Explores Deleuze’s views on spectators. Read properly if to be cited.

45
“At one level, Deleuze was felt to have introduced a perspective on film studies that was at odds with Screen Theory’s insistence on the passivity of the cinema spectator, the latter being a notion indebted to theories of psychoanalysis [...]. Rather than spectators passively deprived of their bodies and held in thrall to an ideological apparatus, Deleuze’s writings gave rise to the possibility of spectators who engaged their bodies and senses in ways that made Screen Theory seem incorrigibly shortsighted.”

53
“Deleuze throws down a quite extraordinary and risky challenge: that we lose control of ourselves, undo ourselves, forget ourselves while in front of the cinema screen. Only then will we be able to loosen the shackles of our existing subjectivities and open ourselves up to other ways of experiencing and knowing.”

Results of survey of Australian screen content producers.
4000 producers identified, 2000 contacted, 12% completed survey.
First question: You a producer? If not, no survey.

91-94
Lit review: producer.

94-96
Lit review: Creative Industries.

95
“The important implication for our argument, however, is that what were formerly known as the ‘cultural industries’ (film, TV, music, and so on) have now been subsumed into a broader category that includes non-media-based creative outputs such as design, fashion, heritage activities, and so on.”
“In the push to get cultural production taken seriously by governments and government agencies, the very real distinctions among skill-sets and working cultures arguably have been glossed over.”

97
“A staggering 42 per cent of film producers have a postgraduate degree.”
75% hold Bachelors degree.

100
“[Producers'] optimism about their own outlook contrasts starkly with their outlook on the industry as a whole”.
“what the survey results describe is something other than the slightly romantic notion of the ‘creative class’ advocated by Richard Florida (2002), and perhaps a little closer to the unstable context of ‘media work’ outlined by Mark Deuze (2007).”

101
“And we need to be attentive to the fact that cross-media mobility is not simply a characteristic of media consumption, but is increasingly a fact of life in production as well.” Oh really?

85
“Screen industries around the globe are evolving. While technological change has been slower to take effect upon the Australian film industry than other creative sectors such as music and publishing, all indications suggest that local screen practices are in a process of fundamental change.”
“Terms such as ‘film’ are becoming more and more problematic within this evolving landscape. Educators, government development bodies and scholars increasingly are opting for the term ‘screen’ over ‘film’ to describe the range of screen possibilities now possible from ‘movies’ released and consumed online, to short animations produced for mobile phones.” Instead of thinking about new terms they should think about what’s happening.

86
“Since 2008, the introduction of the Producer Offset, and the creation of Screen Australia – an amalgamation of the Australian Film Commission and Film Finance Corporation – has resulted in the most significant overhaul of public finance structures for the film industry in almost 20 years.”
“Screen Australia’s new policy rationales mark a shift from ‘cultural’ to ‘industry’ policy, and by implication a greater emphasis on growth, sustainability and commercial returns, rather than subsidisation of purely cultural expression without commercial imperatives.”

126f
4 generic business models + mix of them exist:

• Advertiser-supported
• Sales / micro-charges / rent
• Sales / micro-charges / buy
• Subscription

Applies Henry Jenkins’ “convergence culture” to Japan.

Some history of and statistics about Japanese video games, video game industry, and the industry’s relationship with “the rest of the world”.

140
“Bandai Namco is moving their strategy beyond localization of Japanese products and the development of overseas content: “Instead of development that is based on the framework of ‘products for Japan’ and ‘products for overseas’ we will emphasize cooperation between Japan and overseas bases and implement worldwide development from the planning stage.” What this might mean is the development of content that in its raw form might draw from common themes, characters, or universes, but is then localized or “culturalized” to respond best to the interests of a variety of markets. Perhaps this indicates the formation of another layer or level to convergence. In addition to a fictional media universe drawing from a theme or character to create a diversity of content across multiple media platforms, convergence might entail that process working across regions and markets as well, carefully adapted not only for a technical platform, but for particular communities or nation states. Convergence just gained another order of complexity.”
-> Worldwide EA launch.

141
“For now, they [Japanese video game companies] continue to struggle with the logics of convergence, in a constantly changing global media universe.”

