more people are likely to see it, generating a bigger box office success.

2) How did Anderson use the QE2 (Queen Elizabeth 2nd) to market the film?


Wes Anderson, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola went on the ship to promote their film, screening it multiple times and holding a Q&A session. The Cunard CEO David Dingle said 'Mr. Anderson has many fans among Cunard passengers, and we know they will jump at this unique opportunity to enjoy his films and spend time with him and his wonderful collaborators'.


3) What connects Prada to the marketing of the film?
They collaborated with Anderson, designing the costumes and the props for the film. Those interested in fashion may have wanted to see their input in the film and may have gone to see it because of this. There were two windows and an indoor display in a Prada shop in Berlin dedicated to the film, interesting visitors and subsequently attracting possible audience for it.

4) Visit this viral website and identify how the films plot is revealed




http://www.akademiezubrowka.com/


Clues to the films plot are on this website. For example, there is a picture of a Mendl's box and a picture of Boy With Apple.



Task 4 - Opinion



1) Why would a big Six company be interested in supporting a smaller distribution company like Fox Searchlight?
In order to not make the same old blockbuster films that don't earn a lot of respect and to make critically acclaimed films that will gain respect.
2) Which audience category best describes The Grand Budapest Hotel (Mainstream, Mainstream plus, aficionados)
Aficionados.
3)Why might the use of Ultraviolet alienate the film's audience?
As many people who own products by companies who don't support UltraViolet won't be able to access the film in this way.
4) Why might the use of secret cinema work as viral marketing for the film?
The clip of the Secret Cinema event on YouTube is likely to become popular because it looks so entertaining it will intrigue people into going to see the film.

Representation of Age

The Representation of Sexuality

Audience and Institutions

? = things I don't understand

• the issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice; (how does who owns a media company influence the type of film made and its potential success? For example do BIG companies make BIG films and therefore make all the money? Is it possible for small companies to succeed?)

Marvel Entertainment own Marvel Studios, and Marvel is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. As Marvel Entertainment are also known for owning Marvel Comics, they are always likely to make films with superheroes in- as these are the characters in the comics. These comics are also popular worldwide, bringing in more audience for the films Marvel make. However, if superhero films go out of popularity in the future then Marvel will be in a difficult situation as they are all that it makes.


As the whole of Marvel is owned by The Walt Disney Company, a massive company, they are more likely to make big budget blockbusters. Blockbusters tend to bring in a lot more money, and are more successful, than films made by a small company, due to their spectacular visuals, A-list stars, newsworthy budgets and the fact that they're not a comedy. Small companies are less likely to succeed when they have to compete with companies as large as Marvel that can afford all these things to entice an audience in and to make their film an international success. Small companies can't afford to make high budget films, and therefore don't make any profit. The bigger the budget is, the bigger the profit the film makes.


As Disney owns Marvel they are also increasingly likely to make family films, or films with something in for everyone to enjoy. This resultantly appeals to a larger cinema audience, and subsequently the film grosses even more.

• the importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing; (how do companies work together to produce, distribute and publicize a film?? How can Disney use their size to promote and publicise a film? How can small companies work together to promote their business' when making and promoting a film??)

Disney is extremely popular and therefore any of their films are highly anticipated, and they can use this popularity to the film's advantage. Perhaps by using social media to advertise links to YouTube where spoiler adverts for the film can be released. This gets people excited about the film, and talking about it. They could also do a countdown to the film's release on websites such as Facebook and Twitter to get potential audience excited also. Furthermore, Disney's size means that they have a lot of money to use on marketing campaigns for their films- and therefore they can make them huge campaigns and, subsequently, draw in a lot of interest to their films through them.


Big companies that produce films can also work with big companies that distribute films and big companies that publicise films. This means that the size of the companies allows a lot of money to be put in to a project, resulting in it, most likely, being successful.


Small companies can now work together to promote their business' as they can use social media to advertise each other's companies to an audience that is interested in small films.

• the technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels of production, distribution, marketing and exchange; (how has the introduction of digital film, 3D, DVD, Blue Ray, internet streaming, downloadable content, home cinema influenced the types of films made?, the way we watch them and the way we 'buy' them?)

The introduction of 3D in recent years has added an exciting new feature to the cinema experience that even further immerses the audience into another world, giving them more reason to want to go and see a film- to have a great experience and get their money's worth. However, 3D has become slightly less popular more recently as it costs extra for 3D tickets at the cinema- and therefore puts people off seeing it in this form as they could just see the same film for less in 2D.


