Context = Reasons

Blockbusters do not stimulate the mind, they aren't there to make you think.

Blockbusters are products, they are there to make money. Box office at the cinema.

Summer event movie, you go to see it at the cinema as a group.

Economics=£
Audience=Social
Technology
Context=Reasons

Audiences behaviours, then they had to go to the cinema to watch a film in the 1970's, but now we can watch them at home online. The reason why we go to watch them at the cinema now as there is lots of special effects, making the visual experience better than at home (combats piracy). Watching Blockbusters is basically watching someone play a video game, because of the special effects.

'Set action pieces' - Fight scenes, sacrifices the narrative.

Blockbusters have evolved. why?

"Multiplex" (multiple screens) vs "independent" "Fleapit"

Just because a film made money, doesn't mean people liked it.
Event movies, only going to watch it so people are involved in the conversation about it - being apart of the hype.


Godfather- Target audience is more male than female. Hardly any special effects. Was an event movie. Has two sequels. A $6,000,000 budget. Was a big success. not post genre. based on a novel, pre sold.

Star wars IV- Lots of CGI, SFX and animation. Slightly more of a male audience than female. Definitely an event movie. A $11,000,000 budget. Heavily marketed. Set pieces were chosen over narrative. Franchise and seven films. Is very like a video game experience. not post genre. has a story but there are set pieces. not pre sold. A lister. Lots of merch, where it started. here were film becomes an advert for the toys and other stuff.

Jaws- No special effects. not post genre. actual story and not set pieces. was a franchise, sequels.

E.T- Mixed target audience(aliens for male, narrative for female). A $10,500,000 budget.

The Exorcist-


Social- Audience sense of fear played on in Jaws. Preference for visual effects and simple stories.

Technology- Visual effects THX sound

Economic-Stopped reporting marketing budgets in 2008 when they reached around $37 million
More sequels are more expensive than the original. Marketing is becoming more important, around the time of Jaws, bigger marketing budget.

Bonnie and clyde- 1967:

The graduate- 1967:

Godfather- 1972: Indie, underground cinema. (no special effects, not much publicity, character driven story) New kind of film making 'New hollywood' (new generation of film directors) opposite to Blockbusters.

Jaws- 1975:
1st film with 100m gross. Event movie. Summer release. Massive publicity. Decade of blockbusters. (More publicity, still no special effects, character driven story) $260million.

Star wars- 1977: Event movie, step forward in special effects. Made $797million.

The shining- 1980: New hollywood. Overlaps into the Blockbuster era.

The peoples preferences to visual effects instead of character driven stories, made the blockbuster change from something like Jaws to Star wars.