80
“Everybody knows by now, even the average movie-goer, that Hollywood is trying to come to terms with one of the most severe economic crises in its history through the introduction of both 3-D, whose avant-garde stereoscopy has already been seen on French screens, and CinemaScope, whose big war machine, The Robe (Henry Koster, 1953), has already been shown in New York and is soon going to be exhibited in Europe. in New York and is soon going to be exhibited in Europe. Everybody knows, too, that Hollywood is forced to accept the risks of such an endeavor – which totally upsets the norms not only of production, but also of distribution – in view of the acute competition represented by television. At least everybody thinks he knows these things, for the details of the problem are not that simple. The aim of this article, then, is precisely to try to create some order out of all this.” -> Hollywood is doing the same thing it did 60 years ago!
“While some big companies almost completely ceased production only a few months ago, one can see a minor company like Monogram double its annual schedule for the production of B-movies for normal screens. Clearly, the heyday of Hollywood is over.”
“By investing totally in CinemaScope, Fox is not repeating Warner Brothers’ gamble with talkies. None of the American companies, in spite of a film-consumption crisis that has become worse and worse over the last five years, are yet on the verge of bankruptcy. They can probably all afford to indulge in a long period of Malthusianism without being threatened with extinction. This means, of course, that the technical experiment will be relatively controlled and that Hollywood will probably be able to draw some conclusions as soon as the moviegoing wind starts blowing one way or another.
The situation will probably be more serious for the unemployed technicians and actors.”
“underscoring the fact that Hollywood is still in control. It is important to know this especially for those who naïvely believe in some huge crash, in Hollywood’s sinking into an economic chaos from which Europeans could benefit.”

80f
“On the contrary, its operation will continue to be mounted with caution and firmness, and that operation will be massively supported by the various publicity departments.”

81
“The film revolution will be universal or it won’t take place at all. Whether we like it or not, Hollywood remains the magnetic pole of the film industry, at least as far as technical proficiency is concerned. We can particularly see it today: Cinerama, which is little more than Abel Gance’s triple screen, and CinemaScope, which was invented twenty-five years ago by Professor Chrétien, seem viable all of a sudden because of the interest that America has shown in them now that the moviemaking business is in decline.”
“The immediate cause is the dramatic reduction of the number of moviegoers since the introduction of television. In the last five or six years, the American film industry has lost approximately half of its national audience; this has meant the closing down of five thousand movie theaters (all of France doesn’t have that many), and will mean the bankruptcy in the near future of several thousand others.”
“Furthermore, we know that in various European countries, particularly France, where the number of television sets is still insignificant, a disturbing reduction in the number of moviegoers has been observed in the last few years. Everything, then, seems to indicate that a general, deep, and a priori weariness with the cinema on the part of the American public has found in television a visible means of manifesting itself. The viewer statistics are therefore all the more alarming, and they indicate that the haemorrhage cannot be checked through a mere cauterization – a CinemaScoping, as it were – of the wound made by television to the film industry.”

82
He explains why Hollywood’s defence mechanism had to “be of a spectacular nature.” It was foreseeable that the quality and size of TV screens won’t grow much more (for technical reasons). So if cinema was of high quality, it had something TV didn’t have. History has proven him right! But today things are very different. TV’s size and quality IS becoming competitive. Plus it remains all its other advantages. Can Hollywood’s response of increasing the quality/spectacle really have an impact?
“After two years of continuous running, seats still have to be booked six months in advance [at the Cinerama New York.” UNBELIEVABLE!!!

There is a recent trend for creating anime series and anime movies based on visual novels.
Visual novels are fairly static games that rely heavily on text and often there is not much player interaction beyond clicking on “next”.
Video games have become so powerful as a storytelling form that they influence other storytelling forms.

8
“In the context of anime culture, the phrase “visual novel” (“bijuaru noberu”) designates a multibranching and interactive ludic experience that enlists the player’s creativity alongside the production studio’s own artistry and thus transcends the boundaries of other types of more controlling videogaming. The visual novel typically articulates its narrative by means of extensive text conversations complemented by lovingly depicted (and mainly stationary) generic backgrounds and dialogue boxes with character sprites determining the speaker superimposed upon them. At certain pivotal moments in the story, more detailed images drawn especially for those scenes and enhanced by more cinematic camera angles and CGI are included. A visual novel’s ending alters according to the player’s choices at key turning points, which provides a motivation to replay the game and opt for alternative decisions each time. Pictorial sumptuousness, vibrant palettes, meticulous devotion to plot depth and character design and development are absolutely vital aspects of the medium.”

10
“In placing the interactor in a finely grained imaginary setting wherein he or she is required to deploy both text-analysis capabilities and puzzle-solving skills, the visual novel forges an innovative way of presenting and receiving the narrative experience.”

NZ film pretty much didn’t exist before the commission was founded in 1978. Now it does.

They support the need for a commission. But with many changes.

Gives very PRACTICAL advice: specific numbers, costs, prices, positions, tasks, etc.
Mentions transmedia 3 times.
Quite radical from a filmmaker’s perspective. I specifically mean indies, who always seemed to see themselves as a smaller Hollywood -> Hollywood’s concepts / business models / etc. should also work for them. Which they never did. But now it’s becoming more clear that they don’t and perhaps never will.
Not radical enough from my perspective. It’s a filmmaker sharing his insights from his struggles within the film industry. It’s not a step back to reassess the big picture.