Blue Ray also allows the audience to have a completely immersive experience, but in the comfort of their own home. This appeals to people that may not have a local cinema, or can't afford the prices of the tickets. DVDs and digital film also appeal in the same way. Internet streaming, downloadable content and home cinema also appeal as you can view a film in the comfort of your own home, and save a lot of money on the price it would be for your whole family to go to the cinema- instead you just have to pay for one film (usually about £11/£12). This home cinema, internet streaming, and downloadable content side of things have made films a lot easier to access and to watch- especially for people that may not have been able to see it otherwise. This therefore makes the film gross less money at the box office, but more money in it's overall gross. So these technological advances have great advantages for film companies.


Therefore, these technological advantages mean that people can buy films online, on websites like ITunes, or order them online, from websites such as Amazon or HMV, and have them delivered to their house.

• the significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and audiences; (how and why have film companies had to alter the way they work now everyone has web enabled phones, PC's, consoles etc? How have audiences changed their viewing habits now we no longer need to go to the cinema to watch a film)

Film companies have made their films accessible to watch on web enabled phones, consoles, PC's, and more as a lot of people own at least one of these devices nowadays and it would be a waste of something that can be accessed by a mass audience if film companies didn't make their films available to watch on them. Now that you can do so much on these devices some people are less willing to go out to the cinema as they can just watch things on Netflix instead, so film companies altering the way they work so that people can see their films through these devices is a great idea as it lets people who wouldn't see their film otherwise see it.


So, some people have changed their viewing habits to staying in at home watching films instead of going out to the cinema- as they can do it in the comfort of their own home and it costs less.

• the importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences; (can you think of examples of how different technologies have come together to help the film industry?) 

New camera technology has allowed for a more immersive cinema experience for the audience and makes some people want to go and see a film even more- this makes a film a bigger box office success, and therefore helps the film industry.


YouTube allows film companies to publish their trailers on it for everyone with access to the website to see- trailers therefore reach a wider audience. If we didn't have YouTube a lot of people may never see these trailers, as the only way of watching them before was by seeing them advertised before a film at the cinema. YouTube means that people can see a trailer easily and decide whether they want to see a film or not, and this often leads to a bigger audience and a bigger box office success as the trailer reaches a large amount of people.

• the issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically, British) by international or global institutions; (how do film companies try and attract their audience? Do they do different things in different countries?)

Sometimes films include scenes in a set in a different country, such as China, to appeal to a wider audience and a massive population of people. If they see their own country in the film then they are more likely to want to see it, as they feel that it might relate to them in some way.


Marvel attract their audience by attending events such as Comic Con in America to promote their films, as they know that the people that attend it are interested in superheroes (as they are interested in comics).

• the ways in which the candidates’ own experiences of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience behaviour. (what is your opinion on the above? Do you see the developments as a good or bad thing?)

I see the developments as a good thing as they have allowed many people to have access to the wonderful world of film that may not have had this opportunity before. However, advances in technology that have allowed for things such as downloadable content are a shame in a way they are putting a good old trip to the cinema to rest in some people's lives, which for me is one of the key parts of the film industry and enjoying a film.

Representation of Regional Identity

Scottish

• Accents- Strong, harsh & hard to understand.
• Location/setting- Either in the mountainous, beautiful highlands, or in a rough, grotty area. Also, Edinburgh is a beautiful place to live in with its amazing architecture.
• Slang- Easy to understand- e.g- 'lassie' (girl) & 'wee' (small).
• Clothes- Kilts, tam o' shanters & tartan clothing.
• Pastimes- Drinking & playing the bagpipes.
• Attitudes/behaviour- Aggressive, racist, passionate about their country, dour, tight with money, hate the English & violent.
• Stereotypes- The Scottish stereotype is people with ginger hair, freckles and pale. They eat haggis & fried fish mars bars. They are quite aggressive in their behaviour at times, and are extremely passionate about their country. They hate the English and can be quite racist. Their pastimes include drinking and playing the bagpipes. Their accents are very strong, especially if they're from Glasgow, and difficult to understand, however their slang can be quite simple and easy to understand in contrast with the difficulty to understand their accent. The men wear kilts and tam o' shanters. They stereotypically live in either a beautiful, mountainous area (or in a place with wonderful architecture like Edinburgh), or they live in a rough, violent area.
• In Reality- Scottish people are mostly kind, friendly and extremely proud of their heritage. They have invented many things, and some of them are very talented- in music in particular. Some of them live in beautiful countryside areas in the highlands- far from this idea of rough, grotty, crowded areas.

