Monday 1 December 2014

The Grand Hotel Budapest

Task 1- research 
What is Indian Paintbrush and who owns it?
Indian Paintbrush is a production company owned by Steven M Rales. This has funded films such as The Darjeeling and Fantastic Mr Fox.
Which company is Fox Searchlight a subsiduary of?
Fox Entertainment Group, a sister company of the larger Fox studio 20th Century Fox.
Which type of films do Fox Searchlight distribute?
It specializes in US distribution of independent and British films.
Which two countries financed the film?
The film is a British-German co-production that was financed by German financial companies and film-funding organisations. It was filmed in Germany
What did Anderson use instead of CGI (computer generated imagery)?
He painted backgrounds instead of CGI which ment that everything filmed on set and no green screen was used.
Where did the inspiration for the Hotel come from?
His hotel inspiration came from the writings of Stefan Zweig.Which film festival opened with The Grand Budapest Hotel?
The 64th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2014.
Alexanre Desplat wrote the score, which major Hollywood films has he worked on? 

 Desplat has worked on a variety of Hollywood films, including Darnell Scott, and commercial successes like The Queen, The Golden Compass, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The King's Speech, Argo, Zero Dark Thirty and Godzilla.
How many awards has the film won?

The film has won 5 awards and one is still pending. 
Initially how many cinemas did the film open on in the US?

It opened in 4 cinemas.
How much did it average per cinema? 
It averaged $202791.50
The film was released on Ultraviolet BluRay, what does this enable consumers to do?

Ultraviolet is a service which offers a free digital copy of the film bought to be watched on a variety of devices (phones, smart tvs etc.)
Which companies do not support Ultraviolet?

Companies such as Metro Goldwyn Meyer, Disney and Columbia Pictures are the only major studios which are not involved with Ultraviolet
What complaints did Ultraviolet encounter when it launched?


Task 2- comprehension

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


Where did scouting for a hotel take place?

Central Europe
Which location did the production team eventually use?
A department store in Germany 
Did they film on location or on a sound stage?
Location 
Where were the production offices located?
On the top floor
How did they film the 60's and 30's hotel?
They wanted to shoot the 60's and 30's hotel back to back so they created the set within a set, they built the 30's set then the 60's one and shot it backwards then peeled back the 60's layer.
Where did inspiration for the hotel's interior come from?
They travelled to different places around Eastern Europe to get ideas.
How many extras did it take to fill the loby?

It took 150 extras 


Task 3 - Marketing
5 secrets to the film's success

1) Anderson’s World- The director’s eye for detail is a merchandiser’s dream. “Budapest” features a collection on eBay, a partnership initiated by actor and frequent Anderson collaborator Waris Ahluwalia (whose own fashion label is House of Waris). The film’s production designer Adam Stockhausen also curated an art collection inspired by the film. Auction items range from bow ties and moustache wax to promotional materials from the pic. Some are selling out, including copies of “The Society of the Crossed Keys,” Anderson’s book of selections from the writings of Stefan Zweig, which inspired the film. 
2) Unique Promotions- Fox Searchlight is touring a large-scale model of the hotel in theaters from Hollywood to Berlin. And U.K.-based Secret Cinema, a monthly gathering that combines live performances involving audience participation, recently screened “Budapest” instead of its usual classic fare. The film already has grossed nearly $15 million in Blighty.
3) Viral Chow- Fox Searchlight created instructional featurettes detailing how to create baked goods inspired by the film’s colorful Mendl’s pastries. The videos went viral as fans sent back footage of their creations, which Searchlight used in TV spots on cooking networks. The distrib shot eight marketing shorts, including a profile of the film’s central character, M. Gustave, played by Ralph Fiennes.
4)Young Moonrisers- Thanks to the success of 2012’s “Moonrise Kingdom,” Gilula says Anderson’s fans have gotten significantly younger. “He’s attracted a whole new generation, some of whom weren’t even born when ‘Royal Tenenbaums’ (2001) and ‘Bottle Rocket’ (1996) were released,” the exec notes.
5) Universal Access- Cool marketing would mean little if the film itself were poorly received. However, “Budapest” has generated a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes — behind only Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” Critics have called “Budapest” his most accessible film. “We don’t see the ceiling yet,” Gilula says.



How did Anderson use the QE2 to market the film?

What connects Prada to the marketing of the film? 

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

http://www.akademiezubrowka.com/

Task 4 - Opinion

Why would a big Six company be interested in supporting a smaller distribution company like Fox Searchlight?
Which audience category best describes The Grand Budapest Hotel (Mainstream, Mainstream plus, officianados, )
Why might the use of Ultraviolet alienate the film's audience?
Why might the use of secret cinema work as viral marketing for the film?

No comments:

Post a Comment