📗MEDIA film BLACK PANTHER Flashcards
(12 cards)
BLACK PANTHER PRODUCT CONTEXT
- 17th film within the Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Directed by Ryan Coogler
- Released February 12th 2018
- Set in the fictional kingdom of Wakanda, the film centres around T’Challa (played by Chadwick Boseman), who must secure his place as king
- Produced by Marvel Studios, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company
- Has had major commercial success, grossing over $1 billion worldwide
- One of the few superhero films to be nominated for the ‘best picture’ Academy Award, winning Oscars for costume design, production design and original soundtrack
BLACK PANTHER SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT
- Superhero and sci-fi genres have traditionally centred around white, male protagonists, black panther challenges this by featuring a predominantly black cast with strong female leads
- While Marvel is successful and has often portrayed non-white characters as sickly until recent years
- BP releases align with a growing demand for diversity and are highlighted by movements like #oscarsowhite
- The film is also influenced by Afrofuturism, blending African culture with futuristic technology
BLACK PANTHER MEDIA OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL
- Marvel studies, owned by Disney, exemplifies vertical and horizontal integration, managing both production and distribution
- Disney’s marketing strategy utilised a 360-degree consumer experience, targeting a diverse audience through brand synergy, including collaborations with Lexus and Interscope Records
BLACK PANTHER HISTORICAL CONTEXT
- Indirectly addresses issues related to European colonisation of Africa, highlighting Wakanda as an uncolonized, technologically advanced nation - Paul Gilroy
- Black cultural identity movements like the Harlem Renaissance and political activism like the black panther party are relevant in understanding the film’s cultural backdrop
BLACK PANTHER ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CONTEXT
- The political landscape, including Barack Obamas presidency and the Black Lives Matter movement, influenced the film’s reception and thematic relevance, released during black history month, empowering due to the male protagonist
- Became a cultural phenomenon, symbolising empowerment and representation
- Production budget - $200 million
- Marketing budget - $150 million
- Box office - $1.34 billion
BLACK PANTHER REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
- Rated a 12a in the UK by the BBFC and PG-13 in the USA, reflecting its fantasy violence and tinged moral undertone
- Relating strategies vary globally, accommodating different cultural sensitivities
- BBFC is a pre-vetting platform that, within the UK, films have to go through
BLACK PANTHER : PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND CIRCULATION - MARKETING
- The film’s trailer, released during the NBA finals, attracted massive online engagement
- Social media played a key role in the film’s promotion, making it the most tweeted about film in 2018
- Had a free screening for children in Harlem, as they are an audience who are underprivileged
- The organisation crowd crowdfunding set up a GoFundMe page, which raised 3x what was expected, £42,000
- Early footage and concept art debuted at a press event in April 2017
- Film poster released ahead of the teaser trailer
- Full trailer released in October 2017 – fast paced (impactful), humorous codes, good range of clips, expands audience beyond pre-sold audience whilst fulfilling expectations of original audience
- Costumes displayed at Comic-Con 2017
- Kendrick Lamar performed a track from the soundtrack album during the American college football championships final
- Wide/blanket/saturation release = where a film is made available on as many screens as possible – used by large conglomerates, usually
- Simultaneous global releases – the film was made available on the same day globally
BLACK PANTHER Benefit to a conglomerate – Walt Disney
1) Economies of scale – as a large conglomerate, Disney can reduce its costs through bulk purchasing, shared tech, and cross-promotional strategies across its various subsidiaries
2) Diversification of revenue – as it owns a wide range of media assets, it reduces its reliance on any single product or market, helps to stabilise income and mitigates risk
3) Brand loyalty and cross-promotion – owning multiple popular brands allows us to attract a diverse audience and create long-term brand loyalty
4) Vertical integration – controls production, and exhibiting, allowing greater control over how content is marketed and consumed, maximising profits from each stage
5) Global reach and cultural impact
BLACK PANTHER Downsides to a conglomerate – Walt Disney
1) Market domination – smaller independent media companies struggle to compete, which can stifle the diversity
2) Cultural homogenization – global influence can lead to a dominant cultural narrative, overshadowing diverse or local stories
3) Political and social influences – as a media giant, it has significant power in shaping public discourse, which can result in biased or one-sided representations
4) Lack of creative diversity - often prioritises profits, formulated connections and reduces
innovation and creativity
BLACK PANTHER GOING AGAINST EXPECTATIONS
- Creative diversity – unlike typical superhero movies, it features a predominantly black cast, Afrocentric themes and a unique narrative that challenges the formulaic nature of many Marvel films
- Market expansion – instead of being dominated by the usual superhero trope, the film targets. Broader demographic, including the underrepresented audience, making it more inclusive
- Cultural representations – it celebrates African cultures that then present a homogenised narrative, using elements of Afrofuturism to blend tradition and modernity
THEORY David Hesmondhalgh – cultural industries
- Large conglomerates like Disney tend to reduce creative risks by repeating successful formulas, leading to standardised, less diverse content, however
- BP breaks this mould by presenting a fresh narrative with cultural depth
- Synergy between Marvel, fashion, music and sports demonstrates how Disney leverages cross-media connections to maximise profit while attempting to innovate with the superhero genre
THEORY Curren and Seaton – profit and power
- Media ownership by a few conglomerates’ limits diversity and creativity, whole Marvel dominance in the superhero genre could support this view
- BP challenges it by offering a narrative rooted in African heritage, Disney’s decision to produce a film with a remarkably balanced cast and African-centric themes highlights an effort to embrace diversity
