This is a presentation containing my research into Institutions, film studios and film funding.

1. Institutional Research

2. How many thriller films were released in 2012?
54 thriller films were released in the year of 2012 including The
Hunger Games and Taken 2- two highly successful franchises
and the highest grossing thrillers of that year.
How Profitable is the genre?
Thriller is a reasonably profitable genre. In its most profitable
year- 2012- it grossed a total of $1,533,591,817 and sold
192,662,261 tickets from the 54 films released.
Which Films were most successful and why?
The most successful thriller movie of 2012 was the first edition
to The Hunger Games franchise, it grossed a total of
$408,010,692 and sold 51,257,624 tickets. There are many
discussed reasons for its success, one being the already large
fan base of support from fans of the novels. It is also
suggested success flares from the fact that the film appeals to
both boys and girls, its not gender specific and so has a larger
target audience. Furthermore the films advertisements and
promos had a large part in its success rate- it was everywhere!
This created a large hype before its release date a created a
larger turn out.

3. What are the characteristics of the audience for the thriller genre?
Due to common themes within the genre(eg. Violence, bad language etc.), a
thriller film will likely have an audience of 15 and over, with some exceptions
based on how monitored the content of the movie is.
The genre appeals to both males and females however it may be more popular
among men–to create suspense- they can be very action packed and include a
lot of violence and a hard hitting storyline which may not appeal to many
women viewers.
Thrillers may appeal to a person with any demographic class as the genre
includes a variety of character types and storylines that could relate and
interest anyone.
Overall…
I have learned that a typical thriller can appeal to both genders and people of
any class status and has an age rating from 12+ with the average being around
15+. I have found out that the advertising of a movie is key in its success rate.
In order to make my opening sequence successful I will make sure I include the
typical conventions of my genre and meet the needs of my target audience.

4. Film Studio Research

5. Blumhouse Productions
Established: 2000 by Jason Blum
Location: America
Well known films: Insidious, The Purge and the
Paranormal activity franchise
Who they worked with: Blumhouse productions have
worked with directors such as Scott Derrickson, Scott
Stewart and James Wan. They have also worked
alongside Lionsgate Entertainment and ABC.
Recent Success: Their most successful work is the very
famous Paranormal Activity series, which so far as a
whole has grossed a total of $889 million, which for a low
budget production company with only $28.015 going
into all 6 projects is pretty remarkable. The latest
instalment grossed a total of $77 million.

6. Hammer Film Productions
Established: 1934 by William Hinds and James Carreras
Location: London, England
Well known films: Dracula, The Woman in Black and The
Mummy franchise
Who they worked with: Hammer Film Productions have
a distribution partnership with Warner Bros. and have
worked had distribution contracts with the likes of
American film producer Robert Lippert
Recent Success: Hammer Film Productions had a large
success with their 2012 adaption The Woman in Black.
It grossed a total of $128, 955, 898 worldwide and has
even been called ‘The most successful British horror in
20 years’

7. Warner Bros.
Established: 1923 by Albert, Harry, Sam and Jack
L. Warner
Location: Burbank, California, United States
Well known films: Gravity, The Dark Knight and
the Harry Potter series
Who they worked with: Warner Bros. have been
involved in many production deals and
partnerships with companies such as Vertigo
Entertainment, Heyday Films and Carousel
Productions
Recent Success: Warner Bros. have had a recent
success in 2010 with their Sci-Fi thriller Inception
which grossed a massive total of $825.5 million
and ranked as number 9 on the company’s
highest grossing films.

8. In Conclusion…
Choosing a studio to distribute is vital to the films success and a
very difficult decision.
Out of the three studios I have looked into I would choose
Blumhouse productions to distribute my film as they are specialised
in the horror and thriller genres and work with low budgets but still
manage to create large successes.
Also due to the fact they are well known as a horror production
company, a lot of people will go to them for those types of movies
meaning it wont be difficult to attract my target audience.

9. Film Funding Research

10. BFI Funding
• Largest public film fund in the UK
• Every year they invest £26 million of Lottery funds to support
film development, production and distribution.
• The budget is set to rise to £30 million by 2017
• The BFI invests in distinctive new British filmmaking and will
also help to support first time film makers as long as they are
over the age of 18 and eligible for funding
• They aim to support diverse, bold and distinctive films and
increase the audiences for them across the UK
• You must have a producer working on the film to be funded
and have a director involved to receive production funding

11. Creative Skillset
• The empower the creative industries to
develop skills and talent
• They help to secure vital investments for
individuals to become the best in their field
• They work across film, television, radio,
performing art and many other industries.
• They offer not only investments but training
and careers information so that those
entering the industries are well prepared
• A range of bursaries are offered by the
Creative Skillset

12. Film London
• Film London Microwave is a funding scheme
UK feature films
• They provide development and mentoring support to all
shortlisted projects as well as production finance and distribution
support to final commissioned films.
• They have a development programme called Microschool that
helps their shortlist filmmakers to develop their scripts and skills
• The programme also offers mentoring from experienced industry
directors, writers and producers
• Commissioned features have the opportunity to access up to
£25,000 of distribution funding once complete and shortlisted
projects receive – after mircroschool training- £1000 of funding for
a 3 month development period and work with the continued
support of their mentors

13. In Conclusion…
After looking to a selection of film funding methods, I have
made a decision on which route I would like to take when it
comes to funding my own film.
I have chosen to seek funding support from Film London as they
have more than just financial support to offer me. They provide
ways to develop my skills and project as well as support and
mentoring from experienced people within the industry, which
– for a first time filmmaker like myself- will be invaluable and
key in my projects progression.
Furthermore, even if I do not make it to their final stage of
commission, they still provide a small amount of funding and
the continued support of my mentor.