Essay plan

'What factors led to the decline of town or city centre cinemas in the late 1970s and early 1980s?'

Opening paragraph
Hollywood film industry spending loads of money on making blockbusters and not earning any, made multiplexes in shopping centres to make back their money and put own films on in multiplexes, gives teens (their demographic) something to do (shopping etc), takes attention away from the film.

Paragraph 1
Production
Large budget makes a spectacle, spectacle makes event movie, event movie makes a lot of money, film makes see how much money it makes and copies the genre, e.g. star wars, george lucas and steven spielberg made a company for special effects (Industrial light and magic)

Basically...
Hollywood film industry knew they were losing money from cinemas, they started making spectacles to create an event using hype etc, they weren't losing money but they could've been making a lot more. (Star wars was budgeted at $8m and ended up costing $12m and has grossed $461m, this was because it was new, the sequels earned less)
Paragraph 2
Distribution

Social
Film industry tried marketing and building franchises to make money back and interest people in seeing the blockbusters (selling dolls and lunchboxes) of the blockbusters - didn't earn enough money people were still poor. Because the drop in people going to fleepit cinemas hollywood film industry began building multiplexes therefore shutting down fleepits (going out of business)

Economic
The UK was in recession
Pirate copies were available everywhere (cheaper than going to the cinema, watch over and over) (ET 1982)
TV's at homes were more common, watch with friends
VCR's at homes too, even cheaper to watch with friends became a fashion (social)
3 day week means there was not enough energy for a flee pit cinema to be open

Technology
VHS
TVs
Piracy a lot easier to do
Wait for it to be released on video
VHS became an event
Blockbuster type thing
It would be the same as watching it on tv as the technology still hadn't been developed properly

Paragraph 3
Exhibition

Social
Aimed at teens, so they built multiplexes in shopping centres (shopping, arcades etc)
Multiplex is an experience not just seeing a film
Film's devalued

Technology
Film's become a spectacle, big screens, loud speakers, visual effects
Spielberg and Lucas knew after star wars Sci-fi as a genre would take off, they created

Economic
Aiming it at teens, teens are economically dependent on parents, have disposable income from parents, can afford to spend the money they have at the cinema (Hollywood film industry therefore make their money back)
Spectacles attract teens with money (Star wars)

21st March 2014

READ THE QUESTION

Anna blog (production)

Priss blog (exhibition)

Natasha blog (distribution) 

Production, distribution, exhibition.

Questions

Questions

1) 1985, Milton Keynes

2)on the rise because blockbuster

3) Jurassic park, 1993. 

    The phantom menace, 1990

    Jaws the revenge, 1987

4) more seats, better comfort, bigger screen, better sound, more choice, everything in one place. 

5) flee pits were on high street, multiplexes shopping centres to gain maximum amount of audience

6) they wouldn't go back to uncomfortable seats with small screens when they could be comfortable and do a million other things while shopping in multiplexes 

7) audience, wider range of blockbusters and everything that comes with it for spectacle. For film distributors they know they'll earn maximum money, they're distributing it theirselves they don't need to pay and more people will return and they'll keep making money because it'll be an enjoyable experience 

8)VCR, pirates. Why would they pay extra when they can watch at home in their own comfort for a fraction of the price