In TV Drama

• Alec Hardy- Broadchurch

Liverpool

• Accents- Strong & high-pitched at times.
• Location/setting- Rough council estate areas.
• Slang- Quite difficult to understand- e.g- Fake is plazzy, blag or jarg, old-fashioned is antwacky & shoes are trabs, trainees or webbs.
• Clothes- Tracksuits, and the women wear tight clothes and a lot of makeup.
• Pastimes- Football, crime, drugs & drinking.
  
Attitudes/behaviour- Chavvy, aggressive, hooliganish football behaviour.

• Stereotypes- The Liverpudlian stereotype is that people behave aggressively, are interested in a dangerous lifestyle (for example drug-taking), don't dress smartly and are football hooligans. Furthermore, they have a strong accent and use a lot of slang which makes them difficult to people from other places than Liverpool to understand.
• In Reality- Every city has its share of people that abuse drugs, commit crimes and behave aggressively, so Liverpool is no exception to that. However, the majority of Liverpudlians do not do any of the above. Also, most people wear fashionable, smart clothes- not tracksuits, and not all women wear tight clothes and a lot of make-up. Furthermore, Liverpool is a community-orientated city that has bore much talent- such as the Beatles. Not everybody likes football, let alone are football hooligans, and their accent is not always hard to understand.

In TV Drama

• Barry family- Waterloo Road

London

• Accents- Either you have a very posh, received pronunciation, accent if you are from central London- or a cockney, rough accent if you are from elsewhere in London.
• Location/setting- Either a rough council estate area in the East, or a posh, modern apartment in the middle of London.
• Slang- Cockney rhyming slang- for example 'up the apples and pears' means up the stairs. It is relatively easy to understand.
• Clothes- Modern and fashionable, or tracksuits and trainers.
• Pastimes- Drinking tea and visiting the Queen, or committing crime and drug-taking.
• Attitudes/behaviour- Reserved, polite, charming and have a stiff upper lip. On the other hand, the other stereotype is that they are rough and aggressive, are involved in street crime. They are also quite street wise due to the crowded areas they live in.
• Stereotypes- One stereotype of Londoners is that they are posh, reserved, enjoy drinking tea, live in a modern apartment, and wear fashionable clothes. The other stereotype is that they are are rough, wear tracksuits, commit crimes, are aggressive and are football hooligans (they are typically fans of Westham and the Spurs).
• In Reality- London is a mixture of all classes, and the majority of its people are usually quite reserved. London is a beautiful city in most parts of it, but like anywhere it has its rough areas too. Not everyone either talks in a posh accent or in a cockney one, there are a mixture of accents in the city. Also, not everyone knows a member of the royal family personally. The way the Londoners dress is all according to their wealth- if people are better off they can afford to dress in a fashionable way, whereas if people do not have a lot of money they can't afford to do this. Furthermore, not everyone watches the football or is a fan of it.

In TV Drama

Sherlock Holmes- Sherlock

I have not completed this yet, but I plan to asap.

Representation of Ethnicity

Stereotypes of White People

• Rich
• Intelligent
• Racist
• More powerful
• Physically weak
• Self-obsessed- selfish
• Not very intimidating
• High status
• Posh
• Law-abiding
• Live in more developed countries
• Middle-class
• White people who 'act black'
• Brattish children

Stereotypes of Black People

• Good at dancing
• Single parent families (dads leave)
• Like chicken
• Crime
• Poor
• Gangsters
• Rappers
• Athletic
• Humorous
• Religious
• Soulful
• Well-endowed (men)
• Ghettos/slums
• Drugs
• Gangs
• Guns/weapons (and resultant crime)
• Dreadlocks- rastafarians
• Big lips/noses/bums etc (physical attributes)
• Third world
• Disease
• Unclean
• Oppressed/marginalised
• Slaves/slavery
• Intimidating
• Weaves, afros, short hair, bald

Exam Question on Ethnicity


Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of ethnicity using the following:

• Camera shots, angles, movement and composition
• Editing
• Sound
• Mise en scene

50 marks

EAA: Explanation, analysis, argument-20 marks
EG: Use of example-20 marks
T: Terminology-10 marks




This extract from Spooks represents ethnicity in a variety of different ways, in ways that conform to stereotypes and in ways that don't, through the use of the four areas of textual analysis.

Mise En Scene is key in this extract in constructing representations of ethnicity. The two terrorists in the scene conform to the stereotype of terrorists being Arabs/Muslims. Furthermore, the terrorist in the background of the shot conforms to the stereotype through his costume- he is wearing a balaclava, all black and has a gun, these things are all typically associated with criminals.