29-36
Define who your film is for (hopefully not for yourself) and how you will reach it.

37
“The new 50/50 is as follows:
50 percent of your time and resources should be devoted to creating the film. 50 percent of your time and resources should be devoted to getting the film out to its audience, aka distribution and marketing.”

45-52
A good “overview of rights, markets and windows”; how they have been and how he reconceptualises them.

53-59
Know what YOU want to achieve and think about how to get there.

61-72
He describes “the bare minimum” of team members you need, and some more recommendable positions if you have the money.

127-131
His “Introduction to Transmedia” is less than 5 (!) pages short.

128
“media consumers don’t consume in one unified pattern anymore.”

129f
Definition “extradiegetic”:
“This material is called “extra-diegetic” and includes all content that is not part of the final released film, especially material that is created but never intended to be part of the final released film. However, as our understanding of film expands, there will not need to be a separate classification between diegetic and extra-diegetic; it will all be part of a seamless whole.”

133-136
Chapter 13: Redefining the Theatrical Experience
His new Definition-theatrical:
“It is time for filmmakers to reclaim the meaning of a theatrical release so that it is inclusive of a multitude of live-screening event scenarios. The theatrical experience needs to be redefined as people watching “films” with other people. Any place. Any time. Any media.”

143
“Unfortunately, due to contract obligations, IFC is currently only set up to do VOD day-and-date with their Festival Direct Program.”

151
“[...] Chris Hyams (the head of B-Side) did the research and found that all films (studio and independent), on average, lose money from theatrical.”

171
“I believe that incorporating aspects of an event into your screenings is the future of independent live event/theatrical releases.” A bit of a nonsensical sentence, but it goes back to stressing experiences.

172-174
“Ways to create a sense of an event:

1. Personal Appearance by the Filmmaker/Cast
2. Personal Appearance by a Celebrity
3. Parties
4. Partner with an Organization
5. Sell Advance Tickets
6. Live Audience Participation Part 1 (?)”

174f
“Transmedia Aspects to Screenings

1. Live Musical Remix
2. Live Film Mixing [Peter Greenaway]
3. Add Live Storytelling Elements to Your Screening [Head Trauma]“

175-177
Other options:

• One-Night Events
• The Film Tour

195
“The alternative theatrical grassroots screening model has shown the way to democratize and return a shared film experience to the control of individuals and groups,. With that newfound power, people will continue to find new ways to exhibit and congregate in order to watch films.”

243
“I think transmedia has tremendous potential for how narrative filmmakers can find new audiences and engage with them. Again, this is not just about marketing, it is about finding and engaging the audience for your film and your oeuvre.”

244
“Audiences don’t consume media as they once did. They have their own preferences, whether it is a movie theater, DVR, their iPhone, Xbox console, etc. Audiences have media and art form preferences. You can’t bend them, you must accommodate them.”

245
“Part of the death of DVDs has been due to people realizing that they didn’t need to watch a film more than once. Transmedia creates a life beyond the one viewing of a film.” -> Not sure about that. Isn’t transmedia even more ephemeral than a traditional movie?

275
“merchandise can be points of entry for films or narrative extensions – so they can be important to a transmedia strategy.”

289
“Television’s core business is repeat viewers.
It is difficult for television to command repeat viewers with individual films. When there was a plethora of fledgling channels such as HBO, Starz, Showtime, AMC, etc., they needed to buy movies to fill their schedules. But as those networks have matured, they have turned to series to bring back repeat viewers. Even indie stalwarts IFC and Sundance are buying fewer films in favor of series programming.”

296
“Ways to monetize your digital rights”:

• “Fees Charged Per Download, Rental, or Viewing”
• “Ad Revenue Share”
• “Subscription Fee”
• “Merchandise Sales”
• “General Promotion/Theatrical Launch”
• “Ad Sales/Banner Ad Sales”
• “Branded Entertainment/Product Placement”
• “Sponsorship”
• “Pay What You Want/Online Tip Jar”

299
“There is an argument I have heard on panels lately: Most filmmakers have a greater problem with anonymity than with piracy. I think this is a false argument.” If nobody wants to pay for it, perhaps nobody wants to see it, so perhaps the film is simply shit or doesn’t have an audience. -> Market it properly!

347
“Dentler observes that if you look at the history of consumer media, you always have different models for different types of publications. Some things are free, some things you pay for. He uses print media as an example, pointing out the difference between the Wall Street Journal and the Free Press.“

The chapter about Australian horror was written by Mark Ryan.