Blinded By The Light: case study blog tasks

 1) What is the story behind the production of the film?

It was based off a teenager in Luton who had experienced exactly what the film had contexts of , the teenagers name was Sarfraz Manzoor .

2) What was the audience reaction to the film?

A lot of audiences claimed to have had similar experiences or heard of real life experiences of a similar story .

3) Why is the Sundance Film Festival such an important part of the film industry - particularly for lower budget films? 

It showcases films made by independent directors and also films that will be related to by certain audiences .

Funding and industry contexts

1) What was the budget for Blinded By The Light and which companies contributed to the production budget?

Blinded By The Light cost around $15m to make. Bend It Films developed the film with support from Levantine Films and Ingenious Media.

2) Research the Bend It Networks website. What other films and projects has the company been involved with?

Bend It Like Beckham, Beecham House, Viceroy's House, Bend It Like Beckham The Musical and Desi Rascals. 

3) Research Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema on the Warners website here. Summarise the history of New Line Cinema in a short paragraph.

New Line Cinema is still making critically praised popular pictures that appeal to both mainstream and niche audiences worldwide, as it has done for a very long time. As a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment since 2008, New Line works in tandem with Warner Bros. Pictures Group to optimise movie performance and operational effectiveness through development, production, marketing, distribution, and business affairs activities. 

4) Read this Variety interview with director Gurinder Chadha explaining how the project came about - including budget details. What attracted Gurinder Chadha to the project and how did she manage to get the film made? 

Her family was part of the Indian/Asian diaspora that travelled from East Africa to London, and she was born in Kenya at the time when the nation was a British colony. Movies have traditionally explored the experience of immigration. It offers a moving mirror to contemporary xenophobia. She was a springstein fan for a long time and had the dream to make the film upon finally achieving it .

Distribution

Read this Deadline feature on the distribution deal for Blinded By The Light and answer the following questions: 

1) Which company won the distribution rights after the all-night auction and for how much?

New line cinema with $15 million .

2) Which other companies were rumoured to be bidding for the distribution rights?

Fox Searchlight, Lions gate

3) According to the article, what was the 'allure' of Blinded By The Light?

Universal appeal of Springsteen’s coming-of-age tunes .

4) UK distribution was secured by eOne Entertainment. Visit the eOne About Us page on their website - what do they claim to offer under the heading 'Passion meets possibility?'

eOne forces every move in the entertainment value chain from development and production to marketing and distribution. 

Marketing, promotion and reception

Watch the following clips to learn about the marketing and promotion of the film. 

Watch the trailer for Blinded By The Light:

1) What does the trailer suggest regarding genre and the potential audience pleasures of Blinded By The Light?

The immigrant children of the 1970's-1990's who would have experienced similar scenarios to what had been demonstrated in the film . Diversion is given amongst the comedic relief and further entertainment .

2) What TV shows and websites did interviews with writer, director and stars of Blinded By The Light? Why are interviews a good way to promote a new film release? 

BBC one, Hey You Guys, Bend it networks. Interviews allow straight up promotion and the selling of the film to take place .

3) What did film posters for Blinded By The Light feature and where did they appear? You may need to research this on Google Images. 

The main character Javed, On the UK distribution it had been Javed on a Orange and white background with him jumping up .

4) What social media accounts did Blinded By The Light use to promote the film? Note: some sites may be blocked if you are working in school - you will need to use your phone or complete your research at home.

Instagram, Twitter, YouTube.

5) Select three posts from the Blinded By The Light Instagram page and explain how they promote the film.

There is a film poster which denotes the release and theme of the film . Reviews which allows the theme and film to be sold to audiences . Also clips from the film which may intrigue audiences . 

6) Go to the Bend It Networks YouTube channel. How does Gurinder Chadha introduce the channel?  What other content is on the Bend It Networks YouTube channel?

The channel is portrayed as an opportunity for wider communities to share and relate . Trailers are also posted . 

7) Look at the box office figures for Blinded By The Light from The Numbers website. How much did it make at the box office and why do you think it was largely unsuccessful?

It made $19.5 million at the box office . The common idea to why it was unsuccessful is that it did not target a specific audience and also wasn't of just one genre .

8) Click on the tabs with further information (such as 'News', 'Box Office' and 'Video Sales'). Copy and paste some more statistics or sales figures to add to your understanding of the film's financial performance.

Date	Rank	Units this Week	% Change	Total Units	Spending this Week	Total Spending	Weeks in Release
Nov 24, 2019	17	9,720		10,981	$162,425	$185,435	5