The dark lighting in the room creates a sinister atmosphere, which also links with the horrific nature of terrorism. The lighting could also link to a something more serious, suggesting perhaps that Danny's job is something serious like a spy. This would break the stereotype of black people having a life of crime.

Danny's further breaks the stereotype as his costume is very smart, he is in a all black outfit with a leather looking jacket on. This therefore breaks the stereotype of black people being poor, as if he was poor he wouldn't be able to afford such a smart outfit.

The setting also plays a key role in the representation of ethnicity through the Mise En Scene, and in this case it infers that the white people conform to the stereotype. The white people seem to be sat in an office somewhere out of harms way, this suggests that they are of a higher status and more powerful than Danny as they seem to be the ones with authority (they are on computers monitoring the situation) and that they are law-abiding citizens (as they are not out there with Danny getting physically involved)- all of which are stereotypical qualities of white people.

The sound is significant in constructing the representation of ethnicity in this clip. The dialogue in this scene further shows that Danny does not conform to the stereotype of a black person, as he speaks with such authority and in such a brave manner to the terrorist- for example when he tells the terrorist 'you will never win'- that it shows that he does have a certain extent of power over the situation. He can stop the terrorist from killing the woman with his words, and therefore he breaks the stereotype of black people having no power. However, to contradict this, Danny's dialogue links in with the stereotype of black people being marginalised and therefore having no power, as he says 'if I'd been born somewhere else it might have been me holding the gun now'.

Furthermore, Danny speaks with received pronunciation. This breaks the black stereotype as if Danny was poor or involved in crime you would associate that kind of lifestyle with a rough, inarticulate voice, but Danny doesn't speak in that way.

At some points in this extract the non-diegetic sound is quite tense, and this could be representing the racial tension between the characters and their ideological differences. This suggests that the Arabs in the scene conform to the stereotype of Arabs being racist, as the tense sound might be referring to this (and therefore racial tension). The tense sounds could also be foreboding Danny's death. The diegetic sound of the gun being cocked also adds to the tenseness of the scene, as Danny knows he is going to die in that split second before the trigger is pulled and he must have been terrified. The fact that the terrorist had a gun through out the scene, yet Danny still speaks with such authority through his dialogue, further emphasises his braveness.

After Danny's death the non-diegetic sound is similar to the Muslim call to prayer- this could suggest that Danny is holy and pure, and that his death was a horrific crime. This links with the stereotypical quality of black people being religious. However, this use of non-diegetic sound could also suggest that the terrorist is Muslim- conforming with the stereotype of terrorists- and therefore it is played after his killing of Danny, as he was responsible for it.

Editing also plays a role in helping to represent ethnicity in this extract. There are a lot of long takes on Danny- which allows the audience to concentrate on his bravery, and it also highlights how he is the most important in the scene. This goes against the stereotype of black people having little power, as it suggests he is the most significant character there. There are short takes of the terrorist- highlighting the fact that he is not worth anything as he is evil.

At the end of the extract there are long takes of the white man crying, which highlight the binary opposite of the black man and him. The black man is emotionally strong when facing the terrorist, yet this the emphasise of the white man crying through the long take suggests that he is emotionally weak. These two qualities conform to the ethnic stereotypes.

Camera shots, angles, movement and composition are pivotal in constructing the representation of ethnicity in this scene. The fact that Danny gets the most screen time emphasises his importance and suggests that he has power, once again breaking the stereotype of black people having a small amount of power. At other points in the extract this breaking of the stereotype is conveyed again, through shots of Danny in which he is in the centre of- further inferring his importance.

At one point in the scene Danny is being filmed from handheld camera that is shaking, and this could reflect the anger building up inside of him. This therefore conforms to the stereotype of black people as anger can be associated with crimes and owning weapons.

A low angle shot is used looking up at the terrorist. This suggests that the Arab has the most power in the scene, and that he is control of the course of events. However, the fact that Danny gets the most screen time infers that he is morally the person with the most power in this scene- and this breaks the stereotype that black people have no power. Yet, the shots towards the end of the extract of the white people back at the office infer that they are really the ones in power as they are overseeing the situation and react little to Danny's death. The editing of their reaction- in slow-motion- further highlights their small amount of emotion when witnessing Danny's murder. This suggests that in society the white people are the ones with the most power, and this therefore conforms to the white stereotype. This slow-motion sequence also agrees with the stereotypical idea of the British having a stiff upper lip.

In conclusion, this extract constructs ethnicity in both stereotypical ways and non-stereotypical ways. The Arab characters mainly conform to the stereotypes and so do the white characters, and the representation of Danny mainly breaks the stereotypes.

The Big Six- Walt Disney Pictures

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